Sunday, March 18, 2012

Compare Garmin nuvi models

Garmin nuvi reviewYou can compare Garmin nuvi models using the chart below, which is designed to help make sense of their myriad models. For a quick overview of the different series, you can also check out my dissecting the Garmin nuvi series post.

The links in the far left column below go to each Garmin nuvi review on our site. All listed models speak street names and include speed limit and trip log display. Discontinued nuvis are now listed in their own chart. You can also click here for descriptions and more information about various features. NEW: Click on column headers to sort chart. 


Compare Garmin nuvi models

Garmin nuvi review Maps Screen size Traffic Blue- tooth Powered mount Multi- point routing Lifetime maps Lane assist Voice command More Info
nuvi 30 48 states & US + Canada versions 3.5″ No No No No No Yes No More info
nuvi 40 48 states & US + Canada versions 4.3″ No No No No No Yes No More info
nuvi 40LM 48 states & US + Canada versions 4.3″ No No No No Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 42 49 states 4.3″ No No No No No Yes No More info
nuvi 42LM 49 states 4.3″ No No No No Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 44LM U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ No No No No Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 50 48 states & US + Canada versions 5.0″ No No No No No Yes No More info
nuvi 50LM 48 states & US + Canada versions 5.0″ No No No No Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 52 49 states 5.0″ No No No No No Yes No More info
nuvi 52LM 49 states 5.0″ No No No No Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 54LM U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ No No No No Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 465LMT U.S. Canada 4.3″ Lifetime Yes No Yes Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 1450T U.S. Canada 5.0″ Lifetime No No Yes No Yes No More info
nuvi 2350 U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Option No Yes Yes No Yes No More info
nuvi 2360LT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Lifetime Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes More info
nuvi 2455LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Lifetime No No Yes Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 2455LT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Lifetime No No Yes No Yes No More info
nuvi 2460LT U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Lifetime Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes More info
nuvi 2475LT U.S. Canada Mexico Europe 4.3″ Lifetime Yes No Yes No Yes No More info
nuvi 2495LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Lifetime Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes More info
nuvi 2497LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Lifetime Yes No Yes Yes Active Yes More info
nuvi 2555LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Lifetime No No Yes Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 2555LT U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Lifetime No No Yes No Yes No More info
nuvi 2557LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Lifetime No No Yes Yes Active No More info
nuvi 2595LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Lifetime Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes More info
nuvi 2597LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Lifetime Yes No Yes Yes Active Yes More info
nuvi 2757LM U.S. Canada Mexico 7.0″ No No Yes Yes Yes Active No More info
nuvi 2797LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 7.0″ Lifetime Yes Yes Yes Yes Active Yes More info
nuvi 3450 U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Option No Yes Yes No Yes No More info
nuvi 3450LM U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Option No Yes Yes Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 3490LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Lifetime HD Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes More info
nuvi 3550LM U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No More info
nuvi 3590LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Lifetime HD Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes More info
nuvi 3597LMTHD U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Lifetime HD Yes Yes Yes Yes Active Yes More info
nuvi 3750 U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Option No Yes Yes No Yes No More info
nuvi 3790T U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Lifetime Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes More info

Garmin nuvi feature descriptions

  • Live traffic – It may not be quite ready for prime time, but it is improving, especially for models with HD traffic. Even so, you can expect lots of inaccurate reports as well as incidents that aren’t reported. Most pre-2013 Garmin nuvis with a T following the model number have ad-supported traffic (see reviews for screenshots). HD models and 2013 T models are ad-free.
  • Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use – Generally speaking, the sound quality has gotten much better on recent models, but check the reviews (the first column links to these) as it does vary.
  • Powered mount – The power cord plugs into the mount, rather than the GPS. That’s one less connection to fuss with when you want to use your navigator. I’m a big fan of these, especially when combined with a friction mount.
  • Multi-point (multi-destination) routing – A very nice feature, but not a critical one. If the chart says “no,” you can only enter one destination and one or two via points. This isn’t a big problem since you can easily find locations under Favorites or Recently Found.
  • Lifetime map updates – Garmin has started selling units bundled with lifetime map updates, which you can typically download quarterly. Newer models with these have an LM or LMT (the latter includes lifetime traffic) tacked onto the end of the model number.
  • Lane assist – Shows which lane you need to be in for Interstate exits and some surface streets in larger metros. An improved version, active lane guidance, was introduced on the 2013 Advanced and Prestige series.
  • Voice commands – A killer feature and it actually works pretty well on most models.

