With the holiday season I have seen many deals on portable GPS systems for vehicles such as TomTom and Garmin. I was wondering if anyone has purchased any brands and models (plus price) that they are happy with and the general pro/cons? Have a safe and Happy New Years!
Questions and Opinions on Portable GPS?
ejkelvin
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With the holiday season I have seen many deals on portable GPS systems for vehicles such as TomTom and Garmin. I was wondering if anyone has purchased any brands and models (plus price) that they are happy with and the general pro/cons? Have a safe and Happy New Years!
i have a tomtom one LE... it's pretty good for the price i paid for it... i got it for $149 (CAD)... i heard garmin is better and a bit more user freindly... it comes down to what you want out of it... some models have all the bells and whistles... bluetooth this, MP3 that and other stuff... the one i got got can take updates either directly from the computer or through an SD card it has some bluetooth capabilities but it's useless to me as tomtom traffic updates is only available in the US....
well... i hope this helps... have fun shopping around...
well... i hope this helps... have fun shopping around...
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I got a Gamin Nuvi 200 and just drove from texas to Ohio. I love it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a Good reliable GPS. I got it the day after thanksgiving for 169.99
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I have a Garmin Nuvi 350 that I highly recommend. This is the one that will tell you what street to turn on rather than just say turn right. Have it mounted on the dash with a weighted mount (not stuck on) so that wire does not get in the way. I am also using a sun shade so can see it during the day. Note that if you wear polarized sunglasses the display becomes worthless so much rely on audible.
WARNING: The tow truck driver was telling me of a fatal last week where they had to remove the GPS from the driver's hands. That was the one that closed down I85 for several hours in South Georgia. DO NOT TRY TO PROGRAM AND DRIVE AT THE SAME TIME.
WARNING: The tow truck driver was telling me of a fatal last week where they had to remove the GPS from the driver's hands. That was the one that closed down I85 for several hours in South Georgia. DO NOT TRY TO PROGRAM AND DRIVE AT THE SAME TIME.
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bought a couple Garmins
bought 2 garmins as presents this year
Garmin nuvi200,
1 factor to consider
garmin nuvi200 does not include canada
tomtom does include canada
havent tried the tomtom
but the garmins are great,
easy to use and clear instructions
also the nuvi200comes with local shops/gas which i dont know if the basic tomtom does
if/when i do buy one for myself will probably go with the tomtom simply for the canadian map, but probably prefer the garmin ease of use
also unless you plan on paying for the subscription feature
the weather/traffic features they advertise are useless
bought 2 garmins as presents this year
Garmin nuvi200,
1 factor to consider
garmin nuvi200 does not include canada
tomtom does include canada
havent tried the tomtom
but the garmins are great,
easy to use and clear instructions
also the nuvi200comes with local shops/gas which i dont know if the basic tomtom does
if/when i do buy one for myself will probably go with the tomtom simply for the canadian map, but probably prefer the garmin ease of use
also unless you plan on paying for the subscription feature
the weather/traffic features they advertise are useless
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Garmin NUVI 250 & 370 include maps of North America. Of course you can always add a map in SD media. Cannot answer about TOMTOM but am sure they provide similar options.
I have a TomTom ONE 2nd Edition, my sister just received a Garmin nuvi 200. They are currently selling for reasonably similar prices. Really, the maps and routing software (as well as the general user interface) will be similar for a maker's entire line; the exact features will vary. From using them both, I think I have a fairly decent idea as to their strengths and weaknesses.
Garmin-
Strengths: vastly superior maps and routing software (the main reason you buy the thing, right?).
Weaknesses: User interface is a little obtuse (hard to use, esp. while moving), does not come with computer cable or software (must buy cable and download the software), and the signal reception isn't quite as good as the TomTom.
Tomtom-
Strengths: excellent signal reception, comes with everything you need, great user interface.
Weaknesses: maps can be spotty in some areas (I bought the current 7.10 maps; they miss a change nearby that has been there for about 3-4 years now), routing algorithms aren't as efficient (might not take you the best route as often as Garmin, but nothing is perfect), short battery life (2 hours; be sure to keep it plugged in when in the car).
