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Garmin Streetpilot c550 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
By: Garmin Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 267
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 On: 2008-07-05
I am so happy with this GPS unit! I love the text-to-speech feature. It makes everything so much clearer. I dont even have to look at it on busy streets. I just listen and know exactly where to go. I have used the bluetooth with my cell phone and it works fine. Several times I have been lost in an unfamiliar area, and have been able to make it home safely thanks to this unit. I am so happy I bought it, and have no complaints.
The battery life is great. I have been amazed at how long the charge is. The screen is bright and clear, and I find it to have just the right amount of detail. I am really happy with the "detour" feature. I also really like that it automatically recalculates a route if you take a different way. It doesnt just say "turn around" like some. The mp3 player works great, too! It just mutes the music momentarily to tell you the next direction.
Of course you are going to know some better routes than the GPS might when you are in familiar terrain, but for unfamiliar areas, I find that this is an invaluable tool! I highly recommend it!
On: 2008-07-05
Garmin Streetpilot c550 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
This product works as good as you need any GPS to work. It is easy to set up and has an excellent mapping system installed and the on screen prompts let you do anything you would need to do with it.
This Garmins bluetooth linked right up with my Motorola Razr and installed my entire phonebook for automatic dialing.
It is very intuitive if you make a change to the route and instantly recalculates the rest of the way to your destination from the detour.
I know this product is discontinued, but I would look for the replacement model from Garmin, if a 550c is no longer available.
It is so easy to use without installing the window mount with the optional beanbag mount which is very stable in all driving conditions.
On: 2008-07-02
My husband could not be happier with his new GPS. Its so much easier than the one he bought 5 years ago. Plus, the blue tooth technology is just awesome. Cannot recommend more!
 On: 2008-07-01
Easy to use. Available for you to spell the name of the restaurants, hotels, fast food, etc., then let you choose the location that is closest to you. Of course, it will let you type in the address as well. The product includes the map of both Canada and the United States; I assume that includes Alaska. The only negative side is if you are not in a really "open air" position, such as underground parking or inside your house, the navigator cannot locate where you are. You have to get out to your garden or balcony in order to receive signals. In my case, even though the parking can look through outside, it still cannot receive signals.
On: 2008-07-01
Great GPS, used it across country from Idaho to North Carolina. A few wrong turns on my part, but was pleased with performance. Wish the construction zones and traffic report was still available (refurbished). Very helpful seeing how my wife cant read a map to the toilet...Overall pleased with purchase.
On: 2008-06-24
Worked great for us and saved some money [we didnt have to rent one from AVIS] during our house hunting trip. It was very useful to just put the address and move from one place to another.
The problems that I had faced were related to reception. At times, the Satellite is not available and if you are completely dependent on GPS for your direction, you are STUCK. Happened to us a few times but then the smart move is to come to an open area, see directions to your destination and either write them on a paper or use your memory.
On: 2008-06-23
Incredible product. One of the best features is being able to upload your own POIs. Its wonderful that Garmin allows you to do this, which makes sense. If you are able to maintain your product for your own personal choices, you are more likely to buy.
The only downfall is not being able to manualy enter Lat and Long coordinates or see the current coordinates of your locaiton. Lasts a long time on a charge, can be seen very easy in the sun.
The bluetooth is wonderful, works very well. Even more wonderful is an incoming call displays on the Garmin device. The speaker has great range. I drive a suburban and with the device attached to the windshield, speaking in a normal tone of voice the person you are speaking to can hear clearly.
Cant find anything I dont like so far. With the free update once you register, it is loded with thousands of POIs.
