The Garmin 360 / 350 both do well in the direct sunlight, as well as calls out street names....If you dont have an Ipod, you can also hook the Garmin to your stereo and use it to play music. It comes with 5 or so gigs I believe....

 

The MP3 storage capacity of the NUVI 360 and 660 is a rather anemic 700MB, http://www.thegpsstore.com/automotive-guide.aspx
If you actually want to use them as MP3 players, it is worth considering adding a SD memory card.
Of similar note is that the Nuvi does not support APPLE'S DRM so can not play songs downloaded from iTunes. You can use Sound Taxi to convert iTunes files to MP3 but there is some loss in sound quality in the transcoding process.

 

I just want a good, basic GPS. I don't use Bluetooth or MP3 and am not a techie at all. I'd like something accurate and inexpensive, if that's possible. I DO want one that won't wash out in bright sun and that has spoken street names, too. Oh, and I'd REALLY like it to be PNP from the box, because me vs. downloads DO NOT mix.

 

The new NUVI 250 is a stripped down version of the 350. No spoken street names, no MP3 player or headphone jack, no home charger. The only place where the 250 is superior is the screen. The 250, being new has not been discounted to the same degree as the 350.
TomTom One and the wide screen TomTom One xl might be a good compromise for a basic GPS device but no spoken street names

If you must have the spoken street names but don't need the BT or MP3 then the NUVI 350 seems the logical choice.

 

What about either the Garmin Street Pilot 330 or 340?

 

Of the Street Pilot 330 and 340 only the 340 speaks the street name.
The larger speaker is an advantage over the NUVI line but the larger form factor is generally seen as depricated.

 

I dunno if size is a big factor, as I'm a big guy anyway. The 340 has that angled font, so, I'd imagine it fits best on the dash...right? All I want is to be able to see my screen and hear where I'm supposed to be going.

 

Im out of my depth on mounting the Street Pilot. I have fix mounted the Nuvi 360 and 660. Their small size help optimise the ergonomics and aesthetics. Here is a pic
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...4&d=1185923780

 

Jeff, let me know if you'd like to test drive my Nuvi 350.

 

See, this I don't get. It's really quite simple.

This I get - and will most likely do, unless a better offer presents itself in the meantime!

 

Nobody in Pitt Stop MINI has one you can borrow? Wow, I am suprised. We have a different one than you are requesting, but I am in the DC area. What about someone in PhillyMINI?

 

I've seen the 350, and it's nice...but I cannot find one in my price range [aka dirt cheap]! That's why the 340, while older, is better suited for my wallet. Besides, that Bluetooth and MP3 stuff would just be wasted with me.

 

The 340 is $75 to $100 cheaper than the 350. Bear in mind that the 350 uses the newer SiRF GPS chipset which is a bit more sensitive . If you are settled on the 340, shop carefully, many of the best priced 340's are refurbs.

 

Probably, but I haven't even asked because no one that I know has the Nuvi. (and I only just began to entertain the thought of a MIO based on Sara's suggestion).

...not that Refurbs are a bad thing (at least not in my experience) - you just want to make sure (to expound on the sage advice to shop carefully) that you get the same warranty/return policy as new, all the same accessories you would with a new one and a better price overall.

...And don't discount the value of the better SiRF (IIRC, it is SiRF III) chipset. In my experience this is worthwhile.

 

For the nity grity on the SiRF StarIII used in the NUVI 350 check out:
http://www.sirf.com/products/GSD3t_Product_Insert.pdf
The SiRF StarIII chipset's performance makes operation possible with less than ideal mounting conditions where the PND does not have a clear line of sight to the sky at all angles.
The MIO C220 uses the same SiRF StarIII chipset as the Nuvi 350/360/660
The TomTom One uses the Hammerhead chipset developed as a collaboration between Infineon and Global Locate. Global Locate was a privately held start-up until this past June when it was aquired by Broadcom for $147M
Here is the data sheet on the Hammerhead:

http://www.globallocate.com/SEMICOND...MERHEAD_PB.pdf

The Hammerhead is supposed to be as good as the SiRF StarIII but is marketed ss a lower cost alternative due in part to better Silicon yields.

