Garmin SP 7200- Two thumbs up.
Pros:
Functional, Fast, Accurate, Intuitive
Cons:
Attracts thieves, Pricey, Lacks mounting options, No protective case
The Bottom Line:
If you can afford to purchase this model, I am almost certain that it will fit your driving needs.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I've had this unit for a week and I think I've used it enough to be able to share my impressions with all of you. This unit
is very expensive. I bought it for 1000 dollars plus tax and insurance from Fry's Electronics.
The unit itself large enough that it makes viewing the screen very easy and comfortable, but it is also too bulky to fit in your shirt pocket. That being said, it fits very well in my 2000 Toyota Camry and I feel that having the 7" screen size is worth having to buy a carrying bag for it. Make sure that you remove it from your car if you plan on leaving it out of your sight.
The mounting was a snap but it did bug me that the only mounting option I had was to stick the frame to my dashboard instead of being suction-cupped to my windshield.
The main reason for me buying this system is that I just moved to Austin TX and I don't know my way around very well yet, and I'm also a Realtor/traveller which makes it even more important that I know how to get to the millions of addresses that I need to go to on a weekly basis.
The Garmin 7200 is very easy to set up, it takes about 5 minutes, and it is fairly intuitive. You can use the touchscreen to input information, or you can use remote control. You can then begin getting directions by searching for a Point of Interest (restaurant, stores, etc) or by entering an address or intersection. The system is very fast
at calculating the route that is best to take depending on your settings (shortest driving distance, or shortest driving time). You are then guided by detailed voice commands of where you need to turn and in how many feet/miles you will need to make that move. It even pronounces street names very accurately. I admit I've never used a GPS before now, but this makes it incredibly easy to find small obscure places out in the middle of nowhere as well as those addresses in the crowded city.
Because I need to visit 8-10 properties on average each day ,I simply enter each address into the system (it also will complete the street name for you as you're entering it so you don't need to type it all in) and then have reshuffle the addresses so that it will take the least amount of time to get to all of them. You can also choose to have the addresses shuffled to cover the least distance possible- Simply take your pick. I've mapped out my destinations like this many times now and I haven't had any problems at all. If you miss a turn, the computer will recalculate (within a couple seconds) your route to get you back on track.
Pretty much everything is adjustable as far as screen brightness, touch screen sensitivity, colors on the map, map view, so if you want to know more about those options just download the manual from GARMIN.COM so you can get more information on that.
http://www.garmin.com/products/manual.jsp?product=010-00400-10
I didn't buy this unit because it plays mp3's or audio books, I could care less about those things; I bought it because I need to be able to reach my destination, wherever they may be, with as little confusion as possible, as quickly as possible, and in the safest way possible.
I'm glad I shelled out all this money because I am no longer ever lost and because I can't deal with the frustration of wasting time thumbing through a map off the side of the road.
