I was pleased to try out the C530 today when I received it and happy with it's overall performance, but am stumped as to why Garmin would leave out the ability to announce street names in the directions like the previous model c340. I would consider that part of the core software and part of all future and more expensive models. I was very disapointed to find that my c530 lacks this ability though.

After playing with the c530 some more I became even more disappointed when I realized that it lacks many, many points of interest that are on the c320,c330 models. I'm not sure what map set the c340 has, but the c530 has a different map set and the c320 and c330. I was surprised to find that the largest and most popular movie theatres were not listed on the c530 and I know they are listed in the c320 which had version 6 mapsets (the c320/c330 mapsets are now to version 7 released June 2005 to give you an idea how old they are). Since the c530 is a brand new product, you would think that the maps would be the most current and up to date and they appear to be the current version of the associated mapset, but it is missing many major businesses and the ones I do find sometimes haven't existed for more than 5 years. They have to be able to do better than this

I'm finding it probably wasn't worth spending the extra money, but will check with Garmin first to see if they can provide a different set of mapsets.

I have never used a GPS before. I cannot give you the elaborate comparisons or insights that others will provide. I purchased this system and began to use it 5 days ago. I love it. It found the satellite in less than a minute and has consistently done so. I live in a rural area with many tree covered roads. I own a sirius radio receiver and, from time to time, momentarily lose the signal. This has not happened thus far with the c530. The touch screen is extremely easy to use and the questioning system is a breeze. I have used it two times to drive over an hour from home to places I've never been and it has been stress free and spot on. I honestly don't care about finding businesses, restaurants, hotels, etc. Maybe I will in time, but I'm just too new at it now. I bought it to stop the aggravation of getting lost and the flaws of depending on mapquest. I am completely satisfied and have no regrets at all. The voice directions are clear and given in plenty of time to make the turns. The estimated arrival times are accurate within one minute, and recalculation if you choose a different path are immediate. I'm someone who didn't want a lot of bells and whistles, but I also wanted something very simple to use. There may be better ones out there, but I am very satisfied with my purchase.

This is an ok navigtor but if you want something that will tell you turn by turn prompts the C340 is for you. I have had 4 different ones & the one that I like the best is the C340. I only had the C530 for a few days & it quit working. I sent it back & got the C330. That one didn't last the day. The first C340 didn't work either. I sent it back & was really tired of all of them. I got one more & haven't had a problem with it yet so, I hope it lasts. I'll keep you all updated.

I used Garmin C330 in NY, Philadelphia and Niagara Falls. I did not have any problem. It is great GPS. Recently I bought C530 to try the TTS hack. I did TTS hack on C530 and it works great. Today I got a chance to use both them together and see the difference beside C530 announce street names.
1. In term of Signal acquisition , both units I found same. I put togeter in my front car seat and both took equal time to get the signal and calculate the route.
2. Both will alert before .2 miles you take turn. Both will recalculate at same time if you missed the route. I saw some people mentioned that C530 is quicker than C330. But no, Both are same.
3. C530 display whole street name (like Reed Hartman Hwy) but C330 displays half name of the street (Like Reed Hartmn).
4. C530 screen is readable thn C330 in sunlight.

In my opinion I did not find any big difference beside screen visibelity in sunlight in C530. I tried C530 inside my house and it could not get the signal. same with C330 as well.
The good thing with C530 is, you can hack it to get the street names to be announced and also it display almost full street name.

Update (9/15/2007):
I used Garmin c530 from Cincinnati to Chicago Ohare airport. While going it took me through correct path (same path was displayed by Google map). While coming back It took different path from I-65 S. It alerted me that Road is closed in 45 miles. Also it alerted me about traffic in Chicago and took me through small streets instead of Highway. Traffic was really heavy though on I-90 W (while going to Chicago).
I am surprised why my C530 alerted me. I did not subscribe any traffic service or so. Does it come by default? Anybody also had similar experience?

This model performs very well, but when I tried to install Map Update 2008 (City Navigator North America NT), I received an error message. After numerous phone calls to Garmin (their staff were extremely nice and have bent over backwards to help me with this situation), I learned that I had a Demo Model and that it can't be updated. Garmin is going to exchange my unit for one that has Map Update 2008 already installed. So how did I get a Demo Model? I have no idea, but be careful when you order these units; you never know what you're getting. Overall, I'd give the unit itself 4 1/2 stars and the place that sold it to me 2 stars.

One Buyer Beware on this unit is that it will ship with Version 8 of the mapping software. NOT the latest version 2008. This is per Garmin. This model must be being discontinued. Version 8 is a significant step down in that the routing algorythm it uses is pretty poor. Even worse than 7. Unless you plan on paying for the upgrade as well, skip this unit

I have owned this Garmin GPS for about 3 months and it has really helped out alot. I really hate maps and I'm not the most experienced driver, but with the Garmin c530 I am driving like a pro. It's very comforting knowing that I can find my way to a long distant job interview or navigate on busy highways.

However, the c530 isn't perfect. The biggest problem (as other reviewers have pointed out) is that this unit doesn't announce street names. Second I have experienced a few glitches. There have been a few times when the unit tells you to turn at the wrong address. Sometimes the unit gets really wacky and the voice says turn right and the screen shows to turn left. Another time I used the "point of intrest" feature to get some food and the GPS took me to a residential home address. I have also noticed that the recalculating feature lags sometimes for a few minutes (leaving you without any directions). It's almost like it decides to take a nap.

I don't regret buying this model, but I would rather own something that I know I don't need to upgrade. This one does the job, but it's almost embaressing sometimes when it screws up.

I have to give it a bit of credit. It does seem to hold up in the city and sometimes through tunnels. However, if you get stuck in a traffic jam in a big tunnel in the city, this unit will crap out and lose the signal. I also like how the unit estimates your arrival time. If you go the speed limit, the time estimate is pretty acurate.

I remember the state of navigation during car trips when I was a child back in the 70's. My father would be driving and my mother would be trying to make sense of a stack of AAA maps. We could just about deal with the Interstates but finding an address was more about dead reckoning. The effective word there is "dead" which is how you'd be when you had to take your eyes off an unfamiliar road to read street numbers. I'm not even going to get into how many gas stations had no idea what we were trying to find. Successfully solving a Rubik's Cube was easier than refolding those huge paper maps.

My friends we are living in the future. GPS navigation in cars is a revolutionary product. Pat yourselves on the back for another great American innovation that trickles down from military research. I've used a bunch of auto, hiking and aviation GPS navigators and these Garmins are among the best.

The Garmin c530 I will buy today is the fifth Garmin GPS unit that I am purchasing. Over the course of birthdays and holidays of the last year my father, sister, girlfriend and even my 83 year-old grandmother are all using the c530. They all love it and rave about it to their friends.

I am generally very good with directions but I find that the Garmin c530 is an excellent supplement to helping navigate car trips. I've even driven cross-country with Garmin leading the way and what a difference it makes. I didn't even have to make hotel reservations. I'd just drive as long as I wanted and then, when I was done driving for the day, I'd have the c530 tell me where the closest hotels were and I'd opportunistically navigate to the one that sounded the best. Gas stations, restaurants and points of interest are similarly easy to find this way.

They've really managed to cram a lot of value and functionality into a tiny little package (computer, memory, battery, etc.). Finding an address is a dream now. Just punch it in and go. Get lost somehow? The c530 re-routes you on the fly. The interface, while not perfect, is simple enough for most. I prefer the British voice calling out the directions. I've dubbed the disembodied voice as "Ms. Hermione Jampot" and I don't even mind when she seems to get a little bit of attitude in her voice if I defy her directions. The built-in trip computer provides an interesting array of statistical information on your travel as well.

With all of that praise, I can point out a few caveats and flaws. Though the c530 is great at navigating, you do still need to exercise a little judgment from time to time. The GPS unit doesn't always take into account construction, one way streets, right turn only, etc. Sometimes, in situations where there are multiple lanes and ramps at exchanges, the instructions are not implicitly clear. Occasionally it tries to send you in unusual directions that you might have to override. In specific parts of the country, especially in the cow-paths-turned-streets that is the City of Boston this c530 unit got completely confused and sent me miles in the wrong direction. (Note: I grew up in Boston and learned to drive there but I STILL need GPS to get around) Likewise, my girlfriend was programming a destination while parked in a garage and accidentally turned off the GPS receiver. Once outside she went quite a ways away from her desired destination before she realized something was wrong.

