Which Garmin

 

Costco has the Garmin 2598LMTHD, 2557LM and the 56LMT. Its time to replace my nuvi 350. Any recommendations. I would like to stay with Costco because it is so easy to return.

I bought the 2598LTMHD at

I bought the 2598LTMHD in a Costco store almost a month ago. Primarily went with it for the voice command and Bluetooth options, the traffic feature was secondary. Been working great. I posted a huge review of the 2598 on the Costco website under the name "Bennor" on September 18, 2014.

The traffic might be hit or miss depending on your area.

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Nuvi 2598 | Nuvi 350 | eTrex Vista | eTrex 30x

What features

Here is a side-by-side comparison from Garmin:
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/catalog/product/compareResul...

The 2598 has Bluetooth which can be handy if you have a smartphone. It also has voice navigation.

For the other two, the 2557 has Garmin Real Directions while the 56 allows you to see upcoming POI's on your route.

If I had to pick from those 3, I would go for the 56 and save the few bucks. For me traffic isn't really an issue and I haven't used a Smartlink feature so I can't comment on it's usefulness.

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Garmin Nuvi 2450

I would go with the 2598

The traffic feature on these is a nice touch. However, the real directions on the 2557 is nice. I just bought my son a 2558 and the real direction feature is very useful. They all have the lifetime map updates, so I really don't think you can go wrong with any of them. It just depends on the features you are looking for and the amount of money that you want to spend.

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With God, all things are possible. ——State motto of the Great State of Ohio

2557

jfossy wrote:

Here is a side-by-side comparison from Garmin:
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/catalog/product/compareResul...

The 2598 has Bluetooth which can be handy if you have a smartphone. It also has voice navigation.

For the other two, the 2557 has Garmin Real Directions while the 56 allows you to see upcoming POI's on your route.

If I had to pick from those 3, I would go for the 56 and save the few bucks. For me traffic isn't really an issue and I haven't used a Smartlink feature so I can't comment on it's usefulness.

The Garmin comparison is a good one. Given the slight added MSRP price for the 2557 over the 56, if I didn't want traffic, I'd probably buy the 2557 assuming Costco wants just a $20 or so premium above the 56 pricing so that I could gain Real Directions. If you want traffic, then go for the 2598.

Feature comparison

Basically the feature breakdown difference between the three units sold by Costco are as follows.

nüvi® 56LMT
Garmin MSRP: $159.99 USD

  • View upcoming points of interests along route.

nüvi® 2557LMT
Costco Price: $99.99 ($119.99 less $20 manufacturer discount valid 9/24/14 - 10/26/14)

  • Garmin Real Directions
  • Traffic receiver and lifetime traffic included*

nüvi® 2598LMTHD
Costco Price: $169.99

  • Garmin Real Directions
  • Traffic receiver and lifetime traffic included (HD traffic receiver)
  • Bluetooth
  • Voice activated navigation (operate device with spoken commands)
  • Smartphone Link compatible

* It should be noted the Costco website says Nuvi 2557LM, not 2557LMT. They don't mention the traffic option on the Costco website for the 2557. It appears if it really is the 2557LM then its traffic compatible but the traffic cable and traffic subscription isn't included.

When I bought the 2598 from Costco last month, Costco wasn't selling the 2557 at the time. The 56LMT isn't listed on the Costco website. Don't remember what the Costco store price was for the 56LMT. I think it was $40 less than the 2598 at the time ($129?) but I could be wrong.

If the 2557 is cheaper than the 56 then its probably a better overall deal if one doesn't need or want the; Smartlink, Traffic, Bluetooth and Voice Command features.

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Nuvi 2598 | Nuvi 350 | eTrex Vista | eTrex 30x

b_chapman wrote: Costco has

b_chapman wrote:

Costco has the Garmin 2598LMTHD, 2557LM and the 56LMT. Its time to replace my nuvi 350. Any recommendations. I would like to stay with Costco because it is so easy to return.

For me, Garmin in general is the only way to go. Have always had Garmin but strayed away to TomTom once. Huge mistake. Top of the line model 1605, NO Bluetooth!

Anyway, dumped that junk real fast and purchaced a Garmin 2797LTM. Beautiful unit, huge screen, excellent voice recognition. Back in the Garmin fold and real glad to be back. Keep in mind though, that if you are thinking about this model, it is a large unit.

I suppose

If I were really trying to save money, I'd be tempted to get a few homing pigeons and have them in mu var as directional aids. smile

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Never argue with a pig. It makes you look foolish and it anoys the hell out of the pig!

2797LTM

Been looking at this unit for a while and have been waiting for a good price deal (maybe Black Friday)
I like the idea of the larger screen but was wondering if the voice recognition was up to scratch.

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Nuvi2797LMT (2) Nuvi260,Ford Sync3 Navigation. Captain Cook was a Yorkshire man too.

Costco gives you an

Costco gives you an additional year warranty and i am not sure if this is the case in the USA but that is the case in Canada. You cant go wrong with Costco and with the return policy.