I did a lot of research before buying the Garmin Nuvi 260W, and debated heavily between getting a Garmin, or a TomTom. Finally i settled on a Garmin for the more positive reviews it received, especially in regards to map quality.
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br /I will say that the product DOES do everything it says in the description. The display is easy to see (definitely recommend getting a 4.3 inch if you can afford it), and the text to speech easy to understand. The controls are dead simple, and so far the maps have been pretty accurate, although I have found a few small errors.
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br /I also have to give props to Garmin for designing a really good window mount. I had it stuck on my window for a month, and it didn't come loose once.
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br /My criticisms:
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br /1) The battery is stated to have UP TO a 5 hour charge. In real life it's closer to 3.5 hrs. Also, the low battery pop-up starts showing up when it gets to 50% charge (even though there's a good 1-2 hours left), and this is really annoying.
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br /2) The power button sticks. I don't know if this is common to the Garmin nuvi's, or just my unit, but the power button sticks a bit, and often I have to take it off the month to get a good enough grip to slide it over.
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br /3) Lack of routing functionality. This is a big gripe of mine. If you have a specific route that you want to take for a long trip, for instance, Garmin doesn't let to choose the route beforehand. It will recalculate the route as your driving if you miss a turn, but if you have a 500 mile trip, and you have a certain route you want to take, the only way to do it is put a "via point" in your trip (more on via points below), and hope the unit calculates the way you want to go.
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br /The lack of routing customization may not be a legitimate gripe for some people. The unit description doesn't say it gives you this functionality, and some of the more expensive units do have it as a feature. However, for a $250 navigational tool, I think it should have at least the same functionality as Google Maps.
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br /2) You can only select one "via point" per trip. Again, if you have a long trip, and want to make a few stops along it, you have to enter a "via point", but you can only select one per trip. More expensive units have multi-point routing capabilities, but this brings me back to my complaint of this not having the same functionality as Google Maps.
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br /3) 3D maps resize as you take turns. This is kind of annoying. If you have the 3d map view, and you take a turn, the display tends to resize the view as you make the turn.
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br /4) Routing preferences. The unit does have a "route avoidance" that will let the unit avoid certain things like toll roads, u-turns, highways, etc. However, I think it should include a route preference so if you want to stick to highways, it will do that. It does have the option to select "fastest" or "shortest" route, but I've seen a few instances where it took me off highways onto heavily trafficked roads with lots of stoplights, when a highway route would have been better.
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br /All in all, I think this is a good unit to have if your in an area that you don't know well and just want basic directions for getting around. If your a road warrior, and want something that has lots of navigational choices, a more expensive unit might be a better choice. Again, this unit does everything it says it does, but for $250, I would expect more features.

I'd considered a GPS many times but was put off by the absurd number of available units and manufacturers. I did not want to have to become an expert on GPS just to make an intelligent purchase. I envisioned getting something where I could just plug in a destination and it would guide me there and back. Pictures? Video? BLUETOOTH? What does any of this have to do with directions and maps? Ultimately I relied on Consumer Reports and went with their recommendation of the Garmin Nuvi 260W as a top pick for features and size. It has all the GPS features including turn by turn vocal instructions in American English and NONE of the junk that adds to cost. After the usual Amazon super-fast order processing, the box arrived. The "W" in 260W is for widescreen and it is. Great graphics, clear and bright screen. The manual was laughably short. At first I was actually annoyed that it ran all of six pages and most of that discussed how you shouldn't soak it in water or throw it against a wall, etc... Turns out, Garmin was showing off. The user interface is so simple and easy to understand that a detailed manual is pointless. I know nothing about GPS units but still had this up and running in seconds. The on-off button is the only button on it. Everything else is touch screen. So how's it do? Brilliantly! I have tried, HARD to mess it up. Blown through turns, gone the wrong way, left it on while the car was parked. None of this phased it in the least. It constantly tracks your position and gives ETA and MPH. If you continue past a turn, it takes about 2 seconds for it to recognize what happened and then the voice tells you "Recalculating". In no more than another two seconds, it has mapped out an alternate route. (The speed of this thing is stunning.) Mind you I'm not talking about it saying "Turn around bone-head, you blew that last turn." It literally maps out the next best way to your destination in a flash. Driving with it is very cool. It tells you to prepare for a turn and then tells you dead on the money to make the turn. By the way, it doesn't say "Turn left in point two miles." it says "In point two miles, turn left on Main Street". Then when you get there it repeats it as "Turn left on Main Street." This means that if there is more than one left turn coming up, you know exactly which one to take. It also monitors the road itself and advises of bends and twists. As an example, I was on a major highway that bent to the left with a single lane exit if you kept straight. As I approached this spot, it told me to keep left! This thing is nailed down. It is dead nuts simple to operate, does what it should in real time and seems to be without vices. Great device.