For the most part, I've found this GPS unit to be a great value (especially as the prices have steadily come down). It is compact, reliable and easy to use. My family has found it suitable for all ages, including my granny who has made everyone in her retirement community green with envy as she successfully navigates her new town with alacrity. There is room for some minor tweaks in this unit. But as it is today it is an incredible device that will make you wonder how you ever got around without it.

Out of the box this C530 was easy to use. I've had this for a month now and am in awe of how I can get to a destination that I never went to before without wrong turns.
There are some destinations that I am VERY familiar with and I think there's a short cut that the Garmin c530 doesn't take me through. This is inevitable. I am sure that I will not get lost going somewhere.
THe screen is bright day and night.
I can see the map and read the text very easily. I do need a wee bit of magnification to read well so I use 1.25 cheaters. I don't need cheaters to read the text.
The voice is loud and distinct.
I contacted Garmin and there is an updated full app MapSouce disk heading my way. This will enable me to see the map on my computer and input POIs (point of interest).
The menu is thorough and easy to learn.
I downloaded new vehicles from Garmin (Garmin.com/vehicles) these installed easily.
The Garmin c530 showed up easily on my computer.
This is ideal for my use.
I would buy this unit for my Dad who is computer illiterate and be assured that he would use it out of the box.
[...]
Very good tools.
I paid $[...] for this and it is well worth it. Last I saw the price was going down.
I ordered and use the "mat" to hold the unit in place. Very solid holding surface, thus far no shifting on the dashboard even in tight turns. I had the first windshield mount fall off after a bunch of hot days.
TOB9595

I purchased two Garmin C530 GPS's for my wife and I in Dec. '07 and was very disappointed with the product. I ended up returning both of them and am planning to purchase the next model up, the Garmin C550. The C530 came with outdated maps and would cost an additional $70 each to upgrade to the 2008 maps, however, if you purchase the C550, you can upgrade to the 2008 maps for FREE. The C530 also did not have alot of common businesses in it that have been around for years. For example, I entered Wal-Mart and it took me to a car dealerhip parking lot however, Wal-Mart was actually located about a mile away on the other side of the highway. I paid $200 for the C530 whereas I can get the C550 for around $310 but the extra $100 is worth it since you would have to upgrade the maps anyway or live with a questionable GPS.

The first one I got lasted three weeks then stopped working. Amazon replaced it, the second one stopped working yesterday (lasted 9 months). Garmin says they have an average turn-around of two weeks for repairs (we'll see).

Although I set it for the quickest route, it will opt for the shortest.
Although I set it to avoid toll roads, I end up on toll roads.
Although I set it to avoid u-turns, she wants me to make u-turns.

One time was looking for a restaurant in upstate NY, we picked one name (out of many listed) which sounded interesting and ended up at a horse farm.

I rated it 3 out of 5 because; 1)Price was good. 2)It lists the next cross street in map mode which is nice to have at night. 3)It's better than not having it.

I'm now stuck with this model. If I could do it again, I'd try a different model

Good Luck

The Garmin SteetPilot c530 does not have all the detailed GPS information of my handheld Garmin eTrex latitude-longitude, bearing, altitude, etc. , but it does a good job of street navigation. The GPS receiver in the c530 is much more sensitive than my eTrex. The display is clear and bright.

If you have the address, the c530 will get you there. If you miss a turn that it wants you to take, it will recalculate the route to the destination. It tends to be a little optimistic about arrival times because it does not seem to include traffic light delays, and it also does not seem to include traffic light delays in its calculation of fastest routes, so you might know a faster route. On the highway, the arrival times are more accurate. The c530 also gets confused about divided streets, not knowing some available left turns, so it sometimes routes you so you can make a right turn.

It has a fairly comprehensive list of businesses for destinations, but there are some missing businesses that have been around a long time, still amazing when considering that it covers all the US and Canada.

The Garmin c530 ships with map data that is about 2 years old. When I first registered my Garmin c530 online, I got a supposedly free DVD in the mail to update the map data to their 2008 version (really 2007 map data). I was pleased at that time, but then the map update DVD did not work since Garmin gave no unlock code. After long phone waiting times and talking to multiple Garmin tech support people, the final conclusion was that the c530 (even purchased as new) is not eligible for a free map update, and the map update costs $75 more. I turned down paying for the update since it seemed sneaky selling a brand new unit with old maps, not mentioning the map version in the product information, and then charging extra to make it up-to-date. The free DVD that Garmin sent to me was blamed on a glitch in the Garmin web site. Since buying the unit two months ago, I have encountered three major mistakes in the Garmin maps/directions on interstate highways (and several more errors on side streets) since the maps are out-of-date. If you travel on old roads that have not changed in the last few years, this c530 will probably work fine for you. Otherwise, beware that this c530 has an unmentioned extra cost to update it to current maps.

This is easy to use, easy to follow. It is not always correct, however. It refuses to let us use routes that are HOV-restricted during rush hour, and doesn't allow us to override the restrictions. It has us take a left at a "No left turn" intersection, and it wanted us to make a U-turn on a freeway! All of these were in the Washington DC area, so other areas may be better. In spite of that, I would buy it again, and hopefully updates will take out the bugs.

Overall I'm please with this GPS. It does what it is supposed to do and is Very Easy to use. I only have one complaint. The Points of interest menu is Badly outdated. There are restaurants that have been closed in our Indianapolis area for 5 years that are in there. Likewise there are gas stations that have been open for 3 years that are not listed. I haven't figured out how to delete old Points of Interest (POI). I've updated my GPS with Garmin but they are still in there. You can add new POI, it is in the manual, but I wish you could delete the old.

I got it for my husband and he loves it. He uses it even when driving to work on his regular route if he hits traffic.
It is very easy to use. The fact that it does not announce street names has not been an issue.
Amazon has a 30 day price match garantee and and in that time the price fell about $30 dollars and they very nicely refunded the money when I called so after you buy keep an eye on the price.

I have used two older versions of the Garmin (c330 and street pilot) and this one is just like those...great. I have owned it for 2 weeks now and have no complaints. Satellite reception is stronger with the c530 than the c330. I was in my home away from a window when I first turned it on and to my surprise it locked in on the satellites and retrieved my position.

I do agree that Garmin should have included the speaking of the street names, however I still believe this is a good value given the price. I do not believe you can go wrong with this unit.

You must realize that this review will be a little different than usual, since I use my GPS 5 days a week, 10 hours a day running service calls.

The user interface is great, and the touch screen is a plus.
The autocomplete address/town is very nice.
The ability to internally lock the GPS to prevent theft is nice.

I can do without the warning screen everytime I start it up.

Also the fact that I have to type the city in everytime is annoying.

In my local area, there have been some screw-ups:

Telling me to go the wrong way on a one way street.

Having me attempt to go on a old road course that has been changed.

Informing me that there is no such address, when I have been there before.

The "fastest time" preference is best used for people that are from out of town. It will not always get you there in the fastest time possible.

Sometimes, the GPS will have you turn on the wrong street, use your eyes.

If you go out of town on vacation, DO NOT use the lock feature, unless you are really careful. You only get one shot at it, and then it locks until you return to your home location. I made the mistake once, and had to get friendly with the paper map for the rest of the day.

If you have thick fingers, get a pen, or something dull to touch the buttons on-screen.

Some roads that have had their name for many years (i.e. Maple Ave) come up as CR 308, etc.

I have never had it get me to the doorstep, only within 100-500 feet.

If Garmin would update their road maps more often, it would really make my job easier.

And yes, I have updated my GPS, right after I bought it.

All in all, it is a good assistant, not a all knowing guide.

Just received my C530 Street Pilot. I also ordered the additional AC charger. Upon examination I found that it plugs into the USB port on the GPS while the DC car adapter plugs into a different location on the back. The manual does not explain this but after a call to Garmin I found that the AC charger does hook up to the USB port. You can also charge the unit by connecting it to your USB port on your home computer thus eliminating the need for the AC charger unless you plan on taking it on trips where you might use a rental car.

I went to Garmins web site and after putting in the serial number of my unit I found that it did not come with the 2008 edition of maps for North America. Now that seems strange since we are within 23 days of it being 2008. Garmin expects you to put out another $69.00 to purchase the updated maps.