On: 2008-06-19
seeing as i do a lot of driving for my job going to multiple places, i finally decided to purchase the Garmin Street pilot c550 after reading a whole bunch of reviews on different GPS products. I wanted a GPS that had the basics because i did not need a picture viewer or other extra options.
so here is what i think after using it for a few weeks.
first of all the street pilot is very easy to use. once you set it up, which takes just a minute, it is ready to go. I find it acquires satellites very quickly and produces your route of travel usually in about 10 seconds. there is no GPS that has 100% perfect maps or routes and this is the same with the street pilot. i have driven a couple of routes i know very well and it made very minor mistakes but nothing that was out of the way or a big hassle. the sound is loud and clear but may be hard to hear if your windows are down and your at highway speeds, but so far i have had no problems understanding the audio. i read on some reviews that the GPS does not give you enough time to make a turn. I do not understand that because it give you a warning .2 miles before your turn as well as right before your turn again. if you were driving at 140 MPH you might miss a turn but otherwise you should be well prepared. also you have a visual to see the turn as well in plenty of time. also i noticed it will automatically zoom in or out of your route as you get closer to a direction change. the screen is very clear even in direct sunlight and a 3" screen is not hard to see when thew unit is on your windshield or dashboard. the battery life may not be the full 8 hours but i have gotten 6-7 without a problem.
the only negative is the bluetooth audio is a little hard to hear sometimes but i had no problem syncing up to it with my Verizon Motorola phone. oh and let me comment on Garmin customer service as well. i read a lot of negative reviews as well but i had one opportunity to use them and i had good results. when i first got the GPS i could not register it online because my computer could not find the device plugged in to the USB port. i called customer service and the tech had my problem fixed in two minutes.
 On: 2008-06-19
This thing is pretty cool, but I want to get lost for the weekend and this thing wont let me. What does a man have to do to be free??
 On: 2008-06-19
Pros: Super easy to use for basic navigation. Ready to go out of the box, just turn it on and start using it. Very easy to use for basic navigation. Basic screen has just two buttons: "Where to?" and "View map". For "Where to", type in city, street number, street name, and go; or hit "Go home" button, recent finds, favorites, etc. Easy to add additional destinations along route. Easy to zoom in/out. Great user interface for people not particularly comfortable with technology. Finds satellites very quickly, much quicker than my previous Garmin. Voice tries to read street names ("In 1 mile turn left on Maple Street"), which is helpful, even though the voice mispronounces nearly every name. Excellent value for the price.
Cons: Very limited in features, and downright idiotic in how it handles certain things. While navigating, you cant drag the map left or right to see whats coming up; all you can do is zoom out, or you can leave the map and go to ANOTHER map that you can drag (requiring several button pushes). Traffic is not superimposed on the main navigation map; you have to go to a DIFFERENT map to see traffic, and that map has NO STREET NAMES!!! (I dont know why they didnt just overlay the traffic info on the navigation map). Navigation doesnt include a feature for shortest time for given traffic. When looking for places (e.g., gas stations) along the current route or near the current location or destination, you cant specify how far away to look. And when looking along current route, the search returns results that you might have already passed miles back (truly foolish of the designers, nobody wants to go backwards). The maps all have a "cartoony" imprecise feel, especially the traffic info which looks like it was been drawn by a childs crayon onto the map. Once youve added a destination along a route, you cant delete it. You cant see a list of upcoming turns (mapquest-style directions). The system has very limited configuration options. The traffic only shows yellow and red, but not green -- meaning you cant distinguish between "no traffic" and "no data". None of the above are expensive to add; I dont understand why Garmin dropped the ball so badly.
Ah, now for the traffic accuracy. The accuracy likely differs depending on what city you live in. For southern California, its HORRIBLY INACCURATE. I dont mean slightly off, like should have been yellow when red, or missed the start of traffic by a couple miles. I mean it very often has NO RELATION TO REALITY WHATSOEVER. The map showed red for 20 miles, but I was driving 65 mph the whole time. It shows stopped traffic when traffic is cruising (even at midnight!). It shows no traffic when traffic is stopped. Sometimes it gets it right (e.g., it notified me of an accident ahead, and indeed there was, so I was ready to exit). But its SO wrong SO often that one cannot use the information in any meaningful way; if I see red ahead, Im not going to reroute because odds are that the red is WRONG. Ive seen Garmins response on some chat sites to the MANY complaints about inaccuracy -- "Hey, the FM traffic service is responsible for the accuracy, we just provide access to the service." Thats sort of like a restaurant saying "Hey, if you dont like our food, well its the food distributor thats to blame; we just cook what they give us." If the FM service is so horrible, dont provide it until its reasonable.
