I spent a lot of time trying out GPS units, and have compared Garmin, Tom Tom, Magellan, and several factory GPS units. All of these GPS units tell you how to get somewhere and will re-route if you make a wrong turn. However, Garmin is my absolute favorite, and here's why:

1. The most important thing about Garmin units is the user interface. It is simple to understand and easy to use.

2. The Garmin unit uses a built in database of sunrise and sunset times (based upon your location) to automatically change from daylight mode to night-time mode. This is important because the daylight screen is much too bright for use at night. With the Tom Tom, you must make this change manually.

3. If you have the Garmin unit plugged into your car power, when you turn off the car (and the cigarette lighter power goes off), the Garmin unit will detect that and automatically turn itself off (it gives you 30 seconds to override and keep the unit on).

4. When you start your car again, the Garmin unit will detect that too and automatically power up. If you were in the middle of a trip, the Garmin unit will pick up where you left off, and you won't have to tell it where you were going again.

5. Unlike most factory GPS units, Garmin will allow you to select your route and make changes while you are moving.

6. The Garmin units have an extensive database of locations and the excellent interface makes it easy to search the database to find what you want. Do you want food or gas? Just click three buttons and a list of locations (sorted by distance) will appear. If you know the name of the place you want, you can type it in on the on-screen keypad and Garmin will find it for you. You can even add your own locations using the favorites feature. I first started using this when I was out of town, but its amazing what you'll find near you when you look.

7. While you are driving, the Garmin unit will both prompt you to turn and give you a written explanation of the turn (including the street or highway name and direction) at the top of the screen. The Garmin unit also shows an estimated arrival time (usually a few minutes earlier than you'll actually arrive) and the distance to your next turn. A separate screen gives you detailed trip information, including how far and how long you've been driving and your maximum speed. I used mine on an airplane once (yes, it is allowed - read the back of the airplane magazine), and it now says that by maximum speed was 590 miles per hour.

8. I often use the Garmin even when driving locally, becase it often finds better, faster ways to get there then the way that I usually use.

9. Garmin offers a variety of installation options and accessories. My favorite is the friction based dashboard mount (three weights connected to a center stand) which is much more convenient than the supplied mounting system.

10. If you turn off the GPS receiver (see settings) and then look up another location, you will get the option to set this new location as your present location. This will allow you to use search Garmin's points of interest for the new location. This is a great feature when planning trips, because Garmin's points of interest database is quite extensive and includes all of the typical tourist attractions, plus food, shopping, gas, banking, etc.

11. Be sure to check for the latest map and firmware updates at Garmin's web-site.

I bought this GPS for my 60-something year old mother as a birthday gift. I bought it specifically with her in mind because of its simplicity. Many GPS systems have a multitude of buttons, confusing menu systems and exotic options. The StreetPilot series is very simple and straightforward, and having the large screen (for a unit of its size) was a big selling point for me.

The unit is about the size of a baseball and reminds me of a tiny version of Apple's original iMac computer. There are very few external controls; only a power button and a volume dial. Every other function is controlled through the large (for its size) touch screen. There's also a "docking port" on the back which mates to the mounting arm and provides power, a port for an external antenna, and a mini USB port for connecting it to a computer. The unit contains a (sealed) rechargeable battery which is good for about 3-4 hours -- handy if you suddenly find yourself stuck on the road and need to walk to the nearest gas station or hotel for assistance.

It ships with a suction cup swing-arm thing that you can attach to your windshield; the GPS mounts to the arm so you can position it to your liking. It also ships with an adhesive pad if you want to permanently mount it on your dashboard, a DC adapter for your cigarette lighter, a 128MB memory card (good for two small states or one medium/large state), a Windows CD containing the application and maps, and the owner's guide. No surprises there. It is my understanding that Garmin now offers a Mac OS X application although I have not tried it.

Setup is a piece of cake. Charge up the GPS (mine shipped with a half-charge on the battery already) and insert the SD card. Install the software on your computer, connect the USB cable, select which states you want on the GPS and download them. When it's time to go, mount the unit in a location in the car where it will have good outward visibility (e.g., the base of your windshield) and plug in the power cord. One really clever/useful feature: The unit will automatically shut off (after asking you if you want to continue on battery power) when you turn the car off, and will automatically power up when you turn the car on. It does this through a simple voltage check through the power cord. Not very high tech, but effective and useful.

There's one bad thing about the physical design of the StreetPilot which has been mentioned by others before me: The screen quickly gets washed out in everyday lighting conditions. You often find yourself adjusting the GPS so you can see SOMETHING. There are two solutions to this problem. Solution #1 is to fashion a sort of hood for the GPS. (I worked with a local shop to make a small opaque plastic hood which I Velcro'ed to the top, which works flawlessly.) Solution #2 is to put the GPS off the dashboard (up near the rear view mirror works especially well) and then run an external antenna. The problem is bad enough that I'm removing a full star from my rating of this product; had Garmin put a better screen in this unit I would have given it a full five stars.

One thing I thought was particularly nice: At sunset, the GPS automatically shifts colors to a "night mode" which uses darker colors so as not to blind you during night driving. At sunrise it switches back. This isn't a Garmin-specific feature but it's nice to see nonetheless.

You can preprogram a number of favorite locations into the GPS which makes it a lot easier to work with. You also program your home location into it so that at any time you can "GO HOME" with the click of a single button. It also contains an astonishing amount of information about regional businesses; you can tell it to locate gas stations, restaurants, hotels, shopping, amusement parks or virtually any other type of business in your area, and plot directions to those locations with a quick button press or two. Very simple.

Directions are called out clearly in a mechanical-yet-female sounding voice. You quickly learn to pay attention to the verbiage in use; "turn left" is different from "stay left" or "merge left", for example. Directions are given according to speed and location. When you enter a highway, for example, you are told how long it will be before you get off the highway ("in 12.2 miles, keep right") and then as you approach the turn you're reminded again ("in 400 feet, keep right"). If you're caught in traffic it won't drive you insane with mindless repetitions. One REALLY nice feature: If you miss a turn, the GPS will automatically announce, "off route; recalculating" and within a second or two plot you an alternate route based on your current position. It bears mentioning that while the C320 does not call out street names or exit numbers the screen does display this information, so the GPS screen may show "Bear right at exit 17A" but the voice will say only "in .5 miles bear right". Many of Garmin's higher-end systems will call out the street names and such so if you must have that feature you'll need to look at something other than the c320.

Of course, any GPS is only worthwhile if its maps are accurate. My c320 shipped with version 6 of the map software which were not flawless but were quite good. On 10-07-2006 I updated the maps to version 8 and found that several minor errors that existed in the version 6 maps had been corrected, and a number of points of interest had similarly been updated. It is my understanding that Garmin ships the most current map software as they're updated. (The 2820 that I purchased in 2006 came with version 8 of the map software which is the most current as of this writing.) Note that you will need at least a 1GB memory card to install all maps; a 2GB card is recommended (by me) so that you can have all maps and as many custom points of interest that you want. The c320 uses a standard SD card; as of this writing a 2GB card can be purchased for less than 40 bucks. One minor annoyance: The c320 has a USB 1.x interface rather than the faster USB 2 interface. Transferring all maps -- about 950MB -- takes between 45 minutes and an hour. Fortunately you only need to do this once.

Garmin also has a very nice and painless method of updating the software in the unit. Connect the GPS to your Windows PC (no Mac support) via USB, then download and run Garmin's free WebUpdate application. It will detect your GPS model and then contact Garmin's servers for any applicable software updates. (You may need to run the updater several times to get all of the updates.) My c320 shipped with version 3.2 of the system software; after running WebUpdate it brought the Garmin to version 5.3 which contained a number of bug fixes and performance updates.

I would definitely buy this product, or another Garmin product, again. In fact, I did! I purchased the Garmin StreetPilot 2820 for my own personal use. (You can see my review of it here on Amazon as well.)

I am a Police Officer in a large city and was recently transfered to a new section of which I had no knowledge of the streets. The key map I had did the job but gave me a headache evertime I used it because I just didn't know the area and didn't know what I was looking for. I researched the various GPS systems and decided on the Garmin c320 and was not disappointed. The first night I used it I was able to imput very quickly the addresses I needed to get to and it took me straight there. The verbal commands were very clear in the British English voice (don't use the American voice- it sounds like a computer). The second night I used it when there was a Home Invasion in progress and I had no idea where it was. I quickly put the address into the GPS and followed its directions and arrived in about 8 minutes, well before the other police units, who knew the area well but were having trouble finding this one location.
I have tested it for two weeks now and I feel confident that I can get anywhere at anytime. One weakness though is the mapping system which I think is the weakness of all GPS systems. There needs to be a better and more accurate update system since it was unable detect the newer subdivisions and the new highways being built in the city. At one point the GPS told me to turn left but there was a new toll road blocking my path. Knowing that the street I wanted came out on the other side I drove about a mile and then turned and the GPS quickly recalculated a new pathway and took me to where I wanted to go. But still I think there should be quicker updates for users.
Another weakness is driving into the downtown area. I asked it to find police headquarters in downtown Houston and it did great until I got in-between the buildings and then lost the signal. The entire time downtown I was unable to use the device.
But overall I am very happy with it and can't imagine driving the streets of Houston without it. I rode with another officer who was also new to the area and showed him how it worked and he was blown away by it and probably made a sale for the Garmin people.