The units seems simple to use and is fairly straight forward. I tried it out this morning on my way to coffee. It obviously didn't know where it was as it wanted me to take a wrong turn within two miles of my house, which it couldn't find on my return trip so if you don't live in a large metropolitian area this may not be the unit for you.

I would recomend that if you are buying this unit that you make sure you are getting the most up to date maps available.

Just received the C530 - I must say I am impressed. I actually get a signal in my basement. I took a short trip purposely turning wrong - pretty funny
listening to the C530 trying to get me to turn around. I will be very interesting to take it on a long trip. A disappointment is the Garmin company wanting $70 for updated maps on a BRAND NEW device. I will add to this review after a longer test.

I picked this up about a month ago and have used it on a couple road trips and around town. The interface is intuitive and easy to use, though it has a few things I wish it did differently. The screen is easy to read even when sunlight is shining directly on it.

The routing does a good job about 95% of the time. Occasionally it will have too high a preference for freeways and wants you to go out of your way just to get on one. There are also glitches in the map data that you want to look out for. I was driving over Independence Pass (Colorado) and the unit wanted me to take a right off the side of the mountain.

The voice prompts leave a bit to be desired. Generally they work well and allow you to keep your eyes on the road, but sometimes the voice prompts don't fully agree with the screen data.

Some annoyances:
- When looking for a destination/POI, there is no easy way to search around a specific area. You can search around your current location, your city, your route, or your destination. So, if you want to search for a restaurant near 100th and Smith streets, you have to set your destination as 100th & Smith and then search.
- The Garmin Lock function is buggy. If you mistype your PIN, the unit will not let you try again without power-cycling it. But pushing the power button doesn't really turn it off, it just puts it in battery-charging mode. So you have to unplug the unit, turn it off, back on, and plug it back in. Also, if the unit hard-resets, it will be unlocked anyway, so I don't think the lock function buys you that much security.
- When searching for POIs/destinations, the direction and distance to the point is shown, but the distance is "as the crow flies", not road distance.

Overall, it is a very good unit, especially for the price. I wish I had bought one earlier, it's just so convenient.

I used the Garmin c530 for a trip alone from Oklahoma to New York and back and for the most part it did an excellent job. When traveling through the big cities I did not have to worry about reading the signs or following a map. The streetpilot allowed me to solely concentrate on the traffic. Also, when I was trying to find places to eat and refuel it came in very handy. Then only downside is that it does not have the rest areas identified. It would have been a nice feature.

This unit is great, even better than I expected. If there is a downside it is that it doesn't recognize "shortcuts" to favorite places.
My wife will never get lost again! She may not be shown the shortest way home but she will get home.

This is my first GPS and I found the Garmin C530 very easy to use and set up right out of the box. I have not had it that long and have mostly used it to get to places I already knew where I was going to get a feel for the unit or places that I had some idea on how to get to but was not fully confident of. Except for choosing some routes that I have found over the years to be slightly longer than others when leaving our house to go somewhere, it has gotten me where I wanted to go in a fairly direct route. This past weekend I did have to go to a town in a different part of the state and to an address I did not know how to get to and it worked like a charm and took me the way I would have expected.

The biggest issue I have is being able to select detours. The unit does make re-calculations quickly, but I found that it would first try to make me go in a circle to get back to the route it had initially determined that I should take. Based on my experience to date, having used it as I have, I would recommend this unit to someone looking for an easy to use, but accurate GPS unit and I would not hesitate to purchase the same unit again if I needed to.

It is always nice when a product works as advertised. The Garmin StreetPilot c530 does just that. While I only got [slightly, I am a man after all] lost once since I got it [about a month] it saved me lots of wasted time. I would have stopped to ask directions, but there was no place to stop. Thanks Garmin. If you get it you won't be disappointed.

The Garmin c530 is a great item to have on the road. It took us a little while to learn how it works and to get through the menus and sub-menus, but we figured it out on a long road trip and it is great! You can find the nearest rest stop up the road, the nearest gas station or restaurant, and it will even tell you where the KOAs and WalMarts are on your route if you are so inclined. As you go down the road, it will tell you about roadside attractions. It starts up fast and locks onto the satellites very quickly, even in downtown areas with lots of tall buildings. We are having a lot of fun with it and it is worth every penny we spent on it. By the way, we bought ours for $199 at the Cabela's in Sidney NE. But if you can get it for $220 - $230 it is still a bargain. No need to get anything more commplex than the c530. Everything else is just bells and whistles. Get the c530. You'll like it.

I purchased my Garmin c530 last year. I've used it frequently to find local addresses and I've also taken it on several road trips. I have found it to be reliable, accurate, and easy to use. I've tried several other GPS navigation systems in rental cars, and this one is as good, or better, than anything I've used. The best feature of all, is that the unit is portable. It can move with you to whatever car you are driving, and you can always keep it with you to avoid theft. I'm sure there are many other equally good GPS units out there, but for the price, this would be difficult to beat. Be sure to check out Garmin's website for additional accessories and downloads.

This GPS is very good - Its one real shortcoming being that it doesn't announce street names, which might be helpful depending on conditions.
br /It is, however, exceedingly easy to use and extremely accurate and helpful. The graphics are very cool and the maps are very detailed - and most importantly it gets you where you want to go safely and efficiently - it even taught me a new way to get home which shaves a few minutes off my extremely lengthy commute!
br /For those crybabies who say "Waaah!, it doesn't have an MP3 player or games and it doesn't cook my meals and i can't fit it in a matchbox and it doesn't stop me from wetting the bed..." You don't want a GPS, you want an Iphone - this fills its function perfectly. You would be a fool to spend more than $150 on GPS because this GPS is near perfect. And you're too old to be wetting the bed. No wonder you're alone.

My husband has a Garmin 2720. I liked the C530 because it was smaller and fit nicely on my windshield. The battery lasts a long time so I don't have to have wires hanging down. I love that it marks the place I am and I can add it quickly to my favorites. I picked the lowest price online and got a great deal. Certified Digital had it to me in two days with no additional cost. My first on-line shopping experience was great.

This totally sucks! I have had so many bad experiences with this product! It's not accurate, it doesn't recognize a lot of streets or areas! It's doesn't do as is says it does! It is a total disappointment! I'm looking into a more reliable unit such as the Tom-Tom!

Obsolete mapset. Four years ago, the intersection closest to me was change from a dogleg to straight-thru. This Garmin still tells me to go right-then-left to get across. It's a major state route. I went to my brother's for Thanksgiving and have been visiting them for 30 years, so I know the short cuts. The C530 had me get on two interstates, and avoid a construction site which had been finished 18 months ago. It fails to recognize two Walmarts closest to me, but will recognize a sporting goods store which has been closed for over a year. I tried updating on the net to no avail. Take your chances with this one. BL

Wow! I cant say enough good about this little GPS powerhouse.
It is a quality unit that is packed with features and is easy to use.
The touchscreen interface is logically thought out,
not confusing to navigate the menu options. It is also easy to read.
The mapping software is full featured and seems to be accurate.
Software updates from Garmin are also a snap to install.
Lastly, the price it sells for (new) at Amazon is the lowest all around.
(please note the low price is due to the C530 model
being discontinued this year. It's successor, the c550
has a few more features like Bluetooth and mp3 player,
but at almost three times the price.)
Regarding any Garmin StreetPilot product, you cant go wrong. Buy it!

This is like the microwave. For years people survived without one. However, once you experience how much easier life becomes with a GPS system you can't imagine life without one!

I purchased this based on reviews and am very happy with this GPS system. For the price this seemed to be the best value.

I purchased one and picked up one for another Realtor in my office. He also loves his. Has made our day to day life easier in the business. It's also been wonderful for trips!

I wish it said the street names like a few others do but I did know what I was getting before I bought it.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with this Garmin!

Michelle Rae

This is a great navigation system. I decided on Garmin after a lot of research on the Web and speaking with other people who have GSP navigators. So far it has been very consistent in giving me good directions and it is very easy to use straight out of the box.
The only thing it does not offer is "highway only" or "no highways" options on the routing. Also, it did not come loaded with the most current map software but Garmin is sending me the newest software at no charge.
You won't find a perfect GPS in this price range but this one was close enough for me and so far I am very happy with it.