My Garmin nuvi 260w arrived much faster than Amazon said, which made me very happy. I was on my way out of town when I received it, so I plugged it right in and started using it. That easy. I am not a techie, so I was a bit nervous that it would take me a while to figure everything out. It was a no-brainer! I have read other people's complaints that it does not come with a manual. You DO NOT need one. There is one built in. It gets you exactly where you need to go, instills a huge sense of confidence when you are traveling and it is too fun to use! The first part of my trip was to an area out of town that I already know, so I was able to test the nuvi and gain confidence. The 2nd part of my trip was to a very unknown area that I was nervous to drive in and I had complete faith in my nuvi. The trip went off without a hitch. Traffic circles, strange angle turns, etc, were easy to navigate with it. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Features I love: The text to speech option is wonderful, the auto dimming night screen, auto recalculate if you miss a turn, the zoom in/out screen option, the absolute confidence I have when driving since I got it.

Wow! Ordered on a Sunday, shipped on Monday and recieved it on Wednesday... with free shipping!
br /Had it set up and working within in minutes. Nice, bright and clear screen.
br /I bought this because I now drive limos and charter buses, and my night vision isn't what it used to be. Used it last night...I feel "whole" again! Pinpoint accuracy.
br /My only complaint...thus the four star rating...it should come with the freakin' USB cable to download the updates !!! What would that cost Garmin?... maybe $.50? Ridiculous, in light of the fact that you have to have it for that purpose!!!
br /Don't waste money on a carry case either!... use a sock.

once you have it you find it makes your life more efficient. After much research we felt the Garmin nuvi 260w was the GPS for us. It was easy to use right out of the box (good thing because they really don't provide directions). Its like any other type of electronic equipment, once you use it, navigating the different screens becomes second nature.
br /We traveled the northwoods and never had a problem finding the satellite, takes a few seconds when you first turn it on, not a big deal.
br /My favorite part of our trip was surfing in our hotel, finding out where we wanted to go the next day - entering the addresses into the Garmin, and it would take us directly there ('500 feet ahead on the left'). Seriously, how much easier can it get? You can search for gas stations, it will tell you how far - in case your tank is getting low. You can find a deli or grocery store, very nice when you are 300 miles from home.
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br /The 4.3 inch wide screen is clear and colorful. You can zoom in or out and there is enough screen space to see where you are going (even exit numbers). It shows trip stats (how fast you are driving and the average speed).
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br /The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because you can't change the voice. When you are in the car for 6 hours a day, it would be nice to have an option.
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br /Nice clear picture, controls that are easy to use, features that help with creature comforts, and it was always right.
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br /I would recommend it to everyone I know. My husband has it now on his bike ride (also has a walking mode).
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br /Go get Garmin!

I bought this about 8 months ago; have used it extensively and have no complaints about it. Easy to use, there are fancier versions available, but not needed for general use. Things like traffic updates could be useful, but I use my Iphone to check out road conditions instead of paying an additional fee for traffic assistance on my GPS. Voice directions that speak the street names is very helpful on this model; points of interest are accurate. 5 stars on this product, highly recommend it.