This is the device to get if you want to use it for a single city or state. If you are a traveller I would probable get the c330 since it has the entire US already in its system.

I bought my c320 from an ebay seller new for $287 b/c the reviews on it's performance were very high. I'm extremely impressed with the c320 and really do not know how I managed to live in Chicago without it. It's like satellite radio - after a taste, you cannot go back. The size is portable and touchscreen is large and vivid. The voice directions are easy on the ears and not chatty which was my original fear. It's user-friendly and I enjoy the simplicity of use. I tried the Lowrans GPS systems, but found them difficult to use. And I'm a tech gadget freak. The c320 has been very accurate charting routes around Chicago. I admit to intentionally missing my routes so it will automatically recalculate a new route. Oh, the little joys in life! I would highly recommend purchasing a 1gb memory card from Kingston for $19.99 on Amazon. I've downloaded all U.S. states onto mine. I packed it on business trips for use in my rental car. It's a great value and strong performer from Garmin family for less than $300. Picking up a carry case is probably a good idea. Amazon has that too. Vive le c320!

I purchased the SreetPilot III about four years ago and found to be accurate and very easy to use. So when it came time to upgrade the Map software I decided to buy the C320 instead of spending $100+ to just get the new version 8 Map software.

Garmin has definitely improved not only the Map software but has written much better operating software. The software now finds the satellites quickly, and it doesn't lose contact with them either. The software performance is also much faster. A route from Washington DC to New York would take the StreetPilot III at least 3 minutes to calculate while the same rout now takes the C320 less than a minute.

I also purchased 1 GB card and loaded all of USA on it. The 1GB card was was less than purchasing the C330 which had all of the maps pre-loaded on it

I highly recommend this GPS, with only one reservation; that is: the screen does get washed out in daylight lighting conditions. But I believe the recommendation to create hood for the GPS will solve this issue. But for around $300 you are not going to find a better GPS and it is an excellent deal.

This is the first GPS I've owned. Just got back from a trip to New England and used the C320 extensively there. It never steered me wrong, and the detour feature came in handy in Boston where there were some Big Dig related closures. It seemed to know about every little dirt road in Vermont (though I wish it had a way to include more detail about the road type). It was fast in calculating and recalculating routes. This model does not speak street names but was not a problem. The suction mount holds onto glass VERY well. The touch screen is sensitive and the user interface intuitive. I NEVER had an issue with satellite reception (except in tunnels, naturally- and when emerging it would pinpoint location again in seconds).

An important note: the Amazon product description says an AC adapter is included but it is not. The Garmin box does not list it as an included item, and the Garmin website does not list it either. My guess is it used to include one but no longer does and Amazon has not updated their description. Note however that the device charges through the USB port when connected to the PC, and I was able to use my (USB) cellphone charger on it as well. And of course the mounting cradle plugs into your cigarette lighter so it's kept charged in the car.

I do have a few quibbles. When using "shortest route" option it can send you on some odd paths. Claiming that you are a "truck" can eliminiate some of the back-road routes. Fastest route seems to work best. If you miss a turn, and have included UTurns in "avoidances," it can send you on quite a big loop rather than just having you turn around at then next intersection. It can be hard to read in bright sunlight. And it's "points of interest" seem to cover things like gas stations and tourist destinations well, but fall short on shopping.

Overall, I don't hesitate to recommend this as a good midpriced GPS option.

I recently moved to the Phoenix area and have to drive all over the Valley. This unit does live up to their promise out of the box. If you go to Garmin's website, you can download updated drivers, computer to c320 unit interface that allows you to customize the unit for your purposes. With the standard SD card slot, you can upload huge areas with good detail. The address or site imput is quick and easy and the detail is so good that it will even tell you on which side of the street a location is. This unit saves me so much time and trouble travelling from point to point. I cannot wait to download 3D topo maps for off-higway driving.

I have been very pleased with the StreetPilot. It is very useful on patrols at night where street signs can be difficult to read and house numbers missing. I found the loading instructions easy to follow and was able to make full use of it the first day.

The only reason this doesn't get five stars is because it's not perfect, but it's very very good. When driving on some curvy back roads in West Virginia it got a bit confused about the proper route and took me through a private neighborhood with only one exit, the way I came in. I was also searching for a gas station while I was there and found that gas stations it had listed were no longer there and there were others that existed elsewhere. A little frustrating when the gas light has been on for a few minutes. I have not experienced any of these issues in Virginia, where I live.

Other than that, the detour button is helpful and has already saved me a lot of frustration. I've also started being adventurous on my ride home from work letting the GPS recalculate the best route after each time I disobey its recommendation.

Additionally, you should purchase a 1 gig SD card to accompany the c320 because the new version 8 of the maps software will fit all of the US and Canada on that one card. Perfect for cross country excursions!

I would recommend this to anyone wanting a high quality GPS for a very low cost!

October 17, 2006 Update: Still thrilled with the unit. The POS can be somewhat spotty though -- today we went looking for Cosi Restaurant in New Rochelle NY that was in the directory, however, it was not where the unit directed us. This has happened on a few ocassions in different places, however, the purpose of this unit is to prevent you from getting lost and to facilitate the discovery of more efficient routes (both of which it does almost flawlessly). I think that perhaps I should get a BlackBerry if I would like to locate a cup of coffee or a Macys.

Another thing that is really cool is that you can view the surrounding roads in varying levels of detail. This is important if you're trying to figure out how to navigate around something like a roadblock or a back-up. I've discovered many shortcuts this way.

I know some people have some sour grapes with this unit. However, it's less than $300. I've bought computers for 4 times as much and put up with a heck of a lot more dysfunction. Computers are not perfect, and a GPS unit is no exception. However, I cannot remember the last time I spent $300 on a piece of electronics that worked this well.

We also called Garmin for a replacement suction cup, as it had adhered too stubbornly to my windshield to remove properly (I've got a rubber bullseye now, but the suction cup still works on my husband's car). This is a potentially annoying thing, but they were very helpful on the phone and didn't ask us to send the defective suction cup back.

I still recommend this unit 100%. I only wish I could get commission for the units that people bought on my recommendation.


After years of waiting for prices on GPS units to decrease to a reasonable cost, I was very excited to purchase the C320. We used it over the weekend to get from Westchester County, NY to Queens and then from Queens to Manhattan, and then onto Philadelphia. The accuracy was spot on and it was uncanny how we were able to track our exact location and view our progress. I also enjoyed viewing the trip stats -- time moving, time stopped, avg. MPH, highest speed, etc. The interface is very intuitive and easy to use -- if you can use a Microwave, you can use this GPS. The display was easy to read both at night and during the day. I don't have a single negative thing to say about the unit. It is probably the best $300 expenditure I've made in recent years.

Purchased unit several months ago. Used in Southern California region. Has been reliable. Straigh-forward features. Easy to use. Much driving time saved.

Warranty issue with mount being loose. Unable to tighten further. Contacted Garmin. Replacment sent via UPS 2 Day. No charge. Outstanding warranty service. Outstanding.

Dependable gps unit, second to none warranty, and a great value. In addition, an American company. Very satisfied with product and service.

Pros: Cheap, Touch Screen, Fast.
Cons: Comes with Maps version 6 instead of 7, Glare.

For the price (318.00) I don't think you can get a better product. I did a LOT of research before buying this and it really paid off. This GPS will give you clear voice directions turn-by-turn with great accuracy. Sometimes it misspells streets and minor details but it's rare. Also you should do the firmware update and order maps version 7.0 (free). After the firmaware update you will have to do a hard reset by turning it off then turning it on while touching the bottom left corner of the screen and saying yes when prompted. (search on google for hard reset). The only thing that bugs me is that version 7.0 is been around for more than a year and they still ship v. 6.0. Anyway, I love it and it was one of the best buys I ever made.

Got the C320 for a trip to California. Was able to load Arizona, all California, and a couple more states on the included SD card. Routing was easy to use, did have some problems acquiring satellite signal downtown in between tall buildings (drove in the general direction of where I thought I needed to go until satellite signal was picked up).

Took it also on a trip to Kansas City. Also some problem acquiring satellite signal initially. Had a highway entrance ramp that was closed, and had to 'guess' whether to go east or west on another freeway. After making the guess and following the new freeway, the GPS recalculated the route quickly and took me to my destination.

Had a problem with the mounting system...there's a lever to flip down for the suction cap to attach to the windshield. This lever worked at first, then stopped working (required too much force). Rather than forcing it and breaking it, I looked closely at the mount and saw that one of the pins that the lever pivoted on was loose. Shaking the mount a few times until the pin fell back into position fixed the problem. If shaking it a few times did not work, a convenient tool to use (for pushing the pin back in) is the plug from any headphone.

