Help Me Choose A GPS

Hey Guys,

Looking for some feedback, about to purchase a GPS unit but not sure which way to go.

I want one for in the Jeep, will be mostly for in the City driving, but i want something that will work well for out in the bush or when im driving through mountains.

I like this one, the Garmin Nuvi 3597LMTHD
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-road/automotive/2013-line/nuvi-3597lmthd/prod121762.html

I don't like the idea of having a cord dangling all the time that i have to plug into the cigarette lighter. + i would prefer something that i don't have to worry is plugged in to work. I thought about hard-wiring it in, but then I started looking at the battery powered hand held options;

I'm looking at the Garmin GPSMAP 62SC, Oregon 450-550 & the Dakota series. I just don't know how those ones are for daily driving in town.

My budget will be about $350 max, I want something preferably battery powered so i don't have the cords dangling, I would like something that has good detail for streets & off road.

Whichever one i end up with, I will be putting in a backroads sd card in it, these guys are quite popular out here.
http://www.backroadmapbooks.org/ind...ct_book_info&cPath=1723_1724&products_id=7138

I've read some things about touch screen not working so well in the cold, hence the buttons on the 62sc, apparently that one is the best for off road.

Let me know your experiences, pros&cons etc...

Thanks,

I have two older Nuvi 255W's and my almost-one-year-old Nuvi 3590. Love both series!

ALL the ones you listed run on battery power, but you have to have them charged at some point, so not sure how you'd work around the cord thing. It's not a big deal to me since I use a short cord anyway. I could hardwire it in, but I don't see the need since I can run three different USB powered items off my cigarette lighter.

I link my 3590 to the Garmin Basecamp software at home so I can chart my routes and see history of all the places I explore that are usually unmarked until I travel the dirt roads to get there. I have never had any issues with the touchscreens during cold weather. I don't use the voice command stuff much, but I could see where it could coem in handy. Sometimes I do let it read my text messages to me since it pairs with my phone through bluetooth.

The Oregon and Dakota series are outdoor/handlheld units. Other than that, I'm not real familiar with them. I DO know I'd never use their onboard cameras...(3.2 megapixel?!) but they are more weatherproof than the Nuvi's!

Really up to you as to what features you want/expect. Personally, I only need/use the capabilities of the Nuvi series.

I Have the 2597LMT and got one of these for it:

3-in-1 Car Cigarette Lighter Charger Adapter with USB Indicators

I ran the power cord for the Garmin through the dash from the defrost area so you can't see it at all. The 3-in-1 is mounted under the dash out of sight and wired to the radio power so it cuts on and off automatically with the key. I ran an extension USB A/B cable from the USB charger on the 3-in-1 to the glove compartment for charging anything you can charge via USB, such as my mp3 player, phone, etc.

Something I did not know, but the traffic module for the Garmin is in the ciggie plug itself. I nearly cut the daggone thing off as I was going to just hardwire the Garmin to the switched radio power connection. I also have a CB which I wired to a ciggie plug for power, meaning I have one free ciggie jack in the 3-in-1 and the one in the console is also free. No wires showing anywhere, which is what I wanted.

i have to ask, in this day and age of smart phones, why anyone still buys standalone gps units. I had both a tomtom and garmin nuvi 250 (i think was the model) until i got my first smart phone several years ago. I haven't touched the tomtom or nuvi since.

JeepOwner07 said:

i have to ask, in this day and age of smart phones, why anyone still buys standalone gps units. I had both a tomtom and garmin nuvi 250 (i think was the model) until i got my first smart phone several years ago. I haven't touched the tomtom or nuvi since.

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One damm good reason is when there is no phone signal, there is no map. Unless you use one of the apps that downloads map data.

IMHO they are allllll inferior to a stand alone GPS. I'm a GPS/Map junkie so I want all the detail I can find.

They may be OF do urban areas - but not everywhere. I'd love to be able to run my tablet with Google maps - but too many areas I go too it won't do.

I also do trip planning ahead of time, custom waypoints, and trip / track review.

Biggie for me is also ease of use and screen size.