Great GPS system for the price... Easy to use right out of the box. Gave it to my daughter for her birthday and she's been using it ever since. Only complaint is that it had old maps loaded on it. I called Garmin customer service and found out I was eligible for a free map upgrade. Sent it on a CD, loaded it on the computer and downloaded it to the GPS unit. Now everything's up to date. I wonder how many people have bought this unit with out-of-date maps, but don't know to call them for a free upgrade. There should be a notice in the box!

The Garmin c530 Street Pilot is agreat GPS without any bells and whistles. If you are looking a good value that will get you from point A to B I would highly recommend. We used on trip through Canada and New England and found it fanastic.(Maine and Canada don't belive in road signs) For traveling in a new area this is the only way to go!

can't download additional voices, since i am more partial to the male voice. the maps need to be updated. according to garmin, some major highways in birmingham do not exist. lots of little bugs, but nothing too serious. overall, i am happy with it. i use it all the time.

This is my second unit, It works so good I bought another for my son's car!

This GPS works very well. You could buy another lower brand for the same money but Garmin is so well known that I decided to buy this one at this price. I am glad I did.
br /
br / It sometimes seems to take you "through the city" to get somewhere when there is a better way. The bottom line is that it may not always take you the quickest way but it gets you from point A to point B. The time of arrival is very accurate. You can either start driving off route to recalculate if you don't like the route it gives you or you can push the detour button. There are lots of points of interests, all by category. The touch screen is very nice and easy. The screen can be adjusted for day and night driving as well as 3D or 2D. I would recommend this to others for a decent priced GPS.

Got this before the holidays for a 900-mile trip from the Northwest to California.

Good things? Easy to use! I can see the advantage of it saying street names, but they're on the unit's screen. It wouldn't be a $50 feature to add for me. Have seen a hack for getting the 530 to say street names, but haven't had the nerve to try it. Unit's sound is very adjustable, can hear it over the radio. Readout screen has day (white) and night (black) backgrounds--such a nicely lit screen!

We took a non-standard route, but we still took all US highways. Kept wanting us to take interstates. Putting in a closer destination usually fixed the quirk. Still, it sometimes routed us oddly; knew these were some odd route choices because we've driven this route for 20 years! Also, some of the restaurant info is outdated--and not just within a year. A restaurant that closed 6 years ago in a large town was one of its Mexican choices...Don't know how that's updated. I guess any Garmin with this set of maps would do the same thing... Frustrating to only be able to program one stop on the long route. We stopped for hotels, but could only put one in the "stop" function at a time.

It is a discontinued item, acc to the Garmin site--thus the discount prices. Works great, as accurate as any of these that use the particular map set that comes with it; has Canada maps; great value, and it's a Garmin. Terrific value for $$! I've told many friends about it!

GARMIN TOOK US ON A SCENIC ROUTE THROUGH WASHINGTON DC TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. WE'RE NOT SURE IF THE ROUTE WAS SHORTER, BUT SAW VARIOUS MONUMENTS. WISH IT COULD TELL U THE REASON FOR RECALCULATION SO U COULD DECIDE FOR YOURSELF IF DETOUR IS WORTH THE CHANGE. THE TRAFFIC WAS HORRENDOUS ON NEW ROUTE AND SEEMED TO PROLONG TRIP. ALSO WE MIGHT HAVE DECIDED TO WAIT OUT THE ACCIDENT.

Never had a GPS before. We opened the box right before we were going to a function at a place we haven't been in a long time. It took me about 2 minuites to get the GPS setup and have our directions mapped out. Got us there with no errors. Recommend highly.

The unit is easy to program. Does exactly what you want it to do. It's easy to program & very portable. Recommend it highly

This is the first GPS unit I have owned and I love it. I just got it and tested it around town here in San Francisco and it worked flawlessly. I would take a wrong turn on purpose and the time it took to recalculate was very fast. Just got back from San Diego and it took all the stress out of driving all around San Diego and the surrounding areas. I did have to consult a map once because the unit couldn't guess what street I wanted from how I was spelling the name. Other than that, the maps sat in a cubby gathering dust.

If I have a complaint at this time, it would be that the on screen keyboard is not in a QUERTY layout. The letters are merely laid out in alphabetical order. It is something you are not used to doing and it can be VERY frustrating. I searched the Garmin website and they have offered QUERTY layouts in the past. I see no reason to not continue to offer it.

We did not have a GPS before so I got this one based on the reviews. I can say that I'm really happy with the purchase. It's really fast, very accurate (we used it already in USA and Canada)and the perfect screen size.
br /It arrived in few days, in mint condition and all we had to do was to plug it and use it. You won't be disappointed!

This is one fine product, I have been using this product for one year and love it. I have compared the c530 to many my friend have to include the Tom Tom and Magellan, and the Garmin c530 wins hands down. My only gripe is the updates cost too much at $68.00, I feel this is a little high.

I have been using my 530C Garmin street pilot and have determined that I should have bought it along time ago it works very well and recommend for others to get one as fast as they can as it is dicontinued or just get the newer model 550c its more money but works as well.Final note it works so well you don't have time to get lost and if you need to eat in a town your not familar just select food and make a choice of what kind you want to eat and it take you there. Thanks and Happy traveling Dale

Good price, and excellent delivery. I chose this model due to it's price point (cheaper than the Nuvi)and Garmin reputation for reliability. So far so good. I am glad I got the "better" receiver, but do wish I had gotten the Text to speech (I.E. says the street names, not just "turn left"). The data base isn't quite up to speed (no record of the Atlanta Aquarium...one of the largest in the country?), but I'm hopeful I can update it online. Otherwise, good buy, and no surprises.

I purchased this unit as a low priced 2nd unit for our vehicles. I have had other Garmin GPS previously. This unit does 95% of more expensive units. Much faster than a Magellan unit I also have. Perfect for elderly that need the type in address function. Having a print manual is a major plus in my opinion.
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I LOVE IT!
br /I wanted a GPS that was simple! I didn't need any fancy features!
br /I just wanted voice guided directions and a reliable signal!
br /I have saved so much time!! I use to get lost a lot but now I feel safe driving to new places!! All I need is the address and I'm good to go!! If I take the wrong exit by mistake, it recalculates my journey and tells me where to go from there! Would definitely recommend to my friends!
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br /It lets you save locations so you can easily navigate your way back to one!
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Worked for about two weeks. Got a message saying "No maps found, can not work without them." That's it. I have been trying to solve this problem for a few hours now, and this seems to be a fairly common problem, with no solutions so far. You would be a fool to buy this, or any other Garmin product.

This model does not state the street's name as the older model. Bit confusing when city streets are so close together.

I bought this one this week because I needed to drive unknown road yesterday and today. This GARMIN is very easy to use and it turned dark automatically when outside gets dark. But, map in it is toooooo old. I couldn't find the address that I needed to visit. So I missed appointments. I recommend you buy one that includes the newest map on it. If you want to update the map, you need to pay about $60. If you were willing to pay additional 60, this GPS may be very useful.

I received the product for a trip during Christmas time but 30 minutes after we started our trip the screen said low battery and I had it plugged into my cigarette lighter along with my satellite radio and it was working so I know that the power source was working, needless to say we were disappointed but upon getting back home I sent the product back and got satisfaction.

I borrowed one of these from a friend for a trip to Myrtle Beach, and thankfully, I printed out directions as well because this thing tried to take us way off course on the way there, and lost us for a good 100 miles around the Charlotte turnpike in NC. The only saving grace about having it was knowing (or hoping?) that if we did get terribly lost, we could eventually get back on track with this thing. On the way home, we missed a turn via the printed directions due to confusion over the difference between what the gps said and what the printed directions said. So we went with the gps and it took us a good hour out of our way.
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br /Unfortunately I had the same problems with a rented version on another trip down there that I was "assured" was updated. If it was, then Garmin needs some updating themselves. I wouldn't recommend this for purchase, and when I start shopping for a gps soon, I won't be looking at Garmin products period.

The StreetPilot C530 is a model that does not provide spoken directions. This means the user must watch the screen while driving, in order to be aware of when and where to turn. This procedure can be very dangerous. It is much better to pay a few dollars more for a C550 and get a model that talks.

I received this item for a Christmas present. It was great until the last week. It has been cutting off and on randomly and now it has completely stopped working. I am in the process of contacting Amazon and Garmin to see if anything can be done.

This GPS is not bad at all for the money I paid, $179. But to is a little complicated to enter the addresses. I have seeen better GPS but of course you pay a lot more. In conclusion, for $179 not bad at all.

