Upgrading: Is Garmin still worth it?

I'm just about to upgrade my Garmin Nuvi 780. How well does the NuLink service work?

Love my 765T and the traffic is not bad. The ads are not as bothersome as I thought they would be. Have my droid available as a back up.

I am with you as I just updated my maps last night without a hitch.

Just got back from a 2500 mile trip and the only problem I had was finding a Walmart store. A couple of times the stores had evidently moved and sold out to a smaller chain.

I was a little disappointed in the rest stop POIs I had downloaded as most of them didn't give the warning I had set. But with the big blue signs it is hard to miss one anyway.

The ads, although initially annoying, only pop up when stopped, and not all the time, they disappear once you get moving.

I also have had problems with a new Garmin 1350LMT. It shut down for no reason and the routing is not as good as my older 205. Seems Garmin still has software issues.

I still love my C340, But can't afford gas!!!!

Your Garmin has nothing to do with apeed or timing for traffic updates. The local authorities are responsible to maintain the FM broadcasts of traffic volume and alerts. We travel a lot and some cities only alert after you're already stopped in that traffic. Jacksonville, FL is the quickest we've seen so far with diverting alerts happening even before the cause is seenand before the backup starts. Washington, D.C. has good info but it's usually way behind the timing for alerts.

I have upgraded to 3760t, Garmin have replaced it 4 times now, as they came broken when delivered, there was no problem in getting them replaced. They are having some software problems, which are slowly being fixed with each update, here in New Zealand we have free maps from http://nzopengps.org/ which are updated each Friday, a new road opened today will be on the next update.
I upgraded because of life time maps, and the trip planner, in hind sight I now wish I had just brought life time maps for the Nuvi 660. By the time I sold the 660 and upgraded the price was almost the same as buying lifetime maps for the 660.
The software problems (which will be fixed) have cause me some grief, the support people here don't seem to give truthful answers.
I like the Garmin's, they are easier to use, adding POI is easy, no matter which model you have they all have similar menus, routing, screens etc. It's just what you get used too I guess.

Should be much trouble to buy and install a new battery, if that's important to you!

Ouch. Those are much bigger than the ones that occasionally pop up on my 765T! I can see that becoming very annoying very quickly.

I took your advice and updated to v4.0. The keyboard is more accurate than it was before. I'm still not impressed with the new models but I still can't bring myself to pull the trigger on the lifetime maps.

Something much better in GPS technology just has to be around the corner. Spending $80 and then kicking myself in 6 months would be very somewhat infuriating. Unfortunately, my maps are old and my area is constantly changing. Not much choice, I guess.

Especially if they prone to burst into flames, like the ones in my 765. Problem is, we use Garmin every day and who knows how long tech service will take to replace the defective batteries and get the unit back to me.

I was wondering whether I would be able to transfer favorites and other saved data to a newer model if needs be?

Based on all of your comments and advice, I updated the firmware on my 756T and finally pulled the trigger and bought the lifetime map updates (from Amazon- cheaper than garmin.com plus garmin.com wanted sales tax; amazon didn't).

Haven't tried it on the road yet, but look forward to it. Glad I didn't have to buy another newer Garmin with the maps.

Thanks again for all your help.

Larry

I had the same problem with my Garmin nuvi 1350lmt, I contacted Garmin support, reinstalled software version 5.30 a few times using Garmin Web Updater, this didn't resolve my problems, sent the GPS back to Garmin for a new replacement since the GPS was less than a month old. I received the new 1350lmt GPS, updated the GPS to software version 5.30, problems returned, I reinstalled 5.30 software again using Garmin Web Updater, now the GPS is no longer shutting/rebooting.

Update from Garmin website, FAQ page

Why does my nuvi 1200, 1300, 1400, series devices reboot or shutdown while navigating an active route?

Email this AnswerPrint this AnswerFrom Email Address To Email Address

02/28/2011

Please note that if your nuvi is experiencing any of the following symptoms, a software update was released in order to help prevent these issues from occurring:

•Unit shuts down while navigating an active route
•Unit reboots while navigating an active route, powers back on, however reboots again once you attempt to View Map on the device
In order to update your nuvi please utilize Garmin's Webupdater program which will update your unit to the latest available software. If your unit continues to experience a rebooting issue please contact Garmin Customer Support for further assistance.

I would be lost, literally, without the Garmin and Jill! The smartphone GPS is nice, and sometimes used for backup, pedestrian activities, etc., but I couldn't use that small screen when travelling across the country. The Garmin is designed for that.

Sometimes Jill and I have disagreements on where or when to turn or stop, but overall she does a commendable job.

