I have used Garmin and Magellan so far the Magellan has worked better in my rural area. When I lived close to Chicago the Garmin was better.

 

You should go into the stores and get a feel for them. See how fast they respond while typing, how good the screens are, etc. You can't get that type of feel from websites or reviews.

 

If you don't need the latest and greatest, look for a Garmin model with LMT (lifetime maps and traffic). Garmin is still offering some models from their 2013 lineup at lowered prices.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-...US/US/on-the-road/automotive/2013-line/cOnTheRoad-cAutomotive-c2013line-p1.html

Cross-check prices with Amazon.com or your other favorite seller(s).

 

Garmin for sure.

 

Had a Tom-Tom for about a year and the battery went bad. They sent a refurbished unit under warranty and the screen went dead in about 3 months. Then out of warranty, tough luck.

Replaced it with a Garmin unit, no problems in over 4 years!!!

 

Another vote for Garmin.

 

Garmin rules

 

My Garmin Nuvi has done well for me here and in Canada. It is easy to go from my truck to rental cars as I travel around the country. Using the same GPS wherever I'm at makes it nice and I can preprogram my destinations so I'm up and running before I exit the car rentals parking lot.

SD

 

Had a Garmin for about 5 years now its been good only got me lost once but I didn't do the update so that could have been my fault. The lifetime free updates are the main reason I chose Garmin.

 

Shop at Costco they have several GPS devices and a 90 day return policy and the best prices around. I purchased a Garmin a upgrade from a older version Garmin the new one came with lifetime maps and traffic alert. I update my GPS's about twice a year.

 

On my 4th Garmin. I'm a customer for life. My current has free traffic updates and free map updates for life.
(I upgrade voluntarily...not cuz they break.)

My first was all rounded like the old school tube TV's. :



Garmin...they are top of the food chain.

 

I had a couple Garmin's over the years and think they were the best, although now just use my phone.
Someone broke into my truck to steal an old Garmin so that wasn't good.
The things were always out of date and the updates wouldn't work back then (at least of me). So it was often wrong, taking me to closed gas stations, not recognizing new roads etc. Finally quit carrying them. I would have to dig to even find them. Had a couple flat screen ones and 2 of the older big fat ones, (which worked the best by the way).

I was towing my boat 500 miles to Texas when a Garmin gave me a road that kept getting skinnier until is was just the width of the truck and dead ended at a guy's house. I had to back that boat about a half mile to get out of there. between that and getting the truck broken into the following week, I was done with those stand alone units.

 

I had a couple Garmin's over the years and think they were the best, although now just use my phone.
Someone broke into my truck to steal an old Garmin so that wasn't good.
The things were always out of date and the updates wouldn't work back then (at least of me). So it was often wrong, taking me to closed gas stations, not recognizing new roads etc. Finally quit gayying them. I would have to dig to even find them. Had a couple flat screen ones and 2 of the older big fat ones, (which worked the best by the way).

I use my iphone on occasion but I've always been of the opinion that certain tasks should be kept isolated and autonomous.

In a previous job, I did like 3000 miles a month, and I certainly needed the GPS to always be up on the windshield and doing it's thing no matter what else I was doing.

 

Yes, they do have their merits. Also the cell phone navigators chew up some data.
I used one on a short trip to a client in Montreal. the cell service provider tried to charge me $150 for the data used to find the place one time! Hiway robbery.

 

I would vote for Garmin strongly if I was constrained to a dedicated device. But the GPS functions on current smart phones are SO MUCH BETTER than and dedicated device that you are really wasting your money.
Can can have their speech function bluetooth to your car stereo if you have that feature, most mappers use free real time traffic density reporting for routing efficiency, when combined with search you have an advanced paradigm of capabilities and the data and functions are updated OTA almost every day.
Don't waste your money for a lesser product.
B

 

Can can have their speech function bluetooth to your car stereo if you have that feature, most mappers use free real time traffic density reporting for routing efficiency,

My old TomTom 930t from 2008 had both of those real time traffic comes from FM radio traffic system.