Also bought an 1 GB SD card for $20 and now have the entire US map loaded in the memory (no more loading maps before trips).

In summary...

Pros:
1. Easy to use, touch screen nice and faster then other data entry systems.
2. Fast route re-calculation.
3. Removable SD card allows inexpensive memory upgrade.
4. SD card better than hard drive - no worries about hard drive crashes.

Con:
1. Mounting bracket has problem with pin falling out
2. Voice volume sometimes not loud enough
3. Voice instruction tells distance to turn, but not street name (requires looking at the screen to see street name)
4. Sometimes routing is not best - will take you on small streets, even a gravel road (turned out to be blocked)
5. Entering custom POI's not very intuitive or easy

Conclusion:
For the price, it's a great value and gets its work done. It's dependable, though it's good to have a general idea where you are going (like north or south) even if you use GPS systems.

This is a terrific unit that calculates\recalculates very fast! Miss a turn? No problem. The 320 will recalculate your trip in 1-3 seconds and inform you of the new instructions and the POI (Points of Interest) are among the best out there at any price.
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br /I use it even in areas where I know where I do not need directions. The reason is because I found that POIs come in very handy when I want a new place to eat or need to call ahead. I use it mostly for for locating resteraunts or calling in To-Go orders if I'm in a hurry.
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br /Loading maps is as easy as sending email but the supplied SD card is a bit small if you travel across many states. I bought a very inexpensive 2g SD card and loaded the entire US with room to spare. Now that I have the US loaded I expect to never touch the card again and have since deleted the maps from my computer.
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br /The only two complaints I have with this unit are the screen and suction mount.
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br /The screen must be tilted down away from the sun to see it. Thanks to the voice turn by turn instructions I find it is not necessary to see it, but I do wish it were brighter.
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br /The suction mount failed after only a few months. I opted for a friction mount from Amazon and couldn't be happier. It is easy to move from car to car and stays where I put it.
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br /As good as it is I'm giving it 4 stars because of the mount and less than bright screen. If you can find it at a good price and decide to get it you will receive a nice and very capable unit that will serve you well. However, Garmin has the 330 and 340 now which are basically the same unit but have pre-loaded maps and the 340 reads the streets for you. If money is a concern get the 320. Otherwise, go with the 330 or 340 but be ready to accept the screen and suction mount issues. You won't get a brighter screen unless you pony up quite a bit more cash, or decide to go with another brand and risk trading off some features and getting a smaller POI database.

This is almost everything I would want in a GPS. The maps are accurate and pretty fast, and I would much rather have the attractive price than the unnecessary features for 2x or 3x as much. (MP3 player? WHY??)
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br /The one shortcoming to me is the lack of preferences. I find this unit sending me through the middle of town all the time, when I often much prefer going on the interstate. It offers the ability to go for shorter time instead of shorter distance, but it apparently doesn't accurately account for the speed difference.
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br /All in all, though, I am very pleased and highly recommend this unit for the price.

I have been doing research on finding a good gps for a few days know, i've actually read almost all the reviews for this one and decided it was right. I love it! I use the smaller memory card for my state, and the larger one for the entire US. (I bought a 1gig for 19bucks). Great buy!

I have bought this device couple of weeks ago at amazon and this thing is a breeze to use. Loading maps using a pc is the only thing that keeps this GPS par from others.If you can manage to buy a 2GB SD, this would be a one time process.
I was in a dilema whether to pick i3 or c320 in the begining but, the Touch screen feature and large display inclined my decision towards c320.
Some people reported that the maps were outdated and the windshield mount wouldnt stick for a long time.The package I recieved came with the latest map verion-v8.0 and coming to windshield mount, I have left it on my cars windshield right from day1 and it never fell off.
Over all I am happy with my purchase and would definitely recommend this to any one who is looking for an inexpensive GPS.

This GPS has everything that you could want! I can't believe the accuracy and the maps have information on the smallest of backroads and private streets. I was reluctant to buy one that didn't have preloaded maps, but I was shopping price so I tried it. I had the maps loaded and the unit ready to go in 15 minutes! Compare to units at twice the price, I can't imagine how they could be any better. I was able to load seven states on the supplied memory card, and I like the idea that in the unlikely event that I should travel outside of that area, I need only upgrade the memory card. An unbelievable value!!

Highly recommend it! Have owned it for more than a year... works perfectly. Its very user friendly and provides accurate directions. We bought a 1GB memory card and uploaded all the US and Canadian maps into the GPS. Its a great buy.

Have used it for 3 months. It works well and accurately. Worth buying one.

I've had hand held units for several years, but wanted to get a real auto type unit. After reading the reviews and the cost savings of loading my own areas on to the GPS, this Garmin c320 is an excellent choice for me and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. I bought this one about three months ago and have been using it in my semi-retired job of school bus driver. We had moved from Sothern Calif to northern Idaho last year and I didn't know much more than the local area very well at all. So long bus trips were at times a real challege until I got this. But I really got it for the occasional trips we make back to Sothern Calif and specifically the L.A., Santa Ana, and San Diego areas. My flight arrived at night and even though I lived in So. Cal. all my life, I didn't live in those areas and it is SO EASY to get lost when driving there, especially when you get on to surface streets off the freeways. When I got going from the airport I was all turned around and if I hadn't had this Garmin it would have taken me a loooooong time to find my motel, let alone find my way to my relatives homes in those areas. The Garmin is really clear to hear in a vehicle, easy to see (except as others have said in really bright sunlight), and compact enough to litterally take it everywhere. I use it on my Gold Wing motorcycle as well with the same great results.
br /With SD cards so inexpensive I bought a 1 Gig card (also from Amazon)and everything fit on that card that would have been pre loaded in the c330 that I was also considering. In my local area they sell c330's for $500.00! From Amazon I bought my unit including the new card, for about $240.00, a very substantial savings. Other things, you have a choice of two voices. While easy to navigate it does take a little self training to use the unit. Yes, you can just plug and go, but it will work much more smoothly if you need to make enroute changes or have to find another location, if you take a few minutes and read at least the quick start guide or better, read the manual from the enclosed CD. Over all I think you can't go wrong with this unit itself for the cost savings, or any other of the Garmin brand units.

Great GPS for the value. I loved the Navigation..But the GPS holder broke in the first month..
br /The air suction does not hold the GPS to the wind shield or nor in the provided circular frame. I'm trying to get the GPS/holder replaced.
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Before we begin, according to Garmin tech support, what separates the Garmin C320 from its more expensive C330 is the amount of memory on the SD memory card. The C320 has 128 Megs. If want a C330, but can only afford a C320, buy the C320 and purchase an inexpensive 2 Gig memory card. Once you have the larger card installed, download all of the maps you need from the Garmin site.

The unit that I purchased worked great. However, I did find that I occasionally deviated from its recommended routes. One of the first attempts at using the unit failed because the address I was visiting, a building on a college campus, didn't have an address recognized by the Garmin C320/C330. Most of the time, the Garmin worked flawlessly. When combined with a high detail paper map, the Garmin helps by informing you as to where you are.

Unfortunately, my Garmin C320/C330 screen colors began to distort after about a month of infrequent use. The opening screen showed cyan distortion. Other screens showed magenta distortion. My first choice was to use the Garmin Web site to resolve the issue. The Garmin Web site is nearly useless and obviously not a high priority of the company. My call to tech support on a Monday morning, just minutes after they opened returned a message saying that they were busy and that I should call back early in the morning to avoid a long wait. The actual wait was more than an hour and half. The technician was good natured and provided an RMA number for the return of the unit. This could have been done automatically through their Web site if the Web site were functional. I can't imagine what the wait time would have been if I had called later in the day.

I like the Garmin C320/C330 and plan to keep and use it. For $1,500 or more dollars less than a factory installed GPS system, it is a bargain. I fear that Garmin may fail as a company if they don't produce more reliable units, produce a useable Web site, and improve tech support service.

I love Garmin GPS products but I wish I got the 330 because this model does not come with the pre-loaded maps of teh USA. If you are going to buy a GPS have the maps pre-loaded. IT is just a lot easier then trying to find an SD card big enough for the USA

I've had this unit for a week an so far it has functioned quite well. I haven't had any issues seeing the screen during the day (except with sunglasses on) and I have it mounted on the left side of the drivers console next to the driver's door window.

It does a great job of automatically re-routing if you make a wrong turn. It does sometimes get confused when you arrive at your destination if your destination is a large facility (i.e. the mall, university, etc) and doesn't recognize that you are there.

