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.

There is no dearth of reviews here. This is a different take on the product. I give it 4 stars because of some unpleasant surprises and some basic things that I believe the product should have designed in.

I bought the c340 prior to taking a family vacation by car to Northern California and Oregon.

How the C340 made the vacation more pleasant
- Less arguments between my wife and I on driving directions
- My kids could watch DVDs with the player plugged in to car charger. The C340 has a battery that lasts for many hours (Check if the other products have a battery - otherwise you can either operate the GPS unit or the DVD player and face the consequences of "When are we going to be there?")

Pleasant Suprises:
- Very good coverage of navigation for most destinations from Lassen National Park to Crater Lake to Bandon, OR to Florence, OR.
- Type in the address of a recommended restaurant from Frommer's guide in Eugene, OR and be accurately directed to a scrumptious lunch
- It's quite remarkable how the unit can accurately "predict" your arrival time.

Unpleasant Surprises:
- The mount was not sticky. The unit fell off a couple of times. Till I applied some good old spit to the rubber that attaches to the windshield and it was "more sticky"
- The town of Mt.Shasta was not accessible. I tried many different ways. I would have expected Mount Shasta to be a city in California and not "non-existent" in the Garmin database
- Navigating to a Starbucks in Klamath Falls,OR took me to a Safeway.So, okay, Safeway allows Starbucks to brew coffees in their store but I don't think of that as a Starbucks location. More on that below.

What I would like:
- I was looking for WiFi hotspots along the way. I had to keep typing in Starbucks over and over again. I wish I could just enter Starbucks one time and store it in my favorites. Everytime I was looking for Starbucks, I would just need to go to my favorites. I expect others might have Chevys or McDonalds or Denny's in their favorites. This would be a good enhancement.
- THere is a squiggly line to the lower left hand side that neither the manual nor the unit explains. It looks like bars on a cellphone. Either explain what it is or get rid of it.
- Show the altitude of your location. A GPS can compute that. Great car conversation with the kids - Do you know what the altitude of Lassen National Park is?

A few weeks ago, my Garmin C330 was stolen, so I decided that since I loved the C330 so much, I would take the opportunity to upgrade to the C340. A few weeks with the C340, and I find myself missing the C330 even more.

Here's what the C330 has over the C340:
1. Voice commands on the C330 are much clearer and easier to hear. The C340's TextToSpeech option (pronounces street names, exit numbers, and destination names) produces muddy verbal commands that require me to look at the screen for clarification nearly as much as I had to for the C330. Of course, you can turn off the TTS option on the C340, leaving you with the C330 experience at the C340 price. Nice.

2. I and others on the web are finding that the C340 sometimes gives verbal notification of turns too late. This happened to me just today on my trip from Boston to New York. I missed an exit because the told me to turn left just as I was passing the turn off. That never happened on my C330....

3. Maps sometimes fail to render on the C340 for about 15 seconds or so. I never witnessed this behavior on my C330. (I'm on the latest firmware update ).

Here's what the C340 has over the C330

1. While the C340 TextToSpeech option often mangles street names, it does get highway exit numbers correct -- and that's a big plus as I hurdle towards my turn only to find 3 exits right next to each other. Do I want 15a, 15b, or 15c? I certainly don't want to take my eyes off the road while negotiating turns at highway speeds. And with the TTS, I don't have to.

2. Traffic routing option. If you buy the extra hardware. And you pay for the service. And if the service covers your area.

Recommendation:

Go with the C330.

I talked to a lot of people and read a lot of things before buying a GPS 3 months ago. It was worth spending over $500 for the Garmin C340. I have not had any problems. The maps are accurate and even though I'm not using an external antenna I have only lost the satellite signal when driving in heave wooded farm area.

My experience with the Garmin StreetPilot c340 includes daytime and evening travels over unfamiliar high volume New Jersey and Pennsylvania streets and highways to the mountain roads of Virginia. It worked remarkably well in all situations. I confess being skeptical, but for over a 1000 miles the c340 kept me on track. I had a concern that any GPS navigation system might reduce my attention span to the real task of safe driving. I have reached the very opposite conclusion - the c340 permits the driver to concentrate on the immediate task of driving and not to be distracted by the innumerable signs and crossroads that confronts every driver traversing unfamiliar roads. A quick scan of the lower right hand corner displays the distance to the next turn that keeps the driver adequately informed of progress; then await the close-in verbal and visual instructions from "Jill" as she guides you through the next turn for virtually error free travels. It is a senior citizens "must-have" driving utensil.

My wish-list would include an expanded user's manual and a computer interface for loading destinations either to SD cards or directly onto the unit.

This thing is amazing! The reason it didn't get 5 stars from me is that it doesn't back-track. Rather than letting me go back the way I came, I've been directed out of my way when a simple turn-around would have sufficed. Also, it's notified me of a turn when it's "too late" for me to take it. The "recalculating" feature is nice, but sometimes it takes too long and you miss the turn, making it recalculate again. If it was just a bit faster, and gave a little more notice of a turn (when you've got 3 forks to choose from), it'd be perfect. As is, though, I can't imagine anything else coming close to this! Thought it's gotten me out of my way a couple times, I've never felt lost, as I knew it would eventually get me where I needed to go. Overall it's already saved me hours of driving around in frustration (in DC area) and I only bought it earlier this month! A great buy! I hate how much GPS units cost, but when you think about the time saved, and the fact that you've got satellites guiding you, it's worth it!

Capability I didn't see listed is that it can tell you how fast you're travelling, how much time you've spent "sitting", and averages (which showed me I sat still as much as I moved, and my average speed in a 40 mph zone was about 25 mph- as if I didn't know that already!) :) (tap the bottom left touch-button for this gee-whiz feature)

A trick I discovered: if you're distracted and missed what it said you should do next, you can tap the bottom right hand touch-button, and it will repeat the instruction.

Also, despite this being loaded with the latest update, several of the locations I tried to get to were out of business for some time...

All i have to say is that GARMIN is one the best companies that i have ever dealt with.

I have (3) GARMIN GPS's.

The C340 is an excellent piece to have in your car. I will not go into as to how good it is, because all of the other comments below speak for itself....

What i would like to emphamize is the warranty and service from them.

I have recently had my C340 fall due to the window mount failing (that is another issue that i have addressed to them about) and the screen cracked, ect.. well, then are not only fixing it for me under warranty, but they are also giving me at no charge a new tripod mount for the dashboard which is over a $50 value......

THEY ROCK.....

I won't buy any other brand other then Garmin and neither should you!

For the money it takes is a fairly good device that I can't live without anymore.
Nice and crisp screen, clear voice messages, so far no major errors in maps, in summary, a must-have gadget to nowadays.
POI upload works seamlessly however you can't set more than a single waypoint while navigating through. No back-tracking either. Minor things like changing you zoom view when approaching next turn are excusable for the price that's being asked for.
Don't miss the opportunity to add POI (points of interest) to your little machine by searching Google for various sites that provide food and retail stores locations for free done by other happy Garmin customers.

I have read some comments about it taking a minute or so to acquire satellites. It does, but... so what?
This was the best spent money in a while for me. We just went to Martha's Vineyard and to New Hope, PA from New York and in the process we made a new friend: Jill (the voice I use) Everytime we go out my friends now ask: is Jill coming?
I cannot imagine not having it now.
Good product all around and worth every penny.

My wife's job requires her to drive to homes all over the county, and she was always getting lost. Her computer skills are pretty weak as well, so I was hesitant to spend this much money on something she might give up on and never use. But my fears were unfounded. She has no problem with its very intuitive interface, and now she goes everywhere with reckless abandon. I no longer receive those desperate calls, when she can't tell me where she is, but she wants directions to a part of the county where we've never been before.

When the unit was about three weeks old, it would no longer power on. Garmin sent me a shipping label, I sent it back at no cost to me, and in about two weeks, we had a brand new unit, no problems. I didn't like having a bad unit, but the way Garmin handled the problem was commendable.

I just received the Garmin c340 after reading the reviews on many other units. The box includes a very simple 'getting started' guide, a USB cable, CD, mounting bracket, and GPS unit.
It took me about 5 units to unpack this baby and have it fully functional in my car. The setup is a snap, the user interface is simple, yet functional, and the directions have been great. I highly recommend this product and I am impressed with the simplicity and thoughtful design.
Have fun.

I initially bought the 2270 and, while I liked it a lot, it didn't have a battery and it was a big larger than I wanted. After more research I bought the C340 and I love it. With the battery, I can turn it on and enter the address where I want to go. Start the car and off we go. A great little unit. While not as compact/small as the Nuvi 350, it's still small enough to carry in a backpack or purse to help navigate, when necessary, while walking in a big city. If you want a straightforward, easy-to-use unit, this is the one. Read the other reviews as they list many, many of the other reasons why I too love this product!

The Garmin C340 is a wonderful unit. It's my first GPS and it makes us our travel will be more easy. This is only a less expensive GPS having text-to-speech feature tells users the name of the street, when to turn, and in what direction. This feature is really helpful when you are in new city and not aware the street names. It also have search feature to find out places. (Hotels/Restaurants/Stores etc.)

I am using and I am really enjoying this GPS. The only problem I noticed more often I am loosing satellite perception while driving. (I guess this is due to I am keeping on my GPS on cup holder. I was trying to keep C340 on dash board, but it's fell down many times.) But don't worry; satellite signal will be come back in few minutes.

The other feature C340 missing is there is no option to select to choose alternative routes. Megellan Roadmate is having these menu options that you can select routes: avoid Freeways or Shorter Distance or Shorter Time.

The same time Magellan Roadmate (Which is in same price range) doesn't say the street names, it says turn on right or your freeway on left. Where as C340 says turn right on First St or Freeway I-5 North on your right.

Garmin C340 also turns the display automatically to night view after sunset.

Overall, I will recommend this unit and it's worth buying.

I was little hesitant when i bought this unit b'cause of price but now after coming from my canada vacation I can say it is well worth it. I didn' have to carry single direction for my week worth of driving trip to canada. It found so many restaurant and attractions for me. I absolutely love it.

Took out one star for 2 reasons. 1) takes 1 or 2 minutes to acquire satelite when you start. (non issue for me) 2) sometime gives restaurant address which don't exists any more. (there has to be way to get updated data.

I will recomend this product to anyone who does lot of driving. Belive me this saved me lot of agony and time while on my vacation.

Go Garmin.

This is one of the item, I can really say to my wife "trust me from now on, honey". My wife didn't believe the car navigation from the beginning. This item is so easy to use, she finally convinced that I made a excelllent purchase (will, she didn't said that, but I can tell from her face). Now both of us are totally depended on this device when we travel outside of town. If you missed a turn, it automatically re-caculate the route. So, just relax and enjoy a good conversation in the car or enjoy the signorina (oops, scenery man, lady).

My review would most likely be useful to a first time GPS buyer, because I was myself a first time buyer.

This GPS unit was really remarkable. Before purchasing it, I was skeptical in general about the GPS technology, and its reliability. So to any first time buyer, here is my advice. Buy this GPS unit Garmin c340 without any hesitation.

People who are not yet upto speed with the latest in this technology have a notion that its still important to have a backup paper map. I somewhat disagree. A backup is always nice, but in this case, only if you happen to lose your GPS maybe because it got stolen or starts to malfunction. But otherwise, I can tell you, based on my limited experience with this, its completely reliable.

Here are the main advantages -
It knows and will show you exactly where you are. If you miss any turn, your route will be re-calculated.

The Points of Interest feature is awesome. For long trips, you no longer need to stop by any old reststop and eat Panda Express or Arbys. You can stop to a restaurant of your choice and taste. For example, we were able to locate several Friendly's restaurants on our route from NYC to Toronto. You have a choice of weather you wish to locate the nearest location, or at your destination, different city or even at your current route.

I almost agree with many reviewers that this GPS unit is worth its weight in Gold. If not Gold, atleast weight in Silver. (Perhaps nuvi 360 might be worth its weight in GOLD)

The kind of things that bothered me, considering that they can be easily improved, and perhaps will be improved as time goes by are -
1) Notification of a turn is sometimes given when you get too close. Though we never missed a turn, because I always had a passenger who watched the GPS screen for me.
2) The keyboard on the touchscreen is alphabetical (not querty). I prefer querty, since I am always on the computer, but I can see why they decided to go alphabetical.
3) The re-calculcate route feature re-calculates routes in approx 8-30 seconds depending on the complexity. I ask, why can't that be instantaneous? Surely, its much faster than other competitors or other older Garmin GPSs, but why cant that be reduced to1 or 2 seconds? I am sure there are faster chips available in the market, just a bit expensive.
4) Also, if its mounted on the windshield, it can be easily stolen. My real worry is not what-if this gets stolen (I will buy it again), but the real worry is, if it got stolen while I am several hundred miles away from home, and the robber actually smashed my windshield to steal this, that will ruin a great vacation. Anyone else agrees? I wish there is a better way to use this without attracting a theif's attention. Anyone has any thougths?

Overall, I think this is an awesome unit. I returned it, because I am looking for something which is even more perfect. Perhaps the NUVI 360 is what I will go ahead and buy.

