Garmin StreetPilot c320 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
by Garmin
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List Price: Our Price: $129.00 You Save: $620.99 (83%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $29.99 (click here) Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin StreetPilot c320 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Customer Review: I Love This Thing!
Summary: 5 Stars
I rented one of these for $10 a day through the rental car company on our last vacation to the Grand Canyon. It was so incredible I had to buy one for myself. Even the wife, who could care less about gadgets, loves it. Never needing maps and never getting lost again is an obvious reason to like it, but by far not the only reason. The ability to find specific types of restaurants while out of town in a matter of seconds is fantastic. Same for malls, gas stations, even churches. Not only that, it is great when you need to place a to-go order on your way home since it provides not only the address but also the phone number of each place listed. Awesome!
The touch screen and menu system is easy to use. The voice is very pleasant. It lets you track max speed, avg speed, stopped time, moving time, miles-to-go, etc. BTW - The speedometer function is dead accurate which showed me that my actual motorcycle speedometer is a tad off.
The reason I picked the 320 instead of the 330 is because the 320 comes with the complete US map system on a separate DVD. You load it onto an SD card that goes in a slot on the side of the GPS. Note: the SD card that comes with it is far too small to hold all of the US maps but that was not an issue considering you can get a 1 gig SD card for $10-$15 that will hold it all. The advantage of having the DVD was for the other Garmin system we have that came with no maps - the eTrex Venture CX. Garmin states that you only have to acquire one map set if you have multiple units. You just can't share it with others. The c320 saved us from having to buy the $144 map DVD separately for the hand-held unit. (btw, the eTrex is equally amazing and perfect for camping and geocaching)
Possible add-ons I am considering for the unit is an external sat antenna to prevent signal loss in places like parking decks (I may tie into my existing Sirius antenna), and a better mount that sits on the dash as opposed to the suction cup windshield mount that comes with it.
Again, this is a great product at a great price that gives you peace of mind, especially on long family trips.
Customer Review: Solid no frills unit
Summary: 4 Stars
All things considered, a capable little unit for the price ($[...]at Costco). Its main benefit is simplicity -- if you like lots of bells and whistles, this probably is NOT the unit for you. But if you want an easy to setup and use unit where you hop in your car, enter an address, and get step by step directions (with voice), it's just fine. When not navigating a trip, it displays your current location on the map, noting direction of travel, the next cross-street, and speed. You can also browse the map (and zoom in and out), though on a screen this small it's not the same as having an old-fashioned AAA fold-up map. You'll need a PC with a USB port to download maps from the included DVD into the unit. The main drawback is that the included 128M SD card can only hold a few states -- I bought a 512M SD card for $[...]and can get about 1/4 to a 1/3 of the country on it at any one time. More expensive units typically come with a complete U.S. map preloaded. The other minor drawback for this (and all other brands) is the need to occasionally download (i.e. buy) updated maps -- not a big deal, but if you live in an area with a lot of new roads it might be a bit frustrating. (Most of the more expensive models also tend to include a free update download or a free time-limited subscription for updates.) If you're looking for simple and effective, yet realtively inexpensive, and don't mind using a PC to do the setup, this is probably the right unit.
*** UPDATE **
After using it on a long trip, I'd still give it a high rating. It was particularly useful finding alternate routes in unfamiliar areas and finding restaurants/gas along the way. Only complaint is that in bright sunlight (i.e. around noon) the glare can make it difficult to see. As a few other reviewers pointed out, the free V7 map update is available (if you purchased your unit recently.) You'll also want to upgrade to the 5.1 firmware -- it adds 'via' points (calculate a route through a specific point) and the ability to save way points while navigating. Very pleased.
Customer Review: Great all around product
Summary: 5 Stars
I did a lot of research before i bought this particular model. I've always been partial to Garmin compared to others like Magellan or TomTom because i have always heard great things about Garmin products and i have friends who own them and they love it.
Right out of the box the product is very intuitive and easy to use. There are no buttons on the face. There is a volume wheel, power switch, and usb connector on the side. It's lightweight and portable. It has a rechargeable battery which is great. It has a windshield suction mount with a built in charger that connects to your power outlet in the car, so if your charge begins to die you can just plug that in (i really like that feature). This way you pretty much take it anywhere as long as it has battery power.
