Garmin 010-01679-12 Drive 61LMT-S 6-Inch Sat Nav with Map
Garmin 010-01679-12 Drive 61LMT-S 6-Inch Sat Nav with Map Updates for UK, Ireland, Full Europe and Live Traffic – Black
Find Exactly Where You Need to Go
The Direct Access feature simplifies navigating to select complex destinations, like airports and shopping centres, by finding a place within a larger location. When navigating to the shopping centre, Direct Access gives additional location information for specific retail stores inside. For example, ‘Arriving at Lakeside. Debenhams is inside, on the upper level’.
More to See and Do with Foursquare
Thanks to Foursquare, your Garmin Drive 51LMT-S is loaded with millions of additional popular places like restaurants, entertainment venues, shops and other points of interest. Next time you get in the car and take a ride, you might just find your new favourite spot.
Works with Garmin Backup Camera
For a complete navigation solution, Garmin Drive 51LMT-S pairs with the Garmin BC 30 Wireless Backup Camera (sold separately: professional installation recommended). Once connected, you can easily see vehicles, pedestrians and other obstacles right on the Garmin Drive display as you move in reverse.
| Dimensions: | 2.03 x 17.02 x 9.4 cm; 272.16 Grams |
| Model: | 010-01679-12 |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacture: | Garmin |
| Dimensions: | 2.03 x 17.02 x 9.4 cm; 272.16 Grams |
Once out of the demo mode and in the vehicle vert good.
Best money I have spent on a quality piece of kit. It has served me well as I do travel around
The wife loves her present, no grumbles, so must be good, so happy wife, happy husband, worth every penny.
Very clear screen and navigation instructions. Took me a while to work through the various menus, but I only had a very basic satnav before, so this was a real treat once I got going! plenty of useful info and options.
I really like this satnav it’s very clear and easy to follow.
This Sat Nat is very good, especially on motorways where there are many lanes. It is easy to follow and ensures you always take the right turn.
Good, solid product. Great directions and clear screen display. Just wanted a basic Sat Nav for UK and this kept me on track in rural Wales.
Very pleased with this Sat-Nav. Did every thing that I wanted. First Sat-Nav that I have had and found it quite easy to set up. I have no complaint at all.
Although I just tried it for few hours only, I can say it’s nice navigator to have. It shows clear directions and with prior real image whenever possible. The thing I didn’t like about it is the low brightness (even at maximum) and the very short battery life.
Picks up quick when I use a different route to the one it is telling me.
I have a De-Googled phone so privacy is important and I couldn’t find a navigation app that came close to respecting my privacy and being accurate or easy to use.
I honestly don’t need much & this Garmin is perfect. Easy to use, accurate and I even downloaded the latest map updates.
Very happy with it.
I bought it for its size as it goes on top of the dashboard. I have been very pleased with its performance to date. It has not taken me down a dead end. I look forward to always arriving where expected with out any speeding fines.
my older one seemed to be out of line with the letters and screen touch and took longer to warm up. This one is better and easier to key in. My husband has a habit of holding it and turning it off just as we need a lot of help to get through a city, thus earning a bus lane fine in my panic of not knowing where the hell we should go. I must fit it, but for now i keep it out of his hands,, nice to know i can update the maps too when i remember………….
I’ve not used it yet with not being able to go out as I would like because of the virus, but If It’s as good as the old one that will do for me. I seem to have had a lot of updates for it since I bought it, but that’s not a bad thing. I use it more when I travel to Scotland for my holidays but not had one yet, hopefully next year.
Bought for a European road trip and it works fine. The interface and touch screen seem a bit primitive compared to even a basic smartphone with Google Maps, but I then don’t worry about data use, or signal coverage and the screen is very big and easy to see while driving. It connects to my phone for traffic updates too if required.
