Buying a GPS

**Arreo** · 05-10-10, 05:11 PM

So I'm looking to get a car GPS (the removable kind, not the in-dash ones) and I wanted a little advice from my fellow TTPers.

What do you guys have and what features does it have that you find most useful?

Is live traffic useful?

Voice command?

MP3 player? FM transmitter to your car stereo?

Bluetooth connection to your phone for hands free calls?

**TxKicker** · 05-10-10, 05:15 PM

My family has a Garmin one that doesn't have all those extra features and it does its job nicely. My stepdad has a built in one that uses the live traffic. We're on a free trial right now since we recently bought the car, so i'm not sure how much it costs, but its pretty handy for a quick heads up on whats coming up.

It really depends on how much extras you want. If you are just using it to get around, a basic one will do.

**Nuckle** · 05-10-10, 05:15 PM

Live traffic would be nice to have but you have to pay monthly. I think it is $29.95 but it may have come down. It is not available in all cities. As for the other things, never used them.

My biggest piece of advice is to buy Garmin. Look at the Nuvi line.

**Jack** · 05-10-10, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Arreo

So I'm looking to get a car GPS (the removable kind, not the in-dash ones) and I wanted a little advice from my fellow TTPers.

What do you guys have and what features does it have that you find most useful?

Is live traffic useful?

Voice command?

MP3 player? FM transmitter to your car stereo?

Bluetooth connection to your phone for hands free calls?

http://www.tomtom.com/products/category.php?ID=0

Its simple, gets the job done and is reliable
The reason my family chose the TomTom was its versatility with a variety of options (speech, display options, etc). Keep in mind this is a VERY simple GPS... and is very reliable....

We purchased ours a 2-3 years ago... So I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the new features on new models.

*Note TomToms tend to be the least expensive GPS devices.

Good luck finding yours Arreo
-Jack

**QuickLightning** · 05-10-10, 05:22 PM

The features you are naming off really aren't that important in my opinion. I can't imagine using a GPS for anything besides big trips or locating museums and such so spending a pretty penny for features you will likely never use (Bluetooth to the phone?) seems a bit absurd.

A gps shouldn't really be necessary to even have in your car on a daily (or even weekly) basis unless you are doing deliveries. You are just throwing another item out there to attract thieves to break in to your car if you are leaving it in the vehicle.

I'd recommend looking at what you really need and pricing "nice to have" features that you like after that.

**dex71** · 05-10-10, 05:25 PM

I LOVE my Garmin Nuvi.

Turn by turn directions (and I think they all have this now) are the most important part. The voice is annoying,and was turned off on day two. Mine doesn't have the bluetooth connectability,so I'm not sure how well it works. Mine does have the ability to play mp3's,but it is pretty much worthless (the audio quality sets new lows).

The Garmins are soooo easy to use. You turn it on,and touch whatever you want to do (favorite locations,addresses,or the 6million commercial locations they come programmed with). I can go anywhere in the country,and not only find my way around,but find whatever it is I need. I have had mine for about 3 years now,and it goes everywhere with me. When it dies,I will be getting another Garmin.....without a doubt.

And Arreo....I know you are no stranger to the kinds of Winters that make men out of boys. One of the things I love,is being able to know what street is coming up,even if the signs are covered with snow. I may forget my cell phone from time to time,but I am lost without my Garmin.

**WileECyte** · 05-10-10, 05:28 PM

Personally, I use the Google Maps Turn-by-turn directions included in my Motorola Droid. I have a nice car-mount for it and it performs as well as any GPS I've ever seen/used. Any Android 1.6 or newer phone can do the Google Navigation. With the advent of most phones having GPS functionality, I see less and less need for a separate device.

**Gumby** · 05-10-10, 05:28 PM

I recently bought a Navagon 4310 and I like it quite a lot. IMHO features like bluetooth and voice commands are not that useful in the real world. I would also recommend that you go to the store and play around with the interface for several different brands. The UI is a very subjective thing. Also, look into what they charge you for updates. The real selling point for me on my Navagon, for example, was the update plans I had available. It came with one year of free updates or I could add a second year for ?20 and it included European and USA maps, a big plus for me. Personally, I could not live without mine. I drive to a lot of places where I cannot read the road signs. Having the speed limit displayed for me, road warning signs displayed for me, turn by turn directions in a 3d view, and my speed in kph is a lifesaver for me. As always, your mileage may vary.

**Nuckle** · 05-10-10, 05:32 PM

I use my GPS daily. I even use it if I know where I am going. My travel is different than many. I drive 40-50k miles per year and many mornings my first stop is 2 or 3 hours away. I like knowing my arrival time at any point during the trip. It is also handy for visiting new customers. It is one less thing I have to worry about on my trip.

**flame** · 05-10-10, 05:55 PM

I use the verizon navigator on my blackberry, I have loved having it. $10 a month but has voice, live traffic and business lookup(similar to yellow pages) Use it mostly on trips or when going somewhere new. I also have a magellan handheld one I use for plotting points at fires, can calculate area and such. About 3 or 4 years ago I bought microsofts streets and trips with a gps adapter, it works awesome for planning out a trip in advance and then following it on the road.