flatsixforme

I'm looking to buy a simple GPS unit to be able to swap between cars for trips and around town driving. Does anyone have experience in this and can weigh in on what a good one is? I'm looking at the Garmin 260w (don't need bluetooth and MP3) but have just started looking and don't know much about them. Something under $300 would be ideal.

Also, I'm concerned about mounting. I want something that will stay put if I decide to take a turn fast but I don't want anything permanent. What do you guys advise?

Thanks,

insite

we have mageallans from costco & they work great. i had a garmin hand held unit w/ my rent-a-car a couple of weeks ago and it SUCKED. i have friends w/ garmin, though, and they love 'em. the interface on the mageallans seems a lot more intuitive to me, but i only have experience with one type of garmin. others may be different.

the thing i like the most about our mageallans is that they talk to you & pronounce all of the street names very well. they also give you a 2mi warning before a turn. the garmin i rented only gave you 0.8mi, which often wasn't enough. that, and it told me to go left when the signs told me to go right. twice.

95C4VanIsle

We purchased a TomTom unit, not sure of the model #, last year and have been very happy with it. Very straightforward to use. Our unit was the model just below the unit with bluetooth and MP3.

Ours is attached to the windshield with a suction cup that holds very well. It hasn't fallen off even with some aggressive driving.

air eater

I have the Garmin 260w and love it.
It gets shuffled between my 993 , wifes SL65 (MB's GPS sucks) and many rental cars around the country.
I find it quite intuitve to use , good bright screen, decent speaker.
The maps are very up to date for here on the west coast. It's only let me down once or twice due to outdated maps.
I suggest if you buy this unit to purchase the leather case. It protects it against the usual stuff.
For the money I think its a bargin.

Kika

Costco had the Garmin 650 for under $300, check the online store.

I have the GARMIN 650. I like it better than the factory GPs unit in our Toyota Sienna.

Mark in Baltimore

I just bought two if these Garmin 200W's from CompUSA for $180 and gave one to my wife. They are great units and replace/augment my trusty but bulky Garmin 2610. I tried a cheap Magellan but hated the clunky windshield mount, poor display and hard-to-hear speaker. With the Garmin, you can adjust the GPS just like a mirror, it's nice and bright and the speaker is loud.


http://www.compusa.com/applications/...EDBLET328ORDER

brucec59

+1

I looked at Mageallans and they were equal with Garmin in my mind, but when Costco offered the 650 for hundreds less than a comperable Mageallan, I jumped. I have used it in the Porsche and in a rental once. It will occasionally steer you wrong, but not nearly as often as our 2005 Toyota Highlander's built-in Nav.

The Garmin 650 says the street names (text to speach). If you can mount to the windshield with the included suction cup, that's very secure. It's illegal to do that here in Kaleefornia. I have mine mounted on my Bat Phone console, with a remote antenna on the windshield (reception is poor down low in the car).

dcdude

This technology initially took hold in the boating world. Garmin has had a better name and reputation for innovation than Magellan. I had two marine units, both great. I've planned to buy an automotive unit and would be hard-pressed to deviate brands. I just bought Amazon's #1 selling Garmin Nuvi 350 for $199.

TYNUSKT

Garmin Nuvi

trojanman

I have a Garmin nuvi 650 in the 993 with Garmin's "beanbag" mount for the dash... works great (doesn't slide around) and is very easy to put away and keep out of sight when parked.

Just bought my wife the Garmin Streetpilot c550 from Costco.com for $199. Great unit that also has Bluetooth hands-free capability... very cool. Costco's price also included the beanbag mount, so it was really a great deal.

BobbyT

I have a Magellan from Costco and like it very much, but don't like the mount. I make my own mount with a sheet of thin brass from the model airplane store, and stick the GPS to it with a strip of "industrial" velcro from Lowe's. For travel, I take along a strip of the velcro and just stick the GPS to the dash of the rental car.

The database in the Magellan is far superior to the OEM in my Mercedes. We were in Montana a few weeks ago, and the Mercedes nav wouldn't show any surfaces streets in Helena (state capital).

I think all of the major aftermarket GPS units, Tom Tom, Magellan, and Garmin are quite good. It is just a matter of individual preference for a particular interface and display.

The Japanese cars have the best OEM GPS I've seen, with complete Zagat guide and voice input.

Ray S

I've used Magellan's, Garmins, and Tom Tom's in the past. For my money I think the Garmin Nuvi's are the best units currently on the market.

flatsixforme

Thanks for all the great info guys! I'll have to drop by Costco to see what they are offering as it sounds like they have some nice package deals.

Good to know about the windshield suction being illegal. Is that also true with radar detectors?

InTheAir

I bought one of these for my Mom--she loves it.

Edgy01

Keep in mind what is the top theft item from cars these days...