For a year now I've used TomTom iphone/ipad version. It cost 35 euros, about same as one year renewal for the 930t would have been and I can use it in all my three iDevices. That was actually main reason I changed my personal phone from android to apple too.

It has speed traps included (separate purhcase on standalones), does not use data connection at all so works everywhere and it connects with my phone calendar so I can choose to navigate to calendar event without need to enter address manually.

Quite often I have navigation running when I'm driving, not because I'd need directions but for the speed traps and accurate speed display. Like my coworker said, most stupid thing to do is getting a speed ticket while driving during working hours.

 

Another vote for Garmin. I've had mine for a number of years and have had no problems

 

I don't even use a GPS for flying my airplane. Love flying over strange country with a finger on a chart and a stop watch and can go anywhere in the world and not be off course by a 1/2 mile. Flying up at any altitude, 1/2 mile is right on course. I used a GPS for flying for the U.S. Gov and had to fly a ground track of + or - 120 feet, so I know how to do that also if needed, but for most things, it not needed.

 

I do have a Garmin GPS chartplotter on the boat that is very nice. Waterproof and shows all the buoys and fuel stations etc. Can't use the cell phone out in the rain so well.

 

I was a Garmin only person, then between me & my MIL we both had problems w/ newer Garmin's w/in a year.

My husband had a Magellan for a while, but it wasn't great & then it went buggy.

I won a TomTom w/ LTMs & it's still going strong almost 4 yrs later. In between we went back to a used Garmin for my husband but it went bad & it wasn't even 3 yrs old. Got him a TomTom now & he likes it & it's about 2 yrs old now.

I think it's a crapshoot sometimes, but I do like my particular TomTom model the best of all of the ones we've had over the years.

If I had to buy another today, I would research between some of the more recent TomTom & Garmin models & read reviews. Probably use Amazon. I certainly wouldn't try another Magellan.

Oustide of car models, we've had several Garmin handhelds used over the last 15+ yrs for Search & Rescue, all bought used, but all great, reliable, solid & still working (though some can't be updated).

 

I use an old Dell laptop with DeLorme Topo loaded and a DeLorme USB GPS. You can thus see not only your route, but everything around it. This has enabled me to quickly find "back road" routes around tieups more times than I can remember. My laptop is mounted on the engine hump of my E150 van, convenient to use. I grant you it would be cumbersome in a small car.

I also can't count the number of times that friends with Garmins or Magellans have been led astray. One tells me that to find my old residence in Michigan that they were directed to cross a main road and drive straight over the edge into a swamp!

 

The phone worked ok, but tended to drop at the worst times! I also tend to drive in areas that don't have cell coverage so a stand alone Garmin was the answer!

SD

 

You can still use cell phone navigation in an area with no coverage. Just download the map for the locality in question. Googlemaps has this feature. Just display the area of interest (when you have data connection, then hit download for offline use). It retains the map for 30 days. Size limit per map is 50 km X 50 km.

https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/3273567?hl=en

https://www.androidpit.com/use-your-google-maps-offline

 

Garmin is all I own

 

I would like that GPS with the windshield display / interface from Mission impossible.

 

get the garmin 2797 or the new nuvicam.

for offline maps on your phone here maps are free and downloadable

 

I have the Garmin a gift from someone about 9 years ago, and it has been abused. It still functions and does it's thing as always.But i have learned the hard way many many times; that if i use it take a good map and have an ideal where i am going.

 

I know you want a standalone device. I have used extensivly Garmin and TomTom and other devices (part of my job). In the end I always go back to my smartphone, or use a combo. I find Garmin does the best job of actually getting me to my destination (if I have a usable address). I like the smartphone for the ability to navigate directly to locations found in google, and for Waze. Waze is not a great navigator but so far nothing beats it for traffic information/avoidance, alerts for possible dangers (car stopped on shoulder), police stops, and radar.

I use Waze for everyday driving, and Garmin if I get lost. Sometimes both at the same time if driving a long distance.