Portable GPS Ratings

Garmin StreetPilot c320 Portable GPS Navigator

Garmin has introduced two new in-vehicle GPS receivers for use in your car or truck, the StreetPilot c320 and Street Pilot c330. We’ll be discussing both in each description as both are virtually identical with one key difference. The c320 comes with Mapsource City-Select award-winning software on CD (for installation into a notebook or desktop computer) and uses a 128MB SD card which allows you to download a particular region for GPS mapping as you drive. The c330, on the other hand, comes pre-loaded with highly detailed MapSource City Select street data of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The database features an industry-leading five million-plus points of interest?including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions. So, if you do lots of long-distance continental driving, the c330 may be the better value for you. If you usually stick to driving within a section of the country, the c320 might just be the best for you. Both are exceptional units but you must choose which is best for you. Either way, you can be assured that you’ll get where you want to go easily and comfortably. Choose between a three-dimensional navigation view or the more traditional ?bird’s eye? overhead view Each boasts distinctive and sleek styling?the only buttons are a rotary volume knob and an on/off switch. The device is secured by a suction-mount cradle that fastens to the windshield for easy portability among vehicles. Users can customize their unit’s appearance with an array of colored faceplates (sold separately). WAAS-enabled 12 parallel channel GPS Built-in patch antenna; MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection Unit dimensions - 4.4? W x 3.2? H x 2.8? DWith a simple touch screen interface, automatic route calculation to any destination, and turn-by-turn voice-prompted directions, the StreetPilot c320 GPS navigator is a powerful companion for your adventures on the road. Plus, Garmin has designed the “c-series” of car navigation units to be as simple and easy-to-use as possible– no more intimidating features, just straightforward, basic navigation at your fingertips.

The streetPilot “c-series” GPS navigators feature a simple touchscreen interface, with automatic route calculation to any destination.

The 3.5-inch diagonal, 16-bit color display makes navigation a snap.

A convenient touch screen allows for quick access to features such as addresses, recent locations, food, and lodging.

Selecting a destination is as simple as a few finger-strokes, and you can choose between a three-dimensional navigation view or the more traditional “bird’s eye” overhead view.

Although the c320 boasts distinctive and sleek styling, simplicity is the name of the game. The only buttons are a rotary volume knob and an on/off switch. The device is secured by a suction-mount cradle that fastens to the windshield for easy portability between vehicles. You can customize the unit’s appearance with an array of colored faceplates that are sold separately.

For navigators who only require detailed maps for a limited area, the StreetPilot c320 features an SD card slot, a 128 MB SD card, and MapSource City Select street data on CD-ROM. To load the area you need, simply select the specific area of interest on your computer and the data is transferred from a PC to the unit via a fast USB connection. The c320’s bright, 3.5-inch diagonal, 16-bit color display makes navigation a snap. The unit also features dual integrated speakers for high-quality voice prompts, and an internal lithium-ion battery for out-of-car route planning.

What’s in the Box
StreetPilot c320 receiver, vehicle suction cup mount w/integrated power cable, PC/USB interface cable, 128 MB SD memory card, and setup guide. Also, Americas Recreational Basemap and MapSource City Select North America CD with full unlock.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Stars terrible purchase
The GPS was out dated, and when I ordered the seller never said anything about the need to buy or get extra software or CD to update. No cradle, my brother had to buy it. Even with the CD from Garmin did not work properly. Terrible purchase.

3 Stars All the good stuff but…..
I won’t go over all the specs and positives, because others have gone through all of that and there is no need for repeating. The Garmin is everything great that other reviews are mentioning, but I’m just going to review the battery issue I have continued to have on this Garmin…. After having the GARMIN c320 for about 9 months or so, i had the problem of the battery not working on it’s own (the unit would only work when sitting on the car charger mount. Even though at times it would say something like “charging the battery” in it’s off setting, it was NOT charging the battery (since when taken off the mount it would not work at all). I procrastinated for about 3 months, because I didn’t take the unit out of my car much so it wasn’t such a big issue, but almost on the last day of warranty, I called and just had it replaced. Customer service for Garmin is great. There’s no convincing or “did you plug the unit in” sort of questions.. they just took your word for what was happening and replaced the unit. I had the second unit for about 4 months or so before the same battery situation happened again. This time I was out of the 1 yr original warranty and the 90d warranty of the replacement… but customer service were more than willing to switch it out again.. (great customer service, very flexible).

With this 3rd unit, it didn’t take more than a couple months for it to have the battery issue again. I’ve been too cheap to buy another unit, and there isn’t really a reason, since this one does work when it’s connected to the car charger mount.

The main inconveniences of this battery not working is that it seems to lose it’s satelites since it’s a dead unit when the car isn’t on. It seemed before that with the battery working, the unit connects immediately to the satellites and maps your way very quickly. When I turn my car on now.. the unit will be show the time when I had turned the car off and will take anywhere from 3 minutes to 15 minutes to connect to satellites. There have been times that i’ve had to turn it off and on (usually around the 10 minute mark) to see if maybe it was “frozen” or something…..

BTW, I’m sure the locating satellites delay issues is a problem with the unit, since I’m in a very urban city (Los Angeles) and it did not have these problems prior to the battery issue.

Oh, one other issue, in downtown Los Angeles, it gets very confused…(maybe due to streets with freeway overpasses; though this happens when i’m not near the freeway too)….so even when it has mapped a nice set of directions and I’m following them, out of nowhere it’ll recalculate and ask me to make some turns when the location is straight ahead…

Also, there are several locations where it will tell me to take an inconvenient onramp to a freeway where there is a perfectly good one, one block ahead on my right (make sense?).

I’ve still had the unit for 3 years or so… so I’m not entirely unhappy with it,…

4 Stars Perfect!
I’ve have 3 GPS’s all Garmin. This was my first, I use it everyday at work with Verizon. Only downside is buying map updates every year (1 per unit)

5 Stars gift for dad
I bought this as a gift for my dad last year - he loves it and uses it all the time. Often he gets lost in his thoughts or misses a turn, this will reroute you and send you back on your way if you need to. It also comes with updating software, and my dad reports that even dirt roads will show up on the maps (don’t know how well it works in the city). this device charges in its cradle/mounting device.

3 Stars good GPS
I had the unit for over 3 yrs and it still works fine. Although the down-side is you need to purchase a separate memory card to down load entire U.S. map from CD. If you are living in the city with tall buildings, I would not recommand … unit tends to lose the location and keeps re-routing and get you lost. A decent unit if you are looking for a general purpose GPS need.

Buy/More Info

Filed under: Portable GPS Ratings