I was very annoyed that Garmin no longer support my old Nuvi (although I had paid for lifetime updates) but bought this one on the basis of “better the devil you know…”
However, it does have more features and is easier to use to navigate than the old one (though occasionally unclear, forcing me to take a couple of detours…)
Great. Only downfall be cautious inserting and removing unit in the mount a very tight fit.
a good satnav for the money works quite well but not as good as previous models and screen not as good
great bit of kit prefer tom tom for route scree
I hadn’t had a Garmin before, this was the most reasonably priced one. I tried it out today and it works fine and got me to my destination, though it did switch off once en route. Very easy to use which is good as there is no instruction manual. Screen very readable.
This was bought as a replacement for Waze on a mobile. It’s been going strong for some time now. It’s been dropped in the van numerous times, spends most of its life in the glove box and still performs its duties admirably. It’s recently had the maps and software updated to the latest versions. It’s clear at offering directions and it’s as accurate as you can expect.
There have been odd occasions where it’s stumbled but always bear in mind that sat navs are no replacement for commmon sense. It’s also not powered on a few times but a reset cures that problem.
Sometimes the map is hard to read when glancing at it (e.g. in built-up areas) but maybe I need to change the display settings.
A good buy though and will keep it until it really gives up.
Bought this to for into the dash on a Freelander. Gave it an update before fitting. And it’s good to go. Hot this one because it will auto power on and off. It will connect to your phone and save the addresses of any contacts you have any listed. Easy to use with postcode search and his the so it redirects you to avoid any hold ups.
Updated maps are good but having had it for only 8 months the latest update DESTROYED it!
Spoke to Garmin and the sorted a replacement – things can always go wrong it comes down to how the company deal with you – first class and thanks for your help
The first time we used it we had to do a diversion which worked extremely well – so here’s to many more trouble free journeys.
I had an old Garmin and it was a problem because it needed updating . This one is very clear and easy to use. It is much more accurate than my old one and I have it connected to my phone for traffic updates. I can now get this one updated free.
Easy to use and the screen is very clear. But… I found that sometimes the direction arrow and voice were a little bit slow. For instance – we were coming up to a multi lane junction (my husband was driving) he said “which lane do I take”, I said “I don’t know”, he said politely “well look at the sat nav”, I said “she’s not saying anything”, he intimated we were both useless, and chose his own lane. He made his choice, we moved over to the right and were now committed to the lane and flyover. He’d chosen well because she then piped up with keep in the three right lanes – too late!!!
I did a lot of research; I was looking for a budget sat nav that got me where I wanted. I drive a truck through Europe as well as the UK. I was looking for a sensitive touch screen, changeable units from mph to kph and descent European maps all the way to Bulgaria and back up to Norway. I am not bothered about it being a car sat nav, the mounting system is good and easy to fix. The power cable is sturdy and great. I immediately updated the maps and the software when I received it, which only took 35 minutes total. The volume is good, although I drive most of the time with the volume is off. I tested it on my local roads since I knew them and I wanted to see the routes the sat nav sent me on. So far, it has been 100% accurate. For 98 you can’t go wrong. Highly recommended
As a satnav it’s fine. The menus are fairly simple to use and it is much quicker to start up than previous Garmins. The only real problem is the way it attaches to the screen mount. My wife still hasn’t mastered it. The Tomtom mount is much easier. I paid a reduced prise and would buy agian at that prise but not full prise.
he only problem has been trying to load up the updates and at the beginning, the maps that came with the unit, you would not believe that the page said it would take 32 hours 14 minutes to load up. it did not i must say, but it did take all day, got there in the end, have not used it on a run in the car, that pleasure is to come, om the loading up, i disconnected all the system , left it for 30 minutes and started again, it made the jump from two dots filled in the three dots coloured in, but it still took the rest fo the day, about 4 hours to load up, download speed is very good here in the village, we are not sure what was happening, but as i said , got there in the end, even tried to get it completed with your chat page, slightly helpful, look forward to the next down load and if it takes that long again, sadly i will not have anywhere to report it too, still thats new technology for you, people no longer exist to help customers to correct a problem, i am quite sure there will be no reply to this written review, after all its all robots now
I have had two TomToms and both packed up sooner than I thought was acceptable. A number of friends have Garmin satnavs and all said they were happy with their units. Bought a Garmin and set it up in the car. It is better than the TomTom at showing where you are and what is coming up, easier to use. Good display and quick to react. Sorry I didn’t buy one before.