I've never used a GPS prior to this purchase and I bought this for a road trip to San Diego. I chose this GPS because it is the least expensive one that has Text-to-speech (TTS) feature and also wide screen. TTS is extremely helpful when driving in a city. You can confirm your left or right turns by checking out the street name prior to turning. My aunt has a GPS without TTS, and "Right turn in 200 Feet" doesn't really help relieve the stress of driving in an unknown environment. I truly felt confident and relaxed when driving with this GPS.
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br /Pros:
br /- TTS
br /- Quick in acquiring satellite signal
br /- Widescreen
br /- Lots of POI
br /- User-friendly
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br /Cons:
br /- May sometimes give you a longer route instead of the shortest / fastest one
br /- Only some fancy features
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br /Summary:
br /This GPS is great value and it is very easy to use. If you are new to GPS and tight on the budget, give this one a try.

I bought this for my husband for his birthday over a month ago because it was top rated in Consumer Reports. Saying that my husband has no sense of direction would be an understatement. He goes "in the field" a lot for work and is always needing directions from MapQuest. Well, he doesn't have to do that anymore because this Garmin is the best! He has not been lost even once since I bought this for him. He loves it and I love it! It gives him an ETA and alternate routes. We just can't say enough good things about it. I highly recommend this navigation system.

All I have to say is GET THIS!!!! I got it for a trip from GA to PA and lots of running around while in PA and I LOVED it !!! I will never be lost again! I felt such peace of mind. The features I like best (in order) are : 1) street names spoken-- spend the extra money- you won't be sorry, 2) the directional in the upper left corner that tells what direction you will be turning in plenty of time; 3) the anticipated arrival time was FUN to have...and right on the money accuracy-wise. I love everything about this unit-- would give it 10 stars if I could!!

since i'm not the electronic wiz i was able to open the package and go with it - no need to read directions to get started.
br /Thought I was going the right directions for locations but this system headed me in the best different direction.

Excellent unit. It is easy to use, the querty keyboard makes it so.The software is very accurate. It took us 87 Miles on back roads to our destination, avoiding tolls and traffic, within our time constraints.Pronunciation of some roads inacurate, but overall does the job I wanted to acheive.

This is the 2nd unit I've received and it isn't working much better than the 1st that was replaced. It takes up to 10 minutes to 'locate satellites', well after you're already on the road. I've tried sitting in the driveway WAITING for it to gain it's bearings and it doesn't make any difference. I have a clear sky view (i.e., no building obstructions, not under a bridge or in a parking garage, etc.). I bought a nuvi 750 that works MUCH better and acquires satellites in 30 seconds. Either the nuvi 260W is a defective design, OR I am a lucky sole that has received two flakey nuvi 260W's in a row.

First I love my new GPS. It even showed an address that Google and Yahoo Maps did not have. But what impressed me most was the technical service from Garmin. I was having problems getting my unit to connect to my computer. I ended calling Garmin Technical Support and we found the cable to connect was not working. Lucky I had another cable from my camera that worked. Once connected, Garmin Tech Support walked me thru all the procedures to allow me the full use of my unit. Thanks again the Garmin Tech Support ... You're the greatest.

I spent about two weeks researching which navigator device to purchase. I talked to friends, read reviews, etc., and finally decided on the Garmin 260W which was ABSOLUTELY the right choice. I purchased the Garmin 260W from Amazon.com because they had the best price and plenty of information about the products. How do I like it? I LOVE IT! I am not the most talented person when it comes to electronics but I found it to be very easy to use. I am very, very happy with the Garmin 260W. I would recommend it to anyone! And believe me - I don't give 5-stars to many of the things that I buy.

I put my Garmin nuvi 260W to the test during my recent 4-day visit to Detroit, MI. Every time, it took me correctly within a few feet of my destination - and always on the correct side of the street. It quickly recalculated when I made deliberate changes to my route. The voice directions were extremely useful at night when I had to concentrate on the road ahead. I was looking for a GPS without the bells and whistles, and this is it - and Amazon had to lowest price of all! I liked it so much, I bought one for my son and he is putting it to good use navigating the streets of LA. Thanks Amazon.

