Help me find a GPS

[attgig]

So, I'm trying to get a gps for a friend for her bday. Her work forces her to drive around to meet clients and what not around the DC area, and if anyone knows, dc beltway traffic is horrible, so I've been thinking about how traffic would be a nice option to have.

so yeah, I don't own a gps (i'm a guy, c'mon :P ) so yeah, I've been doing some research to try to find teh best option


Anyways.

I've been going through a bunch of deals sites and I'm narrowing down to these options:

navigon 7100 (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?whse=BC&topnav=&prodid=11270338&ec=BC-EC877-CatHome&pos=9&lang=en-US) @ costco - 300
huge upside, free traffic for life. no subscriptions.
others: bluetooth, voice command recognition
down: unknown brand. unknown how accurate/useful traffic is. unknown lots of other things.

Magellan 4250 (http://www.buy.com/prod/magellan-maestro-4250-portable-gps-system-w-pre-loaded-maps-voice/q/loc/111/205483888.html) @ buy.com - 250
upside: bluetooth, voice command recognition, known brand, price
down: subscribing to traffic 60 bucks a year.

Dash (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014CIBWC/ref=amb_link_6599162_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&pf_rd_r=1BXHZRJFGF76JYX3A3C2&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=379103501&pf_rd_i=dash) @ amazon - 400
upside: incredible features, internet, traffic (that seems more accurate, and more detailed).
downside: unknown brand, price, 10 bucks a month for subscription to traffic and internet, price




I can be convinced to get the dash if it's absolutely the best thing that I HAVE to get, but... I'd rather not. my choice is more between the navigon and magellan.
If there's any other things that I should consider, please let me know.


TIA!

[chrissy]

first, you input into your GPS directions to the nearest electronic store...

Oh wait, you might have to mapquest it since you don't have a GPS

:)

sorry no help here :D

[mojo]

i have a magellan (i'm gellin') maestro 3100. it's basic, but i've never needed more. it's nice. and the SO has a blackberry, so i guess we can use her internet for that up-to-the-minute stuff.

[renovation]

i use a garmin 550 and love it. but i got a heck of a deal on it .$150 just before Christmas was going for $249 and up at the time. .

[LPMiller]

the garmins are really nice. Magellens have crap for warranty support, though I like the actual units.

For a cheap one that is okay, Pharos makes a few decent models. They actually get a GPS signal fairly quickly.

Stay away from Navman and V7 and Cobra. And most generics, really. Nothing beats the Garmin Navi for ease of use.

[renovation]

sorry gave you some wrong pricing on my gps .it's a garmin streetpilot c550. and it set you back around $350 today !they are avail cheaper online but not a whole lot.

[ramazank2]

Go with Garmin. Nothing beats them. If you want to save some money here are some deals on a few older models. I have owned a nuvi 360 for close to 2 years now and love it.

BeachCamera through Amazon has the Garmin Nuvi 360 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator for $229 w/ free shipping. You must look on the right hand column and click on "add to cart" for BeachCamera.

PCNation has the Garmin NUVI 650 Portable GPS Navigation System, featuring a 4.3" touchscreen LCD, 2GB internal storage w/ pre-loaded NAVTEQ maps, bluetooth for hands-free calling, FM transmitter for (optional) real-time traffic updates, MP3 player, Text To Speech, for a low $287.40 Free Shipping. Tax in CA.

When my Nuvi 360 goes out I want a Nuvi 700 series they are really nice.

[attgig]

what about garmins do you love? have you tried other brands that lack that functionality?

The thing with gps' vs anything else, it seems like everyone has one. they either love it or it's just ok. but, there isn't anything that really sways them to try out a different brand. at least when I try to ask my other friends who have gps'. I have one friend who loves his tomtom, and told me to get a tomtom. and the story seems pretty similar. get my brand cuz I love it.

[johnnymk]

I have a Mio C220 and can't imagine wanting any other features. I believe the C230 is the one that supercedes it. As far as I know, they are less than $150.

