when to let go of Garmin?

I agree, I find I'm using my smart phone and Goggle Maps more and more, It has live traffic updates with detours and the NUVI don't. Plus it's one less thing to grab running out the door.

Let it go when you stop using it, it really is that simple. I have 2 NUVI's, a 750 and a 3597. The last time I updated the maps in them it took about 2 hrs. I don't have a cell phone so that isn't an option and I really didn't want to pay $3000.00 for the factory GPS when we bought the Sonata. Each NUVI has been assigned a car and stays in that car, the only time they are taken out is for map or poi updates.

I am not married to either of my NUVIs and they will be trash canned when they break or become unused. I used to use maps for navigating and I had a glove box full of them. When I bought my first NUVI the maps went in the trash.

I only use my nuvi for POIs on major long trips and my phone for day-to-day needs.

Well it depends on your nuvi and where you live. I am in the UK and have a 2508 with digital traffic, so I get live traffic and detours. I wouldn't be without it and certainly wouldn't use a smart phone even though I have one.

Same here in the San Francisco Bay area. The Nuvi and digital traffic/Smartphone-Link traffic and weather works very well.

I found using the cell phone for navigation to be awkward. The routing and traffic is no better than the Nuvi's routing and traffic.

I drive around basically with the Nuvi on all the time. I have a meager 1GB/Mon data plan. With my average driving of ~1000Miles/per month, I use <10MB/month and there is no need for me to worry about data.

I can see two reasons to keep the nuvi and occasionally perform updates on it:

-use the nuvi in a rental car, at least when there's an extra fee for a GPS by the rental company

-use it in your car when the built in nav system has outdated maps and you're not willing to pay the price for an update

And if you use Custom POIs and your built in nav system can't use custom POIs or the installation is difficult, the nuvi will come in handy.

I've never used a built in system. Do most or all offer school zone alerts, junction views, traffic, etc? If not, that'd be another reason to keep and use the nuvi.

My previous Ford had a built in system, it was useless.

Apart from which I like to plan a fair bit in the house rather than sit in the car doing it

Certainly didn't have junction view etc.

My 1968 Ford, for some reason, does not have an expensive Sat NAV built in, so I expect to use a Garmin or equivalent for as long as I am able to drive. Really don't want to return to paper maps like I used when the car was 4 years old.

I use my Garmin Nuvi mostly for Interstate Highway travel because the Lane assist with Bird’s Eye view and photoReal junction views is a great help with confusing interchanges. All other travel I use Google Maps or Waze.

I have a really slow internet connection and it takes about 8 hours to update maps. So I make sure to update the maps overnight and when I wake up they're done.

For me, the decision is easy - I'm stickin' with my trusted Nuvi 1450. Why? Because I don't own a smart phone, that's why. Besides, my Garmin is my hobby and I enjoy keeping it up-to-date with the maps and my own POI's.

Phil

I have a Nuvi for each car, even the one with build in Nav. The built in Nav systems get out of date and I can't see paying what they want for a new map install. I can buy a Garmin with lifetime map updates for once they want for one map.

Agree. The Camrys are $100-150 once a year for an update. I never saw the bargain.

They don't do it to sell cars. It's more of a "get in your pocket" item like tire rotation.

I have to agree with you. The above items make my NUVI worth using on long trips. It was definitely a lifesaver in Atlanta where intersections would have been a nightmare for this country boy.

I also rely on Google and Waze for around town.

I would keep the NUVI up to date. Have you looked into the price of map updates on you factory unit? It will be a few years before I drop the cash on updates but I update my Garmins with every update that is released.

I'll keep my PNG, and buy another when it goes tit's up. In dash nav's don't interest me, nor does using my cell unless needed in a pinch.

I have a factory-installed that I never use. Instead I use a 2555 mounted on the dash, and live with the USB cable.

Factory is useless for most things, out of line-of-site, lacks detail, is out-of-date, and updates are infrequent to non-existent, and cost the same as a new Nuvi every year. It's the functional equivalent of a 10yr-old Garmin (if that).

And, most importantly, POI files cannot be added to the factory one (your vehicle brand may differ).

I'd like to see all factory Navs dumped, hand over the task to the actual Nav builders (Garmin, TomTom, Magellan, etc.) who specialize in this stuff, come up with a universal mount, and ideally design a "toaster"-style system that rises out of top-of-the dash where it can be seen and then hides away when off. (Is that too much tom ask?)

Updates for me take about an hour to download, and I never get crashes. Update system is pretty stable for me, and not inconvenient at all. I'm still using the older MapUpdater, not GarminExpress.

Garmin does have an interesting 7" after-market GPS/multimedia system that can be installed on automobiles in the Asian (Taiwan) market. But in the usual Garmin marketing strategy, there is no equivalent systems in the North America/EU market.