Both chipsets are vying for inclusion in the next gen iPhone. The tiny Hammerhead II is likely to be the winner.

 

Here, this seems like a good coincidence. TomTom Go910 (great GPS... IMO) posted in the last day or so...

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=109405

 

Correction...today @ 9am...

 

The Go910 uses the latest SiRF Star III chipset, is full featured with Bluetooth and MP3 capabilities. Has lots of storage for music and even has European as well as NA maps pre-installed

Only downsides are the formfactor and harddrive. Never drop this unit whilst it is powered on and loading the maps, grabbing a POI or streaming an MP3 file.

Two slight corrections from the original post; TomTom is not a UK company it is headquartered in the Netherlands and the best price for refurb Go910s on pricescan.com is $367 shipped /tax free.
http://www.pricescan.com/electronics...p?sid=G9122006

 

Mio Digiwalker C220 (AKA Streetwalker) for $166 shipped/no tax after coupon
See for $10 off coupon
http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.asp?prid=85634947
See below for the link to buy.com
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=204075588
See below link for C/Net review editors rated the MIO C220 a 5.3 but end users (44 reviews) rated it an 8.0. by contrast end users rated the NUVI 360 an 8.2 (61 reviews)

http://reviews.cnet.com/car-gps-navi...-32422275.html
http://reviews.cnet.com/car-gps-navi...tag=prod.txt.1

 

Nuvi's are much more compact than a Tomtom 910...I can fit my 360 into my pocket....shirt pocket...

 

Thanks for the tip Sara - but I am no longer eligible to use that coupon (must have used my own similar coupon there already!) and their return policy is only 14 days from the time the item leaves their warehouse. So, for me at least, I am better off just sticking to Costco for this.

I'm going to try and get there either today or tomorrow. I do not know for certain if my local store has the Digiwalker and, if not, I want to make sure there is enough time for it to be shipped. Plus, buying it at the store saves the shipping cost (I have to pay the tax either way).

For the sake of the curious among you, I'll let you know how things go over the next few weeks - i.e., whether or not I keep the MIO and why/why not.

 

Good...by that time, I should be ready to make some sort of purchase.

 

Geez. Would you believe that Costco didn't have ANY - not ONE - GPS Nav systems in the store? "Sorry, sold out" the guy says to me with no emotion on his face and even less sympathy in his voice.

Malwart had an abysmal selection - 3 choices - at absurd prices (at least to compared to online pricing).

As did Target.

Best Buy had a bountiful selection and plentiful stock, but they have a 15% restocking fee for returns. Their sale price was also $20 higher than Costco. Bah! Nevermind, I told the pimply-faced, bushy-haired clerk. I'll go somewhere they don't have a restocking fee policy.

Soooo, after wasting nearly two hours roaming stores, it was back to Costco.com. It was then, as I was purchasing online that two additional tidbits caught my attention: 1. Costco will even refund the shipping/handling charges on a return! B. they take Discover Card on the website. Bonus!

If it arrives before next Friday, I'll have a chance to test it on a small weekend jaunt for which I don't really need it, but will be interesting to see how things go.

 

Look forward to hearing about your experience with the C220,
WRT the price, we are just on the flip side of a July promotion from MIO so it is not the best price climate for this product. There was a lot of chatter at the end of July about folks wangling these out of PepBoys for $139.99 plus tax. by using a $30 off coupon. The best price at the moment appears to be at Buy.com for $165 shipped no tax. Your instincts are right on the mark about using Costco for its generous return policy.

 

Best deal in nav this week seems to be the TomTom One which when bought from Crutchfield can be had for $200 by buying a filler item and using $50 off $250 coupon code 3A833.