I bought this recently to use on holiday in Croatia and Slovenia. It worked extremely well despite having some difficulty pronouncing Croatian road names. It was a godsend when trying to find your way to a hotel or apartment in some of the older towns such as Split or Zadar. It found routes very easily, gave clear countdowns in distance to the next junction, simple directions through roundabouts and junctions both verbally and on the screen. The only time it tripped up was very occasionally if you took a wrong turning when it tried to give you left and rights into various side streets with long names by which time you had already passed them. As with all sat nav it is essential to have a good map as well because on a couple of occasions it took us along “short cuts” which deteriorated into rural roads that were barely wide enough for the car. Generally the directions were much clearer and easier to follow than Google Maps on the mobile phone. Reasonably priced I thoroughly recommend this sat/nav
I wanted a SatNav that didn’t cost the earth, and this one does exactly what I need it to do. It may not have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive ones, but it gets me from A to B without too much bother, although occasionally it wants to direct me down narrow lanes just to cut off a corner! However, I think most do that, and if you ignore it and carry on, it will eventually find you a better route. Since I bought it I have had no problems.
I bought this unit as my old garmin needed map updates at my cost, so I purchased this due to the fact it has free life time map updates.
And with the Garmin basecamp route planner its so simple to plan and load the sat nav with all your routes (might need a micro sim to hold all routes). I used it to drive all over Italy during this July and it never missed a turn or destination and I would have been in a mess but for its perfect performance.
This is truly a super buy at this price.
This gives clear instructions and is good for finding places! Putting in the full address leads to better accuracy than just the postcode
The unit is well presented and with the addition of a case very satisfactory. However I have set it up with a UK voice instruction which to say the least has some very unusual interpretations of districts and road names. I have attempted to change ‘her’ to a ‘him’ but so far ‘she’ will not go away! Initially the first time of use it was rubbish with obvious mapping errors but this was corrected following an extensive download of updated maps. Possibly the way I have set it up, it sometimes directs me through a congested area, as this perhaps is the shorter route but not necessarily the quickest of most fuel efficient. Overall very impressed particularly with the lane guidance which is very clear.
I have found this sat nav a God send!
Recently, I had to go London, to a part I have not driven to before and this sat nav took me straight to it!
I keep it well hidden in my car and it is there for when ever I need it-I have friends that live in the most weird regions and this sat nav has not been a problem at all!
My passengers have also remarked on the clarity of the screen and how easy it is to operate.
Don’t dither…buy one!
Pleased with sat nav fantastic technology and quality for a brilliant price. I would definitely recommend this sat nav to anyone thinking of purchasing one
I bought this sat nav for a van I bought to take goods and animals to Portugal. It was a bit of a nuisance to begin with when updating, but I put this down to me not charging the unit beforehand. I used it to drive from Dundee to Portsmouth, then from Caen in France to central Portugal and I must say without a problem. Up to now excellent, in fact better than the Becker sat nav fitted to my Mercedes. Very good value.
Used it for a 3 hour drive. Works well. Easy to use once you have a good play around with it. Worth the money but expect to get what you pay for. It’s not top of the line but will get you to where you want to go. Will need to be updated when you get it.
This GPS worked well in Italy where I have just been. On only 2 occasions did it try to take me on a back road. But I followed my gut and didn’t take the bait which was correct. I love the non glare screen. Updates were very, very simple. In all a great GPS. I only paid 75 pounds for it. One thing to note the traffic updates are only available after you pair your phone with your GPS and that you have data on your phone. I never used this as I didn’t have data in the country I was travelling in.
I bought this to replace a TomTom which stopped receiving GPS. It took a while to work out the features. One thing I would have liked is the opportunity to input a roadblock whilst driving, which you can’t do on this. It requires that you stop first, which might not be practical.
