Are you brand-loyal to Garmin?

I am - to a point. I like their interface and they generally seem to have things in order with GPSs.

One thing that drives me a bit nuts with them (when either shopping for myself or recommending to others) is their extensive line of products. In order to figure out which unit you'd like you really have to research to see what the difference is between unit A and unit B and at any one time you have units A-T to select from so you have to do that all the way up.

It's not clear like: there's 3 different models, basic, middle, and high-end.

some what loyal - i own 2 nuvi 760 , 1 nuvi 680 and now have the Navigon on my iphone
of course the Nuvi units are more responsive , but the Navigon has many cool features as well

Definitely. I haven't found any better for my needs.

wITHOUT A DOUBT. The customer support is the best I have encountered. Many times they have gone outside the required or expected with situations of my own making.

I didn't get a gps until it broke my personal price barrier, i.e. 660 was $299. But today, we could almost say the barrier is even lower, like the 780 being $178. Not the latest/greatest but full of features and not entry-level...

I just think that I would get another Garmin because I'm familiar (when I saw the 780 and 255 I could still figure them out) and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them, and the prices are good...

Loyal to both Magellan and Garmin, both have strong points.

Sort of. I do have a couple of TomTom units just to use as disposable units.

There are other manufacturers of GPSrs?

I've never even looked...

I just like the interface and ease of use with Garmin. I have tried the others, Tom-Tom, etc. and basically they too will get you where you want to go within reason. However, I think that all the major players offer too many models for such a basic task.

yes
no question

Very much so!! As another post mentioned their customer service is excellent compared to issues I have heard from other people who have had issues with other manufacturers. Garmins response has always been quick, professional and exceptional. Products and functionality can be similar to other manufacturers but with the kind of service I have had in the past with Garmin it will take something extraordinary for me to try another manufacturer's product!!!

Units for hiking and auto - yes

Golf - no

extremely pleased with my 3 Garmin units and would look first to Garmin for future purchases...that isn't to say that if a competitor offered a better package feature/price combination that I wouldn't be open minded...

I'm loyal to Garmin but it won't do them much good since I bought a Nuvi 350 a few years ago & don't intend to replace it soon!

Fred

I am not sure, I have bought two units. One handheld and a c330 for my car. If either breaks then I will look at my options. Somehow I think it will be a Garmin.
Right now I am loyal to the working units I have.

My buddy has a sweet new TomTom and we
use his and my 765t side by side.they both have
their strong points.Garmin is just easy to use

Because I liked their UI: is user friendly and more responsive.

I am loyal to the following features:

1. Priority focus on usability/ease of use
1. More or Better features/technology
3. Equal or better customer service
4. Equal or better screen rendering of maps

Any company who hits ALL of these gets my attention and potentially, my next purchase. Right now, Garmin is getting the highest composite score, in my opinion. But the margin is narrowing.

I am not sure I am "loyal" to Garmin as much as I am comfortable with my nuvi. I have had my 660 for two years and it remains my first GPS. I am continually learning new tricks and short cuts - some more obvious than others, d'oh

I had an opportunity to use a Tom Tom for a trip and was frustrated because of the minor differences between the two units. I don't know if the Garmin was "better" but I was more accustomed to using it - so it seemed better. I guess we often stick with things we're used to.

I have bought two Forerunners - Forerunner 201 and subsequently the 205. I liked the 201 and am very pleased with the 205.

Also bought a GPSMap60 which was my primary auto GPS (also geocaching, when I was doing that) for 4 years until I bought the Nuvi 265wt. Good results with all of them. I'd consider others, but Garmin is still first choice.

What a mutual aid society this is so far.

Me? I am loyal to the function, brand be damned. And Garmin of late has been doing it's damnedest to shake my faith in their ability to do the right thing;

Tech support: That's a joke. The CSRs often tell people what they 'believe' - and I have lots of proof that they make things up as they go.

Repair: I've had to use the service twice and both times they've dropped the ball solidly on my feet - it simply does not take 12 weeks to replace a unit - read my review of the 276c on epinions for that tale of woe.

Product: I have been very vocal about my dissatisfaction with the changes they've made to the GUI (the lack of street detail when zoomed past 500 meters and the changes to the banner box, removing the upcoming cross-street display).

Performance: My Zumo 660 can't even display a screen of street detail without stalling 3/4 of the way through painting the data.

