6 GPS features worth paying extra for
December 3, 2008 by Rich Owings
Yesterday I looked at five GPS features you don't need. Today we'll check out the flip-side; what are the best and most useful upgrades when choosing a navigator? I'll start with ones available on relatively low end units and then move on to features found on more expensive models.
- Text-to-speech – Abbreviated as TTS, this feature calls out street names for upcoming turns. Which means that you'll hear "drive one-half mile, then
turn left on Oak Street." instead of just "drive
one-half mile, then turn left." - Wide-screen – A 4.3" touch screen is just so
Filed under Hardware
I’d love for whatever device I use to be easily updated on-line. Maybe even a richer feature set (POI?) for selected destinations. The cheapy device I have works OK – warns you on speed warnings for example, but you can’t go on-line and update it and it’s out of date for some things. Plus business go out of business so I have destinations in my POI that no longer exist!
I think a recorded track is also essential…
One of the features I’d really like to be able to find in GPS units is the ability to drop a waypoint at some random places during a trip.
I have an old Magellan SportTrak and during a long drive, I can press a button and drop a waypoint at where I am. I note the number assigned (WP123) and then why I wanted to note it. (Example, a large ray-dome up on a hill off the highway.)
When I get home, load the track and look at the waypoints and I can use a map to find out what the item was (in this case, a weather radar).
This also works for POIs that I’d like to add to my own cache of goodies to keep track of (business, photo-op, etc.)
I’ve used the Garmin 320c and it seems to only allow one (1). This is useless.
If anyone’s got any ideas of which units support this feature, it’d be helpful for some of us.
You can do this with most nuvis by tapping the car icon and then “save”. The limit is 500 or 1000 waypoints, depending upon the model.
That’s good to know! Thank you for the reply.
I have scanned the manual and looked around but didn’t see that.
Thanks!
I had narrowed my choices down to TT 930T and Garmin’s 775T, but with Garmin’s 775 pulled from store shelves (due to firmware issues?) any additional comments are appreciated.
I will need the Maps for US and Europe. So, recommend away.
Thanx
I’d go with the nuvi. I think its a better unit. They’ve rolled out a firmware fix… http://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/2009/06/ask-garmin-free-mandatory-gps-software-available-now.html
Hi
I just returned from a trip in which I used a nuvi 76X (I can’t remember the exact model). It was pretty good on major directions, but was disappointed that it only allowed you to choose between “fastest” and “shortest” routes. It did not offer anything like “simplest” or “fewest turns.” Is there any model on the market that includes routing options other than fastest or shortest? Also I found some rather annoying errors in their maps. Does Garmin do any route validation? Does any one do that?
Magellan offers most use of freeways and least use of freeways. Map errors are due to the map data provider, NAVTEQ. You can report errors at http://mapreporter.navteq.com/dur-web-external/
Can you recommend a GPS unit that I can buy here in the States but can get maps for Europe, in particular Germany and the Netherlands? To rent one over there would cast about as much as buying one here, I think. I have a Sanyo Easystreet but can’t find and Europe maps for it.
THANKS!
Any Garmin nuvi will work. You can buy City Navigator Europe maps to add to it. Or, buy a nuvi x7x model, which comes with US and European maps pre-loaded. This may be the cheapest way to go. If you don’t need anything fancy, check out the prices on the nuvi 270 or nuvi 275. Be sure to register the unit right away, as you might be eligible for a free map update.
I don’t know what Garmin pays you but it’s not enough. Would the 1490T work with a Mac for map updating, track downloading, etc.
I wish they paid me. I do get some money from ads, etc., but nothing from them!
I’m not a Macophile, but my understanding is that Garmin has the other GPS manufacturers beat when it comes to mac support. Maybe this will help:
http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/
As far as track downloading, if you can mount it as a USB drive, you should be able to access the current.gpx file that has the track.
handheld garmin that I own works fine with my Mac’s. Have even done multi map loading on a micro SD card that does not show as supported on the manual I have.
Does anybody know how to be able to enter the zip code rather that a city name. I live in an area the has many cities uner on zip . It would be much easier that searching a city name. Thanks A.
What brand and model do you have? Some support this.
How come you didn’t mention “IQ routing” as a must-have? Is it?
regarding “speed limit display” is that generally just for metropolitan areas? or everywhere in the US no matter what? And how accurate is it, what if changing speed limits and all?
Thanks for the great website
IQ Routes was relatively new when I wrote this. I think it’s good, but not quite “must have.”
In my experience, Garmin has the best speed limit coverage with many secondary roads, and not just in major metro areas. The last time I reviewed a TomTom, it was missing for many major highways. And no, it is not 100% accurate.
Can you just look at the streets on the screen and pretty much judge what lane you will need to be in for an upcoming turn? Doesn’t this mean that “lane assist” is only useful in very rare situations?
Well, you can watch for signs. If there are roads you aren’t familiar with, I think it’s very useful.
for those people with GPS units with IQ routing technology, do you think using the AM radio traffic reports in your car that people without GPS units use is an adequate substitute?
