Garmin GPS "test drive"

[97tbird]

a few pics of my new Garmin Nuevi 285W GPS in action ($114 shipped from Amazon)...

we drove to Knoxville TN this wk end and the Garmin performed really well, even in very congested city areas, and I like the interface a lot; The bluetooth phone pairing also worked well with the Blackberry Pearl, and although the voice quality isn't great, it's adequate - the phone book also transferred well...

It speaks street names, (not just turn in 3 miles, but also says which street to turn into), and the "time to arrival" and speed limit indicator works very accurately.

i took a few pics of the Garmin in action: I usually have it mounted on the left side (bottom corner) of the windshield, but as we both wanted to see and play with it, i had it mounted on the middle.

I really like the Dashboard view:

it has a "screen shot" function, and here's a screen shot during our journey..

I love seeing the speed limit on screen; it changes literally when passing a new speed limit sign with a different speed - very helpful
the Points of interest function worked very well, to find gas and food places nearby.

 

[OLAFF]

Looks very neat, Why not block that air vent and install it in place of that... I bet it will look very clean there...

 

[97tbird]

Thanks Catera

yeah I thought of a vent mount, but idk if the heat from the vent would be damaging to the GPS in the long run.
It looks a lot neater than in the pics i posted (where it was in the middle) when I have it in the left bottom corner of the windshield/dash.
I might take a pic of it in that position.

That position is also (IMO) better for hands free operation, as my face (mouth) is close to the GPS.

 

[CivicFan]

Still speeding, I see

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: CivicFan
Still speeding, I see


LOL!

 

[97tbird]

oh come on! LOL - 4 mph over? and btw, that's not me driving - it's the wife!

 

[Quattro Pete]

I see 74 mph in the first photo... what was the speed limit there?

Nice GPS, by the way. I've got a 755T which I generally like, except when it can't figure out what I'm trying to type...

 

[97tbird]

haha - I am pretty sure it was 70 on I-40
so still within acceptable limits

this is my 1st GPS - wanted a basic cheap one with just TTS and bluetooth to see if it's worth it, and if it works well, etc - so far very happy and has made life easy on 3 occasions just in the 1st week - if we think we need a 2nd one for our other car also, i might go for a one with a headphone jack and a bit more features.
For now, we can share it easily enough - just whoever is going on a drive to a new place taking it; most of the days we just go to work/internship, so one of us is ok without it...

I still have to update the software and get the free map upgrade before 60 days is up within purchase, and perh. i'll try the free 3 month msn services as well...

 

[Nick R]

Hah, you should have seen mine after I finished driving from northern georgia to the far side of richmond VA. Moving average of 76.9MPH and max speed of 84

 

[97tbird]

hehe - just took a screen shot of the dashboard view;
this is how it looks like at the end of our trip - (slowed down a lot by the detour due to the rock slide on I-40 which is still not repaired):

btw, I am pretty sure that 84 mph was when I was passing a semi. I normally kept the max. speed to about 78 mph on cruise control.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
hehe - just took a screen shot of the dashboard view;
this is how it looks like at the end of our trip - (slowed down a lot by the detour due to the rock slide on I-40 which is still not repaired):

btw, I am pretty sure that 84 mph was when I was passing a semi. I normally kept the max. speed to about 78 mph.

Yup, sounds like me. Through most of SC I was able to keep the cruise at 78, and 80 a few times. Fastest I drove was south on the NJ turnpike on the way down. It was like 1:30 in the morning, I was passing a semi doing 78, and there was one of those crazy ricers, was RIGHT on my butt. He must have been inches and was like weaving acting like he was going to pass on the shoulder. I had to put my foot down and ended up doing like 85 to get past this truck before this idiot caused an accident.

 

[97tbird]

yeah i feel like putting my foot down on the BRAKE when idiots do that.

 

[Quattro Pete]

I'm sure my GPS could reveal some seriously condemning evidence...

 

[97tbird]

haha - Let's see your screen shots, Pete!

 

[Chris142]

I've got a TOMTOM 1 Gps thingy. It's pretty good in the city but once you leave the paved street forget it. Things useless at that point. It shows a car in the desert and nothing else.

 

[97tbird]

I've only had my Garmin 1 week, and it's done well on tiny, obscure areas in Buies Creek, NC, although those streets were still paved.

It does have "off road" and "bicycle" modes, which I haven't tried.

 

[eljefino]

If you yank the vent you can stuff some insulation in the hole or machine up some sort of cover plate. Can also hide the wires and maybe even turn the old vent into some sort of cover that deters thieves.

 

[97tbird]

Hmmm - i am not sure if i want to get rid of the vent - i use the heat and a/c pretty often.
i can see what you mean, though - it would look neat in there with a cover of some sort...

for now, i don't mind using the Garmin windshield mount and taking a few seconds to remove it every time i leave the car...i hope it will last me a long time. if not, I will have to think of some other option, such as a vent mount, although i don't like those much either.

i might check out some of the removable dash mounts also...

the GPS also came with a "dash disk" which permanently glues on to the dash, and then you can use the windshield suction cup on THAT instead of on the windshield...i am not sure if i want a dash disk on my dash all the time...can attract thieves also.

 

[Quattro Pete]

It wasn't mean, I swear....

 

[97tbird]

what the ... was this in the Bimmer?
why does the "moving time" say "__:__" ?

..and how did you program the fuel cost? mine just displays "0" there.