Return to Garmin nuvi comparison chart

Comments

  1. I had a Tom Tom XXL 530-S and loved it, but I wanted lifetime maps and the sales person talked me into a Garmon – said they were the best. A friend also has one and we liked the mount on the Garmon and the split screen for traffic so gave my Tom Tom to my daughter and bought the Garmon. On our first major trip we discovered that the Garmon had some essential errors or “undocumented features”.
    We bought a nuvi 50LM
    1) About 10 days out, when planning the day’s driving, I put in a city name and it showed it was “392 miles” so we planned our day to that destination. Once we got on the road however, I tapped the top of the screen to show the map, and saw that we were 478 miles to our destination. Bummer that!
    I started checking every day to figure out what was wrong and about 2 times out of 10, I would get two different answers on miles to a city vs miles to destination when on the road. Even locally, on one 80 mile trip Garmon was 18 miles off between the “miles to city” and “miles to destination” when we started driving.
    2) the traffic split screen is also a nice feature, but not dependable in complex interchanges. Garmon got us lost in Seattle twice, and miss-routed two times before we finally resorted to paper maps. Once we got home, I tested Garmon on roads we know well and found that Garmon would show what my exit looked like, but it failed to show the two exits that exist before the one I needed. So for simple interchanges, it may be ok, but watch out for complex and ‘tight’ interchanges. Silly me, I bought it expecially to help us through complex interchanges.

    I did two updates while on vacation, but those two “Undocumented Features” stayed with us. Come to find out, our
    friends with the Garmon still like to use a map so hadn’t noticed any problems.

    My old Tom Tom got us through a day in St. Louis, some major detours through Memphis and Chicago, three times driving in and through Dallas/Ft.Worth, and several times in, through, and around Tampa, without a hitch. Garmon couldn’t get us around Seattle for two days without 4 major wrong turns on the freeway system.

    The niceties of system mounting (it’s actually illegal here to mount such a device on your windshield), voice commands, blue tooth compatible and playing MP3s are pretty minor for me compared to accuracy. My daughter gets to keep the XXL 530-S, and I’m buying a new Tom Tom.

    • 1 – When you look at a list of cities or POIs, it’s giving you as the crow flies mileage. Otherwise the unit would have to process a route for everything in the list, slowing things dramatically. TomTom does the same thing.

      2 – Not every interchange has junction view, but it should still display an accurate distance to turn. You’ll probably see lane assist more than junction view. I will say that TomTom probably has more junction view/advanced lane guidance imagery than Garmin in my area, although the TomTom images are generic.

    • Lyn,
      When you put in the city name it calculates to the center of the city, when you put in a specific destination the GPS calculates the distance to that specific address – the two are never the same. In big cities like LA , San Francisco, etc. the difference can be quite a bit different. LA for example is almost 100 miles across. So center city and specific destination could be 50 miles apart. Also when you put in a city name the GPS calculates directly to that city in shortest distance, when you put in a specific location or address you chose between shortest, fastest, most ecological, and you have to chose via interstate or lesser state roads. Each choice is a different mileage. You won’t get the actual trip mileage until all those choices are made and you set the actual address you are going to.

  2. Joy Spears says:

    My NUVI200 starts down loading the maps and clecks off ??

    • Is this true even if it’s connected to the charger while your car is running?

    • First time it went blank and left me lost in houston it said the battery was low and was plugged in, I left it for days hoping it would charge.
      Could it be the on position or the battery?

      • It may be that the fuse in the charger is bad. Try connecting the nuvi to your compter using a mini-USB connector. Leave it connected for several hours. It will charge this way but it may be slower than in the car. It should go into mass storage mode, so make sure you safely eject it before removing it. Then turn it on and see if it will fully start up. Here is a PDF version of the manual BTW; the fuse is discussed on page 29… http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/nuvi200_OwnersManual.pdf

        Hope this helps.

  3. @Daune – The 2555LMT adds traffic, a lot of customization options, exit services, the ability to clear the trip log, true multi-destination routing and probably a few other things I’m forgetting…

    http://gpstracklog.com/2011/10/garmin-nuvi-2555lmt-review.html

  4. Larry Hattis says:

    The one thing I have learned from using my GPS is that they will usually take you the quickest way and it’s not always on the main road. Case in point,while driving on a main two lane road I came up on a curve and I was told to keep right and I ended up on a road the size of a large driveway which went straight through and connected to the the one I was originally on. In other words as the old saying goes the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.I was using a Nuvi 205 and I still use it a lot but the maps need to be up dated. One other thing I have noticed is at times it doesn’t know it’s left from it’s right.Another case in point,while making my deliveries it told me to turn right but I ended up having to turn around because the address were getting smaller and go back the other way for several miles to my destination.Also at times it would say arriving at destination on left when it’s on the right. I brought my wife a Nuvi 50LM she like it except that if she misses her turn it doesn’t say recalculating like my 205 does. I am looking for one that has more features like LM,LMT, Bluetooth and maybe voice. I just hope it tells her if it’s recalculating when she misses her turn.( LOL ) One thing I might point out to Lyn and those who find the mileage difference that they look at how many miles from staring point to their first major exit and all following exits there after. For example if I am headed to Mi from AL ( 715 miles ) it will show me the miles from home on I 59 to I 65 then the mileage will be broken down into segments as changes accrue . Also I am not sure about the newer ones but if you pick the shortest route it will not work for anything over 300 miles. You have to learn your GPS as you go for the most part.

