slowolds

Well, Mom and Pop are getting a little confused and missing exits and directions.
I would like to get them an automobile GPS but I don't use one and know little about them.
Preferences:
-big screen
-restaurants, hospitals, etc..
-easy and cheap to update

Please let me know what to look for or what you are happy with.

66ninetyeightls

Tom Tom or Garmin. Don't even bother looking at anything else.

Personally I prefer the Tom Tom. I have always had much better results when it comes to directions and the menus are easier to navigate.

oldsca

I have had a Garmin 255 for a couple of years and I love it. I am directionally challenged and this GPS and saved me so much gas and time and frustration.

Wayne

dan2286

I have a Garmin Nuvi and I love it. It is so nice when I have to travel for work and be able to find all near by food places, gas stations, etc. Mine also warns you about heavy traffic and you can have it direct you around it. It cost me $200 maybe a year or two ago.

jaunty75

We've had a Garmin Nuvi 200W for several years and have been very happy with it. I agree that you should stick to the name brands as you will likely get better support, although if you go to the GPS forums out there, you'll find some complaints about long waits when trying to call for tech support. I've never needed to do that, though, so I have no first-hand experience with their tech support. You might browse around on this site to get some ideas.

http://www.gpsdiscussion.com/

All GPS's today that are worth their salt will have restaurants, gas stations, etc., out the wazoo. "Cheap updates," however, is an oxymoron, in my experience. Garmin charges you about $70 or so to do a single map update. Actually, their update fees strongly encourage a lifetime update subscription, and that's what I went for. You can either pay the $70 every time you want an update, or you can pay a one-time, $100 fee that gets you updates for the life of the unit. Why one wouldn't go the lifetime update route, I don't know.

New map updates come out about four times per year, and you can sign up for email notification when a new update is available, or you can just check the Garmin website periodically.

The 200W is a low-end unit that does not have voice pronunciation of street names nor traffic updates. But it does list the name of the street on the screen, it is a 4.3" screen (wide-screen) unit, and, as I say, we've had great fun with it, especially when we're in a strange town and are looking for a restaurant that isn't one of the chains. We've occasionally hit a dry hole on this, where we've ended up at a dive or a place that's been closed, but we've also found some wonderful local restaurants that we never would have known about if we had just relied on random chance or the AAA Tour Book, for example, to find.

Not only should you get one for Mom and Pop, but get one for yourself, too. Like most tech products, the prices on these have come down considerably in recent years, and you can get very good units for around $100. I paid nearly $200 for my 200W two years ago, and I could buy it for half that, or close to it, now.

jeffreyalman

x4 on the Garmin Nuvi - love it but 2 times it has sent me in the wrong direction, after I downloaded the google mapped address via USB (one of the things I love about it) so these are not fool-proof - but I use it a lot and 2 times is not so bad, but I was lost.

jaunty75

No, GPS's aren't perfect. There was one time we were in a small town strange to us, and the place we were going was only two blocks away, but we didn't know that, and the GPS took us the long way around.

There's a wonderfully-worded disclaimer in the manual for the GPS that came with my father's Toyota Highlander. It reads, "local knowledge may yield a superior result." Of course, when you're traveling, you don't have that local knowledge, and you're at the mercy of the GPS (unless you want to, heaven forbid, read a map! )

mmurphy77

x5 on the Garmin. I have a Nuvi 650 and, having always been directionally challenged, it's one of the best things I ever bought myself. ALSO, AARP magazine voted the Garmin the most user friendly for the older folk for ease of operation.

aliensatemybuick

This is the only one I'd consider:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-hsv...eature=related

Nilsson

TOM TOM XL330, alot of bang for the buck.


Can't go wrong with Garmin either.

slowolds

Great responses. Thanks.
The more I looked yesterday the more I thought, DUH, why don't I have one.
Garmin looks good. Now working out which model.

jeffreyalman

I really like the download feature from Google maps, connect via USB, literally 1 click to store it to the GPS - love that

67 Cutlass

Wow that sounds awesome. How does it work? Does it go into a memory card? I have an older Garmin C330. It's about 3 years old with original maps and still works pretty good. Downside is if major road changes were made then the GPS doesn't know about them. You won't get lost but it will correct you as needed.
Tell us more how it works, please

My son has a newer Garmin nuvi255 and I like that one better

jeffreyalman

very easy - I use google maps, and there is a link on the map that says SEND

after the device is set up, it is instantaneously recognized and presto! stored.

I do not have a card in mine, but mine is a year or 2 old (sorry it's @home, do not have the model #) but it's a snap

67 Cutlass

Thanks for that Google maps info!
I just messed around with it and its pretty cool!
Now if there was only a way to update the maps without paying an arm and a leg.

jeffreyalman

yeah I just got an update email from Garmin yesterday (1st one since I got it over a year ago) and out of curiosity clicked BUY NOW but I think it was like $199

I am a huge google fan - google chrome, iGoogle, google calendar

jeffreyalman

this just in $113.00

Shizzy

I have the same one. for the price it cant be beat.

the part I like the most is the MPH function since the speedo's in both my Olds and my truck are off.

In all reality, mom and pops probably arent going to need any of the bells and whistles. as long as it saves previous destinations and has a "find home" function they are going to be happy.

66ninetyeightls

Garmin & tomtoms can be updated for free. You just need to put in the time searching fro the maps & unlock programs online....... or so i've heard!!!

salvaged88

there is a forum for that lol

Also with the cheapest model available an omniteck you can do all kids of things

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRiELJI70So