Top Garmin GPS by Consumer Reviewers

Garmin nüvi 1450LMT GPS (Vehicle, 5" LCD)

3203 Reviews

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	Price: $229.99
First Choice Marine	Price: $273.06
	Price: $129.99
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Pros: Lifetime free Map and traffic updates, Bright and readable touchscreen display, Preloaded with navigation data as well as advanced route planning
Cons: Traffic updates are only available in selected areas, Pedestrian navigation aid is not free, No storage media included

Review: It shares much of the key features found in other Garmin GPS units, but the Garmin nuvi 1450LMT GPS Navigator also has functions that give it its own identity and sets it apart from the others. The most significant difference this particular model has is its real-time free traffic information update service that gives advance warning on buildups in your route through a Garmin traffic receiver antenna supplied with the unit. An alternative route is then recalculated to avoid having to pass through that particular spot. We noted that this traffic service does not cover all areas though. Alongside that is the 1450LMT's free lifetime map updates which require update roughly four times a year, or whenever a new update is available. All that information is accessed through the 5" touchscreen display which is backlit to make it highly readable even under direct sunlight and has a 480 X 272 WQVGA resolution. An issue with the sensitivity of TFT displays of Garmin GPS units seems to have been resolved with the 1450LMT as well. As for the shared features, like other Garmin models, this GPS unit comes preloaded with City Navigator data for the lower 48 states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico and has nearly six million points of interest for your reference. Using the optional cityXplorer, pedestrians can use it to get around town faster with public transit directions for selected North American and European cities. However, this service is not free. This model also has the usual assisted navigation functions like lane assist, turn-by-turn voice prompts and advanced route planning. The most impressive sub-feature of this service is the ecoRoute system that determines the most fuel-efficient route as well as checking fuel consumption. With regards to the interface and memory, plus other hardware aspects, the Garmin nuvi 1450LMT GPS Navigator uses a microSD card, but none comes with the GPS. A USB cord is supplied to transfer data as well as to charge the unit but be sure to pick up an AC adapter along with the GPS too, as it has been observed that the USB connection does not supply enough power to fully charge the unit.

Garmin nüvi 1350T GPS (Vehicle, 4.3" LCD)

2151 Reviews

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	Price: $109.99
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	Price: $119.99
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Pros: Very easy to use, Simple to install, Long list of features, Works well
Cons: Basic features only, No USB cable and memory card included

Review: If you are in the market for a budget GPS unit, the Garmin Nuvi 1350T is a good candidate. The option to download cityXplorer and its weight of 5.7 ounces make it a perfect tool if you plan on going to places you've never been before. It cannot process and follow voice commands like more expensive models but it provides voice prompts so you won't have to take your eyes off the road when driving. It also allows you to be aware of speed limits on major roads. No USB cable and memory card are included with the purchase but you can easily buy a USB cable and insert a microSD card. For the price you pay, it has quite an impressive set of features. There are some negatives that exist with most GPS units at this price level though, like the fact that it only shows a limited amount of information on the display. On the other hand, the 4.3" diagonal display is large and very easy to read. This could be really important if you're driving and trying to navigate at the same time. The touchscreen display is also very responsive and easy to understand and use. One really great feature of this GPS is the free lifetime traffic alerts that can warn you and reroute you if there are big accidents or even just heavy traffic or other problems that may cause delay when trying to reach your destination. Overall, we recommend the Garmin Nuvi 1350T for those who don't want to spend a large amount of money but still want reliable performance and maximum durability from their GPS unit.

Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Portable Navigator (2.14" Active Matrix TFT Color LCD)

287 Reviews

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Professional Equipment	Price: $334.95
First Choice Marine	Price: $301.17
Turtle Marine	Price: $249.99
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Pros: Exceptional reception, Waterproof and rugged, Many features alongside the GPS functions
Cons: Includes basic map only, Software issue with certain firmware versions

Review: The Garmin eTrex Vista HCx is armed with a suite of impressive features which make it an indispensable companion to the outdoors person. This handheld navigator comes in a waterproof case with a 256-color display screen measuring 2.14" diagonally. It is bright, easy to navigate and readable even under the glare of sunlight. A row of buttons line the sides of the shell, making it a breeze to operate even with one hand. It also comes loaded with a barometer, an altimeter and a compass to easily measure atmospheric pressure, altitude and direction respectively. The eTrex HCx connects via USB, supports microSD memory and is powered by two AA batteries that can last up to 25 hours of use. As with every GPS, the signal reception is the heart of the system. With this unit, it is exceptional. Thanks to its WAAS (wide area augmentation system) enabled GPS receiver that allows it to quickly establish location under cover of dense foliage or even inside buildings and other structures. It is sensitive enough to determine the current position of the user even without being in line of sight of a satellite. The included base map is basic, with about 1000 waypoints along its routes. Users who want more detailed maps need to purchase them through Garmin's website. Also, an issue with certain firmware versions can cause erratic behavior in the unit. Fortunately, this can easily be resolved by a software update to newer versions. Finally, the included user manual seems to be the subject of many criticisms due to insufficient instructions about the operation of the product.

