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Garmin nuvi 1300 review

August 16, 2009 by  
74 Comments

Garmin nuvi 1300 review The Garmin nüvi 1300 is a relatively low-end unit in a line of Garmin GPS navigators introduced in 2009 (here is a list of more recent nuvi introductions), albeit one with a 4.3” widescreen. It comes pre-loaded with maps of the entire United States with the exception of Alaska.

All of the new units in the 1200, 1300 and 1400 series come with customizable data fields and the ability to utilize the pedestrian and mass transit features on Garmin’s CityXplorer maps. They also have text-to-speech, so you’ll hear “drive one-half mile, then turn left on Elm Street,” instead of just “drive one-half mile, then turn left.”

Quick links

More Garmin nuvi 1300 reviews
Garmin nuvi 1300 resources
How much does it cost?

Related units

  • The new Garmin nuvi 1300LM adds lifetime map updates to the 1300′s feature set
  • Or step up to the nuvi 1350 to get lane assist, speed limit display and to add maps of Alaska and Canada
  • Going the other direction, the nuvi 1200 delivers the 1300’s feature set in a smaller package – it has a 3.5" screen
  • To see how the 1300 compares to other models, check out my Garmin nuvi comparison chart

Note: Portions of the following were adapted from my hands on reviews of the nuvi 1200 and nuvi 1490T.

Here is a brief look at new features introduced with the 12xx, 13xx and 14xx series, but not found on previous models.

CityXplorer maps

The nuvi 1300 can utilize the pedestrian / mass transit navigation features of these maps, as shown below. CityXplorer maps are priced at $9.99 to $14.99 per city. I’ve posted more detail and screenshots in my CityXplorer review.

 Garmin-nuvi-1300

POI feedback

This feature, added with the version 2.70 firmware upgrade, allows you to give feedback on points of interest (POIs). Follow that last link for more details, but basically, POIs can be rated and you can even report errors, removing them from your searches.

Custom data fields

The nuvi 12xx, 13xx and 14xx models allow you to customize the map screen’s lower left data field, a feature we first saw on the nuvi 7×5 series. Press this field to bring up the options listed below. When not navigating, the options are:

  • Direction of travel (default)
  • Elevation
  • Time of day

When navigating, the options are as follows:

  • Estimated time of arrival (default)
  • Estimated time to destination
  • Distance to destination
  • Direction of travel
  • Elevation
  • Time of day

What’s new is that in the 13xx and 14xx series, you have the option to shift data fields to the right side of the map screen, as shown below. The top three fields can then be customized with the options discussed previously. This gives you the ability to display two more fields than can be shown in the traditional display mode. (Note that the speed limit display shown below is not available on the nuvi 1300)

nuvi-1350-custom-fields

More nuvi 1300 features

The following features were first introduced on other recent nuvi models.

Trip log display

Trip log display, or as I prefer to call it ;-) , tracklog display, shows where you’ve been and can be downloaded to your computer. Tracklogs can be cleared and the feature disabled for those of you with something to hide! The tracklog is the thin blue line trailing behind the car / current position icon, as shown in the screen shot above.

ecoRoute

This feature adds a “less fuel” option to your routing choices and gives you fuel and mileage reports, estimated fuel cost for trips, and even a “driving challenge” to improve your fuel efficiency.

 nuvi-1350-ecoRoute

Here is a PDF version of the ecoRoute manual. ecoRoute is available for the nuvi 2×5, 7×5, 12xx and 13xx series.

Recent cities and streets

This feature was first seen on the nuvi 700 series. A folder icon appears in the upper left corner of city and street search screens. Tap it for a list of recent entries. This is so much better than having to re-enter your hometown all the time!

Where am I?

This emergency location feature provides your current latitude and longitude, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and fuel stations. nuvi-1350-where-am-i

Garmin nuvi 1300 pros

  • Bright display
  • Text-to-speech
  • Quick access to previously entered cities and street names
  • Customizable fields on map screen
  • Automatically powers on and off
  • ecoRoute
  • Compatible with CityXplorer maps’ enhanced pedestrian navigation features
  • Trip log display

Garmin nuvi 1300 cons

  • Power lead must be plugged directly into unit (not the mount)
  • No speed limit display
  • When you search for a POI, the POI balloon obscures a significant portion of the map
  • Does not include standard mini-USB cable to connect to PC

Conclusion and recommendations

As with the entire nuvi series, I expect that most buyers will be quite happy with the 1300. If the ability to customize the map display or use of CityXplorer maps is important to you, I highly recommend this unit.

