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The Kitchen Table

Speaking of GPS devices ...

15 years ago

(Or "writing" about them, I should've written!")

After a recent road trip to get to a repair store that should've taken an hour and a half but took longer cuz I got messed up even WITH printed-out directions, I think it might be time to invest in a GPS. (I don't have a smartphone that would've saved me on that road trip.)

What are the most important features I should be looking for?

What feature(s) do you WISH you would have taken a closer look at? Do you regret purchasing the model you did buy? Is there something advertised out there now that you wished was in the mix when you were buying one?

I have a Consumers Report piece about the top models they recommended, but those model numbers seem to change by the manufacturer very quickly, so it's not as helpful as it seems.

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Comments (10)

wanda_va
15 years ago
I'm also thinking about getting one, so I'm looking forward to opinions. TIA
Jasdip
15 years ago
Most of us here own a Garmin and I think they are the best company. Tom-Tom aren't good from what I've heard and read.

You also want the larger screen. Garmin comes in 2 sizes and I have the larger.
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You have quite an imagination, chas. Maybe 15 years ago, I was on a trip to a Southern city I'd never been to before. I flew in the night before and found my hotel with directions from the car rental company. I got up in the morning needing to drive about 10 miles to an appointment. I asked the woman at the hotel's front desk how to get to 3600 XYZ Street, she gave me directions. As I got off the freeway, I realized something was wrong, I was in a seedy neighborhood (abandoned buildings, those not abandoned had bars over doors and windows) although I WAS in the 3600 block of XYZ street. I cautiously found a payphone (yeah, that long ago), made a call, and was informed that I must have gone to 3600 EAST XYZ Street instead of 3600 West XYZ Street. I sheepishly arrived 20 minutes late to my meeting. I'll refrain from describing my personal emotions that morning. As for your various silly scenarios, wrong destination details will always take you to the wrong place, whether you're using technology or asking for directions in a gas station. I've learned to get accurate information and a cross street, it helps. Devices don't break so suddenly as you would like to suggest. You should be happy using whatever method works for you. Personally, I won't own a car without a GPS system, and I have a portable one to use when I travel and rent cars. I've been using them for >10 years, daily and in far-flung places, and none of the things you mention have ever happened to me. A few silly routings, of course, that's part of the fun. Have I gotten lost or failed to arrive where desired? Never.
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Some of you may know I'm a hospice social worker and am constantly trying to find addresses for new patients or trying to find the best way from one address to another. I'm the only social worker for a 12 county area. I got tired of being lost and bought a TomTom. I found it only had about half the addresses in it that I needed to find. I took it back to Walmart but they have a policy there that you have to bring it back withing 14 days! Sheesh! Now I'm stuck with it and it doesn't even help me! I called TomTom and spent 3 1/2 hours downloading new maps, but it still didn't have about half the addresses I needed. TomTom would only replace the unit, which was no help at all. I did not know this about WalMart, either or certainly would have been more diligent about getting it back! Oh well, hindsight is 20/20, right? My son has a Magellen so he loaned it to me to try and it was only a little better, still didn't have all the addresses. A nurse that I work with has a Garmin (not the same as a TomTom). She said that it always has all the addresses she has to find. I found that the device is only as good as the maps it has access to. I'm going to try to sell my TomTom and buy a Garmin.
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Jodi_SoCal
15 years ago
DH has a Garmin and it's the extended (wider) size. No complaints except how she ('the voice') pronounces Boulevard LOL

I drive a new BMW and while its GPS (manuf unknown) offers some very cool onboard features, many of the options that Garmin has like multiple voices and languages, are missing from my GPS.

jodi-
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
15 years ago
we have I think 3 Nextar ones and have had great results with them, they usually are much cheaper than some of the big names but do the same things. Important to me was that they did speak clearly and gave turn by turn directions and street names. Also that they were update-able. I prefer the larger size screen. Things to look for , being able to store locations for reuse, points of interest, hospitals especially.
I no longer use the suction window mount because it leaves that circle print on the windshield which lets thief's know that you have one and they will break into your car just to tear it apart looking for it. This has happened to us twice. The police told us never use those mounts instead use the ones that sit on the dash and are weighted. Put it all away or take in doors not out in the car.

this is one of the ones we have but there are many models to choose from
Nextar SNAP7 7-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
the voice on it is excellent and very easy to understand, we named her Samantha = Sam. LOL
I would certainly recommend it based on our experience.
oldgardener_2009
15 years ago
I don't use the suction device either, was told the marks can't be removed.
marge727
15 years ago
Our Garmins were wonderful. You can get them with traffic also. We gave them to our kids when we got new cars w/GPS.
When I bought a new car last year, I wanted a really good GPS and most new cars come with them. My husband has a Corvette and his system is different from mine on a MBZ. Mine also has traffic and since I am on the LA freeway system that makes a big difference. It lets you know about traffic accidents,etc.
The new I phone also has a GPS and you can use it walking or in a car.
lynn_d
15 years ago
I too have a Garmin, we are actually getting ready to buy a new one for another vehicle and camper. Definitely will be a Garmin, not even considering a different brand. Since the one we have is older it is a smaller screen, I will get a larger one now, with bluetooth and traffic.
jemdandy
15 years ago
Our fishermen use Garmin. They record the coordinates when the locate a hotspot in the lake so they can return to the same place.
Jasdip
15 years ago
I love that you can choose the accent and male or female voice.
We use a female Aussie as our navigator. We laugh at the way she pronounces words.

Even "recalculating" which she says OFTEN! LOL sounds cute the way she says it.
lindalou
15 years ago
we have a garmin and if we were to buy another, there is no doubt that we would get another garmin. good luck with whatever you choose. ;)

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