The screen is not huge which was fine with me. As long as you have good eyesight you can see the screen and follow the directions. The audible commands are quite loud and you can hear it over your radio, even if its turned up a little. It does not say the street name where you have to turn, but it does give you ample warning and distance remaining to your turn. You can't miss your turn unless you just aren't paying attention.
If you miss your turn the recalculation is almost instant (i love this). It uses a memory card to store map information. I have the standard card that came with it and i have the entire state of Georgia stored on it and it only filled it a quarter way through. If you are planning a cross country trip then you would probably have to buy a larger memory card, but if you don't travel out of the state much, you should be ok.
I have had this GPS for about 2 weeks and have traveled around a bit, including downtown. It took me straight to my destinations without a hitch.
If there is something that i really don't like about it, i'll do an update here later, but as of now, i'm really really happy with it, and i'm very picky about what i buy.
Great GPS :)
Customer Review: Great buy, but poor quality construction and worse tech support.
Summary: 2 Stars
Before we begin, according to Garmin tech support, what separates the Garmin C320 from its more expensive C330 is the amount of memory on the SD memory card. The C320 has 128 Megs. If want a C330, but can only afford a C320, buy the C320 and purchase an inexpensive 2 Gig memory card. Once you have the larger card installed, download all of the maps you need from the Garmin site.
The unit that I purchased worked great. However, I did find that I occasionally deviated from its recommended routes. One of the first attempts at using the unit failed because the address I was visiting, a building on a college campus, didn't have an address recognized by the Garmin C320/C330. Most of the time, the Garmin worked flawlessly. When combined with a high detail paper map, the Garmin helps by informing you as to where you are.
Unfortunately, my Garmin C320/C330 screen colors began to distort after about a month of infrequent use. The opening screen showed cyan distortion. Other screens showed magenta distortion. My first choice was to use the Garmin Web site to resolve the issue. The Garmin Web site is nearly useless and obviously not a high priority of the company. My call to tech support on a Monday morning, just minutes after they opened returned a message saying that they were busy and that I should call back early in the morning to avoid a long wait. The actual wait was more than an hour and half. The technician was good natured and provided an RMA number for the return of the unit. This could have been done automatically through their Web site if the Web site were functional. I can't imagine what the wait time would have been if I had called later in the day.
I like the Garmin C320/C330 and plan to keep and use it. For $1,500 or more dollars less than a factory installed GPS system, it is a bargain. I fear that Garmin may fail as a company if they don't produce more reliable units, produce a useable Web site, and improve tech support service.
Customer Review: Outstanding, but there are better Garmin Units Now
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a terrific unit that calculates\recalculates very fast! Miss a turn? No problem. The 320 will recalculate your trip in 1-3 seconds and inform you of the new instructions and the POI (Points of Interest) are among the best out there at any price.
I use it even in areas where I know where I do not need directions. The reason is because I found that POIs come in very handy when I want a new place to eat or need to call ahead. I use it mostly for for locating resteraunts or calling in To-Go orders if I'm in a hurry.
Loading maps is as easy as sending email but the supplied SD card is a bit small if you travel across many states. I bought a very inexpensive 2g SD card and loaded the entire US with room to spare. Now that I have the US loaded I expect to never touch the card again and have since deleted the maps from my computer.
The only two complaints I have with this unit are the screen and suction mount.
The screen must be tilted down away from the sun to see it. Thanks to the voice turn by turn instructions I find it is not necessary to see it, but I do wish it were brighter.
The suction mount failed after only a few months. I opted for a friction mount from Amazon and couldn't be happier. It is easy to move from car to car and stays where I put it.
As good as it is I'm giving it 4 stars because of the mount and less than bright screen. If you can find it at a good price and decide to get it you will receive a nice and very capable unit that will serve you well. However, Garmin has the 330 and 340 now which are basically the same unit but have pre-loaded maps and the 340 reads the streets for you. If money is a concern get the 320. Otherwise, go with the 330 or 340 but be ready to accept the screen and suction mount issues. You won't get a brighter screen unless you pony up quite a bit more cash, or decide to go with another brand and risk trading off some features and getting a smaller POI database.