Need advice on portable GPS unit.

[dcbridgwater]

Hello All,I was wondering anyone could give some advice or tips on picking a GPS unit? Since this would be my first GPS purchase I could use some expert opinions.Right now I am looking at these units, Garmin 855, Garmin 885T, Garmin 765T and TomTom 930.Does TomTom's Enhanced Positioning Technology (Dead Reckoning) make it a better choice than the Garmins?Does anyone know if Garmin or TomTom tend to be more accurate?How well does Garmin's Voice-activated navigation work? The reason I ask is that I have heard that The Garmin 765 might be a better choice than the 855 becouse the screen on the 765 refresh is faster. So is the Voice-activated navigation worth a little slower refresh rate?Does Garmin or TomTom have better map coverage for rural areas?Thanks in advance,Dale

[star_deceiver]

I have an Lg-LN840. 4:3 screen. It does the task. One thing I've found with many gps units is that they don't always recognize when there is a one-way street, or a median on the road or no left turns, ect... I've always found voice commanded appliances (onstar phone for one...) take more time to say what's needed then to punch it in yourself.Map coverage will be very good for main roads but newly built roads may take some time to get into the main systems where you get your updates from.

[tribalman]

if you can, find a demo and play with it for a while. i wish i did. i purchased a Garmin Nuvi 200. it's ok and all, but the screen is horrible. not so much the colors or any of that, but the touch sensor is sooooooooooooooooo bad. when i'm trying to type in words or addresses it will start pressing what ever it wants. the only way i've found to remove most(not all, it's becomes 75% accurate then) is to use a key, stylus, or other pointed object.

[KrazyB]

I have a tom tom 300xl I have been happy with it touch screen works really well even with the thick invisible shield that I put on it. I gets you where you need to go and the re routing is awesome if you miss a turn. All the us and canada maps are preloaded on the gps so so nothing on the memory card is needed. Trying some demos is a good idea as mentioned by tribalman.

[star_deceiver]

I use a stylus from a nintendo DS.

[lowincash]

i have the tomtom one 3rd edition and i'm pretty happy with it. got me where i want to go without any problem. i bought a garmin nuvi 260 or something and didn't like it that much. it tells me to turn when it's like a few feet away and i keep missing my turns. tomtom tells you ahead of time with a lot of time to spare. tomtom can get a bit annoying as it keeps reminding you lol

[04chargedvibe]

I have a Navigon unit i use. I am very pleased with it. I was kinda afraid of getting it because i have not head of it but its a great little unit. I get free traffic updates on it and its pretty accurate. The only con i have is that when you type in stuff if you have big fingers you may need a stylus. i use a pen i keep in my car. It talks back to you also. Overall i give it a 8/10. It would probably be 9 but im very picky about things i buy lol

[tribalman]

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »I use a stylus from a nintendo DS. i usually do too, that is when i remember i almost always have a DS in my car.

[Neouka]

my Garmin Nuvi 650 has gotten me around New York City for a few days, around Toronto and Ottawa, got me to a friends house in California, from Edmonton to remote cities in Northern Alberta...... and Northern BC up to the Yukon perfectly... all while driving a 45 ft coach bus Even in the remote villages.. like.. 6 hrs from anywhere... it still has all the roads.Garmin. If it's good enough for ocean ships and 747 pilots, it's good enough for me.

[dcbridgwater]

Thanks for all the tips and sugestions. I ended up ordering a Garmin nüvi 855.

[JetBlack09VibeGT]

I sell GPS units where I work and it has been my experience that neither the TomTom nor the Garmin are great with Rural Maps. My TomTom got me lost in the DC area last winter as it kept on trying to send me down streets that have been since closed for 5 years. The Garmin on the other hand sometimes is not aware of all of the rural roads and fails to recognize many dirt roads. Garmin does have a nicer web interface regardless of the model unit you buy. For the most part regardless, you are going to get the same US maps in all Garmin units. The main differences i are whether or not it will have full Canada maps , speak road names, screen size, and bluetooth option; these will all dictate price of each of the units. Keep in mind that as Map updates become available, Garmin will charge for the downloaded update and any of the Garmin units that end in "0" such as the Nuvi 200 or 260 will have the old maps in them and are being closed out at many retailers. The new maps are the units that end in "5" such as the 205 and 255.

[star_deceiver]

There are some roads here that don't appear on my LG and I have been told to turn left onto a highway divided by a barrier. You will find these quirks with any gps if you look hard enough. The gps companies should have an 800 number to call and tell them "what's up with that!"The LG shows most of the forest service roads here but as there are quite a few decomissioned ones it can be hard to find the main road on the gps when it shows 6 going to the same place. Look up and you can usually find your way once you get to the area you want.

[Vibe2009]

I am looking at the Garmin 265WT with bluetooth.Is the BT functionality worth the extra dollar?

[JetBlack09VibeGT]

I have that exact unit and in my opinion its not worth the Bluetooth function. The speaker is not clear enough to use the phone function and for the most part its more gimmick than it is useful. The best feature that the 265 has is the lifetime FM Traffic. It really works and works well. Its saved me from getting stuck in traffic numerous times. The lesser Garmin model 255 comes with this as well but, requires a subscription after 1 year. I hope this helps.