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There is a problem with the product not working and saying no tower available. This problematic if you are out of town and need directions.I may need to send this product back.
I have own this gps for over a year now and I must say it is pretty good. After using this gps for awhile you will not want to go back to a 4.3 inch screen. No it is not perfect but none of the others I have tried are either (like the Lowrance iWay 500c, Magellan 5310, TomTom Go 720). This gps is much like the Garmin nuvi 760 but with a nice larger screen. I have given one to my wife and bought another Nuvi 5000 for myself. That should tell you how much my family and I like it.
Pros: Bright larger Screen, Waypoints, Rear Camera Option, 3D ViewCons: No built-in battery, No BluetoothSummary: I am almost satisfied with the GPS. Now I wish I had a camera on the back of my car to plug into the unit.I am surprised that there is no built-in battery. The large screen is just about perfect sizing for me. The touchscreen is easy to use and the menu is very user friendly. It means that the only way to program this unit is in the car. I didn't find the lack of Bluetooth that important, so I don't miss it not being included.The FM transmitter is absolutely useless in NY as there are no open frequencies to use.
I got a vent mount for the Nuvi itself since windshield mounts are illegal in California. You'll be glad you did. Very thorough database and up to date too.While navigating, the verbal cues are loud and clear. Just type in what you're looking for - a specific grocery store, department store, drugstore, gas station, etc and the Nuvi finds all the nearby matches. It's one of those things that once you have it, you wonder why it took so long or how you ever lived without it.Backup cams aren't just for big SUVs or trucks. LOVE it.
Its no wonder Garmin is widely considered to make the best GPS units on the market.I zeroed in on the Nuvi 5000 primarily because of the larger screen and that it's one of the few GPS units to support a backup camera. I have mine on a sedan and really love the extra perspective it gives. Now I know Porsche's primary concern is the car, not the GPS, but for a top dollar luxury product, you'd think their GPS would be equally cutting edge. It's not as hard as it sounds and there are videos on YouTube that can help clarify. Very helpful when parallel parking or backing up and you see so much more than with a rearview mirror alone. It's so much safer to backup with the extra visibility and virtually no blind spots. I love being able to play solitaire while waiting for someone to come out of a store. It's such a luxury to be able to SEE everything with no blind spots.
I honestly prefer my Garmin Nuvi 5000. Then when you put your car in reverse, the cam turns on and you get a live video image of what's behind your car. For my first GPS, I have to say I'm quite impressed with the Nuvi 5000. But I actually prefer the vent mount anyway since it places the Nuvi at the perfect level without obstructing my view of the road. I even set up specific routes I like to take to work and other destinations so the Nuvi can take the roads I prefer and get me back on track if I take a detour to avoid traffic and such.
I regularly ride in a friend's shiny new 2009 Porsche and I have to say, their GPS sucks by comparison. Sometimes I just use it as a live map depicting where I am without inputting my destination. Welcome to the 21st century. The "Points of Interest" feature is amazing. I haven't searched anything yet that it can't find. I was able to use 90% of the functions without even reading the User Guide.
Hooked up the ground and power wires to the rear tail light - the one that lights up only in reverse -- then ran the cable through the trunk, behind the rear seat, along the floor panels and to the Nuvi. As more cars come standard with GPS units, I could see backup cams becoming standard issue. The difference is stark. It's that easy and straightforward.
The maps were sparse, the colors muted, the speech barely audible and the user interface convoluted and unintuitive. And the screen itself had loads of useful info. Setup was easy. But most of all, I love the backup cam. I love feeling like I'll never get lost or have a problem finding anything in a big city like L.A. You'd think a $100k+ sports car would have a killer GPS -- NOT. I like the estimated time of arrival feature.
I like how it changes the color scheme automatically for night and day making it easier to read in both cases. The satellite response time is lightening fast and the interface is easy, intuitive and very user friendly. And I even hardwired the Nuvi to the car's fuse box so it automatically turns on and off with the car's ignition.The GPS itself is stellar. The colors are vibrant and inviting. For those of you who don't know, a backup camera is a tiny video camera (mine is the size of a dime) that mounts on the back of your car, often the license plate, with a video cable run to a monitor or GPS mounted on the dash.
It's helpful to have a live visual confirmation of where you are and what streets are nearby. Then I mounted the tiny cam above my rear license plate. It took me about 90min to hook it all up. And be sure to setup a security code so no one can mess with your settings; a thief, valet or anyone else.It really is such a luxury to have a quality GPS. Definitely get one.
Even the latest downloaded Garmin maps have no common sense information so they all try to guide the user to a sand golf cart path for its primary entrance to our community. For those older users who want a larger image like the factory installed versions, the Garmin Nuvi 5000 5.2 inch screen has 4 times as many pixels than the 4.3 inch versions for greater resolution and better visibility. Compared to the smaller COSTCO versions, the 5000 can be purchased at a deep discount (around $200) and it provides intermediate way points (that let you direct your trip around golf cart paths) but this is a clumsy solution. It has the disadvantage that it has no battery and thus cannot be used away from the vehicle. With a remote antenna (a must) it can be located anywhere such as in the cupholder stand and the wires can be hidden under a center console so that it looks like original equipment. When you begin a trip you must preview the roads chosen if you want to be on an interstate instead of a parallel 2-lane state road.With the external antenna, the speed limit information is suprisingly accurate in that it gives a change in mph limit within 50 feet of a highway sign. A download of the most recent Garmin map was easy with the included USB cable which also permitted a more recent GPS operating system, audio and video display version to be installed.
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