Snowbirds GPS choices
 

Looking for your experience with stand alone GPS units.
Here is why I ask:
The system in my Tundra works off the Iphone. Its horribly inaccurate.
The google maps feature on the Iphone is not much better. Put us in Downtown Baltimore on the way south from Rhode Island. In DC, it took the scenic route. Once in Florida, we came thru the Ocala forest. Looking for a location off 441, it brought be along the side of Walmart to the dumpster and said arrived.

I dont need bluetooth, or any cameras. I want to stick to highways on the way back.
Thanks for reading.
Bud

Garmin

Garmin or google maps(ours sync with our car and works like the Garmin). The Garmin uses satellites(more reliable)while google maps(while great)depends on a cell phone signal. Your choice.

Use Waze, for the most part it's the most accurate. Go into the settings to make sure that it knows you have an EZ-Pass transponder (if you have one) and any other transponder like the Sunpass. Set it to the fastest route, not to avoid toll roads and not to allow dirt roads.

Garmin is the best

Yes. This.

Use waze.

Every single time I ignore Waze thinking "Naw, not going to listen to that", I've been jammed up in massive traffic jams. Every. Single. Time!

Coming home last trip, it had us get off of 95 in SC. Why? The road is clear! Well, I listened. It had me running down side roads, lefts, rights, through a park. 10 miles later we got back on and missed a 100% road stoppage(flipped tractor trailer) that would have cost us hours.

I have a Garmin stand alone with traffic. It was all fat and happy, not complaining, keep on 95. I've since stopped using it but had it up most of the time and when they both say the same thing, it's a win.

Don't argue with the super computer behind Waze. It's right, you're wrong.

Also a cell signal requirement...
 

thus if you hit a dead area you lose the Waze map/signal and you're on your own.

Waze works we ll for us

Waze uses your phone's GPS. You are not going to lose sight to the sky on any major highway. It even works in tunnels by knowing the average vehicle speed in the tunnels and plots your exit, pretty accurately by the way. It corrects any error when you exit.

It does not require 100% continuous cell service.

If you go with Garmin (I own 7 units), get the LM model (LM stands for lifetime maps) you do quarterly updates AT NO COST. Also there are several selections for routing, like No tolls, shortest time, shortest distance, etc. The 3 newest units are much better to use than the older ones.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Waze looks interesting, but to be sure I'm getting the Garmin LM model and running both. I have made the Florida run on 95 for many years. Staying on 95 is not that easy anymore. The sign says 95, but it a new expressway toll road and gets confusing. I took the Mario Coumo bridge to the Jersey side coming down here. The gps said Palisades parkway. I was on a 2 lane road barely wide enough to fit 2 cars. I was avoiding mailboxes and people backing out of driveways! Again thank you for your time today.
Bud

If you have an iPhone, use Apple Maps. Much better than google maps.

...

If you lose a WAZE "signal" that means you lost the GPS satellites and nothing at all will work in that location. WAZE and others as I am sure you know use the GPS chip in your phone to get GPS satellite signals. Now if you lose CELLULAR service you will lose the map but still have voice commands and if you cache the maps they will always be on your phone with or without CELL signal. It's very rare to lose GPS signal since it is from satellites unless you are in a tunnel. With WAZE, GOOGLE and APPLE if you set your route while at home in WIFI range it will download the map for you and even if you lose cellular service you will never know it. For local trips it's not a big deal but for long trips you will never lose maps and directions since the GPS sats are rarely out of range. WIth GOOGLE MAPS you can pre-download large areas in advance and also never lose your maps even if you lose cell signal. I have Sumter & parts of Marion and Lake pre-downloaded in Google Maps to my phone and Google constantly updates it. That's one of the reasons why there a so few stand-alone automobile GPS devices these days VS. a number of years ago. Many reviews have shown that the NAV APPS are as good and often with many more features than free standing automobile GPS devices.

For those interested in caching (downloading) maps for use if you lose cellular service:
Caching maps in WAZE: How to use waze offline maps | Does Waze work in offline mode?
Caching maps in Google Nav (Android): Download areas and navigate offline - Android - Google Maps Help
Caching maps in Google Nav (iPhone) Download areas and navigate offline - iPhone & iPad - Google Maps Help
Caching Maps using Apple Maps: Apple Maps offers automatic caching for offline navigation

This will save the maps on your phone so you don't have to reply on cellualr service but of course you must have GPS service which probably covers 95% of the earth.

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When WAZE, GOOGLE or APPLE redirects you can believe it was done for a good reason. EVERY TIME I ignore it it costs me a very large amount of time stuck in traffic. Most of the stand-alones don't give you traffic rerouting. Driving from here to NJ last May I got rerouted off 95 through lights and local towns only to find out when we got to our destination there was a 3-4hr backup accident on 95. Same thing happened going down to Ft Lauderdale with about 18 miles between exits. Would would have been suck for hours except Google Maps redirected us of an early exit through a maze of dirt and gravel farm roads which took an extra 30 minutes but probably saved us close to 2hrs.