I will admit though, ever since I have returned it, I have missed it deeply and sometimes I wish I never returned it. I can't wait to order another one, since I think it's a shame not to have a GPS.

My advice, if you don't have one, go get it. If your budget is small, get the Garmin c340, if you have more money get the Nuvi 360 or 660.

This technology is almost as important and useful as the cell phone. Don't waste your time reading reviews, go buy a latest GARMIN GPS unit now...


In Toronto where I was visiting my sister, sometimes I reached some destinations before they did even though they live there.

I absolutely love the C340. I don't understand some of the critics of this because mine is EXACTLY what I'd hoped for and expected. The detour function is awsome. No glare issues. We'll see how it endures, but out of the box it works as advertised.

I bought this toy about 3 weeks ago after I saw it on my friends car. Unlike his model (C320) this one also use the "text to speech" feature which makes it much cooler. I used it a few time and overall it's doing the job very nicely. Installing it was easy and using it is a "no brainer". The only challenging part was to deal with the OS upgrade through Garmin's site and to figure out how you can get more POI for this device (which BTW I'm still trying to figure it out). Bottom line, if you need to get around, this little guy will take you there.

The Garmin C340 is "a good product." BUT, it is currently NOT "state of the art". For almost the same price 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 the C530 can "acquire sattlites" 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! 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! I have to tell the truth. My C530 just "died"----wont't start up! I'll let you know what happens later.

This unit lacks the most current GPS receiver, SiRF's high performance SiRF Star III chipset. This receiver has made it possible for reliable GPS navigation even in dense urban environments, behind tall buildings, in canyons, etc. Virtually all new GPS units use SiRF's receiver, and this should be a deal-breaker for any new GPS you buy. Trust us, you'll want SiRF onboard - performance is superior to prior GPS receivers.

I looked at all of the GPS's out there under $500, and this was hands down the best. If your looking for a true GPS unit minus all the unnecessary features like MP3 playback and bluetooth - this is it. This is a great, super easy-to-use, GPS unit that gets you where you need to go. It speaks the street names (which is unusual at this price point) and works great. My only observation is that it's about 50ft off from where I really am - but it may be a calibration thing I need to figure out... either way, it's great.

Very accurate. Finds sat quickly. Easy to use while driving (I can get to what I need at a stop light). Only 4 stars because it lacks some of the features that are nice to have. I would like to be able to do some of the functions and have more of the details I have on my other Garmin units. If you want easy and accurate you can't go wrong. I qould purchase again...and it's worth spending more to get the spoken directions.

When my wife asked me what I'd like for an anniversary gift, the first thing that came to mind was a GPS unit. As a musician who frequently travels to the Chicago burbs after dark in search of remote, unfamiliar addresses, I simply couldn't take the pressure any more of not making a gig on time. The next step, selecting a unit, was a no-brainer. The Streetpilot C340 is the best-seller on Amazon for the reasons given in the reviews. It's an amazing little piece of hi-tech wizardry, giving you accurate directions through three clear visual means (2 types of maps plus written instructions) or loud and lucid spoken directions if you just want to keep your eye on the road. Even if I thought the Nuvi 350 was worth the extra money, its shirt-pocket size practically insures I'd misplace or lose it somewhere down the line. The C340 is the better bet for in-car use. In fact, I'd love to recommend it to other musicians as well as to education profs who are constantly racing to some new school out in the county to monitor a practice teacher's progress.

But there's a catch, a relatively major one: the case is cheap plastic, which is probably to be expected these days. What I find hard to accept, however, is the overly-small, hard-to-access, ineffective set-screw that is supposed to tighten the unit to whatever angle or position you've chosen. Even after screwing the little bugger all the way down (I have a pianist's strong fingers), it's no tighter. In fact, I can't even see the circular bracket beginning to close or squeeze shut around the stable globe mount. As a result, the lightest touching of the screen is sufficient to move the whole unit out of position.

Hard to reconcile the retail price of a sophisticated device like this with a set-screw that's inferior to the one on a child's two-dollar fishing rod. (I'll update you on a solution as soon as I find one. Driving with no hands on the steering wheel, I'm afraid, is not the answer.)

Great GPS for your money! It's has lots of different POI's, so you can find anything you want. Very user friendly, and ready to go right out of the box. If you're looking for a GPS thats compact, easy to use, and portable, this is it!

Pros: The c340 is easy to use right out of the box. Even my parents figured out how to use it in about 3 minutes.

It calculates routes very quickly, which is especially helpful when you're forced to take a detour.

The 6 hour battery is a neat feature-- I haven't used it for this yet, but I imagine that it'd be helpful for cyclists. There is, by the way, an "avoid highways" toggle.

Cons: The fuse blew pretty quickly (after about 1 month), so I'd recommend hopping down to RadioShack or somewhere and buying a few replacement fuses. They're pretty easy to find, and really easy to install. It would have been nice if the unit came with an extra fuse.

Also, upon powering up, it sometimes takes a minute or so for my unit to acquire adequate satellite signal.

My daughter just started school, upper west end manhattan ny. I had to drive her there, and it was my first time driving in NYC. I am terrible in directions, maybe the worst ever. My brother in law loaned me his garmin 340 ( he got it the day before), and I used that instead of the printout from google maps. It rained that day... but we got there without problem. Coming home at night ( you have to go the speed limit. If you're in the wrong lane speeding, by the time the unit finishes telling you to turn, you're already past the intersection) , I missed 2 turns , and the garmin recalculated, and got me home without any problems. In the rain, in the dark, in manhattan, I was calm and relaxed. This GPS unit it worth it's weight in gold! I give it 5 stars, 100% I will never agin travel without it

This navigation system works amazingly well. I used it to find my way from Maryland to Montreal. There are several different highways to navigate and Streetpilot was flawless in getting me into the correct lane to make the change. Driving around Montreal was much easier and I especially appreciated hearing the correct pronunciation of the Streets in French.
You will love the Streetpilot.

I purchased this prior to being deployed for FEMA in New York. We go to states we have never been to and it is very stressfull and difficult to find streets when signs have been blown down by a hurricane or tornado. It works fantastic!!! I know several fellow team mates are going to purchase one now. They made fun of me for having one but they became believers real fast.

I purchased this device for my 18-year old son who was moving to a new city. He has not gotten lost yet. I feel comfortable with him driving in unfamiliar areas because I know he will be able to find his way with the assistance of his "Genie" as I call it. It is easy to use. I am amazed at how accurate it is. For the price, it is an excellent driving tool.

I purchased the optional stand that enables us to use it in multiple cars. I love this thing!

br /This is my 3rd GPS.
br /
br /I owned a Garmin c230, Tom Tom one, Navigon 2100. Each has found a home with other members of the family, not by my choice just Dad is apparently a soft touch. I research purchases to no end for fun and to determine value.
br /
br /The C340 is an older style and while the form factor is a bit bulky by todays standards, the performance and price is great.
br /
br /It acquires a signal fast, it's display and volume super, the software is among the best as is the Points of Interest data base.
br /
br /The Maps are as good as any GPS and there is no way any GPS system can be 100% current.
br /
br /I decided to use the same approach as I do with laptops, no sense to strive for the newest when you can get great performance from a legacy model.
br /
br /This unit sold for almost 3 times the price 2 years ago and is still a solid performer.
br /
br /All GPS devices are a useful tool, the software and POI's on the Garmin is something I have found to be of high value.

I bought this about 3 months ago. It's not perfect as it sometimes chooses a very strange route for me when I know much better routes are available. Still, now that I have it, I can't imagine being without a nav system. I travel 4 states for my work and I could never carry enough maps to find everywhere I needed to go. I especially like the Australian female voice!

It is nice to not have to use a map or ever ask for directions. Sometimes it is a little slow tracking a satelite and can be frustrating because you are already trying to drive and it isn't giving you directions.

I purchased two of these as gifts for myself and my son. I have the SP c330 and like it very much. I am upgrading to this model because of the voice naming streets capabilities. I was totally disappointd though when I went to the Garmin website to check on the manual and accessories, I found out that this model has been discontinue. Amazon should have offered this as a discontinued item with a bigger discounted price. At the very least notify the buyer(s) that this item was discontinued. I am however confident that this product will work well for what my needs.

Although my review will not reflect a 5 star rating-- my problem is not with the Navigator itself. It is wonderful, but it is wise to look at a map to approve the route the GPS is sending you on. I can drive through the busiest cities and never get a wrong lane. Anything that can do that, gets a 5 star rating from me. It will tell you to "keep left" or "keep right" making sure you are ready to make whatever turn is coming up. It will tell you the name and the exit number you are to take. If you do miss the turn or decide to go another way, it will "recalcuate" your route. No panic--just new directions.


The things I do not like is--
1--The complete instruction book has to be printed from online.
(apx. 40 pages)

2--All of the instructions do not seem to be complete--doesn't explain all the icons clearly and some questions that I have had.

3.-Not suppose to put the GPS in direct sunlight, but our dash is mostly in direct sunlight.

4.--The GPS won't allow deleting of just one address. Have to delete all 'recent selections' at one time. Wish that was different.

5--Under one of the choices, the GPS directs us to 2 places in
Europe (I think it is) 4000 miles or more away, and I can't get that off of the GPS. Am quite sure I couldn't drive there anyway and don't know why it is even included.

6--Sometimes word pronuciation (of the speaker) is hard to make out. The GPS kept saying something "was available", but I still don't know what that was.

7--Most of all, the plastic attachment (for the car) seems to be fragile and I am afraid some of the plastic will snap or break making the GPS hard, if not impossible to use. Always afraid I will break something.

Even with the above problems--I would buy it again. Saves a lot of worry and hassle. And, lots of fun to use. So, it gets a 5 star rating from me.

We got this for traveling and it is very easy to use. We took it on a trip right after getting it and it was amazing. Simple to use and very accurate. We like the voice directions in addition to the map. It doesn't come with a in-depth owners manual and after using it we knew why; it is very self explanatory. We highly recommend it.

Open box, everything is ready. Need to select language for text voice prompt because default setting is none text voice. Also to change avoidence, uncheck High Way option, otherwise, you wil be asked to exit high way all the time.

Easy purchase it from Amazon.com, delivery on time.

1st let me say, don't listen to the negative reviews on this product.

The big one is "don't get, it's discontinued"---who cares?? models of everything from cars, to phones, to TV's come and go!! There is nothing wrong with it!!

I did a LOT of homework looking at GPS before I settled on the c340. The big selling point was the Text to Speech. When I got it out of the box, it was already charged. I turned it on, and the 1st few minutes it needed to find itself. Took about 2 minutes, but its the only long wait I had. Once the satellites were located, it was pin point accurate. the WAAS feature puts you closer to the actual location, its amazing. Once it was on, and i took a drive, I saw how great it is. The top of the screen aways flashes the next cross or side street coming up.

I tested a few businesses, and it did a great job of finding them. If it was in the opposite direction, it would find some side streets for you, and get you turned around, so you dont have to pull a u-turn.

The maps are updated for 2008. It did have a few things missing, but i'm not complaining. I know its because the businesses, roads, and new on ramps were just done within the past 6 months, and didn't expect them to have them installed yet.

When I got back home, I loaded the CD-Rom, and hooked up my c340 to my laptop, and updated it. (ITS NOT A MAP UPDATE, do not confuse that.) Once updated, it did reset all the settings I put in, but it wasnt a big deal to fix it all. I did get scared though. After updating it, it thought I was in Kansas, not NJ.....it wouldnt find the satellites. After taking a drive, and doing a master reset, nothing worked. I called Garmin, They said when it updated, it needed to re-find the satellites, which means keeping it turned on, and not moving for 20-30 mins. This is because it needs to wait for a sat. to pass by again. about 25 mins and it found itself, no big deal, but a relief nothing was wrong.

Some people complain that it takes you to wrong places, or it says it arrives, but its no where near, etc. Here is why. The POI in the system have address, SOME (very few) dont have an actual address to it. For example, it may say "Wal-mart Main St", instead of "Wal-mart 123 main st" Since there is no nubmer, it's going to take you to the very begining of THAT road in THAT town. But it's not a big deal, it has the phone # on it, just call and ask. And it's not Garmin's fault, which some people blame. Look in your phone book, a lot of times businesses are listed without an exact address. If you call, and get the actual street address, just punch it in, and go. You can even put in an Intersection if you know 2 cross streets.

Another feature I like is the "detour" feature. Say you have a address locked in, and your following directions, and you run into traffic, or construction, etc...hit the detour button, and it will find another route for you to take within seconds.

You can also get a traffic transmitter for around $200 to add on to it. This actually is the same you see on news chanels, where it tells you the traffic speeds, conjestion, accidents, construction, etc. I don't have this add-on, so I can't comment on it.

Over all, of the complaints I have seen on here, I have not come across. I think for the money, you can NOT beat the c340. It is the best investment I have made in a long time, and highly recommend it.

This is the fifth Garmin and the 3rd c340 I have purchased. So needless to say, I am very impressed with the product. We tried a Tom-Tom product and found it to be cumbersome to use and didn't like the setup, so we sent it back and got another c340. Any time I buy a GPS product, it will be a Garmin.

