I suspect "good" and "inexpensive" are mutually exclusive. Check out the model lineup at Garmin, TomTom & Magellan. What are you expecting and what do you want? My Garmin nuvi 2455 has lifetime traffic & maps & is more intuitive to use. It maintained a sat. connection through the Lincoln Tunnel. It did not accurately report instantaneous speed through Midtown Manhattan. It is somewhat less retarded than Toyota's Denso unit but it does have its moments. (Yes, I use both.) The traffic receiver is in the power cord so the unit is always plugged in. The POI in both units are not complete. It does not always report speed limits & on some stretches of road it is not correct. Mounting is a problem. For me the windshield is not an option & the dash is too curved for the beanbag to always sit still.
For US use, I would suggest stick with those that use Navteq maps, so that rules out TomTom (which uses Tele Atlas). Garmin definitely uses Navteq. I hear that Magellan may have switched from Navteq to Tele Atlas, but I can't confirm for sure.
I use Garmin. I wonder about this company . We have roads and bridges that where built 15 years ago and other bridges removed. Guess where the Garmin takes you! I have life time up-dates but to no avail. They still don't see the roads and bridges built 15 yrs. ago. They are great tools but boy can they take you on some funny routes. So have maps available! Hal
I don't know if I would "throw out" the TomTom -- I just bought one for my Gen II. It is very easy to use, has lifetime updates and all touch screen. I actually like it better than the onboard one in my Exploder!! We have it resting on the "glovebox" door below the radio and it has no trouble picking up enough satellites. It has impressed me for the small cost.
First the OP needs to define a term: inexpensive. for less than $200 you should be able to acquire any number of good GPS units. I prefer Garmin's interface to Tom Tom by a long shot. I don't think I'd ever buy a Tom Tom again for that alone. If you have an android phone and a data plan, you can get Google to give you turn by turn directions with reasonably accurate traffic info via their nav app.
FWIW, it sounds like Canadian map quality in general is pretty spotty from http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-.../82222-canadian-map-quality-w-06-nav-dvd.html. Luckily, my more up to date Garmin unit was a lot more correct than my OEM nav DVD from 06 (well, probably produced in 05).
I own a Garmin Nuvi...and for less than $200? I think it is remarkable. I often change the voice to either British or Australian and pretend I'm on vacation.
Mine is a Garmin1490 and has a male voice . I can hear it better . When you have hi frequency hearing loss it is better to listen to a male voice! Hal
I use a Navigon... very reliable and the traffic avoidance program is free of charge. If you have a "smart phone" try an app called WAZE. Very dependable and has the ability to.factor in user identifiable hazards (accidents, potholes etc) along with traffic speed (or lack of) to sort out your route. The app is free, only cost is having the phone and a good car charger (most gps use really eats battery life). Give a try and let me know your opinion. By the way, fun when the Navigon and the phone app argue over route choices (grin)