JeepOwner07 said:

i have to ask, in this day and age of smart phones, why anyone still buys standalone gps units. I had both a tomtom and garmin nuvi 250 (i think was the model) until i got my first smart phone several years ago. I haven't touched the tomtom or nuvi since.

Click to expand...

Lots of people do not have smart phones nor do they ever want them. If you ever want to get rid of your old nuvi for the price of postage let me know :shocked:

JeepOwner07 said:

i have to ask, in this day and age of smart phones, why anyone still buys standalone gps units. I had both a tomtom and garmin nuvi 250 (i think was the model) until i got my first smart phone several years ago. I haven't touched the tomtom or nuvi since.

Click to expand...

I don't have a smart phone or want one. I can get maps/voice directions on my phone but it cuts out as we don't have cell service in the mountains anywhere. We have many miles of mountain roads with no cell service from any provider so the gps in the phone is worthless. Stand alone gps rules.


Oh, don't get a Magellan. It works but the maps etc suck.


Dave

I would never want to rely on a smartphone as a gps for some of the places I've been out here. They're fine for in the city, but for 1, I only have a plan where I get service around my district, so as soon as I head out on the highway I lose service, & GPS Function. Ive used mapbooks for a long time, I still think they're the best to have around. (never have to worry about them dying or not working properly)

how about the nuvi line though, some people here seem to be using those allready, how are they as far as reception goes? Being in the middle of mountains, deep forests out here, would the Nuvi work well? Thats why I started looking at the 62 series, i thought those would have better reception because of their antenna.

604KJ said:

...how about the nuvi line though, some people here seem to be using those allready, how are they as far as reception goes? Being in the middle of mountains, deep forests out here, would the Nuvi work well?...

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Mine is in the nuvi series, though it is a traditional car-mounted unit. I haven't had a chance to try the mountains yet, but it hangs in there until I go more than one level underground in the parking garage at school the city. Never had it drop out on me in the mean canyons of Cleveland.

then after reading the above comments, i think it boils down to preference and location. I do live in the city, however i drive a cab. So i am in, and can be in any part of PA, Ohio or WV, (with WV being the worse for mountain roads). And have yet to have a problem with Google maps on my smartphone, and have had the tomtom loose service before. It happens on those as well.

I am a throwback to the map book days, the days before GPS was readily available to the general public at inexpensive prices, and i would never go back to that, I do not miss driving down a highway doing 60-70 mph trying to find a page in the index and read those pages while driving. LOL I'm surprised im still here haha. Not to mention that here in Pittsburgh with our topography (rivers, valleys, mountains, and Bridges just to cross bridges, you need a 3d map LMAO)

I can't speak about VAncouver, for obvious reasons, but again in my experience they all have thier flaws. IMO i would go with garmin, as garmin has been around forever, in the private/military sector way before even coming to the public. after that, then its just whatever bells and whistles you want with it. good luck

Just got Nuvi 3597LMTHD for Christmas. I'm a tech-head and a Nuvi fan, so had to get the top of the line unit. Typical online price is $329, but you may find it on sale. This is a new model, with HD glass screen, not plastic. So far, it's awesome. Totally love the new magnetic mount on the back, and the case is very slim. Will run about 2 hours unplugged. Also got the case that houses the screen in one flat compartment on the top, and another deeper one for all the cables and mounts. Has better predictive search engine for POI. Lifetime Maps and Traffic. Haven't used it for traffic yet, but I understand that it slows down response some. Just keep in mind all GPS are not perfect all the time. For example, sometimes the unit may think you're actually on the highway when you're really on the feeder road next to it (haven't had that happen to me yet). I have a Nuvi 660, almost 7 years old that still works fine. But with map updates year-to-year, it get's pretty expensive. Hope this helps.

Even if you do get one of those Smart Phone apps with offline maps, many of them are unstable as well. For Android I have used Navigon and Sygic. Navigon I absolutly hate, and that has gotten me almost lost on a number of trips. It also constantly crashes. Have has better luck with Sygic, but I have also had crashes with that as well.

I use a Garmin 60csx on the handlebar of my ATV and for hunting. Bought the map with public roads, trails, and forest roads. Works great in the Black hills, MN and WI for ATVing but it doesn't have turn by turn, I use my phone for that. Looking to update to something that does it all and is waterproof.