I purchased this Garmin because I had borrowed one from my Mother and loved it. I really like it a lot!!! The only "downfall" is that it really likes back roads; which is okay with me, but if you like to drive highway you might not like that feature. That said, however, if you know what highway to get on it will recalculate and take you that route. It is VERY EASY to use and I am glad that I have one, it helps find addresses for any reason - from going to Yard Sales in the town you live in, to visiting new places!!! If you want a Garmin but don't need a bunch of extra STUFF, this is the one to get!

The Garmin series c340 has been discontinued by Garmin about an year ago. I found this when I was registering the product on Garmin's site.
Surprisingly Amazon does not mention this fact even once in the product description.
You will be much better off buying a newer model.

The people who rate this 5 stars have no clue what a good GPS is.
br /This is the same unit National Rent a car uses. My group and I are frequent travelers, each renting cars 3-4 weeks per month. We all HATE this system so much we moved to Hertz, even at a higher price. This unit got us all lost so many times I cant keep track. Last week I got stuck renting National in San Antonio and again totally lost twice in one trip. "you have arrived" to an empty lot in a ghetto an hour from my destination. Again returning to the airport. Same thing in Seattle, Huston, Pittsburgh, ect. And we all have similar stories.
br /Want to find a local restaurant? I won't just list all in the area, you have to choose the type, American, barbeque, Japanese, ect. I can go on.. good luck
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I love the concept and the unit itself...I think my issue might be the maps that are pre-loaded. One time it told me to exit the highway when I was actually entering the highway. One time it told me to turn left when the do not turn left sign was quite visable (not to mention the median divider). I've entered the addresses and/or names of several businesses only to be informed that they did not exist. I was planning on phoning Garmin regarding this but have just not had the time....so the jury is still out in my case.

The GPS is very handy and reliable itself. However, its mount solution is neither handy nor reliable. The single suck panel is liable to lose seal due to vibrations in trip. I must inspect the vaccum bowl very often, otherwise, the GPS would fall down suddenly, very dangerous during driving.
In addition, the text-to-voice sounds a little strange but I am get used to it gradually.

First of all, right out of the box there was a bad pixel so it looks like there is a piece of dust or something on the screen. Product doesn't always pick up satellites right away and sometimes loses them. This is a good product if you are completely lost or have no idea where you are going, but if you have an idea of where you're going, it brings you the strangest ways. We will often drive a different way from what it is telling us and it recalculates which is good. Also, it won't pick up newer places so you can't just put in "Joe's Pizza" and have it find it, you must know the street address.

Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Map for my area a little out of date, which causes me concern if I were a stranger traveling in this area. Voice of "emily" has a hard time with speaking mult-syllable street names so bad you have to look at the read out and verify what she is saying, thus taking eyes off road. I recommend down loading their manual first and become familiar with its workings. If I were buying again, I would go for top of the line GPS from Garmin, they appear smaller and simpler.
Having said that, this still is a good buy and will do the intended tasks

Garmin Street Pilot C340 works great and easy to use. However, you must know how to select the settings. DO NOT select to avoid tolls. If you do so, you may end up driving thousands of extra miles before to get to the location.

I bought this item during thanksgiving period, so it is a deal. just tried several times, shows instruction fine, but took too long time to locate satellite, usually five mins or so.

It's really a great choice, very good value compared to other models. Easy to use, choice of computerized voice, switch from 2D to 3D, even switches automatically on night mode for driver's comfort at sunset. Loads of useful info, loads of settings possibilities also. The only thing, Garmin has no recent updates. My street does not exist on it's maps, and one restaurant we were looking for had closed since the GPS had been programmed. So, it would help if GARMIN could get their act together, and update more often.
But the GPS in itself is a very good buy, I would choose it again.

I got this Garmin C340 after a long research so I was pretty sure this was a good product. Let me tell you this is not the best GPS in the world but for this price and with the TTS option, you wont find anything else.

Pros:
1. Sleek design and easy to use.
2. Very easy user-interface and navigation.
3. Millions of POI's which are sorted under names such as 'restaurants', 'hospitals' etc and also lets you search for your own POI in their database.
4. Direction recalculation after you get lost is pretty quick and accurate.
5. Has a USB and related software to download latest firmware updates and maps from the Garmin website.
6. Lets you customize the route finder i.e 'shortest distance' or 'shortest time' etc
7. Text-To-Speech (TTS)

Cons:
1. The charger plug is integrated with the Suction windshield mount, so if you want to carry it to someone else's car, you will need the suction mount too...:( (but there is some good news, this GPS can be charged with the normal motorola Razr charger!!).
2. It takes some time to acquire satellites and the TTS feature doesnt respond fast enough. so if you take a ramp on the highway and you need to take the immediate exit, you might endup taking the next one. (but you can always come back on track right, thats what the GPS is for...;)

So after all is said and done, I would recommend buying this GPS because this is the best option in this price range (I got mine for $190)

The Garmin Streetpilot C340 is a very nice product, especially for the price. The text to speech feature is wonderful, the maps are clear and easy to read, and the touch screen is easy to use. It is very easy to set up, just plug into the computer for the initial set up and charge, and then it is ready to go. The preloaded destinations are plentiful, although not as up-to-date as I would have liked. However, I've talked to other people with different GPS systems from other makers, and this is a common problem. I use the Garmin daily, even when going to destinations I'm familiar with because I like the estimated distance and time of arrival functions. It also solves the problem of reading street signs at night, since the street names are on the map, and the ones needed are verbalized as well. I like the fact that it lets you know when you are approaching a turn before you are actually on it, and then again when it is time to turn. Adding and changing destinations are also very easy to do.
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br /The GPS is very accurate and loads up quickly. However, it occasionally seems to have a little trouble when on multiple over/under passes (but then, so do I!).
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br /I recommend the Garmin Streetpilot C340. Although it is not as sleek as some, the price is right and it is very user friendly with plenty of nice features.
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This is an excellent GPS. It does everything we wanted it to.
br /Only problem we had with it was the attachment to hang it in our van.
br /It wouldn't adapt to our air vents, to be hung. We didn't like sticking the suction attachment on the windshield. It tells everyone that you have something in your car that is valuable.
br /We put it in our console compartment now and just get it out when we are using it.

I bought this Garmin before a 750 mile trip to the Colorado mountains. I plugged it in, put in the destination address and it delivered me to the front door of the cabin about 12 hours later. It is easy to use right out of the box and has many great features. It never lost a signal even on narrow mountain roads or during thunderstorms. It is most handy when navigating unfamiliar roads in urban areas or some county road in the middle of nowhere. If you miss a turn no need to worry, it will recalculate a new route quickly.

I would say that this product is the best to have.
I and my wife don't need a guideperson to show us around town.
With this GPS you can go anywhere and not know the city or state
and just hang out hit the GPS and tell it where you want to go and bingo you are on your way there. Don't leave home without it!!!!!!!

The first trip using my Streetpilot was 1,783 miles, lasted 32 hrs with 24 hrs of driving time (Statistics from the unit). I arrived at each destination as expected and even found out that my rental car's speedometer was out by 4 mph! I will never travel without the unit again. I now how much time I used to spend being lost in a strange city.

I have been using Garmin C340 for a month now. I think it is very accurate and easy to use. I would higly recommend this product!!
It feels great to stop looking at the paper for directions and just relax enjoy the drive.

first time I had one. Excellent,fun and easy to use and very effective. Very accurte driving direction,gives the time of arrival and distance. If you make a mistake, it will make the needed corrections.Going on a trip in sept,flying and renting a car, will take the unit with me. No complaints yet.

I have found this product to be 100% accurate; as I drive all over the New York Metro area. It recalculates quickly if I alter my route. The screen is easy to read and the controls are easy to use. A friend was so impressed with it's funtionality, she purchased one for herself.

I've owned the Garmin StreetPilot c340 for about two and a half years. I play in a rock band that tours for a few weeks each year, and figured a GPS would make navigating the US a lot easier. Boy, was I ever right.

Before going on a tour, I no longer have to print out several pages of Mapquest or Google Maps directions, which are only so reliable to begin with. (And that's to say nothing of the reliability of a sleepy or drunk co-pilot trying to guide you from the venue to the hotel after the show.) I've never gotten bad directions from the Garmin, and if you need to change your route for any reason, it can adjust on the fly.

Another cool thing is the pre-loaded "points of interest," in categories like food, gas, entertainment, shopping, etc. This way, if you're driving along and realize you need gas, you can easily find the nearest gas station. This feature comes in a lot handier than I ever would've imagined before getting it. On the first tour my band did with the Garmin, we were in Columbus, OH and got to town several hours early. No one was at the club yet, so we went to our buddy's house. He wasn't home and we couldn't get him on the phone, so we were like "well, let's go to a movie." The Garmin told us where several movie theaters were, complete with phone numbers, too. We found a theater about a mile away from where we were, and passed the time before our show relaxing at a movie. Another example: A couple of months ago, my wife and I were in Michigan for a wedding. We got to the hotel late the night before and realized my wife had forgotten to bring contact lens solution. We asked at the desk where the nearest pharmacy was, but when we got there it was closed. We then checked for pharmacies in the GPS, and called several until we found one that was open. Easy peasy.

Another standout feature is the text-to-speech turn-by-turn directions. This way, you clear and specific spoken instructions like "in point five miles, turn left on Main Street." This may not seem like a big deal, but in rental cars I've used other GPS units which don't have this feature, and the spoken instructions are more vague, along the lines of "left turn approaching." That requires you to take your eyes off the road to look down at the screen to find out the exact when and where of the upcoming turn.

By looking at the Garmin website, I've learned that this particular unit is discontinued. That likely explains why Amazon is currently selling it for more than 70% off the list price. But don't be discouraged by the fact that this particular model is discontinued - Garmin provides excellent customer service, they're continuing to support this device with firmware updates, and you can update the maps as necessary. Actually, checking now, the Amazon page says this comes pre-loaded with "Garmin City Select NT Version 8 street data of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico." That map set is about two years old, so if you get this I would suggest installing the new "Garmin Map Update 2008 City Navigator for North America NT" which Garmin released a couple of months ago.

Even with the additional cost of buying the new maps, this is still a great deal. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I bought my c340 about two and a half years, and I paid somewhere in the mid-400's for it. Since then, I've been completely satisfied with the Garmin StreetPilot c340 and have considered the price I paid to be money well spent. At the price Amazon is selling it at now, it's an absolute steal.

Love this GPS system. It's easy to use, easy to read and I cannot say enough good about it. I actually have nothing bad to say. I was in a really bad traffic jam on 81 in NY and hit the detour button - awesome. I must have saved at least an hour of time going through the detour. I highly recommend this GPS system. It's inexpensive and easy to use and best of all portable so we can use it from car to car. Buy it - you won't regret it.

I got one of these things with an Enterprise Rental Car on a recent trip to new England. THe interface is very easy to work with and entering text has an intuitive feature that pops up a list of streets or cities when you've entered enough letters.

I really enjoyed the female voice commands. This helped me with the loneliness of not having my wife along. Although, the Garmin said "in .3 miles turn left on main street" rather than saying "we just passed main street and I bet you were supposed to turn there".

This unit took me everywhere I wanted to go in Vermont, Massachussets and Connecticut without fail. When we got into down town Hartford in the rain it was a little slow at a couple of intersections, but that just reminded me of my wife, especially the way it kept saying "recalculating" after we missed a turn.

But seriously, certainly worth the 8 bucks a day for the rental upgrade. Well worth the $200 on Amazon.

We have this Garmin and another Garmin model too. This unit is the absolute BEST of the 2!! And the other one is a newer model and cost more? The Garmin C340 can be upgraded to traffic reports and newer map additions when it needs to be updated. But Garmin told me over the phone how to check for future upgrades needed and it came with the most accurate and most current information right out of the box. I just received this for Christmas 2007 from my daughter and wouldn't take any other brand or model out there! It was user friendly from the moment I took it out of the box...and my husband was given another Garmin model, but likes mine a whole lot more! Great screen size, great sound and directions too. It even re-directs me when I make a mistake (thank goodness). Oh well, he's stuck with his.
If you are wondering whether to go with this model or this brand, don't even worry about it! This is the only one you'll ever need! It even works in other countries when traveling.
I live in California and had to get the dash friction mount which works perfectly! We can't have units put on our front windows. You don't need any adhesives, Velcro, etc. It just sits on the dash where ever you put it without any problems, perfectly!
GET IT NOW!!!!

I owned the Garmin StreetPilot c330 for 3-4 years before purchasing the c340 and it was so easy to use I wanted something that operated the same way. I was going to buy a CD to upgrade the maps to reflect road changes in my area, but they wanted $80-$90 for the CD. That didn't seem to make much sense to me so I started to look for a new unit.
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br /The c340 operates the exact same way as the c330 with one additional feature...it tells you the name of the street to turn on rather than just "turn left" or "turn right". Saying the street names is a huge help in navigating and I'm really glad I upgraded to this new unit.
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br /Midway Auto Supply, Inc shipped the c340 and they were excellent to deal with. The new unit arrived in just a few days and the price was great...just $156.
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br /I know they stopped manufacturing this unit, but for anyone looking for a great navigation system for short money, you can't go wrong with the c340.

