12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
This unit will not get you lost, isn't that whats it's all about!
Date of Review: Mar 19, 2008
The Bottom Line: When searching for a unit, keep your mind on what it is all about. Good quality and fast mapping.
After trying several units, (Magellan Garmin and Clarion)I found they all have there selling features. Magellan was a nice unit with great POI and fast mapping, easy to play with when in the driving seat (not the safest but we all know we do) and does everything well, I purchased it on half price the only problem is by todays standards a 3 1/2" screen is not big enough for me. The text to voice is sweet on this unit and people use this as a reason to purchase the unit, they say that it stops you from taking your eyes off the road, well if this were true then you should cover the unit with a towel, I mean seriously all unit only require a quick look and they all tell you when and where to turn!
Next was the gamin 250W, this unit as well had great POI however I found the mapping a bit slow. For example when you drag the map with your finger the refresh time was slow, likely the processor speed is not quick enough. I found the mapping to be very cartoon like, as if it were meant to entertain children. The different screen were easy to find and it is cool to see your speed but I have a speedometer for that. I didn't like the voice directions, I found that they did not give me enough warning.
OK so the Clarion I preferred, I had to convince myself to give it a chance and I am glad I did. First of all the unit I bought had older mapping and the POI are more American based, I am in Canada. I called Clarion to ask why such old mapping, I received an apology and was told it must be an old stock item, with a short trip to Clarion a new firmware version with 07 mapping. The POI were no better but even with what it has it is base line acceptable. This unit takes a little time to learn and you would not want to play with it when in the drivers seat, but is that so wrong. The processor speed is likely the fastest I have seen in this price range and mapping is detailed, for example it shows both directions of highway and even the traffic islands in the city. You can do multiple routes easily and it is quick to re-calculate. It has other features like picture viewing and music player. The music player when played through your Aux. input will mute the music for directions and then continue afterwards which is great if you listen to your music loud.