BELIEVE IN THE RE-ROUTE! :D :D Most times you won't regret it. As with ANY technology there can be errors but my iPhone and it's 3 different apps have never yet let me down traveling up/down the east coast between S FL, here and NJ.

Whether Apple Maps or Google Maps works better depends on where you are in the country. In some areas, Apple Maps is still a work in progress. A lot has been written about this.

"LM means Lifetime Maps, just plug it into your computer and click on the icon and it will update itself"
Garmin also offers models designated as "LMT" meaning lifetime maps and traffic. I find the traffic function to be helpful as it offers you the option to re-route (hit the "avoid" button) and bypass traffic issues.

You should have purchased the true GPS for your vehicle. Streaming your phones gps is the poor man's gps.

I agree with Garmin recommendation.

For standalone GPS devices, Garmin is far and away the best. They have been in the game for a long time, superb quality products, and great customer support. For a phone app, Waze is the current belle of the ball. We live in a new section of TV south of SR44. Google Maps cannot find our street, but Waze does. Fedex drivers figured this out a while ago. Funny thing is...Waze is owned by Google. Go figure.

I use my old Garmin, always gets me there and back.

You mean using your $1200 phone and a 500 million dollar super computer is cheaper than a $125 GPS you bought at Amazon or the $2000 option in your car that takes a visit to the dealer to update?

Garmin
 

Garmin. I’ve had two of them and they are great. Easy updates. Great also if you rent cars — avoid the car rental charges.

Download Waze on your phone. It’s the only one that update regularly.

That's my problem with anything cell phone related. If you lose phone coverage, you're out of luck.


Plus Google Maps has failed us more than once.


I would use Waze but make sure you have a Garmin as backup.

Have used TomTom for many years without any issues;accurate. We have traveled throughout the USA & Canada in our motorhome and tow car and have never had an issue with our TomToms being accurate. We currently have 3. I just can't stop using our older one. We use these instead of the one in our new model KIA;they all have free map updates etc...Over the years we have had about 8 units. As this get older we give them to our family and friends with most still using the older TomTom units that no longer have map updates.

Download the Waze app. Hands down the mos accurate. Also give warning that police are ahead, disabled cars ahead, traffic ahead, red light cameras etc.

Waze is excellent.......Very accurate.

Want to borrow mine!
 

Hi Bud,
I like my Garmin. It needs to be updated, and I can do that if you want to borrow it for a week or two and see if it meets your expectations.

If it does, I’m happy to sell it for a reasonable price. If not, at least you would have more data to make an informed purchase.

Let me know and we can figure out next steps.

BigHoss18 (Scott)

I like our Garmin which includes a dashcam

Both of our cars have large panel GPS screens. Both do not get used. We added a Garmin voice-controlled GPS to each car. Their data bases are much larger than our car units, both for roads and other stuff like restaurants, gas stations, hotels, parks, etc. Plus they have lifetime free updates four times per year unlike the ripoff charges for updating our car units.

Are the Garmins perfect? No, we have never found a GPS that is and we have owned all brands, but they are decent. Certainly better than the units that came on our cars.

Google Maps
 

I use Google Maps on my iPhone. Double check to be sure of your settings. Did you put in Bicycle or Walk mode, or Avoid Tolls? Make sure it's on Car Mode. We drive from the Chicago area and have had no issues (except in the Villages where not all the new roads are in yet.) The GPS in my car is from 2012... so it's certainly not accurate, but I'm not paying close to $200 to update it from the dealer. My kids told me not to use the Apple Maps as they are not as accurate as Google Maps. I've never tried Waze.

Try Waze. Find it much better than Google.

I had used TomTom for many years and was very happy with it. Then one time I didn't have it but my passenger had Waze and I liked it. I downloaded Waze and have used it ever since and the TomTom sits in the filing cabinet, even though it had lifetime maps. I like Waze for the many instant alerts that it gives as well as real time updates to traffic. We have avoided traffic clogs when we didn't even know they existed. My husband likes it better than the one in the car. I hook mine into my Android Auto and it comes up right on the larger screen where we can both easily see it with our older eyes.

Use Waze on your phone. Better than Google and free. Don't need stand alone unit. In our car we can sync with phone for visual map. Let's you know when there is debris on road parked cars on side of road and nearby police

I Agree in Waze
 

100% Agree - Waze definitely doesn’t steer you wrong! Similar experience on I-95 - told me to get off & I did and the 3 cars in front of me... It was 10 miles to the next exit - we could see from our parallel road that 3 miles in, there was a huge back-up!! I always listen to Waze!!

Waze is the best hands down. It even tells you when police are ahead of you along your route.

WAZE. Download the app on your phone. Very accurate, real time updating snd routing as well as speed trap notification.

100% true it can really save time. Listen to it even if you think it’s not right or you’ll be sitting in a traffic jam mad at your self.

I’ve learned the hard way more than once and it’s very accurate as well and it’s free. Go to App Store search Waze and download it.

I have a Chevrolet with built in navigation. The problem is the navigation MicroSD upgrade is $100 every year. I bought a Garmin and it comes with life time upgrades for free. The Garmin is up to date for The Villages.