[guiseppewv]

Get the Garmin 660 at buydig for $249 shipped. I have one and I just ordered one yesterday from buydig for my sister's b-day. Let me know if you need more info.

edit: the reason I bought the Garmin is based on reviews which state that the Garmin has better routing capabilities than the Tom-tom or Magellan plus other enginerd (I am one too!) friends of mine gave me advice to buy the Garmin.

[renovation]

i had a tom tom and was not impressed as i was with the garmin! also the garmin is easyer to make adjustments with (the menu easyer to use )

[DarkFury]

I still say that you can't go wrong with a Garmin...

But hey, everyone has their own opinion on which is better. :D

[cheapie]

i agree df.

and it's a device that 90% of the brands cover the exact same functionality well. it's not complicated. mine has extra features like an mp3 player that i'll never use. just get something that's compact and has a good display and it will be fine.

[Jihforce]

garmin nuvi 660 owner here...love it.

[ramazank2]

I bought a mio for my dad. at first I thought it was my dad who just couldnt figure it out. So I took it from him and gave it to my wife. She could not stand it. She sold it on ebay. I bought my dad a garmin nuvi 660 and he was able to use it no problem.

I find the nuvi interface much better than the mio. The mio did have some cool features but not worth the other annoyances.

[Cheesypuff]

I have a Mio C220 and can't imagine wanting any other features. I believe the C230 is the one that supercedes it. As far as I know, they are less than $150.


i have this one also, i use it ALL the time. and it has TONS of poi's in it. i've never opened the manual and i've been able to use all the features on it and input address in it with ease.

it calculates very fast, and it gets me from a --> b quicly. i love the mio!

[attgig]

Get the Garmin 660 at buydig for $249 shipped. I have one and I just ordered one yesterday from buydig for my sister's b-day. Let me know if you need more info.

edit: the reason I bought the Garmin is based on reviews which state that the Garmin has better routing capabilities than the Tom-tom or Magellan plus other enginerd (I am one too!) friends of mine gave me advice to buy the Garmin.

Hey guisse, I'm seeing the garmin nuvi 660 for 330 on buydig. where'd u find it for 250?!?

[DarkFury]

Wow... a Nuvi 660 for $250!!! Now that's a great price!

(Grumbles... at spending over $400 for the Nuvi 350 a few years back. :heh: )

[renovation]

fyi on garman to they keep there software updated .i just updated my c550 via the internet and the usb cord they supplyed . simple operation to do .this update was releases on o3-07-2008 took maybe 4 mins .

[Jihforce]

Wow... a Nuvi 660 for $250!!! Now that's a great price!

(Grumbles... at spending over $400 for the Nuvi 350 a few years back. :heh: )

Don't feel bad, I spent 700 bucks on the 660 when it first came out...(it was $899 at the time.)

[mcs328]

My wife just got Garmin Nuvi 350 from a friend about a few weeks ago. I personally don't like it based on the directions it gave me and what I know was the quickest way. We live in Maryland but we travel to Virginia and DC also.

However if I didn't live in the area and already know my way around I would say it's pretty good for those who get lost easy. That's why my wife has it...she gets lost all the time because 495 east/west/north/south ramps are confusing and relative to where you are currently. She likes it because it'll get you there, recalculates if you miss the turn, loud and she can do a search for nearby businesses.

We're still trying to figure out if we have the latest updates maps. There are some new roads and traffic patterns with all the condo construction and now the new Nationals Stadium. She's thinking to spring for the traffic attachment.

[Chgoman]

Costco has the 660 on sale for $299 right now, then if it ever breaks, you can take it back as well.

[Chgoman]

okay, I lied it's the 650.

[guiseppewv]

Hey guisse, I'm seeing the garmin nuvi 660 for 330 on buydig. where'd u find it for 250?!?

Sorry, I screwed up. Costco has the best price right now at $299. I accidentaly ordered a 360 for my sister instead of the 660. I am going to have to return it. I guess my eyes are going bad. :P

[DarkFury]

Sorry, I screwed up. Costco has the best price right now at $299. I accidentaly ordered a 360 for my sister instead of the 660. I am going to have to return it. I guess my eyes are going bad. :P
Man... I was about to chide you for not posting that deal. :)

I probably would've given my brother my Nuvi 350 and bought myself the 660 for that price. :heh:

BTW... the Nuvi 360 is a great unit as well. It's the upgrade (later model year) to my 350 that adds Bluetooth capability to the Nuvi. :D

[Jihforce]

Sorry, I screwed up. Costco has the best price right now at $299. I accidentaly ordered a 360 for my sister instead of the 660. I am going to have to return it. I guess my eyes are going bad. :P


Actually, Costco's Nuvi is the 650 not the 660. Which is going for $299 (after $100 off).

