which gps to buy.

[frank]

I have a garmin nuvi50 I got for christmas 3 years ago and it has been a good machine, but it has no free updates and I was looking for something better with free lifetime maps and traffic. I am seeing a garmin2597lmt for a good price and was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the machine. the one thing I read and like the most was voice activated navigation. reviews on this machine or recommendations on others would be appreciated. I like and would need the 5 inch screen. thanks for any insight.

frank

 

[zinger1457]

I have a TomTom with voice and like it, also has lifetime updates. The problem with it is that it doesn't have a memory card slot (newer models do) and the current full maps don't fit so I have to load partial maps (zones). Just make sure you get a model that has room for expansion, the maps keep getting bigger and bigger.

 

[steelyman]

I have a Garmin 3590 LMT I bought a few years ago and rely on it.

You're going to get a lot of votes for phone-based navigation which is fine but remember they are not mutually exclusive. I took a car trip this spring and used the Garmin to get me to the city but then the phone-based app while walking to the event. That worked well.

 

[frank]

I will check out the 3590 lmt, although I just have a flip phone. I don't think the app is going to work on my phone.

 

[braumeister]

I am seeing a garmin2597lmt for a good price and was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the machine.

I've used that exact model for nearly two years and I've been very happy with it.

 

[rodi]

Where will you be using it? I did a lot of research before buying my tom-tom. At the time there were two sets of maps - some used Telogis some used Navteq. Navteq was better for the US, Telogis was better for Europe. Since we were going to Sicily - and at the time GPS maps were notoriously bad in Sicily, we went with the Telogis map based TomTom.

I think things have merged better since then where this is less of an issue - but it's something to look into.

I only update maps before major trips... And when driving local I tend to use Google Maps on my phone.

 

[steelyman]

zinger1457 is right about the need for expansion memory to accommodate a full map install.

My Garmin takes seemingly forever to update the maps (hours for me, just did it last week). I don't have any idea if that's a hardware or software thing, luckily I don't do it frequently.

 

[Dawg52]

I bought a refurbished Garmin Nuvi 2595 during the summer. Paid less that $100 for it with lifetime updates. I used it on a trip I took out west not long ago and traveled 4k miles. Worked great with display and voice commands.

 

[mpeirce]

I assume you don't have a smart phone?

Because if you do, there are a ton of excellent gps/mapping apps for general or specific uses.

 

[easysurfer]

I'm happy with the simplicity of my nuvi 260. I added lifetime updates a few years back.

The nuvi is actually a replacement I got for an old street pilot (costed about $1000 when purchased, the ones that looked and felt like a brick) that died. I had a replacement plan through Best Buy. I remember when showing my plan contract, the Best Buy person said just go and pick out a GPS. I picked the nuvi 260 and he went "Are you sure?" as I could have got a more expensive one. But I'm quite happy with my 260.

 

[gromit]

About a year ago I upgraded from a 4 inch Garmin Nuvi to the 5 inch Garmin 2598LMTHD. While I have not used it much, I do like it. I like the larger screen, map updates (once every 3 months) and voice commands. It does a better job now of showing which lane to be in for a complicated interstate interchange. Also, being able to press and hold the back button to go completely back to the home screen or saying "voice command" "view map" is a big improvement over the old method of repeated back button pushes.

As for weaknesses, I think traffic/accident notification will be spotty, but notice of interstate major construction zones seemed helpful. Also, I have not used a free Garmin smartphone app that syncs some phone info with the GPS, but the reviews (a year ago) of that app were pretty bad. Maybe they've updated the app by now, and to me that app wasn't important for standard GPS use.

 

[Rustic23]

I have wondered if the updates are worth it. I had a Garmin with free lifetime updates. I now use my in-car with no updates. I updated the Garmin once. It was a pain! Low memory and such and never sure it really updated.

I have had both not locate places, but even Google Maps did not have it. I think it was more the address than the currency of the map data. Given that the map data in your device could be a year or maybe two years old when you buy it, just a guess. How much difference doe an update make. If my gps/car is 5 years old, that means new neighborhoods built in the last 7 years may not be on them. If I am a delivery co. that may be significant. However, for me, its not.

If I can't find it on one of my GPS devices I just go to the Iphone. On that, before the iPhone update I use to get turn by turn over my Bluetooth to car. That stopped working. Not near as nice.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

If you don't want the hassle of a smart phone (more specifically; the subscription), you can actually just buy an older smart phone and load the maps onto the phone. Google is about is good as it gets for updates, so over Wifi (no cell service needed), you can have them updated real time and have them loaded so you don't have to use data when you are out and about. An older phone can be had for $100 or so and would be adequate for use as a stand-alone GPS unit.

 

[Nunthewiser]

^^ There are plenty of Android apps that will let you load maps offline and use GPS real-time. The one I like best is Here maps, which used to be a Nokia only app, but now works in Android. There are others that rely on Open Street Map (user supported) data. Many of them have turn -by- turn voice commands. And, of course, maps are constantly being updated gratis.

I have several oldish $10 smartphones that do this task just fine.

 

[powerplay]

I bought an inexpensive smart phone that can use Here Maps and Here Drive. The phone was $15 earlier this year on clearance at Target (nokia Lumia 521). It uses the Windows operating system. No plans to ever activate it as a phone. It can take a memory card and is used for FM radio, music player, and gps. I think the price was right.

A few months ago my car was ransacked and an old gps (Magellan) was stolen. I've spent some time looking at the current crop of gps units on the market and always find some bad reviews that sour me on the idea of purchasing one. A common complaint about Garmin units is that they don't tell you the street name just that you need to turn right in 200 feet. I'm just not sure if I would feel the money on one is well spent.

 

[steelyman]

Clarifying what I replied this morning, by "phone-based app", I meant either the Maps app that comes with the iPhone or Google Maps (just couldn't recall which), but not some Garmin app for phones. They were fine for the final (walking) directions. I prefer the GPS on the dash for driving.