The download of the map was easy. The 128Mb memory card allowed me to install 5 East Coast Southern states. I will probably upgrade to a larger card but this one is sufficient unless you travel over a large area. I was able to pre-program locations that I may travel to (divisional offices for my work) ahead of time, although I couldn't find "How To" in the instruction manual. I just entered the address but instead of pressing "GO" I chose to "Save" and named the location. The entering of the address is pretty intuitive and the unit narrows your choices based on the info entered so that you don't have to enter the entire street address. I would have preferred a QWERTY display instead of ABCDEF but that's a minor issue.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the unit and I would reccommend it to someone looking for an entry priced unit. I considered the Garmin i3 and i5 but I chose this one in part because of the touch screen. Using the dial wheel on the i3 would be problematic once the unit is mounted to the windshield.

My Garmin is easy to use and it really makes it easy to find places when you're out of town - i.e. - found a supermarket close to the hotel. However, it doesn't always give you the best route to take. Overall, I'm happy with the unit.

I am a lifelong GPS user and I think this is the best product for under $500. I used this side by side by Street pilot i5 and Neuvo and MS streets GPS. This is the cheapest GPS reciever available. The only limitation which was not preloaded maps and expensive memory. Now a 2G SD card costs $40 and 1 G (which will have 90% of US) costs $25. So I do not see any reason for going for Street pilot i5 or C330.

Very easy to use. It provides so much information about where you are and where you are going. It provides info on places to eat, sleep and play as well as how to get there. It provides hospitals, grocery stores and the list goes on and on. I have found this product to be extremely useful. Even for the technically challenged, it is a snap to use.

There are, of course, dozens of GPS systems available, priced from about $100 up into the $1,000+ range. They all perform the same basic function, and most of them actually work quite well; the price differences arise from their extra features.

We chose the c320 because it's from a major manufacturer, it has a touch screen, and it's at the low end of the price spectrum. It doesn't have some of the additional features of the much pricier units, but I wonder how many of those bells and whistles really get used, anyway.

The c320 gets us where we need to go, and it rarely makes a mistake in the process. Obviously, any GPS unit depends on the software, and the "City Select NT" software that comes with it is quite good. Will it know about every road, hotel, restaurant, and gas station in the country? Of course not; things change all of the time. But everything important is there. In addition, Garmin offers an easy update process for the software.

The included SD storage card is big enough to store several states, and it's easy to dump some off and add others that you need. However, I bought a bargain-priced 1 GB card and loaded all of North America on it. (The c330 has a hard drive with all of the maps pre-loaded on it, but it's much cheaper to go with the c320 and add a bigger storage card.)

It finds the satellites quickly, and it doesn't lose contact very often. Terrain matters a lot when you're using any GPS; if you're in city canyons, under bridges, etc., you'll have problems. The voice prompts are clear, and the screen is good. It will wash out in bright sunlight, but even when it does, the voice keeps you alert to any necessary turns.

The windshield suction cup mounting system works fine, but in some states, it's illegal to obstruct the windshield with anything. We bought a Garmin accessory dash mount that consists of a heavy, flexible base that holds the unit, and it works very well. The rechargeable battery seems to run at least six hours, and recharging takes less than an hour. It would be a good idea to get some kind of case; this is an electronic device with a touch screen, so you don't want to just toss it loose into a bag. A screen protector is a good thing, too. I discovered that the screen is same size as the one on my Dell Axim x50 PDA, so those protectors work.

In summary, this unit is a very good value. I'm glad I bought it, and I'd do it again.

I purchased this GPS to help myself and my wife when we go to unfamiliar places. So far it has worked well and the interface on the Garmin products is much better than the other models we have tried. I recently took this unit with me on a business trip to San Francisco. It was a god send helping me get from the Airport to my hotel and then around the city to do the touristy stuff. I don't recommend buying the c330 model with the pre-loaded entire US maps. For only $30 more you can buy a 1gb SD card and load the entire US on it.

My only complaint is that it is not easy to load new points of interest from the computer if you are not using someone else's premade POIs.

I'm in real estate and am new to the area of Big Bear Lake, CA. The street pilot is amazingly accurate and even estimates how many feet before I get to a turn on an unpaved mountain road with no homes nearby. I am thrilled with this new toy!

I had previously been using TomTom software on a PDA with a GPS unit attached. When the PDA died, instead of buying a new one, I looked into getting a dedicated unit.

This unit seemed to be the best buy, and it was. It works great. There are many aspects about it that take a little bit of 'getting used to' versus the TomTom, but once you have used it for a few days, you don't even look back.

It is more simplistic in some cases (such as the Detour) functionality. But in reality, it's all that I need for detours (ie: Get me off this road 'now')

I love it, and will consider buying another for the other vehicle, instead of switching it back/forth like I'm doing now.

I've been using c320 for about a month, and i'll never go back to printing directions from mapquest! Very simple and user friendly. If you can type numbers and letters, you'll never get lost. If you have poor vision, don't worry! there's a voice instruction too! It will remind you over and over again to take "left turn, right turn, exit, stay in left lane, right lane~..." in a female american English, British English, spanish, french, etc voice...
My sister owns a Honda Accord with Navigation system, and I was actually thinking of paying about $800-1200 for a high-end system, but when I heard about c320, everything changed. I only paid $339 for it! and I don't see much difference.. You don't get extra options and buttons, but it's good enough to guide you.

Pros:
- great price
- user friendly. It's so easy, they don't even include a long instruction manual! They do include a quick starter guide.
- quick recalculation if you take a wrong turn.
- touch screen. (you don't have to scroll...)
- comes with a mount with charger. Just plug it in your car outlet.
- very simple. No extra junk and features that will confuse and frustrate you.
- Touch and go system.
- choose, faster or shortest distance.
- can set options to avoid U-turns, highways, unpaved roads, toll roads, carpool lanes....

Cons:

- outdated Version 6 map. You could order free version 7 map, but it takes additional 1-2 weeks to receive a cd/dvd, and you have to reload it to your GPS with an unlock key... too much work for me!
- Voice instruction is only limited to left, right, etc.. Does not state the street names or freeway numbers.
- glare.. can't see the screen on a sunny day.
- SD card slot with only 128MB (will hold about 3-4 states. I loaded Maryland, delaware, virginia, pennsylvania). But you can purchase a 1GB for about $35

I bought this item to use during our honeymoon. I did not want to carry around an atlas or Google maps to all the places we wanted to visit. I also did not want to start out our marriage rocky by getting upset with a wife whom is a little slow in reaction time.

I bought this item along with a 2 gig SD card. I got it and used the included software to plug in our points of interest. I also plugged in places where we might want to go just in case.

I read somewhere that with the version 6.X software that was included with this device that you will need over a 1 Gig SD card to put the whole US on the card (this is true). With the subsequent updates the size shrinks to about 900 mb (if the software was produced before you bought the GPS, you get the updates for free). So since I bought mine after version 8.X was released, I got a free update DVD with the most update version of their software which was up to the year 2006.

Only ONE time I have been lead wrong. Let me explain what I mean first...I am the anxious kind of person. It told me to "Turn in 400 feet". Well, it was in a busy part of Myrtle Beach that roads are spread out about 200 feet apart. I turned 200 feet too soon. So it was actually my fault.

I use my GPS frequently. I love the fact that I dont have to know where I am going as long as I have an address. It will get you there with the quickest route. It also gives you choices to not use toll roads, only use roads that are paved, etc. I also love the fact that when you do a group search (Food, Amusement,etc) it is a live list of updating areas. It will update every couple of seconds with the closest destination and what direction it is located. So when another place becomes closer to you than another choice, it will bump up the one that is now closest as you are traveling.


The auto night/day feature is nice, too. It makes it not as bright at night and easier to read.

Downsides:
-Hard to read sometimes in the bright light, reflections (can fix this by adjusting the angle of the device to not pick up as much reflection)
-A few times the suction cup mounter has fallen off my car while driving (although, I will say my window was cold and dirty from winter use..so this is up in the air)
-Sometimes big finger make it hard to type in letters into the address part

Overall..give it a 5 stars for being a great basic GPS. I really wanted an in-dash double din GPS unit..but for ~$1300, I can deal with using a suction cup when I need to.

