The Toyota Camry seems to have the best place to store a portable nav. It has a door to hide the nav and it has power and aux input to plug in the nav. The only thing that would be a major improvement would be moving it higher so it's closer to eye level.
It's way, way too low. Plus you almost have to duck your head down to see it, it seems. Plus that's a c series like my wife's and it doesn't lay flat, either.
My Forester had a lidded bin at the top of the dash. The Mazda6 has one, and so do some Nissans. That would be closer to the line of sight.
I saw a sweet, power operated lid rigged on a Mazda6 that put that Camry to shame. Here's one, I guess I've seen a few of these:
No, you do not have to duck your head to see it (you can look at the shifter without ducking down, so this is no different). You just glance down for a second or less the few times you might want to check your ETA or recheck the distance to the next turn. It has voice instructions so you rarely have to look at at it all. The only time you have to duck down is when you're plugging in the cables that are in the very back of that compartment, but you only do that once and can leave it alone after that. Why would you want it to lay flat?
Anyway, I already said the only thing that would be a major improvement would be if it was higher. So, maybe another manufacturer should do that and put it higher in the dash so it would be perfect.
The Mazda example would cost a lot of money and isn't portable, so you might as well just pay for factory nav if you're going to pay for that setup.
It is the best factory-provided location available at this time since the cars that have the compartment on top of the dash do not have power, nor aux inputs there, so you have cables streaming down the dash that you need to unplug and hide every time you park. Most of those lidded bins are so shallow that they can't fit most portable navs anyway. http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/11/malibu---32.jpg
When they start putting power and audio ports there and making them large enough to fit a portable nav, then that will be the most convenient location.
What I meant was the bottom of the c series is not flat, so it would rock back and forth. That one wasn't level.
The Mazda6 I brought up mostly for the location of the bin, i.e. at the top of the dash. That wasn't even the specific one I had in mind. I've seen Garmins rigged that same way.
Power ports are an issue, but I took the dash apart on my Forester before, and that would be an easy fix. Drill a hole, and just wire it to the power output for your radio. Most radios have an extra set.
For that Accord - here's an issue - you would need an external antennae to get the best signal. I don't think the signal would be as good at the base of the dash like that. So you would still have wires to contend with.
It's neat, don't get me wrong, but I think it's low (as you mentioned) and wonder if the satellite signal would be as strong.
I've seen this setup and it works fine at that location. The C series I saw was flat enough to not rock around and you could put something in that compartment to secure it if you had a GPS unit that doesn't balance on its own. Most modern portable GPS units, now have a SirfStarIII or equivalent GPS chip that will work from that location without need for any external antenna.
If you are willing to drill, splice wires, disassemble your dash etc., you will have more options, but this is the best plug and play ready-to-go solution available as of today.
I agree that it would be even better if it was up higher. So, I think future cars should have a compartment at eye level that serves the same purpose (such as on top of the dash). It would only add a few dollars to any car and there would be no excuse for even cars in the price class of a Kia Rio to not be GPS ready without needing to use a windshield mount and/or deal with the cables everytime you want to use it and put then it away.
1. From the camera angle of that video, which I watched again, the lid of the compartment partially blocked the view of the GPS. It may be due to where the camera was positioned.
2. That appears to be a c340 model. I have one. Antennae reception for that particular model would be compromised. Maybe the newer models look the same. My c320 was blue, but my c340 is that color.
Having made those points, yes, it is nice that Toyota offers a lidded cubby hole at all, and others should copy them. That is has a power point inside makes it even better. Just make sure you have the latest GPS receiver chipset.
Yes, the video makes it look that way, but I have sat in a new Camry in real life and I know you can see that area without ducking down. You sit back further in the seat and have a different view than what the video shows from the camera's angle.
The latest C series (500 series) and most Nuvis have the more sensitive GPS receivers that work even when positioned that low in the car. However, you would need to put something in the compartment to prop up and secure a Nuvi because Nuvis cannot stand up unsupported.
I will take your word for it. There's nothing like seeing it in person.
Perhaps the person filming held the camera far enough in front of them that it created that illusion.
We had a c320, which I sold to a co-worker, who still uses it. Then we got a c340. Both have the older chip sets.