  5. Larry Hattis says:

    I would like to point out one thing for people to keep in mind, NEVER PUT IN YOUR ACTUAL HOME ADDRESS. I suggest that you put in the address of the closes police department. I say this because if by chance your unit is stolen then they will be directed to the police instead of your home.

    • This is an oft-cited concern, but it doesn’t seem to rank high on the list of things to worry about… http://www.snopes.com/crime/intent/gps.asp

      Perhaps just putting in an address a block or so away would be fine. At least that way you can punch the home button to navigate there.

    • Larry, try putting in a security code, then if someone steals your GPS it is useless to them they can’t get it to function in any way without the security code. If you don’t want to use the security code feature, then just put in a home address down the street or too the nearest empty lot. The security code is the best bet – that means the unit is useless to any thief.

  6. I just purchased a Garmin Nuvi 4550LMT- when I drive the speed limit indicator only comes up on a major highway, not on the city streets. Is this normal, is there a better nuvi that would show more speed limit indicators, or turn red if I go over the speed limit?

    • Oh and also when I miss a turn, it doesn’t tell me “recalculating” it just keeps me driving. I was also coming home & had to turn either right or left onto a major highway…I needed to go left(north) to my home, but it told me to go right (south), which is the complete opposite direction, no way could going south get me to my home

      • I haven’t heard of the 4550LMT. Can you double-check the model number? Speed limit coverage varies by area. The current speed indicator should turn red if you exceed the speed limit. The newest models do not say recalculating but they wil recalculate. Check your avoidances and other settings that could be triggering improper routes. Hope this helps.

        • Sorry, it is a 2455LMT (not 4550LMT)….I love it…but again, in southern Ontario, the speed limit notification only came on when we drove on highway 403. It does not come on in any of the cities or on highway 24…is this a glitch?? or are only a major 400 series highway in the system.

  7. herb Carter says:

    Does the Nuvi 2460LMT have a SD/micro SD card slot?

    Thanks

  8. I’ve had my 1250 for about 3 years. It has always added “categories” that are meaningless numbers to all my favorites. I’ve had to go in and delete the category from each individual favorite twice already. Because there is no way to just remove categories. This is very tedious and time consuming. So, after it happened again for the 4th time I wiped my favorites and started again. Now, and I believe this is unrelated, it reboots without me touching it or unplugging it. And, again it added those nuisance categories to every one of my 3 dozen favorites.

  9. I am shopping for a Garmin and I know I want lifetime maps and traffic, and a 5 inch screen. The rest, I’m not sure. I am purchasing for a man who is not very advanced mechanically. Do I need Bluetooth? How do I decide which unit to buy? I want an advanced unit that is easy to use.

    • Bluetooth is for pairing with a cell phone for hands free calling. If you want that, in the curent model line I would look at the nuvi 2595LMT; otherwise I’d go with the 2555LMT.

  10. What is the last garmin model to say recalulating route ? I need one that says recalculting when I miss a turn,says street names,traffic without pop ups,life time of maps,speed,estimated time to get to destination,when I need to change lanes,safety camera’s,touch screen. I don’t want bluetooth or voice command.

  11. Rich
    As somone said in an earlier post I have learnt more from your website in half an hour than I have trawling through pages of next to useless reviews on other sites. Thanks. Need some help pl. Am doing a rally in South Africa soon on a mixture of tarmac and gravel roads ( but not true off road unless we get lost) . Need a sat nav that will allow me to enter gps waypoints and that I can load a SA map onto ( so i assume it needs an SD card slot) . Dont need anything that gives me traffic updates/ lane assist or that i can shout road directions at!. I have looked at handheld but screen is too small and functionality looks a bit complicated. So think it will have to be and auto model. Any suggestions pl – it needs to be reasonably robust its going in an old MG.
    Stephen

  12. Hello! I’m looking for a gps that can manage multi-destinations (up to 40 or 50). I think either the 3490 or 3590LMT’s are my choices, correct? And, once the addresses are loaded, the system will calculate the best route but what if a little later you need to add another address, will the system re-calculate or allow additional addresses?