I won't go over all the specs and positives, because others have gone through all of that and there is no need for repeating. The Garmin is everything great that other reviews are mentioning, but I'm just going to review the battery issue I have continued to have on this Garmin.... After having the GARMIN c320 for about 9 months or so, i had the problem of the battery not working on it's own (the unit would only work when sitting on the car charger mount. Even though at times it would say something like "charging the battery" in it's off setting, it was NOT charging the battery (since when taken off the mount it would not work at all). I procrastinated for about 3 months, because I didn't take the unit out of my car much so it wasn't such a big issue, but almost on the last day of warranty, I called and just had it replaced. Customer service for Garmin is great. There's no convincing or "did you plug the unit in" sort of questions.. they just took your word for what was happening and replaced the unit. I had the second unit for about 4 months or so before the same battery situation happened again. This time I was out of the 1 yr original warranty and the 90d warranty of the replacement... but customer service were more than willing to switch it out again.. (great customer service, very flexible).
br /With this 3rd unit, it didn't take more than a couple months for it to have the battery issue again. I've been too cheap to buy another unit, and there isn't really a reason, since this one does work when it's connected to the car charger mount.
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br /The main inconveniences of this battery not working is that it seems to lose it's satelites since it's a dead unit when the car isn't on. It seemed before that with the battery working, the unit connects immediately to the satellites and maps your way very quickly. When I turn my car on now.. the unit will be show the time when I had turned the car off and will take anywhere from 3 minutes to 15 minutes to connect to satellites. There have been times that i've had to turn it off and on (usually around the 10 minute mark) to see if maybe it was "frozen" or something.....
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br /BTW, I'm sure the locating satellites delay issues is a problem with the unit, since I'm in a very urban city (Los Angeles) and it did not have these problems prior to the battery issue.
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br /Oh, one other issue, in downtown Los Angeles, it gets very confused...(maybe due to streets with freeway overpasses; though this happens when i'm not near the freeway too)....so even when it has mapped a nice set of directions and I'm following them, out of nowhere it'll recalculate and ask me to make some turns when the location is straight ahead...
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br /Also, there are several locations where it will tell me to take an inconvenient onramp to a freeway where there is a perfectly good one, one block ahead on my right (make sense?).
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br /I've still had the unit for 3 years or so... so I'm not entirely unhappy with it,...

We bought it for our son in law since we have one and he loved ours. It works like a charm. When your car does not come with a GPS this is wonderful and we take it on our trips with us. We pack it in our suitcase and when we get our rental car at an airport we are ready to go with the GPS.

The Garmin C320 is a very good value it has good features combined with easy operation. Although the maps and POI are a few years out of date, I still think it was a good purchase and would recommend it. I purchased a 2gb sd card on the internet for $40 delivered and loaded the entire USA and Canada and it's only 75% full. I also downloaded custom POI's Wal-Mart, Harley Dealers, Lowes, etc. now when I travel I can find more than just my destination.

Now the downs
1. It's hard to see on my dash in bright sunlight
2. When I first turn it on it takes 2-3 minutes to find the satellites
3. Sometimes the route is not what I would plan (but it will get you there)

I am in love with the Garmin C320 that I bought BUT I should have spent a few more bucks and bought a C330 or higher model. In saving a few dollars I have to download my maps onto a 128 MB memory stick. Because the stick only holds so much information I now plan on purchasing a 2 GB memory stick and downloading many more maps. I didn't realize this when I made my purchase. The C330 and later models are plug and play out of the box. Other than the memory problem I LOVE my Garmin and strongly recommend it to everybody. I should have bought years ago.

i have purchased three of these units now, one for my sister, one for my brother, and one for myself. it will definitely get you where you need to go - one warning though! in florida the suction cup mount will become permanently attached in only a few days! i purchased a friction type dash mount for transfer to other vehicles.
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Good product, good tool to have when traveling. I have found a couple of bugs where the Garmin will try and take me home avoiding highways, even though all avoidances are turned *off*. MapSource is off on occasions, missing my target site by quite a margin of error.

I would like to give 5 star to the GPS function. It takes several minutes to connect to the satellite.
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br /The problem is that GPS unit is too heary. It falls down easily after you used it for a while. I would not recommend any one to buy this GPS unit. Buy the light weigth GPS like Garmin Nuvi series.

I have owned this for 4 months now. My husband and I travel for work so it is used almost every time we get in the car. We are in TX right now and I would be lost without it! I left off a star for 2 reasons. No. 1, she has taken me to the wrong place several times. Most often though, she will be in the area you at least need to be in so you need to switch over from tech gear to brains. No. 2 reason is b/c my husband got me a newer version that automatically detects what city you are in so you dont have to involve your computer in the situation. I turned it on and it started up immediately. This is an older version of course though which is why I graded a bit gentle. I would recommend everyone get a GPS navigator no matter what brand it is. It helps relieve tension on getting to where you need to go and you can concentrate on your end result and not have a tension headache when you get to your destination. P.S. Hubby has the "older version" now Ha ha

I test drove it at BestBuy, then ordered it online at Amazon, the GPS is exactly what it is designed for: Car Navigation! Directions and Points of Interest are really the only thing you'd need for a car navigation system, plus this litte thing even talks! with a 2GB SD card (cost $40) you can load entire US maps and travel everywhere (on the road of course) without getting lost.

Screen is not as bad as most user describes, I made a small shade for it so it reads pretty darn good even in bright sun light. Very responsive system, no sluggish menu found on a lot of other brand GPS systems within same price range. Touch screen is also great to use.


Antenna is one of the best amone competitions, though not using Srif chip, it locks fast and accurate!(according to gpsinformation)

If you are looking for a hiking and off road product, Garmin GPS 60CSx or 76CSx is your best bet, they also make great multi-use car navigation system as well and they also support SD card, so you can use one SD card for both the outdoor model and the C320!

Recommended Buy!

I have used various pocket pc navigation software and was quite sketpical at the 279.99 price at first. However, this is a great basic device for on the road traveling. Extremily user friendly and very easy to set up. I recommend this model over the over cXXX models because like me 90% of the people that would use this device would probably stay in there region for example south east, north east, etc. Of course a 128 mb cd card isn't going to cut it but I'm sure you might have an extra one (there like 20.00 or so now). All and all great device for a novice user. Your average user doesn't need bluetooth, an mp3 player, traffic information, etc. All the other features that you get for $1,000+
My only complaint would be, you are unable to see the actual coordinates on the device? You are unable to travel to coordinates only physical address. However, garmin does have software called mapsource which allows a user to upload his favorites to a computer and will allow you to see the gps coordinates. You can't complain for 279.99 for a automotive gps unit.

5 stars, no questions!

Very user-friendly, extremely functional and now quite affordable. Get one and you'll never be lost. I researched other brands too but decided to go for Garmin. I chose the c320 over the c340 because it gets the job done for a much lower price. Unlike the c340 which has all the maps loaded, the 128Mb drive sufficient only for a small area (sometimes only 1-2 large states such as CA) but I got a 1Gb drive which are really inexpensive these days and have alomst the whole US map on it. And because it has to search thru that much less info, it is also faster.

My only gripe is (and it's still not a big deal) that the built-in POI (Point Of Interest) database is a bit dated (I purchased mine in Dec 2005). There has occasions when my GPS took me to a store or a restaurant that is no longer present. But when it comes to getting from place A to B, I can move around with confidence!!

We decided on the c320 because it was the lowest cost unit with a touch screen and we didn't need the additional features of the pricier units. The 128 MB card is big enough for us to store 8 local states, more than we even need. Only had the unit for a month, but initial impression is very favorable. The c320 is easy to use and very accurate. Only once did it take more than 5 minutes to acquire the satellites. The voice prompts are legible and the screen is clear. The mounting system is very robust. The battery lasts 6-8 hours and recharging is fairly quick. Try to find the custom fit carry case. It's a perfect fit and stores the c320 mounted with a pocket for the 12V cord. Highly recommended.

I ordered this GPS unit to help me take my daughter on college visits. It's helped so much. I wish you could program in building names (like dorms) rather than just street addresses, which dorms don't often have, but...aside from that it's great. I don't think even the really pricey GPS units allow that anyway. I do wish it came with a better manual though. There was a black shiny disk that came with it, however there was no documentation to say what the disk was. I finally realized that it was to stick to my dash so the unit could adhere to it rather than the windshield. But this unit really works well. We love it and use it constantly. My oldest daughter uses it just within town to get places she's not familiar with so it gives us both piece of mind.

easy to use, easy to setup. Took it on a trip to the north woods of wisconsin and even the most remote roads were recognized. I love the detour feature and the route recalc. My brother used the speedometer feature in his ski boat! Good buy for the money and for someone who wants a good quality and easy to use GPS.

This is an excellent product. The main things i was worried about was regional maps and city maps and it covers it. I only put a 256MB card in, and i have maps of the entire California, Oregon, and Washington area. The speed is excellent and always right on the mark. This is an excellent buy and i would use this over any other GPS.

Well, I just receieved this on Friday, so I have limited use of it, but I wanted to write based on what I've seen so far. I found it very easy (although a bit time consuming) to set up. I had no problem unlocking the maps, and found the instructions very easy to follow. I decided to use a 2G SD card I had that I wasn't using, so I downloaded the United States and Canada (which is why it was so time consuming.)

The day it came, I found out I needed to go to a viewing in the Baltimore area two days later. I was not familiar with the area and it got me right there. The only thing that threw me a little was coming back. I was in familiar territory, close to home, and it was telling me to "keep left" in so many miles. I did not think it was accurate as I knew the next thing I would do would be to take a right off an exit. As I got closer I realized that it was looking at the PA Turnpike as a "fork" in the main road versus an exit.

I've never used a GPS before and found it easy to program addresses. I like that it gives estimated arrival time and your current speed as well as the names of upcoming crossroads (I've always loved that in MD, many of the intersections have a sign prior with the street name you are approaching, PA doesn't do that.) I also like that it (at least so far) gives plenty of notice if your going to be making a right or left turn so that you have time to get to the proper lane.