When we rented a car in Florida, I forgot to take my GPS (DOH! :mad: ), so I had to rent one. They provided a c330, which is also the older chipset.
Not sure what my 200W has. Satellite reception does seem a little slower since I started using the vent mount, but I'm not sure if that's due to the weather - we've have heavy cloud cover in the area since I mounted it there.
For a Nuvi you could probably prop it up with two-side tape on the side or an L-shaped bracket behind it, out of view.
The lowest priced Nuvi's (like the 200 series) do not have the best gps chipset, so you will probably have to wait a while longer for the satellite signal to lock than the more expensive Nuvi's. It should still work even without direct view of a window after you wait long enough.
I think when we upgrade my wife's c340 I may spring for one of the more feature-laden Nuvi widescreens. I like the idea of being able to look up gas prices.
I noted a 17 cent variance in price per gallon within just two highway exits near me.
There a few cars that have a workable, but a bit less convenient option than the Camry. In the 2008 Honda Accord and 2009 Hyundai Sonata, there is an aux jack and power port under the center armrest.
You can connect the power and audio cable, store the GPS unit there and then pull the GPS out and place it on the dash using a bean bag mount like a Nav-Mat.
It would be a little bit of a hassle to pull it out and put it away, but would only take 2 seconds since the power cord can remained connected all the time.
I just leave mine mounted. With the vent mount it's down by the HVAC controls, so a thief would have to take a good peek inside the van to see it.
I guess I'll let my insurance company worry about it.
When my wife gets her new car I will look for a better place to mount that. She uses the windshield mount right now. The c series is heavier than the Nuvi, though, so it would need a sturdier mount.
I don't think your insurance company will be losing any sleep over the possible theft of your nav unit. As an aftermarket unit, it is NOT covered under the your auto comprehensive policy. A OEM unit would be covered. Your after market unit is probably covered under your home-owner's or renter's policy, subject to the deductible. I think you are about to join the BMW club (Broke my windshield) club!
If someone strips your el-primo OEM stereo from your car, it will be covered under your auto comp. If they leave the stereo and steal all the dvds, you are SOL, as far as your auto policy. Problem with the homeowner's policy is usually the deductible is $500 or more. My auto comp is zero deduct because I live in deer country.
My deductible is $300. Of course if they break the windshield that would cover the cost of the deductible, so the GPS would be covered for the full amount.
Like I said, I'll let my insurance company worry about it.
You make a valid point about the auto insurance covering a built-in GPS, but if so the rates will likely be higher than for a car without the GPS.
So you pay one way or another.
I guess I'll get insurance estimates for the vehicle with and without the GPS option, to see how much difference it makes.
The rate will be the same with same with factory factory as without. When I get quotes, they don't ask me whether or not the car has factory nav before they give the price. There isn't a high theft rate for factory installed GPS because it doesn't fit other models of cars and that limits it's resale potential for the car burglar.
However, you can save money on the nav system and not have to worry about break-ins an insurance if you buy the portable unit, mount it with a bean bag type mount and put it fully out of view when you park.
Most people don't need to use a GPS every time they step into their car, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal and should only take a few seconds anyway.
They are often labeled on the face with the car brand and wired in a way that doesn't work on other cars. They may also have other components like gyros and connections to the odometer so they still try to plot your location in tunnels and these things only work when they were installed at the factory. Then there are also steering wheel controls, microphones and modules for voice recognition etc.. In that case, it couldn't even be easily installed in another Subaru that didn't previously have factory nav because other components it needs to connect to will not have been installed.
If it is a standard Kenwood that wasn't customized in any way for the Subaru and has no steering wheel controls and voice controls and gyros etc., then it is also at a theft risk and a Garmin you hide in a storage compartment when not needed would be less likely to be stolen.
Double-din stereos are slightly less likely to be stolen because many cars only have single-din openings and it would be a bit harder to resell, but not enough of a deterrent to be safe from theft.
+1 on the beanbag mount. We have two toyotas, a 06 Highlander Limited with factory nav and a 05 Tundra with the beanbag Garmin 660. My wife is constantly swiping my garmin, because, unlike the Factory Toyota system, the Garmin is intuitive and bulletproof. Also, your insurance agent will undoubtedly ask you if your vehicle has anti-theft, but he won't care if you have factory nav.