  13. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER.
    I just purchased a Garmin nuvi 2555LM, replacing a four year old model, for a 4,000 mile trip. You would think that the first thing you would want to do would be register, update the firmware and the free lifetime maps. What an ordeal. I can’t remember a product whose registration that was any more NOT PLUG AND PLAY. I’ve been at this for a number of hours and now just getting near completion. 1st, there are three sources of documentation, the Quick Start Guide, an additional single card and the full down loaded manual. The registration instructions are inconsistent on all three documents, different site extensions which get you very confused. 2nd; the Garmin registration site seams to fail until you finally get a message to update WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER and then when that is done, you need to tell the Media Player not to synchronize with the detected device; 3rd and hopefully last, you get to update and your find that you now have to run out and buy a micro SD card as the devise doesn’t have sufficient memory for the map update. $175 and not sufficient memory and no indication on the box that an SD card is needed! Give me a break. This was supposed to be a quick confirmation that the GPS worked, get it registered and current with the maps. It was anything but that and had I known the hassle up front, I would have just used my old unit which may not have the latest maps and some of the bells and whistles but can be taken out of the box and used without even reading a manual. Oh, did I tell you, you better print the full manual because you will never figure out how to use all of the features with out it.

  14. My GPS is 3 or 4 years old and my biggest problem is it does not work in the city, which pretty much renders it useless until I leave Manhattan. It also takes 5 minutes or more to initialize when changing states. Are the new Garmin portables better, or should I stick to my I-Phone’s Google Maos? Thanks so much.

  15. It is a Garmin Nuvi 1300. It does not work at all in any Manhattan location, while Google Maps on iPhone 5 works fine and almost immediately. Hopefully Garmin, or someone other independent GPS is up to speed by now? If so, can you recommend best model for city use? Thanks again.

    • Phones have an advantage in that they can download GPS data from cell networks and speed up their position fix. No GPS without a cellular connection is going to outperform them in this situation. Again though, daily use (or letting it lock satellites in your window awhile before setting off) could improve things dramatically.

      • Phones can locate themselves for maps from just the cell phone network, without using GPS. For accurate position or location, though, then they need the GPS.

  16. usataylors says:

    Rich – your website has been fantastic – thanks. Question – right now, if it was your birthday and your parents offered to buy you a GPS unit and you could choose any make and model – which one would it be and why?

  17. I was going to ask you about when you would be doing a review on the Garmin nuvi 2597lmt and then saw
    that you mentioned the 3597lmt. Are the 2597lmt and the 3597lmthd basically similar?
    Approx when do you expect your review to be out and when will you have something on the 3597lmthd?
    thanks.

  18. Rich, how you don’t list the hardware specs like processor, ram, hd size? I think that would help. Also on the comparison chart it help to have the model year listed. The names are so similar and would make it easier for users to tell the difference by adding a year column.

    • Garmin doesn’t release those hardware specs. And there is limited room on the chart, but I may try to add year introduced.

      • Thanks. Yes space is limited on the page. Adding year is a great idea. I think adding a description of the various model lines at the top can help. Like explaining what Go, Via, or Start models mean/are for TomTom. What does it mean??? From the specs, I can’t tell the difference on what they do. Thanks again. Love the site. When I buy my auto GPS, I will do it through this site.

  19. What are the biggest differences from the garmin1xxxx models to the 2xxx and the 40-50 models. Do the other models have the “redirecting” voice,if not how do they deal with a wrong turn?

  20. Hello Rich.
    Like the others I do want to thank you for a site that makes sense of the choices. I have specific concerns, but I’m still not sure what to choose. We will use it mostly in Europe, and Tom Tom has the rumored better European maps, so I started there. However, compared to the slimmer Garmin, Tom Tom’s curved back doesn’t make for snugly fitting into luggage (we travel with only carry ons). This might be acceptable, though, if the Tom Tom is the better choice. I have a few questions that, with your help, I hope will help me determine which to get. First, I’m embarrassed to say that I’m not completely clear on the maps situation. Feature listings that say “US and Canada maps” mean that it comes preloaded, not that those are the only maps available? Can you buy European maps for any unit? We will also often be using it for walking around cities, but most of what I find on foot is for hiking. I read your review on the 3590 from last year, is that still current? I know the cityXplorer maps, but we are not always in a big city. What we really care about is weight/shape (thought I do want a 5 in.), battery life, spoken street names, pedestrian routes, and availability/cost/accuracy of Europe maps. Any guidance you can give would be much appreciated.

    • You can easily add maps to any Garmin nuvi — they all have a microSD slot. Most newer TomToms do not, so unless you buy a unit with US + European maps, you might have to temporarily remove the US maps to make space. And yes, you can buy European maps for Garmin and TomTom units. The 3590LMT is a 2012 model; there is a new one (3597LMTHD) that just came out. You may have already read this but… http://gpstracklog.com/2012/03/the-best-garmin-nuvis-for-pedestrian-navigation.html Battery life is an issue with any of these devices. They aren’t really optimized to use without a charger. You can dim the screen and set the screen timeout though, which can help.