Great little device for the price. I was able to get mine for just under $200.

I can't praise this more than what has already been posted by others. But I can offer another reason why you may want to choose the c320 over the pre-loaded c330.
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br /The Garmin MapSource City Navigator CD-ROM that comes with the c320 is licensed to allow map installation on one extra Garmin map-compatible product. After I purchased the c320 I got the Garmin eTrex Venture Cx for geocaching/hiking/etc. It comes with a very limited base map. However, it can be loaded with additional map detail (topo or street). To my delight, I was able to unlock and load the above mentioned maps to my Venture Cx.
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br /THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH THE c330 or other Garmin products with pre-loaded maps. You would have to buy the CD separately (an extra $107 currently).
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br /A nice bonus for some users!

This is a fantastic device. I purchased one for myself, then for my daughter, and now for my salesmen. I highly recommend it to anyone who travels.

A great basic GPS device that works exactly as advertised. Text to speech may be a nice perk, but you really don't need it, since a quick glance at the display gives you all the information you need.
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br /There are limitations you don't get with a higher end model however. You can't customize your route on a PC and upload it to the C320. Sometimes, it takes you on a wierd routing. It *will* get you there however, and if you're unfamiliar with the place, it probably doesn't matter if the route's not the most intuitive.
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I bought this GPS two years ago and it has worked great ever since. It was affordable then, and even more now. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles the new ones have, but it makes up for it by being extremely easy to use. Out of the box it takes literally 5 minutes to learn how to use.
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br /I also like this exact model because it doesn't have an on-board hard drive and therefore you can add any size SD card to it. This keeps the cost low as SD cards have dropped in price lately. A single 2 gig card will hold maps of the entire US.

The GPS was out dated, and when I ordered the seller never said anything about the need to buy or get extra software or CD to update. No cradle, my brother had to buy it. Even with the CD from Garmin did not work properly. Terrible purchase.

I've owned this unit for a couple years and it has served me well, but even with one map update, there were a fair amount of "missing" roads. When I found out the latest map update costs $75, I started looking elswhere. Bought a cheap a Navigon product as a gift and the display and interface make the C320 look like Pong from the 70's. Navigon map updates are FREE, as well as traffic data subscriptions on the better units. You can actually email Navigon support, and they've emailed me back three times within a couple hours! Everything I wished the C320 had, even the little Navigon LOOX has: altitude, lat-long, ability to drag the map around to see what's around you, and a boat load of other "wow!" features. I'm a Navigon convert!

You can not rely on this product totally for the following reasons.
br /1. The route it gives may not be the best one.
br /2. It only tells how far the next turn is but not telling the name of the street. It takes a while to get used to it. I still peek on the screen to see the street name before I turn.
br /3. Since it does not give naming direction, if you are in the intersection of serveral highways, you should just count on yourself.
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the gps system works well, i expected the system to say the name of the street or road you should make the turn on.
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br /i should have asked more guestins.

Can not downloal maps via a Mac. Only PC.
br /Did not always say when the trip ended.

I needed to upgrade the memory chip, but good product for the price at the time. It works nicely, but will upgrade soon.

This is my first GPS, cannot compare with any other ones. Iam happy with this one, its small , pretty , economic (cheapest) and does its job most of the time. If you are totally unaware of the route , u can blindly follow what it shows, but if u r in ur own area, u may not like the directions it gives, sometimes it takes u inside the city roads avoiding highways, i guess its ok.
Overall.. hey i like it.
One thing i liked the most is display, it has its own trip meter, shows ur min and max speeds, idle time, estimated arrival time and etc.
Go for it !!!

I own an Acura with a GPS in it already but I bought it for my GF's little Hyundai. I found it to be really user friendly, very fast (no lag on commands) and very accurate. It's a great product and the only thing that makes it not as good as my built-in is that it doesn't have a joystick for moving around the screen and picking a destination by clicking (you have to enter a destination address to make it give directions). Other than that, it's a great GSP.

Also, I've used it for hiking. It'll track your distance, speed, time rested, overall trip, etc. It's a great tracking tool. Also, if you're camping or hiking, it'll give you your location if needed in emergency. Just a little fun toy as well as a useful navi.

this GPS does everything I need it to do. It gets me from point A to B. The only bad thing is that it doesn't warn you about traffic or anything else like that.

In the end, I probabably should have gone for the 330 for the small price differential.
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br /WARNING: Although this is not a fatal error, DO NOT plug the unit into your computer until instructed by the on-screen display. I falsely assumed that I would save battery power by plugging it into the USB slot and THEN turning it on. WRONG. If you carefully read the literature, it warns you about this, but the "quick reference guide" does not. However, if you made the same error I did, you can reset the unit by removing the face plate and then start from scratch.
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br /Second thoughts: 1) Memory: I live in Pennsylvania, and once I loaded PA, NY, MD, DE, WV and NJ, there was no room for anything else. Not that I travel much outside of those states, but when I read the information that said you could load a "region" I was actually thinking more than five or six states. I sort of assumed the entire northeast, or something close to that. But it's limited. As I said, I don't travel much out of those five states, but for the very small price differential with the 330, "having it all" is probably worth it.
br /2) Points of Interest: Maybe there's something I missed, but the 320 has gas stations, hotels and restaurants, nothing else I've discovered, like ATMs, museums, etc. And even though I've updated the software twice, it still lists places that haven't been in business for years, and does not list many other points of interest that I know exist.
br /3) Navigation: Whether I choose "fastest" or "shortest" on this little "test," from work to home, the Garmin insists on routing me along a street with a traffic signal every block, not to speak of two hospitals and a high school, when there is a parallel route which is all of 0.1 miles longer, with one traffic signal and NO traffic congestion generators like hospitals and schools. Likewise, on the way home from the vet today, it insisted on putting me on a four-lane highway that was going to take me 15 miles away from my home. Sure, I couild drive faster while on it, but getting home from the nearest exit to my home was going to be far more of a headache than following the two-lane direct route. For about 8 miles, it tried to re-route me back to to the four-lane entrance ramp that I had deliberately not taken. I understand full well that I am quibbling about the fact that I know local routes, traffic patterns, etc. better than it does. Just be aware that if you are coming from the south, and going to the south end of your destination, the Garman may just well route you on a four-lane that takes you 15 miles east, and then brings you back via streets you wish you'd been able to avoid.
br /4) Adding "this location" to your favorites is not particularly intuitive.
br /5) If you're intersted in trip statistics, your "trip" starts when the unit is powered up, so if you're still packing the car, all your stats will include that "stopped time." If this matters to you, even as a matter of curiosity, remember to reset your trip when you actually start.
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br /Nevertheless, it is very easy to use with almost no learning curve. Very intuitive. The screen is easily readable, day or night, though sometimes glare interferes. Not a biggie. The "Go Home" feature is wonderful and isn't emphasized in what I've read. You can set any place as "home" and in 2-3 touch screen selections, you can set the Garmin to guide you back to there. This is extraordinarily useful for people like me who tend to like to explore unfamiliar terrority. Set your hotel as "home," and explore to your heart's content, and then hit "go home" and even if it DOES take you past three hospitals on the way and get you in line behind 17 school buses, it WILL get you back where you started. It is easy to remove the unit from the mount so as to reduce the potential for break-in/theft, and also easy to reattach it.
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br /All in all, I'm pleased with it. I just wish in retrospect that I'd spent the relatively few extra bucks on the c330

I wish it had more memory built in. Could not load maps with a mac...needed a pc....not cool

I bought 2 of these for my teens, then went back and got a 3rd for myself. Overall, we love it. Occasionally it tries to route us in round-about ways or takes me to a business that no longer exists, but it's right far more often than wrong. Positives: large bright display that I can read easily. Simple to operate. Negatives: We had trouble loading the software and the instructions aren't very detailed. One thing I didn't realize is that the charger plugs into the mounting unit, not into the device itself. Since I take this with me when I travel, that's one extra item to carry that I really don't need. Later models plug into the unit itself. Also, I find that when I travel to a new state I have to reload maps to make room. I'm going to have to spend for a bigger memory card. But overall, a great buy.

This is a very nice GPS. Easy to use and accurate in 95% of time.
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br /There are only two cons: It won't work when air temperature is below 50. Searching could be very slow sometimes. Otherwise, it would be excellent. Highly recommended for general user.

I purchased this unit to replace another brand that I had problems with. This unit has found streets for me that I did not know were out there. also used it to find an unlisted address based on a map location of an intersection of two dirt roads.
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This was a gift I gave my husband. He loves it and was thrilled with the gift. Flexible and easy-to-use with a clear, easy-to-understand voice (important because my husband is partially deaf). The graphics are clear, but not extremely useful. My only problem with the system is that the list of restaurants does not seem to be up-to-date. This led us on a couple of wild goose chases for coffee. However, we could add our own, which was great. I would buy this again...and may get one for myself.

