Which Stand-alone GPS system to purchase?

[lance1]

Hello Everyone,

I'm not an RVer but I want to purchase a good Stand-Alone GPS system for car navigation in the next week or so and I would really appreciate some input from those of you that use a Stand-Alone GPS on a regular basis.

I emailed the always helpful Emily Fagan of Roads Less Traveled (RLT), and since they do not use any GPS, she recommended 3 Forums of avid & knowledgeable RVers that I should contact and see what all of you are using and are happy with.

rv.net rvnetwork.com & irv2.com

Note that I will be cross-posting this request to the 3 forums above, so please ignore it on the other forums if you've already replied.

Here are my ideas / wish list .........

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Initial thoughts:

Stand-alone GPS System. No more than $300.

Not interested in any Phone Based GPS.

I've used several different stand-alone GPS units several years ago and I found that all were hard to enter destinations, and were just overall difficult to use.

I'm interested in the following, but not in any order of priority.

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*** I will NOT be connecting a smart phone to the unit for calling or any reason.


- Cost - let's say up to $300

- Definitely MANUFACTURER SUPPORT, ie, a company that stands by their product IF there is a problem and is easy to contact, ie, answers the phone if necessary.

- Prefer a larger screen, but functionality is more important

- Easy to enter destinations and easy RE-ROUTE manually when desired

- Un-cluttered EASY to view/read map screen while driving

- Lifetime FREE map updates

- Includes "traffic" or "construction" functionality.
(Unless there is a consensus that it's useless - please advise)

- is TOUCH SCREEN useful ?

=========================================

I just want a unit that works VERY good AND is reasonably easy to use.

Thank you in advance to anyone who can take the time to share your
experience and assist me in purchasing a unit that I will find enjoy.

Regards to all,
Lance

[sgfrye]

i primarily use a garmin and have for years. i like the lifetime updates. my wife will have google maps on her iphone for real time traffic info and backup

i can tell you from experience there is no one gps system that is one hundred percent accurate, and they all have pros and cons.

[BarabooBob]

I have a Garmin 2757ltm. We have never had a problem with it. I do not follow the GPS to the point of being stupid. My brother reset my GPS to use the shortest route that included off road and it wanted to take me down some deer trail/hiking paths. We had a good laugh when it said to turn down a snowmobile trail.

[philh]

On longer unfamiliar trips, I run a Garmin with traffic and Waze on my phone. When they don't agree on routing, or one pops up with a problem, I quickly look at Inrix traffic to see where the problem is.

[whjco]

I've been very pleased with my Garmin GPS units. Also, you can download Garmin's Basecamp program for free and use it to develop routes that can then be uploaded into the GPS.

[Yosemite_Sam1]

lance1 wrote:

Your thoughts are noted and I plan on going to Best Buy and checking out the units in stock.

However, the last time I checked GPS Units out at Best Buy about 4 years ago, they had some type of a demo video running in the units playing an advertisement and I couldn't actually play with the various settings ...... Don't recall which brand(s), but I know it wasn't worthwhile as it didn't let you do anything and all the same info was on the Internet. I will go there again just the same to see what I can play with these days.

Thank you.

Off topic, but if I can find a GPS unit that's half as accurate and reliable as my Sigs I'll be happy.

They usually have displays which you can play around. It got a cable so you can't run with it, lol.

If not, ask the sales clerk for a demo. If they not willing to do that for you, walk out and go to Walmart or Bass Pro.

Garmin with definitely be better and will give you the right direction 99% of the time.

Even for my go-to Google Maps, I would often ask my wife to double check with her own phone using Mapquest if I suspect something is not right with my Google maps which have some error itself.

[lance1]

p220sigman wrote:
I still say go where you can play with a number of them and pick the one that seems most comfortable to you. You will find that all of the navigation sources (stand alone GPS or cell-based) will steer you wrong at times. Where I do prefer my phone over stand-alone is when I'm in an unfamiliar area and looking for a place to eat or similar. I've found the phone is more likely to be updated as to new places and places that may have closed recently.

Been a Sigman since 1994...

Your thoughts are noted and I plan on going to Best Buy and checking out the units in stock.

However, the last time I checked GPS Units out at Best Buy about 4 years ago, they had some type of a demo video running in the units playing an advertisement and I couldn't actually play with the various settings ...... Don't recall which brand(s), but I know it wasn't worthwhile as it didn't let you do anything and all the same info was on the Internet. I will go there again just the same to see what I can play with these days.

Thank you.

Off topic, but if I can find a GPS unit that's half as accurate and reliable as my Sigs I'll be happy.

[Yosemite_Sam1]

2oldman wrote:

lance1 wrote:
Have had similar experience with my phone and google maps.

I've had errors with google, yes, but significantly fewer of them than with my Garmin.

But if you want hilarity when GPS pronounces names of cities and streets, get a Tom Tom and it's Dutch accent.

Mine was 10 years ago and equally good as Garmin. I just don't know lately.

[p220sigman]

I still say go where you can play with a number of them and pick the one that seems most comfortable to you. You will find that all of the navigation sources (stand alone GPS or cell-based) will steer you wrong at times. Where I do prefer my phone over stand-alone is when I'm in an unfamiliar area and looking for a place to eat or similar. I've found the phone is more likely to be updated as to new places and places that may have closed recently.

Been a Sigman since 1994...

[2oldman]

lance1 wrote:
Have had similar experience with my phone and google maps.

I've had errors with google, yes, but significantly fewer of them than with my Garmin.

[2oldman]

D.E.Bishop wrote:
Oh, so you were just speaking "tongue in cheek"?:D

As were you.

[lance1]

p220sigman wrote:
Used Garmin for years and never had any issues. Seems easy to use to me. Tried a Tom Tom years ago (someone gave it to my mother) and didn't like it at all. Out first van had an aftermarket DVD/Navigation head unit that was Garmin-based and it worked well also. Our second van had an aftermarket DVD/Navigation unit that was Magellan based and it was not user friendly at all. Ended up using my Garmin or phone instead.

I would imagine most of them are pretty similar now days. I'd go somewhere like a Best Buy that has a selection and just play with them and see which you feel most comfortable with. I would still verify, but I think lifetime map updates is pretty standard now.

I also borrowed a Tom Tom about 7-8 years ago and found it difficult to use .. but that was a long time ago and my guess is that it's much improved today and maybe just a learning curve like another user posted.

Regardless, I've been a "Sig Man" for about 20 years now ... so if you like "Sigs", I know what your opinion is worth. Seems like the general consensus is Garmin, but that all are pretty decent these days.

Thanks again for sharing your input.

[lance1]

THANK YOU ... Yosemite Sam1, Busdriver, p220sigman, D.E.Bishop, 4aSong and DutchmenSport.

Exactly the kind of info I'm looking for.

[lance1]

2oldman wrote:

D.E.Bishop wrote:
Could you explain how it's going to kill him.

Looking for a Walmart, Garmin will direct him around 8 blocks of right turns instead of a single left that's been there for 8 years, and enroute he'll get angry and run a red light, whereupon he'll be T-boned by a semi.

Too funny. But I get you. Have had similar experience with my phone and google maps. Not a real issue in areas you are somewhat familiar with .... but in the areas you are not familiar with .. and hence the gps ... it can be a problem.

[D_E_Bishop]

2oldman wrote:

D.E.Bishop wrote:
Could you explain how it's going to kill him.

Looking for a Walmart, Garmin will direct him around 8 blocks of right turns instead of a single left that's been there for 8 years, and enroute he'll get angry and run a red light, whereupon he'll be T-boned by a semi.

Oh, so you were just speaking "tongue in cheek"?:D