[attgig]

comparing features, it seems like the 360 and 660 are the same exact gps except different screen size.

[attgig]

oh, and I'm still confused as to which one to get...

I think everyone's saying garmin. but... 330 for a 660? when i can get the magellan for 250 with the same features?

yeah, i'm kinda torn, and not sure if that's really worth it...

[attgig]

nice chart comparing all the garmin models.

http://gpstracklog.typepad.com/gps_tracklog/2007/03/garmin_nuvi_com.html

[DarkFury]

oh, and I'm still confused as to which one to get...

I think everyone's saying garmin. but... 330 for a 660? when i can get the magellan for 250 with the same features?

yeah, i'm kinda torn, and not sure if that's really worth it...
Do you want a Toyota... or do you want a Lexus?

BMW versus Benz? More or less you have to decide what fits your comfort/budget level. :D

Garmin just has earned alot of our respect in regards to GPS units. And I guess you could assume that they are a "premium brand" in the industry.

[renovation]

i know my brother inlaw bought a magellan. from meijers around christmas and returned it do to problems with the unit.

i have bought a bunch of garmin not ones been a bad unit needing to be returned.

[Jihforce]

Haahaa Magellan....I think I'd pass on that one. My cousin has one and he was drooling over my Nuvi after he saw it.
Go Go Garmin Nuvi! :D
Actually, I've had to replace my Garmin once. It broke down about 5 months after I got it. The speak was busted so no voice was coming out of the internal speaker. Replacement was painless and I was given a new (probably refurb) unit. Took about 1 week.

[attgig]

ok. fine. i went garmin despite the failure that Jih just reported. she better like it....

[DarkFury]

ok. fine. i went garmin despite the failure that Jih just reported. she better like it....
You made the right choice. :thumb: :D

[Chgoman]

I really wanted to pick up the Garmin, but ended up getting the Navigon 7100 through Costco. It's actually a pretty nice unit and comes with lifetime traffic. Ultimately I couldn't pass up the lifetime return policy at Costco.

[nhbilly]

I have a garmin 670 - http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-4-3-Inch-Widescreen-Bluetooth-Navigator/dp/B000H49LXQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1207769707&sr=8-1

I like the traffic alerts and the fast rerouting if you miss a turn or exit.

[attgig]

I really wanted to pick up the Garmin, but ended up getting the Navigon 7100 through Costco. It's actually a pretty nice unit and comes with lifetime traffic. Ultimately I couldn't pass up the lifetime return policy at Costco.


Heh... now you're making me regret my decision...

although amazon has returned a bunch of money to me within their 30 day price adjustment policy. now got it at < 300 bucks (-20 coupon)

[DarkFury]

Heh... now you're making me regret my decision...

although amazon has returned a bunch of money to me within their 30 day price adjustment policy. now got it at < 300 bucks (-20 coupon)
Don't regret it... it's a solid choice.

[ramazank2]

Everytime I get in my car and dont know where to go, I say that my Garmin nuvi 360 is the best purchase I ever made, despite the fact I paid $500+ for it a few years back.

[attgig]

wow. the nuvi 660 on amazon is down to 296...
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-4-3-Inch-Widescreen-Bluetooth-Navigator/dp/B000H49LXQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1207971732&sr=8-1

[Chgoman]

I've been using the Navigon a few days now and it's actually pretty nice. The built in traffic is a nice extra feature. For those looking, Costco just threw on an extra $50 rebate to make it $250. Just to reiterate, the Garmins are probaby a bit easier to use and the Navigon has built in traffic (and the costco return policy). I still wish Costco had the Garmin as I would have bought that instead.

[ramazank2]

Costco does have garmins periodicaly in their B&M and unless out of stock they have them at costco.com.