  21. Gx de Castro says:

    I bought a Garmin 2475 because i’m traveling to Europe and Dominican Republic, before I’ going to use it in USA. /what I should do regard updating
    and the Gps ready for my trip. Avoiding the problems that some people described of filling up the memory and erasing maps.
    Thanks

  22. Hello Rich,
    My Garmin Nuvi 660 just went to GPS heaven. I need to replace it. I was extremely happy with my GPS. I have used it all over the US and Canada both in the car and walking around new cities. It has been a lifesaver for five or six years. WhAt do you suggest as a replacement model? I am confused with so many choices. Thanks for your help. Jack

  23. hstuart says:

    I purchased a Nuvi 1490T for my husband a few years ago for Father’s Day. He has loved it. He now needs to update the maps. In passing, he mentioned that Cabela’s had another model that included free lifetime maps (reconditioned) on sale for not much more than the map update for his would cost. I’d like to get that (or another model) for him for this Father’s Day, but I have no idea which to get (WHY are there so many models?). He does not need Bluetooth but does want lifetime traffic. I read all the above posts. I am interested in the 2555LMT, 2557LMT, or 2597LMT. His birthday is coming up too so I can spend around $200. Which of these three (or another) do you recommend?

    • The 2597LMT offers voice command, which is nice if he’s on the road solo much. Otherwise I’d pick the 2557LMT over the 2555LMT.

      • hstuart says:

        Thank you so much for this great site! I wouldn’t have a clue what to buy without it. I took your advice and bought the 2597LMT. He likes it a lot. But, today we were at Costco and he asked if I checked GPS there. I told him that I checked Costco.com and the model that was comparable (2595LMTHD) got some marginal reviews. He looked at it and found that it was $40 less expensive and it included HD traffic. Now we are wondering again. If we return the 2597LMT in favor of the 2595LMTHD, we would loose the active lane guidance but pick up HD traffic. Are there any other differences? What do you suggest?

  24. Jennifer says:

    Hi-

    I’m trying to purchase my first gps. I think I’ve narrowed it down to a 50lm, 52lm or 2555lmt. Can you make a recommendation? Thanks.

  25. Amazon and sears had the TomTom start 50 or 55 TM for about $100 or $110. Doesn’t have all the bells but it has lifetime traffic and maps. And it’s nice 5″ display. I’ll budget and high value devices.

  26. Rich-
    I am an avid motorcyclist, and enjoy having a GPS along on a handlebar mount. For several years, I ran an 8xx series nuvi which allowed me to import pre-planned routes. Upon the demise of the 8xx and it’s very unusual connector for a powered mount, I moved on to a nuvi 2555 LMT, on the misinformation that I could import routes to it as well. I purchased a new RAM mounting plate to fit the 2555 to my bike, only to find out that I could NOT import routes into it.
    I reviewed your matrix, but could not determine if there is a 5″-screen nuvi that allows one to import routes. I DONT want to buy yet another RAM mounting plate if I don’t have to..and I refuse to pay the price asked for a ZUMO. What say ye ? Thank you in advance.

  27. Jean Fitzgerald says:

    I am looking to buy a Garmin for my husband who has Parkinson’s Disease (no signs except trouble walking distances, no tremors). It should be 5″ so he can see it clearly, probably dashboard mount. What would you suggest? I believe he should have a voice command and some sort of tracking device so I could find him if necessary, clear and large lettering and anything you feel would be helpful for a person with his disability. Thanks so much. Jeanie

    • I don’t know of any that have tracking capability, although there are options if he has a smartphone. There may be some options with feature phones too. Otherwise you might want to look at the Garmin nuvi 2595LMT or 2597LMT.

  28. B. Young says:

    Any Garmin I can add a backup camera? I’ll be replacing my 660 as the map update is half of just buying a new Garmin

  29. Rich,

    Excellent site. I have had a 1450T for 3 years. Never have updated maps, just used it right out of the box. Thinking about upgrading to a 2595LMT mostly because I need a map update anyway and the voice command feature is compelling. I appreciate your detailed review of the 2595, which was most informative. I see lots of new and useful features there versus my 1450T.

    I use multi-destination routes quite frequently, and dislike the 1450T’s system of having you input the last stop first, since my mind thinks first stop first. From your review of the 2595, it looks like you can move points up and down the list, is that correct? Can I also input the first stop first and have it show up that way without further tinkering?

    I also love being able to add a via point while I’m driving. Your review of the 2595 said: “Despite the improvements to this feature, some users prefer the old system where you could add Via points without using the Trip Planner. With the Trip Planner, you need to interact with it briefly after each stop, selecting the next destination.” Can you be more specific here, as compared to the 1450T, where I could hit the back arrow, input a new via point, and then just click “set as new via point”. Was fairly easy but still took several steps. Not sure if the 2595 is worse.

    Thanks very much!

    • Just like Columbo, I knew I’d have “one more question” after I posted. Can you help me understand what this means: “My biggest disappointment with the Advanced series is that these models do not have a powered mount. So you’ll have to plug the mini-USB connector into the back of the unit each time you use it.”