I haven't had to the opportunity to utilize the Garmin C530 much but playing with it seems easy enough to use. I have been using it around town and it seems to want to keep putting me on the highway instead of surface streets. Also had to buy updates seperately for maps. If I were to purchase another GPS unit I would go with the Navigon 5100 because it appears to have more features for the same amount of money'

I just bought this the middle of Dec. I really liked this product but after less than 2 weeks of use it crashed (wont power up) e-mailed amazon on their warranty hopefully it will be replaced will update when amazon responds. Overall the product is easy to use and accurate

I have been a fan of the Garmin StreetPilot c530 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator since both my and my father and mother in-law bought them when they 1st came to the market. I was disapointed that the one I bought in July 2008 had not been updated with the new roads etc. I know you can do this on line for an additional fee and this was refurbished, but I expected the updated maps.

Its useful for people who get lost easily like me I bought cause it was the cheapst thing I could find.. but its OK I guess!

Well....for the two weeks that I had it, it was GREAT....but it just stopped working on a trip whre I really needed it. I did let the seller know, and within 24 hours, I had an RA number....so this story is a work in progress!
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br /Thanks....

I have a garmin 350 and a c-530, Garmin is the only way to go , very pleased with both units...

I initially bought the c330 but was disappointed in the GPS satellite reception. Not the it was terrible, but it would lose reception sometimes when overcast and driving under foliage particularly due to the fact that I was using it in my Class C motor home which has a upper cab that hangs over the windshield. The upper cab overhang prevents a good line-of-sight to the sky. Due to its' advanced SiRF III GPS chipset, the c530 locks on and stays locked regardless of the weather or foliage above. I can even get reception inside the house with no problem at all. Note, the first time you turn it on from a factory new condition, you will need to have clear line-of-sight to the sky but subsequent times, it normally can lock reception even inside a single story house. Once it is on and has locked reception, it seems you can even go through long tunnels and it won't lose reception. It really is amazing compared to my old GPS that I have for my laptop. I am very satified with the GPS reception of this unit.

The unit includes millions of POI (points of interest) which is useful to find hotels, gas stations, hospitals, places to eat, and even nightclubs/bars to name a few. The unit allows custom POI files to be loaded into it's internal memory via an optional SD card or via the USB cable (included) using Garmin's POI loader found at www.garmin.com/extras and you can find custom POI files that others have made at poiFactory.com. You can make and load a POI file of any theme. For examples, having a motor home, we travel to State Parks and other campgrounds so I loaded a POI file of campgrounds in my state. Now when we head out I can pull up the custom POI menu and simply select the campground by name and hit "Go" and it directs me there. It also allows me to select a campground using the "Near" function. That is, if I want to go to a campground on my custom POI list but I do not know the name, I can select "Near" and enter the city name, it will display all campgrounds with nearest (to that city) on top. It includes miles and direction information from that city as well.

The unit mounts to any window using the included suction mount and can swivel to allow viewing from any angle. It plugs into a cigarette lighter receptacle and also has an internal battery that is charged while connected to external power. This allows for usage outside the vehicle but it's a bit big to be carrying it on a walk. This internal battery power is mostly intended for setting up the unit for a trip when not in the vehicle.

There have been some reports of this unit failing after only a few uses with the symtoms being that it will not turn on or has a software error when turned on. I haven't had any problems like this at all. I did notice that one of the software updates was to repair a problem where the unit software would be corrupted so it appears this problem has been fixed via software update. Because of this, I highly recommend that you update the unit software as soon as you turn it on for the first time. This can easily be done by loading the webupdater software located at http://www8.garmin.com/products/webupdater. The latest unit software (not to be confused with map software) at the time of this review is Version 6 dated Oct 12, 2007 and is free. Don't delay updating the unit software. Even if your unit is brand new, it likely does not have the latest software due to the time they sit on then store shelves.

Overall, this unit beats using a bulky laptop with a GPS puck but it does not replace a good street atlas particulalry if you like to go into rural areas or backroads of the forest.

I purchased this product as a gift for a friend. I was instantly impressed with the easy of operation and fast link to satellites. As a resuly I purchase a similiar one for myself.

My wife just had her (originally mine) Garmin StreetPilot 550 stolen, and I, my 340. As a musician frequently needing to find remote addresses in the greater Chicago area at night, I needed a replacement. Since the 550 was clearly a premium machine compared to the 340, how could the 530 possibly be priced below it? I like the reduced reflection of the 500 series' screens (at least for daylight use), definitely easier on the eye than the 300 series. The 530 may not pronounce street names, but it allows you to see them on the screen better.

But the Cnet review of the 530 is not encouraging, and Amazon consumer testimonials on behalf of the c530, while favorable, are relatively cursory compared to those provided by 330 and 340 supporters. (I personally find the smaller, Nuvi series too minuscule--additional gadgetry to carry in overloaded pockets and to lose faster than a thief can break into a car.) Even though both the 340 and 530 are discontinued, I don't see how any upgrades available to 330 or 550 owners would not also be available to 340 and 530 owners.

Having owned both a 550 and a 340, I frankly never noticed any faster, improved locking into the signal with the 550, despite Garmin's claims. It pretty much comes down to better screen appearance (530) vs. more detailed voice directions. So I'm going to go with the reviews as well as the unit I really had no complaints about, other than the wash-out factor, and pick up another StreetPilot 340.

Either way, you probably can't go wrong. If the price spread reaches 20 or more, buy low.

Works great but this GPS unit losses satellite service from time to time but it dose work much better then others I have used in the past.

Garmin StreetPilot c530 3.5-Inch Portable GPS NavigatorBought this as a birthday gift for my wife. She's not exactly a gadget guru but had this up and running in just a few minutes. We haven't tried it out of town yet but it gives accurate directions here at home and is very easy to use. Would be nice if it had an a/c charger.

Garmin StreetPilot c530 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
br /Very easy to use. This is not the top of the line system, but this one can be seen even in extra bright sun with very sharp details. Easy to program a location and to follow even in downtown Philly. Very fast in establishing GPS connections. Love the notification that a turn is about to occur. Restaurants, ATMs,historical sites are easy to set. I'm pleased with the purchase and would have no problem allowing wife to be guided to her destination with this GPS.

I am in real estate and was out on a sales call with a client who had one of these units in her car. I was amazed at the amount of road information it had. I was so impressed that I bought one for myself. One of the many things that I like about this product is that it warns me in advance that I need to turn. You dont have to worry about running up on your turn and missing it. If you do happen to miss it because you werent paying attention to the voice or you wanted to go to the gas station on down the street, it recalculates the best way to still complete the route. I have only found a few roads/addresses that werent in the system. I found that the touch screen was easy to manage and the unit is very simple to use. It asks you very specifically for the information it needs in order to find your destination. I really like that I can set favorite addresses so I dont have to type in the information every time. This product also has a feature where you can select shopping, eating, etc information for the area that you are in and it will bring up the local businesses for that particular venue. This feature certainly makes road trips much easier. Something else that may not seem important but certainly impressed me was the fact that when the night-time hours came, the screen also reflected night-time. This really cuts down on the distractability of the unit while you are driving because the white light isnt shining in your face. This product also lets you know a general road configuration so that you arent suprised by a sharp turn or curve. I would certainly recommend this to anyone in Real Estate or Outside sales. This is a great companion and cuts down on the amount of mapping that you have to carry around with you. If you travel very much at all, this will pay for itself with the first family vacation. I strongly do and have recommended this product.

I love this garmin street pilot c530. The directions are great and if you miss your turn it resets in seconds. I only found 1 flaw when I was in NY looking for a restaurant bbq it didn't come on on the search and I was only down the street from it, but other wise I've had no other flaws.

I bought this as a gift for my boyfriend and he loves it. It sets up in minutes and it's extremly easy to use. I recently had a tire going flat in a city I wasn't familier with and luckily we took the Garmin c530 with us. It took me right to an auto part store that was a pre-programed destination in the Garmin and saved me tons of time and frustration. I'm thinking of getting one for myself now.

This was a refurbished unit which made for a nice cost savings. I had assumed that it would have the current maps installed, which was not the case. My area (Phoenix) has had a fair amount of growth in recent years and I've found numerous instances where businesses and addresses that were put in two years ago are not in the database. It's a little frustrating to be faced with having to buy an expensive update for what should be a new/current system.
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br /Operation wise the unit works fairly well. Going through a complex freeway/overpass the system will may give an accurate instruction for an exit to take but too late to actually take it. It's not readily easy to put in and label a current waypoint - one has to provide a street address which may not be readily available.
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br /All in all it's a decent system that would be improved by having a switchable ETA/miles to destination option, and an altitude readout.