Bugs: When I started with Garmin almost 10 years ago bugs were fewe and far between. Now there are so many buigs in the code of the latest units that they it just doesn't make sense - it seems like they hit compile, then ship the code to manufacturing without doing any testing at all. For example the Bluetooth causes the unit to spontaneously turn itself off every time my phone pairs with the unit (which Garmin conveniently says is the fault of the phone . . . . oh really?)

Yes, the devices are getting more complex; but that means they need to be MORE vigilant, not less.

So, am I loyal to Garmin?

Absolutely not.

And unless they get their act together, my current units will be the last of their models that I buy.

I had someone over just last night who was considering purchasing a Zumo 660 and after we had sat and talked for a couple of hours and I demonstrated the difference between the various navigators I have on hand (and I have several).

Prepared to spend $700 for a new Zumo, in the end this biker decided he will purchase a Nuvi 780 for less than $200 and then get a lifetime traffic receiver when the MSN Direct subscription runs out.

Get your act together Garmin!

At this time since I believe Garmin has the best functions for the price but who knows in the future.

My first GPS was a Garmin that came with the Kenwood stereo in my car. My wife and I both LOVED it, and now, I gave her a portable nuvi 1250. When some of my friends have seen our Garmins, they converted from Tom Tom. I have found the Garmins to be fairly easy to use, and for the most part pretty accurate. In all fairness, I have never owned another brand of GPS, but I'm also a big believer in if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Garmins have treated me right so far, so I'll stick with them.

Every GPS that I have purchased has been a Garmin. That's been a total of four. Always had good luck with them and with customer support.

No... not me.

I have had good experiences with Garmin "telephone" support, buit I wouldn't give two cents for their email support.

But even taking that into consideration, their removal of detail on the newer units has turned me off in a big way.

I feel like I'm travel blind all the time. No uncoming street names, no name sof parks or sttreams along the way.... very, very disappointing.

Many don't know the difference as they are relative new users of Garmin units, but anyone who has had Garmin units for a while knows what is missing.

My next unit will probably be a Tom-Tom.

I can't say that I am loyal....it is just I have never owned other manufacturers units. With all the problems Garmin is having with their units before I buy a new one I will be investigating others. I have had a 650 and now a 750 and have had problems with both.

Yes, Garmin may not work any better than other brands but it is more intuitive operating the functions for those of us that don't use it every day.

For me, customer service is the key, and I have been very happy with garmin. GPSr does everything I want, and is easy to use.

I'm a big user review/ratings guy and Garmin always seems to be at the top or near it in most GPS categories. As long as it stays that way, I will continue to make Garmin my first choice in GPS purchases.

I will be loyal to Garmin until I believe there is something better out there. I am also looking at getting their golf GPS.

I'm on my 3rd Garmin. Have never had tech problems with any of them.

Had to contact Garmin Support a few years back and was very satisfied. They mailed me a copy of Communicator the same day.

Have never felt a need to try one of the other brands.

Going to move up to lane assist in the next couple of weeks now that prices have dropped.

As I acquire a new unit, the older models get passed down the line through my wife's car and then on to our son. All continue to work flawlessly. Oldest model is now 5 yrs old.

Guess you didn't read far enough in to Garmin.

Garmin Ltd., and Garmin International Inc., since August 2004. GARMIN CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS*. 45 Market Street Gardenia Court Camana Bay, Grand Cayman -- Cayman Islands Phone: 345-640-9050 ...

I will give you this though, they masquerade as a all American company and dupe a lot of people with the KS address.
Or is it rally a dupe to start with?

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands News 2004
Details of news, events and happenings on Grand Cayman and the Cayman Islands in 2004. ... The latest variant of the scam using fake Cayman Islands Monetary Authority ..... showed that the Cayman Islands is being used for US tax avoidance. .... in the Cayman Islands; Seagate and Garmin come to mind for starters. ...

Gosh you hit it right on the head, Garmin has taken features way then sold them back as newer models.. been doing that since the NUVI series started and the tale end of the street pilots.
your absolutely correct in saying most people here don't even have a clue on what Garmin has done over the years to strip the GPSr's down just to bring out new models.
I won't even go in to detail on how cheaply made they have become.

I would say I'm brand neutral at this point. I'm staying with my 680 rather than deal with the stripped down "new" models.

Hence my recent decision to "upgrade" my nuvi with the GTM 20 for traffic information.

