GPS.. whats good, whats not?

[Grrrrrrr!]

Have been using the smartphone for GPS up til now, but would be nice to have a bigger screen, better GPS receiver etc so now i'm looking at grabbing a GPS, just wondering if their is anything in particular I should be looking for.. or avoiding.

I know several garmins now come with lifetime maps, seems like something i'd want. How about live traffic updates.. do they work in NZ, and are they actually any use?

[Kiwi-Corolla]

Gotta be careful about that whole 'lifetime free maps' sales pitch. I'm not sure about Garmin, but I know that in the case of Navman units the free maps are for the lifetime of the UNIT, not YOUR actual lifetime. So in other words, the maps will be free until they decide to stop supporting your model with new maps. That could be 2-years or 10-years, who knows.

I've got a Navman S90i, which is an older model (yet far better than their newer models in my opinion) but I got an email earlier in the year saying that they're no longer supporting my unit for any future map updates and the last one was Spring 2012.

My dad just bought one the latest Navman units and personally I think it's a pain in the ass, mainly because you have to input the city/area before you input the address. From what I've heard most other new GPS units on the market are setup this way too . On my older Navman you just punch in the address and away you go, no needing to know which area you're wanting to go to etc.

The new lane guidance feature etc are quite cool, but definitely opt for trying out the display models in-store if you have that option.

[Crampy]

Garmin all the way.
You get the so called "life time maps", but failing that there are open source maps for NZ which are very good.

My sisters hubby has a Tomtom, it was ok, but i still prefer the Garmin

[wde_bdy]

For Garmin there is an NZ based mapping forum, haven't used it myself but apparently pretty good.

Callum

[sergei]

I use garmin opensource maps they are pretty good and updated weekly.
Screw paying the cost of the unit for new maps.

[DVSMOTORSPORT]

Haha, smartphone GPS can suck a ...........

I have been wondering about this exact question ever since I went to Auckland and my smartphone GPS told me to take an off ramp, then take the onramp back onto the motorway .................... Twice!!

[d1 mule]

Every Navman iv used had been a huge pain in the ass, TomTom for me

[fj40cruzapete]

i use a tomtom 550xl

never had any issues with it

a mate of mine borrowed it to go down south with he has now brought one

tomtom all the way

[Bling]

Currently looking for one as well. Didn't know that about 'lifetime' maps with Navman. Will probably go with Garmin after a bit of research. Have seen the forum for the maps and it looked sweet. My current gps wasn't supported though.

[tiny2009]

Recently upgraded from a 3yo Tomtom to a Garmin so we had Aussie maps on holiday. They have come a long way in 3 years, would recommend having a play with some in store.

Never been keen on the Navman.

Also this Garmin Mechanic accesory thing looks kinda cool - plug your phone into car diagnostics or something?

[Grrrrrrr!]

Ah, forgot to mention that Aussie maps is an essential for me too. Family in Melbourne, Friends in Brisbane and customer sites near Brissy and Adelaide.

Do the new garmin GPSs allow you to plot routes on PC and program them into the GPS? Ideally importing and exporting from google maps would rock.

[TRD Man]

I bought a Garmin 1490T in August to take to Europe. I'd used a rental Garmin over there two years earlier and find the functionality and ease of use most suited.
I'd looked at the full range.

Buying it online it came with NZ, Australia & US maps installed. We got the Europe maps with it but they came in a separate card. I'm not sure that they were the most up to date but got us everywhere we wanted to go.

This unit is 5" which is an improvement over the 4.3" we'd previously used.

[Bling]

Sounds like Garmin is the go. Where did you get it online?

[TRD Man]

http://gps-newzealand.com/index.php?rou ... ry&path=37

This was the package I bought;
http://gps-newzealand.com/index.php?rou ... uct_id=176

[Toby]

Another vote for Garmin, we got a cheap Nuvi when we moved to Aus, has been excellent for me as I could get lost in the backyard.

[snwtoy]

With the older Tomtoms there were always updated maps available on the net. Basically if it's software (ie any device that has updateable maps) you'll find it to download on a dodgy forum somewhere

[Bling]

GPS downunder used to be the go, not sure if it is now though.

[Mr Revhead]

Haha, smartphone GPS can suck a ...........

I have been wondering about this exact question ever since I went to Auckland and my smartphone GPS told me to take an off ramp, then take the onramp back onto the motorway .................... Twice!!

A Smartphone or an iphone?

I find my HTC is awesome for gps and nav

[DVSMOTORSPORT]

Hahahahahahahaha I cant afford an iphone

[MrOizo]

I've got a Navman S90i, which is an older model (yet far better than their newer models in my opinion) but I got an email earlier in the year saying that they're no longer supporting my unit for any future map updates and the last one was Spring 2012.

My dad just bought one the latest Navman units and personally I think it's a pain in the ass, mainly because you have to input the city/area before you input the address. From what I've heard most other new GPS units on the market are setup this way too . On my older Navman you just punch in the address and away you go, no needing to know which area you're wanting to go to etc.

The new lane guidance feature etc are quite cool, but definitely opt for trying out the display models in-store if you have that option.

I reckon the older ones are much better - Mother in Law has the newer Navman and i can barely use it - feels like they've made it fancy and over complicated it. The older ones would just work and weren't too flash. The only let down with the first lot of Navman's are the slowness of them. I have a S50 (i think it is) and its awesome - Just needs a update (havent done since new in July 2007). Pretty sure the 'i's have a camera, right?

I think it would be good if there was a GPS unit that would give ETAs based on average speed. I have a trailer and legally cant go over 90km/h (80-90km/h average?) and the ETAs must be given with a average speed of about 95-100km/h