Initially had trouble, but was timely replaced by the seller, and since then have been using it very comfortably.

This is the second (or third if you count my Husband's) Garmin I've bought, all three were through Amazon. I bought this one to replace my old one that had recently died. I have yet to look at the manual that came with it. Everything is very user-friendly and pretty intuitive. Straight out of the box it was working great. The touch screen is a great improvement (my old one had a scroll wheel and made searching for addresses very difficult). The maps are a little out of date, but I live in a fast developing area, so there is a decent reason. Overall, I would recomend this to a first time or occasional user. I'm not sure if a real technophile or someone who depends on their GPS daily would be as happy, but it's fine for me.

I like this better than the Magellan that my friend has but I wish there is a way to program it to take alternate routes and not to keep pointing you back to the highway that you wanted to avoid.

It works great and has in general led me quickly to my destination and located restaurants in towns that I was passing on the interstate. One must get used to using it and I did find one location that tripped it up. I was driving along the Mississippi in New Orleans attempting to get on the bridge across to the West Bank. It directed me under the bridge and along a road parallel to it. There are multiple layers of roads on the bridge which apparently confused it for I heard the fateful word: "Recalculating". I followed the prompts and circled around a few times each time getting the dreadful "Recalculating". I finally gave up and found a sign directing me to interstate going in the opposite direction. I took it until I could exit, loop around and get on the road going in the right direction.
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br /My only wish would be for it to voice identify the road to turn on. It only says to turn right or left. The name of the road is in large letters at the top of the screen but I would prefer for the name to be included in the voice prompt.

This product is pretty good, very accurate as long as the road hasn't been updated in the last 3 years. Garmin would be fantastic if the new maps didn't $70+ to buy.

we got this gps after a little bit of searching for one that doesn't have a bunch of bells and whistles.. but it good for just going around town and getting where you want to go. the street pilot has been awesome. we just moved to a new city and it has been so helpful and accurate, that we've already begun to take it for granted! if you're looking for a gps system that is reliable and a good deal.. buy a streetpilot.. you won't be disappointed.

Garmin C530 works great, easy to use but really NEED MORE DIRECTIONS. It takes much much "playing with" to find everything.

This GPS Garmin C530 (along with The Garmin Nuvi 350 for $130 more) is "state of the art". It is so because it has a "Sirf Receiver" that is more sensitive in acquiring satellites than "normal" receivers. The reveiws on this web site are incorrect about the maps---this one has the latest version 8 maps available. This one is better than the Garmin 340, 330 and 320 because it is brighter and, once again, it has The Sirf receiver. And, it costs about the same as the C340 which makes it a good deal! Is it worth the extra money as compared with the 320 and 330. Yes, because if your GPS won't "acquire a satellite" it is worthless. If amazon allows you to write I will tell you where you can get one for about $450. Email: boland7214@aol. I highly recommend this GPS.

ONE MORE THING: I don't want people to get angry with me for not telling them that this C530 does NOT have "voice recognition of streets". That's where the voice SAYS the name of the street. I found out after trying units with and without "voice recognition" that you DO NOT NEED IT. The reason? The reason is that the name of the upcoming street is WRITTEN IN BIG LETTERS on top of the screen. You WILL need to glance at the GPS when making turns so when you do, if you know how to read, you WILL read the name of the street for yourself. Thus, there is no need for "Garmina" (the voice) to READ the name of the street for you...that is unless you're illiterate and failed kindergarten! :o)

PS: My C530 died on me about 10 days ago. But, Garmin sent me a brand new one with no hassle on warranty. Write me and I'll let you know how the new one is doing.

Also, I tried the Magellan 2000 and the Garmin C530 side by side today. I liked the Garmin screen "look" better than the Magellan. But, they are both good GPS Navigators. The Magellan 2000 cannot handle any European or other maps than North America while the Garmin C530 already has maps available, for a price, for Europe. If you are going to Europe do not buy the Magellan 2000---you'd need either the Garmin C530 or the Magellan 2200T or above.

The Garmin c530 was one of the best purchases I made this year, so I felt confident buying a second one as a Christmas present for my girlfriend. I travel a lot to see clients and this GPS made its money back for me quickly in the time I save from getting lost and frustrated. It's easy to program and I really have no complaints after 4 months of using it. I haven't used any other GPS before, but I'm very happy with this one, especially after paying only $200.

EAsy to use and a great device
I would recommend Garmin above and beyond...
excellent. Get it...

I had been wanting a portable GPS for a while and reviewed all the systems for months. This Garmin has consistently had really good reviews so when i saw the amazing price I grabbed it. I don't need Bluetooth and I just basically wanted it to get me around the Streets of Los Angeles on the easiest routes....and it does that extremely well. It doesn't mention street names on the voice directions just to "turn in the next .4 miles" and so forth.. which is perfectly fine...the street name is registered on the screen I don't need to hear it. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK! Small enough to sit in my cup holder if I choose not to mount it on the dash (fear of getting stolen)...perfect GPS for me!

We've had this unit for a year now. No more maps and no more fighting when traveling. We recently used this Garmin for a trip to Omaha 900 miles. The best feature is getting through the bigger cities. It tells you what side the exit is and how far away. Great to know when you are crossing 4 lanes to catch a left exit. Not sure about the entertainment stuff, but it found our new doctor's office with no problem.

I was using a PDA for a GPS but could not see the screen in bright conditions or hear the speaker very well. This Garmin is great. It is fast to lock on and even picks up signals in the bottom floor of my two story house. The speakers are loud enough to hear with the radio playing and the screen is bright. It is fantastic for going thru big cities as you know well in advance what lane to be in. After a recent road trip with friends they bought one too. Highly recommend.

I have a c330 Garmin GPS and because of my positive experience, I purchsed two of the c530 Garmin GPS for Christmas gifts for my family.

I have wanted a GPS for my car for some time, and debated which one to get. The price was right on this unit, and I have no regrets. I have only used it twice, as it is going to be my xmas gift from my wife, but had two out of state trips with no idea where I was going. I got online to get an address, put it into the unit, and was taken to the door both times.

Graphics are good, unit is solid, voice is plainly heard. I used the c530 on the return trip the second time, a two hour drive without the power cord to see what kind of battery life it had, and finished the drive with full bars. I would buy this unit again.

The Garmin C530 has been a very useful tool in our travels. It has very clear voice commands and plenty of early warnings before turns. I like the compactness of the unit as it easily fits in the glove box between the seats and can easily be transfered from one vehicle to another. The touch screen is very easy to use and the prompts are very understandable. Which means I don't need to keep refering to a manual to figure it out. Which is a big plus in my book! It is very self explanatory as you go from screen to screen inputing your destination info. I would highly recommend a gps unit for any one that does a lot of travel to unfamiliar locations.

This Navigator is so simple to use, and also fun, that my only regret is not having bought on a lot earlier. We now realize how handy it would have been to own, a few years ago, instead of fignting with maps while driving. It's nice knowing, with the push of one button, you can never get lost again.

What a fabulous item! Our Garmin guided us flawlessly through a 2200 mile trek from Virginia to New England and back. "She" took us on the best routes, whether we selected "Fastest" or "Shortest", using gorgeous state roads through most of Maine and New Hampshire. When we found ourselves on the horrid PA Tpke, and wanted to get off, we changed our setting to "Shortest" and were quickly taken to lovely state roads away from the Pike.I would recommend this to anyone who is on the road for business as I am, or who takes driving vacations.

Ready to go out of the box. Will be a big help on our trip this summer.
br /Very easy to use.

This GPS met all our expectations was a big help in our travels
br /We strongly reccommend this to all our friends
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br /My only suggestion is that you also purchase the AC recharge chord

Plug this in right out of the box, and your off. I haven't used it to go anywhere I didn't already know how to get to, but just watching it work is fun. I like to try and cross it up and see how she re-routes me. My wife is not from where we live, and it has been very useful for her as well. I can't say enough about how user friendly it is. Great product that does what it says it will do. Rare these days!

This is a great product. Easy to use especially for a person like me who needs all the help I can get when traveling. I love it. I was able to use this right out of the box. Nothing to program, just put in an address and off you go. I highly recommend this product.

