GPS buying question

08/05/08 | me

[Phantom Lord]

Question for those who know. I drive around for work a good amount and am tired of using Mapquest and Google for directions. Especially since half the time they are not the best way to get somewhere, or even correct in how to get there. So I want an entry level GPS.

Being that the "evil Bush" has destroyed the economy and I am only a pay check away from being homeless according to the libs, I don't want to spend a lot.

So $150 to $200 is my range. Not a tremendous amount. But then I don't a fancy one. No real need for a gazillion points of interest, maps of Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Europe, etc...

So I am basically looking at two units right now. The Magellan 3225 at BJs for $150 and the Garmin Nuvi 200. Also for $150.

Looking at what comes and does not come with the units I see that there is no USB cable or AC adaptor included. The car charger is included if memory serves me right. And I would hope so.

So my first question is, regardless of which one I get, do I need to purchase a USB cable for the unit and an AC adaptor? If yes, why. If not, why not.

2nd, of those two, which would be preferable? Why?

Is there another unit or two I should consider in that price range?

[Phantom Lord]

Thanks.

[SamAdams76]

Well I don't have a need for one because I know the streets around here like the back of my hand but I know people that have them and they look pretty cool sitting up there on the dashboard showing you where you need to go and other stuff like that.

[Domandred]

Get the Garmin. Don’t know on these new types but I have a Garmin and a Magellan hand held. The Magellan software and techsupport suck compared to Garmin.

[Shady]

Garmen. Only way to go.
I love mine, and I have the entry level one.
Gonna give it a test Thursday!

[driftdiver]

I have a Garmin and like it. It should come with a computer cable and ac adapter but double check. The accessories often cost a lot.

[indcons]

Whatever you do, don’t buy the Alpine Blackbird.

[Domandred]

do I need to purchase a USB cable for the unit

Don't need to, but the USB cable makes it a ton easier to manage custom waypoints and also you can link your GPS to google earth after your trip to log you adventures :). Highly recommended.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Garmin Nuvi 200 is the perfect entry level GPS. Borrowed one for a trip to Lake Michigan. It performed flawlessly.

[golfisnr1]

I have a Garmin 650. It has a 4.3 inch screen. It comes with a power cord that fits your cigarette lighter. Comes with a suction cup mount. I bought the sandbag mount that sits on the dash.

$254.86 on Amazon.

[Kimmers]

I have had a Garmin for 2 years and love it.....I have heard Garmin is better than Magellan but I have never had personal experience with Magellan...

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Go with the Garmin. I have a hand held that I use when scouting and hunting and it has never let me down. Very intuitive ... I've never really gotten into the instructions very much (sounds almost like a man, huh?).

[Krankor]

Try making friends with some retired old geezer who knows the area and just bring him along with you.

[Lurker]

I've owned a few Garmin units over the years. They perform very well so I've never had occassion to use their customer service department.

I can however tell you that I'm very pleased with mine.

I plan on buying one with the larger color screen in the near future as my eyes aren't what they used to be.

L

[Fletcher J]

I have the Nuvi 200W and love it. The wide screen shows a bigger map, more icons on one screen, and makes it easier to see/read.

I chose not to pay the $60 or so extra for the text-to-speech feature. The GPS saying “Turn right” as opposed to “Turn right on Lincoln Road” isn’t a big deal. Plus, if there are roads close together and it’s not clear which one to turn on, the name of the correct road for the next turn is displayed on the screen anyway.

The Garmin interface is very intuitive, fast and easy to use.

Fletcher J

[Vinnie]

Go with the Nuvi 650 if you can swing it.

The advantage of the 650 over the 200 is ‘Text to Speech’

IOW, instead of “turn left in 500 feet” it says

” turn left on Walnut street”.

The Garmins are supposed to have superior maps and software.

[RightField]

We love our Garmin. We have the 200 , 4" screen. It has nearly every store/motel/restaurant you would ever need, including the phone #'s for them. 6+million data points, I believe, in ours.

Some of the data points are out of date, especially, for non-chain stores. But that's understandable.

My main complain is that you can have only one destination and only one "via point" between where you are and your destination, I would like to get a model that will plot various stops along the way. But we're not planning on getting another model soon -- the one we have has taken us all over the country by car a couple of times, and we just love it.

[posterchild]

Consider if you will use it only in one vehicle or if you’ll need it elsewhere. I have a hand held (a Mio given as a gift) which has a bracket for in car mounting. I am more likely to use it hiking or on boats or in rental cars than in my own car so this works perfectly for my situation.

[reagan_fanatic]

Get a Garmin Nuvi 200. I bought one at Wally World for $139.95 and I absolutely LOVE it! Great unit!

[Hazwaste]

I think my Garmin is trying to kill me. Could it be she has figured out a way to contest my will? Does she really think she’d be happier without me? I don’t know, but once she sent me the wrong way on a one-way road, and another time I was trying to find my new realtor’s office and Miss Garmin told me to hang a right when I was in the middle of the Highway 59 bridge over the Brazos River.

I called the cops, but they don’t believe me. They ask how something so small and colorful could be that evil.

[Inyo-Mono]

Real men use maps.