Detail was very good but not enough pre-warning approaching motorway junctions. Also didn’t like the term:-“enter the roundabout” would have been better wording to say maybe approach the roundabout! Other than these comments I was fairly satisfied with the Garmin after having a Tom Tom.
This is a Garmin so therefore will always be an excellent sat nav however I find the internal battery charge is pathetic, my old one would take about 3 hours to discharge while this one lasts merely minutes, I don’t know if that’s intentional or not but personally I don’t like it.
This sat-nav is simple to use, straight forward to manoeuvre and surprisingly (Given the price) full of features from higher end sat-navs.
The sat-nav picks sensible routes and does a great job of getting you from A to B in the simplest, fastest way possible.
Couple that with an extensive search function, this means there aren’t many destinations this sat-nav wont be able to get you to!
If you pair it with a smart phone, you can get live traffic updates, connect it to tripadvisor to get food and drink recommendations near you, but even if you don’t do this, it is still feature rich.
Some cons do exist, but nothing significant enough to deter anyone from buying this product. I appreciate you can use your phone as a sat nav, but that can lead to complications such as answering phonecalls means you cant see the route you should be taking, wear and tear on your phone e.t.c.
Highly recommended
I knew about the screen response before buying so not bothered. The reason I chose Garmin was towards it’s accuracy. But failed several reasons especially when you take an exit from the highway the GPS keeps travelling on the highway untill you are at least either 50 feet away from the highway aerially or you have turned more than 45deg from the direction of the highway. Once it took me to a parallel road in to a forest and said you have reached your destination. We just laughed and took the correct route in my Android phone.
The maps are not the most current, but that may be down to whoever updates the new roads. It wants to send me quite a bit out of my way to get on teh dual carriageway but once on it, it works wells. Traffic alerts kept saying save 5 mins then another 3 min then 6 mins and had 40+mins added to journey time and finally it rerouted back to original time.
Bought this after my previous Garmin was stolen- would recommend. I usually only use sat navs for my longer journeys now, as smartphones are so much quicker to set-up for directions & music on your way to work. Touch screen is very responsive – no having to press three times whilst keeping the car from veering off. display screen is small, I would have preferred the 6-inch in hindsight, as the 5-inch I have to have very close to me to see all the minute icons and sub-roads. Connecting your smartphone to the SatNav allows you to get live traffic updates which is great.
This is an upgrade to my previous Garmin. It still has many of the same problems as the old one. On several roads, it indicated the wrong speed limit. At one time, on a main road, it gave the limit as 4mph.?
This one now gives a lot more information, such as animal crossing, school ahead, approaching a bend.
It still mispronounces some street names, I live in a street were the name finishes with an O, but it pronounces it as finishing with a W
I was a little hesitant at first getting a garmin instead of the the tomtom I had before but having used this now, I can say it is just so much better, and a little cheaper.
The touchscreen on this garmin model is responsive whilst my similarly priced tomtom was the worst touchscreen I have ever used. It is a lot easier and quicker to use. The actual maps and directions is just as good as what I was used to.
The only slight drawback is the cable is an old mini-usb, so if the wire breaks you probably wont have another lying around. Whilst the windscreen mount is excellent, my tomtoms mount was a lot more compact and so it free’d up space in my glovebox.
I bought this to replace my old TomTom XL which is no longer supported. I’ve been using the Garmin for less than a week now. Before I used it on the journey for which I had purchased it I tried it out on local roads around where I live. I planned a trip home, and took several diversions which it coped with well recalculating the new route, however, at one point the voice directions and map wanted to send me down a narrow country lane calling it the B30** road when the map actually showed the B30** a half mile further along the A class road I was travelling along. So, as the instructions say, when using the device just be aware of what it is actually trying to tell you with what you can actually see around you. Also, on most roads it has the variation in speed limits ALMOST down to a fine art. Again on a local road, the said B30** it tells me that the road is a 30mph speed limit, but there is a one plus mile stretch that is actually 40mph so if I get stuck behind someonedriving at 30 I’ll hazard a guess that they are relying on the Garmin rather than being aware of what road signs are telling them. Also the map completely failed to recognise a junction and road from actually existing – albeit a C Class road but still an important route for locals and visitors to the area.