Garmin nüvi 2300LM Automobile Portable Navigator (4.3" - Touchscreen - Photo Viewer, Speaker - microSD Card - Advance Pedestrian Mode, Voice Prompt - USB - 2.5 Hour)

253 Reviews

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	Price: $189.99
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Pros: Fast startup, satellite connection, and rerouting calculation, Voice recognition system, 4.3" screen,
Cons: Traffic updates are ad-supported, Touchscreen response is slow, Update system takes a long time

Review: The Garmin nuvi 2300LM GPS Navigator is an essential add-on to your vehicle, especially if you drive frequently and wish to avoid traffic jams and other disturbances. This compact GPS unit, like other nuvi models, makes driving through cities, highways, and even in the countryside a breeze. Thanks to a bright, colorful TFT screen measuring 4.3 inches visible even under sunlight and a touchscreen interface, the nuvi 2300LM lets you see where you're headed at a glance. And if that's not enough, it even offers voice-prompted turns along with the street name being called out. The nuvi 2300LM also has the ecoRoute feature that calculates which route to take in order to save on gas, as well as the myTrends destination prediction that estimates travel time and displays it, along with other information on the places you go to frequently. Functionally speaking, the Garmin nuvi 2300LM is simply a larger version of the company's other GPS models. However, it does improve on some aspects; to be specific, its performance has notably improved over its predecessors. The nuvi 2300LM GPS starts up faster, connects to a satellite to establish its location quicker, and most importantly, recalculates alternate routes in less time than usual. The voice recognition system on the Garmin nuvi 2300LM has likewise been tweaked as well. On the other hand, although the Garmin nuvi 2300LM GPS Navigator gains several performance improvements over other Garmin models, it still has some complaints about it. To begin with, the traffic updates that come with this unit are supported by advertisements that tend to clutter the screen when they show up. There is a nuvi model that has no ads on the traffic screens, but costs more than this model. The 2300LM's touchscreen input also needs some fine-tuning, since it is a bit slow. Finally, the update system on the Garmin nuvi 2300LM GPS Navigator takes a significant amount of time to finish, so it may be better to finish setting up the software before installing it in your car.

Garmin nüvi 2450 GPS (Vehicle, 5" LCD)

252 Reviews

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	Price: $209.99
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Pros: Entry level model in the 2400 series, Mutti-route and Eco-route planner, Audible voice alerts and Lane assist, nuRoute technology
Cons: Free traffic and map updates are not included, Routing technology has bugs.

Review: The Garmin nuvi 2450 Widescreen GPS Navigator serves as the starter model for the widescreen 24xx series. The 2450 in particular has a 5-inch screen that is sufficiently bright enough to be visible even under direct sunlight. The 24xx series offers a nice suite of advanced features, and the 2450, although a base model, is no exception. A multi-route planner takes over the chore of planning an efficient route, especially if you are going to several destinations in the course of the trip. The nuvi 2450 can save a trip log of over 10, 000 points, showing you where you've been. Likewise, using the ecoRoute feature, the 2450 can calculate the best route to use in order to save on fuel. A powered mount that attaches to your windshield via a suction cup serves as the base for the Garmin nuvi 2450, providing an easier way to connect the GPS to a power source. Aside from route planning, the Garmin nuvi 2450 has the ability to provide a more hands-on way of helping with driving. For example, you won't need to put yourself at risk for an accident by turning your attention to the nuvi 2450's screen, since it reads street names aloud, while its lane assist feature suggests the best lane to take which can be a great help if you are driving in an unfamiliar location. Probably the best offering with the nuvi 2450 however is the nuRoute technology, which has two main components: trafficTrends, in which the 2450 automatically learns daytime traffic flow to better predict your arrival, and myTrends, which uses the destinations you have previously entered into the 2450 to plot a quicker and more efficient route. The myTrends feature is particularly helpful if you go to a specific destination regularly. The Garmin nuvi 2450 GPS Navigator has lots of advanced features for a navigation tool, but being an entry model, the selection is still a bit limited, especially when compared to higher models. To start with, while it has preloaded maps of North America {the United States, Canada and Mexico,} free map updates are not included with the package. Real-time traffic updates are also not included with this GPS navigator. The routing technology in the nuvi 2450 has it share of bugs as well, which occasionally results in longer trip calculation times and some routing errors.