GPS V beats my laptop/gps combo!
Written: Dec 26 '02 (Updated Dec 26 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Auto-routing, Back-on Track, car or handheld operation, nice backlight
Cons: Recalculation can be slow, screen could be bigger.
The Bottom Line: The auto-routing and recalculation put the Garmin GPS V in a class above most hand held units.
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| richlt's Full Review: Garmin GPS V GPS Receiver |
I recently upgraded from a Delorme Earthmate to a Garmin GPS V Deluxe. The Earthmate could only be used with a laptop and Delorme Street Atlas. As a result, it didn't get used except on long trips. The GPS V is more expensive, but well worth the cost for the all-in-one functionality.
I purchased the 'Deluxe' version of the GPS V. Based on several retailers I visited, I think the 'standard' version is being discontinued. What do you get with 'Deluxe'? For starters, you get the full unlock code for the included Garmin Mapsource City Select software. Instead of being restricted to a single region of the United States, I can travel anywhere without purchasing map regions ala carte. I have no complaints about the quality of the included (updated summer 2002) maps. I live in the Twin Cities area-metro and rurual areas had excellent map coverage.
Another addition is a dashboard car mount that can be attached with either 'temporary' or 'permanent' adhesive. I'm afraid either will damage my dashboard, so I have not used these yet. The bottom of the GPS V does have a rubber strip to eliminate any sliding around. However, a sudden stop will send it flying unless you purchase a real mount!
The included auto power adaptor is great for night driving. I really like the backlight on the GPS V. The display is very clear and easy to read in the dark. The drawback is that the backlight burns up batteries rapidly. I recommend always leaving the unit plugged into your cigarette lighter when using the backlight.
My first GPS V journey took me across the metro area and out to a distant suburb in Minnesota. I looked up directions before I left for backup, but followed the V's directions regardless. At one point I found myself deviating from my own desired route. However, this was due to 2 expressways that were parallel for a short period of time. I ended up slipping over to one and then back onto the original road. Not optimal, but I understand how it could happen. And it didn't affect my travel time by more than a minute or two.
At one point I either missed an exit or the directions were incorrect (I'm not sure which). The 'auto-recalculation' started processing an alternate route. The V told me to do a U-turn at the next stop. I didn't like that idea due to heavy traffic and kept going. The 2nd recalculation took me down an unexpected, but free flowing road and I noticed my ETA only increased by 2 minutes. I like the constant recalculation of your arrival time based on your average speed. It gives you a very good idea of when you will arrive.
I arrived at my destination as expected, but was hungry before my return trip. Another great feature of the GPS V and its included maps is the POIs (Points of Interest) that includes restaurants, shopping, and other services. My wife and I like to use the 2 for 1 discount offers that exist in the form of books or 'dinner of the month' club cards. However, once we leave the area near our home, the hassle of finding a new place decreases our chances of taking up the offers on new restaurants. The GPS V got us to one of these restaurants very easily, after choosing 'Find', and entering the first few letters of a desired restaurant's name.
Is there anything not to like about the GPS V? It's not perfect. For starters, this unit only holds 24MB of map information and is NOT expandable. The Mapsource software allows you to choose blocks of map area and tells you how much space they will take up. Metro areas take up much more than rural areas due to the road density, but I was still able to get the entire metro area in the GPS V with room to spare.
The recalculation could use a little speed boost as well. If you are far from your final destination (especially when crossing a metro area), the recalculation can take a minute or more. This seems like an eternity when you are passing exit after exit, trying to get yourself back on track. Of course, I am using the 'best' route calculation. You can exchange route calculation time for quality of route by changing a setting in the unit.
As with any mapping product, you have to use a little common sense and not rely on the technology 100%. Nothing beats taking a look at a real map before a trip, or being mindful of where you've been. Despite the recalc time, I still like the feature. When you are on the highway, the V is quite forgiving if you 'disobey' and take a different highway that you are more familiar with. Too bad it can't learn your 'favorite' routes to benefit other drivers of the vehicle :). It does have a 'Detour' feature that I have not yet tried. This is supposed to take you off your current course by a specified number of miles. Once summer road construction starts again I'll try this out.
Despite these issues, I still love it. No more carting around a laptop. Plus you can rotate the display with a button press for navigation while walking.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
richlt
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Member: Richard Thomsen
Reviews written: 50
Trusted by: 11 members
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