Also be aware that the female voice has appalling recognition of some well known UK towns. It is new and therefore faster than my old TomTom, so I’ll continue to test it out but I think Garmin really need to do more work.
The Garmin its self was fine as was my last one, which is why I chose it but the mount has changed!
Nothing like as easy to put on/off the part that stays on the screen, so I have found myself attaching and detaching by the screen suctioned bit – does that make sense?
Not quite sussed the high tec stuff yet but I’ve only had it a few days, im sure I’ll get there eventually!
Seems ok early days yet was a minefield choosing what sat nav even the really expensive ones have bad reviews i chose this one as it had less bad reviews than all the rest of the models tom tom included..and it was a good price.. only had a week so fingers crossed..
UPDATE TO 4 STARTS:
It is possible to update if you take a new computer, install fresh windows 7 (do not update OS), install .NET 4.5.2 and then update the garmin.
5 inch screen is good, no need to go larger, as I very rarely look at the screen while I am driving. Mobile app connection is ok, however I hardly see any diference. It tends to shutdown sometimes when running on batery.
Garmin Map update software is broken, therefore you cannot update your maps easily.
Searching Google, this was one of the models recommended that was in my budget, so I decided to go for it. I also purchased a 16GB capacity MicroSD card to go with it.
It does require an initial update which I found to be very easy as inside the box it tells you where to go and the software was simple enough. Do note: This update does require a PC/Laptop or Mac.
I really like the mounting system which works well (well, so far), and the screen is of a decent size and clear. For someone like my mum who isn’t overly tech savvy, she has found it easy to use and does seem pretty happy with it; though she has stated she preferred her TomTom’s software look (probably because she’s used to it), and that sometimes the directions aren’t specific enough compared to her old device; otherwise it gets a big thumbs up from her.
If there’s any issues in the future that gets picked up on, this review will be edited, but for now, all seems good.
I bought it to replace my Garmin nuvi 775. I don’t find the Drive 51 as easy to use as the nuvi, simple things like adding a new destination seem to take a lot more screen touches than the nuvi but I get it in Favourites eventually.
I liked that it asked me where I specifically wanted to go to on my return to the airport and when advised it was to a hire car point, it asked if I needed to go to a petrol station on the way, giving me options.
Unfortunately, where I was headed to in Spain was a small town, with visits to other small towns/villages, and the names of the streets I needed to go to were not included in the Sat Nav maps (which I had updated before I left UK). This made finding exactly where I needed to be “interesting” to say the least.
Battery life is wanting, so if you are going to use it on long distance journeys you need a 9v car adapter. Even with that you may still need to charge it over night before using. Easy to set up, voice instruction are quite good and on screen prompt for Junction exit and slip lane position for motor way is good
As stated, my first Garmin. I’ve had Navman and Tom Tom units before and if my tom Tom was still supported on line I would still be using it. This unit seems to have everything I want, it’s still early days yet but,I can’t foresee any problems
Route building, and rerouting is very fast, miss a turn etc and it quickly keeps up.
Driver aids are basically just duplicating road signage.
Traffic delays well synced, but requires smart phone, and is supposed to reflect journry feedback from others rather than road side cameras.
voice direction is very good, like a rally co driver providing instructions a couple of steps ahead. I like this as I tend to listen more than stare at the device tsking eyes off the road.
Cons. As some others have mentioned the device likes to take you down side streets, basically rat runs in order to miss out traffic lights imo. Said side streets which may have the same speed limits are not as fast due to residential parking etc.. I see this as a big flaw in the navigation algorithms.
This was a replacement to my nuvi1350 which I only replaced as the maps were so dated. This is much lighter/less durable. No case, poor battery life. Less durable power cable. Will be interesting to see if it lasts…
Anyway, the replacement arrived swiftly as promised, but was inadequately packaged and the packaging had to be repaired by La Poste. However, the satnav and its accessories arrived in good condition and this one charged as expected (although battery life is still not great) and had no problem communicating with Garmin Express. I updated the software and maps and was pleased and surprised to see that the new French speed limits that came into force just 3 weeks ago (down to 80 km/h from 90 km/h on roads without a central reservation – 1/7/2018) were recognised.