      With my 1450T, I leave it in the mount and simply unplug it from the cigarette lighter when I park. Plug it back in when I get in the car and it powers up. I never mess with the mini-USB connector. Maybe we are basically doing the same thing, but it’s easier for me to deal with the lighter (right on the center console) rather than the back of the GPS.

    • Yes, you can move the order around.

      If you add a via point while routing, it asks if you want to start a new route or add to the active route. If you choose the latter, the trip planner comes up and you verify the order of destinations.

      • I took the plunge and got the 2595. Is there any way to get the trip planner to appear, other than adding a new via point?

        Also, is there any trick to getting an old GPS to show up in Garmin Express so I can back it up?

        I got 2 new 2595’s, one for me and one for the wife. I hooked both up and updated via Garmin Express (GE). I also backed up my old 1450 so I could copy the favorites over, which worked fine. But the 4th GPS I’ve hooked up, my wife’s old 1490, isn’t recognized by Garmin Express.

        I also tried My Dashboard (MD) on the Garmin site, which doesn’t recognize it either. Bizarre. The whole MD is bizarre and seems like a complete overlap to GE. The PDF manual doesn’t reference GE at all, only MD. I’m guessing GE replaced MD, and the manual hasn’t been updated. Confuzzling. Also, GE keeps telling me about new updates, just minutes after I have updated and gotten “no new updates”. Not a big deal. Everything has been pretty good so far. If I could just get the GE to recognize the 1490.

        • From the main menu… Apps > Trip Planner.

          Does the 1490 go into mass storage mode? Is it’s firmware up to date? Will WebUpdater recognize it?

          • The 1490 opens Windows Explorer as the D: drive when I plug it in. I think that is mass storage mode, no? I can see the files and folders.

            It was not recognized by My Dashboard on the Garmin site (is that “WebUpdater”)? When I plugged it in, the site just went through a spin cycle for many minutes without ever recognizing the device.

            I doubt the 1490’s firmware is up to date, but I don’t know how to update it since I can’t get Garmin to recognize the unit.

            Thanks for your help.

          • There are a lot of things that could be an issue. First you might try a different browser or updating the Garmin Communicator plugin.

            This may prove helpful too… http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=11514

  30. I received a gift of a 50lm GPS . It does not give me the recalculating therefore I never know until later that I’m of course . What GPS could I get that has the recalculating feature, plus lane assist , lifetime maps and the other features. Need to return the one I have soon. Appreciate your help.Thank you.

  31. The 2577LT is missing from the chart.

  32. Can Garmins handle addresses like ” N48w31210 Hill St”? If that is a model dependent feature, please advise which have it.

  33. Hi Rich, I am so glad that I found your site. Good information. My old (2006?) Mio C550 has been great, but it looks like it might be circling the drain. I think I’m probably going to buy a Garmin GPS, but I’m an engineer and researching things is what I do and so I have some questions. I don’t completely understand the features lists of today’s GPS models. Some of the features I like about my Mio are sort of hinted at, but I haven’t been able to find out to what level they are supported. For example, speed limits.

    My Mio says “You are over the speed limit” if I go 1km/h over any limit it knows about. That’s very important here where 3km/h over any limit will attract a fine and points. It doesn’t understand school zone hours and school holidays, but I can live with that. Current speed is displayed in large numbers when not navigating. We’re paranoid about speed limits.

    When I’m on a trip, I navigate even if I know the road so that I can see distance and time to destination, arrival time, average speed, etc. in the right hand side panel on the screen.

    I don’t need bluetooth because my car has it built in (voice control, steering wheel buttons, the whole deal).

    Voice control for navigation looks interesting as does traffic guidance. I’m looking for LMT. We don’t get the HD part of the model number here.

    What would you suggest?

  34. Clara Gaspar says:

    Does the Garmin 2495 LMT show the distance left to reach the destination.? I’ve seen 2 reviews in the Amazon UK site that it doesn’t show it. Is that really true? I think it is a bit weird. I’d like to buy this model, as it has some new capabilities (bluetooth, voice control among others) and very important to me it includes the pedestrian mode, but if it really lacks the distance left to reach the destination, that is a big fault! Thank you for your help!

  35. I recently purchased my fifth Garmin, a Nuvi 2577LT for travel in the U.S. and Europe. There are both good and bad features. Overall, I am less than pleased.

    When I travel, I take one carry-on suitcase on wheels and a backpack – no matter how long the trip. A small tube of toothpaste, a small tube of deodorant and a 4.3″ GPS help to make everything fit.

    So it was disappointing that Garmin has changed its only auto GPS with Transatlantic maps to the 5″ size, sold as the 2577LT. And my 2370LT (the discontinued 4.3″ unit) has a powered mount, so I keep the windshield mount attached to the power cable. Just two pieces. Now with the 2577LT, the power cable plugs into the GPS and the windshield mount is a separate little piece that could easily be lost. And more pieces to put together before driving.

