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.