When I forgot to take my GPS with me to Florida recently (DOH!) I rented one and it had a bean bag mount. I guess it worked OK. We stored it in the center console, so it was easy to hide.
I'm still not sure I'd want to have to do that every day.
I've read back a few pages in the forum, would like to know if I might pick a few brains out there for the latest info. Interested in a portable GPS system. Never owned or used one before. I've looked at Garmin's site, also just read the most recent Consumer Reports magazine which has an article on these systems. They recommend Garmin & Tom Tom.
I noticed the considerable price difference between, say, the Garmin 360 vs the 760. Other than the wider screen, the only feature I saw the 760 had over the 360 that interested me was the "Where am I" feature. Is the larger screen & added features really worth almost double the price?
Also, the reason I wanted at least the 360 is to get the bluetooth capability. How does that work? IOW, do those systems work easily? What has been your experience?
Lastly, what about mounting. Do you have to buy extra equipment (like I saw on Amazon) or does it come with pretty much everything you need?
I haven't read the full article yet but I did notice that Garmin took 3 out of the 4 top spots. :shades:
The wide screen is nice. I have a 4.4" screen and my wife has a 3.5". I got used to mine, so now hers seems small. It gets the job done.
If you have a small car, I'm sure the 3.5" is OK, if you don't mount it too far away from you.
For my minivan, the windshield is about a mile away, so first I tried the self-adhesive mount that Garmin provides. It was still too far, so I bought a vent mount for next to nothing, I think it was under $10. I love it because it's a much shorter reach.
I can't comment on the Bluetooth option, but even if I did upgrade I'd be looking for other things - bigger screen, traffic data perhaps, gas prices, etc. I think my next one may be the Nuvi 680, maybe once the next set of maps comes out so I don't have to spend the $75 for the update.
I think one of the things you have to answer, as Consumers suggested, is where do you plan to use the unit?
Some of the differences between the 2 are: 760 is bigger screen size; 760 has where you can save routes; MSN Direct which gives you gas prices,weather, etc.; 760 has the "Where am I feature?" (360 you would just have to click on the icons for emergency help to find the closest so it's an extra step); 760 has integrated FM Transmitter (not exactly sure - I think that's the traffic info. If so the 360 has traffic as well, just an external antennae you need to connect).
As for Bluetooth- I have the 370 and use the Bluetooth feature. Sometimes the reception is good, other times so-so. However what is nice is if you are driving in an unfamiliar area and look up a restaurant or hotel you can just dial right out with the Nuvi. And, you can load your cell phone book into the Garmin, which is nice(especially if you sync it with your POI's).
For Mounting, as Juice said, the basics some in the box for a windshield mount which works fine for me. If you don't want that, then you have to spend extra for the bean bag mount or the vent mount like Juice went for.
Didn't think about the map update. How do you know if you're getting the most up to date map info when purchasing? How often is it considered necessary to update? I'm going on vacation in California next month, one of the reasons I want to get it quite soon.
I think my next one may be the Nuvi 680, maybe once the next set of maps comes out so I don't have to spend the $75 for the update. Do the map updates come out at a certain time?
I think the C.S. report mentioned windshield mounts are illegal in CA. Not quite sure how to deal with that.
In CA, you'd set it on the dash, most likely using a "bean bag mount". Garmin makes them. I use a Nav-Mat. The windshield mount attaches to the center of mat. Works very well.
Thanks tmart, I looked at the bean bag reviews and they seem to be mixed. I like the vent mount idea. What about cold / warm air blowing on the back of the gps? I suppose it isn't a problem or they wouldn't sell it.
Checked out discussions on Amazon. Apparently Garmin is releasing the new maps right about now. Hard to determine whether one bought now would have them installed or not. Free updates supposedly available depending on model. Some 660 buyers having a hard time. There's a lot of angst going on about this as we speak.