I love my Garmin StreetPilot, has worked like a charm once you understand how to set it up and use. Anytime I've had to go somewhere I've never been to before, it gets me there, no problems.

Great product. Since I sent this to her my Granddaughter can find her way around Dallas.

Waited until the price dropped to pick up this garmin GPS. Easy to use and came with updated 2008 maps. Friction mount does not stay put on my Tahoe dash but makes it for easy storage with a suction cup ring or dash mount.

I purchased this product after getting a job in Washington D.C. and was tired of getting lost downtown all the time. It saved me from the meltdowns I used to have and got me to places painlessly. It was super easy to use, and now I can enjoy the scenery while driving instead of having panic attacks.

I bought this one year ago and it has completely stopped working. I have yet to contact Garmin, but the simple fact is this device is currently nonfunctional.

I purchased this Garmin for my spouse. Once the GPS was installed into her car, we discovered the street we live on was not in the "maps" in the device. She contacted Garmin for updated maps and was informed she would need to purchase them for around $75. After discussing the issue of having an up to date product for customers to buy, we decided to return it to the retailer.

I bought this item refurbished. After two days, I kept receiving a message onscreen that the battery was low, even though I kept the product plugged into an external power source. After a week, it stopped working. For the time it worked, it appeared to be a very good product. However, I basically threw my money away on a refurbished product. This is the first time I have had trouble with a refurbished product I have purchased and I am now leary to buy anything refurbished in the future that has a battery. It does not appear the product was actually refurbished but that the battery was close to dead, and so it was sold as refurbished. Disappointing.

God forbid that your Garmin break down twice for the exact same reason, they will argue that it's not broken. In fact, even after the problem was escalated all the way up, they may still break-out in hives if they have to repair the second defective product that you were PROVIDED by them. I'm so unhappy, I'm laughing all the way to TOMTOM.

I just tried to put the 2009 City Navigator North America NT map into this GPSr. It will not show water features after the update. Garmin has told me that this is a problem with this unit. They are reimbursing me the price of the map update because I can't use it for finding streams, lakes, and rivers. If all you want to do is put in an address and go, that's fine. It's been a great GPSr for me and has taken me places I didn't even know exist. Just remember that you may not be able to see the water features on the map, depending on your location. And you may not be able to pinpoint your favorite fishing hole because it won't show up - all all. I'm putting the old 2008 map back in so I can use it for finding water features.
br /For the price of this unit, you can get a new one and not go through the headache of using outdated maps for the rest of the time you use it.

A friend of mine has a low end Cobra and I was impressed with its performance, even though its reviews were terrible. I bought a Garmin 340C after reading the rave reviews. My Garmin arrived in its factory box with all the papers and supposedly the latest map updates.
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br /I suspected something was amiss when it indicated my home address was at the other end of the block. I solved this by having it regester "home" as my driveway rather than my street address. I used it on a 200 mile trip to Dallas after inputting my destination as the address of a friend whom I always stay with when I go to Dallas. The Garmin took me to a house in another block on the correct street across a major boulevard. The street address didn't match.
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br /My bigest gripe, however is the display, which is impossible to see clearly on a sunlit day, even with the brightness turned to the maximum. I also thought the female voice sounded more monotone like a robot, and was not as natural and understandible as the female voice of the Cobra.
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br /Lastly, the Cobra had every tiny dirt country driveway in its memory, but the Garmin totally missed several paved side streets that had been there for years. I was not impressed but will likely keep the Garmin because I don't need the hassle of repairs or returns.
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br /I will likely replace the Garmin with a midrange Cobra. I don't mean to offend any happy Garmin owners. I'm just relating the experiences I've had with mine.

The connection to the power cord is poorly engineered - broke on my first Garmin. The companty replaced it - good news but the replacement is now hosed.

Great Garmin GPS. These units are built well and do what they are supposed to. Large color touch screen and common navigation features make it great for use in the car. Like the features and options for this as well. Graded down since it is a bit large and the software seems to hang up more than other models of Garmin GPS. I use 9 types of Garmin GPS and this one has the hardware but the software is a bit lacking. I reloaded the drivers and software version and got it more stable. Audio is loud, screen is easy to see, and touch screen works well. No problem with suction cup mounts or wiring. I do wish the power could be connected without the mount though. Overall, great unit as they are cheap and usually discounted, and can be used in rental cars. Just make sure the rental car company drone doesn't try to take this thinking you rented it from them...lol.

I bought the Garmin c340 for my mother. I have a Mio C520 and felt that it would have been too complicated for her to use. When I took her for a drive with both units hooked up side-by-side, she agreed with my choice. The options and display on the c340 are very user friendly. Basically, you touch a start button, choose a POI or enter an address and you're off. In the side-by-side tests, both units chose comparable routes. Both units have text-to-speech and performed similarly in that regard as well. One of the main things that my mother was glad about was the size of the text. Although the Mio has a 4.3" screen compared to the Garmin's 3.5" screen, the steet names are much larger on the Garmin, making it easier to read. The Garmin was lacking in the number of POI though. For example, I did a search for Zanies comedy club in the Chicagoland area. The Mio came up with all 4 whereas the Garmin only listed the location in downtown Chicago. I attribute that more to the huge database in the Mio than to a deficient one on the Garmin. Overall, the Garmin is a terrific entry level GPS if you want text-to-speech.

well, the suction mount simply broke on the second day (not just fell off the window - it broke right at the place where you put GPS - it seemed to be too heavy at first place!!), the GPS fell down, never used since then! Still need to contact the warranty company and demand a replacement of that junk! Cound't even register the product on-line, always got some kind of error!
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br /The GPS itself is pretty good, I guess. It has a lot of nice options - like to avoid highways, find the fastest/shortest way, you can put a whole bunch of addresses in your favorites for a quick search. Too bad I can't even use it because of that stupid mount suction broke!

Pros -
br /User friendly reasonably accurate some nice features.
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br /Cons -
br /1. Takes too long to track satellite.
br /2. Window mount - falls of the window. Cumbersome and expensive to replace.
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br /Own a Tom Tom as well. Compared the two in an A-B simultaneous comparison...
br /They both will get you there. The directions were the same. The terminology of where to go was different, but equal.
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br /The Tom Tom does not fall of the window, and fits in your pocket. Grabs the satellite much faster than the Garmin. If I had to buy again, probably the Tom Tom - just because of the Satellite reception time.

The GPS unit itself works great, and is intuitive and easy to use. HOWEVER, it is a horror to set up if you have a Mac! Even though the website claims they now support Mac, they are really useless when it actually comes to it. I initially had to set it up with a borrowed PC (predictably, the software was ridiculously unintuitive; when the so-called mac update, was announced--many months after it was supposed to come out--I ordered my free update CD, having finally figured out how to get it from their unwieldy website. Forget downloading the files or maps directly from the site, even with the various and confusing unlock codes you have to use! The CD arrives in a few weeks: no Mac update on it, no help on the website. You would think that nowadays any big and well known company would in this day and age provide Mac support (not to mention web downloads of additional programs/maps!). Very disappointing.

Recieved in a timely manner. Well packaged and at a fair price. The esae of Amozon is a great help

Purchased the unit after having a gifted unit by another brand break me into the world of GPS travel. As usage went further on the other unit I realized I drive too fast for it to work properly, what I needed was a unit was a faster processer and updated maps. Once I got the Garmin up n running, I set up both and had them guide me home. The Garmin gave more progress reports and was more accurate as far as my speed and location. On a street to my house which is on a one way street, the other brand had me going the long way around the block whereas the Garmin had updated maps and knew the street I usually turn onto the get to mine was now one was in the opposite direction and therefore accessable.
The best feature of the Garmin C340 is the text to speech ability, it lets you keep your eyes on the road and not so much on the unit. It beats "turn left in 200 yards" which I had a hard time calculating into feet. The Garmin doesnt have bluetooth phone or mp3 capaiities but who need it, my car has a fien cd plaer and my bluetooth headset sits on my ear anyway. The Garmin does what it's supposed to do with no fuss and the processor is fast enough to keep up with spirited driving without leaving you 20 feet to turn before it speaks.

I think my Garmin is great only dislike I have about it is you can not enter your own coordinates into the gps to find the area you want. I think it would have been nicer if they had included that feature. I do have a small hand held Garmin that I carry with me in my quad at all times, but still would like this one to have that feature also.

The Garmin c340 came in very handy on our recent trip from Virginia to Miami... the voice commands were easy to follow, the display very clear, and the timing of turn on cue. We did not like the fact that it does not have an option to avoid toll roads (it kept directing us to the FL Turnpike even though I-95 was parallel to it!). We liked the choices of voices - my kids loved Austrailian Karen. On the whole, it is a great value, easy to use, and useful for road travel. We recommend it!

Just gave this as a Christmas and my mom hasn't had much time to use it but so far it has been very useful. It does come ready to use straight out of the box and is very user friendly. She isn't very tech savvy and was able to use it right away. It gave the wrong directions one time but it was clear that the directions were messed up so re entered the address and it worked better.

We bought it for our daughter and her safety on the road. She enjoys it very much and uses it every trip she takes.Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

This was a perfect Chanukah gift for my brother!
I used it, when I was home visiting. Excellent price and value & very dependable!

I bought this as a Christmas gift. Of course I had to test it out. I figured I would download the latest updates, but it was already updated. This unit also had the 2008 maps installed.

I turned it on for the first time and I will say it took a few minutes for the unit to lock in on the satellites. Once it did, it has worked fine for the few test drives I have done. I have the NUVI 350 and this is the same software. The street names is one of the reasons I went with this model. Once you have that ...you don't go back.

I can tell you Garmin is the best ....stay with them and pick the model that matches your needs.

I got this as a birthday present for my boyfriend. When we take road trips we ALWAYS get lost. Not anymore. I opted for this version because I like the feature that announces up-coming street turns by name. Also my parents, who have an older Garmin model, complain about the annoying voice announcing that they have "gone the wrong way" when the make a wrong turn. This model just quietly re-calculates your directions without telling you you've screwed up. It's very polite. We are very pleased with it! It has many options and it's easy enough that a retard can use it.

This is a solid performer, especially for this low price. Although we wish this were a little more portable (for those walking tours, etc.), we would rather have this bigger unit than any of the comparably priced smaller ones because this actually tells you the names of the streets and highways, rather than just telling you to "turn right in one-mile." If you're just getting into the GPS thing, thank the US Air Force for allowing access to their satellite signals and Garmin for their excellent product.

This model just seems to do what it is supposed to do - give good directions and get you there. The only issue I have had is with the estimated arrival time calculation. I'm not sure how the calculations are done, but they are frequently not reliable.

The C340 GPS works well and is worth the $220. It will get you there but not always the quickest route. I really like the recalculating feature and the voice prompts

This product is very easy to use and is very accurate. Can't beat it for the money.

I bought this couple of weeks back, it arrived bit late but amazon kindly refunded the shipping charges and sent out as soon as they had it in stock. c340 is easy to use and i would recommend for the beginners who are new to GPS.

Overall I like this item very much. It does, however, not provide all the options that were available in the iQue series but is well suited for the new GPS user or those desiring only a minimal familiarity with such devices. Improvements over the iQue series include preinstalled maps (mine occasionally forgets a street or two), the ability to not freeze when transitioning to 12V DC power, and the 3D display (don't let yourself get too distracted!). I would recommend this item and have enjoyed it so far.

Other than driving around town to test it, I've only used it once on a long trip. Worked great. The re-routing after a missed turn is VERY fast. It did get a little confused in downtown Houston though. So far I'm really happy with it. Only downside to me would be it's size. Seems unnecessarily large compared to other GPS units.

Great product. Used it to travel from Massachusetts to New York without any problems. It re-routes you when you make wrong turns or miss exits. The only issue I have with the system is that it sometimes, not always, gives you directions when you are almost at the road or intersection it is instructing you to take. You do get both the audio and the written instructions/direction, so that if you were not paying attention to the audio, the written information is on screen. I absolutely love the fact that the system provides the audio names of the street and roads it wants you to take, taking the guessing game out of driving. The maps may need updating, and I haven't attempted to update them yet. The GPS device is a little bulky to carry in your bag or pocket. It is a great system to have. I would buy it again.

This is our 2nd Garmin c340 unit, we purchased another for the other family car since we've moved to a new city with crazy streets. It does exactly what we expect in a GPS, with the exception that the Points of Interest are outdated by atleast 2 years and the maps are atleast that old.

The maps are very accurate and the voices are very clear and state the street names as well as the distance before the turn.

I've played with the other major GPS systems on the market and I can easily say that the Garmin is the most user friendly.

This suits my needs just fine, as I only use it a few times per month. If I were an everyday user, I would definitely buy a better unit. The pros - price, touchscreen, speaks street names, seems to be accurate. The cons - can be painfully slow in acquiring satellite reception. This is not good when you need directions quickly. It is also a bit bulky and hard to put in a travel case or other small area.

For the money though, I think this is a great unit and I recommend it to anyone looking for a beginner unit or for people who only need occassional GPS.

This is a really helpful product except that it takes a little more time to think and suggest an alternate route, when we miss a ramp/turn or exit. Also, it is a little Bulky, But who cares when it does the job almost perfectly. If anyone is looking for a Cheap GPS, this is the product to look for.

