What do you use for auto navigation?

[yeller]

I've been looking at some portable automotive gps units. I don't want to spend a ton of money and pretty much have it narrowed down the Garmin Nuvi 350 or the Tomtom One. The Tomtom has a couple navigation features I like but doesn't have the text-to-speach ("turn left on Main" instead of "turn left in 100yds"). The features the Garmin is missing are Itinary Planning (setting a route with a starting point other than where you currently are) and it won't show co-ordinate points.

Any thoughts, opinions or alternatives?

[gcarter]

I like to hook my old garmin to my laptop which sits on the console.
Best of all worlds! Big enough screen so everyone can see it.

[RedDog]

I have a Lowrance iWay 250 from Bass Pro Shop. The price was right at $199.99

[McGary911]

I have a TomTom. It was given to me as a gift. I really like it. I did a little research, and TomTom's maps are some of the most up to date out there. They gave me a free download because my unit was on the shelf for a while (good cust svc), and the new map has EVERYTHING. That's saying a lot considering all of the new building that's occurred in my part of Florida in the past year.

The TomTom is European, which has it's quirks. Mostly from my dealings with cust service to get my new map. All in all, I'm super happy with it.

Oh, and the Tom Tom is easy to hack\customize. My splashscreen is a pic of me and my boat :wink:

[zimm17]

I have a Nuvi and love it. Spend the extra $$$ for the widescreen model- my fiancee has the 350 and I have the 660 widescreen- you can see much more map area with the bigger one and the keyboard buttons are bigger when typing in stuff. They have a newer budget widescreen, I think the 2 something series.

I don't use the bluetooth, traffic alerts, or the other features on the 660- waste of money- should have gotten the basic widescreen.

[mikev]

question on these i have been looking at them all but cannot find if you can update the maping software on them regularly and if its free or they charge you. That would be a big factor influnceing my decision to purchase one over the other.

[Cuda]

A fold up map. I don't know how I've managed to find everywhere I wanted to go for the past 36 years without a gps.:confused::wink:

[BUIZILLA]

:nilly: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :shades:

[yeller]

A fold up map. Did you get that when you bought the Edsel new. :wink::biggrin.:

I'm leaning toward Tomtom. I really want the Itinary Planning that they have. They brought out a couple new wide screens with text-to-speech. I'll probably wait till after Christmas when the price drops.

mikev,
You can always update maps, but I don't think any of them give it up for free. I know for sure Tomtom and Garmin charge.

[Last Tango]

I'm with Cuda on this one. Fold up map (free at any State Welcome/rest stop on any Interstate, $4.95 at any Walmart) and a compass (also available at Walmart for a few dollars).
As for the Voice Guidance feature, I have also trained my wife to read a map (without turning it), and she is always ready to tell ME where to go! LOL