A good "starter" gps unit

We bought this on black Friday of 2007 for $150, so at this point we've been using it for about 4 months. It's definitely a good buy based on the price and we're happy with it. There are very few units in this price range, and especially not with a wide screen.

Definitely get a unit with a 4.3" widescreen! It's MUCH more functional than the 3.5" square screen. With the wider screen you get the map plus room for onscreen controls. Or, you can hide the controls and get a bigger view of the map.

This is a very good "Starter" GPS to see if you like it or to provide to a kid. It's also cheap enough that if it were stolen I wouldn't be too upset.


The unit picks up the GPS signal very quickly. The maps are very accurate. The POI database is big and has come in handy several times. It's very thin which is great. The mounting bracket works well. The volume is adequate. The screen is very bright and works well in the day. It has a night mode that makes it easier to view in the dark. It has several views: bird's eye, north facing, and directional.

Overall, I'm very happy with the features.


My only complaint: I wish that you could press the map and "drag" it to view other areas of the map. Wherever you touch on the map, it shows the address and wants to route you there. The buttons for the hidden controls are fairly small so sometimes you accidentally press the screen instead of the button, which throws you off your route.

The maps are good, but the driving directions are questionable. However, after having read about 1,000 reviews - the driving directions from all the systems are questionable (as are the web based directions from mapquest and google maps). So some frustration is unavoidable, no matter the brand. I don't consider this a failing in this brand in particular.

We use the turn-by-turn directions only when we're in an unfamiliar city. For areas we know, we don't use the turn-by-turn, we just use the map itself.

Wish List: It doesn't have the capability to add traffic alerts. For $150, I'm not unhappy about it, but our next unit will have this feature.