I live in the suburbs and the unit works great. One of the main reasons I got this is because I like to make frequent trips into NYC and thought this would be useful. Wrong! It immediately loses reception once you get near any tall buildings. Overall, it's worth having but don't expect it to work in cities.

Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator I have not operated the unit enough to become totally proficent in its program, but my initial response is that I am satisfied and will continue to be satisfied. That being said,I would probably have been happier with the Nuvi line because of the thin profile as opposed to the bulkiness of the Street Pilot.

The GPS unit itself is everything I expected it to be. The mounting stand however was disappointing. Purchased in August of 2007 and it's already not able to be tightened enough to hold GPS in upright position on the windshield.

This is a replacement to the one I received on Christmas. The first one would not hold a charge. The power cord did not work. However, my new one is working great! Very easy to use.

I love my streetpilot. I am amazed at the technology that allows the maps on my screen to show me the small curve in the road. This is perfect for a text to speech version and has all the street names you can imagine. The only thing that I wish were different is that once it starts mapping it does not show the whole plan for getting to the destination. Best wishes.

The item arrived well packaged and as represented. It was ready to operate as it came out of the box. In the car and operational without any technical knowledge needed.

The GPs is very helpful in getting from point A to Point B. However, on occasion, it will detour us around some older streets. I don't know, maybe these streets it detours us around were very seldom used. Therefore, these older streets may not be mapped. Other than that, it works great. We've bought two of these, one for me and one for my wife. We would recommend this item.

Product fun and easy to use and recommended. Price is right and has everything one could need, especially as a first time user. Best feature--can always get you back on track if lost. What more can you want.
Maps (v8) not always 100% accurate though, but this seems inherent in even on-line maps. Good idea to review your route before.
The instructions that come with the unit are not comprehensive enough to discuss all features of the product, but over a little time, you find little features that are a happy surprise.
This is our first GPS. Although a good tool, I am now starting to question its use by new drivers. It can be more distracting than helpful. Even for experienced drivers there seems to be a competition between the GPs and the radio, especially if the upcoming route consists of quick changes.. Again, this is related more the the GPS than this particulate product.

I have a Garmin Nuvi 660 and have found it to be a fantastic product. Although prices have come down quite a bit since I bought it in July 2007, it's still a bit pricy. I was looking for a good unit to give as a gift, but I also wanted something that wasn't going to break the bank. After looking around a bit I decided on the Garmin c340. It was well priced with a few good features including text-to-speech which announces "Turn left on Elm Street", and not just "Turn Left". The two I gave my relatives are used frequently. They've had them for about a year now and so far they are very pleased with their c340. It lacks some of the bells whistles that the more expensive nuvi models have, and it's bulky shape isn't as handy, but if your goal is to find an address or the travel necessities of fuel, food, etc., the c340 delivers very well for the money. For anyone who has been frustrated finding and downloading directions, or has missing their share of unmarked turns, the world of GPS is the best thing to come along since the Texaco Road Map. If you want to jump into GPS but don't want to go to the expense of a high end model, the c340 is a good value.

great price and it works well, just wish there was a way to put it somewhere else besides my windshield

Delivers as promised. User friendly and does everything its supposed to do. Easy install with clear instructions.

I PURCHASED THIS PRODUCT A YEAR AGO. I AM THRILLED WITH THE WAY AND THE EASE OF USING IT. I HAVE LOANED IT TO SEVERAL FRIENDS AND EVERY ONE OF THEM WAS IMPRESSED. NOW I JUST PURCHASED 2 MORE OF THEM. ONE FOR A FRIEND AND THE OTHER FOR MY 79 YEAR OLD DAD. MY DAD IS NOT VERY ELECTRONIC MINDED AND HE LOVES THIS THING. HE COULDNT BELIEVE HOW SIMPLE IT IS TO OPERATE RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. GREAT PRODUCT

I like this GPS, but it is a little bulky. I wish I would have sprung for on the thinner models. However, it's a great device and I've had it for almost two years with very few complaints.

Easy to operate.
br /Information is mostly accurate, but there are restuarants that are out of busines for over two years in there and places that are over two years old that are not there.
br /We loose sat contact on 75% of our trips for a short period of time.
br /Time to location very good.

Good price for a Garmin product, a little bit too big compared with newer units. Huge directory of places of interest. It actually gives you the names of the streets, so I like that feature. Very easy to use

I thought I'd try out one of these GPS units but find it superfluous for the most part. But the price was right for experimentation at least.

We just upgraded to a c340 after trying the c330 that was on sale. The amazing part was the ability to announciate the street names using text-to-speech technology. First off, if you select American English, you will get a woman's vboice for "turn right". If you select American English Jill, you will get "turn right onto Flintridge Drive". The point is, if you use the text-to-speech (eg., American English Jack, you will get the street names as well as the name of the place you're trying to reach).

It's aslo a bit of entertainment to hear the announced name far from the local pronounciation. For example, in Colorado, there are many spanish origin names so Bajou was announced as baa-jou. I wonder what the unit would do for Peabody Street in Boston (like pee-budy).

Garmin has a web-update with auto down loads of software updates and new text to speech (there's American announciated as Jack or Jill would; then Australian by Karen or Lee or finally, British by Daniel and Emily).

Support took some time but was helpful. They told me that USB port will charge the internal battery; in place of buying a AC charger.

The text to speech took me from home to Pep-Boys parts store with name off streets announced for turn instructions and up to the saying the name of the store.

Well if you're like me and need a GPS to get you from point A to point B and not have it play MP3's and all that other garbage then this little unit is for you. I recieved it from Amazon next day and out of the box it was ready to go. I noticed how small it was but the screen is amazingly sharp, even in direct sunlight and easy to read. it's also light weight so the included suction cup holds it firmly in place, even over rough roads.

Now I am going to dispel some stuff you see on GPS's.

First Navtec is the primary mapping service. They literally drive around and map things out. The companys such as Garmin or Tom Tom or whoever make the software to have the unit figure out directions

Next people complain that not every location is in the unit. Well of course not. If Navtec has to drive to these places to get them mapped then they will be a bit behind. If we updated everytime a new road or store was built we would have endless updates so take that for what it's worth.

Lastly Garmins website for updates is a bit lacking. Out of the box I found most everything I could ever need. Did it have my favorite auto parts store? No, but it had enough that in an emergency (which is probably when I would use this or when I was out of town) it had more than enough selections to get me what I needed.

People tend to want the GPS to think for them, this isn't an autopilot and it is a man made machine. If you see it is leading you the wrong way then use your brain and go the other direction, the GPS will happily reroute you from there.

I found it to be very good overall and being critical of things I was very happy. It's not the most direct at times when I tested it by my house, but it got me where I needed to be with no fuss at all.

I like the basic map feature in that it tells you the upcoming roads before you cross them. These are written on the screen but in just map mode thats fine. In Directions mode it speaks the names of the streets and with many different choices in voice, you can select which one suites you best.

Overall I love this little unit. It is small, does what I need it to do and is 99.9% accurate, I would say but one!!!!

The c340 is everthing anyone could need. I am a road warrior and travel about 40K per year east of mississippi. I started with han held GPS, tried a laptop with "Streets" and a GPS (but had to hitcontrol/alt/delete too many times while driveing.

There is nothing better. Be sure to pick the language that gives you street names vocalized. (Jill).

this is a wonderful product. easy to use. i have not been lost since getting the garmin 340. i would recommed this product to anyone!!

Love this product. It hasnt failed me yet!! Good thing is you can update stuff via your USB port.

A friend got Tom Tom but after experiencing mine, turned it in and got Garmin. If its good enough for planes its good enough for me LOL.

Only bummer is I couldnt get it to stay on my windshield so I ended up buying the pricey dashboard mount thats sold separately.

For around $225, you get a life changing piece of electronic equipment. No more maps, no more getting lost, no more stopping to ask directions. I've had older Garmins that did not have the voice to text feature, and while they got me where I was going, they could not compare to the voice to text feature that speaks the names of the roads, removing any need to ever look at the GPS on the dashboard. Save your money if you are considering buying a GPS that does not have voice to text. This Garmin does everything you need to get from point A to point B, has the best maps in the industry, and gives you a voice to text feature not found on lower priced units, all for under $250.

I'm getting ready to move - and my sister gave me this for a Christmas present (early). I used it in my new town to find the location of the apartment my realtor was showing me. Since I didn't have a clue where I was going, (the new city is huge!) my Garmin told me right where to go! I got there 45 minutes early and thought "I'm hungry!" and my Garmin told me where the closest Taco Bell was. I had time to have lunch and still meet the realtor! AWESOME! I know it's going to be a big help finding things once I do move (in 3 weeks!) and I'll think of my sister when I use it! I've read that the traffic thing isn't worth the additional $$$, unless you are in a city, so I think that once I've gotten settled, I may get it. If I do, I'll come back and update my post to let you know how it works!

The only problem I've found with it - if you are very familiar with an area and you set it for a location you already know how to get to and you aren't going the way it is telling you to go, it keeps re-calculating trying to get you back on the path that it knows. (Although it did find a Sonic closer to my sister's house than the one we had been going to! :-)

And one little hint - don't buy the Garmin Portable Friction Mount for Nuvi, StreetPilot I Series & C530, C550 (010-10908-00) for this model - it won't work!!

We could not be more pleased with the StreetPilot. It has increased our confidence in driving-maps and directions were making us anxious. It is great at night when vision is limited to see signs, etc. We had only heard other people talk about GPS systems now we can say we have the best.

I bought this for my husband for a birthday/Christmas present and he loved it! I researched and researched using Amazon and epinions and finally chose this Garmin model. So far, it has performed as promised. He has only used it a few days but he is really delighted with its performance. We live in suburban Atlanta so that may improve its performance. I bought the traffic device and he has been happy with its performance so far. He found it to be super-easy to get running. I purchased the dashboard holder and the charger that he can use in the house.

I would recommend this GPS system to anyone and I found that purchasing it through Amazon was extremely easy and satisfying. Amazon, you are great!

I received this unit as a Christmas gift and I highly recommend the unit. I took a drive to a rural area within an hour of opening the gift and it couldn't have been easier to use. I plugged the unit into the power adapter - it took about 90 seconds to download from the satellite (a one-time activity) and it was ready to use. I had not read any manuals and I found it intuitive to use. I was able to put in the address I was headed to and it quickly calculated a route. it wasn't the route I normally took so I turned a different way and it immediately recalculated the route without further input. The unit speaks in a variety of voices and it does give you the name of the street you will be turning on. Very simple to use.

The only thing some people may find as a negative is that the pronunciation is not always accurate. However, to offset any confusion, the street name is also displayed on the screen. I haven't downloaded any new voices but I look forward to exploring that aspect of the unit as well!!

Talks to me. Tells me where to go. Dummy proof. Touch screen is easy to use.

Nothing else to say.

I have had it for over a year and travel all the time. It stores all my addresses and never gets me lost. I need to upgrade the maps but for some reason have an issue paying $60+ to get the updates. Will wait until I start getting lost and then think about it. Payed way to much but like any electronic gadget the price always comes down after a wile.

No need to pay twice the price for a more hyped model. This one offers outstanding performance and ease of use right out of the box.

I've been needing one of these for such a long time, and it's an incredible tool. I can go to previously-unknown destinations without a care. I can relax and put myself in its hands and GET THERE. I am NUTS about mine!

I just started working as a service manager for a oil and gas company in an area that I have never worked before. I spent my first two weeks of employment trying to locate customers homes and places where technicians needed my help.
After some research I ordered a Garmin StreetPilot c340 GPS Navigator. I took it from the box to my service truck and it hasn't missed a beat yet. Right to the customers door. Rural and city areas it has gotten me where I need to be when I need to be.
I would highly recommend this to anyone in the service indusrty that is looking for an easy to use GPS that can be moved from one vehicle to another very quickly.
I have convinced the owner of the company to place one of these in each delivery and service truck we have on the road. The price is right and the product outstanding.

I purchased my Garmin C340 in November. I am very pleased with my GPS. I used it to go to Pennsylvania and Virginia. It is very easy to set up and follow the directions. Sometimes it took a little too long to respond when you were only a short distance from your next exit or street, but most areas don't have their streets marked very well. I recommend this product very highly. It has provided a pleasurable driving experience for me when traveling.

I borrowed a Garmin 330 from a friend before buying this model, which I chose because it speaks the street name that you need to turn onto. The 330 just says "turn left in 900 feet". This model may not take you on the actual shortest route, but on the easiest route instead (it didn't follow short-cuts that I know about). Overall, an amazing device that is well worth it's cost! The ideal model if you don't need all that other added-on (expensive) stuff that you'll never use.

I bought this for my husband for his birthday. He always loves having new gadgets. Plain and simple. Great for what you need it for. It is truly plug and go. We took it on a road trip and by the time my husband went in a store to buy us coffee and get back to the car, I had it hooked up and ready to go. Has given us great directions so far. Voice is clear, picture and options are great. Definitely recommend!

Compared a number of GPS devices in this price range (under $200) and found that the Garmin c340 had the BEST overall value. It was the ONLY device that combined Text to Speech directions with BOTH U.S. and Canadian maps.