    On the positive side, the 2577LT has a sleep mode so when you press the power switch the GPS turns on instantly. The menus have been improved, too, making many features easier to access. And it is nice that the map often shows more detail than the smaller units. Much of the added real estate provided by the 5″ size is taken with eye candy on the right side but that can be hidden with a single touch.

    One feature that is unchanged is the difficulty of silencing the chatty lady. I often deviate from the planned route on purpose. “Turn right” she says. “Make a U-Turn” she says. And so on until my wife says “Do we need to listen to her??” And so I must then engage in a conversation with the GPS: “Voice Command.” Speak a command (she says); “Volume.” Volume is at 60 percent (she says); “Mute” “Exit.” Can’t we just have a single push button on the top edge to silence her? Or a special voice command with no reply?

    So I tried the 2477LT around town to see how it would perform. Unfortunately, I found that the Real Directions feature is (in my opinion) beta quality. For example, I took a trip from the intersection of Franklin and Cromwell in Saint Paul, heading toward Rosedale Shopping Center in Roseville, a distance of perhaps five miles. Immediately, as I approached University Avenue, the GPS said “Turn left at the traffic light”, which was incorrect. Obeying that instruction would have taken me onto University Avenue. Instead, the GPS should have said “Turn left after the traffic light”, which is what the map correctly displayed. And then, travelling north on MN 280, it said “Turn right in one and one half miles.” Good. A little later it said “Be in the right lane.” Good. But then at the north end of MN 280, about 400 feet from the split where I needed to go right, the GPS surprised me with “Be in the left lane.” Wrong! I would only want to be in the left lane at that point if I wanted to go straight ahead rather than turn right. Technically, it is possible to be in the left lane and still go right – facing a sign a few feet later that says “Merge right” – but why (after correctly telling me to be in the right lane) confuse me a few feet from the split when there is no good reason? This needs improvement and that is why I say that Real Directions is beta quality.

    If I were driving in Italy I would certainly not want Real Directions to give me incorrect or misleading verbal instructions that differ from the displayed map and from the better instructions it has given me a few moments earier. The old 2370LT gives me verbal directions, too, but they consistently agree with the displayed route.

  36. Mr G de GISBERT says:

    I am interested in buying a Garmin GPS, with road maps of Western Europe, Africa and USA&CANADA.
    Deliver in France. Kindly let me know the price and delivery time.

    Regards,

    G de GISBERT

    • We don’t sell anything; we just link to places that do. Garmin offers nuvis with maps of Europe and the US, but you’ll need to buy African maps separately.

  37. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I recently purchased the Nuvi 2595LMT and took it on a trip. Halfway through the trip I realized that it wasn’t saying the names of the streets. Does this model do that? Thanks again. Bill

  38. The nuvi 2460LMT seems to have almost all the best features. Why was it discontinued? And is there any other comparable GPS without a steep price tag?

    • I googled this model they are available $139 to $179. I noticed the $139 models are “factory refurbished” which makes me think it may not be that great? The higher priced models are new though. I have had good luck with the few various refurb electronic items I have bought but that seems to be an exception on average. It really does have great specs, although I’ve read here the voice recog isn’t that great. Anybody have one in use?

    • They put out new models each year. The 2012 successor was the 2595LMT, which may be your best bet for similar features but still finding it discounted. The comparable 2013 model is the 2597LMT. Hope this helps.

  39. Quick advice:

    I’m debating between the 2460LMT and the 2595LMT. From what I see the trade-off is the 2595 being a newer model and the 2460 having power-mount. Is newness a significant factor?

  40. And one more thing:

    Do both 2460LMT and 2595LMT have advanced detour?

    Thanks

  41. Rick Rauenhorst says:

    I have a garmin 660. it works fine except I haven’t upgraded maps since new.Would it be better to obtain a new 50 lm or renew my maps?

    • I would go with a newer model to get speed limit display, lane assist, junction view, etc. The 50LM offers all of those but you cannot clear the trip log. If that bothers you, you might want to consider something like the 2555LMTT.

  42. Travis M Childers says:

    Rich,

    So glad to have found your website. I have a nuvi 855, purchased a few years back. I like it a lot, but my maps are out of date. Paying for map updates seems not the right choice. Can you recommend a closest model available now regarding features? The features I most like are: plugging in power to base and not the unit, trip log that I can erase, voice command (though not absolutely necessary), speed limit display (don’t they all have this?), and I think it would be smart to get lifetime maps. Basically, what’s out there now that compares (or, hopefully, is an improvement on) to the 855?

    Thanks!