I have a Garmin NUVI 360 and love it. The most useful accessory I bought for it was the Garmin bean-bag mount, I don't like the whole windshield suction-cup thingy idea. The 360, as you stated, has Bluetooth and it pairs well with my BlackBerry Pearl. The only time I notice the screen size difference is when I ride with a friend and she has the larger screen model. I honestly think if I were buying today I would still take a strong look at the 360, to me it offers the most bang for the buck. Hope this helps!
Yea, Consumer Reports agrees with you. I'll probably pull the trigger on the 360. I'd like to have, say a 760, but really the larger screen is the main reason & since I don't travel that much it's hard to justify another $180 - $200 or so just for that.
This is an educated guess, but Garmin seems to come out with updates every year or so.
I bought my first unit August 2005, and it came with v6 of the maps. v7 was out a little later, and then v8 came out. Now they are on the 4th set of maps, v2008.
So 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 4 versions of the maps. About one per year. You can skip a set of maps, though. I went from v6 to v8, for instance.
I got the latest one from Circuit City, with a DVD, for $75.
How often you should update is really up to you. If you live in an area with lots of new construction and new roads popping up, you may want to get each one. If things never seem to change where you are, then maybe you can skip every other update.
Still, it's not just roads, but also points-of-interest, like gas stations. So you don't want to let it get too outdated.
OEM maps come out less often, but that's a bad thing. At least with frequent updates from Garmin you have a choice to buy or wait.
Also, Subaru charges $230 for the OEM DVDs, while I paid just $75 for the Garmin one. I think Toyota's is up over $200 as well.
So how are the Garmin updates installed? You must have to buy a cable to interface the nav unit to a PC. Where does it plug in? (to each)
Also, I notice that my Nuvi 200w has the ability to display photos AND it has a card slot which accepts the mem-card from my digital camera, but I couldn't figure out how to access the photos. (I didn't try very hard)
Thanks for the info. I'm thinking every other year should be fine for me. Supposedly if I buy now & the unit arrives with the 08 maps Garmin will allow me to download the 09 maps for free, at least that's the hope. Again, if you're out there thinking of purchasing a 660 you may want to reconsider. During my research monitoring discussions on Amazon it appears Garmin, which apparently is no longer producing the 660, is trying to kick those owners to the curb when it comes to the free download of the 09 maps. Information is sketchy at best because as people are emailing Garmin for info, responses have been widely varied. But it does appear people are getting the update with other units without difficulty.
I finally saw the units. Went to Best Buy to check them out because I'd never looked at them before. There was a 350 right next to a 760. Both were actually smaller than I expected. Next to the 760 was a 5000. Now that puppy was impressive, as far as screen size goes, but I noticed people on Amazon weren't giving it nearly as high marks as smaller Garmin models.
No battery, though? Bummer. Not necessarily a deal killer, though, since we own more than one.
No Bluetooth but I don't really care for that.
They fixed the keyboard, good. Other models do that too.
Well, I'm not shopping right now, but maybe later this year, or if I find someone that wants to buy the old c340 I'll trade up. So I'll keep my eye out.
The battery in my C320 has died. Called Garmin for how much and how long to fix. (I know the C320 is now discontinued, and there's a site showing how to install a new battery). Would be $125 to fix, actually my unit would be replaced with a refurbished one. Considering I can get a new Nuvi 360 for twice the repair, it seems to me to be a no brainer to buy the Nuvi. Am I missing anything??
I did this in less than an hour. This was for the c320 I sold to my co-worker and neighbor. She's still using it, so it's fine, and I intalled the battery for her back in January.
I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the 360 last night, as I really want the bluetooth feature. I'm expecting it will have the 08 maps when it arrives. I'll post again to let everyone know how I made out getting the (I hope) free 09 update.
Mike and Juice, thanks for your replies. I'm really leaning towards getting the Nuvi. Have liked it from day1. Juice, I haven't used a soldering iron in 35+ years, and I'm not sure if I still have it. Bought it to build a Heathkit AR-15 receiver. At this stage of my life, I don't think it's worth the hassle to replace the battery myself. I've had the site you mentioned bookmarked for quite a while, just in case it was needed in the future. Now that "the future" is here, I think I'd rather have the smaller size and newer innards. Thanks again. Tmart
WOW! Heathkit AR-15 receiver, that brings back memories... thanks for sharing that bit of trivia. Hate to admit I am old enought to remember those guys... Mike
As I understand it, they came out the first of this month, just a few days ago. I looked at Garmin's site and they have a page for recent buyers to enter the serial number to see if they're eligible for the free update. I expect mine to arrive in a week or so and I'll give it try. (I would imagine the one I'm getting will be pulled from stock with the 08 maps installed.)
