What do you look for in a GPS for driving?
Speech recognition?
Screen size?
Traffic?
Amazon has lots of GPS devices, all of varying sizes and prices, and I was just wondering if there is a particular GPS you recommend.
I am not looking for top-of-the-line, just something that will do the job, get me places, and keep me from getting lost.
Thanks!
Billy
Laser beam facility, artificial intelligence and a snappy colour scheme are all must-have’s.
Tomtom is the brand you should be looking for imo. They have some very cheap models, but they still tend to win all the magazine reviews because they have brilliant interfaces and very reliable guidance. Also nice loud speakers.
I got one last year, cheapest model. I expected it to be a bit technical and such, but I’d programmed a route within a few seconds of turning it on for the first time and could hardly believe how easy it was. You don’t need speech recognition really. Screen size doesn’t matter much unless you have trouble hearing the voice directions (which you wont on a tomtom). As far as traffic goes, the cheapest model doesn’t track it. Over here it’s not an issue, but if you’re somewhere with lots of snarl ups it could be worthwhile going up a model or two.
I also have a Nokia phone with a GPS built in. It’s nowhere near as good for driving, but it does work better for walking places and riding obscure trails 
I’ll second the TomTom. I’m a satnav luddite - prefer a map and compass, even when driving. But borrowed my other half’s TomTom to do the UK & Ireland 5 peaks challenge and the TomTom was fantastic.
Recently bought a TomTom Europe for a trip to France and it was pretty good.
I have a Garmin nuvi 5000, one of the early big screen ones, and love it.
Screen size rates high in my priority list, (mainly due to aging eyeballs).
Traffic I choose to do without, mainly because I’m allergic to monthly charges. (do they still charge monthly for that feature?) Most cities these days have plenty of those signs alerting drivers of nearby detours and traffic.
I turn the sound off, a few days of the sexy Australian voice was enough once I realized how bossy she sounds. I just keep it mounted where it’s easy to check periodically and the voice prompts are not necessary.
One thing to watch: I decided to download updated maps and was told that in order to update maps I need to update software. I installed the new software and now the thing is more buggy than before. I never get the frozen screen that some of my Magellan friends get, but I often have trouble finding the satellites. This reinforces my idea that software updates cause more trouble than they’re worth.
All-in-all though, the Garmin is very nice to have.
EDIT: I forgot to mention a good reason to silence the voice prompts and rely on screen-checks…I like to keep myself aware of the areas adjacent to my route because in the event of a sudden lane closure or accident ahead it’s good to be able to spring off-route before getting trapped.
Garmin, Anything above the 1350
That gets you text to speech (speak street names) and Lane Assist. Going up a model get you bluetooth and up one more gets you Junction View (a representation of highway signs you are approaching and which lane you should be in)
Going up to the 1400 series primarily gets you muti-point routing and storage of saved routes.
I have to vote against TomTom. It’s widely regarded that Garmin does the best routing, and ultimately that’s what you buy a GPS for. The TomToms are fun and they have lots of way’s to ‘Play’ with them, but I still think a garmin is the way to go.
Garmin restricts their code too much and there is little choice of voices to buy.
TomTom has huge numbers of celebrities’ voices available to guide you. Just get the pirate voice.
Screen size doesn’t make much difference once you get used to it.
When Tom-Tom offers the Boethius voice I’ll feel the urge to switch.
Our very positive experience has been with Garmin devices; one from around 2004 and our newer one that’s now maybe 2 years old.
Also I have SprintNav on my phone, which also does turn-by-turn, though I haven’t played with it much (I’m usually the one driving). The SprintNav also does traffic, though you have to remember to turn it off when you’re done, or it’ll suck down your battery pretty quick!
That said, don’t underestimate the power of good old paper maps. For all they don’t do, at least they do give you a picture of where you are, which a GPS does not…
the Gamin 1350T has “Integrated FM traffic receiver and free lifetime traffic updates for alerts about traffic delays and road construction that lie ahead on your route.”
Thanks everyone for your help!!! I really appreciate it!
Although slightly slurred, the Boethius voice will be a benevolent guide on your journeys. It will be a calm and reassuring voice as you approach your sometimes stressful options in which way to turn. The direction you should turn your steering wheel of fortune will be clearly stated. If you fail to follow these explicit instructions, thunderous wrath will fall down upon you. You will be scorned and shamed until you find a place to u-turn and get back on the right path. There is no monetary cost for the voice but you will not be able to mute or silence the voice. It cannot be removed from memory. It will be in your electronic Gyroscopic Pointing System until it is attached to the wrist of Burning Man and its magic smoke is allowed to come out. An alternative to burning is to provide a periodic pint to the distinguished looking gentleman in the corner of this pub and the voice will remain under control. YRMV
I’d say grab a tomtom. Not because it’s got funny gadgets, i’ve actually never played with them.
They have a better UI. It’s simply easier to use.
My dad has a Garmi nuvi XT and hated it. It was properly bad to use. Really slow to boot, terrible UI and the french voices where terrible. When I grab his car I always take is motorbike GPS (Tomtom rider) simply because it’s so much better to use even if the screen is smaller and it has no stand…
UI = user interface for all you noobs out there
In the UK two factors seem to be talked about most by my colleagues: 7 character postcode search ( probably ubiquitous now), and some some of speed ( sorry, safety) camera warning capability. I also saw one specification, can’t remember the model, which had also a warning if the speed limit was exceeded at any time.
As John Foss says, it is nice to have a least a mental picture of the geography of your trip, if not an actual paper map copy.
Directions.
Yes, there is TomTom, but Garmin really is the master of this domain IMO.
If you want to design of your own custom routes, oppose to letting the GPS build simple point A to point B routes, then you must buy one that is programmable.
The higher end models come complete with City Navigator.
This will allow you to build routes with a high level of complexity.
For example, from LA to Seattle via Denver and Las Vegas, in a single route.
Not possible without City Navigator.
I have the Zumo 660 and it is awesome. It was a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for.
Just my .02 cents
Yeah, but you also think it’s fun to push old ladies over when crossing the street. Sicko.
Jacquie and I rented a car in London (to drive out!), and the speed camera feature was extremely useful! The GPS knew where all the speed cameras were along the motorways, and alerted us with beeps and on-screen warnings. It would continue to beep as long as I exceeded the speed limit for that section.
I don’t think we have the equivalent for American roads…