Best GPS unit??????

[pdxhummerguy]

Hey all,

I am in the market for a new GPs unit and wondered what the general consenus is on make and model. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[tower]

Garmin 680

[jmsspratlin]

Garmin Nuvi 350 Not quite the features of the 680, but for the price and what you get...one helluva deal

[Dan D 2]

Tom Tom One......less than $300, super user friendly, touch screen, blue-tooth compatible......may not have ALL the fancy bells and whistles as the Garmin but for the price, it's one great bargin.

[marius]

Garmin 7200 - $ 687 - free shipping - 7 in touch screen, Fm transmitter, A/V input to play DVD's, add $ 39.00 for a RAM mount and you have a very good unit.

Marius

[pdxhummerguy]

So if price were no object then 680 is the best?

[marius]

I tried the 680 but it is too "dumb" for me. I like being able to customize the routes, add waypoints on the fly, look for points of interest while in motion (the co-pilot does that). The 680 locks it up while moving as a safety thing.
Did not like it, screen is too small, I guess it boils down to personal preference.
For me the 7200 is the best and looks great in a H2.

Marius
03 Pewter - Diesel conversion in progress

[mikejr]

I have used several different set ups. First was a dell laptop with the Delorme Earthmate software and a Jotto Desk (desk that are in the police cars). It worked well, but took up alot of space.

2nd set up was a Garmin GPS 60cs. Worked well, screen was a tad on the small side.

Current setup is the factory Nav unit in my 2008 H2, like it the best.

I was always concerned with the laptop or the handheld of a smash and grab theft of either units.

I know that doesnt really answer your question....but thought i'd offer my 2 cents.

[ROX]

Garmin 2820: enables you to upload topo maps of your region. It's small and portable to anything with a 12v plug.

Garmin GPSMap 478: has the ability to change from car to boat with XM weather radar. It's way cool. The live radar image is super-imposed over the map and you can watch as you drive in and out of big rain storms.
This one can also be used on battery power if you need to take it out of the car.

Both of these have relatively small screens.

[pdxhummerguy]

so what is the consensus on things here kids? I am going to use it primarily in my H1 but would like to have something that doesn't have a bunch of cords. Being able to plug in a video source would be cool but not essential. Seems like garmin is the most established brand out there and pretty tried and true. The 7200 looks sweet but that newer 680 is pretty sleek. I would like to pick one up this weekend. Anyone have a preferred source for purchase here in portland?

[breezss]

ordered mine off the Garmin site referb. Much cheaper, same warranty, had it in 2-3 days.

[ROX]

Originally Posted by pdxhummerguy

Anyone have a preferred source for purchase here in portland?

You can find a few Garmin models at Circuit City and Best Buy. Sportsmans Warehouse and West Marine carry a few models as well. Most of these stores don't have all of them, just a select few. Sorry I can't help more.

We ordered ours off the internet from the GPS store.

Happy hunting!

[imwoblin]

You can't go wrong with anything Garmin. I started carrying a Garmin in my FR strike platoon when I was in the USMC. Beat the piss out of it, and it never let me down. I prefer the Nuvi product line. I started with the Nuvi 360, which is just like the 350 but with bluetooth phone feature. I moved up last year to a Nuvi 660 which is just like the 360 but with a larger screen and a few more features. Go to www.garmin.com and you can compare models.

[tower]

Originally Posted by marius

I tried the 680 but it is too "dumb" for me. I like being able to customize the routes, add waypoints on the fly, look for points of interest while in motion (the co-pilot does that). The 680 locks it up while moving as a safety thing.
Did not like it, screen is too small, I guess it boils down to personal preference.
For me the 7200 is the best and looks great in a H2.

Marius
03 Pewter - Diesel conversion in progress

Marius, my friend, with all due respect, I don't know which 680 you used, but you can insert waypoints on the fly and look for POI's, perhaps you just didn't know ho to do so. Too bad that the 680 is "too dumb" for you. And it absolutely does not lock up, ever. But I will change my recommendation to the Garmin Zumo 550 (motorcycle) for anyone who goes off-road it will accept Garmin's national parks topo maps and can be operated with winter gloves on. Otherwise, the Nuvi 680 is more convenient to use.

[tower]

[Dan D 2]

I bought the Tom Tom for the Hummer cause I thought it was a great buy. I use a garmin on my snowmobile, motorcycle, and boat and fully agree that it is pretty hard to beat. If you're going to buy a Garmin I suggest you check out tvnav.com. They've always treated me very good and I think the prices are very reasonable.

[marius]

You may be right, I realize now that I was testing the 650 not the 680. Maybe the 680 does more, but I was totally unimpressed by the Nuvi. I started with the Magellan 700 way back when they came out. Then moved to the 2610 back in 2004, then the 2720, the 2820, the 7200, OEM non-touch in dash navigation, then touch screen. My 7200 got stolen 3 months ago so I went and bought the Nuvi 650 from Sam's. I did not like it. Then I tried a Mestro 4040 and a Tom Tom 910. All went back. Bought the 7200 back.
I guess I don't know enough about these things so I'll just let the pro's give advice, peace out...

M

[Goalkeeper]

I have the Tom Tom One XL and would recommend against it. While the large screen is nice, there are other models at the same price with the same screen now, but not when i bought mine.

I tried to navigate to RFK Stadium in DC and the stupid unit couldn't find it. Plus, at $ 400 (when I bought a few months ago), it does NOT announce the street names as the kid from Best Buy said it would.

It's ok, but you can do better.

Hey, Do you wanna buy one cheap? I'm moving to the Pioneer AVIC Z2 and will not need it...

-Matt

[frenzy1]

I got the TOM TOM 700. Very good !!!

[tower]

Originally Posted by marius

You may be right, I realize now that I was testing the 650 not the 680. Maybe the 680 does more, but I was totally unimpressed by the Nuvi. I started with the Magellan 700 way back when they came out. Then moved to the 2610 back in 2004, then the 2720, the 2820, the 7200, OEM non-touch in dash navigation, then touch screen. My 7200 got stolen 3 months ago so I went and bought the Nuvi 650 from Sam's. I did not like it. Then I tried a Mestro 4040 and a Tom Tom 910. All went back. Bought the 7200 back.
I guess I don't know enough about these things so I'll just let the pro's give advice, peace out...

M

No way! Everyone's opinion is welcome here. There are no "pros" here (except for the hummer techs) we all do this for fun.