Here is my dream GPS:
Garmin or TomTom or Magellan
with IQ routing technology or equivalent
with 4.3″ screen
with text-to-speech
roughly $120 or less
Does such a unit exist?
The TomTom XL 340S will do that. I’ve seen it as low as $110, but that was a rare deal. You can keep an eye on http://bestgpsdeals.net and see if one turns up. Nobody but TomTom uses historical speed database, or they don’t disclose it if they do.
Thanks, great website. Any insights into question #22?
I should add I’m not too familiar with traffic reports on the radio(i.e. regular radio, not a GPS unit). Are they available for most places? How do people in a place like LA with tons of traffic jams plan their route without a GPS?
I’m not in a major metro area myself. I understand that a lot of stations are cutting back on traffic helicopters, but I assume they are still reporting traffic, often from the same data sources that the GPS are using.
can freezing temperatures ruin a GPS, for example by freezing the liquid inside a display?
the tomtom xl340s looks good but I read some things about map updates screwing up the device. Has TomTom fully resolved this issue?
The suggested low end operating range for an auto GPS is 32F+. Maybe this will help…
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/955
I don’t know if TomTom has solved that problem or not. There are some workarounds though…
http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=13549
what do you think, will we see some killer Xmas and after-Xmas deals or will nothing top the Black Friday deals?
There will be a few that are better, but for the most part, no.
has anyone had experience returning a GPS to Amazon? Can GPS be opened? Is it a hassle because they have no store locations? What about shipping costs?
what other cell phones besides Google Android offer GPS?
Thanks again Rich for the awesome website
Lots. The latest iPhone has it, but you have to pay for nav apps.
I haven’t seen any prepaid phones that offer GPS, have you?
Sorry, you’re asking questions outside of my expertise now!
Rich
Do you know if the Garmin Streetpilot c580 allows you to:
1) upload the garmin topo maps?
2) upload the National Geographic topo maps?
3) make and save a breadcrumb trail
4) backtrack to that breadcrumb
5) add waypoints and name them?
Thanks so much!
Yes, no, I don’t think so, no, and yes!
Anybody have any insights into question #33 regarding returning GPS to Amazon? Thanks
If you go to the help pages on Amazon, they have general return policies, and specifics for electronics, though I see no special provisions for GPS receivers.
Hi I got a new Garmin nuvi 260W.I drive all over Canada and some USA driving but the gps is out to lunch in Calgary Alberta.Most times it will not send you to the right place.
Hi there,
Bought my hubby his first GPS…Garmin 265wt. We haven’t open it yet as I am not sure it is the best choice. We want all the important GPS features and North America and European maps for life. We don’t live in a populated area so the advanced features would be used more during roadtrips and vacations. I don’t care about the silly features like photo and bluetooth and such. Any suggestions on the best models under $500.
THX!
The nuvi 275T (3.5″) and 775T (4.3″) have preloaded maps of North America and Europe. On the 265WT, you’d have to add the latter. Sometimes it’s cheaper to do that though. If you do, go with the DVD version which can be updated, unlike the SD card version.
Rich – A GPS ahead of its’ time but now gone from North America….Navigon. Can I buy the newer Navigon 7310 (I was waiting for the 7300 in the US but they closed before shipping them) from a European dealer with US and Canada maps ? I really wanted that unit.
Thanks for a great forum (and reviews) on all GPS units !!
Well, they have this map on their website…
http://www.navigon.com/portal/de/shop/addons/produkt.html?produktId=15736
But it doesn’t list the 7310 as compatible. I would think it would be though. If you do this, I have to wonder what kind of support you’d get. You might want to ask some questions at this forum…
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=71
One other thing. Navigon will be at the US Consumer Electronics Show next week, and it will be interesting to see what announcements they make.
I’m thinking of buying the garmin nuvi 1350 or 1350t. Does anyone have any suggestions on either?
Both good units!
HI Rick,
Currently I have a Nuvi 350. It works very well still. Only a few freez’s and re-boots in the years I’ve had it…3 now. I’ve really got no complaint. A few times in route on a major highway it did “re-calculate” a few times…for no reason as there was NO turns available. But past that, I’ve been very happy with the unit.
That said we are looking to take our annual road trip to FLA fro PA and were thinking of picking up a new GPS. We see the 1300 and 1400 series. Tell the truth I don’t care for Bluetooth really or will need the MP3 player so that’s not a deal breaker. The new features, that is when compared to my older 350, are what we would like to have. Lane assist, the speed limit thingy as well as a faster and maybe more reliable system. Course the eco thing is nice too.
So if you get a 1350 or 1390 or 1450 or 1490 – T’s or not – is the processor the same and receiver’s the same? Meaning do you get a better processor and stronger receiver if you get the more expensive GPS? Are there reboot issues with any of these units? I realize NONE are very new, seeing as you review was posted a while back. BUT the GARMIN bashers on-line have nothing good to say. I’d like your opinion to help US decide.
Thanks, and great charts and articles!
GMRO
I believe all the 1xxx series units have the same processor (the 1690 could be an exception). They all have the same receiver/chipset. The worst feature you’ll lose with the 12xx/13xx/14xx is the powered mount; you’ll need to connect the mini-USB plug each time.