It calculates quickly and found just about anything I asked it to find. The one exception is asking for the nearest WalMart. Even though we have one about 5 miles away (it's been there for about 5-6 years) -- the Garmin said the closest one was 65 miles away in Idaho. (I live in Washington state.)

Easy to set up out of the box. Buttons are nicely spaced. Easily the best value for a GPS device in the $200 price range.Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

I purchased thia a few weeks ago and I'am truly amazed with this unit. I researched many models and for the money the C340 is the leader of the pack. You are truly up and running right out of the box. A little more bulky than I would like, but less expensive than the smaller nuvi's. You won't be disappointed in this GPS. Amazon a little slow on the free shipping, but can you complain when they are paying the freight.

I'm cetainly happy with the c340. However, I found using the suction cup offered me some difficulty in areas of crime (they want to steal it). Sooo ! I forked out some dough for the dashboard weighted mount, which is easier to dismount and stuff in your notebook case, case solved !. Seriously, this GPS is wonderful, and if you make a wrong turn, it will give a corrected heading, to get you home or another destination...

The Garmin Streetpilot 340c is a fine product. It is extremely simple to use right out of the box and does exactly what it is supposed to do. We used it while visiting Memphis and never got lost once while we drove all around the city. I especially appreciate the feature that tells you the street name to turn on. It leaves virtually no room for driver error.

Other useful features are the ability to store locations in memory and the dining and lodging locators. We will feel much more comfortable traveling away from home from now on. This is one product that delivers the goods.

The c340 gives good directions in an easily understood voice- fortunately it has a good volume control. I use the device mainly as a safety tool allowing me to concentrate on the road, not on the street signs.

This is my first GPS unit, and I can't imagine needing anything else. I purchased the Garmin C340 for an early holiday present, to myself! The unit is very easy to use, it has a very sharp and clear screen, it's inexpensive and best of all portable so I can use it from car to car.

I was amazed at the accuracy of my first address input, "as other reviewers are" and the quick response of the system. I like the way it announces the name of the street before the turn and if you miss the turn, the unit will reconfigure to provide updated information and directions to get back on track. I actually have nothing bad to say. This is a great unit for the money...

The c340 is my first GPS. It is truly easy to use right out of the box. I was amazed at the accuracy of my first address imput and the quick response. The screen is clear and precise. The voice is easy to understand. I feel as though I will never be lost again! I am very impressed!

This unit has been a lifesaver as we moved across the country. It gets us to our destination so easily, we feel like we are natives here. I suggest the dashboard mount as the included suction cup does not hold well in the heat.

Great product, only thing is initially it takes forever to set itself at a location. I think I have to call the support for that, I heard they reset it and it should be ok.

I love this... I have used it so many times... especially around town and on vacation... A must have.

Bought this product after careful review and don't regret it. Ready to use as soon as you power it up and with easy to follow menus. Offers automatic recalculation of routes which isn't a feature every navigation device on the market offers. Highly recommend to others.

Before my husband and I took a trip to the West Coast, I purchased the Garmin StreetPilot c340, and found it to be very helpful as we drove down the coast. Would highly recommend this item.

I really love the Garmin StreetPilot c340. It provides all the features of most other similar products and I was able to get it at a decent price on sale. I like the way it announces the street names just before the turns and if you miss the turn it will recalculate to let you know how to get back on track.

Unfortunately, the suction cup mount is not supposed to be used in my state. This is a minor setback but I don't like using adhesive on my dash for the optional mount and I'm too cheap to buy the mount that's supposed to work without adhesive. In addition, this does not work very well if you're not on a street. I understand it's not really designed for anything else but it would be nice to mark where you parked your car and it give you directions on how to get there. The main reason I purchased this, however, was for our road trips and for this it works perfectly.

This is my second Garmin c340 and it was bought as a gift. I loved the product but I found out the company may be better than this fantastic product. My first Garmin had a problem and the unit was sent and returned in 8 days (including ground shipping times both ways)! In this "throw away world" its nice to know somebody still stands behind their products! Way to go Garmin!

Great gadget for a reasonable price. Every time I think it is going to get me lost,it proves me wrong. It takes me exactly to the right location.

I decided to buy a gps unit after I got lost in the city trying to get my wife home after surgery. I decided not to have this happen again. I really liked the way Amazon can compare units and this unit was the best buy for me. You will like this unit.

After considerable research, my husband & I purchased this model. We couldn't be more pleased. It is simple to use and very accurate. The screen size is perfect. We would recommended this to anyone!

I'm saving tons of paper by not having to print out maps. I love the fact that I don't have to take my eyes off the road to read directions. Just don't let your teenagers get their hands on it. They changed the language settings to German and imagine my surprise when the GPS started talking. Kudos to the ease it was to change these settings back however.

As a chauffeur, I often have a pick-up in remote residential areas early in the morning. Such addresses are often not displayed on houses, nor are streets clearly marked. With the Garmin 340, I no longer fret about finding the address. The only area where Garmin has trouble is when streets are closed. Then you must find your own detour, but the Garmin quickly adapts and recalculates a new direction.

With this GPS you will not get lost. It's user friendly touch-screen makes for quick look-up. Set-up is simple too.

This in-car GPS has all the latest maps and talks you through your route. Even if it makes a mistake, it will correct itself. You might find the word pronunciation a little strange at times. I also have a C-330 in another car and I really couldn't do without them now.

Well Amazon.com made up for the delayed shipping. I received the GPS today and have to say I love it. I highly recommend buying this unit.

This is a great starter product for the GPS novice. Includes all necessary information for US, including options for local lodgings, fuel, attractions, and food.
I have always used traditional turn by turn directions from the internet and AAA and prided myself on a good sense of direction...but this product was a welcome addition, nonetheless!

This unit is nicely priced and well equipped. Most everyone can pick it up and start using the interface with no more trouble than an Ipod (parents and neighbors included).

It does not take much space in your car, but if you want to remove from the vehicle often, the Nuvi's are thinner with bigger screens, but cost more.

This is a fantastic navigational aid on trips. Don't buy it if you want to go off road or into deep woods, but everyone else will love it.

great gps system, it has helped a lot, I don't get lost anymore in new cities, and helps me find plenty of places.

Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS NavigatorWe liked our GPS so much we purchased a second one for our other car. We love it. Once it got lost in Vancouver BC, but they had reconfigured the freeway. It takes a while to realize that the GPS is not only to get you from point A to point B. When we are lost powering down the freeway, we use the GPS to find motels and restaurants.
If the price keeps coming down, maybe I will buy a third one.

This is a great little GPS and has just about everything you really
need for a very reasonable price. I'm impressed.

Have had the c340 for a few months now. I can't believe I ever lived without a GPS. This is a great value on amazon and the free shipping is a plus. Have had a few hiccups with it, but not the GPS's fault. Sometimes when plugging in locations that are at a mall it will take you to the entrance of the mall so you are left to assume its actually inside the mall. Other than that I've had no problems with it.

Like many, I read many reviews before making a puchase on items such as this. As a matter of fact, I read quite a few reviews from this page. All I can say is the reviews are spot on. This GPS for the price is what this review is titled, simply sensational. I've had it for about a month and I'm amazed on the accuracy and functionality of the unit. The interface is very simple to use. My wife has used it while she's been out of town the last few weeks and dearly loves the information it can give you and the ease of use. This is a great buy.

I was not sure if I wanted a gps, but when I purchased my Garmin 340 I was very pleased. I have had it about two months and am very pleased with the operation, even though it tried to take me down a closed road and through a gate of a restricted housing development. I put it on speed instead of shortest distance and now it works like a charm

Have used it many times and just love it. I'm not great with directions but this machine does it all for you - that you can even understand!!!

I'm very pleased with the Garmin street pilot,I do alot of driving for my job,and don't know what I did before purchasing,this product.

The delivery service on this product worked out extremely well. I ordered 2-4 days before I wanted it delivered (for a birthday no less), and it arrived one day ahead of time. The person I gave this to thinks it's one of the best gifts they have received. I'd recommend this specific model to anyone: it has good interface and is very easy to use.

Fantastic investment. It never steers us wrong. No pun intended. My wife and I invested in this product about a year ago and we've traveled to different states and the maps are flat out PERFECT! What's really neat is that it has a feature to show where the state line is if you're traveling long distances between states. It tells you exactly how long it's going to take to get to your destination and will automatically adjust if you're in traffic. It has different language sets, also. A plus, if you want to learn a few different ways to say "Turn Right in 500 feet." LOL

Great overall!

My last GPS was a Garmin V with a 1.5" screen and a menu system that was more oriented towards an engineer than a typical driver. This wasn't bad for me since I'm an engineer, but I have to admit it was not easy to use when you were kind-of in a hurry to figure out how to get somewhere.

The c340 is a breeze to use. It has a large screen and gives voice instructions. Best of all, the entire US maps are preloaded. No more having to load specific maps before going on a trip.

Only complaint is that it sometimes takes a long time to fix on the satellites. Oh, also there is no AC charging adapter included. You must use either the cigarette charger or the USB on the computer.

I got the Garmin c340 StreetPilot for my husband's birthday gift. We tried it out this week, and it is fantastic! I hadn't seen a need for one, but my husband had been wanting to get one. We tried it out and were amazed at the accuracy and the ease of use. I'm sold on it and my husband is very pleased with it.

As a beginner to car-based GPS, I found the c340 to be extremely easy to set up and use. All of the directions I've received so far have been reliable, and the wide variety of voices available are pleasant and easily intelligible. I like this unit so much that I've already bought two as gifts for family.

in my humble opinion, i would like to say the little garmin is likely the most satisfying purchase i have made in recent memory, it works right out of the box--gets me to where i am going everytime, easy-easy to use, has a volume control that lets me hear very well, in well spoken terms-neat to be able to have a different voice if one needs to enjoy another voice, besides ones companion telling the driver where to go!!! i am a 66 year old disabled person, and having the garmin by my side is very comforting , especially when going to places i have never been to before,i have total confidence in this product---very good, if i get better [health wise]i am going to buy a couple more for my children

This is the second Garmin c340 we own. It is easy to use with the touch screen and the voice guidance is loud and clear. I recommend this unit because it names the street rather than just directions alone. It has many other features that we use such as finding restaurants when we are in unfamiliar areas, gas stations, medical centers etc. It might not be the smallest but we have found it portable enough to take on vacation and pack in a suitcase.

This is by far one of the best purchases I've made in quite a while. I travel on business a lot and really feel more comfortable when I know where I'm going. I've been lost on a few trips while trying to either follow a map or MapQuest instructions. The Garmin StreetPilot is fantastic! The features are very impressive and the maps help in ways I hadn't considered.

We had to drive through a blizzard to get to our ski vacation last week. Visibility was horrible and we could barely see the road. Having the Garmin show us what was coming helped us navigate safely through a really scary drive. I just keep loving this thing more and more!

I purchased this GPS for my wife. She wanted one for Christmas. I liked it so well that I intend to buy one for myself. It's easy to use and has enough features for a low such a low price model.

This is a wonderful item! Not only does it give you turn by turn directions. It also gives the street names for easy navigation. I recommend it highly!

We just love this GPS. Never uses one before either. The whole family uses it. It is amazing. I did my research and made a great choice. We have owned this one for 6 months now. We even packed it to take to Colorado with us. It never let us down. I highly recomend.

This was a first attempt at a GPS system. We are very very happy with it. It's simple to use and user friendly. I did alot of research on the internet regarding pricing and Amazon gave me the best price! Will buy with Amazon again!

I highly recommend this product for a few reasons. First, it is so simple to use. Second, the price is just right. I drive for a living, and I don't know how I went so long without one. Bright touchscreen display, clear speaking turn-by-turn directions. What more can you ask for.

so far very satisfied. functions as advertised. only time will tell if it will need repair in the future.

The only thing I miss is the "altimeter feature" that I had on my previous Garmin 2720, otherwise, a great little navigator.

I bought several of these GPS's (one for each of my grown children) they absolutely love them. Over and over they have raved about how easy it is to use and how accurate it is. It was recommended to me by a good friend whom I trusted and I have not been disappointed. They were delivered from Amazon in a timely manner and in perfect condition. At some point I intend to order one for myself.

OK I admit, I'm directionally challenged. If you give me directions don't tell me to take a certain road number to another road and turn right at that road name. Tell me by saying "It's two lights passed the mall on your left" and then I'll understand.

My fiance was heading out of town for three weeks in January so for Christmas he bought me one of these. I love it!! I feel free in a way where I'm not afraid to drive places.

Where use to I was stressed if going any place I haven't been to for at least three or more times I now can relax and know that I'm not going to miss an exit or a turn.

The Garmin is great for even those who are not directionally challenged. The most obvious reason is if you go to a new town it makes finding places easy. But the least obvious reasons is it's great for discovering new restaurants and new places to go which you may have not known about. Also I found it finds newer and faster ways to go places which you may not have known about. It also is great if your normal route is blocked for some reason.

The only complaint I have is it doesn't know pretty new areas. We have a new shopping center and that shopping center isn't on Garmin's maps so it doesn't know to list that area however if you know the address it can still find it.

