Looking for in-vehicle GPS opinions

[methusaleh]

I own a Garmin Etrex Legend handheld GPS that I basically leave turned on in my pack when hiking as a backup to the good old map and compass in case I suddenly find myself unsure of my position. I love it and it does what I need it to do.

Now I am considering getting one of those color-screen models that goes in a vehicle and can give directions to various points of interest, for my fiance who is uncomfortable traveling alone as her job now frequently requires.

Funny thing is, either I am encountering the world's most incompetant sales people, or the new fangled ones no longer display longitude and latitude. It seems to me that they boast so many features that a simple long/lat reading or UTM grid coordinates are not even on these units.

Can anyone recommend a vehicle-mounted GPS unit that gives good ol' fashioned coordinates, as well as telling about local attractions? My fiance and I are both very experienced outdoors people who feel comfortable only when we can calculate our locations both relatively and precisely, so we think it would be silly not to get a unit that doesn't display some kind of coordinates

 

[webfors]

I highly recommend getting a windows mobile based handheld, like the ipaq 5900 series. I too was searching for a gps unit and after considerable investigation, this was the best option. Why you ask? Because you're not stuck with one gps software and a unit that only does one task.

With a mobile pc you can do all the other stuff that a mobile pc can do, but when you want gps functionality you just start the gps application of your choice. For example, on my ipaq 5915 I have TomTom 6, iGuidance, and MS Street. Add in wifi access, google maps, email, browsing, and a whole suit of other applications and I don't get why anyone buys a straight gps unit alone.

Here's the unit I decided on:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2917700&CatId=228

You can find it much cheaper in the good ol' USA

 

[webfors]

I forgot to mention the ipaq comes with a really nice leather carrying case, and an excellent car mount kit for in car use.

Battery time on this unit is very good compared to most units. Somewhere around 8 hours on a full charge.

 

[Shannow]

Learn to read a map.

I've tried messing around with GPS going to places that I can get to, and they are nothing but trouble. Always talking back at you.

Last trip with one, it was confused by about 30 feet (transversely). Couldn't make hide nor hair of "at the next convenient point, turn around", versus "turn around now", followed by "turn left" in the middle of a straight road.

Checked the sun, and it was in front of me, when it should have been to my right.

Righted the situation.

Found the next "big" road that kept the sun on my right, and found familiar territory.

 

[chas3]

i have a tom tom one and for the most part its pretty good. i disagree with its choices sometimes but i know the local roads better and sometimes the shortest/fastest path it computes wont be due to certain intersections. however, the dc metro area is pretty big and i cant remember where everything little road is hiding.

it will let you optionally display the lat/long but this isnt very useful if you are using it for turn-by-turn directions. i dont remember if you can get the lat/long to show on the navigation display all the time though. it will show your compass heading (based on accelerometer and last couple of positions i believe) and speed and estimated time to destination on the main display. the compass bit is pretty handy even when not using turn by turn.

i still carry a paper map but to get good coverage for the areas i drive, i need to carry 3 adc maps: dc metro, virginia, and maryland.

 

[webfors]

Quote:

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Learn to read a map.

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Maps don't have 11 million points of interests (hotel, gas, parks, info centres, etc) that can be found with the click of a button, including each point of interest contact info, address, etc. With the ipaq you have bluetooth capability so you can import the contact info to your bluetooth enabled phone.. quite handy if you're in the know

Yes, use it as another tool in your arsenal, don't rely on it 100%

 

[Shannow]

Yeah, I know. work gave me a new Ipaq, and It's now got TomTom on it.

I don't "browse" points of interest, I point at aim from the time I decide on a trip.

I tend to also want to get where I'm going rather than divert to see a steel letterbox that a guy once used as a hat to evade the law...unless that was my first destination.

If I want to stay at a motel, they've usually got a few days notice ('cept for Sanctuary Inn at Wodonga)

 

[methusaleh]

Wow thanks a lot for the opinions! I certainly have something more to look into now with more of a mobile computer idea.

Yes she and I can read maps in our sleep, I spent my whole childhood in the Boy Scouts and have been in the military since I turned 17 (let's just say I've spent about half my life in the military...spare me the age comments!), so map reading is the skill we DO have...it's the comfort of being able to get a quick lat/long fix if necessary that makes me ask this...

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I'm in the market as well and from what I've seen, Garmin leads the way. I played with a model in the store last week and was on to it in about 30 seconds. Very simple and functional. Hunt around for reviews and comparisons of various brands. The net is full of them.

 

[Win]

I have a Garmin Nuvi 350 and it will give lat/long and elevation, but you have to go a screen or two deep to get that. It's accuracy is good, but not outstanding - it's usually within fifty feet of reality.

I gave a few Mio C310x units as Christmas gifts and everyone who got one seems to be really pleased with it. It can be hacked to get into it and use it as a mobile computer if you want.

Having one of these units in the car really makes driving in unfamiliar cities a pleasure - miss a turn, no big deal, the GPS will get you back on track.

Personally, I would not fool with the iPaq/software approach. The Mio can be hacked if you're into that, and most of the automotive units have a small battery in them where you can take them out of the car and use them as a handheld. I have an iPaq so I'm not prejudiced against them, I just think it would make a poor GPS compared to the dedicated units for less $$.