Comments
It clips to the vents. Two clips on top, plus a support bracket at the bottom to prop it up.
It works for the lighter Nuvi models, mine's a 200W:
http://www.mountguys.com/product_p/gn047-200.htm
Pic of the one in my van:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OwuaqSuF_k
It's way, way too low. Plus you almost have to duck your head down to see it, it seems. Plus that's a c series like my wife's and it doesn't lay flat, either.
My Forester had a lidded bin at the top of the dash. The Mazda6 has one, and so do some Nissans. That would be closer to the line of sight.
I saw a sweet, power operated lid rigged on a Mazda6 that put that Camry to shame. Here's one, I guess I've seen a few of these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzZZIBbHjic
Automatic deployment, completely hidden, right in the line of sight...
Why would you want it to lay flat?
Anyway, I already said the only thing that would be a major improvement would be if it was higher. So, maybe another manufacturer should do that and put it higher in the dash so it would be perfect.
The Mazda example would cost a lot of money and isn't portable, so you might as well just pay for factory nav if you're going to pay for that setup.
It is the best factory-provided location available at this time since the cars that have the compartment on top of the dash do not have power, nor aux inputs there, so you have cables streaming down the dash that you need to unplug and hide every time you park.
Most of those lidded bins are so shallow that they can't fit most portable navs anyway.
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/11/malibu---32.jpg
When they start putting power and audio ports there and making them large enough to fit a portable nav, then that will be the most convenient location.
The Mazda6 I brought up mostly for the location of the bin, i.e. at the top of the dash. That wasn't even the specific one I had in mind. I've seen Garmins rigged that same way.
Power ports are an issue, but I took the dash apart on my Forester before, and that would be an easy fix. Drill a hole, and just wire it to the power output for your radio. Most radios have an extra set.
For that Accord - here's an issue - you would need an external antennae to get the best signal. I don't think the signal would be as good at the base of the dash like that. So you would still have wires to contend with.
It's neat, don't get me wrong, but I think it's low (as you mentioned) and wonder if the satellite signal would be as strong.
Most modern portable GPS units, now have a SirfStarIII or equivalent GPS chip that will work from that location without need for any external antenna.
If you are willing to drill, splice wires, disassemble your dash etc., you will have more options, but this is the best plug and play ready-to-go solution available as of today.
I agree that it would be even better if it was up higher. So, I think future cars should have a compartment at eye level that serves the same purpose (such as on top of the dash). It would only add a few dollars to any car and there would be no excuse for even cars in the price class of a Kia Rio to not be GPS ready without needing to use a windshield mount and/or deal with the cables everytime you want to use it and put then it away.
1. From the camera angle of that video, which I watched again, the lid of the compartment partially blocked the view of the GPS. It may be due to where the camera was positioned.
2. That appears to be a c340 model. I have one. Antennae reception for that particular model would be compromised. Maybe the newer models look the same. My c320 was blue, but my c340 is that color.
Having made those points, yes, it is nice that Toyota offers a lidded cubby hole at all, and others should copy them. That is has a power point inside makes it even better. Just make sure you have the latest GPS receiver chipset.
The latest C series (500 series) and most Nuvis have the more sensitive GPS receivers that work even when positioned that low in the car. However, you would need to put something in the compartment to prop up and secure a Nuvi because Nuvis cannot stand up unsupported.
Perhaps the person filming held the camera far enough in front of them that it created that illusion.
We had a c320, which I sold to a co-worker, who still uses it. Then we got a c340. Both have the older chip sets.
When we rented a car in Florida, I forgot to take my GPS (DOH! :mad: ), so I had to rent one. They provided a c330, which is also the older chipset.
Not sure what my 200W has. Satellite reception does seem a little slower since I started using the vent mount, but I'm not sure if that's due to the weather - we've have heavy cloud cover in the area since I mounted it there.