I bought the Garmin 260W from Amazon before I left for a 2 week vacation to southern Utah. Used it for a few days in SW Florida first where I live so I could get used to it. (This is my 1st car GPS unit.) I am extremely happy with this unit. It boots up very quickly no matter where you are. I was in the middle of nowhere at times in Utah and it was very fast starting up and highly accurate. In a town of 400 people it still told me every street accurately. All the state and national park boundaries showed up in green and were right on the money. Directions are easy to follow. Every exit off I-70 showed up, even if it was just a Ranch exit and not an actual road. The roads were so accurate, that while driving I would glance at the GPS to see what the road was going to do ahead of me. And believe me, out there, this is useful when there are a couple 180 degree switchbacks coming up soon and you need to be prepared for them. Dirt roads that were 20 miles from the next closest road even showed up. The color is good and the voice directions were fine. Although most of the towns we were in were very small and hard to get lost in, I still used it to find restaurants and gas stations to "test" it out. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone. It is a snap to operate and really fun to use. The price is right, also. I personally think one can get too many features and too many bells and whistles with GPS units these days, so I picked this one. It's pretty basic, but I was more than satisfied.

I just ordered with Amazon and what a pleasant experience. I first tried my luck with one of those other on-line sites that advertises this same product for much cheaper, and come to find out that it was loaded with 2005 maps, so they wanted to "sell" me the updated 2008 maps for and extra $[...]!
br /Beware of those cheaper products! If the price seems to good to be true, then it probably is!

Great unit. Has pertinent options and features for those going down a strange road. "Points of interest" are fantastic. For those of us who don't have nerd brains, there was no instruction manual (other than start up) so I had to learn on the fly, w/ a lot of back buttons redos. The only major issue I have is that the unit takes one down the shortest route without discrmination, including dirt two tracks. One has to use common sense, when told to "turn here", if this turn is OK. If you don't follow directions, it "recalculates" very quickly.

I bought this GPS as a portable device to take on vacation to the UK. I bought the plug-in card with the Europe maps. Most of the time it worked fine and it was useful to have. However several times during the trip I would turn on the unit and it would not be able to locate any satellites. It was often slow locating satellites but sometimes it wouldn't find them at all - and this was outdoors without any visible obstructions. So I am very glad we took maps with us too.
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br /The second issue is that the unit is marketed as a portable unit with auto, pedestrian and cycling set-up options. However, we were on foot much of the time and I could not see any value at all in the pedestrian setting. As far as I could tell, it just guides you to walk down the roads as if you were driving.

I;ve been using GPS navigation in my truck and on my motorcycles for over 10 years. Back then, GPS was very expensive, often difficult to program, and the data was spotty at best (great for locations in large cities, not so great for rural areas. I've have several Garmin GPS units in the past five years which I use both in my vehicles and on my motorcycles. I liked the Garmin units because they were rugged, easy to program, and the map could be updated fairly reasonably every few years. I purchased the 260W to have a second GPS unit and I am very pleased with the unit. The screen is much improved over previous smaller sized screens and appears easier to see and read. The 260W has all of the basic components needed and is a bargain at below $200. You don't need a lot of the bells and whistles being offered in more expensive units like bluetooth, traffic reporting (which only works in certain large cities anyway), or MP3. You really needed accurate mapping and directions with a understandable speaking voice giving directions. This unit has the basics and works very well day to day. There have been a few POI's that are not in the database that has surprised me but nothing major. I purchased the "bean bag" mount that sits on the dash which is what I've used for years with my other Garmin GPS units. I like the bean bag mount because you can take it down and put under the seat and it does not leave a tell-tale imprint on the windsheild advertising the fact that your car has a GPS to steal. In sum: the Garmin nuvi 260W is a lot of GPS value for the money and works well.

