Car GPS Systems

Review by J. G. Chandler:
I live in San Jose CA and drive in the bay area of San Francisco.

I have had the unit about 2 weeks now.

Any gps unit that you buy today should lock on in seconds, give accurate directions, have a display that is not confusing and have a simple menu navigation system. It does all of these things well except give accurate directions.

My other gps the Tom Tom 130 does everything mentioned above well, but lacks the traffic feature so I will return it. But it always gives very good directions 100% of the time. I just wish it had the traffic capability and I would keep it.

The directions that the Nuvi 265 gives are accurate most of the time, but occasionally gives strange non optimized directions. I don’t know if it is because of the traffic component or not. The directions that are not the best only lose about 5-10 minutes at the most.

The unit’s philosophy is to have a minimalist view of everything. It only displays what you need to know based on the route you are taking.

My other complaint is that it takes about 5-10 minutes to access the traffic information. There is also no direct way to look at the traffic map. For example if your destination does not involve using the traffic feature, it won’t display the traffic map. I wish I could just go to the traffic map directly.

What I like about the traffic is that it does route around problems and it gives warnings about slowdowns ahead, which is nice. So the traffic feature is nice to have and I wouldn’t want a unit without it.

So my dilemma is that can I live with less than accurate directions some of the time in exchange for the free traffic that does work well when I am going through an area with traffic jams.

I am also considering the Dash Express and the Navigon 2200T which I may try out.

————

UPDATE Nov 21 2008

I am upgrading my rating to 4.9 stars

For in depth review see this site.

http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2008/11/garmin_nuvi_265wt_review.php

The reason is that while it gives inaccurate directions some of the time, it is only because I know a more direct route or I know that even though it gives a more direct route, those streets are slower, than a slightly longer way that I know through experience. So you buy a gps for when you DON’T KNOW where your going, not where you do know where your going.

The traffic functionality does pop up right away during rush hour, (within a few minutes). If shows you problems and how far they are away. You can see a traffic map by going through a few screens and unzooming. It also shows a yellow or red colored line next to the road if you are in a traffic jam and when it will end. So overall it works really well. I also read that Navteq traffic (the free FM) works better than MSN paid service according to this site.

http://www.gpsreview.net/traffic/

I read here that Dash is no longer selling new units, although on their site it shows that they do, they cut 50% of their staff and want to focus on selling their traffic software to other companies. See this page and scroll down.

http://www.gpsmagazine.com/

I am getting the Navigon 2200T to try out but consumer reports rates it very low, compared to the 265WT. In fact the only other serious competitor to the 265, on consumer reports, for the price is the Garmin Nuvi 760, its an older model, which costs about the same as the 265, but you have to pay for traffic at a month and it has some other extra features, none of which I would use.

My only real complaint is the non qwerty keyboard, which bugs me. The only reason that they don’t have it is to get you to buy the 265WT which does have it. So the trade of might be to get the 265WT just for qwerty keyboard. I also like the fact that you can transfer addresses directly from Mapquest or Google maps through the computer cable, which is nice.

Sure if it was perfect it could have reality view lane selector, 3-D maps, voice recognition, historical traffic info, directions to which side of the street, instant Dash Express like traffic interface, ipod connection, fm to car radio input, better cell phone integration(I don’t use this), XM satellite reception and everything else you can think of.

But for now it does have very good traffic options, good directions, very fast response time, nice responsive touch screen, and a very affordable price which is now less than I paid only 2 weeks ago 9.

So someone show me how you can get something better for the price or close to it.

Review by trancespirit:
This is a review of my first stand alone GPS unit. I have used iGuidance on my PPC with a bluetooth receiver in the past. The reason I purchased the 265t is for the “integrated FM traffic receiver” with the lifetime subscription. The integrated FM traffic receiver is one of my main gripes because it’s not actually integrated into the unit itself. It’s integrated into the power cable by an unsightly tumor that runs long about 3 inches along the length of the cable. So if you’re in between cars and need the traffic capability, you can’t forget the power cable. Other than the power cable, it’s a nice simple looking unit.

The screen is clear and visible except for the most extreme angles of glare in which you might need to adjust it just a touch. The screen is very responsive when panning around the screen and even has a fairly accurate mouse pointer function if you want to get to a particular place on the map. The icons are clear and the tracking is smooth. The only improvements I could wish for is if the displaying information was able to be configured. Sometimes I just like to be ignorant of the speed limit and would rather like to know the distance to my destination rather than the ETA without having to keep tapping at the screen. A little arrow pointing north would also be nice.

Compared to my old iBlue receiver and iGuidance software the 265t locks onto satellites eons faster to get you going on the road ASAP. The FM receiver does warn you of upcoming traffic with a little icon in the upper left corner with an expected delay time but I can’t comment on it’s diverting capabilities yet, even with a recent traffic heavy trip from NY to Toronto. Some areas just don’t have the traffic information when you need it which isn’t the fault of the unit, but the lack of coverage of the traffic reporting area.

One difference I would like to point out where iGuidance may have better function over this nuvi is that you can detour around specific roads in the route list, whereas detouring with nuvi is perhaps oversimplified. Once you hit detour, you’re at the mercy of the unit.

Overall, it’s a fun little gps. It’s pocketable, functional, not too gimmicky, and has more POI than I imagined. There might be a few more menus you wish you didn’t have to go through, but for the most part it’s organized and has outstanding search capability.

Review by Matthew A. Jones:
This GPS is the biggest piece of junk I have seen try to pass itself off as a GPS. My Cadillac has built in navigation but when I travel I needed an inexpensive GPS to take with me in case I go to a place I don’t know.

In this case, my wife and I took this GPS and a 2.5 year old TomTom One (as a backup) with us to try out on a vacation to California. I actually bought this device at BestBuy, so I had to be quick about trying it out before I ran out of time to return it if it was no good.

