# Educate me on GPS units **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 24, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873 "2010-07-24T20:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/21 "2010-07-25T22:01:44Z")
I had a Garmin Nuvi, but just replaced it July 4th weekend with a TomTom XL 335 TM (on sale at Target for $150). Although my Garmin was 3 years old, the TomTom beats it in every way but one. The Garmin maps go out of date every year (if not sooner; I found a lot of stuff out of date - mostly gas stations) and you have to pay about $50+ to update them. The TomTom I got includes free lifetime map and traffic updates. I like the user interface better on the TomTom, and it allows you to build an itinerary when you need to make multiple stops (super useful to me; I’m an appraiser). Plus, the mount is built in to the power cable so you can have it with you if you use more than one car (as I do). The only advantage to the Garmin I’ve found is that their restaurant finder is superior. Otherwise, TomTom all the way. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/22 "2010-07-25T22:58:50Z")
My Garmin Nuvi 265 also lets you plan multiple stops. I think mostly all do that nowadays. The Magellan and Garmin use the same database for their points of interest: restaurants, shops, etc. (I don’t know about any makes.) They aren’t complete (not that I would expect them to be) but they also have listed restaurants that have been gone for over 15 years, and they have a neighbor’s house listed as a restaurant, complete with their names and phone number.??? I went to a store that specializes in car stereos and tried out several different manufacturer’s GPS’s. If you belong to a Costco, you can buy it, try it out and return it if you don’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/23 "2010-07-26T00:25:15Z")
I am an avid cacher ([www.geocaching.com](http://www.geocaching.com) and [www.terracaching.com](http://www.terracaching.com)). My current GPSr is a [Garmin GPSMAP 76Csx](https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=351) and I absolutely love it. I loaded the entire map of the southern 48 states on it, and when we go on trips, I’ll load caches along the route and at the destination. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/24 "2010-07-26T01:46:59Z")
> [@sharding](#): > > To me, the biggest improvement in having a GPS over Google Maps or Mapquest is that it constantly adjusts the route. If you get off course for some reason (stop for a meal, construction detour, wrong turn, etc.), the GPS will instantly re-route to give you correct directions from where you are. With a printed Google map, you need to find your way back to the route you mapped out. Usually not a big deal, but if you have as bad of a sense of direction as I do, the extra help is really great. The GPS also makes me a lot more confident about trying shortcuts and alternate routes in my daily life – I know that if I get lost, I can just plug in my destination and the GPS will get me to where I need to go. Just to clarify, if you do have a smart phone and use Google Maps and Navigation it will adjust the route for you as well, even when you stop or go off course. The one disadvantage of Google Maps is that it requires a data connection to initially figure out the route, but this is cached for later use. I’ve used the phone navigation in rural Alaska with no service outside of my initial starting point, and it worked perfectly the whole trip - I was a little surprised by how well it worked. ---
**Author:** ![sharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharding)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/25 "2010-07-26T01:48:31Z")
> [@Driver8](#): > > Just to clarify, if you do have a smart phone and use Google Maps and Navigation it will adjust the route for you as well, even when you stop or go off course. Yes, sorry, I meant printed Google Maps/Mapquest directions, because Chefguy mentioned that Mapquest and paper maps worked fine for him. Obviously the smartphone map apps are a different ballgame. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/26 "2010-07-26T03:04:30Z")
I bought a TomTom XL 335 just before a recent trip and really like it. $129 plus tax at Sam’s Club. It comes with free lifetime maps upgrades. The mistake I did make was buying a Bart Simpson voice upgrade, it is very annoying. Also, some of the menus are on the small side and with my fat fingers, entering wrong info can be a problem. I am going to use a stylus from another item and see if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/27 "2010-07-27T03:09:06Z")
