Which GPS brand and model do you recommend?

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Owners of GPS systems, I need your help. I'm looking into finally getting my own and I'm trying to decide which brand, and then which model, to purchase.

What brand/model do you have? What do you like about it? What do you not like about it? What would you change if you could.

I've used a Magellan but the model I used is not available. It was easy to use, but I've always found that menu-driven systems are easy to use at first but get clunky as you get to find your way around. That's the way the Magellan was that I used.

So help me out - what do I get?

Thanks!

 

[PampChefJoy]

My husband has a Tom Tom One for work. I'm highly irritated that it's so much cheaper now than when we bought it, but such is the story with most electronics!

It works great. We used it on our vacation last week. Battery power runs down pretty fast if you have the display on all the time, but he plugs it into the car charger. Ours is preprogrammed so you don't need to hook it to a computer. You can sync it with your cell phone service if you want to get real time traffic.

 

[Chefgirl2]

Magellan 3200. I love the larger screen, the volume, sleekness, it's user friendly and it has automated updates on traffic.

LOVE IT!! LOVE IT!! LOVE IT!!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I had someone steal my credit card number (while the card was in my wallet with me-still not sure how it happened) and buy a Magellan 3200 using my stolen credit card number and then sold it on e-bay. When Capital one finally caught up with them, they said it worked great! I'd recommend using your own card to pay for it, however it's less hassle! I actually did the sleuthing and found the creep that used my card for his purchase, too... I wonder if that was the triangle, circle, or squiggle in me? (giggle)

 

[Deannasbiz]

We just bought the Tom Tom one....ok we got it before Thanksgiving so we paid about $100 to much, but...... I love it....it is small and easy to carry, it has gotten me to every house. One reason I love it is that it tells you the next two steps you are taking. For me that is wonderful. I hope you are happy with whatever brand you get!

 

[Tara1021]

We have a Garmin. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!! Got it last Christmas for my hubby. However, the update maps for 2008 are 80 bucks!!!

 

[dannyzmom]

I have the bottom-of-the-line model of the Magellan and am very happy with it. I can't compare it to the others as I've not tried those. I can tell you that there are times she has no clue where we are (when we're in newer areas) and there are times when I wish she had more features 9when there's traffic) but for the basics, Maggie is ok.

 

[amy07]

I bought DH a Garmin last year for Christmas, right now I can't remember the model. Like someone else said the prices has come waaayy down. But we LOVE it! I would pay the higher price again- it's so easy to use. And believe me, DH & I are technology morons, so if we can use it anyone can. He's even updated the maps with no problems.
The only problem we have had, and it really isn't Garmin as all systems have this, is that our home street name is wrong so when we leave out it has our traveling time off. But as soon as we stop somewhere, we hit the update button and our ETA is right on! Traveling back home there is not a problem! So we just changed our home address to what is in the system to get rid of that problem!

 

[vwpamperedchef]

Thanks for the info, Dh and I are going shopping perhaps today for one! I really like the Magellen larger screen too. But I like some of the voice commands tell you which street to turn on to. (Like "Right on Water Street") so that is high on my list for function.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I've been reading a lot of reviews and, of course, the one I really like, a Garmin, retails for about $1200 but the street price is around $950 - like I'd spend that much. I'm looking very seriously at the Magellan 3250. FWIW, the lowest price I've found (so far) is at Amazon. It's "on sale" this weekend only, at Best Buy, if you order it online, but the price at Amazon is still about 75 dollars lower than Best Buy online.From what I've read, Magellan's support sucks and their website is not very easy to navigate. Garmin gets higher reviews for support but the Magellan gets the nod for usability. That's all that I've just found so far.

 

[pamperedalf]

MY ED, AD. & Dir all have the Garmin (they paid about $600 & I don't know the model), but it is super easy to navigate. At conferences we have played w/ it and on the way to the airport. This is the one I would personally get if I could afford it.

 

[ChefLoriG]

I have the TomTom One, love it. I leave it plugged in, so never noticed how long the battery will last. Works great, easy to navigate, easy to sync to the computer as well.