The first sign that this device was junk was on the way out on I-10 Westbound heading from Arizona to California. This is the biggest freeway in the southwest and largely runs through the desert arriving in Los Angeles. While driving on I-10, five different things happened over a period of time without making a single adjustment to our course (such as getting off at an exit, etc):

1) The GPS would say we were in the oncoming lane of traffic but still heading in the correct direction. This would essentially shut down the GPS function and the destination mileage became 0ft and destination arrival time became 0min.

2) The GPS would say that we were on an access road or some desert dirt road, so it would say we had to make a U-Turn and get back on the interstate.

3) The GPS would change (without us making a course change) from showing us in the correct lane to driving in the middle of the desert with no roads around.

4) The GPS would re-calculate the route without us making a course change, and the re-calculation would take 5 minutes.

5) The GPS would essentially lock up and when you tried to do anything (hit menu, hit pan view, etc) it would pop up an error message saying we were driving in an HOV lane (of course there was no HOV lanes) and you had to reboot the device to get it working again.

Once we got to California (we went to San Diego first, then LA) it worked moderately well, but was slow in response. The location search feature was nice, but three times we did searches for restaurants in the area and the restaurant was closed down or it was the wrong information because either the phone number was disconnected or when we showed up there was nothing there or a sports bar had replaced an Iranian restaurant for example. On several other occasions we searched for things that we knew existed but even though our spelling was perfect it couldn’t find the location

Once we left San Diego we went to Universal Studios in Hollywood. We tried to input the directions two different ways: we searched for the location in the location search box on the device and found the address, and we manually inputted the address. In either case, the address was correct (we had also gotten the address from the internet at the hotel before we left the night before), and the GPS would say “calculating route”…when it was finished it simply put us back to the map screen as if we had chosen to drive around with no directions and just on map view.

The entire trip we essentially drove around with two GPS attached to the windshield – this piece of junk and a 2.5 year old TomTom One…the 2.5 year old TomTom outperformed the Insignia in every single facet. It was the only time we could count on things to be correct.

Do not buy this at any cost! Best Buy and other online sites often offer this product for 89 dollars or less, but don’t be suckered! Spend the extra 70-80 dollars on a device that works. If you want inaccurate directions and tons of frustration and to save a ton of money, just print out directions from the crappy website [...]. At least the only thing it will cost you is ink and paper instead of 100 dollars with tax/shipping.

Review by Nicolas Antczak:
I bought this unit last week. It’s a simple, basic GPS with big screen, easy to read menus, and responsive keypad. Entering addresses is fast and easy, unlike my old GPS in which the battery died. The only problem is that it can take up to 60 seconds for it to aquire signal. The first time I used it, it took 5 minutes to get the signal. Also, you can’t ‘bookmark’ current location. You have to enter the street address, hence only three stars.

Just make sure you have the latest maps and firmware. I was told that you can go to Best Buy and have the Geek Squad do it which I will do next week.

Despite it’s shortcomings, at this price, it’s hard to complain.

Review by Nativescape:
The 640 could/should have been so much better, had Garmin enabled the XM Weather capability in Automotive mode, in addition to the Marine mode, which does support XM Weather (WHY would they do such a stupid thing?!), and kept the Tracks/Tracks Management feature of the 276C/378/478 models, which are also geared toward Marine/Auto users. The unbelievable thing is that these missing features are all features that Garmin has implemented in older units – it is baffling why they would eliminate them in newer models, particularly at a time when this basic GPS functionality in the 640 is so widely available in smartphones. They also reduced the number of saved Routes. As the 640 is currently configured, I will stick to my trusty 478 for a long time, despite the fact that I would have liked to upgrade to a larger screen and updated GPS receiver technology found in the 640.

Review by Jack Freelander:
First-off, I have no idea what the other two reviewers are complaining about regarding XM traffic/weather while using the unit in automotive mode. You have to buy a separate XM receiver to even get XM reception, and on top of that a monthly subscription. Rating the entire unit as 1-star because of the absence of a tiny feature that almost no one will miss (XM traffic/weather in automotive mode) is short-sighted, reductionist and unfair to Garmin and potential customers.

The GPS is great – the touch screen works well, provides a lot of real-estate, and is very responsive. The built-in data has loads of information on local facilities and points-of-interest, and is really good at showing you current speed limits and adjusting quickly when they change. The on-land navigation is excellent, as you would expect from Garmin. You can choose from several voices, it does an excellent job re-routing and estimating time-of-arrival, etc. It comes with many accessories, including a mounting kit for a boat, the base for the car, and AC adapter for charging at home.

On the water it is very impressive with the level of detail in the charts that come with this unit – shipping lanes, lots of soundings, hazards, channel markers, everything is there. It has tide and current information for many stations, has built-in knowledge of the local deviation which allows you to configure the unit in True or Magnetic, and again is good at calculating arrival times and headings.

The are a few minuses to the product. It tends to support only straight-line navigation on the water so if there’s any land in between you and your destination, it oddly just plots a course right over the land. It is also insanely expensive given its size and target audience (presumably people who want to use it both for automotive and nautical purposes and aren’t interested in shelling out a small fortune for a full-fledged on-board nav system in their boats). The battery life (at least in my unit) is also less than ideal – it seems to last only a few hours, which is unfortunate. The battery pack that you attach to the back does add some weight/bulk (total unit is about 1 pound 2 ounces with battery), so it’s not quite in the category of handheld or easily carried on a hike, so one would think (therefore) that it would have substantially more battery life than it does.

Overall, it’s a great product with a ton of features. I just fear the downfall of this unit (or rather this particular line of land/water combo GPS from Garmin) will be its excessively high price point.