Rich,
Sorry on the NAME above…
Thanks for the info. Good info to know. I will miss the powered mount feature for sure…350 has this. BUT I think that seems to be the norm these days. Not a deal breaker. AND traffic is not really a feature I look for as well.
Do you know if the waypoints I have saved from my 350 can be loaded on 1 of these new 1xxx units? I backed this file up a few times; I think it’s the .gpx file. Any thoughts?
What I’m more interested in is the reliability. Do you feel these new GARMIN’s are stable too? I don’t want to jump brands, again we really like the GARMIN units. Just makes me wonder why the units say re-calculating at times when there is NO choice to make a turn and the line is site has not changed. Tunnels and things like that sure. But open road?
Thanks for your reply/time. YOU are a very good source my friend!
Regards,
GMRO
No problem.
Your favorites are in the garmin/gpx/current.gpx file. You should just be able to copy it to the new unit.
I haven’t seen a GPS receiver yet that won’t occasionally throw out weird directions. But I know of no common bugs associated with the 1xxx series.
Good to hear on all accounts.
We will hit the stores today. Either the 1350 or 1450 will join our techie family. I do like the larger screen of the 1450. Course both of these units are larger than our 350. BUT the Junction View is another nice feature to have too.
Thanks again for your incite and replies. You’ve made the research easier to do.
We’ll let you know how it goes and what our first impressions are.
Regards,
GMRO
Dear Sir,
A great website, kudos for that. I need your help in finding a good GPS for myself. I am living in China and often travel to various cities. I am looking for a GPS which can cover these following points –
– The battery life should be good, as I will be on foot or bus rather than in my own car.
– Should have pedestrian mode.
– Should have TTS
– Should be able to give me POI and where am I info.
– Lastly, should not be expensive. I am looking for one in the range of 150 USD max.
– I have zeroed on Mio 308L, your comments about it are welcome. Also please suggest a better one if you have in mind.
Prashant, Wuhan (PRC)
I’m afraid I’m not that knowledgeable about the options for the Chinese market. In general, auto PNDs have short battery life (2-5 hours, depending upon model), while handheld units are more expensive and don’t offer text-to-speech.
Hi Rich,
Well we picked up the 1450. And the Garmin “beanbag” type dash platform. Did the firmware upgrade and the free map. WOW this thing is nice. Finally used it last night to test it. Seems very responsive. Picks up miles per hour much faster than the 350 system we have. Nice HUGE screen! Very neat. All our waypoints transferred over fine too as you said. We are very impressed with it. Our local area on a highway did not feature the Junction View but we can see how the lane assist will already be a nice addition to navigation. And it was nice to have it find the satellites FAST once it found them the first time. The 350 always took up to 1min or longer each time we turned it on. I like this quick feature too on the 1450. Noticed also that only 56meg is left on the unit after the firmware and map upgrade. It showed 156 when I first connected it up. Guess I’ll be grabbing a MSD card. Do you know how large a card it will recognize? 8G or 16G or smaller?
Only thing I’m working on now is trying to find out how to get the pics we have loaded for the boot up screen larger. On the 350 we could have what we chose view as full screen while it loaded. This one seems to make it smaller though I resized it for the wide screen on the 1450. Just need to play with it…likely the jpg file needs to be sized larger than how I have it still.
ALSO did I read that you can position things on the screen where you want them? Or do I mis-understand this feature? I tried to move the arrival time to the right side of the screen over to where the speed limit shows. BUT it would not move. It only moved the map. Maybe I got that wrong?
Less those few things we are very happy with purchase. Can’t wait till May for the trip now!
Your input was very helpful and very much appreciated – thanks!
Regards,
GMRO
Congratulations! Glad you’re enjoying it.
It should be able to handle up to a 16GB card. The data field content can be changed (hold them down to bring up this option). There are different options available when navigating and not. Also, you can shift all data fields to the right side, and pick up two additional data fields. This is in the setup menu somewhere. Sorry, but I don’t have one of those models here to tell you where (it’s probably under map setup), but I do remember it was on the second page of the settings so be sure to check the “scroll down” options.
Rich,
Yes we are enjoying it for sure! And I figured out how to get the boot up screen to show the pic/JPG full screen too. I e-mailed Garmin and they gave me the screen pixel settings to use. I had figured it out just before they replied. BTW, not sure why so many say they have received POOR customer service from Garmin. I’ve sent approx. 6 e-mails to them over the past owing the 350 and now the 1450. They are spot on with info. I found out my A/C power cord from my 350 will work with the 1450 as well as the batt cord too. Didn’t want to risk just trying it…but they replied within 12 hours with info. So again I feel we made a good purchase and we very much value the Garmin support level too.
Now it’s off to get a MSD card. Thanks for that info too! I’ll have to try and move the screen around per your advise. Likely I did not hold the area long enough. I just tried to drag and drop. I’ll look for the menu settings too. Didn’t see it at first but maybe I just missed it.
Regards,
GMRO