More Garmin nüvi 1300 reviews

I’ll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some…

Other Garmin nüvi 1300 resources

Compare prices on the Garmin nüvi 1300 at these merchants:



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In stock at PCNation		$199.80
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Filed under Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware

Comments

74 Responses to “Garmin nuvi 1300 review”
  1. Anurag says:
    July 23, 2011 at 12:35 am

    I purchased nuvi 1300 in US. I am now shifting residence to middle east.Is it economical to upgrade the maps to middle east or Is it better to buy another gps at middle east with middle east maps preloaded.

    Ta

    Reply
  2. C MacLean says:
    August 18, 2011 at 11:56 am

    Bought the Garmin 1300 with a view to using in collaberation with its trail maps,unfortunately despite being fully charged for 24 hours does not maintain its charge out with the charging unit (useally 1/2 hour)….remdering it useless…great for cars but not on its own!!
    very disappointed

    Reply
  3. Bev says:
    August 19, 2011 at 10:19 am

    Does the 1300 offer truck tracking ? If not which one does?

    How to tell where you vehicle is from a homebase…possibly by computer.

    Reply
  4. Paul D. says:
    August 24, 2011 at 12:18 am

    I have a 1300 and like it, also have a 276c for many yrs, world map on the 276 works good, do you no if there is world map that will work with the 1300??

    Reply
  5. Bob Kukrall says:
    August 25, 2011 at 9:31 pm

    I am a recent purchaser of your model 1300 (basic), and when I completed the map download (everything seemed to download and update ok) to update maps, everything that was in the unit before, favorites, etc., seems to work OK, but, when I enter a new address and click to go to the new address, the unit displays the “enter new address) screen again. It seems to lose somehow, the data on the new address. Is this a problem caused by the software download, or do I have a hardware problem?? Thank you.

    Bob

    Reply
  6. Will says:
    August 31, 2011 at 9:01 am

    I’ve got a nuvi 1300 and need to upload some .gpx files. I put them in the gpx folder and nothing shows up in the Favorites folder when I reboot. Any ideas? Am I doing it wrong?

    Thanks,
    Will

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      August 31, 2011 at 9:03 am

      Are they waypoints? If so, they should show up. Tracks won’t.

      Reply
      • will says:
        August 31, 2011 at 9:07 am

        I don’t know. All i know is that they are file type .gpx. How can i determine that?

        Reply
      • Will says:
        August 31, 2011 at 9:29 am

        I don’t understand what “tracks” are. Are plain .gpx files called “tracks”? I’m downloading the .gpx files for a race, and they indicate where the different stop points on the race route are. What is the difference between tracks and .gpx and waypoints?

        Reply
  7. Will says:
    August 31, 2011 at 10:09 am

    How do I transform “tracks” into waypoints so that my 1300 will understand them? Are .gpx files “tracks”?

    Reply
  8. Tom says:
    September 13, 2011 at 12:19 am

    Is it possible to use the 1300 to measure distance between 2 points of an off road hiking trail?

    If so, how?

    Thanks………….

    Reply
  9. SOMAR says:
    November 6, 2011 at 12:54 pm

    UPDET FOR Garmin nuvi 1300 AND HOW I CAN GET IT

    Thanks

    Reply
  10. Chris says:
    November 9, 2011 at 6:08 am

    Bought a NUVI 1300 in San Francisco. Great value and used it extensively. But only have maps for the US. How do I get maps for Australia?

    Reply
  11. Guy Ogan says:
    December 3, 2011 at 11:20 pm

    I just bought a 1300 and a paper with it’s instructions was a paper that said “Get free map updates for as long as you own your nuvi…go to garmin.com/lifetimeupdater…download the updater to you computer…follow the on-screen directions, etc. However, there are many listings that come up when typing garmin.com/lifetimeupdater, but nothing on downloading the updater on those I looked at! Any suggestions?

    Reply
  12. Rich Owings says:
    December 4, 2011 at 9:13 am

    When I go to http://garmin.com/lifetimeupdater it redirects to http://www8.garmin.com/support/lifetime_updater.html and there is a download button. If it doesn’t automatically redirect you there, try clicking that second link I just posted.

    Reply
  13. Guy Ogan says:
    December 4, 2011 at 10:41 am

    Thanks! Finally got there and hit the download button and it asked me if I wanted to save or run so like the instructions on the site said I saved it. Nothing came up after that so I did it again…still nothing. Perhaps I have two copies of whatever it is on my computer now? I just hope I can find it when I come back to look for updates for my 1300 in another six months. Thanks again for the advice…I’m a bit older than most computer folks so I’m not real savy on these things.

    Reply
  14. Ray South says:
    January 21, 2012 at 11:29 am

    My incar charger unit does not work

    Can you tell me if the vehicle earth makes a difference

    I have a Citroen C5

    Reply
  15. Ray South says:
    January 23, 2012 at 10:17 am

    Thanks Rich
    There’s no fuse,I have two, one that came with the NUVI and one I bought,

    Reply
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