5 Garmins and love each one of them. Not sure about the traffic thing since I find them useless from my friend's Garmin. I'll buy another one instead of my smartphone gps.

Agreed. I don't like the look of those at all. They're distracting, verging on dangerous by covering the centre of the map, where the vehicle icon would be, and the text looks too small to read anyway. Glad I don't have those on my unit.

The size of those ads would definitely be a deal-breaker for me. I tolerate the smaller ones on my Nuvi 765T and I admit that I've even clicked on them once or twice, but ads of the size in the pics from the post above would have me searching for other options....

NP

I did say they only pop up when the vehicle is stopped, so annoying yes, but dangerous, no.

They are only there while the vehicle is stopped so I do not consider them annoying.

Yes they only pop-up when stopped however if while stopped you want to glance ahead a few blocks you have to get rid of the ad, the only way to do that short of disabling the traffic alert is to click on the ad then close it, by then, if the reason you're stopped is a red light, you're moving again.

Lifetime update is $83.50
Makes more sense to me to just pay the difference for a new unit that comes with lifetime updates.

True, if you just want a GPS but the older models with mp3 and audible book features are handy. I bought a new car that links to my mp3 player so I now use it instead of the gps, but if you don't want to pay 30K for a new car...

True but as some have said the OLDER units don't have sufficient internal memory and Garmin is not providing updates since there is no room.

Every year or so, I start looking for a new unit. What I find are not so good reviews and the removal of features that I like. So I will continue to stick with the 255W. Lane assist or a bigger screen might be nice, but I don’t like the trade off. Yes the maps are out of date, but most roads don’t move – someday that may get me.

My only interesting incidence of maps being out of date was on a “new” thruway in Canada. I thought the trees (brush) growing in the median looked to be about 10 years old. But the road was not on my then 2 year old Nuvi. So much for having current maps.

only money. It's all a preference thing. Do I need them both? Well maybe, I have two vehicles. The Truck is set up for the 3590 and car for the 3790. An extra $350 spent for the convenience of just carrying the unit to the vehicles and not the mounts also, back and forth. I say yes. When you ask if it's worth it, it's dependent on you, and you alone. Do I want to use a smartphone, iphone, in dash navigation? No I don't. But that's just me. My Garmin's are designed for one thing only, and they are not perfect in design either. I am not a fan of electronic stuff that does a multitude of different things, one of those things is always inferior. Good Luck with what ever you choose.

And in short supply. Last fall I bought a 1450LMT refurb for $78. Now I leave my 1490 in the truck all the time. No need to update the RLC or POIs often. It saves the wear & tear on the USB port.

Been happy with all my Garmins, with the exception of the display issue with my Nuvi 650. That should have lasted longer than it did.

I'm still happy with my 3760 unit. I had an issue with the screen and even though the unit was 2 months out of warranty Garmin took care of me and honored the warranty.

I just picked up a 3790 and love almost everything about it other than what is really different than my 760..... I am getting older and stuck in my ways is just a symptom.

Depends on what map set it uses. Where I live 2013 TeleAtlas maps are more accurate than Navteq maps.

Your situation could be different.

In the Washington, DC area, I find myself choosing my Android cell phone over the Garmin. I suspect that dedicated GPS hardare will soon be a a thing of the past.

where you live. Parts of the country that have experience a lot of growth and new streets will often be frustrated as navtec/garmin can't keep pace. Those in areas where growth is not so fast will likely view Garmin more favorably.
It does make it easier in this age of smartphones (and I have one) to just use it for guidance in a pinch. On road trips though I always pull out my 765T.
Hopefully with less use it will last a long time and I won't have to decide on a new unit.

I have a 660 then got a 885T and will always stay with a Garmin.

I upgraded from my 680 to a 2460, to get a bigger screen. Well worth it -- also has more memory to support map upgrades.

My son did the same thing, upgrading his 660 to a 2460 as well.

So we're still upgrading and sticking with Garmin -- just not the latest and greatest products. Refurbs and last year's models are good enough.

I upgraded from my 680 to a 2460, to get a bigger screen. Well worth it -- also has more memory to support map upgrades.

My son did the same thing, upgrading his 660 to a 2460 as well.

So we're still upgrading and sticking with Garmin -- just not the latest and greatest products. Refurbs and last year's models are good enough.

The competition for Garmin isn't as much TomTom as it is Apple, Google/Android, and the auto manufacturer's builtins.

If you're reading this, you probably share my opinion of the auto manufacturer's systems -- capable of very high levels of overall integration, but impossible to perform simple tasks such as adding custom POIs, and difficult/expensive to update maps.