NAVTUNE 7190 2DIN integrated car multimedia navigation system

Google translated Link
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&js=y&p...

Original Links

http://www.garmin.com.tw/m/buzz/tw/minisite/NavTune7190/

http://www.garmin.com.tw/products/ontheroad/navtune7190/#fea...

I'll continue to use my Nuvi until the OEM built-in units give us the capability to add POI's and update maps thru 3rd party sources instead of paying thru the nose for a map update.

You have Lifetime maps on your GARMIN which means FREE updates. Wait until you goto the dealership and ask them for an update to the onboard NAV System. Hold on to your socks. You might find out that you will be paying more for the factory update than you did for you GARMIN and that is for "1" update. I have a 2011 GMC Yukon with onboard navigation, maps must be updated by DVD that spins behind the radio. Onstar does provide updates to traffic everyday. But I have found over time with all of the new construction going on in the major cities my GARMIN is much more reliable and up to date with maps and traffic. Do not see myself spending $175 to $200 to update the factory system which is no comparision to the GARMIN. GARMIn updates are FREE...

Just my thoughts...

After owning numerous GPS devices over nearly 10 years, I conclude that there is no way a factory installed GPS Nav system will not be obsolete in just a couple years, long before the end of useful life of the vehicle.

For that reason, I will never own a car with a built-in factory navigation system.

Look at how often we update firmware and maps, and other GPS apps. I do not want to have to do that with a built-in nav system and be forced to go to a dealer to do this.

I'll stick with options like handheld and smartphone based nav solutions.

Do you drive in rural areas? If yes, the smartphone may be less reliable.

I have a 1450lm and a droid turbo both have up to date maps and for now I use both, for now that works fine but the smart phones are getting better at some time I can see the phone replacing things like garmin for now I will continue to use it!

because I don't have to take it out when I leave the vehicle.

Portable GPS is still useful on roadtrip where cellular signal is not guaranteed.

Or the trunk for emergencies...

3 main reasons!
1st red light and speed cameras! thank you POI Factory!
2nd all the POI's I download from the POI Factory! Thank you everybody!
3rd The selection of voices I cant stand the factory nav voice!
until the factory Nav's allow you access to add to them and have other voices than just the female robot...
Long live the garmin nuvi!

I use my nuvi only for breadcrumb trails and POI alerts. Bluetooth flakiness of zumo makes me wish cell phone coverage were better then I'd link my phone to my helmet instead of GPS.

Agree. If google allowed larger offline map an old android would work great!

Portable Garmin's, one for each CX-5. Each car has Tom-Tom Nav built in, but they're still not as good as the Garmin units.

AND, each car has differences between 2015 and 2016 that make you want to strangle people. The older CX-5 Tom-Tom is actually better.

The Nuvi's are still the way to go when you travel and have a rental car - they are reliable and cut down on driving while distracted - it's tough enough getting used to a new car without having to learn a new nav system or fumble with a mobile device.

I have a 2798LMT 7" screen and it's way way better particularly with junction views, birds eye views, lane changes, etc. than a smartphone screen all day long.

I was wondering if the Google maps navigation would be enough until this last week when we were driving down a back, country road when all of a sudden, I got a Speed Camera alert from my Garmin. I immediately checked to ensure that I was going the speed limit when over the hill there were the cameras! I have no idea why they were set out in the middle of nowhere, but Garmin and the POI Factory saved me the cost of a new GPS. So in unfamiliar territories, I think I will stick with Garmin.

I continue to use my Garmin despite the fact both cars have factory GPS because the maps on the Garmin can be updated regularly for free. Updating maps for the car is $149 per car per year. Cell phone GPS is useful but sometimes I don't have a good cell signal in places I travel.

The two main reasons I will hang on to my Nuvi until it dies. I have a factory Nav system, but it's in a 2007 model car and the maps haven't been updated since I purchased it....last time I checked Ford wanted $200+ for a map update DVD. No way. It also doesn't have red light and speed cam capability. Thanks to this site, the Nuvi DOES and has a current version of the map.

I'm wondering if you are retired....my last 4 jobs required me to have one, and provided them. The current one went to a BYOD model. Must be reachable 24/7--not really something I would be able to opt out of. It would be like telling your employer, I don't work more than 40 hours....

I totally agree with you. I wouldn't buy a vehicle with a in dash nav... and as far as using a cell phone to navigate by, who really wants to try and navigate using a 2 1/2" screen when a Garmin with 7" screen would work soo much better.

Nuvi1300WTGPS

My Garmin Nuvi 3590 has a 5 inch screen. My smartphone has nearly a 6 inch screen with a lot better clarity than my Nuvi. If Garmin would reintroduce the Viago app and support it with updates I would purchase it and retire my Nuvi because my smartphone's screen is a lot crisper with higher resolution and a bit larger than my Nuvi's.