If I decide to buy another gps device, I'll do substantial research to determine which brand and model suits me best. Unlike when I bought the 360 for my daughter and then traded in my RM 700 for the 680 w/o a thought!

The only reason I put up with the "customer is the beta tester" attitude of Garmin, is that there are a lot of free Topo maps for Garmin. None for other brands.

If that changes. I will look at other brands.

I'm not saying Garmin Support is the best but, I am saying it is my opinion that Garmin support is better than Magellan and that is the reason I'm loyal to Garmin.

I have only had 2 units and they are both Garmin. Garmin is all I know and I like the product and support. So I guess I will stay with Garmin.

My first Garmin was purchased 8 years ago, a Map 76S,and it is still going strong despite being used and abused in all types of weather. It was a fantastic unit then and it is still a usefull tool for fishing and hunting now. When I started to need a more automobile friendly unit I tried the Nuvi and was hooked all over again.

I am very brand loyal to Garmin. Main reason is because I have learned how to use it, and know where all the icons are, and what they do. How to add POIs, sounds, alerts. Also, I just dont want to take the time to learn another GPS. Garmin seems pretty reliable overall. And, with the help one receives from POI Factory. Garmin should give POI Factory a cut of the profits, just because of the more or less favorable word of mouth advertising they get. I hear more complaints about other GPS manufacturers more than I do Garmin. So, anyway, not to get off topic, yes, for now anyways, I am pretty loyal to Garmin.

I've bought 4 Garmins - My first was an eTrex Vista and soon afterward bought another eTrex for a friend who was deploying. I bought a Nuvi 755t last year and then bought a Nuvi 855 for my wife. Before each pair of purchases, I researched online and the Garmins seemed to have the features I wanted and be good value for the money. I've been satisfied with the Garmins so far so would be biased towards Garmin for future purchases but still open to considering another brand.

Garmin makes a good product. I have Garmin Mobile XT and a Garmin 265wt. Both have worked well.

I like Garmin, have the Nuvi 780 for 2 years and plan on keeping it for another two. Very happy and will probably buy another Garmin to replace it when necessary.

I like Garmin, have the Nuvi 780 for 2 years and plan on keeping it for another two. Very happy and will probably buy another Garmin to replace it when necessary.

I used to be but when I decide to retire my nuvi 350 - I think I will research other brands before blindly buying a garmin again

Unfortunately I have to agree with bramfrank and I truly say that I have never had a gadget that I had so many problems with as NUVI 765t. I purchased it about 1 year ago and I paid $599.00. Now it finally works - still a few glitches but now it works acceptable. For me, it is the last Garmin I bought. People here write how gorgeous is customer service...but nobody admit, that for premium price they should get premium device. What bull... is this, to contact tech. support several times untill their product start perform as advertised? I just cannot imagine I would had to spend so much time with every electronic device I own...Thank you Garmin, I don't want to be beta tester for premium price you charge anymore...and those blind loyalists should take off their blinds to see the reality ... and better create pressure on GARMIN so their latest products would deliver quality again, as they used to in the past!!!

with a nuvi 350, a 750 and a 760, and gave another 350 as a gift.

I don't see myself switching, until a GPS navigation becomes a common option for a car.

It could happen. Anyone remember when air conditioner wasn't a standard equipment?

Yup! ..... for now.

This is my first Garmin, but I do like the UI quite a bit. I've owned two units before this one, and always picked on perceived price/performance. The features of the Garmin with custom POIs alone may be reason for me to become brand-loyal.

Yes I am, I have 4 GPS, road and off road all Garmin.

I am a lifer Garmin user: my first was a street pilot 2610. That worked its butt off for many years and never failed me. Then I upgraded to a 12oot because I wanted one I could put in my pocket. And it worked even better. I am a truck driver so I wanted something more specific to the trucking industries. I gave my 1200T to my son and got myself a new nuvi 465T.WOW this unit is just what I had hoped it would be. Garmin will always be riding with me in my vehicles. But not before God! So Garmin is Gods copilot as god is mine. Garmin’s corporate office is just 30 miles from my house in Olathe Kansas. As I had mentioned I am a truck driver and have made pickups and deliveries many time at the Garmin location in Olathe. So yes I would say that I am Garmin loyal. Mostly: because they have earned it.
Thanks for your time Garmin.
Freddie