GPS Recommendation??

We have a Garmin. My parents have a Magellan (land, air and sea).

You need to find out what you are using it for - driving only - or will it give walking directions as well (meaning hand held)

I know with Garmin we have to pay to have updates. Which is fine. I know there are some that are free.

Screen size and voice - all options - if you do Geo-Caching - will it help you there?

If it's just for driving directions - then just a matter of what you can afford to spend and what you like. If you need more than just driving - and will be using it in a boat - get a Magellan Air, Land and Sea. It's expensive. But worth it if that's what you are going to use it for.

my dh bought me a garmin that i just love. i just got a new/used lexus that has built-in GPS so the ol' man took my garmin and i miss it.
khairete
S.

I have a Garmin and it works well. The biggest problem with any GPS is when they change the street names or add new roads. It is funny that when I first moved here I would use it all the time and it would tell me I was driving down road A but show me in the middle of nowhere.

None of them are perfect so keep a map in the car as well.

Eddie Izzard HAHAH AV thats funny, I was unaware he did that!

I have Magellan. I like it and never had a problem with it. Be sure to always update it pretty regularly.

Dont know if other know this, but you can purchase or download the new maps and software every so often from the websites.

Get a Garmin--with lifetime maps. No need to pay for new maps all the time.

Hi, E.:

I vote for: Garmin

Good luck.
D.

As a previous employee for one of the above...and having dealt with the ins/outs...I won't recommend a specific brand. However, I will recommend when you purchase one the things you should look for in a unit.

1. Are there any additional fees? i.e. some companies charge extra to update the maps when the release new maps. Make sure this is included in your purchase price.
2. Understand your warranty...understand that registering your unit with them is in your best interest, keep your receipt of purchase DO NOT throw it out/shred it.
3. What do you want the unit to do for you? Make a list...traffic, just get you to and from? Do you want it to talk? Do you want to use it when walking?

I don't have a lot of experience with all the brands, but DH got me a Garmin Nuvi a few years ago and it's served us well. We even bought an add-on map for another country. Now, no system is fool proof (you do have to pay attention and be smart) but I like the Garmin overall. Friends who have something else (not sure what, but they said it was cheap) say that my interface is more intuitive than theirs.

Now, if only Eddie Izzard would come out with a voice for Garmin and not just TomTom....

If you are pricing maps, Garmin map updates are $80 so if your area changes often, consider the lifetime map updates.

I love Garmin, but go to a Best Buy and play with them, because they all have different interfaces and one may just make more sense to you.

Garmin is the easiest one. TomTom is so complicated. This poor couple at a gas station asked my son to show them how to find their address they were trying to get to. Because he is so fantastic with computers, he could do it. I watched him and it looked complicated! I hate complicated when it comes to driving!

Dawn

I have a Garmin. When I first got it last summer, the voice would tell me 1.4 miles before I had to make a turn. Now it tells me in .2 miles when to turn. Irritates me!

Nanc

I use my smart phone b/c unlike my Tom Tom it never needs to be updated

we have garmin and love it.

i love my Tom-Tom. You can update for free and it's easy to set up and use.

I just got hubby a Garmin 1490 with lifetime updates. Found it half price on Black Friday from Amazon. He LOVES it!