The main attraction of GPS nav, for me, is that I can relax and enjoy the sites and the drive rather than keeping an eye on the odometer for an unfamiliar street. How long will it take me to drive 5 miles? I no longer need to care as much since I’m given ample warning before I need to make a move and I can tell at a glance that it’s not for 1.8 miles. Check TigerDirect, too. [Link](http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_tlc.asp?CatId=2372&name=GPS-Navigation). I’d get the 4.3 or 5 inch display. The 3 inch screens are too small. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/28 "2010-07-27T15:50:02Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > At the time I bought my car, the integrated GPS unit was very expensive (though some other options were included). I figured it would cost me less to call tow truck and have them tow me to my destination 🙂 > > Garmin (named after the founders Gary and Min) is probably the biggest GPS company and has been around a while. But other brands are just fine. > > Brian We bought a used car that happened to have a built-in GPS. It is complete crap. Lexus should be ashamed to be associated with such a heap of junk. We are about to buy a Garmin and stick it on top of the built-in one. Hence the Lexus GPS provides one useful purpose - it creates a place on the dashboard for sticking another GPS. ---
**Author:** ![sharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharding)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/29 "2010-07-27T15:52:42Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > We bought a used car that happened to have a built-in GPS. It is complete crap. Lexus should be ashamed to be associated with such a heap of junk. Seriously? What year is it? When we last test drove cars (2007 model year), Lexus had one of the best GPS systems. All of the Japanese makes we drove (Lexus, Infiniti, Acura) had good systems, better than the German makes. We ended up getting a German car anyway because we liked everything else about it more, and while the GPS UI isn’t as nice as it is on my standalone Garmin, it’s not horrible, and the other benefits of having it built in FAR outweigh the downsides. I’d personally never opt for a standalone GPS if I had any choice. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/30 "2010-07-27T16:07:03Z")
> [@sharding](#): > > > [@amarone](#): > > > > We bought a used car that happened to have a built-in GPS. It is complete crap. Lexus should be ashamed to be associated with such a heap of junk. > > Seriously? What year is it? The car, and therefore the software, is 2004. I bought (for more than the price of a new standalone GPS) the latest database. The main problem is that while the GPS seems to know the existence and names of all the roads, it does not use a problematically large number of them in its route calculations. I am sick and tired of it getting us within a mile or two of the destination and then basically saying “you are on your own from here - aim at the blob on the map”. And even when it thinks it can get there and says “you have arrived at your destination”, you can be two or three hundred yards off - not good when you arrive at a strange destination in the dark. I recently went on a trip in convoy with someone who had a Garmin. The Lexus took us a longer way round to the first destination, then took us right past it and said we were there when we were a good 300 yards away. Then it could not find the most optimal way to our second destination, and when I went on that route anyway, it could not switch its route because this was one of the roads it “knows” but cannot use in its directions. The Garmin handled all of these. Both the Garmin and the Lexus shared one “failure”. We were on a road that was a straight shot to the interstate we wanted to be one. We were routed a block across, then on a parallel road, then back a block to get back on the same road. Not sure what that was all about. It is a straight road, and is more major than the alternate, so there is no obvious reason to be detoured off it. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/31 "2010-07-27T21:47:31Z")
I love having a GPS in my car. My advice is to spend what you can on a big screen, but don’t worry about most other features. There are a lot of features on my unit that I have never used (things like bluetooth, mp3 player, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/32 "2010-07-29T19:04:19Z")
The real issue in having a useful GPS is the quality of the maps and the algorithm used to calculate best route analyses. Garmin and Tom-Tom are the kings here. Other GPS units route calculations have sent me all over hell’s half acre. While a lot of people tout smart phones as GPS replacements in my experience they really are not unless one person is handling the phone and another driving, or you are in non-crowded situations and driving at a moderate pace. The phone screens are way too small to be useful when traveling 65 miles per hour down a freeway looking for the right exit. Trying to read a little smart phone screen and keep your eye on the road in crowded conditons is absurdly dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/33 "2010-07-30T00:38:28Z")
Out of curiosity, how secure are those GPS donut bases? If I end up in an accident, is that thing going to stay put, or am I gonna have to worry about getting smacked in the head by a flying 5 pound beanbag with a GPS unit attached to it? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/34 "2010-07-30T00:47:12Z")