This was a gift for my husband for Christmas. It could not have been more easy to set up and use. We both were very happy with the price. We used it already to go to a hotel about an hour and a 1/2 from our home and it brought us right to the enterance with no problem! Highly recommend this product

After going throught the nightmare which is Magellan Technical Support, I decided to replace my Roadmate 760 - which would no longer turn on. After exhaustive research and a month of driving myself crazy trying to pick a unit, I settled on the Garmin Street Pilot 530. I was torn between the Street Pilot series and the Nuvi, but since I had no need for an MP3 player, audio book reader or bluetooth capability (MP3 and bluetooth already integrated into my car stereo) I opted for the 530.

What a fantastic GPS unit! I have already taken it to Las Vegas, New Orleans and all over the Chicago metropolitan area. It powers up almost immediately. The touch screen is extremely fast. The satellites are acquired almost instantly and if you make a wrong turn, the recalculation happens within seconds. One great feature - when on the highway, the unit gives you the actual exit number, so you don't get confused about whether to go east or west on a particular street if both directions have separate ramps (i.e. unit will say exit at 243b).

The satellites work great, even in downtown areas and had no problem navigating right away when exiting a parking garage. My Magellan took several minutes to acquire the satellites in a parking garage, let me go blocks out of my way before recalculating after an error and was completely lost in major "downtown" areas, taking up to 5 minutes to locate satellites. These satellites are very quick and very accurate and I haven't had to wait out the unit in an open area once.

The major complaint I keep seeing about this unit is its inability to speak street names. I don't miss this function at all. You get about a half mile notice before a turn and the name of the street to turn on appears in large bold letters at the top of the unit. If you can read, and mount the unit on your windshield, you don't need the street names.

This is a very powerful, full functioned GPS unit, with everything you need for NAVIGATION, with a modest price tag. If you need the other bells and whistles, I'd stay within the C500 Street Pilot line.

My wife and I researched all the GPS units and decided over all the units available the c530 is the best deal for the money. We purchased a c530 for our mom and dad for a gift, and they liked it so much that we decided to buy one for ourselves. We really like the user friendly features. Most of all it really came in handy when I went on a trip to downtown Chicago. We are looking forward to all the road trips we will be able to use it on. We would recomend it to our family and friends. We really like it because it was within our budget! Thank you Amazon.com

Bill & Eileen

Amazing product, too usefull, you will never get lost, many options, i used it for a trip of 1000 Mile and i am totally satisfied with it, it is one of the products which worth what you pay for it, i would recommend it for any one.

I bought the Garmin StreetPilot c530 almost a year ago. It has served us well, especially my directionally-challenged teenager. As the other reviews attest, this is an excellent unit. Unfortunately, my c530 died an unexpected death, thus my introduction to the Garmin customer service. While you do get the expected menu tree with only two options, neither of which was obviously the one to punch for warranty info, I tried technical support and did not have to wait on hold at all. I was immediately connected to representative who was friendly and knowledgeable. Within 2 minutes, we had gone through a few troubleshooting steps and was on the way to getting an RMA. If you opt to ship via UPS, they give you their shipping account number. I got a free upgrade on my return shipping, and they are immediately shipping out a new charging cord that probably technically isn't covered under warranty. All because, as I was told, they value me as a Garmin customer. They have made good on that claim in their service. Even if you could find a technically better product, you're not going to find better service.

I wanted a GPS system that was easy to use, understand and reasonably priced. We have been using this system for a couple of weeks now and have been very pleased. There are a few addresses in which it hasn't recognized but once we drive to them, we can save the location into our favorites so it is easily accessed next time we need it. I think this is a problem with Garmin and not the actual GPS unit itself though. Overall, I have been very pleased and would recommend this product if you are a first-timer.

Recieved the GPS in a timely manner for a Christmas gift for my son. He was excited when he opened it and uses all the time. Just loves it.

I gave this "Garmin C530" 5 stars. It's like a passenger knowing the way to that place i'm headed to. I especially like the rerouting feature; yes, this gem will re-negotiate your vehicle to your destination if you have other stops on the way. I love my Garmin c530 !!! Rob in Connecticut.

very nice addition to my wifes car, she gets lost in her closet.now she doesn't have to ask how to get there,enter an address and it talks you there and if you make a wrong turn it gives an alternate route.

This is our first GPS- Both myself and wife absolutly love this unit. We find the portability of the unit between the two cars a great advantage. It is precise and has shown us short cuts that we did not know existed.

Very satisfied. Works well. Helpful and entertaining. Helps keep the driver alert. Arrived in good shape and on time.

This street pilot is awesome!! It is easy to use, the voice prompts are great and given earily enough that you can make a lane change in the worst of traffic if need be. I drive in Milwaukee Wi during rush hour traffic and am not very framiliar with the roads and this gadget has been a life saver for me with my new job. I highly recommend it especially if you are not great with electronic gadgets as I am not.

I already own a Garmin gps device, and am very pleased with its performance, so much so that i purchased two of this model as Christmas gifts for my children. they were very happy to receive them ( 3 days ago ) but have not yet put them in service.

After using the Garmin c530 GPS and non-slip dash mount, I'm convinced this is the best GPS unit for the money!

Purchased Garmin C530 Portable Navigator for a Christmas gift. Besides being totally thrilled with the gift it does everything it states it will. The directions were great and the product works perfectly. Now my husband thinks I need one. He highly recommends this navigator.

If your looking for a basic GPS unit without a lot of bells and whistles this is perfect. Two other family members have bought this one and love it.

I have mine for about a year now and it takes me whereever I need to be. I have added a SD memory card and loaded the maps of Europe and South Africa as well - everything works beautiful. Whenever I travel, I just preprogram my destination addresses into the GPS - when I pickup my rental car, I plug it in and it takes me straight to where I need to be - very nice after a long flight when you're tired, in a foreign place and just want to head straight to the hotel to crash. This has worked every time from Honolulu to Amsterdam to Johannesburg.
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br /There may be flashier models with more bells whistles available, but the c530 is all that I need.
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If you need to go all over in your city to places that you have never been to before this thing is the best ever. I have been using for about 4 months to find addresses of homes for my job. I would have to say it payed for its self just in gas savings in 2 months. you figure if you waste 30 mins a day driving around lost at 15 mpg that could be 2 gal. of gas at 4.00 a gal that could be up to $160.00 a month in wasted gas. plus it is very easy to use. like any computer you put in bad info you get out bad info.

I've had the Garmin Street Pilot 530 for well over a year now and love it more each time I use it. I took it to Hawaii and used it there and never got misdirected once. The only thing I noted was when I had it look for the Polynesian Cultural Center it couldn't find it BUT it did find the Pauli Nezian Cultural Center. We got a good laugh on that one. I would reccomend this model to anyone who is looking for a modestly priced, quality product.
br /I do have one complaint, however. Recently, the auto power cord fell apart and I had to buy an aftermarket replacement unit from Radio Shack. The part that goes into the power outlet in the car, fell apart and we lost the center pin that makes contact with the power outlet. Other than that, no problems.

This is wonderful - "Gizmo" got confused in Atlanta - but so do I. Love it!!!

I have never owned a GPS before and when I received it I was apprehensive about assembly. There was almost no assembly required other than plugging it into the cigarette lighter and attaching the windshield suction cup. I never had to read the instructions for how to operate it for the touch screen gave all the instructions once the power was turned on. I am never lost in any part of the city and feel more adventurous in finding new locations to visit. It is so small and light that I also travel with it. There is a protective case to prevent damage as well.

This GPS works great! I'm having a lot of fun getting my directions in German, one of many languages available. I have had some minor problems with the suction cup that attaches the device to the wind shield, but otherwise, I am very satisfied.

I purchased this GPS as a replacement for an aging StreetPilot III. I only wish that I had done it much sooner. This unit has surpassed my expectations. I use this unit on my motorcycle and it has guided me on 2 long distance trips, so far,without any problems or errors. I would recommend this unit to anyone that is looking for a great GPS that won't break your budget.

I am pleased with this item and with the dealer who sold it to me. Very fast delivery at a good price.

This product is very user-friendly and easy to follow. The only worry I have with it is becoming overly dependant on it. I travel quite frequently and this product certainly takes a great deal of the stress away from planning trips.