I've always favored Garmin personally; I've used their "mouse type" gps engines in ham radio applications (APRS) and have had accuracy to within 20 feet on them. I've played with this a while now and love it; I like to dive at a spot in Terrell, TX often and use it to go there and it is a little undeveloped in that part of the city where the dive park is and this is spot on- when I approach the front gate I'm told I have arrived at my destination. I keep it set to find fastest way and usually I get there faster than I expect and by a route I did not expect. Only thing I don't like is when you use it in routing your way, it doesn't show the direction you are traveling in but that's ok, the car has a compass. Overall it's a super GPS that I'd buy again in a heartbeat. I bought a vent mount off ebay and like it better than the windshield mount, it's too easy to get distracted when it 's up in the window like that, personal preference for me, you might be different.
br /be sure you hook it up to your pc monthly and download and software updates that Garmin might've put out.

Every time I use this GPS unit, I marvel how good it is. The map history is unbelievable how accurate it is on recently named streets. The data base is really up to date. With this on your dash/windshield,(Suction cup mount) and no external antenna (it's built in) it takes up very little space and does not interfere with driving or vision. When driving to a new address, I can't wait to use it and preloading in your favorites which is really easy, you can just touch the screen to start going, really easy. Remember, the GPS always knows where you are, you just tell it where you want to go! If you make a wrong turn, it immediately recalculates and you're on your way again. After you get this, I bet you will wonder, why did I wait so long! Besides the female voice never gets mad if you make a wrong turn!

I purchased this unit a month ago and couldn't be happier. Right out of the box it was easy to program in my destination and I was off and running. The car speed on the screen was more accurate than my car's speedometer and the spoken directions took me right to the front door I was visiting. I can't imagine being without this unit and it's a "must-have" for any driver in any traveling situation.

Works great and at a reasonable price. Very intuitive easy to use. Since we have a discounted Hess card, the Garmin practically paid for itself on a recent trip to Canada. My only complaint is it can take a few minutes to load the satellites when booting up. The wide screen is worth the extra bucks. Highly recommended

I love this product. My husband and I have both used the Navigator and have thankfully not gotten lost as we had in the past. The text to voice is great. Finds restaurants in the area. If I get off track it will recalculate for me. I would highly recommend buying. I've seen the smaller screen and like the wide one much better.

I spent 3 days pouring over the reviews. I wasn't interested in bluetooth or any other "bells and whistles". I just wanted a good simple navigation system. I started out with the TomTom in mind, but after reading the reviews I purchased the Garmin nuvi 260w. It does everything I need. I especially like the response of the touch screen and being able to switch from the 3d view to the 2d view with just a touch. The trip computer function is great. The maps are adequate and easy to read. The voice is understandable and directions are given early enough for adequate time to lane change, etc. The POI choices have met my needs so far. Satelite acquisition is quick, usualy w/in 30 to 45 seconds, battery life is about 4-5 hours.

Easy to use, calculates time of arrival, area items of interest (gas, restaurants, hotels). Can't beat it for the price.

I bought this for my husband, who owns a carpet cleaning business. He was forever getting lost trying to find homes of customers. Well no more!! This GPS is great. It gives precise directions and even recalulates if necessary. Tells you what driveway to pull into. Names streets and all. We love it. Don't know how we did without one.
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Bought this for $149 from bestbuy during CyberMonday. Pros are a nice big screen, decent text to speech, bright screen visible in daylight. However, the maps are really old - probably from 2007. I can't find places that have opened in the last year. Garmin charges a ridiculous amount to update maps. Furthermore the LCD display's touch screen keyboard is flaky. It is slow to respond. The search function is useless. All you will see is an hourglass spinning up and down. The user interface leaves much to be desired. I would have probably bought a TomTom instead of this one. And like all Garmin's at times it can take 10 minutes to find a satellite signal.

GPS for Dummies...this device is great.
br /Right to work, right out-of-the-box.
br /Windshield mount is perfect; easy to attach/remove and stow under seat or in glove-box.
br /Price here was better than electronics stores "sale" prices for lower-level models.

Beyond the poor voice quality which I expected. The voice prompts are incorrect.
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br /Instead of saying "Turn left on First Street" It says "Turn left of First SAINT".
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br /Instead of saying "Turn right on Second Drive" It says "Turn right on Second DOCTOR".