On: 2008-06-18
This device works great. I used it on several trips and I had no major problems. The bluetooth capability is an excellent bonus especially when you are driving in areas you are unfamiliar with. I was able to use the Garmin for directions and the bluetooth feature to call my friends and inform them when I was near their location.
The only "hiccup" I encountered was in areas where there was new construction. For example when I traveled to Knoxville, TN and a portion of I-40 was closed. No problem with this device, it just re-routed me onto another course to my destination. Problems like that are unavoidable with any device though. Overall it is a great product and I would definitely purchase another one.
 On: 2008-06-15
Amazons merchant Electronica Direct shipped a Garmin c550 that was open stock and not new. The box had been opened, the GPS unit had been removed from its packaging and the cardboard frame that held the GPS unit in the box had been crushed. The GPS unit was loose in the box. When cutomers buy products from Amazon as new, they shouldnt be sent open stock items as new. Because of the delays in receiving a new product, I was unable to give my wife her Mothers Day gift. I wont only purchase books from Amazon in the future.
On: 2008-06-13
The Streetpilot c550 was perfect right out of the box. Its intuitive to operate and the Bluetooth works fine. One phone transferred the address book flawlessly and updates it automatically, but the other phone needed to have addresses transferred one by one -- but that was because of the phone, not the Garmin. I used the Garmin to get home from a familiar destination and was skeptical when it directed me onto an unfamiliar road ... only to realize that the Garmin had a shorter, easier route in mind, and one I had not tried before.
On: 2008-06-13
this is too good of a GPS. Multi functional:Bluetooth ,MP3 ,Navigation with text to speech...what more will u want in a GPS.guys go for it......
Bought a TOM TOM 330S....returned it within 5 days when i realized GARMIN still rules the GPS arena
On: 2008-06-12
Be careful when you see the name Optics Planet in the description. Item listed as Trijicon TA31RCM150 Trijicon ACOG Rifle Combat Optic Rifle Scope 4X 32 Red Chevron Matte BAC-M150
List Price: $1,450.00
Price: $34.99
You Save: $1,415.01 (98%)
I have seen deals on these scopes before (I also purchased them) and Optics Planet is not honoring the order, saying it is a case, not the scope and telling me that it is my problem and they will send me an "RMA" if I would like. Just be leary if you see a good deal from this company as it is probally not true. I personally dont feel that falsely advertising a sale is the customers problem. Other companies honor misadvertised prices on their products that were purchased prior to the correction. But you will not find that here. Here is a kicker they have modified the ad and now they want me to leave a review on it with the new price.
On: 2008-06-04
After buying and using the C550, I found the review at rated4stars ([...]) to be very good.
Pros: Very good directions. Easy to use menu. Grabs satellites quickly. Mounts well on windshield.
Weaknesses: Traffic service so far is a bust. GPS gave mistaken directions.
(Edited June 04th by jb) Overall this is an amazing unit. However, I did have to spend quite a bit of time downloading and installing the map update ... but at least it was "free." The screen is great even in bright light, the directions about where to turn on what street etc are given several times along the way so there are no surprises. Directions are helpful.. E.g., "Turn left on Maple Street in 500 feet" followed by "Turn left on Maple Street", etc. or "1316 Everit Rd is 200 feet on right." Of course the map shows the directions and also the distance to the next turn, etc.
Unit did misloacate several major stores and two different malls by about .5 miles or more in the Albany/Schenectady area and suggest an incorrect turn. I traced this problem to Navtek. The same mapping errors exist on google maps and mapquest. Tele Atlas (TomTom) is even worse regarding the same stores/malls. So errors in maps may be a widespread problem. Otherwise the c550 has known where things are very accurately. So far I would not pay anything extra for the FM traffic service (3 mo free). On a 10 mile trip it told me a road was closed in 113 miles. Good grief. Unit is very steady on windshield mount. Unit gives you option of having it turn off with ignition/accessory key or stay on with own battery power. It finds satellites very quickly in my experience. I often dont even notice any lag; it seems ready to go as quickly as I am.
