[Shop-talk] Looking for GPS recommendations

[Brian Kennedy]

I've had/have several Garmins and an in car GPS. Since I keep my cars forever,
I'll never get an in car one again due to obsolescence and I don't like having
to look down to see it.  I put my Garmins in the lower left windshield. It's
easy to see and reach and doesn't obscure my view. The phone GPS is OK, but
I'd only use it when a passenger can help. Of course, get the lifetime
updates. The thing I like best is the traffic feature. I use my GPS locally
just to get the traffic information. It's not perfect, of course, but it's
saved me a lot of time on occasion. I also like to be able to turn off the
expressway access in the cities so I don't get hung up in long lines. It is
not perfect, of course, and a peek at the route beforehand can save you some
grief, or, if you're an optimist, new sights.  I did have one fail and Garmin
promptly replaced it, so I'm happy with the service so far.
Brian K


On Sep 14, 2015, at 12:35 PM, Randall wrote:

>> Lifetime map updates - don't buy without this feature.  Map updatess
>> can cost as much as a whole new unit...
>
> I agree entirely, but don't expect too much from the updates.  I updated my
Nuvi just before leaving home on a road trip a few
> months ago, and found at least a half dozen places where the updated map did
not match the actual road.  Some of the incorrect roads
> had been changed recently (within the past year), but others were at least
several years old.  We also found a restaurant listing
> where a new restaurant was listed in the same location, but the old one had
not been deleted; plus several more that just weren't
> there (and no sign they had been there recently).
>
> The Nuvi also doesn't tell you about roads that are only passable at certain
times; eg ferries that don't run on some days or fords
> that are impassable when the water is high.
>
> OTOH, Google maps seems to usually think such things just don't exist.  My
brother-in-law's smart phone was going to route us 50+
> miles out of the way, instead of waiting 10 minutes for the next ferry.
>
> -- Randall