I've been using GPS for over 10 years now and this is easily the best model I've ever owned. The touch screen works flawlessly. The display is very large and easy to read. The voice prompts are the best I've experienced, as well. It will tell you where your next turn is AND THE TURN AFTER THAT AND IT SAYS THE STREET NAMES IN A NORMAL VOICE. Previous models only gave you the turn and then waited until it was complete to give you the next. That sucks when you're in a metropolitan area or high speed traffic with 8 lanes like Atlanta.

Here is an example:

"In 1/4 mile take Exit 104, Pleasant Hill Road. Keep right on ramp. Then turn right at top of ramp." -then- "Proceed 1/2 mile and turn right on Mall Blvd."

The GPS gave me the immediate directions and the following directions so that I can determine which lane I need to be in at the top of the ramp. I love the intelligence of this device! You will also not find a GPS with as many features for this price. Do not waste your time with Magellan or Tom-Tom. I've had both and they were sketchy. They both had trouble maintaining satellite reception and the intelligence factor of each device was very lacking. I almost always had to do U-turns with Tom-Tom and Magellan.

The only con of the c340 is that a few places that I've searched for in the category-based seach engine it provides were not there. These places have been there for five years and should show up. Their addresses are in the database, but finding them by name didn't work. That might change in the next map update. That is my only gripe.

I highly recommend this device. It has saved us on many, many occasions.

Just what we wanted. Easy to use and even had a back way that no other navigation system had.

The way I look at it the Garmin Street Pilot c340 may save more marriages than Dr Phil. I am absolutely awful at reading maps, and more than a few angry words have been exchanged between my husband and me as he--foolishly--asks me questions I can't answer. Enter Claire, my name for the GPS I gave him for Christmas. She speaks in a well modulated voice that my hearing impaired husband has no problem understanding and, furthermore, she never gets mad or flustered if he decides to deviate from her suggested route. A simple "recalculate" is all she says as she plots another course. This model announces the street name, and a glance at the screen shows all kind of features like intersections, feeder roads, rivers, lakes and woodlands. She's straightforward and easy to use, finding addresses and identifying nearby restaurants, gas stations and the like. I also like that she offers an estimated time of arrival on long trips, adjusting the ETA as the trip progresses. Trips are a lot more pleasant now. We both agree that this was a great purchase.

I bought this gps for my husband who is a truck driver. He goes all over the US and Canada. We need to upgrade the maps but, outside of that it has done the job it was made for. My husband has not got lost yet. He says that this is the easiest gps he has been around. It's easy to understand and the features it comes with are great. Thank You for shipping this out as early as you did. He really likes this product.

I bought this C340 to help me on a 1200 mile trip. Once I figured out how to get it to set up to the roads I wanted to take to a destination rather than the preprogrammed routes it was worth every penny. It guided me flawlessly around unfamiliar spider web networks of expressways and I pulled up in front of my destination without missing a beat. I mapped my route before leaving home with the help of a road map since it wanted me to take a couple roads I didn't want to use. To bypass this feature I simply put in the destination, then added a city on the road I wanted and it asked if I wanted to go to my final destination by way of this city. I said yes and it re-routed to my travel plan. Great device--includes which lane is needed for xway exits and merges. I wouldn't travel without it.
br /If you like to fiddle with the language voices the Great Britan lady is pretty funny. If the road has "Dr." in it--she translates it as "doctor".

This was the best time saver investment ever. Clear concise directions. We now have more than one. I love the screen clarity and resolution.

I purchased this Navigation system as a birthday present for my son. He is delighted with this product. He uses it mostly for long trips and also to find addresses within our town. He says the product is very easy to use and easy to follow instructions.
br /It would be a great Christmas present for a family or for a traveling salesperson. Of all the Navigation Systems in the market today, this one has most positive reviews.
br /Enjoy,
br /Amira
br /

I love this Garmin Street Pilot. I take it whenever I go somewhere unfamiliar. I get lost easily and this gets me where I am going and home without problem. Its easy to program and use.

Garmin c340- Ready to use out of box, few intuitive glitches but still easy to use, some out of date info.

I cannot read maps or use the mapquest directions without missing a turn. I need specifics, like roads as I pass them so I can see how close I am getting to the road I need to turn on. This system gives you play by play directions until you get to your destination. I love, love, love this product. Matter of fact, each time I take it with me when someone else is driving, they usually get the model number and purchase it for themself. It is sooo easy to use and talks the directions to me step by step. When I'm somewhere it's confusing like a large city, I enlarge the map so I can look ahead to see where I'm headed. Cannot say enough good things about this product if you are location or map challenged like me!

I have had mine for over a year now, and I can't say enough good things about it. I will admit that it sometimes gets the "close-up" details wrong (like saying an address is on the right and it is actually on the left), but I think most people can use their brains to figure it out. I can't tell you how many fights this thing has prevented with my wife and I (that's no small detail!). Something that I really like is that when I'm driving around at 2 AM, bleary-eyed and wiped-out from driving all day, I can do a quick search for all the nearby hotels. The nearest hotels pop up, with PHONE NUMBERS so I can call them and check on availability, prices, etc. What a nice feature! On another trip my wife forgot her prescription, so we needed to find a Walgreen's because they have all her information on file. We just typed in a search for "Walgreen's" and 3 or 4 of them popped up. It took us right to the nearest one. This thing is worth EVERY penny!

We were looking for a basic functionality GPS system that offers reliable satelite connection, text-to-voice speech, and a bright screen (enough to shine thru the brightness of the mid day sun). To our delight, this Garmin offers just that. It offers a reliable and quick sat. uplink when you are outdoors, while indoors it may easily loose connection.
br /
br /The screen is a good size and the on screen navigation is user friendly. The maps that come on this unit are out-dated, however work efficiently in our Greater Chicagoland area. If you contact Garmin Customer Support, they will more than likely offer a 50% off for a map upgrade.
br /
br /Battery power is decent. PC connectivity is great; for those people who like to upgrade the GPS voice system to something like Celebrity Voices, you will be out of luck since I have found no one to support this unit for such upgrades. Even tho customization is very limited, you CAN upload your own start-up screen with Garmin's propietary software available for free off of their websites.
br /
br /A great purchase for someone that wants a solid GPS unit without the fluff.

This is a great inexpensive GPS. The touch screen is clear even in daytime. The interface is great and very easy to use. Wife, who hates reading manuals is very happy with it. During the night, it automatically switch to nightmode which is very important so as not to distract you while you drive. Nightmode is less bright by turning the color to a dark background. Audio is very easy to understand. It tells you in advance when you are about to turn. At the top, it tells you the street you are in and the next street you will need to turn. Once you start the car, sattelite connection speed is pretty decent. The screen is large enough for visual. There is a built-in rechargeable battery with the unit which last for several hours. But ideally, the unit should be used plugged-in with the included cigarette lighter adapter. This senses when you start the car and automatically turns on the GPS which at the same time starts charging the internal battery. The GPS can also be charged through the included UBS cable through a computer.
br /
br /We own this for a couple of years now. It was purchase at that time for 299$. Purchased a 2nd one, a refurbished unit for 199$. Both are still working.
br /
br /Rooms for Improvement:
br /-There is a small round plastic with adhesive at the bottom to stick to the dashboard where you press the suction cup; or you can stick the suction cup directly to the windshield. Either way, the suction cup will fail and the GPS might fall or slide off your dashboard. Could be dangerous when it happens when you are driving.
br /It is much better to get the accessory where you put the GPS on top of the dashboard instead of using the suction cup that comes with the unit. This accessory is not cheap though - around 39$ at the of this review.
br /-Can be made smaller in size

Ok, so I am a little technologically challenged - but my StreetPilot is soooooo easy to use! It is great for long trips, but also invaluable for local travels such as finding a Drs. Office in the city, etc. Most of all I LOVE to use it for finding addresses to garage sales! It works great and does everything I need it to at a reasonable price.

This is the 2nd Streetpilot c340 that I have purchased (one for myself, one for my sister and bro-in-law. We have been completely satisfied. We especially like the voice directions because we don't have to take our eyes off the road. If you want an "entertainment center" this isn't it, but it will give you great directions.

I bought the refurbished factory sealed unit from digitechdeals and it works great and appeared to be brand new. The unit itself has helped me numerous times since my move to New Orleans. This is a computer so you can't expect it to always take the route that a local would take. If you're using it to navigate a new hometown, you must take some responsibility to learn the main streets yourself and it will recalculate according to the route you take. If you use it for A to B road trips, it works great. Comes with a suction cup mount and must be mounted in order to pick up satellites. In my experience it won't work for walking or biking or sitting on your carseat, you have to mount it to the windshield of your car. I paid under $130 total for the resealed unit and am happy I saved some money.

I love this product. I like the fact that it tells you the name of the road you are turning on. It is easy to use, very self explanitory.

Will get you anywhere you want to go with ease!! Great product, would highly recommend..

We started using it the moment it arrived. It's easy to set-up, easy to use. The suction device that holds it to the windshield works really well. It's suggested routes to locations in nearby cities are better than the more common routes I have used in the past. I've been using it in rural northern Michigan and it knows every road up here! The fear of getting lost is gone. I never have to ask directions again, just get an address and you're done!

The Garmin StreetPilot C340, my not be the latest thing on the market,but it works great, Just put in the address where you want to go, it takes you right to the location. I wish I had one of these, 20 years ago !!!
br /
br /Thanks Garmin Amazon.........A. Gray
br / Indiana, USA

I bought this product a few days before a long drive from Philly to Bar Harbor, Maine. I was a litte concerned that I wouldn't have a chance to learn how to use it before we left. Talk about worrying about nothing.... I plugged it in...turned it on...and with in minutes...I was a wizard. The GSP does all the work...and adjusts on the fly if you decide take a route other then the suggested route. The entire family got a kick out of changing the nationality of the GPS. By mid-trip...Jill (American voice) or Emily (British voice) became part of the family.
br /
br /One of the best features was being able to see what the projected time of arrival was...that helped with the age old travel questions..."when are we gonna get there".
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br /I bought this GPS for $155 and shipping was free. I also had a $25 gift card. This is the best $130 I have ever spent.

I recently purchased the C340 for myself after borrowing a unit made by Magellan. I became instantly frustrated by the Magellan from the moment I powered it on. It took me quite some time to figure out how to enter in my destination from the get go. While nearing my destination, the unit was preparing to tell me to turn left at the next street. I proceeded to turn and found out it was off by about 200 ft. When the route attempted to recalculate the route, it took no less than 30 seconds before it got me on my way. After my business meeting, I wanted to get back home. This feature was not availabe on the Magellan. Now that I have the Garmin C340, I have found all of these issues have been resolved along with the talking street name feature which works great. This is the best unit I have ever played around with and the best $150 I have ever spent.

The Garmin Street Pilot is one of the best purchases I have made. My husband thought it was a stupid purchase however, one use and he was hooked. He had no idea of the many uses, from finding a gas station, restaurant, etc. to giving you the time it will take for your trip and the miles left to go on each road you travel on. It is great!

this product is great! and I received it timely and i would totally recommend it to anyone like me who is map challenged!

Let's start with why I got the C340... I wanted an affordable, updatable, trustworthy unit that I could place in my vehicle to quickly find addresses, and I didn’t want to pay high dealer prices for an in-dash GPS solution. I read all the reviews, and weighed the pros and cons.

To make this a complete review, I think it is necessary to define what I thought was important when I was looking for a GPS. Above all, I wanted a reliable solution; something that had a simple/clean user interface and something accurate. I also wanted something that would be supported or backed by its manufacturer, and a solid product that would stand up to moderate usage. Based on my research, all signs pointed to the Garmin C3XX series. But that wasn’t enough for me. I also wanted word of mouth. My sister is into “geocaching”, and she uses a handheld Garmin for hiking and geocaching. I talked with her and it turns out that lots of people in the geocaching community recommend the Garmin line of products. In addition to this, I talked to my boss’s secretary, who uses the Garmin C330 in her SUV. Pretty much everyone I talked to was happy with the performance and reliability of the Garmin brand.

My experience with the C340 is no different.

The first time I got the Garmin, I decided to test it “out of the box” by taking a road trip from Orlando, FL to Saint Augustine, FL. I put in my ending address and hit Go…several seconds later, the voice started guiding me. The first thing I noticed is the Garmin defaults to using major highways and toll roads. I try to avoid the Interstates in the Orlando area as much as possible, so I decided to go part of the way using my own personal route preference and let the Garmin do the rest. The Garmin didn’t disappoint. After I took my familiar back routes out of the Orlando area, the Garmin guided me perfectly to the destination. The Garmin even “knew” about the tricky one-way streets in St. Augustine and was able to route me directly to my ending address with a minimum of fuss. At one point in my journey, I hit a large backup of traffic due to road construction. All I did was hit the “detour” button on the Garmin, and it recalculated a route away from the traffic, then guided me right back to my original route once I was past the traffic block.