In use, the Drive is much better than my old Nuivi – the screen display is better set out, the touch screen is more responsive and the whole experience is slicker. The only downside so far is that the screen is not as easy to see in bright sunlight when I’m wearing my polarising sun glasses. Setting up a route is still not much better – searching for a destination still seems to require a street name in many instances, you can’t just select a town or city, useless if you’re planning a route and adding way points (unless I’m missing something obvious). And I’ve found changing a route by selecting points on the map to be a very frustrating experience — it’s probably easier in the more expensive Garmins that allow you to expand the screen with a two finger gesture.
And I absolutely hate the linking in to Foursquare and Trip Advisor – I really didn’t expect that my satnav would be yet another device trying to get me to join social networking – although I don’t think it will affect me as I don’t intend to activate the linking to my smartphone just yet.
Good SatNav. The screen could be a better resolution in 2020 for the price I feel, but it does the job well and is clear. Why does it not charge from my car USB which is 5v 2.1A? It charges from a USB cable connected to a plug socket adapter that says 5v 1.0A, so why does it charge with *less* amps on the plug socket?
Have not got a cig lighter socket now so have to use it at the max allowed 70% brightness for USB, this is not really a problem but strange why it does this! Also it takes about 20 seconds to auto turn on with the car USB connection. Still it stops the battery draining when plugged in so its not all bad.
The sat nav seems to works ok. Although we do find the direction some what cumbersome, with in saying that, we went on do in the country side and the ones who used their sat navs all took the same route, whereas the ones who used a map and local knowledge went by another. The sat nav may well have been of different manufacture.
Bought this to replace an old Tom Tom. For the price I’m happy. Graphics seem a tad old style but it’s easy to set up. Quick touch response. Love the post code selecting as it predicts what selection of numbers or letters u need next and when you hit go it’s ready. Be warned that on first set up it took about 2 mins to find satalites. I just got bored and pushed the back button and tried again and it was ready….. the only thing I found a little announcing was the fact the charger lead is cigarette lighter style only… there’s a short sub cable for your pc so not sure if I can get a longer version to suit my van terminals and most importantly that it still charges ok. But all in all very happy with i
It held up well overall and got me where I needed to go. I particularly like that you can easily zoom out and check any part of the map, so you can review and change your route on the go, with little fuss on its behalf. The stand is firm, the screen clear, and with a few tweaks of settings the map was readable and it was at a comfortable volume.
Two minor issues prevent me giving it a full five. The first is that the battery does not last any longer than an hour, perhaps an hour and half, so don’t rely on pulling it out of your glovebox without a power cord. The second is that it suffers from a common sat nav problem in that for countryside destinations it may try to take you down farmer-used, pothole-filled roads, or circle you around a slightly “longer way” to get somewhere. Nothing a little resource and prodding on your behalf can’t fix though.
This replaced a Tom Tom unit I have had for years. After reading the reviews I felt this would be the best replacement. When it arrived it loaded and started to work without problems. It gets satellite contact quickly and offers lots of additional information other than navigation. Warns you of bad bends, changes in speed limit and speed traps. You can load a destination by post code or address very easily. It has good lane guidance when on motor ways. I am absolutely delighted I decided to go for Garmin far better than my previous sat nav. Only complaints no case as standard and the battery life is quite short. Keep it connected to the cig lighter in the car.
PROs
– Clear display especially when trying to work out which lane to be in on the motorway
– Sleek/modern aesthetic
– You can easily switch between ‘arrival time’ and ‘time remaining’ although I haven’t currently managed to get it to display both at the same time
– Makes a noise when you’re driving over the speed limit
– Great volume range, it can be turned up very loud!
CONs
– The Sat Nav didn’t work until I did a map update. The map would load but it just couldn’t find a satellite. After updating, it took a long time (20+ minutes) to find a satellite not great if you need it for a journey straight away! Since the update it has been fast at finding routes so it must have just been the initial loading.
