Good compromise between size, price and features.
Written: Jul 01 '03 (Updated Jul 06 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Portability, accuracy.
Cons: Needs more extensive base map.
The Bottom Line: Despite its limited base map and fixed memory, the GPS V is an solid navigation tool for leisure travelers and those who drive extensively within large regional areas.
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| bc0203's Full Review: Garmin GPS V GPS Receiver |
I travel about the continental US and Canada about 15-20% of the time at work, and often rent vehicles with navigation systems to make getting between client sites easier when in a particular city. Since renting vehicles with GPS often incurs a premium (both in terms of the rental car company rate and the daily fee for the GPS equipment), I started looking for alternate methods of navigation recently.
After some research, three solutions stood out, all in the $400-500 range: Magellan GPS Gold the Garmin GPS V, and the TravRoute GPS software/receiver combo. The Magellan had expandable memory, but didn't do automatic re-route calculations. TravRoute had great navigation software which covered the entire country, but a laptop PC was required to get the full benefit of the product (you can work with one region at a time using a Pocket PC). I'd read numerous reviews about the GPS V, mostly positive, and decided to give it a shot.
My initial testing of the Garmin V involved driving between Boston, NY and Washington, DC metro areas using the base map included with the unit. I chose the base maps for two reasons: first, I knew from reading other reviews that all three metro regions wouldn't fit into the memory of the GPS V at the same time; second, I wanted to see what the base maps could do without enhancements.
The base maps provided with the unit are more than adequate for interstate travel. Even in situations where local roads aren't mapped sufficiently (the base maps are about 40% adequate for local roads without downloading more info), the GPS V will bring you from your current location to any major crossroad near your destination with very little effort. While detailed information about local roads, hotels and restaurants can be downloaded from the MapSource CD, the system includes limited information about services available at each exit (i.e. Shell Station just north of exit, Courtyard by Marriott just south of exit), which proved more than adequate for driving through cities.
The MapSource CD allows you to download detailed maps in 20-25 mile sqares that provide detailed local info. The maps average 3MB each, which means you can store 5 or six in the unit before you run out of available RAM. I've found the best way to utilize MapSource is to load the grid(s) for the local area(s) I will to be visiting, then use the base maps for travel on main roads between the local areas.
The unit comes with velcro strips and a dashboard mounting system that can be made movable or permanent. I sprung an additional $20 for a windshield suction cup mount, which is has proven quite flexible for vehicle use. A "bean bag" car mount, a fixed position mount for marine use and a bicycle handlebar mount are also available.
One best things about the GPS V is its display, which can be configured to show various parameters (mine is set for next turn, current speed, miles to next turn, and ETA at destination). The backlight is implemented in an intelligent fashion for a portable unit: it flashes messages for 15 seconds or when the unit is on batteries; if plugged into the cigarette lighter, the backlight stays lit until power is removed from the unit, at which time the unit does an auto shut-down after about 30 seconds.
Route navigation is simple; the unit starts sounding tones and showing visual cues about 1.5 miles before you need to make a turn, zooming in on the map and showing other graphics where the turn is to be made as appropriate. While this works pretty well, the unit tells you the direction you'll be turning, which doesn't always correspond to the direction on the route sign. At one point, I was told to turn South on I-295, when my choices were east and west. This can be resolved this one of two ways: by looking at the turn by turn instructions, or by simply turning the direction shown by the arrow on the display. (The latter option is the simpler one and works just as well.)
Some have complained that the redraw and recalculation of routes being a bit slow with this unit, but redraw speed seems average to me, and recalcs shorten dramatically if the car is stopped for even a brief amount of time, such as at a stop light. In my opinion, speed isn't the Achilles heel of the GPS V; the combination of an inadequate base map combined with too little memory are its real problems. If Garmin ever saw fit to speed up the processor and improve the base map to include local streets in all 48 states, with local points of interest downloadable by the user, they'd have a category beater here.
As it stands, the GPS V is a good choice for fleet vehicles, taxis, and traveling salespeople who work within a single metropolitan area (Such as, say a 50 mile radius of NYC, or the entire city of Los Angeles). The GPS V is also good for leisure travel or for salespeople who visit a few cities a month, provided that one doesn’t mind downloading information about local roads and points of interest into the unit periodically. For RV users and truckers, the TravRoute laptop-based solution is a much better choice in this price range, as it gives up some portability in exchange for a rich nationwide database of travel information.
While I'm happy with my GPS V, if Garmin ever released a similar unit with an updateable detailed base map of the entire US on a removable card, a faster processor and industry standard CF/SD memory in place of the existing fixed ram, I'd be one of the first in line to buy it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bc0203
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Member: Brian Campbell
Location: Richmond, VA
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Work in software industry. Hobbies include electronics, computers, music, movies, golf bicycling and road trips.
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