Garmin StreetPilot c340 Car GPS Receiver

Garmin C340 GPS


The first question is: Do I really need one of these?
Well,if you do a lot of driving and tend to get lost from time to time, this item will help! If you just want a toy that will have an occasion real world use, this is still a good choice!

Out of the Box....
The C340 is ready to go. Pop it into the mount and plug it in the lighter. The window mount is excellent and very rugged. It has a built in battery which will gather a charge, then you can use it for 5 hours at a time or more with no cord. If you have a switched lighter it will power on and off with the car. Once turned on it will ask you a few questions...such as time zone and language. Then it will make a one-tome search for Satellites for about 3-7 minutes. It will never again take this long to establish contact. The unit will show a map of where you are and say it's ready to navigate.
And it is. You can choose POI from lists or enter in an address via the touchscreen. Hit "GO" and in about 10 seconds it will give verbal directions one turn at a time. As you drive, the C340 will also show you your route on screen. Though the screen is small, it's easy to see, even in my large 2006 Kia Sedona minivan.

Keeps me from getting lost....
All of the time. The C340 may have other ideas on routes compared to what you're used to. It doesn't know your shortcuts or preferred scenic routes and won't learn them. It's using strict math to find the best routes...which are not always best of course. If you choose a destination, the unit will direct you there perfectly. If you second guess it and try a shortcut it will announce "recalculating" and try to put you back on the original course. Eventually it will drop that course as it's distance becomes unfavorable and find a new route. The C340 and I don't always agree as it doesn't know traffic patterns in my area, but that's NOT what it was designed to do.When you have no idea how to get someplace the C340 is fantastic.

Getting there....
Can be fun with the C340. It's a lot nicer to watch your progress and it can put an end to the "are we there yet" people of the world. The unit will also show speed, average speed and max speed during a trip and does a pretty good job with ETA.

It's easy to use....
The C340. In fact it really comes with no printed manual. Almost anyone can use it from the minute it's turned on. Really! Verbal directions are clear and loud in a feminine voice. Glare on the screen depends a lot on your car and window positions, but we have no issues with it. My friend has this unit for his wife's NIssan and says it's superior to the factory GPS in his 2006 Lexus. I'd like to see a unit with Sirius radio receiver built in and maybe a video-in so it can display video.

All in all....
The Garmin C340 is one of those rare products that seems to get it all right, especially given the price.

Capt RB