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(More customer reviews)I regularly ride in a friend's shiny new 2009 Porsche and I have to say, their GPS sucks by comparison! You'd think a $100k+ sports car would have a killer GPS -- NOT! The maps were sparse, the colors muted, the speech barely audible and the user interface convoluted and unintuitive. Now I know Porsche's primary concern is the car, not the GPS, but for a top dollar luxury product, you'd think their GPS would be equally cutting edge. I honestly prefer my Garmin Nuvi 5000. The difference is stark! Its no wonder Garmin is widely considered to make the best GPS units on the market.
I zeroed in on the Nuvi 5000 primarily because of the larger screen and that it's one of the few GPS units to support a backup camera. For those of you who don't know, a backup camera is a tiny video camera (mine is the size of a dime) that mounts on the back of your car, often the license plate, with a video cable run to a monitor or GPS mounted on the dash. Then when you put your car in reverse, the cam turns on and you get a live video image of what's behind your car! Very helpful when parallel parking or backing up and you see so much more than with a rearview mirror alone! It's one of those things that once you have it, you wonder why it took so long or how you ever lived without it!
Backup cams aren't just for big SUVs or trucks. I have mine on a sedan and really love the extra perspective it gives. It's such a luxury to be able to SEE everything with no blind spots!!! LOVE it!!! As more cars come standard with GPS units, I could see backup cams becoming standard issue. It's so much safer to backup with the extra visibility and virtually no blind spots!
Setup was easy. I got a vent mount for the Nuvi itself since windshield mounts are illegal in California. But I actually prefer the vent mount anyway since it places the Nuvi at the perfect level without obstructing my view of the road. Then I mounted the tiny cam above my rear license plate. Hooked up the ground and power wires to the rear tail light - the one that lights up only in reverse -- then ran the cable through the trunk, behind the rear seat, along the floor panels and to the Nuvi. It's not as hard as it sounds and there are videos on YouTube that can help clarify. It took me about 90min to hook it all up. And I even hardwired the Nuvi to the car's fuse box so it automatically turns on and off with the car's ignition.
The GPS itself is stellar. The colors are vibrant and inviting. The satellite response time is lightening fast and the interface is easy, intuitive and very user friendly. I was able to use 90% of the functions without even reading the User Guide. It's that easy and straightforward. I even set up specific routes I like to take to work and other destinations so the Nuvi can take the roads I prefer and get me back on track if I take a detour to avoid traffic and such.
The "Points of Interest" feature is amazing!! Just type in what you're looking for - a specific grocery store, department store, drugstore, gas station, etc and the Nuvi finds all the nearby matches! I haven't searched anything yet that it can't find! Very thorough database and up to date too!
While navigating, the verbal cues are loud and clear. And the screen itself had loads of useful info. I like the estimated time of arrival feature. I like how it changes the color scheme automatically for night and day making it easier to read in both cases. I love being able to play solitaire while waiting for someone to come out of a store. I love feeling like I'll never get lost or have a problem finding anything in a big city like L.A.! But most of all, I love the backup cam!! And be sure to setup a security code so no one can mess with your settings; a thief, valet or anyone else.
It really is such a luxury to have a quality GPS!! Sometimes I just use it as a live map depicting where I am without inputting my destination. It's helpful to have a live visual confirmation of where you are and what streets are nearby.
For my first GPS, I have to say I'm quite impressed with the Nuvi 5000! Welcome to the 21st century!!! Definitely get one!! You'll be glad you did!
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Garmin Nuvi 5000 GPS navigator and personal travel assistant.Package includes: Nuvi 5000, preloaded City Navigator North America NT, vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, USB cable, dashboard disc, quick start manual.
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