Apple and Google/Android, the smartphone world, will keep getting better, but nav will never be their number one priority.

Old adage about the bacon and egg breakfast -- the chicken is involved, but the pig is COMMITTED. Nav/maps are a sideline to Apple/Google. It's Garmin's lifeblood!

Things like smart phones will always be second best until they allow for the flexibility that custom POI sets allow for. I think between Waze and Google maps on my phone I'm in pretty good shape, but I still like my Nuvi for things like the Wal Mart POI set. My phone still has problems missing some locations when I do voice command things like "map of wal marts near me." There was one not more than 2 miles from where I was last week, yet it didn't show on the map, it showed the one that was like 10 miles away.

The new ones just have useless junk to go bad

After all the problems I had with my Nuvi 1490 I was reluctant to upgrade to another Garmin.
My two previous units, a 260 and a 265W had been, and still are, running very well in the hands of grateful relatives.
As K6RTM so wisely puts it, I upgraded but not to the latest but to the nearly new.
I plumped for the Nuvi 2555 and so far I am happy with my choice. The user interface is slightly different from previous Nuvi’s but is soon mastered. The unit connects to the satellite signals very fast and the traffic monitoring is far better than the 1490. Junction views are more numerous, due mainly to the greater storage space but we will have to see how big the future map updates are to see if it is enough.
One small point that most probably will not affect most of you, the power cable is now a lot thinner than the 1490’s and at temperatures below freezing turns into a coiled spring, the 1490’s stayed flexible even at quite low temperatures, so I don’t stow the cable in the car overnight.

I recently purchased a 2595 LMT and allowed it to link to the android. The question I have not seen addressed, is the source of the adverts. Are they saved in the map, loaded via the FM traffic signal, or coming in via the metered cell phone tether?

I will be selling my 3490 as soon as the new 3597 is available. I really liked the 5" screen and way it snaps on to the base and the new features available on this unit

I still use my Nuvi 360 but not often as I used to. Gotta charge the battery once in a while.

I think replacing is worth it, you can get a 2455LMT for about $143. But it is never worth upgrading, if you have a working unit. Remember, the device is to assist you to reach a destination. If you have one that works, upgrading to a new one doesn't bring any value to the table.

I've been using Garmin since I bought my first eMap in 1999 with the car power cable. Thing was a black and white lcd, ran on changeable AA batteries then, no WAAS, and only major roads were included. Thing cost me $200 in 1999 which is about $280 today. Guess what? Still works and I still use it to log points when I'm away from the car and for geocaching. Took it on a boat trip with me down in the Florida Key's in 2010. Land or sea that thing will never die even though the last firmware update for it was in 2003.

2009 Bought a Garmin 265T. Yep, still works 4 years later however the rechargeable battery is shot and, unlike my eMap, it's not as easy as just picking up some AA batteries at the store. Pro's though, it's color, it has all roads not just the major ones, speed limits, poi alerts etc. Big upgrade from the eMap. Just this week I decided the 265 needed to be retired. Every year the screen size just kept seeming smaller and smaller with its square 3.5" screen. No lifetime maps so I'd have to shell out some money anyway just to update them. Economically just seemed a better option to get a new GPS with lifetime maps. The man at the store looked to see if there was any trade in value when I got my new GPS, his computer told me to recycle it. No way! It still works great, this is getting passed on to a friend with no GPS.

So just this week I got a 2595LMT. Blown away with the amount of features that have been added in just a few years. Felt like I needed to learn how to use a GPS all over again but I was pleasantly surprised as I was figuring it out. At one point I thought about returning it and going with another model because it was doing things I wasn't expecting and just didn't have the feel I have gotten use to with the 265. But after playing around with it and fixing what I thought were bugs, I've come to like it and have high expectations, like my previous GPS's, that it will last for many many years.

P.S. Even though it is now 14 years old, no, my eMap is not for sale. And just going to show, it's still worth more than 25% of its value (around $55) even after 14 years. Can your 1999 VCR/TV/Computer/Cell Phone do that?

P.S.S. My cell phone in 1999 was a black and white lcd Nokia 5110 and trust me, nobody texted each other even though by then it was possible and the phone could do it.

we've been using that old 275T for years. at some point I had to move EU maps to mSD card as the device itself lacked enough space for both NA & EU maps (it came with both continents, that's how we bought it) after some map updates, but it's not a big problem.

it is still going strong and free traffic updates are not bad and they work fine (Google Navigation traffic on android seems more precise though).

currently the device runs on latest NA maps (bought lifetime map update at some point) and with around 180,000 POIs I update from time to time thanks to this marvelous website