jimjaix

iTrader: (1)

Hi I am looking for a good but cheap nav system for my 07 IS250AWD, I know tomtom, magellen and garmin are good? Any recommendation? 200ish is gonna be my budget. Thanks

bootman

We are currently using a TomTom.
The new maps are really good.
Wife really likes the ease of use.

Blk 350

I have a Garmin Nuvi 360 and for the 1.5 years I have owned it, I have loved it. It takes a minute to lock on to the satellites at start up, after it locks on it works very well. The only areas that it would lose a signal are through a tunnel and in heavily wooded areas. The maps are clear as is the voice guidance, although it doesn’t show all of the smaller roads unless it is part of a route or if you zoom in. Additionally, if you decide to take a different route that the one suggested, then it will recalculate within a few seconds. I have found that the Nuvi 360 is easy to use once you figure out the layout. I cannot comment on how the real time traffic rerouting works as I have not used it nor do I want to pay for it. Something that you should take note of is that the update maps are expensive, but unless there are major road changes, there is no need to update the map too often. I forgot to mention that the Nuvi 360 is about 230, just a little more that what you are looking for.

jimjaix

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the reply guys, since Blk_350 mentioned my other concern is real time traffic I do want a nav that can pick up the real time traffic. I don't wanna get stuck in traffic >_<

greg0723

garmin sound like it sucks for you too blk-350. i have one and i hate it. takes too long to find the satellites i hate sitting there and waiting i got to gooo!

Blk 350

greg0723, I wouldn't say the Garmin sucks, but the time it takes to lock on to the satellites is annoying. Although, if you have an idea where you are going, then just start driving around and the satellites will catch up soon.

The only real time traffic system that I have dealt with was on a Blackberry. It would check the route fairly often, but the route that I was following didn't have much traffic. I also had my Nuvi at the time and I perfer an actual GPS over a Blackberry GPS.

Something to keep in mind when using a GPS is that you should have an idea where you are going and do not blindly follow the directions. For example, to get onto a highway near my house, it says to turn right, then left when you can just turn left onto the ramp. Another thing is that you should pay attention to the street names when using the GPS, especially in the city. To give you an idea, the Nuvi 360 warns you 1 mile in advance for highway exits and .2 miles in advance for surface roads. In the city, .2 miles is a few different streets, although the Nuvi will count down to a few hundred feet, it is better to read the street signs if you are unfamiliar with the area.

jimjaix

iTrader: (1)

The Nuvi 360 is close to 300 bucks : /, any cheaper ones?

Blk 350

Are you trying to buy it localy? How about ordering online? Amazon has the Nuvi 360 for $226 if you don't mind buying online. The Nuvi 350 is the same thing except it doesn"t have bluetooth and the cost is lower.

TwiBlueG35

Obviously the ones you mentioned are all very good. But there are some other choices. If you go to RadioShack they have a few others. Sony with a 4.3" touchscreen for $299(I think) and Navigon 2100 Max with 4.3" touchscreen for $269. I personally think Navigon's graphics are the best among the industry, but it is kind of slow in re-routing and the voice guidance is not loud enough. If you want to know more, check out www.navigon.com

as3.0cl

iTrader: (2)

check amazon for deals on the garmin nuvis.....you can pick up a nuvi 350 for $200 and a nuvi 360 for $220.....

i bought a nuvi 660 when they hit $280 a few months back....

jimjaix

iTrader: (1)

Actually I am planning to order online lol, I went to staples locally and they don't have much and it's pricey. I saw the nuvi 350 for 199.99 looks like a good deal? I will go ahead and order it I don't really need the bluetooth tech. Does the nuvi 350 comes with real time traffic?

as3.0cl

iTrader: (2)

garmin lists the 350 at $350 dollars.....

the only difference between the two is that the 350 does not have bluetooth.
they both of the FM traffic receiver, you should get the charger/traffic receiver combo in the box for the navi, thats what came with my 660. after double checking it seems it will come with the FM receiver also.

Blk 350

I do not believe that the Nuvi 350/360 come with a traffic receiver. The Nuvi 660 has one integrated where as the 350/360 requires an additional antenna, which cost a lot of money. The traffic receiver for the Nuvi 350/360 is Garmin GTM-12.

Are you sure that you want the traffic receiver? There is an annual fee associated with it and interfaces through FM/XM radio.

tex2670

I saw a Garmin Nuvi @ Walmart the other day for $215. Had a nice wide screen. Can't go wrong with a Garmin.

Edit--just saw you want traffic. The noted model did not have traffic.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

BTW- if you think the Garmin maps are expensive... they're $75... if you have the OEM nav it's _$300_ for new maps.

I've used Garmin units for years now and love em... it should only take a few minutes for satellites if it's a cold start (ie the unit has been off overnight or something or it has moved a great distance since it was last turned on)... if it's a warm start it shouldn't take more than 30 seconds tops.

There are 3 ways to get realtime traffic.... FM, XM, and MSN. Personally I like the MSN option since it'll also show you realtime weather, gas prices near your location (and who is cheapest), movie times near your location, and some other neat stuff... there's also a "lifetime" option to pay for the service.

Check Garmin.com for feature comparison of the units and it'll show you which ones use which traffic receiver too.