For a Nuvi you could probably prop it up with two-side tape on the side or an L-shaped bracket behind it, out of view.
I think when we upgrade my wife's c340 I may spring for one of the more feature-laden Nuvi widescreens. I like the idea of being able to look up gas prices.
I noted a 17 cent variance in price per gallon within just two highway exits near me.
You can connect the power and audio cable, store the GPS unit there and then pull the GPS out and place it on the dash using a bean bag mount like a Nav-Mat.
It would be a little bit of a hassle to pull it out and put it away, but would only take 2 seconds since the power cord can remained connected all the time.
I guess I'll let my insurance company worry about it.
When my wife gets her new car I will look for a better place to mount that. She uses the windshield mount right now. The c series is heavier than the Nuvi, though, so it would need a sturdier mount.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Like I said, I'll let my insurance company worry about it.
You make a valid point about the auto insurance covering a built-in GPS, but if so the rates will likely be higher than for a car without the GPS.
So you pay one way or another.
I guess I'll get insurance estimates for the vehicle with and without the GPS option, to see how much difference it makes.
However, you can save money on the nav system and not have to worry about break-ins an insurance if you buy the portable unit, mount it with a bean bag type mount and put it fully out of view when you park.
Most people don't need to use a GPS every time they step into their car, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal and should only take a few seconds anyway.
Still, the antennae isn't built in, so no doubt it's hard to steal.
I'll ask my insurance agent when the time comes, just out of curiosity.
The Subaru Tribeca, on the other hand, uses a far more integrated unit that incorporates the HVAC. Now that would be hard to steal.
Double-din stereos are slightly less likely to be stolen because many cars only have single-din openings and it would be a bit harder to resell, but not enough of a deterrent to be safe from theft.
Come to think of it, my 98 Forester was, too.
You lose the tray/bin, but then both would accomodate a double-DIN stereo. I swapped both of them out for a 6CD changer.
I'm still not sure I'd want to have to do that every day.
Interested in a portable GPS system. Never owned or used one before.
I've looked at Garmin's site, also just read the most recent Consumer Reports magazine which has an article on these systems. They recommend Garmin & Tom Tom.
I noticed the considerable price difference between, say, the Garmin 360 vs the 760. Other than the wider screen, the only feature I saw the 760 had over the 360 that interested me was the "Where am I" feature. Is the larger screen & added features really worth almost double the price?
Also, the reason I wanted at least the 360 is to get the bluetooth capability. How does that work? IOW, do those systems work easily? What has been your experience?
Lastly, what about mounting. Do you have to buy extra equipment (like I saw on Amazon) or does it come with pretty much everything you need?
Complete novice here, any help very appreciated.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
The wide screen is nice. I have a 4.4" screen and my wife has a 3.5". I got used to mine, so now hers seems small. It gets the job done.
If you have a small car, I'm sure the 3.5" is OK, if you don't mount it too far away from you.
For my minivan, the windshield is about a mile away, so first I tried the self-adhesive mount that Garmin provides. It was still too far, so I bought a vent mount for next to nothing, I think it was under $10. I love it because it's a much shorter reach.
I can't comment on the Bluetooth option, but even if I did upgrade I'd be looking for other things - bigger screen, traffic data perhaps, gas prices, etc. I think my next one may be the Nuvi 680, maybe once the next set of maps comes out so I don't have to spend the $75 for the update.
Some of the differences between the 2 are: 760 is bigger screen size; 760 has where you can save routes; MSN Direct which gives you gas prices,weather, etc.; 760 has the "Where am I feature?" (360 you would just have to click on the icons for emergency help to find the closest so it's an extra step); 760 has integrated FM Transmitter (not exactly sure - I think that's the traffic info. If so the 360 has traffic as well, just an external antennae you need to connect).
As for Bluetooth- I have the 370 and use the Bluetooth feature. Sometimes the reception is good, other times so-so. However what is nice is if you are driving in an unfamiliar area and look up a restaurant or hotel you can just dial right out with the Nuvi. And, you can load your cell phone book into the Garmin, which is nice(especially if you sync it with your POI's).
For Mounting, as Juice said, the basics some in the box for a windshield mount which works fine for me. If you don't want that, then you have to spend extra for the bean bag mount or the vent mount like Juice went for.