This GPS works as it should. This is my second purchase of Garmin GPS. I love it.... :D

I am very pleased with this order. Placed order 9/30/08 and received on 10/06/06. Everything was originally packaged and is working fine. Only one minor drawback to this order, it was shipped USPS and I have NEVER had any success tracking orders over the USPS website!

Works great! Also purchased the dashboard pad to hold the Garmin.
br /It's better than the suction cup that leaves a mark on the windshield for thefts to see you have one. Which means they will attempt to break into your car.

I purchased the Magellan 4250 approximately 4 months ago and I used it everyday for work. Last week the power cord failed on me and the unit would not turn on. This was just one of many problems I had with this unit. The other problems including the unit freezing (at least 3 times that I can recall, where I had to reset it with a paperclip) and the screen is way too bright in the night mode (even when turned completely down). I returned it to my local Best Buy store and they were more than accommodating. I was given a full refund as they didn't have this model in stock.
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br /I decided to try the Garmin Nuvi 260w after reading reviews online and listening to the Best Buy navigation specialist. I have to say this is night and day to the Magellan. I absolutely love this product. It is so easy to use, navigating through the menus is effortless. It locates my destinations much faster than the other unit, it takes you right to the front door, the brightness levels can be adjusted to extremely dark or bright. The text-to-speech is much cleaner and easier to understand and the unit re-calculates very fast.
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br /I don't usually write reviews but I know how valuable a good or bad review can be to someone searching the internet for the "right" product.
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br /I definitely recommend this unit. You will not be disappointed.
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I bought this garmin GPS for my daughter. She is going to be traveling alot with the military, due to her boyfriend enlisting, she has used it several times already, and absolutely loves it, no complaints at all.

I bought this GPS a month ago to replace my stolen Magellan and I couldn't be happier! This new unit has updated 2009 maps and fits in your pocket. I like the wide screen format, light weight, and portability of my Garmin nüvi 260W. This GPS updates quickly and provides very accurate directions and has even taught me some short cuts around town. Thanks Garmin! Amazon had the best price hands down...they even crushed Best Buy's price by $100.

Works great.
br /Very pleased.
br /Speaks road names; labels all roads.
br /Everything you need in a GPS.

As advertised. Ready to use straight out of the box. Great for non tech types and occasional users.

The Garmin nuvi 260W is a great GPS unit. The 4.3-inch screen makes it very easy to see and type, and the voice street by street directions are a must! I would definitly recommend this exact unit to any perspective buyer.

Although I have the most up to date maps according to checking my unit at the web site, it cannot take me to some addresses, and these are not new streets.

It is fine for out-of-town, unfamiliar places, especially local restaurants, gas stations, attractions, etc. Be aware that it will not always give the best, fastest or easiest routes, but it will get you to where you are going. The user may still want to consult a map for a broader, over-all sense of location.

Having moved to a new state, I especially appreciated this product which allows me to get around as if I had lived here for years.

The Garmin is great if you live in a city, but for people like me who live in rural places or do lots of traveling in rural communities - it stinks! I have even called Garmin for them to tell me, "sorry, that address does not exist in our database."

Seems to work well in the city, but voice speaks too rapidly and pronounces streets differently. For instance, "Perimeter Drive"
br /(pe-RIM-e-ter) was pronounced PERI-meter. Tried to take us off the state highway and over backroads in the mountains of Vermont -- the shortest route! But not bad for the cost. A friends likes it better than his comparably priced TomTom.

This product is great.It arrived within 4 days from when I ordered it.It is very accurate,I will never get lost again.

This GPS is great. I love the fact that it says the street name that you are to turn on. Great value for the Money.

You will never want to leave home without this Garmin Nuvi. I will never have to worry about getting lost again!

The Garmin came in record time. It appears to be in great shape. I will hope that it is all that we expect of it after we use it. Since, it is a Christmas gift, I won't know until after Christmas how it will really perform.

I bought it for my boss who never figured it out so it's sitting in a box in his office.