One odd thing is that for sharp turns in the road, the unit says you are making a turn on to the same road. However, once you know the unit does this, I dont find this a problem. In fact, it is a warning that there is a sharp turn ahead, which could be quite helpful at night on back roads.
One way to make sure the unit takes you on the desired route is to put in waypoints, but this unit is limited to adding only 1 waypoint or stop. It is possible to create lots of short trips that add up to one long one with many intermediate "stops", but that is less convenient than entering waypoints before starting a trip.
So far, customer service via email has been slow, and sometimes inaccurate. This unit appears to be the same as the c580, except the 580 has the MSN FM service instead of ClearChannel.
If I could, I would rate this unit at 4 1/2 stars, but overall it is very, very good.
On: 2008-05-22
I purchased the Garmin C550 about a month ago. It came in very handy on a recent trip to Madison. I wanted something to get places when I travel and for the money this is a nice unit.
The good: portable, afordable, loaded with features including bluetooth and voice turn by turn
The bad: My phone isnt one that the bluetooth works seamlessly with, but Im hopeful they will add it soon. It thinks my house is on the right, when its on the left. Thats the only thing it has gotten wrong so far.
Overall..great for the average person. I would recommend getting the dash bag mount. The window mount it comes with doesnt hold real well and leaves a ring on the windshield.
On: 2008-05-21
Husband is an OTR Trucker and he loves his Garmin! Its been a big help and he says its been "dead on" for directions. He doesnt have to call me anymore to look locations up at Google Maps or MapQuest :) We tried it on a personal trip we made in the car ... now I want one, too!
Deb
On: 2008-05-17
The versatility and compactness of this unit are excellent. Its user friendly and very easy to use and hard to mess up. Ive also experienced very few problems with signal reception.
On: 2008-05-10
It work perfect. A kid could use it. Very easy to use.
I bought a SD card map for EUROPE. Im very happy with my GPS. No more stress on the street!
On: 2008-05-09
I purchased this specific GPS because Garmin claimed compatibility with their Topo Mapsource software. This is only a half truth as I was to find out only after making my purchases of the GPS and software. Maps can be transferred from a laptop to the GPS, howsumbutever, trails & routes created in Garmins Topo Mapsource software CAN NOT be loaded onto the GPS. Transfer of routes & trails to the GPS was the #1 reason I purchased this GPS and the Garmin Mapsource software. My purchase of the Garmin StreetPilot C550 GPS receiver & accompanying Garmin Mapsource Topo software was an absolute waste of money. Garmin is being extremely deceptive by advertising compatibility between the StreetPilot GPS and their Mapsource Topo software.
On: 2008-05-08
Excellent product, it is a little bulky but the functionality is perfect. Its user friendly and I beleive its the best bang for your buck in GPS
On: 2008-05-02
My Street Pilot 2620 died, so I was looking for a replacement. I did an Amazon search and decided on the c550. I am delighted with this unit. It is simple to use, I like the screen display better than the 2620, and I have not found anything about it yet that I do not like. I recommend it, and at the price it is hard to beat.
On: 2008-04-23
This is a great product! I love the hands-free feature. Its very easy to use. I didnt even have to read the user manual. I would definitely recommend!
On: 2008-04-22
This street pilot is fantastic. Put the voice on British ( Charles) and it is a neat drive when he speaks to you. It is right on target and simple to use. Price on Amazon is greatly under local stores and shipping is prompt. Highly recommend
On: 2008-04-18
had this thing exactly one year then the battery died. So, now it MUST always be connected by its power cable. it is a royal pain that it must always be plugged into the power outlet. No more Garmins for me . I will try another brand next time. Also, The route they send you is not necessarily the shortest or the fastest. have tried it for trips in my own city and i have to laugh at some of the routes they want to take me.
On: 2008-04-12
I rented this GPS through AVIS while away visiting family. Garmin puts Avis only "where 2" brand on it.. but the software and the back of the GPS call it a c550. I put 750 miles on in 3 days and used this GPS the entire time.