Not sure about the TomTom units though.
Mark
I used the windshield mount for years with my previous car and it worked fine.
I'm going on vacation in California next month, one of the reasons I want to get it quite soon.
I think my next one may be the Nuvi 680, maybe once the next set of maps comes out so I don't have to spend the $75 for the update.
Do the map updates come out at a certain time?
I think the C.S. report mentioned windshield mounts are illegal in CA. Not quite sure how to deal with that.
I like the vent mount idea. What about cold / warm air blowing on the back of the gps?
I suppose it isn't a problem or they wouldn't sell it.
Checked out discussions on Amazon. Apparently Garmin is releasing the new maps right about now. Hard to determine whether one bought now would have them installed or not. Free updates supposedly available depending on model. Some 660 buyers having a hard time. There's a lot of angst going on about this as we speak.
I bought my first unit August 2005, and it came with v6 of the maps. v7 was out a little later, and then v8 came out. Now they are on the 4th set of maps, v2008.
So 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 4 versions of the maps. About one per year. You can skip a set of maps, though. I went from v6 to v8, for instance.
I got the latest one from Circuit City, with a DVD, for $75.
How often you should update is really up to you. If you live in an area with lots of new construction and new roads popping up, you may want to get each one. If things never seem to change where you are, then maybe you can skip every other update.
Still, it's not just roads, but also points-of-interest, like gas stations. So you don't want to let it get too outdated.
OEM maps come out less often, but that's a bad thing. At least with frequent updates from Garmin you have a choice to buy or wait.
Also, Subaru charges $230 for the OEM DVDs, while I paid just $75 for the Garmin one. I think Toyota's is up over $200 as well.
Also, I notice that my Nuvi 200w has the ability to display photos AND it has a card slot which accepts the mem-card from my digital camera, but I couldn't figure out how to access the photos. (I didn't try very hard)
I'm thinking every other year should be fine for me. Supposedly if I buy now & the unit arrives with the 08 maps Garmin will allow me to download the 09 maps for free, at least that's the hope. Again, if you're out there thinking of purchasing a 660 you may want to reconsider. During my research monitoring discussions on Amazon it appears Garmin, which apparently is no longer producing the 660, is trying to kick those owners to the curb when it comes to the free download of the 09 maps. Information is sketchy at best because as people are emailing Garmin for info, responses have been widely varied. But it does appear people are getting the update with other units without difficulty.
I finally saw the units. Went to Best Buy to check them out because I'd never looked at them before. There was a 350 right next to a 760. Both were actually smaller than I expected. Next to the 760 was a 5000. Now that puppy was impressive, as far as screen size goes, but I noticed people on Amazon weren't giving it nearly as high marks as smaller Garmin models.
I also updated our newer c340 also with the USB cable. This time I bought the DVD from Circuit City. We went from v8 to 2008.
I have not updated our Nuvi 200W yet because it came with 2008 maps, which are still current. It has the same style plug so I imagine it's the same.
5.2", sweeeeet!
List price is the same as the 680 model.
No battery, though? Bummer. Not necessarily a deal killer, though, since we own more than one.
No Bluetooth but I don't really care for that.
They fixed the keyboard, good. Other models do that too.
Well, I'm not shopping right now, but maybe later this year, or if I find someone that wants to buy the old c340 I'll trade up. So I'll keep my eye out.
Thanks for the heads-up.
Garmin wants $125 but you can do it yourself for $10.
Have you ever used a soltering iron? It's really not that hard.
You need one new battery, style 18650 lithium-ion. I got mine from All-Battery.com for $20.10 delivered, though I purchased 2 of them.
And here are full instructions, with pictures and everything:
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=67938
I did this in less than an hour. This was for the c320 I sold to my co-worker and neighbor. She's still using it, so it's fine, and I intalled the battery for her back in January.
Fix it yourself! :shades:
Seems like the 08 maps just came out.
I looked at Garmin's site and they have a page for recent buyers to enter the serial number to see if they're eligible for the free update. I expect mine to arrive in a week or so and I'll give it try. (I would imagine the one I'm getting will be pulled from stock with the 08 maps installed.)