I'm very happy with my Garmin GPSMap 60CSx (yes - bought on eBay). The combination of a nice color screen, easy interface, and availability of map software makes this the best outdoor model there is, IMHO.
I bought a TomTom 300 a couple years ago and absolutely love it. Here is how I picked it out:
1. Be simple to use. No manuals, I don't want to get into an accident figuring it out and my wife needs to be able to use it without training. 2. Be smart. For example, showing me points of interest related to where I am now without me needing to tell it where I am. 3. Updatable. Both the maps and the software should be updatable easily 4. Be portable. I want to be able to move it between cars easily. 5. Be priced around $500.
The TomTom 300 met all these criteria and was best in class. I particularly like how it remembers what I've done in the past. Besides allowing me to program favorite addresses, it remembers popular cities I've use and the points of interest that interest me. I love that I can download traffic info into this device and reroute accordinginly. The 3D map view is much better than the bird-eye view that other navigators deliver.
Killer Feature: Dynamic Traffic Updates. I was stuck on the freeway last week and TomTom connected thru my bluetooth phone, downloaded my traffic conditions, and then rerouted me onto a different freeway. It was longer in mileage but I got to my appointment on time. Smart.
Only complaint is that street names are not read aloud as is the case with newer products. Also if you buy an older TomTom 300 you can buy the newly released set of maps with more than 410,000 new road miles and 500,000 points of interest for $50 from TomTom. Also you may want to also check out the "TomTom One" which goes for about $300 or the slightly higher priced ($400) TomTom 510 which adds street name text-to-speech.
After researching Portable GPS units extensively, my recommendation is the "Garmin NUVI 350". It seems to be the most popular among average folks. It's a bit pricey but affordable to most people who are looking for this type of equipment. Read The Reviews!!
The NUVI 660 is the top seller. Stick with Garmin, they are number one in the industry and you can't beat their customer service. Tomtom is the worst, avoid them at all costs. My distributors have all dropped them due to lousy cust and warranty service.
Garmin is by far the best and their soaring stock is a good indicator.
I suggest you stop by a local Circuit city and play with the Nuvi series, they are all easy to use and take along with you. The 660 is great as it also has bluetooth. I own 5 different GPS systems including the one that is built in my car but prefer the Nuvi 660 over all of them. I do not recommend a handheld if you want to use it in the car, stick with one that offers voice and turn by turn directions like the Nuvi. :) Jude
They are different. The 60csx is for outdoors, it has many features and is a great unit but it is more for the fisherman, hiker, Geo casher and the Hunter. You can add mapping for auto, etc,,,, The screen is small and it is not turn by turn voice activated. I own one of these as well. We did get the mapping for city streets and the auto mount but find we do not use it as it is hard to see. Again great for the outdoors but I am not sold on it for a daily GPS for auto.
The Nuvi 660 allows you to put in cordinates, it is a voice text to speech GPS with bluetooth. I really like the hands free phone operation while driving, better than my bluetooth headset because when you pair it with your phone it uploads your address/phone book from your cell phone. Example if my husband calls it says "Dave calling" on the screen. I can either touch the "ignore" or the "answer" button and never have to look at my phone to see who is calling. Another cool feature with bluetooth is that when we travel we can go to "food and Lodging" on the GPS and if we want to call the place we are going wre just touch the phone icon on the screen and it automatically dials their number! Hands free all the way, love that.
The Nuvi 660 is a wide screen but it is also a flat screen, so it is portable and easy to take with you. You can download books, mp3's and more... It is an all in one entertainment driven unit as well, so it is nice to stick in your breifcase or purse when you travel, you can plug ear phones into it as well so you can listen to your ebook or music.
I sell GPS units for a living for the last 3 years as I am a dealer. I have several but the Nuvi 660 is my favorite to date.
If you want a handheld the 60csx is great, but by the time you add maps, and auto mounts etc you have spent the same amount of money as the accessories are not cheap.
Where in the sierras? I grew up in Arnold, Calif at around 4500 FT elevation in the sierras. Beautiful there but I sure do not miss all of the snow! :) Jude
I agree with everyone who suggested Garmin. I have a Garmin StreetPilot c580 and it's just excellent. It also comes with one year free of MSN Direct service which gives you traffic updates, weather and movie times. It even shows you gas prices so that you can go to the cheapest one.
On the other hand I wouldn't suggest a Magellan. I previously had a Magellan 2200T and I hated it. The points of interests database didn't know about any shopping sites. The maps were very old and they had no updates on their site. In the end I returned it to get the Garmin c580.
I have a TomTom 720 and absolutely love it!! I especially love the ability to add things that aren't already in the database and/or correct anything that has changed since the release of the last map (such as road closings or roads added, etc.) I can add traffic cameras (those pesky ones that click your picture running red lights) as well as "Buddies" (other TomTom owners) I also enjoy having constant traffic updates available. TomTom720 works great for me and always gets me where I need to go :-) TomTom 720 link: http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=383&Category=0&Lid=4
check the Garmin Bluetooth cellphone compatibility list before you assume your phone will work. I purchased a Garmin nuvi 660 and found out that my phone doesn't work with it. In fact most phones available for verizon, sprint, and cingular won't work with it that are available in Northern California. Garmin keeps adding new phones to their list but not very quickly. My 660 works but it helps to have a map as more often than not takes a scenic route to your destination and not the best route. If this is one of the best gps units the bad ones must be totally unusable.
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