Posted on 08/05/2008 6:47:56 PM PDT by 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?
Magellan’s fine. That’s what I have and I don’t have any problems with it. Doesn’t have any cool features like traffic reports or weather forecasts, but it’s inexpensive and will get you from point A to point B.
check out www.epinions.com. It’s a great site and has all kinds of reviews and even links to the lowest prices around.
It looks like people like the Nuvi (I didn’t check the other one)
http://www.epinions.com/GPS_Devices/xDN_~garmin
I have the Garmin and love it. It is easy to use and gets me to my destination without problems.
funny you'd say that... last night I went to our city council meeting, and one of the speakers was some nutball talking about conspiracies, the CIA, and space aliens. Then he went off on a diatribe about how we should stop all of our foolish spending on tools (the issue last night was whether or not to allow a Lowes in our town) and get to know the old folks in town and borrow their tools instead.
They ran a test between a Garmin, Magellin, and a Tom Tom, the cheapest of the three. The Tom Tom gave the best directions, quickest and simplest to the destination, avoiding such things as going the wrong way on a 1-way street, etc that you sometimes get.
Garmin Nuvi. I didn’t know I needed one until I got it as a gift recently - it’s very handy. At Target they had the plastic “beanbag” type stand for it, which with its nonslide base is much better than sticking the holder that comes with it to the dash or windshield (yes, I have a new car I don’t want to mess up).
I have a Garmin Nuvi 200. I love it. Consumer Reports had a comparison review a few months ago and many Garmin models made the top 10.
I bought one of these and am really happy with it. It is a refurbished model, but has been very easy to use and reliable.
By the way, if you buy a Garmin Nuvi 200, it may come with 2008 maps loaded on it. If you register it, you can download the new 2009 maps ($70 value) for free.
The sandbag mounts for the GPS are better than the suction cups. The beanbag and the GPS can be hidden while you park, whereas the suction cup indicates a GPS is in the car somewhere. No sense giving the thieves a heads up.
Magellan, blows goats.... Garmin is the way to go.
I like the way the damned things holler "Turn around! Turn around!" then go in to that "Recalculating route!" routine every time you go haring off in a direction they don't like.
Isn't that akin to reading instructions?
My wife bought me a Garmin Nuvi 760 for Father’s Day, and it comes with a USB cable that is also the charger. Just make sure whatever you get has software that will tell you which street you’re going to turn on to, not just the distance until you turn. Most of the new ones do that, but it’s something to keep in mind. I know Amazon.com has a lot of good reviews from buyers on the various GPS units, so I’d read over those. As with most things, though, it just boils down to how much you’re willing to spend.
Go to Amazon.com and get the Garmin Nuvi 350. It's there for $199 and free shipping.
Or for $219 and free shipping you can get the Garmin Nuvi 260 which is a newer model.
I recommend the 350. I got one and am as happy as a pig in slop.
It rocks.
Just a thought, but I have GPS on my phone (Verizon) and it works quite well - I listen to the directions through my bluetooth earpiece. I use it as needed when I travel for work rather than buying a unit.
I bought my Mother a Garmin Street Pilot for X-Mas. It works fine and is inexpensive. The Garmin 200W looks pretty good as well and can also be found for under $200
I got the Nuvi 260 from Amazon also. I paid $208 with free shipping a few months ago. I love it. I was shocked at what I could see on the sides of where I drove. I never new so much existed. I also love that you can just search for a craving. If you want KFC.... it can find it. If you want steak, it finds that too. I have driven all over Western NY with it from Cooperstown, Binghamton, Rochester, and Buffalo. I’ve even taken it canoeing to see how fast I could paddle.
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