Garmin StreetPilot c580 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with MSN Direct
by Garmin
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List Price: Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin StreetPilot c580 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with MSN Direct
Customer Review: Best bang for the buck; Feature loaded, low price
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered this before driving halfway across the country. This is a fantastic deal, I had my reservations buying it because it is a slightly older model & I prefer the look & size of the NUVI product line. Putting that aside, this model has all of the features I wanted (and a couple more) for an absolute bargain price. I love the gas price feature of MSN Direct, I was able to avoid the just-off-of-the-freeway high priced gas stations and find the best deals on fuel.
The POI is very good, and the text to speech works better than many other GPS units I have used. Overall, I am very happy with the purchase & would recommend it to anyone looking for real value.
The c580 did send me on a couple of wild-goose chases, I am not sure if the unit was at fault or the map program. One example was that it kept telling us to exit and enter the same freeway for several miles. Another example is that it took us on some tangents through residential streets when there was a straight road that it should have directed us to.
I have noticed that the MSN Direct when used where I live, the movie times it shows are for theaters 40+ miles away. Since I live in a metropolitan area of Los Angeles, this service seems lacking.
The touch screen on this unit works very well comapred to other units I have used, it is very easy to use and is very accurate.
Aside from some rare occasional glitches, I am still very happy with this unit and would buy it again & recommend it to anyone.
Customer Review: Easy to use with loud speakers
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using a Street Pilot c550 since 2003 and recently updated the maps. I liked it so much that I bought another Street Pilot. This time the Street Pilot c580 because I wanted to try out the MSN Direct. The c580 is just like to c550. They are easy to use, intuitive, and best of all they have loud speakers so you can focus on driving rather than looking at the screen for directions. Excellent features for the price! The Street Pilot C Series hooks up to my bluetooth phone without a hitch and the MSN Traffic is good but not available in all areas. Overall, for the price, features, accuracy of the unit, I highly recommend it. I wish Garmin improved on the Street Pilot C Series with QWERTY inputs with new GPS chips and 333Mhz processors instead of discontinuing the product. It would have been nice to have the new maps from the Nuvi 2x5 Series with the loud speakers of the Street Pilot. If you want the most bang for the buck with ease of use, the Street Pilot c580 is a winner. It comes with 1 year MSN Direct free trial, and if you like it you can go on the Garmin website and buy it for $60 for lifetime traffic -- just like the Nuvi 760 with no pop up advertising like the 265WT. The car charger acts as the traffic antenna.
I also own the Nuvi 760, Nuvi 260, Nuvi 255, and Nuvi 265WT. Now all my vehicles have a Garmin. The Nuvi Series speaker volume is low (even in the highest volume settings) compared to the Street Pilot C Series. This is the only advantage of the Street Pilot C Series.
Customer Review: Great Automotive GPS @ Price Point
Summary: 5 Stars
It is great for the price, a few rough beginnings- the fuse on the 12V lighter cord was defective- it looked OK, but the battery never charged so I finally realized the LED on the 12V cord never illuminated- the fuse looked OK, not blown but I replaced it- viola! I am afraid it would have gone back to Garmin with another purchaser. (and I wonder how many bad reviews were the result of a bad lot of fuses ?) Easy to use/ simple, cheap, great GARMIN software- the Bluetooth is nice; I've used it in motel rooms to talk hands- free on my cell/ check voice mail at room volume. Haven't used the MP3 as I have too many other music sources--
The voice directions are quirky- pronounces "Dr.", as in "...... Drive", as "Doctor"- ?huh?- but overall I'd rather this ~$200 Garmin unit than some of the other units I've tried. I've owned 7- GPS's since 1999 or so and have used GPS since early 90's for flying, and Garmin has the best maps/ software. I also have a nuvi 680, but prefer this one as it looks like it's built tougher than the nuvi series and gets thrown up and down off my dash all day long. ( I have it mounted on a Gillson beanbag dashtop mount now). At the low-$200. range I prefer it to other units I researched, esp. since you get the map update and the MSN subscription for a year at this low price. It's easy, fast, intuitive to use/ perfect first GPS for someone- not to disparage it, I needed something quick to reprogram for detours while driving, or to use at 3:30 AM while I was half asleep.
Customer Review: Hands down - great product Easy to use!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I originally had a Garmin C330 and loved it. I gave it to my son, and started lookng for a replacement. I knew I wanted a Garmin, but was confused with so many choices from Garmin. I chose the C580 over the Nuvi line. I had to have the text to speech directions, so much better than just Left in 200 ft etc...The extra features like MP3 and pictures are nice but not needed to me. I liked the MSN ability, and hope it becomes more widespread over time. I updated to the latest map from Garmin, free upgrade via the website in the directions. Huge file, took a little bit of time, but worth it. It does have roads that were built in the last year, such as the 355 extension here in IL. The bluetooth synced up with my Motorola with no problems, and works fine when I opt to use it. The biggest advantage I see to that is the ability to search for a place, then call it right from the Garmin!
If you are deciding between a Garmin and any other brand, Garmin is the best choice in my opinion. My wife, daughter and son were able to use this right out of the box without picking up the manual.
Satellite pick up is a lot faster than my original C330. The size is a little bigger than the Nuvi's, but it feels better constructed than my friends 660. I only use it in my car, so the size is not a big deal at all.
Enjoy your Garmin!
Customer Review: Impressive!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am so impressed with the Garmin C580! Not only does it do a good job navigating and keeping me informed of traffic (I live in the Dallas area), but it really shocked me when the unit survived an accidental "baptism" in our kitchen. I had left the unit attached to the suction cup mount on our kitchen counter while running some errands. When I returned home I found that the suction cup had let go and the whole unit had gone for a swim inside a pyrex that my wife had in the kitchen sink full of water. This Garmin went swiming for nearly 2 hours. When I saw it there I knew the unit was a gonner! I used a hair dryer to attempt to dry it inside and out. The next morning I turned the unit on and it worked, however there was a significant amount of water behind the display, making it very hard to read. I simply left the unit alone for one more day. The next day I turned it on and there was less water behind the display but everything else worked ok, so I started using it again in my car. After about 3 days all that was left was a small, almost imperceptible water stain on the display. I'm so thankful and impressed! Good job Garmin!!!
I do have to say that the suction cup lets go quite frequently when attached to a surface such as the windshield, making the GPS go on a flight to the floor board of the car. That's my only complaint.