GPS System

[fruitbowlk]

I'm looking for an realiable, affordable,portable Gps system. I have looked up the 5 best gps systems but I would like some opions

[disneysteve]

I use a Rand McNally road atlas. I got it free at work.

For planned trips where I need more detail, I use Mapquest.

When we are traveling out of town on vacation, I go to AAA and get free maps from them.

I've yet to see any point in having a GPS in our cars.

[InDebtInDC]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I've yet to see any point in having a GPS in our cars.

There are several pros of having a GPS:

1) If you get sidetracked from a turn-by-turn map, the GPS will recalculate your route. With a traditional map, you have to retrace your step and find your way back to a familiar road.

2) If you are in an unfamiliar area, a map can tell you how far you need to go on a road, but if you've lost track of distance, it's difficult to know if you've passed the turn or not. The GPS will tell you how far ahead or behind your turn is.

For example, I had to take a rural freeway 20 miles and turn onto a small driveway. I was driving myself nuts starting at mile 15 because I wasn't sure if my odometer and the map was accurate. I had to slow at every turn to look at the street sign, and some of the signs were really hard to read. Plus on a 65mph road this isn't exactly the safest way to drive.

3) When driving in the city, map = useless. As a fellow DC dwelller, anyone who drives through DC will tell you that your map is useless. The streets were designed so poorly with 1-ways and detours that there is no hope.

4) GPS can help find points of interest (gas, food, shopping) along the way. A map can do that, but it's harder to use. A nice feature I enjoy is the ability to find restaurants. It's fun to explore.


I was a recent GPS convert. I don't own one but I borrow one for long trips. I'm a recent convert because technology has progressed so much within the past 5 years that GPS are very accurate nowadays.


I used to be a hardcore map person like you, Steve, but after 15+ years of struggling with maps, it's really really nice to have a GPS

Originally Posted by disneysteve

For planned trips where I need more detail, I use Mapquest.

Mapquest is notoriously inaccurate around here. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten lost using Mapquest. I use Google Maps exclusively now.

[tripods68]

I recommend Garmin GPS. GPS has come down in prices over the years. They are very affordable now around $100 - $150. I bought my parents Garmin last year for $130.00 from WalMART.

[rennigade]

I just purchased a garmin nuvi 200. It was $152 from amazon. I couldn't be happier with it.

[Hot dog]

What are the 5 best that you have found fruitbowl? My son is getting one from his grandparents for graduation and he has been wondering the same and I have no idea

[fruitbowlk]

Originally Posted by Hot dog

What are the 5 best that you have found fruitbowl? My son is getting one from his grandparents for graduation and he has been wondering the same and I have no idea

Best 5 GPS navigation systems - CNET Reviews

[fruitbowlk]

I'm thinking about getting this one: Garmin Nuvi 650 - GPS Naviga because it say the streets names

Garmin Nuvi 200W GPS Navigate was my first choose but then found out it didn't say the street names.

[glock35ipsc]

You left out the most important piece of information needed:

What do you need the GPS to do for you?

Where/how do you intend to use it, do you need it for traveling and finding street addresses, or for back country navigation with topo map capability? Marine, aeronautics?

[glock35ipsc]

OK, now I see your post above me from like 8 minutes ago! LOL!

I have a Garmin Nuvi 200W and love it. I don't care it it says the street names or not. It says them in bold letters on the top of the screen, and I don't really need to know how to pronounce them. So I just need to glance at the top of the screen to see the road name.

[fruitbowlk]

oh ok. I didn't know they show the street names.

[fruitbowlk]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

You left out the most important piece of information needed:

What do you need the GPS to do for you?

Where/how do you intend to use it, do you need it for traveling and finding street addresses, or for back country navigation with topo map capability? Marine, aeronautics?

I'm going to use the GPS system for driving in and out of town. I hate driving places where I have no clue where I'm drivng at. I'm scared of tunnels and hight bridges. I'm not not that comfortable drivng by my self due to the fact that I hate getting lost. But I have to start living life so hopefully with this I will get a little bit more confidence. I know it sounds silly but that's how it is.

[glock35ipsc]

The nuvi 200W is a great unit for the price!

[rennigade]

I've had both garmins that said street names, and ones that didn't. The one that said street names helped me no more than the one that didn't. You're basically paying an extra $50 for that feature.

I'm terrible with directions, but if the unit tells me to turn in 500ft, I get in the appropriate lane and prepare myself. The street names are irrelavant at 500ft since I can't read a tiny sign that far away anyhow. It's all about personal preferance.

I just returned a garmin 350 at costco. Orginally cost me $270. It featured bluetooth, TTS (speaking street names,) and an mp3 player, all of which were useless features to me. Went and bought the nuvi 200 for $153. I like this unit a lot more since it has an internal antenna, and i saved a lot of money.

[fruitbowlk]

Oh ok Thanks. Everyone input is really helping me.

[bigsaver]

I have a mio digiwalker which I like. Got it a few years ago on black friday for $160. I think last year they were about 100 bucks. Also, they now come with the text to speech. Definitely a useful device.

[tabbycat31]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I use a Rand McNally road atlas. I got it free at work.

For planned trips where I need more detail, I use Mapquest.

When we are traveling out of town on vacation, I go to AAA and get free maps from them.

I've yet to see any point in having a GPS in our cars.

I'm in the same school as you, even though I am in the GPS generation. My father is a hardcore map person, and before we were able to get our permits, he made us navigate a trip for him to prove that we had navigation skills needed to drive.

Also I think that the GPS thing talking to me would drive me crazy.

[InDebtInDC]

Originally Posted by rennigade

I just returned a garmin 350 at costco. Orginally cost me $270. It featured bluetooth, TTS (speaking street names,) and an mp3 player, all of which were useless features to me. Went and bought the nuvi 200 for $153. I like this unit a lot more since it has an internal antenna, and i saved a lot of money.

I tend to agree. I don't need all the features of the higher series. Just give me the basic map and turn by turn direction and I'll be fine.

Does the 200 have the shopping directory? This is the only other feature I use to find stores.

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I use a Rand McNally road atlas. I got it free at work.

For planned trips where I need more detail, I use Mapquest.

When we are traveling out of town on vacation, I go to AAA and get free maps from them.

I've yet to see any point in having a GPS in our cars.

While I have no intention of buying one, I did get to go on a trip where one was loaned (BILs new toy) and yes it was cool, and yes we missed the turn and yes it recalculated..I might consider it in the future because my husband was so ... un-cranky about missing the turn due to the cool toy recalculating . Very unusual for my (wonderful, but) easily annoyed husband.

Though personally I do not think it saved us any time, the reroute was thru a school with r5mph speed limits and road bumps, turning around would have left us on the big road.

[rennigade]

Originally Posted by InDebtInDC

I tend to agree. I don't need all the features of the higher series. Just give me the basic map and turn by turn direction and I'll be fine.

Does the 200 have the shopping directory? This is the only other feature I use to find stores.

When you say shopping directory, you mean the points of interest? If so, yes it has the shopping one. The 200 has all of the same POI that the 350 had. I forget how many million POI.