GPS Purchase

[SaabKen]

OK, the missus finally convinced me to get one for the m***van. Maybe it'll be better listening to the GPS female voice than hers when on road trips

I want something cheap, sturdy, easy to use and cheap. Did I mention cheap ? 5" widescreen would be nice, as is a thin profile. Don't need anything fancy, don't want it to be another gadget that "does everything under the sun".

Garmin, TomTom and Magellan each offer so many models that it's tough for me to sort through the nuances between them. So $Cdn100 is what I set for the price (many at that price come with lifetime map updates, AAA/CAA POI's, etc anyway), which south of the 49th parallel where many of you live you can get similar units for about US$80-90 cuz of your bigger discounts and such.

So between the three brands, which you think is superior ?

[rpiereck]

I love Tomtom, every time I get stuck with another unit on someone else's car it just feels wrong. Tomtoms are very intuitive to use, and customisable. I like their graphics. I'm on my third Tomtom, no issues, all were great.

The Tomtom XXL 540M used to be a $200 GPS but now it's around the $100 mark, has all the main features you would want at that price point, and has lifetime map updates. It also has good reviews at Amazon.com, for all that's worth.

Amazon.com: TomTom XXL 540TM 5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition): Electronics

[Shazam]

I've had two TomToms and I have felt like throwing them both out the window on numerous occasions. They are very intuitive, and good at navigating. Their graphics are a little behind the competition. What frustrates me most is their stupid mount system. If you pop the actual GPS off of it's mounting ring, it will take a good five tries to get it mounted back on. You'll think it's mounted, then suction-cup it to the window. First small bump causes it to fall off the mount. Try again. Or, the suction-cup un-twists itself (a small twist is how it "suctions" down), and the whole thing falls off. Have it fall off in heavy traffic when you've got a couple exits coming up right after each other, and you'll be ready to toss the dumb thing.

My dad has a Garmin, and I'd take it over a TomTom any day. It's not quite as intuitive as the TomTom, but it always seems to "find" where I'm at faster, the graphics are far superior, and the mount just makes damn sense and works every time like a charm.

I personally will never buy a Magellan again. It was my first GPS, about 7 years ago. It took forever to find where you were, always navigated me some long or just plain wrong way. At least they had a mount that worked though.

[SaabKen]

I've had two TomToms and I have felt like throwing them both out the window on numerous occasions. They are very intuitive, and good at navigating. Their graphics are a little behind the competition. What frustrates me most is their stupid mount system. If you pop the actual GPS off of it's mounting ring, it will take a good five tries to get it mounted back on. You'll think it's mounted, then suction-cup it to the window. First small bump causes it to fall off the mount. Try again. Or, the suction-cup un-twists itself (a small twist is how it "suctions" down), and the whole thing falls off. Have it fall off in heavy traffic when you've got a couple exits coming up right after each other, and you'll be ready to toss the dumb thing.

My dad has a Garmin, and I'd take it over a TomTom any day. It's not quite as intuitive as the TomTom, but it always seems to "find" where I'm at faster, the graphics are far superior, and the mount just makes damn sense and works every time like a charm.

I personally will never buy a Magellan again. It was my first GPS, about 7 years ago. It took forever to find where you were, always navigated me some long or just plain wrong way. At least they had a mount that worked though.

So, I should look for one that is as intuitive as a TomTom, quick and graphically competent like a Garmin, and comes with a mounting system like Magellan's ?

Mounting issue aside (I might buy an aftermarket one anyway), sounds like Garmins are a tad more preferred (here and on SC).

[nordwulf]

I used to have a TomTom and bought a Garmin 2455LMT ($200) a few months ago. Both brands are pretty close when it comes to features and value for money. The 40LM / 50LM are the least expensive models from Garmin and they get good reviews.

TomTom is getting out of the PND business while Garmin has a very large range of devices for many applications like auto, marine and aircraft applications. That doesn't mean TTs are bad but I like the Garmin brand. The TT VIA 1405 is a lower end model but has the latest interface like their more expensive models.

It's best to play around with them in a store and see which one you like better. I don't have any experience with other brands but would only buy a TT or Garmin.

This is a good site for reviews: GPS Tracklog - GPS reviews, news, tips and tricks

[SaabKen]

I used to have a TomTom and bought a Garmin 2455LMT ($200) a few months ago. Both brands are pretty close when it comes to features and value for money. The 40LM / 50LM are the least expensive models from Garmin and they get good reviews.

TomTom is getting out of the PND business while Garmin has a very large range of devices for many applications like auto, marine and aircraft applications. That doesn't mean TTs are bad but I like the Garmin brand. The TT VIA 1405 is a lower end model but has the latest interface like their more expensive models.

It's best to play around with them in a store and see which one you like better. I don't have any experience with other brands but would only buy a TT or Garmin.

This is a good site for reviews: GPS Tracklog - GPS reviews, news, tips and tricks

Thanks Frank. For some reason I'm biased against TT's too, even though I have no experience with none of the three brands.

Found this Magellan 5045LM for CDN$119 with lifetime maps, lowest price for 5" with LM that I've found online today for local stores:

Magellan 5054LM

[Hirsch]

Garmin. I've had two TomToms and they've both failed me at crucial times. The first one I bought in Denmark in 07 because in had both European and US maps. It quit working the day I left Denmark to drop my car in Amsterdam. I mailed it back to my wife and she returned it and got it fixed. It's US maps were horribly out of date, it showed freeway exits in downtown Cincinnati that haven't existed in 15 years.

The second one just refused to work. Driving down the highway it would lose the signal for no reason.

I've got a semi-highend($250) Garmin Nuvi now and I love it, it's never failed me.

[Dave T]

I have a Garmin Nuvi, probably a Nuvi 660. It is no longer made. It's rectangular, not square. It works fine in the center console near the shifter. I rarely use it preferring to get lost and drive in circles. I don't use a window suction cup to reduce the chance of theft. I have some paper maps in the car as a decoy to suggest that there is no GPS. Sometimes, I even consult those maps.

[SaabKen]

I rarely use it preferring to get lost and drive in circles. I don't use a window suction cup to reduce the chance of theft. I have some paper maps in the car as a decoy to suggest that there is no GPS. Sometimes, I even consult those maps.

I think you got the Best-Reply Award

Hey you got some Canadian Tire money to lend me so I can go buy it (see link above) ?

[SaabScott]

I'm partial to TomTom, but then, that is the only handheld GPS I have owned. Never had a problem and was even able to download different voices for it. I actually bought it less for the GPS functionality and more for its integration with BlueTooth and iPod.