Garmin StreetPilot c530 Car GPS Receiver

Pros: Accurate, quick, easy to use
Cons: Not all locations are in the map database

The Garmin StreetPilot c530 GPS Reciever is a digital mapping device that gives you real-time maps and directions to wherever you might be going, plus it’ll tell you what you can find along the way. It’ll even tell you exactly when you’ll reach ...

Pros: gets you where you need to go, reliable
Cons: a little expensive (but worth it)

Let’s ace it: we all get lost every now and then. Whether it’s while driving to a friend’s house for the first time, or trying to get home at night after work, there are moments that even the best of us just can’t remember where how to ...

Pros: Quick rerouting of missed turns, nice mounting system, audible alerts are good and loud.
Cons: "Anti-glare" screen long on "glare," short on "anti." No mechanism to eliminate closed roads.

I have owned this unit for several weeks, and have really put it to the test. My job requires me to navigate the streets of Detroit daily. This is my second GPS unit. Compared to my original handheld unit from another manufacturer, this is a major ...

Pros: +VERY accurate +Fast processer with almost no lag +Extremely easy to use
Cons: -Custom POI's are hard -Get's confused once and a while -Some POI's are missing.

This G.P.S. is HIGHLY idiot resistant with a large POI database and very powerful antennae. I am a G.P.S. Specialist, and after playing with almost every unit on the market, I had to go with the c530 because of it's straight forward ease of use and the ...

Pros: Easy to use after setup, nice design, did a great job right out of box.
Cons: Downloadable features and selections were not always easy to understand.

Recently, I rented a car with Garmin GPS and was delighted with the GPS. I quickly decided that I wanted something similar for my own car. The difficulty was in deciding which GPS unit to choose among the many manufacturers and models. Although I ...

Pros: Great unit for the money - GEOCACHING is a lot of fun.
Cons: Not 100% accurate - Waypoints are tough to follow.

Hopefully I will never have to contact their support. The unit works great. Awesome unit for the money. I have only used it for a few days and for the most part it is spot on. I did however try and impress my daughter to no avail. I had her type in ...

Pros: Never get lost again!
Cons: Purchase the dashboard mount.

I bought it for my husband, he always goes to different job sites, this unit has not let him down yet! If there is a detour or any hold up, he can just turn off his route and the Garmin will recalculate to his location and give him new instructions to ...

Pros: Good directions, good battery life
Cons: A little bulky compared to some of the newer units available

This is my first GPS unit. I used to check MapQuest every time I did not know where I was going. Now I rely on my Garmin almost completely (sometimes I will check MapQuest just to get a general lay of the land). I did not get a built-in GPS for my ...

Pros: very user friendly
Cons: It would be nice if the carrying case had a wrist strap.

I purchased the garmin c530 for myself as a christmas present.When I recieved it I started using it right away without even having to read the manual,it is just that user friendly. I love the way that it talks to you, and if for some reason you make a ...

Pros: Ergonomically excellent, very intuitive operation, great display, fast up.
Cons: As stated, outdated maps and outdated data make this unit of dubious value to me.

The map software for this unit does not recognize changes in highway signing the occurred when routes such as Highway 2 and 18 were downloaded to regional governments. There are areas of my city where roads have changed 15+ years ago and this is not in the maps. For the fellow whose Walgreen's wasn't on the list even though it's been around for three years - I envy you. Mine is missing 15-20 year old locations. Even the business I work at, which has been at its current location since 2003, is not in the Garmin's database. But the store that was here before is there.

This is very unfortunate because the unit is otherwise a fine piece of equipment in terms of operating and ergonomics. But if its data is horribly outdated and thus can't navigate reliably, it's useless to me regardless.

For those who drive only on well-established main routes, I'm sure this problem might not have presented itself. But it's not the 401 I need help navigating on!

It's going back.

Pros: I spent 329.00 for unit and was worth the price.
Cons: One feature that should be included was the voice to text feature.

I purchased this unit for a trip to Baltimore MD and the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay.
It performed great, it was very very accurate all through City of Baltimore, which seems to be under constant construction. I used the detour function quite a bit and found that it was a great help. All in all this unit is worth the money.

Pros: Accuracy, price, sensitivity, portability, ease of operation
Cons: Can't really think of any.

I have had this unit for about a month now and am very happy with it. I went with the C530 over the C340 due to the better chip-set and the brighter and reduced glare screen. The satellite reception is fantastic. The screen is bright and very readable. As far as not having the text to voice feature, I don't even notice it. The street name on top of the screen is more than adequate. For $375 it's definitely an investment that's well worth it.

Pros: Excellent maps, and easy to use
Cons: No bluetooth on this unit.

I purchased this unit before a trip to the UK last year. It has worked beautifully since. I was able to purchase an SD card with full UK maps and it never missed a turn, even on back roads and in the Irish countryside. As for the US, never a problem. Since my unit has never had an issue I have never had to deal with customer service, however, Garmin is a major supplier of GPS units to police, military, and other applications.
I have found it easy to use, the screen is automobile grade and can be read easily in the bright light of day. In sum, this is one fine unit for the price.

Pros: Terrific device, fast GPS aquisition, flawless navigation
Cons: HORRIFIC customer service

This is a well-priced, high performance device (and the second I've bought from Garmin). But, if you should have the misfortune of it breaking down, you will find Garmin to be perhaps the most unresponsive company in the history of commerce. They will double talk you as you try and get an RMA online, direct you to phone support which can take literally HOURS to get through.
Strange irony is, what appeared to be a totally dead unit was in fact a simple issue of battery discharge, which at some point, the car charger will not remedy, it requires you to plug the unit into your computer to fully re-charge (over several hours). THIS INFORMATION APPEARS NOWHERE IN GARMIN'S DOCUMENTATION.
In sum, great products, HORRIFIC service.
I write this as much in the hope that Garmin will take note, as to suggest "buyer beware".

Pros: Plenty of notice before turns and most streets were correct. The verbal commands were clear.
Cons: Not current on even old highways and no current updates without paying for them.

This was our first time using a GPS and may be our last. It was funny at first when it told us to turn a certain direction that was totally wrong when you could see the business address you were trying to get to. Then when we took it to an area we weren't familiar with in another state and it got us totally lost, miles from any town or people and stated we had reached our destination that was a little scary. It was a good thing I have a good memory and was able to back track to get us out of the situation we were in.
The unit does not even show where our address is on the map or several other main highways around us that have been here for years. The maps should be at least up to date at the time of purchase or have a free update to bring it current.