Thread: Which features do you like most in your Nuvi ? Which are the useful ones in your opinion ?

I tried junction view on the road for the first time yesterday and have to say it's not as useful as I thought it would be. The lane assist is very helpful though. One thing missing from Garmin (still) is the facility to go to the centre of a town. You don't always know the address as you just want to drive in and browse around for a while. Don't see why this isn't included.

EDIT - found that it is included Didn't have the option of "Towns" on the where to? screen!

I agree!
The junction view have a lack! You must look the GPS when your eyes need pay attention vehicle’s conduction…
This function, junction view, has the same aim of lane assist; the last is very useful when you drive fast (I always drive fast or sport) and have to prepare to make a curve, or when you are in a crowd road or traffic jam and must be on correct lane before take the intended way or there are risk of accident. When you know the rote, you choose the correct lane without need any help; and so if you don’t know the way but have the lane assist!
If I have to choose, the lane assist is my preference without doubt! And if you have the both and the traffic conditions allow, you can take advantage of the junction view too! This is why I prefer have both; otherwise, it’s not much different to look GPS’s map any other time.

I voted according to this:

Nice to see ,but not so useful, in some cases it is more of a hindrance than a help:
Junction view
3-D buildings and landmarks view
3D terrain view
MP3 player,Video Player,Audio book player


I rarely use:
Voice-activated navigation


IMHO completely useless:
trip planner
myTrends&trafficTrends
ecoRoute
Garmin nüLink! services(not working fine as I know)
Photo navigation
Garmin Lock
Smartphone Link services (Android app is always in background even if you are not using it,eating battery, useful features you can get with other free apps,are not free)


Useful but not fundamental:
Route avoidance
Enhanced pedestrian navigation (could be great if better made and in outdoor devices with better battery)



IMHO Fundamental,basic and halas missing in my nuvi:
Routes (real multipoints ones) from pc
POIs on navigation map

Fundamental but present
Lane assist
Lifetime map updates(bought)

I vote for all except MP3 player,Video Player,Audio book player! But very rarely use all function except listen of voice announce and look through next road name on bar above map screen. I am interesting only in actual maps!

No wonder Garmin seems to be in a bit of quandary as to what to include in all, to exclude from some, to offer as paid additional or to not offer at all. Look at the range of 'must have/don't care' opinions from experienced users. I reckon Garmin are close to getting it as right as possible with the new range and it's probably a case of "they're damned if they do, and damned if they don't". My two bob's worth:

* LA is an absolute cr@cker imo, and essential in big cities and on freeways.

* JCV, on the other hand, is just eye-candy for distracted drivers and i wonder how many side-swipes & rear-end collisions it's caused so far.

* True speed indication & SLI (not mentioned yet) imo are absolutely basic essentials and are naturally across the modern nuvi range. I think having an audiable overspeed warning would be great, even a 'ding-dong'. Voice warning would be better, and even Ovi maps says 'Please observe speed limit' so how hard would it be to add that? (not). Nuvi speed indicators are deadly accurate if sat fix is good, they make a joke of some vehicle's speedometer readings.

* They have got it very, very right offering Lifetime Maps for all except the basic entry level/leader line units.

* Trip planner is a waste of space, but genuine routes is handy for some.

* Built-in POIs clutter the map in some units, i'd often rather do without them and have the route clear.

* Speed & Redlight Cams are only useful it you tend to run reds and habitually break the SL imo, and i wouldn't care if so-called 'safety camera' pois were made illegal. I generally drive right on the limit using Cruise Control if not in traffic and NEVER run reds. I'll run a yellow only after a quick glance to the right [it's rhd in Au] and strictly only if some idiot is up my tail pipe, but after first touching the brake with my left foot to scare the bejesus outta him/her [lotsa female tailgating these days, not just a young blokes' sin anymore sadly (:]. I always load the School custom pois though, can't be too careful when there's kids around (it's a pity some grow up to be tailgaters).

* I do use Speech Recognition if present, and find ASR2 is a vast improvement over ASR1.

* I never pair my phone with a nuvi's BT as i've got that already in my cars, but again it's handy for others.

* Best thing they ever did was dump Garmin Lock.

* EroRoute is for serious truckies only, and of course pseudo-greenies ... if you really use it in a passenger vehicle you should buy a Prius and move to certain parts of California so you can exchange meaningful long-blinks and knowing nods with the other wankers. And i do mean in that order, less 2nd hand value elsewhere for hybrids.

* EPM is handy if in a unfamiliar city, and so is 3D and Landmarks. However you'd need at least 3 nuvis to last a decent day-trip using pedestrian, so why the heck EPM is not available to handhelds with great battery life and replaceable batteries is beyond me (and Caty too apparently). Garmin would sell twice as many outdoor units if they enabled that function imo. Software gurus ahoy! If you guys cr@ck it, Garmin will add it tout suite i bet.

* My jury is still out on Traffic generally. On my home turf I'm a master ratrunner (passengers hate me) and although i have traffic avoidance enable it's only to get a laugh at it's suggestions, as i find that it often alerts to traffic that's already cleared and doesn't when i can clearly see an unmoving logjam ahead. It's suggested avoidance is sometimes as bad as staying in the traffic or worse. Locally I mostly ignore it and just ratrun on my own, but in unfamiliar places i give it credence only because i'd get lost otherwise trying my own avoidance.

I agree with Giomen about the basics, i've enable mp3 & video players on my capable units but only for the fun of doing it. Since then never used them. I'm also 100% with Caty & Rog, i don't want my nuvi to make my coffee (or give me a back rub), keep it basic but get it right Garmin! They swallowed Navigon and picked up a couple of tricks, maybe they should do more than just look to TT .....??
Apologies for some OTs, but hopefully there's some pearls amongst the dross above.

I forgot.
1) Eventually I use EcoRoute. I rename currency to liter in locale and set cost of fuel equal 1. So I can see time, distance and fuel consumption for aim.
2) It pisses me off:
a) it is impossible on new device to poke to map after searching and then simply poke GO!
b) it is pop-ups on screen. IMHO, it is better looking full info table of point as on old device!

All that I wait from Garmin now it is Nuvi 40 with multipoint route support! But Nuvi 765 is the best!

Agree again. If Garmin updated the fw for anyname maps and re-released 765 they would sell heaps i reckon. I've now agreed with you twice in the one thread in the space of an hour or so. This must be a purple patch, you are bound to p*ss me off with your next post surely?