Garmin Nuvi Review

As a part of completing my GPS reviews. I tested Garmin nuvi 1350T which has Lane Assist, Traffic updates, speaks street names and ecoRoute feature. According to my analysis, this was the weakest of the 3 GPS I have tested. Satellite connection and recalculation was poor.
Back to the quick review…


Pros:-

1. To access traffic you are expected to go into a different interface. It is not integrated with directions!
2. Does not allow to operate while driving
3. Default configurations and initial setup is minimal
4. Keeps track of fuel if you use eco route features
5. Widescreen 4.3” and slim in design
6. Excellent support for extra voices, car indicators etc
7. Gives you speed limit on most roads (even internal and local streets)
8. Clean interface
9. Perfect calculation of time to destination
10. “Where am I ?” feature
11. Fluff includes:- JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator

Cons:-

1. Takes 4 hrs to update maps and software!
2. Slow locating satellites
3. Slow recalculation of routes
4. Does not work in Tunnels. Turned off while I was driving inside a Boston tunnel
5. Stopped out of a sudden when I was on an intersection and started recalculating
6. Very sensitive to change in direction. Easily confused when operating without connecting to mount
7. Huge font. If you add “Detailed Map view” the view is essentially just half of the screen
8. Not very configurable screen
9. Auto redirect if there is traffic. It did not even warn me that redirect is due to traffic
10. I wasn't happy with default colors : purple,orange!!?? Although I believe this is configurable
11. Surprisingly it needs user assistance to set correct time!
12. In some models - traffic is ad supported
13. Very low volume especially on battery
14. Best detour options available. Allows you to avoid road block, part of the road, etc. Garmin has useless one detour option that sends you on different and usually much longer path

Garmin Specifications :-

Physical & Performance:
Unit dimensions, WxHxD:	4.8"W x 2.9"H x .6"D (12.2 x 7.5 x 1.6 cm)
Display size, WxH:	3.81"W x 2.25"H (9.7 x 5.7 cm); 4.3" diag (10.9 cm)
Display resolution, WxH:	480 x 272 pixels
Display type:	WQVGA color TFT with white backlight
Weight:	5.7 ounces (161.6 g)
Battery:	rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life:	up to 4 hours
Waterproof:	no
High-sensitivity receiver:	yes

Maps & Memory:
Basemap:	yes
Preloaded street maps:	yes
Ability to add maps:	yes
Built-in memory:	internal solid state
Accepts data cards:	microSD™ card (not included)
Waypoints/favorites/locations:	1000
Routes:	0

Features:
Voice prompts (e.g. "Turn right in 500 ft."):	yes (internal speaker)
Speaks street names (e.g. "Turn right ON ELM STREET in 500 ft."):	yes
Voice-activated navigation (operate device with spoken commands):	no
Lane assist (guides you to the proper lane for navigation):	yes
trafficTrends™ (calculates routes based on predicted traffic flow):	no
myTrends™ (predicts routes based on user's navigation behavior):	no
3-D building view (displays buildings in 3-D):	no
Auto sort multiple destinations (provides most direct route):	no
Auto re-route (fast off-route and detour recalculation):	yes
Choice of route setup (faster time, shorter distance, off road):	yes
Route avoidance (avoid highways, tolls etc.):	yes
Bluetooth® wireless technology:	no
Garmin nüLink! Services: (receive accurate real-time travel information):	no
FM traffic compatible:	yes (receiver and lifetime traffic included)
MSN® Direct compatible:	yes
XM® compatible for U.S:	no
Speed limit indicator (displays speed limit for most major roads in the U.S. and Europe):	yes
Where Am I? (find closest hospitals, police & gas stations, nearest address & intersection):	yes
Garmin Locate™ (marks position when removed from windshield mount):	no
ecoRoute™ (calculates a more fuel-efficient route) :	yes
Qwerty or ABC keyboard (choose keyboard layout):	yes
Custom POIs (ability to add additional points of interest):	yes
Garmin Garage™ vehicles compatible (download car-shaped icons to your device):	yes
Garmin Garage™ voices compatible (download custom voices to your device):	yes
Photo navigation (navigate to geotagged photos):	yes
World travel clock, currency & unit converter, calculator:	yes
Picture viewer:	yes
MP3 player:	no
Audio book player:	no
FM transmitter:	no
Headphone jack/audio line-out:	no
Garmin Lock™ (anti-theft feature):	yes
Touchscreen:	yes
Dead reckoning:	no
Motorcycle-friendly:	no
Trucking-friendly:	no
Geocaching-friendly:	no
Marine-friendly:	no
Additional:	This USB mass storage device is compatible with Windows® 2000 or later and Mac® OS X 10.4 or later.

What's in the Box:

• nüvi 1350
• Preloaded City Navigator® NT North America (U.S. and Canada) or Europe (full coverage)
• Lifetime traffic
• FM traffic receiver with vehicle power cable (indicated by "T" after model number on the box)
• Vehicle suction cup mount
• Dashboard disc
• Quick start manual