The GPS is very accurate, to within a few feet. The maps have nearly all businesses and restaurants, but not all. I was not able to find a qdoba in some cities, but was in others.
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br /The touchscreen was remarkably accurate, and easy to type on.
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br /Customer service on the unit was also very friendly and helpful, and spoke english as their first language.
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br /A 5-star product.

I've have 3 GPS's all Garmin. This was my first, I use it everyday at work with Verizon. Only downside is buying map updates every year (1 per unit)

I love this GPS. But after using, you have to take it out and put in your trunk! Somebody broke my car window, and took out my GPS....

Wife and I traveled out of the country. The car rental offered the C320 for $9.95 daily rental and we tried it. GREAT results. We purchased three in total for our Realty Office. The more expensive models come preloaded with software, but you can save half the cash if you possess minimal computer savy to download maps.

Wow is this thing so stinkin easy to use!!! If you don't mind taking the time to up load the software to the GPS then it is the easiest thing to use. I didn't have it for one day and missed it instantly. I paid about $310 and that is really inexpensive. For what you pay for it, it is absolutely amazing!! If I had one complaint is that it doesn't have traffic avoidance, but that is in the newer models. This is a must buy for anyone who drives a car. Trust me you'll enjoy this thing so much.

I bought this a while back and played it for a few days, then I just left it in my glove compartment and forgot about it since my commute is pretty much limited from home to work and work to home. I was driving to my work today and heard over the radio that 3 lanes ahead were blocked on the freeway, one lane blocked is bad enough in LA, let alone 3 lanes. So I took it out from the glove compartment and hit a few buttons, sure enough it gave me a detour route, which helped me get to work a lot quicker than it would have if I had been on the freeway, 20 minutes later, a coworker of mine showed up and was complaining about the traffic and was surprised how I could get here earlier than he did, normally he comes to work on time, and I am always 15-20 minutes late, guess what, it's the C320 that made the difference.

It took a while and some research before I purchased this. I am so pleased with it's performance and features. I've gotten so attached that I've actually given her a name. Emmi is amazing! She's gotten me to everywhere and anywhere without any glitches. I even set her to avoid highways and go the shortest route and she is right on top of it. Sometimes she has me making 7 turns in only one mile, but she is so efficient. She really get's you where you need to go. I have no idea how I made it without her. The problem is though that now I don't pay any attention to where I am or how I got there because Emmi is my guide. She could use a little more data and you only get one code for upgrading, but she can manage if you go an extra inch. For instance, where I've moved is brand new and it's not in her system. So I took the address right across the street and I use that for "Home". Haven't really even needed to upgrade because she's really good. Seriously, I would highly recommend this unit. There are so many out there and the newer ones are way up in price. This is simple and easy and very well priced. It is so user friendly that my friend's 76 year old granddad uses it with ease.

NOTE - this is a review for the EUROPEAN edition of the Streetpilot
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br /I needed a Europe SatNav for a long journey I'm making shortly from England through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany but I didn't want to spend very much money. I shortlisted my choice to the TomTom Go Europe or the Garmin Nüvi 350, both hovering around the £200 or more mark.. and then at the last minute I bought this one. And I am very happy I did so!
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br /Having read other reviews I immediately ordered an extra SD card - I got a 1 gig one for under ten pounds. I installed the software on my PC (beware, it doesn't work on a Mac at all!), plugged in the Streetpilot with the 1GB SD card and off we went.
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br /Interestingly I couldn't fit the whole of Europe onto the 1 gig card; I had to remove Egypt (I wasn't previously aware that was in Europe!), Turkey, Albania and Scandinavia; if you really want the whole of Europe you might want a 2GB SD card. But the remaining countries fitted fine on the new card - it took about an hour to prepare the maps and about 45 minutes to transfer them across to the Garmin; still, I don't suppose I'll need to do that again in the near future.
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br /So what do you get for your hundred and thirty pounds (current Amazon price). You get a lot. Why do you get so much? Well I presume it's because the Streetpilot is a chunky unit, rather like a CRT TV in an age of flatscreens. The Nüvi that I was considering is the size of a pack of cards; the Streetpilot has the same size screen but in a chunky unit that sticks out backwards - but at a hundred pounds less! Mind you, I'm not exactly short of space on the dashboard of my car so the size doesn't matter - it's a light unit so I can take it away from the car easily enough for security.
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br /The fixing and mounting bracket seems sturdy enough to me; it fixes very happily to my windscreen although there is no option to detach the charging cable. Bearing in mind the unit also came with a USB cable (which charges it through the computer) and a three pin plug charger, plus its battery lasts five hours, I don't foresee having to have it plugged in whilst driving very often. I actually don't mount mine on the windscreen but slot it into a cupholder in the centre console of my car and have no problems whatever getting satellite reception from that location.
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br /The latest software for the Streetpilot does have UK and European postcodes and this is by far the best way to find your address. It also has a very useful feature whereby you can ask for local banks, restaurants, petrol stations and the rest of it. It picks up the satellites quickly, calculated my route from Kent to Berlin in about forty seconds, and its estimated time of arrival on various routes has been nicely accurate.
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br /Disadvantages? You can't play around with the icon for your car (who cares), you can't use umlauts or other accented characters in naming favourite locations (not very European!), the screen seems quite bright at night (although it goes into night mode automatically) and it can sometimes take a while to redraw when you zoom out. These are all very minor inconveniences and they don't worry me at all because this is such a great value device. The speaking voice (a woman) is clear and she gives you plenty of warning before you have to manoeuvre. Sometimes she seems to think you're turning off a road when it's just an intersection and the left hand lane is peeling away but the map always shows you what's what and this hasn't caused any problems.
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br /All in all I am delighted with this bit of kit, very glad I didn't spend the extra hundred pounds for the Nüvi, and would happily recommend this to anyone else... whilst it's still for sale. Grab it while you can, I expect it won't be around for too much longer.
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Yet, another awesome device from Garmin. I bought this for the in-laws. They love it.

I love this product! Good price and the touch screen makes it so easy to use. Screen size seemed like it might be small but I was pleasantly surprised that it was very easy to see and read while driving.

This is a great idea for those of us who travel or visit in new areas that are unfamiliar. Took us to our campsite with no problem in spite of winding roads, construction, closed streets detours. Very nice to have when pulling an RV.

I loaned my GPS to a visiting student from Wisconsin. He was taking a College entrance test in Long Island New York. When my wife asked him how the product worked, he said "awesome".

I am a directionally challenged individual who could rarely find my way home let alone anywhere I was meant to be going, so when I bought this navigator, I was amazed to find myself arriving on time and at the right location! It is simple simple to use and tells you will plenty of time to shift if necessary where your turns are. I would tell anyone whose ever gotten lost to get one!

At Christmastime, I was eyeing different GPS units while shopping. My husband picked up on my cue! He is a shopper who will look, and look again at many different products to find just the right one. He will investigate it further, until finally making a choice. On Christmas morning, he suprised me with this unit! I can't tell you how much I love it! I take it just about everywhere! Besides taking me flawlessly to places that I've never been to, I love the feature that tells me what time I will get there. Within a few months, I bought another adapter for our other car, so either myself or my husband can use it. In May, my parents were taking a trip to Florida and they borrowed "Christine" (We named her the female version of Christopher, as in Columbus- the navigator!) By about 4 hours into their trip, they couldn't believe how great it was; showing them where food, hotels, and gas were! This item was so affordable, that for Father's Day, we bought one for my father! (They named theirs "Dora"!) There are newer and different models of this, but I don't know why anyone would look further than this! This little unit has all you need, and is a great price. If you even get stuck in traffic, hit the Detour button and it will re-route you! Who could ask for more!
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I use the optional Garmin 27c antenna $60.
br /Max SD Data card size you need is 1.1 GB for all the maps to be downloaded at once. 128MB SD is supplied.
br /USB 2.0 : I have an older laptop running WinMe and USB 1.1 built-in = difficulty downloading maps and using my large 4GB SD card. Would not recognize thru laptop PCMIA USB 2.0 card?
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br /comes with DC car charger and Windshield sucker mount (nice) and version 8.0 MapSource CD.
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br /This unit works really well for most. If you want point-point-point GPS with looking at maps for routing you may want something newer.
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br /For a cheap ~$200 GPS it works well and you get quality. Mine was a refurb at 199 + SD card + antenna
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br /later edit:
br /Install the Driver seperately and USB 2.0 should recognize (install thru Windows Driver search using the Garmin dvd for driver). =Would not recognize the unit going only thru the Garmin install process.

I really like this GPS. It is very easy to use and the touch screen feature is really nice. The screen is a nice size and the graphics are easy to see.
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br /As with all GPS systems, the route the computer selects isn't always the best. And you do have to pay extra to load the most recent maps.