My first GPS was an old garmin streetpilot III. They have fixed everything wrong with the old one. There was no "lag" as I navigated between screens. Touchscreen worked better than the one on my iphone. Maps were accurate and up to date... even in areas that I know had recent construction.
GPS took less than 10 seconds to find sattellite... My older GPS units sometimes took 20+ minutes.
The traffic feature was obviously turned on. It warned me of "heavy/slow traffic" a few times... and all but one it was correct. It also told me my new estimated time of arrival taking the slow traffic in mind... and sure enough.. it was accurate.
My last two cars have had GPS built into them. However, Im thinking of actually purchasing this one as I find myself renting cars alot more these days.
I even turned on the bluetooth feature and had a handsfree conversation or two.
Best of all about this unit... I NEVER even looked at the instructions. Granted, I have used a GPS before.. but its very simple.
Good Job Garmin!
On: 2008-04-11
I LOVE my Garmin 550. Its reliable, accurate (99.9% of the time), and a pleasure to use. The maps are clear, the voice system announcing the upcoming roads are clear & precise, and it gets me to places quickly and accurately.
I have two small issues with the device.
1) It sometimes takes several minutes to find satellites. Seems like an eternity when you need directions quickly.
2) It isnt always 100% accurate. The Garmin got confused in downtown Seattle and was giving me wrong street directions & information. It also got confused in North Carolina. I had to reboot the unit (turn off, then on) to allow it to find itself.
I also love the feature which allow you to find local stores, places to eat, Starbucks, shops, etc... Very cool.
This technology rocks and it will be a DRY day in Seattle before Ill give up my unit. Well worth the money!
On: 2008-04-08
I find this GPS to be user friendly. The graphics are great, and I like to be able to control the volume, as it is on the outside. All facets of the GPS are superb. Its easy to find stores, dining, fuel, etc. I like being able to know about construction areas ahead of time, as well. I have only had 2 addresses that the GPS didnt find, but then again, the competitors werent able to find it either.
On: 2008-04-08
I recently moved to California and the Garmin has been a great asset. It even tells me when heavy traffic is approaching and gives me an alternate route. The screen is a good size and easy to view in the day and evening. I had to have the text-to-speech, a definate plus! The battery does not last long so I just keep it plugged up. I will need to update the maps but that is the least of my worries because that is to be expected.
On: 2008-04-04
This was a GREAT deal! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a GPS streetmap device.
On: 2008-03-31
They mention they send me new products but its refurbish and i dont like this. Si i dont think so i will take risk to buy from amazon nect time.
On: 2008-03-30
Garmin Streetpilot c550 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator A great price on a great GPS purchased through amazon and shipped by Beach Camera although i see that amazon is now shipping it for the same price. They shipped promptly and the unit arrived boxed with all components as advertised. This GPS has everything and is easy to use. See the product description, it does everything it says. The screen is very clear and easy to see even in bright daylight. The real time traffic feature also works great and you dont need to purchase a separate antenna as you would have to do with a "real time traffic capable" unit. The antenna is built into the power cord. This unit is also bluetooth ready. It is preloaded with current maps of the US and Canada. There is no need to spend more money on any other unit.
On: 2008-03-22
INITIALLY THE SELECTED PRODUCT SEMED PERFORMED AS STATED, EXCEPT FOR A SPECIFIC MODEL PROGRAM MALFUNCTION WHICH PREVENTED START-UP. THE GARMIN QUICK EXPERT SUPPORT SUPPLIED ME THE UPDATE PROCEDURES VIA INTERNET WITH A GUARANTEE OF IMMEDIATE PRODUCT REPLACEMENT IF UPDATE DID NOT WORK. SUBSEQUENT TO PROGRAM UPDATE, THE MALFUNCTION DID NOT RE-OCCUR AND THE C-550 PROVED AS RELIABLE AS ADVERTISED AND VERY ACCURATE. OVERALL A VERY GOOD TRANSACTION AND A FINE PIECE OF KIT.