And I have to admit I hate carrying two devices around when I travel out of state.

Still using my 1390T with the large .JCV. Thanks to the guys here for uploading and posting the links for the files. I really appreciate it. No way I'm paying $3-4000 for a factory Nav system in a vehicle. I can use the money for something else. The Garmin 1390T might be old but still works fine. I'll buy another Garmin when this one no longer gets support.

To each his own, but I always carry my Garmin when I travel, if for nothing else, for the real-time traffic. It's far better than the NAV systems in any of my three cars (two Lexus and a Chrysler).

A number of times, I've run the Garmin and the factory nav at the same time just to see which is more accurate on a long trip....Garmin wins hands-down every time.

Just my Humble Opinion.....

The clock strikes 4 and I'm out the door.

It's so nice to have a job where it doesn't matter if like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, my head is full of straw

cell phones have more then they used to, they have turn by turn voice instructions, heads up display for night driving ,rout computing ,trip logs, speed limit warnings, poi, lane assistant junction view, celebrity voices , off line maps , life time updates, you can use it in an auto on foot in town and they keep getting better ! I have sygic gps and gas buddy to find the cheapest gas in the area I'm in I even have a fishing program to remember fishing spots on lakes or in the bay on the phone . yes I still use my Garmin but I'm using it less and less . and I know there are better gps programs out there for my cell phone then I have now , all I'm waiting for now is the beam me up scotty feature lol

I like my Nuvi's & Zumo 100% over trying to use a smartphone, I like a dedicated GPS.

The smartphones are cool with all the junk they can do, for instance I don't always carry a camera, for those spur of the moment shots the camera in the phone is cool, but if I know I'm going somewhere I want to take pictures and I want really good quality shots I'll use a real camera.

I have a Jeep with a built in Garmin based GPS, it has junction view and, although a bit more involved, I can add POI's to it. Where I live and travel most often I haven't noticed any changes on the maps of my Nuvi/Zumo and I update them every time there's an update to have, so the out of date maps hasn't been a problem, and yes the built in maps are expensive, $150. I also like that the built in is always at the ready and doesn't need to be put away each time. That said, I do keep a Nuvi in my workbag in the Jeep so if I needed a backup to the built in ...

I use my Nuvi mainly at work as a rolling map, it's always on so I can see the area around me. I work in road construction and one of the things we do is paving, I need to be able to see the area at a glance so I know how to get around without driving on the new asphalt.

I use the Zumo on my bike to find my way home after getting lost for awhile.

I need my phone to be a phone with a nicely charged battery, but it's nice to be able to use it in a pinch if needed as a map.

For me, there's a place for all the different mapping sources.

We have a 1490T that we've used for quite a few years. I did do a battery replacement. Otherwise I just keep it up to date and use it when we're going somewhere we don't know well, and every now and again just to power it up and keep the battery from going flat. I've used GE since it came out and have never had a problem with it. Not really interested in built in Nav systems. As has been remarked, it's kind of a hobby.

Sometimes on longer trips I'll take the Garmin, but primarily use my smart phone. Hey Rigel, does your 1968 Ford have a blue COLD light?

I have a Nuvi 2450
Android Smart phone with several gps apps
Tablet
Built in car system

All are good and I use phone and car for around town.

But, when on trips and I need the best I always use the Nuvi with the car and phone as backups..

You can not beat the Nuvi. It is by far the best to use. It is inconvenient to remember to get it for short trips, and is not needed for short trips. But when I want routes and to be able to find and do things quickly it can't be beat...

I like the Nuvi for the POI and red light cameras. Chicago is trying to find every way to extort money from the citizens so it is essential. Very annoying in some parts of city where it is going off constantly due to red light cameras.

As you see, you have important pros and cons to your question. Now you can make well informed decision

As you see, there is no clear choice for dropping Garmin and using something else. If you think you outgrow you Garmin than just let it go. But keep it for a while, and get to it after some time. Than you will really see, if exchanging Garmin for something else is good decision for you.

Great suggestion, grzesja

I completely agree with GRZESJA. Some people prefer the apparent convenience of a smart phone or an in-dash NAV unit. I don't think there is a single, clearly-defined moment when a person decides to adopt a new system. Rather, we "test" out these new technologies - and either quickly reject the new system or slowly accept the new technology.

I have tried my smart phone with HERE and have a built-in NAV system. But I still prefer my Garmin.

I completely agree with GRZESJA. Some people prefer the apparent convenience of a smart phone or an in-dash NAV unit. I don't think there is a single, clearly-defined moment when a person decides to adopt a new system. Rather, we "test" out these new technologies - and either quickly reject the new system or slowly accept the new technology.

I have tried my smart phone with HERE and have a built-in NAV system. But I still prefer my Garmin.