Get a smartphone. My Android phone with Google Maps is a million times better than any GPS hardware/software combo I’ve seen, and more intuitive. It’s just not as customizable (only one robotic woman voice, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/35 "2010-07-30T11:48:26Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > My Android phone with Google Maps is a million times better than any GPS hardware/software combo I’ve seen, and more intuitive. It’s just not as customizable (only one robotic woman voice, etc.) There’s another big advantage to those Android phones that for some reason we’ve all forgotten to mention. When you wander off of the suggested route, instead of that “recalculating” comment said with that slight sigh and you’re-a-constant-disappointment-to-me tone of voice the Android unit simply and silently displays a polite “Rerouting” message. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/36 "2010-07-30T11:49:48Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Out of curiosity, how secure are those GPS donut bases? If I end up in an accident, is that thing going to stay put, or am I gonna have to worry about getting smacked in the head by a flying 5 pound beanbag with a GPS unit attached to it? Relax - you won’t have time to worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/37 "2010-07-30T13:23:29Z")
> [@astro](#): > > While a lot of people tout smart phones as GPS replacements in my experience they really are not unless one person is handling the phone and another driving, or you are in non-crowded situations and driving at a moderate pace. The phone screens are way too small to be useful when traveling 65 miles per hour down a freeway looking for the right exit. Trying to read a little smart phone screen and keep your eye on the road in crowded conditons is absurdly dangerous. I agree, I never use my smartphone GPS while driving partly because of the small screen size, and partly because the phone controls aren’t intuitive or large enough. However, it’s great when you’re pulled off somewhere and want to find a restaurant or market. I got totally turned around once when I was driving through an unfamiliar town in the middle of the night and ran into road construction. Blinking lights everywhere and multiple twists and turns. By the time I finally got out of the city limits I wasn’t even sure what direction I was going. I got a Garmin the next day. If that happens again, I can just press “Home” and let the soothing Australian voice guide me home. (For some reason, an Australian female voice seems easier for me to pay attention to. I hate to admit, but I think I have a little crush on her). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/38 "2010-07-30T13:33:12Z")
> [@sevenwood](#): > > > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > > My Android phone with Google Maps is a million times better than any GPS hardware/software combo I’ve seen, and more intuitive. It’s just not as customizable (only one robotic woman voice, etc.) > > There’s another big advantage to those Android phones that for some reason we’ve all forgotten to mention. When you wander off of the suggested route, instead of that “recalculating” comment said with that slight sigh and you’re-a-constant-disappointment-to-me tone of voice the Android unit simply and silently displays a polite “Rerouting” message. That too. I forgot another downside; in order to conserve battery life, I plug the phone into the stereo audio-in. That means I can’t listen to the radio and use the phone as a GPS unit simultaneously. Well, unless I download the IHeartRadio app, which I did. Iheartradio, the phone’s pre-loaded music player and Google Maps work together seamlessly; when a turn is coming up, the music cuts out and the voice cuts in, and then the music comes back on. However, I can’t always use the phone as a _phone_ while using the GPS _and_ music, because GPS lady cuts into phone calls too. ---
**Author:** ![sharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharding)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/39 "2010-07-30T16:18:31Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Get a smartphone. My Android phone with Google Maps is a million times better than any GPS hardware/software combo I’ve seen, and more intuitive. It’s just not as customizable (only one robotic woman voice, etc.) Obviously, YMMV. I totally disagree (and as I said upthread, I have two Android phones and two iPhones – I’d never want to use one of them instead of the dedicated nav devices I have). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873/40 "2010-07-30T16:32:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Get a smartphone. My Android phone with Google Maps is a million times better than any GPS hardware/software combo I’ve seen, and more intuitive. It’s just not as customizable (only one robotic woman voice, etc.) So I should pay $300 plus an exhorbitant monthly contract charge for something that I’ll have to hold in my hand while driving? No thanks; I like my teeth right where they are. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-me-on-gps-units/547873.md?page=3)