On: 2008-03-12
The Garmin 550 has it all. It may not be the newest product that Garmin sells but it is the most full featured for the price that I found. I was always going with Garmin, I had a friend that owned a 320 and he loved the simple touch screen interface and ease of use. The 550 has voice prompts (with street names) that was a must for my wife, the newer technology to acquire satellites that the more recent Garmins have and it comes with a 3 month trial of the traffic alert service. All this and it was easily $100 less than a similarly equipped model from Garmin. It also has hands free bluetooth so you can use it as a speaker phone with your bluetooth enabled cell phone. I thought this option would have limited features but when I started reading the clear, easy to understand manual (yes, I read manuals...) I realized how extensive the bluetooth options were. I would normally just use a GPS unit to navigate to locations that are unfamiliar or far away but the bluetooth options make it a must have in the car each day. You can even use the phone numbers that are included in the ~6 million POI database to call restaurants or hotels via the touch screen while your traveling. Very cool. One other note on the traffic alert feature, I was worried that the coverage would be underwhelming but once I researched the links provided on the Garmin site I saw that it is actually very good in an around the major metropolitan areas in the country. I live outside Boston and we pickup service nearly 30 miles west of the city. We actually used the alerts the first time we used the 550 to avoid an accident on Rt2. For just a yearly $60 dollar subscription I was sold. So, to sum up, I am more than impressed that a sub $300 GPS has all these features and the already well known Garmin ease of use. Garmin was also the only GPS manufacturer that got any good reviews for customer service I found. I have not needed it yet but hope that remains true if I ever do.
On: 2008-03-11
I was very pleased with the Garmin Streetpilot c550 and very pleased with the convenience of Amazon. The product is very user friendly and easy to deal with.
On: 2008-03-07
Love the Garmin Streetpilot c550. Had it for about a month now. Very accurate and user friendly. Great price from BeachCamera.com. Quick delivery. Would suggest you purchase the Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount. This really works well when using it in different vehicles and its easy to remove from your vehicle to avoid theft. No having to stick it to the windshield or dash.
On: 2008-03-03
Before I get into this, let me just say that we use the C550 daily and love the features/functionality......when they work.
Heres a short list of features with "features":
Bluetooth connectivity is inconsistent, but mostly problematic. When it works, it works all day, when it doesnt, might as well turn bluetooth off and save your battery. Most days (like 9 out of 10), bluetooth will disconnect continuously when using motorola razor or blackberry phones. These rarely found phones are NOT on Garmins compatibility list...so guess thats my problem.
Text to speech is ridiculous....you would think that the abbreviation "Dr." would be assumed as "drive" in the context of a street name....instead, the text to speech says "doctor"...same goes for several other abbreviations, like "hwy". Noteable lack of quality control on garmins behalf.
Although Id rate the navigation engine very good overall, there are times when the system gets "stubborn" and insists on a specific track, even if it lengthens the trip by dozens of kilometers and would increase travel time by at least an hour. Although there seems to be a good accounting of one-way streets, there is no noticeable accounting for restricted turns (i.e. no left turn).
Other than that....Im happy with the C550
On: 2008-02-29
This has been a lifesaver. I got this just before moving to a big city and have used it so much for job hunting and learning my way around. It is very easy to use; I have still never used the manual! The touch screen is easy to use. My husband has a GPS included in his car, but we both prefer this one because its easier to use and it doesnt "speak" unless necessary. Weve also really enjoyed the "attractions" option while travelling because it finds us hotels and places to eat, then takes us there! I dont think well use a paper map again any time soon. Also, I was told that the Garmin brand products have more complete maps than the competition; I dont know how true that is, but I havent been steered wrong yet!
On: 2008-02-26
Good product works great. I dont like the position of the sockets for power and audio out. Kind of difficult to connect and remove.
On: 2008-02-24
I bought one c550 and liked how easy it was to operate so I bought a second one for our other car.
This GPS has everthing I wanted. The blutooth was a breeze and works very well.
I would highly recommend this unit to anyone looking for a great GPS.