Between the two, the Garmin would be my choice due to its better maps and routing. After all, that's the primary reason to have a GPS; if it doesn't do that well (not that the TomTom sucks, mind you, the Garmin is just better), why bother? However, the TomTom ONE does a better job in usability and the side features. I don't feel poorly equipped with my TomTom and I wouldn't sell it to buy a Garmin, but if the Garmin nuvi 200 is within $50 of the TomTom ONE, get the Garmin.
Garmin-
Strengths: vastly superior maps and routing software (the main reason you buy the thing, right?).
Weaknesses: User interface is a little obtuse (hard to use, esp. while moving), does not come with computer cable or software (must buy cable and download the software), and the signal reception isn't quite as good as the TomTom.
Tomtom-
Strengths: excellent signal reception, comes with everything you need, great user interface.
Weaknesses: maps can be spotty in some areas (I bought the current 7.10 maps; they miss a change nearby that has been there for about 3-4 years now), routing algorithms aren't as efficient (might not take you the best route as often as Garmin, but nothing is perfect), short battery life (2 hours; be sure to keep it plugged in when in the car).
Between the two, the Garmin would be my choice due to its better maps and routing. After all, that's the primary reason to have a GPS; if it doesn't do that well (not that the TomTom sucks, mind you, the Garmin is just better), why bother? However, the TomTom ONE does a better job in usability and the side features. I don't feel poorly equipped with my TomTom and I wouldn't sell it to buy a Garmin, but if the Garmin nuvi 200 is within $50 of the TomTom ONE, get the Garmin.
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ejkelvin, What is your budget? btw ebay usually has great deals as well. Garmin uses a mini-usb connector for charging and computer uploads so if you have a blackberry, cellphone, or camera that uses that connector then you can share. I use my cellphone charger for my nuvi and it works great. The window mount was annoying due to the shape of the Patriot's windshield and weight of the gps. It would lose suction in one or two days if you left it. You could use cardboard as a very effective sun shade, however, it looks very tacky.
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This is my Garmin 360, which I think has been replaced by an updated model this year. I works great for me. I especially like the long battery life. Only has to be plugged in once in a while for recharging.
![Image]()
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Sheesh, I must be the only one who has a Magellan then, huh? I have an older Roadmate 300 but I sure like it. It does the job for me and I got it off of eBay so it was rather inexpensive.
Heck, I think they all do the job. Lot's of bells and whistles to choose from I guess.
Half the fun is checkin' out the specs!
Enjoy your soon-to-be purchase.
Heck, I think they all do the job. Lot's of bells and whistles to choose from I guess.
Half the fun is checkin' out the specs!
Enjoy your soon-to-be purchase.
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761 Posts
Is it comfortable to use windshield-mounted GPSs in the Patriot? The windshield is so far from the driver that it must be difficult to reach the unit for navigation. And the roof of the car also extends forward quite a lot, so I guess it must interfere with the GPS satellite reception. Can anybody post some info?
considering that the sizes of these units are not that big... it's not so bad mounted on the winshield... i have mine mounted on the lower left hand corner where the windshield is a little closer... picks up signal easily... no problems with it yet... just keep it updated through the website... tomtom web site says to check updates every 7 days or so...
Reaching the windshield is a real pain; if you mount it there, you sure won't be fiddling with it while driving. The roof doesn't hurt reception in the slightest.
I bought one of these for the mount (not from Best Buy, mind you; they want too much for it), and it works just fine. It sits perfectly over the radio. The Garmin nuvi 200 comes with an adhesive-backed circle you can stick to your dash for the suction mount as well.
If you don't mind me asking, where did you buy your dash mount from?
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I still have an older Garmin Street Pilot III...works great...came with cables and software. A little larger body than the new ones but I like the buttons vs touchscreen myself.
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I tried mounting my Garmin Street Pilot on the windshield, but it was just far away. Couldn't reach it with the seat belt on. So I mounted it on the top of the dash, as in my previous photo.
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What mount did you use? I was looking at the RAM mounts. I'm thinking of screwing it into the plastic cover.
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Street Pilot comes with an adhesive metal disk that sticks to the dash, and the unit mounts on the disk with its suction cup.
Amazon.com. Mine was sold via Ambient Weather, but there's other sellers too. It works pretty well; the friction base pad keeps it from sliding and the beanbag ring holds it in place. The only downside is that the base TomTom suction holder has barely enough clearance to keep the power jack of the ONE above the beanbag, but it still works fine.
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