GPS advice

[davek]

I'm planning a long trip by car this summer and am looking in to GPS systems.
We have an iPhone 3GS, but if you're using the phone for GPS (not a particularly good GPS either last time we tried it) then it's not available as a phone/entertainment system so a separate unit seems to be the way to go.
I've looked through some online reviews, but a lot seem to be Garmin ads instead of critical reviews.

I suspect some of you have some advice on standalone GPS units, so tell me all about it.

 

[71buickfreak]

Its a little pricey, but I really like my Escort Passport IQ. This is a full-featured GPS combined with a top-quality radar detector. Works really well.

 

[ArGyLe64]

I love my Garmin. I have it hardwired into the car and it came with lifetime map updates.

 

[reddog1]

I love my Rand Mcnally roadmap, my wife is the turn by turn navigator. Works well, however, I cant turn the damn thing off.

 

[Popjim]

I second the Garmin with lifetime map updates!

 

[Mechanicalmehem]

Garmin 1450, works very well, also gives current updates for traffic, very cool. Oh, lifetime updates as well.
--Mech

 

[ArGyLe64]

You can even get a Garmin that will tell you which lane you need to be in when you're on the interstate. It really helps if you don't know if it's a left exit or right exit.

 

[Quick_Draw_McGraw]

I'd also suggest getting a Garmin.

The newer ones even take voice commands which makes things go a lot quicker, plus you can do things on the fly while driving without even having to look at it.

One thing to keep in mind with a GPS is that it's going to tell you the way it thinks is best. If you are taking a long road trip, and you want to go a particular route, make sure that you sit in your house and plot the course on the GPS and that you like its route. It will let you review the route. If you don't like the route, figure out way point destinations. You'll have to do new routes on the flay with the way points but it will get you where you need to go. I point this out only because I HATE going the souther route to Atlanta, so I always have to tell my GPS to drive me to Nashville, and then once there I tell it to take me to Atlanta. I prefer to avoid the Mississippi / Alabama route.

 

[OKIE-CARBINE]

the only thing i have used is a delorme unit with their software running on a laptop.

 

[prophet]

Don't bother with the MapQuest turn by turn for iPhone, it will take the address you give it and make one up on its own and take you there. I have driven from here to Cali, Utah, Ohio, Maryland, New York and Florida with the Google maps on my iPhone with no troubles (other than my brother taking a turn coming back from Maryland after i got us on I40 while I was asleep.