I was very satisfied with my trip to Saint Augustine, but not so happy with the drive back. We decided to let the Garmin guide us to the interstates to get us home, and everything was going fine until I got on I-95S. The Garmin completely locked up. I pulled off at the nearest exit, and reset it using the procedures I learned from the Garmin user forums (it is not published in the manual), and the Garmin was back. So I got back on I-95S and once again, the Garmin locked up. My wife tried all sorts of things…turning off WAAS, zooming out, etc. But the machine just kept locking up. When I got back home, I immediately called Garmin. They were very pleasant and helpful, and they got me on the line with one of the tech guys. The first thing we checked was the firmware. It turns out that the Garmin unit I had shipped with a very, very old firmware. A quick download of the Garmin Web Updater and the C340 was flashed to the latest version. I have not had a single problem with lock-ups since. I took several other “day trips” with the Garmin after that, and it was much improved in a number of ways after the firmware update.

I now use the Garmin to get to appointments, to find out of the way restaurants, to get to relatives, etc. It is very trustworthy and reliable. I have had no issues with screen glare, probably because I have darkly (legally) tinted windows all around.

But what about the other features? I tried several times to see if the Garmin could guide me to a restaurant, and every time was a failure. The first time, a coworker told me about a bakery downtown, so I punched in the address and away I went. Problem is, the Garmin directed me to a residential neighborhood to someone’s house! The next failure happened when I was on a business trip in Melbourne, FL. I wanted to eat seafood, so I pulled up the list of seafood restaurants…I found the closest one and hit Go…when I reached the address, the restaurant had long since closed. So I picked the next address. That restaurant didn’t exist either! I ended up going to another place I saw on the way that wasn’t in the list. Bottom line – their restaurant database is very outdated. The third experience was similar – but I was looking for a McDonalds in the Clermont, FL area. It found one, some 14 miles away. As I started toward the McDonalds, I drove right past another McDonalds which was closer…and it wasn’t on the list! It was an older McDonalds too, not a new one that just sprang up. So the restaurant feature is not to be trusted too much.

Other nitpicks – if you decide you don’t want to follow the Garmin’s advice, then the voice prompts can get annoying because it will try for a short period of time to get you to do a U-turn, or it will keep saying “recalculating” over and over.

Bottom line…I find the Garmin C340 very useful. I have had no issues with screen glare, lockups or “late” vocal instructions since I used the Web Updater to update the firmware. I did have some of these problems with earlier firmware, so any reviews you read with these problems may chalk up to a firmware versioning problem. I also recently updated the base maps which added in some missing new roads in my area. I give the Garmin a 95%, because it is very accurate with finding addresses, especially in densely populated and tricky areas.

A couple of points to remember:

1. always have a general idea of where you are going
2. the Garmin usually knows how to get you somewhere faster than you think you can go without it. Every time I second guess the Garmin, I end up getting there later than I would have if I had followed the Garmin’s advice.
3. Read up on undocumented features.
4. It isn’t written down anywhere that I know of, but if you don’t know an exact street number, simple enter 000 for the street number and the Garmin will take you to the street.
5. get a CF card reader, because the USB interface is slow when updating maps
6. Garmin makes a travel case for the C340 which is a must-have if you are always taking the Garmin out of the car or transferring to other cars.

Hopefully I have helped someone with their decision to either buy or forego the Garmin. My friend recently asked me which GPS I recommended, and I recommended the Garmin hands down. He got the C330, and could not be happier with it. He even talked his parents into getting the C330 for their car. I do feel that the C340 is worth the extra bucks to get the spoken street names.

I recently used the Streetpilot for two trips one a short trip less than 150 miles and another approximately 1800 miles. I was impressed with the device. It was accurate to a couple of hundred feet. The only problem I encountered was on a stretch of Route 64 in North Carolina. It was obvious to me that the mapping software for that particular stretch of highway was not updated. But for the price it is a good value.

This is my first experience with a GPS nav. system. I was also concerned with the small size and small screen. My wife and I travel in our RV during the summer and this unit was purchased to help reduce the amount of time printing out computer maps. I have been using it around where we live and I know the roads to see how well it would do. I'm also checking reliability. I've found the screen is plenty big enough to see the route and the voice prompts are very useful. The unit is amazingly accurate whether I'm going 20 miles or 100 miles and is usually only a few tens of feet from where I'm trying to go. This is only true if I input the destination address; so far I've not had such good accuracy when I try using the included map. The only difficulty I've had so far is getting the unit to understand what kind of route I want to use. This is important with a large RV. For instance I've tryed to command the quickest route from point A to point B. The firmware trys to follow that request by taking interstates, expressways and "city" streets! Somehow I've got to get rid of the city streets. All in all this is an excellent navigation system for the money. We love using it. Did I memtion that it speaks at least 6 languages.

There are enough technical reviews out there, so to make it simple:

Here is my life before the Garmin Streetpilot c340:
I was always late for appointments because I would get lost. My wife and I would always end up fighting in the car about directions. I paid a lot of money in wasted gas and wear and tear driving in circles not knowing where I was. I was always tense, moody, nervous, angry, etc... when I drove.

Here is my life after the Garmin Streetpilot c340:
I am early for appointments now. No more fighting with the wife (well, about directions at least). I save money and time whenever I go out. And the best part is I have a smile on my face no matter where I am.

Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

I bought this for $350 in Jan 2007 and was delighted with it at first, It's very user-friendly and intuitive. But then the battery died and I discovered that the car charger is defective and doesn't work. So, I have to charge it using my PC. Okay, I've adapted. Then, I swear moments after the one year warranty ran out, the gps went wacko. I would hit the button for a common destination and get the screen for all the gas stations in the area. I tried over and over and couldn't navigate the navigation system. Some crazy robot brain had taken over. Oh, I'm sure that I can spend some major bucks to download an upgrade for it. Why can't it work right in the first place?

I had a Lowrance iway 550c but it was stolen from my car, so I had to buy another GPS.

The Garmin is great for what you pay for. The Lowrance was $600, the Garmin was around $218.

Garmin:
Pros: Easy to use, no instruction manual necessary.
Prefills your typing (instead of having to type in San Francisco, it prefills when you type in San F*** and gives you an option of San Francisco or San Fernando
Says the street name in over 50 languages. We are using Australian English for fun.
No frills interface.

Cons: You have to type in the city to begin your search. I wish it would remember your City. You can bypass this screen and search for the address in any state, but it takes longer.

Features Garmin 340c doesn't have that Lowrance did. Again, its not really a fair comparison because you get what you pay for but they are things I miss in the Garmin.
Lowrance:
*Can customize the page. If I wanted the time on the upper right instead of bottom left, each module was movable.
*I can add "widgets", over 100 items to display on the page (and move it on the page). For instance, I like to see the altitude from sea level. I added it to my Lowrance page. You can also add, time to each destination (if you have multiple stops) and time to final destination right on the home page. The Garmin shows this, but its layered deep in the interface and you can't customize the Garmin default page.
*Lowrance listed actual street addresses. For instance, I have to turn left at Main but I liked knowing the name of the next streets around me (oh, I didn't know we were so close to State St!). The Garmin just tells you the street name you are suppose to turn on but is generic in the rest of the map.
*Lowarance also listed parks and libraries, a kind of points of interest. If I'm driving to a destination, on the map, it'll tell me I'm passing Smith Park and York Cemetry and SF Zoo. I like knowing what else is nearby in case I want to go there another time. With the Garmin, it just tells me the route I should take to my destination but everything else on the map is just a vertical and horizontal line.

Like I said, you get what you pay for.
If you like a basic GPS, Garmin is right for the money.
If your a gadget person and like customization, get a higher grade GPS.

Con with the Lowrance I bought, it was a 5" screen and not portable.
So consider how you're going to use it before you buy.
Is portability really necessary? The Garmin is portable but I haven't take it out of my car yet.

Well, I did quite a bit of research before buying this unit. Its a perfect out of the box unit. Comes ready to use. I made my first trip with it and drove 1300 miles. It solved all problems without fail. Detour feature works perfcect as I faced once a closed road. The points of interest looks a little old database,needs to be updated as I searched for a couple of things and it took me to no man's land.

But overall a good buy. Gets the satellites pretty fast, and pretty user friendly.

Great instrument, really crummy Users Manual. I should not have to experiment with it to find out all of its capabilities. Examples would be useful.

When I installed the new maps in my 2005 Garmin c340, it eliminated all of my "Favorite" locations. Advance warning would have been useful.

But when used properly, it is great.

Item lasted 30 minutes, till after the batter died. When I went to recharge the item wouldn't recharge at all. So I returned to Amazon for a new one. Hopefully the next one will be better.

I ordered mind on Nov. 17 it took 2 weeks to get it. It worked for 30 mintues. I was told to sent it back and they would overnight me a replacement, I did and received the replacement 8 days later, setting in my driveway in the rain and the box was opened and the GPS was used, everything in the GPS box had been opened and used. It was shipped DHL. I called again and was told they would ship another, then got a e-mail saying that they would not be shipping another, then a few days later a e-mail saying it had been shipped again by DHL. Yesterday it came USPS, DHL sent it USPS. I haven't used it yet hopefully it will work. This was my first order from Amazon and I don't think I will order again. It cost me $22.00 to sent them back.

The C340 is very wide so it is not handy when traveling on planes, you would have to bring a seperate case for it. Also we could not get receiption in our house so we can only enter a trip outside. Other models of Garmin and other brands have worked in our house but not this one. We do not live in a rural area so there is no reason it should not work.

The unit is great, but is a discontinued model, and nowhere that I could find in all the advertising does Garmin publish this, or do the retailers. The only way I found out was to go to the Garmin website and try to update the maps. You also must have purchased the unit because you have to put in the serial # b-4 you can get to the portion of the website that tells you-Manufacture Discontinued!!! Shame on you Garmin!!!

This has all the features you would want. Such as text-to-speech, easy to use user interface, POIs, it searches addresses as you enter the characters..reducing the need to have to fully spell out the street. However, the GPS receiver is not a Srf III. I traveled to Boston, the oldest city and it could not find one of the oldest streets in history [Beacon or Beacon Hill]. In the city, it kept loosing the signal and it was somewhat useless as it could not direct you to a location without endless re-calculation due to signal losses. I'm glad I did purchase it in time for my trip. Now, I know how important it is to have a GPS with a more responsive receiver, such as SRF III. Again, feature wise it is awesome. But, if it can't guide you or provide you with somewhat accurate directions, it isn't much good. Even in Georgia, it kept dropping signals. I purchased a GPS for my phone and it hasn't dropped a signal and it is so much precise and accurate.

Major issues include very delayed response and reception. Connection with satellite takes for ever and seems lost many a times. Connection drops out at the drop of a hat. A bit of cloud cover and there goes the connection. A few trees overhead and it loses it. What's with the 4 and 5 stars? Ridiculous!

I mainly had problems REPEATEDLY with the charging cord. at first, it stopped charging . then I used a USB cord to charge from my computer. now nothing works. the battery is dead.replaced a charging cord , quit working again.. very frustrated.

We got to use this GPS by Garmin twice before it just stop working, had to send it back to the company for repairs in two months time had to pay for shipping. Waiting on return.

The Garmin 340 works great and I've had no problems with it. The only complaint is that the voice on the GPS will not say the name of the street correctly but this is a minor problem.

I recently purchased the C340 here at Amazon.
Here's the kicker: When logging into Garmins Web Site to register my new unit, the C340 shows up as "discontinued".
Amazon has been stellar in their willingness to take it right back! PROPS to Amazon on that! The set back for me is...I can't make up my mind what other unit to buy as I'm on very limited budget. I called Garmin who tells me "I should (that's the word I worry the most about) be able to get support and updates as long as it remains under warranty". Well, after a year, then what?????
That all being said, I'm really happy with the unit so far. If you want "high tech", try something else. If you can roll with basic stuff, you'll be good to go! The mounting hardware is good with intigrated plug to mount arm. Auto video dim is good set up. Video is good and clear. User friendly device for the basic user who needs no bells and whistles!
Again, great support from Amazon, I just wish they could help me make up my mind as to what to do from here!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
-ddw

use on all long distance trips. it is like having a person that lives in every town with you. Love the detour feature.wish it swiveled like the newer models.

This GPS does not seem to work in large cities. My husband was driving in L.A. and it kept losing its signal and repeating the word "recalculating." He got lost several times as a result. He would have been better off with a paper map.

I arrived here in the States 12mths.ago from "Down Under" so direction for me was way out. Instead of going south I'd be heading north,instead of west I'd be going east. But not any more - the Garmin C340 keeps me on track. What a little beauty, and so easy to use.

Wow and WOW! I didnt get the same machine as many of the reviewers here. MC340 did operate out of the box. BUTTTTTTTT- //////////////////The maps for my area are seriously out of date. From my house to the hospital it wants to take me through the middle of the JMU campus or on roads that havent existed for at least ten years. I go online to see about map updates and they are not available. Sometimes it even tells me to make a turn on a road that is perpendicular to the one I am on??? I would be very hard pressed to recommend this to a friend or to buy another Garmin product.

Roger-Harrisonburg VA

As far as I know this product is great - it is a Christmas present so I don't know how it works yet

I bought this for my mom. I was able to use it with her for a week. After that week, I'm sure that will be able to use it with any any problems. It was very easy to use.
Some of the street names were right but the mapping and location seemed to be accurate.

Had two months and it is simmple to operate.

I took it out of the box and it worked! The size is perfect. The only thing that I would ike is if it had the option to change it while driving or not.