– The battery doesn’t last long at all, it’s as if it is kept on standby even when switched off as you can turn it off fully charge and switch it back on a couple of days later for it to have no battery. Not the end of the world as it can be plugged in, but definitely annoying.
This is my first Sat Nav (as I’ve only just started driving!), I have only had it just over a week and have only used it for 1 long journey to and from (2 hours each way) so the above are just my initial thoughts. Hope they help!
The Drive 51LMT-S has alot of features that I’m likely not going to use, however in saying that, in today’s market the ‘stand alone’ Sat Nav has got to have all the bells and whistles built in to challenge GPS packaged with cars and mobile phones.
I have no hestitation in recommending this product to anyone looking for a no nonsense Sat Nav system – in my experience, routes are calculated quickly and accurately either using postcodes or addresses, and more importantly the route is re-calculated very quickly should you miss or take a wrong turning along your route.
The ‘Lifetime’ updates are also a bonus. I find Garmin Express extremely easy and reliable to use for updating. As other reviewers have mentioned, the memory on the device may soon fill up after a few updates, (map updates are generally 1GB – 1.25GB in size), by an easy solution is to use the micro SD expansion slot which supports micro SD cards up to 32GB in size, so you can easily fit several map updates on to the card before having to worry about deleting data.
In summary, once you have set your preferences to suit, this is a very reliable Sat Nav device that you can use with confidence. Recommended.
Although it’s non live (I think that’s the expression) my daughter has had no problems linking this sat nav to her smartphone so there are no problems getting live traffic updates on the journey you intend to travel.
Some of the pronunciation gives rise to a smile – Christchurch is pronounced as the the “Christ” in the way you say it in Christmas, Avon is pronounced as A-von, but once you get used to it, it’s quite fun.
I really rate this highly and I will be sure I do not over update as that fills the memory up very quickly.
It directed me to a ferry terminal and told me to board ferry. Ferry had not arrived but who knows one day your device will know that.
I have had several Garmin’s now and so far I have found this to be the best. They all have had little quirks but have not found any with this one yet.
With the Garmin Drive 51LMT-S the firmware is snappy and responsive and the updating seems to work fine, if a little slow to tell you what’s going on sometimes.
I bought this for a European road trip, and the fact you get free UK and European map updates for life (where the TomTom kept telling me my maps were 49 months out of date) was a definite plus. The pronunciation of German street and town names was sometimes hilarious, but on the whole it worked very well.
Sometimes the routing is a bit weird. On a local route I know well it often wants to take me down a narrow, winding country lane just to cut a short corner off a bypass. And of course it makes similar routing errors when I’m going somewhere I don’t know.
The Traffic Alert is a function I like – at least I know if I’m going to be late for a meeting and can also make a decision on whether to take an alternative route, so I use that function a lot.
Overall I’m pleased with the device, the price seems fair. I just hope a future update might fix some of the slightly bizarre routing decisions.
I’ll hang onto it until Wednesday – the day my Garmin charger is arriving. I hope that does the trick.
I seem to remember in the good old days that a charger was always included with GPSs.
Until later….
OK we are now more than a day into the battery charging and I have been using a more powerful charger borrowed from a friend.
Still the same. The Garmin logo keeps popping up but that’s all. Clearly I’m wasting my time.
I’m sending it back.
21 August ’17 It’s gone back
23 August ’17
So now I have a replacement and I managed to top up the battery. I also updated the maps and things and all’s going well.
The system is quite different to the TomTom and I think I’ll need some time to get used to it.
More later…
Very easy to use when planning a trip – for me it has the edge over TomTom. Additionally checking for and using the Garmin Express tool you can update your maps in minutes.
If I could improve one thing when using a voice for navigation it would be to have the ability to turn off the announcing of road names.
You have no idea how confusing it is to hear an English voice trying to pronounce Polish road names. I would rather simply check the name on the top banner of the screen.
One star off for that I think.