We love our Garmin C320 the only complain I have is that sometimes the computer is confused with abbreviations i.e. for the abbre. Dr. it would say Doctor. Then there is the issue of a parallel road with the freeway, it would say the street name parallel to the freeway you are on instead of saying the freeway number/name itself. This could be a problem most especially if you are not familiar with the city you are driving in. Plus it has issues saying some names i.e. Radisson, etc. I heard Garmin is Danish maybe this has something to do with its origin. But overall it did take us to wherever we want to go so I commend it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

My wife is jealous......... but Garmin and I have a special relationship.........How did I ever live without it?

Does not recommend Interstate bypasses (except, strangely, for I-285 around Atlanta) but rather directs you through center city. If you take the bypass it tries to get you back to the Interstate. Keep ignoring it and it finally will run out of options and direct you back to the Interstate where you want to be. I keep ignoring it so much in these cases that I expect it to insult me for being stupid--in fact it would be kind of funny if it did.
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br /Also, I have seen some new sights following its directions.
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br /The 320c, for the price, can't be beat.

You will not regret buying this unit. You can save a few dollars by getting this one over the c330 and then pick up a 1 or 2 GB SD card and download all of the maps to the card at one time. Since having it I would recommend a unit that has text-to-speech as when you are in heavy traffic and don't want to take your eyes off the road, that feature would come in very handy. Hearing "Turn right in 400 ft" is ok, but "Turn right in 400 feet onto I64 West" is better when trying to decide which of two side-by-side exits to take. I will also opt for a bluetooth unit the next time. All of that said, I'd buy this unit again as it has worked great. One last thing, I had a problem with the suction mount not coming off the windshield after a month and contacted Garmin and they replaced it gratis. My next unit will also be a Garmin.

I bought this as a gift for my dad last year - he loves it and uses it all the time. Often he gets lost in his thoughts or misses a turn, this will reroute you and send you back on your way if you need to. It also comes with updating software, and my dad reports that even dirt roads will show up on the maps (don't know how well it works in the city). this device charges in its cradle/mounting device.

I have just purchased this item and am disappointed at the way Amazon is marketing this. Their retail price say the unit is listed for over $700 and the Garmin site has it for a little over $300. They also list a very limited number left for sale (1 item left) that didn't drop when I bought mine... It was still a good deal on a great unit, but I thought Amazon was better than this!!!

I purchased the Streetpilot C320 in February 2007 and has several successful trips. In August 2007 I took a crosscountry trip from Mississippi to South Carolina. The unit could not obtain a satellite lock during the entire trip. The Garmin help line helped me trouble shoot the problem and determined I needed to upgrade the software. The problem still persists. I called the helpline a second time and they showed me how to reset the entire system. The system reset erases all my programmed locations. The reset allowed the gps to get a satellite lock. However, everytime I turn off the system, it must be reset to get a lock, each time erasing my programmed locations. This is a cheap device that doesn't perform as advertised. I hope Garmin will honor the 12 month warranty and replace my gps with a device that works.

A great GPS for the price. very up to date maps and easy to use system

Purchased item 2 weeks ago and was very excited until I opened the software and discovered you need a PC to install it as it DOES NOT WORK ON A MAC. 1st Major problem. After making a bunch of calls I was eventually able to get an associate to stop be with his laptop to install the V6 Maps from the software (unit doesn't work without maps). Once installed I was reasonably happy with the unit, especially the listings of stores, restaurants etc. c/o City Search. My V.7 Maps update DVD arrived in the mail and it was downhill from there. We weren't able to install the update as the maps were locked and no unlock code was provided. After waiting on hold for almost 30 minutes we got through to CS who after grilling me with what seemed like 20 questions to verify I was the legal owner of the unit, provided me with an unlock code. We entered it and we were able to install V7, however in doing so all the City Search information that makes these units so useful was erased. We tried numerous re-installs of both V6 & 7 Maps to no avail...there seems to be no way to uninstall maps 7 xlear the SD card memory. Tried call CS again around 4:20pm CST and there was no menu options to get tech. support. I pulled out the 128Mb SD card from my camera to try and get back the City Search information & were unsuccessful. This whole process took 2 hours. If you have time to waste calling tech support & screwing around trying to install maps and entering unlock codes, go for it. In summary, The 320c is a great product if/when you can get the Maps installed and are not a MAC user. I'll post an update if/when we resolve the problem.

I found one of these for $200, and based on the reviews I figured I'd be pleasantly surprised.
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br /I thought wrong.
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br /Not only are the maps highly inaccurate, but it doesn't give enough notice on when to turn, so missing turns is quite common. The routes this thing takes aren't usually the optimal choice, and it likes to avoid the highway even though it's on the default settings. So you end up taking a ton of back roads that really slow down your trip. I recently missed a trip to the movie theater because of this unit. When it said I was arriving at the destination, it brought me to a field. That's right, a FIELD.
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br /Not only am I out the $200 for this inaccurate POS, but I'm out $20 for the movie tickets. Thanks a lot, Garmin.

This product is available on Garmin site @ $350. That means this product is not being sold by Amazon at a discount it claims to be.

This market gimmick is certainly not appreciative and not expected from Amazon.

Great GPS system. I think it's the best but why not see for yourself. It is a great deal!

This contraption saved my marriage. We went on a road trip to Massachusetts for our honeymoon. Boston is not the easiest city to get around in. Our c320 kept us out of poor navigation fights.
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br /Thanks Garmin!!!

One of the best items I have ever purchased. There is no way you can get lost with this thing! I loaded the whole US and Canada on a 2 gig sd with 1 gig left over.

1. long time searching by name
br /2. some of new points are missing
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Overall this is a good unit, but it's lastest V7 update is still poor. It could not find alot of business names even if the business been there for years. Until that option is upgraded. I would not recommend this GPS. I have been using it for 5 months.

i love my street pilot. I feel so confident and secure by knowing where I am at all times. Even when I turn the wrong way, it takes me the right way. I even test it turning the wrong way just to the pilot can get me right back on the right track.

Just got my yesterday with latest firmware and City Navigation
Easy setup and beautiful device

Amazon is the best

We bought it about 1 month ago. It malfunctioned the first day..got stuck. It worked OK for 2 weeks and then again it started to malfunction. It keeps losing satellite reception every 10 minutes. I am returning it!

I read a lot of good reviews for this unit and decided to get one for my self. At first, I liked it 'cause of its compact, easy to use, and good price. But after a week using it, it started locking up and freeze the screen. I could not reset or turn off the unit at all. The only way to get it reset is wait for the battery to run out. It locked up every time I used after that. I'm returnning it now. I bought this unit from outpost.com and I don't know whether they just only sell defected units over there.

1. first peek the device looks small and cheap. the instructions are bare MINIMUM and the manual must be downloaded from garmin.

2. the cd took a LONG time to load, then would not go beyond a window stating ' error communicating with device' and there was no going any further...period, rendering the device useless.

3. to unloack the maps you need some type of 25 gigit code...which was nowhere to be found. you had to check a box which them connected you to garmin, supposedly to give 'the code'. by then i no longer trusted garmin and how they would then have access to data on my computer. some companies plant stuff and some take stuff and you would be none the wiser. so going that route, with all that goes on today, i do not think is prudent.

4. the device as sold is NOT legal in california. you need to buy as they say, 'accessories'. i called the chp and they confirmed the illegality of using the device suctioned or mounted onto a window. you want ticketed?? i do not. if they are selling in california they should be up front in their ads and state the inability to use their device as sold in california.

5. there are batteries somewhere IN the device. now i do not know of any battery that lasts forever. the batteries are well concealed and i could not find any access door to them. what happens then when they die? is the device kaput? can you change batteries? you just do not know, once again a failure to disclose.

i read the reviews and bought based on them. but i am disappointed and frustrated with the device. it is useless to me and so will go back to amazon. since i was never able to get the device to load, nor get the maps unlocked i have no idea how well it works...but i would be ultra skeptical. and my trust in garmin is at a zero point.

The Garmin C320 is "a good product." BUT, it is currently NOT "state of the art". For about $150 more you can get the Garmin C530. The C530 has a brighter screen. And, just as important, the C530 has a "Sirf" receiver. With the "Sirf" receiver I could "acquire satellites" even inside my house---where before with an i3 I could not. And, I shopped around finding several places that sell the C530 for about $465. If you send me an email, if Amazon will allow it, I'll tell you where I found this lower price! The C530 is the one to get. Email:boland7214@aol.

PS: Yes, it's true the C530 does NOT have "voice recognition" announcing the upcoming street name. But, do you really need it? I don't miss voice recognition because the SAME INFORMATION is PRINTED on TOP of the C530 screen in BIG LETTERS. If you can read you WILL know what is the next street---you HAVE to look at the GPS anyway to see where to turn...so just READ the next street. It's "no problem" in my opinion.



Afterword: Stop! My C530 just died---won't start! I'll let you know what happens later.

Nice Idea but this product never did work for me. It frozed up soon as I started to use it. That Sucked!!!

I shows the fastest road but not using highways but small roads.
Besides ok