    • Click the chart header for powered mounts twice to sort for that feature. Just about any of those will do. The newest are the 3597LMTHD and 27×7 series, followed by the 34×0/35×0 series.

      • Travis M Childers says:

        Thanks, Rich. Hmmm…prices are up there on these models. Maybe I should stick with my 855, and just do a map update. Do you know if the 855 can still handle the updates okay, or is it too old for newest software to work properly?

        I was amused to see, on your review of the 3450 LM, my hometown of Gaffney, SC! Not too many people know where we are, much less have been here.

        • It will handle the maps, but you may need to put them on an SD card to get them to fit. Have you considered the 2495LMT?

          • Travis M Childers says:

            Thanks, Rich. Pretty sure my 855 doesn’t have an SD slot, though (don’t have it in front of me right now). I like the 2495, and it’s one of my top choices at the moment. Just saw that the 3490 is $186.83 at Amazon. Seems like a drastic price cut. Are you aware of problems with this unit? If not, this may be the way to go. Do you know of any reason NOT to have the 3490 that I might consider?

            And, thanks, once again, for taking time to answer questions. What a tremendous resource!

          • All nuvis have an SD slot on the side. When I tested it, the voice command didn’t work as well on the 3490 as on the 2495, but it may be better now after subsequent firmware udpates.

  43. I’m thinking of buing a Garmin Nuvi 1350 LMT used from someone. How can I tell if it really is an LMT model, the unit only says 1350? Is the LMT feature listed somewhere in/on the unit?

    • I think you would need to connect it to a computer and run something like Garmin Express. The map update would probably not fit on the unit though, so you would need to add a micro-SD card.

  44. My current Garmin is several years old and in need of replacement. THe older models had a feature that alerted you to traffic cameras in Europe. I see no mention of this now. Also is Garmin planning to combine a radar detector with it? What will be new for 2014 and when will they be released. Leaving on a LONG driving trip after New Years and wonder if I should wait to make a purchase.

    as an aside. I use a kid’s lunch box to store my Garmin. Easy to locate in the car and not a temptation to anyone.

  45. Two questions:

    1) I bought a 2595LMT (refurb) from amazon. On the package it says 2595LMT, but on the back of the unit it says 2595LM. Is this standard, or is this a mistake?

    2)Do you know any website (or gps unit) that could help for the following scenario:
    Suppose I’m driving 3 hours from southern New Jersey to northern New York. I need to stop in a walmart, but I don’t care which branch. I just want the one the most on the route. Obviously, I could figure this out by checking one walmart at a time, but I reckon there’s a better way.

    • 1. Not unusual. My 2495LMT says 2495LM. If you can receive traffic data with it connected to the traffic receiver, you’ve got a 2595LMT.

      2. From the main menu, tap Where To and then in the upper right corner tap Searching Near > My Active Route.

  46. Hi, my garmin nuvi 780 that I’ve had for years was recently stolen. Browsing for a replacement, I see things have changed a lot. Some of the updates sound great, like voice command and free maps, however I see no mentioning of a feature in the 780 I used a lot which was the media player. I liked having an sd card with mp3s on it and playing them through the GPS sometimes ( also, songs would pause when GPS would speak which was helpful). It is very hard to tell if any newer garmin still have this feature, as it is not in descriptions or your comparison chart. Do you happen to know what models still have this? Thank you.

  47. I have a Nuvi 3790 that I was using and the map went dark and all I could see was the car icon and a few other things. So I tried going back to the menu and had it recalculate my destination. Same problem – no map. So I turned the unit off (thinking to reboot it), paused about a minute and tried to turn it back on. It wouldn’t do so. Took it home and plugged it into the USB port (using genuine Garmin cable) on my computer thinking to try recharging it that way. Nothing happened. Computer didn’t acknowledge it and the Garmin didn’t turn on like it normally does. Anyone know what happened? Is it fixable?

  48. I need to know which model Garmin or even which other brand is the best for senior citizens. I want to get one for my elderly parents, who don’t hear or see well. Also they are completely not tech savvy. They can barely use a cell phone. I really want to get them a GPS that they will be able to use. Can you suggest one? Even an older model would be okay.
    Thank you,
    Harmony

  49. Tom Hattan says:

    Hi, I just got a 2598lmthd on sale and like it so far. Haven’t had a chance to exercise the traffic feature yet though. I really like the Real Directions feature where it initially says things like “make a right turn at the next traffic light” instead of “take a right at Oberamergau Street.”

    A question I have is: Is there any way to change the display to have the “next turn” area on the top of the screen to have white letters on a green background like the older Garmins have? That display on this newer unit is black letters on a gray backgound.

    thanks

  50. FYI-Heading east out of Tampa today on I-275 I found it had been newly “Garminized” with a very nicely painted lane wide interstate signs on the road surface for each individual lane. If this goes nationwide I’m selling my Garmin and my Garmin stock!-LOL

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