Garmin StreetPilot i5 user reviews

Pros compact, easy to use, bright easy to see screen

Cons Doesn't give you the steet name on the turn

Summary I've had my i5 for a couple weeks and I give it a solid A+. I'm nearly 50...with the eyesight to prove it and the "small" screen has NOT been an issue. The directions are clear and easy to see.

The voice prompts are easy to hear and very clear (easy to understand).

The maps seem to be very up to date, even better than the latest MS Streets and Trips.

So far, the unit has never crashed or gliched. Even when I turn it off between long distance turns.

The click data entry takes awhile to master, but is quick once you get the hang of it.

Once the unit acquires the satellites I've been able to mount it low on my dash vs. up in the front window without losing the signal.

Given how easy it is to move from car to car, it's the perfect unit for a family or someone that travels a lot.

Pros Very accurate, easy to transport to other vehicles, easy to use right at of the box, storing favorites

Cons Entering new addresses is a little cumbersome/time consuming

Summary I could go on and on about the pros of this device. I've been looking for a GPS device for my car for a while but couldn't decide what was most important to me. My wife decided on the Garmin i5, and I couldn't have picked a better product for my needs and location (Atlanta, GA).

It has worked flawlessly in providing initial directions and then recalculating once we decide to challenge it to a route we think is better. The screen, although small, is easy to read and full of information like street names, distance to next turn, ETA to destination, current MPH, and compass. The favorites, 2D vs 3D veiws, zoom, simuated route function and anti-sunglare screen are features hard to find in a unit at this price.

Pros Price, ease of use, accuracy

Cons Very, very few

Summary I learned in my college economics course that quality is a function of price and the performance you expect for that price. This gadget far exceeded my expectations for quality.

I have not owned a GPS before and spent a great deal of time reading consumer opinions on them. I'm sure that there are other great units out there but I was scared away from a a number of otherwise highly rated (and more expensive) units by multiple reports of outdated maps and frequent losses of signal. Then, I saw that (uniquely) the average ratings of the reader reviews for this one exceeded the Cnet review and was hooked.

I bought mine about a month ago and used it to make my Holiday rounds (I'm in sales) in Northern New Jersey. Anyone who has tried to navigate NJ will know what a torture test that is. This thing performed flawlessly, showing me routes I didn't know existed and saving me a lot of time and stress.

I then took it to the Pacific northwest and used it to navigate Seattle and a ski trip up to BC. Again, flawless operation. No need to download additional maps. Just stick it to the windshield and go. My brother, who is not the most technologically-minded person around, learned how to use it with a one-minute tutorial from me. Need to find a nearby store/atm/golf course/etc? No problem, it's in there.

Yeah, the screen is small, but it shows the road you are on, the road you are going to next, and all the information you need to avoid getting lost. In fact, you can't get lost and isn't that the point?

I might wish that it would put my "favorites" in alphabetical order and I might wish that it would allow you to "record" a location for future return to it but those are minor quibbles.

Three relatives saw it in action over the Christmas holidays and decided to buy one.

If you spend lots of time trying to figure out how to get from here to there, have many near-traffic accidents while trying to read the map in your lap/drive/look at street markers, hate driving to strange places in the dark, waste lots of time by taking "safe" routes over direct routes, or just want a very cool and useful gadget, this is one of the best bargains out there.

Pros Accuracy is startling. Ease of navagation of menus. Loud and clear audible commands. Small but very high quality screen is very easy to read.

Cons Virtually no cons. The only thing I can complain about is that my unit had a little mark on it fresh out of the box. But nothing that effects functionality.

Summary This thing is amazing. This is my first GPS unit and I am in awe. I had no idea that such a thing existed. I've heard of GPS navagators before but I had no idea that they practicaly drove the car for you. Navagating with this thing is incredibly simple. All you've got to do is input the street address and press "navagate", and you're on your way. It will give you block by block turn by turn directions right down to the foot.

I also want to mention that the girl in the video review obviously had no idea what she was talking about. Almost as if she just picked the thing up 5 minutes ago and had to make a review on it. "the screen is small and probably hard to see in your car"? "probably"? Well if she would have taken the time to really do some research, she would have found that the screen on this thing is not only NOT a problem, but is actually one of it's strong points. That's embarassing. Cnet, if you're not going to really try out the products, please refrain from writing a review on it.

Overall this thing is pretty much perfect. I've looked around on a few sites and read up a bit and this thing has all of the features that any of the really expensive units have and at a lower price tag. If you're about to spend a grand on one of those really high end units, I suggest you check out the Garmin i5 first. You might save yourself a few hundred bucks.