I think that this item is as good as it gets for a guy that likes to play with new items that are being developed for us old guys that have trouble reading maps. We just like haveing fun.

I bought one of these and liked it so much I bought two more so my entire family would have one in each car. The c530 is fast to re-calculate and the screen is easy to read. I only wish I could give it GPS coordinates, but it does everything else right.

GREAT PRODUCT!! Far easier to use than a $ 2,000 dollar unit that came in a BMW we own. Unit is simple to operate without a lot of time with the manual, and is very intuitive. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

After using other brands - I selected this one due to ease of use, full functionality and integrity - My wife - who is the primary user is extremely satisfied and has been able to help others (with competitive products) be more accurate and shown how good this unit really is compared to others in the same space.

I have been using this GPs only a couple of days now, but I have to say I just love it. I wanted to find a phone number for Home Depot and locate the closes one so I typed it in and bam I have a list of every Home Depot within 200 miles of me with the stores phone number.
br /It is easy to use an very accuate. I get a kick out of it when you drive past the place you want to go it recalculates right away and tells you to make a u-turn as soon as possible.

I'm quite pleased with the handling of this order - it was executed promptly and received in fine shape. Thanks much.

Purchased the Garmin 530C street pilot as a birthday gift for my girlfriend. She adores it and has used it within town and on out of town business trips. Great directions very easy to use Why waste thousand of dollars on a Navigation system when this Garmin product is a fraction of the cost

We've had the garmin for a couple months now and it has been very helpful. We went on a tour of real estate properties all over the city (Boston) and it got us to every one with no trouble. It handled wrong turns very well and didn't freak out when we decided to go off the route. The one annoying thing is that you can't search for restaurants, banks, hotels, etc. in a designated city until you are in that city. Overall a great product.

I ordered the Garmin C530 the Sunday before the 4th of July and saved enough that I chose overnight shipping. Amazon delivered on time and the C530 was so easy to program and use we were able to enjoy it right away. I had looked at GPS units off and on for a couple years and finally decided to buy one. I feel that was an excellent decision and the prices have dropped to the affordable range.
I do kind of wish I had purchased the Nuvi 350 because of the smaller size and speaking the street names, but this unit is a pleasure and is so easy to use.
Fisrt trip I needed to exit the interstate for a rest stop. Just so happened we could exit but there was no on ramp at that exit to get back on. Garmin took us on some country roads and within short order were guided to the next on ramp and on our way going the right direction on the interstate. Even around town it is nice not to have to look for address numbers and try to find which side of the street is even and which is odd. The C530 says that the destination is .x miles on the right or left and is actually a safety feature in that respect. We are really enjoying the unit and it will be our travel companion when we fly and rent a car on the other end.

You can't miss an address in the city with this, but at highway speed it's not very quick in giving you the alternate route. It should not take a long time recalculating the alternate route. Otherwise, it's the best thing for a driver to have.

On a recent vacation, we rented this GPS unit to guide us in unfamiliar territory. It is the easiest unit I have ever used and we liked it so much that we bought one! It got the satellites almost the minute we pulled out of the garage, plugging in the destination could not be easier, and being able to ask for the nearest type of store, restaurant, or gas station is invaluable! No more hunting through the yellow pages and wondering where things are located. I absolutely love it and would highly recommend it - the ease of use would make it perfect for anyone who fears technology or hates reading instruction manuals!

I think this thing is awesome. My wife took the unit with her out west to use in the rental car. I programmed in the airport and the cabin address where she was meeting her family. It even give an accurate time of arrival. She had no problem getting around at all. I just used it for a 13 hour trip to Alabama. It took me from my front door to the entrance of the hotel. Not even my wife's MapQuest directions or following a map were that precise. Plus, I like when you get off a exit and venture off the main path for food or whatever it takes you right back to where you're suppose to be. Not only is the screen a large easy to see screen but you can see it great even in the direct sun light because of the anti-glare feature. I had no problem with it falling off the windshield like some have mentioned. It is like having the yellow pages and a guide to get you wherever it is you must go. It's easy to program and is highly accurate. I also thought the price was great and the delivery time unbelievable. Kudos to Amazon for great service. I highly reccomend to everyone that ventures out of town.

While I love this technology and I received it as a gift, there are so many more Garmin on the market now that are blue-tooth compatible, let you change your direction when street is closed but the Garmin doesn't know it (construction or obstruction) and that are easier to carrier. The Garmin service is great. I learned to not leave it in the glove compartment because of the heat but it's not easy to carry. Still, Garmin repaired and sent back to me quickly at no charge (still under warranty). Try one of the nice pocket models. I travel enough that this is not convenient and I live in a warm climate so if I can't leave it in the car, it's awfully difficult to carry every place I go. (If someone's breaking in my glove compartment, I have bigger worries and insurance will cover it. But carrying it is like carrying a glass baseball in your purse.)

this was bought for a present, it has been a lifesaver during our search for a car, which has taken us througout 3 counties. It was so well liked that we have bought another for a family member who travels alot for her job. It is so easy to use, self explanatory.

A great supplement to a drive to a new place. Just don't rely exclusively on its directions, use common sense. This is a complicated world and ever changing.

I have always been afraid of getting lost in a strange town.The Garmin StreetPilot c530 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator is the best purchase I have ever treated myself to.Now I feel confident I will always find my way.
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Worked right out of the box simple to use. Took it for a drive and found it to be quite accurate. Volume is loud and and the female voice wasclear. Software version V8 seems to be still accurate, will have to get more experience with it to find out if it needs to be updated. Shipped and received in 6 days from Nevada to Florida.

Fast Delivery, arrived before stated time. Great product will buy from this seller again...

This is a great GPS navigator. It works great and is very accurate. I love being able to find local restaurants & hotels in a town I'm not familiar with.

For elderly people, especially, who don't want to wander around in unfamiliar territory, the StreetPilot is the "find" of the century. Easy to use, it directs one right to the door of the inserted address. Now, I no longer get lost everytime I try to find a new location.

After much researching of other products, I purchased the Garmin StreetPilot c530 for my Dad, as a Christmas present. Turned out to be the highlight of his Christmas. He absolutely loves his new Garmin. As we went out to test drive it, the first place he programmed in was his local Starbucks coffee shop! Not that he needed to do that, but it's listed as one of his "Favorites" now. This product will be very beneficial for both he and my Mom, as they make their annual trips up North for auto conventions and family visits. Overall, he could not be happier with his new toy!

This is a great unit for the money, I never had any problems with it yet, out of the box and ready to go, I bought a extra SD card for it and I am loading customs POI from the net.

Great product, easy to use. No monthy maintenance fee, can't beat it. Makes driving much less stressful.

My Husband travels a lot for work and uses it every day to find his sales call locations. We also took it with us on a trip to Florida. We rented a car and it helped us go wherever we needed to go. It's invaluable!

I am so sick of trying to buy a GPS system. I just wanted a GPS like the one in a rental car I had recently, instead I have to compare 30 different systems (and that's just Garmin's "on the road" Automotive category) across 50 different "features" not including price. I'm exhausted with the whole process so I settle on this model and now I find out it doesn't have "street name" voices. I'm always going to remember this experience as distinctly unenjoyable.

this does not speak the streat names and is useless. Get something which tells you streat names.

I've had this for one month and so far it has:
1. Made me turn the wrong way down a one way street and I almost got
hit head on, there was no sign it was one way.
2. Directed me through the dope dealing part of a strange town at
2 A.M. down Martin Luther Blvd. and on through the back pot holed
alleys of the slum projects, unseen people were throwing rocks at my
car. I was not looking for dope, just my hotel.
3. Directed me to a long abandoned boarded up gas station for gas when I
was on empty and two hours from any sort of civilization.
4. Took me to a roadside tourist trap that when I came out someone had
cut my battery cable and they stood there smirking at me when I asked
where the nearest garage was and wouldn't say anything, really scared!
5. Told me to make a U turn on a ten lane highway in heavy traffic.
6 Twice told me to take turns on roads that were not there at all, I don't know where it thought I was.

I think it is like that car in the book Cristine that has a devil in it that is trying to get me. No seriously, I can't trust it and am really lucky to have survived this far with the directions it has given me. Maybe I got a lemon but I have gone back to reading maps.

The good part of it is, usually it worked OK.

Works fine so long as you know the exact street address you are going to. Otherwise you need to guess the street number / street name. Not great for planning trips.