On: 2008-02-24
This is a fantastic GPS! It is very easy to use. I have a handheld Magellan Medallion Gold which is very complicated to use, so I wanted a car unit that was simple and easy to use. I have used the Garmin c550 every day, switching from my truck to car to motorhome and it works perfect in all vehicles. It has been perfectly accurate and blue tooth works perfect. This unit is exactly as advertised.Price was great and was delivered as promised. Would recommend the Garmin c550 to everyone! Love it!
On: 2008-02-22
Easy to use and understand. Graphics are clearly visible, and the audio is easy to follow. So far very happy with the product.
On: 2008-02-20
So far, we really like using this gps, but we havent yet figured out how to get it to calculte alternate routes. For example, if theres an accident on the freeway and wed like to go surface streets instead, when we get off the freeway and press "detour", the unit simply wants us to get back on the original route. Im sure its in the manual, and we are the types to not read the manual :) Other than that, it has provided us with everything we wanted and I would recommend it.
On: 2008-02-14
I cant believe that pay for a product in open box, i dont know who is the responsability, my concern is the somebody opened and it should be more serious in this matter.
On: 2008-02-13
The Garmin Streetpilot c550 refurbished that I received from the factory was as described and has great functions. Unfortunately, the unit was not working properly (would not connect through car adapter). I ordered another car adaptor thinking it was just the adaptor (paid an additional $24.00) and found it was the unit instead. So, the unit needed to be returned. I would expect that something that comes from the factory as refurbished would have been inspected. Now I am without the unit for a few weeks and incurred additional expenses.
On: 2008-02-11
The dealer was fine, I should say that upfront. Our fist item worked for a few hours on Christmas day. The replacement has functioned well since we got it. The directions are sort of spotty and the maps are rather incomplete. They also have an auto complete on the street names that makes some streets impossible to get to. It is way too expensive to be a sometimes usable tou.
On: 2008-02-09
I HAVE USED THE GPS MANY TIMES AND IT HAS BEEN A LIFE SAVER FOR ME
I TOOK A WRONG TURN AND SURE ENOUGH IT GOT ME RIGHT BACK ON TRACK
I LOVE IT
On: 2008-01-28
IM VERY HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE, IT IS A GREAT PRODUCT, TRAFFIC CONTROLLER WORKS GREAT, AND THE ADDRESSES ARE PRETTY ACCURATE. THE ONLY DOWNSIDE IS WHEN ITS TIME TO TURN ON THE INTERSTATE IT DOESNT TELL YOU WHAT LANE TO GET IN TILL YOU ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE TURN, LIKE HAVING TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT EXIT. BUT OVERALL I AM HAPPY EXSPECIALLY WITH THE PRICE I PAID FOR IT.
On: 2008-01-28
I highly recommend the Garmin c550 to anyone who is considering buying a GPS. In my job I always have to travel to different states of the U.S.A., I use to always carry my maps and made frequent stops to look at the map so that I could keep going to my destination. I was sometimes afraid of stopping in deserted areas at night. I decided that I deserved this gift so I shopped around and the very best price was offered by Amazon. My Garmin c550 is blue tooth ready so now I can also make or receive phone calls with both hands free to drive and I no longer have to have the blue tooth in my ear :) I LOVE IT!!!!!
On: 2008-01-27
This GPS takes you where you want to go! Very easy to set up and use. Excellent satellite reception even though I made a custom mount and placed it down low on my dash.
The bluetooth function works well, especially when the vehicle is operated at low speeds. At highway speeds, when there is a little wind or road noise in the cab it is not quite as clear for the person on the other end.
The FM receiver is of little or no value to me, since you have to be in a big city to receive a broadcast signal. When the 90 day trial subscription runs out, I will not renew.
Battery life is not quite as long as stated......only about 2-3 hours.
If you loan it to your kids, dont tell them about the function that records the maximum speed. I busted my youngest son for driving 96.4 miles per hour when he was running late for weigh-in for a wrestling tournament. Of course that only works one time.
Be sure to thumb through the owners manual so that you can see all of the functions that are available. A friend of mine had one of these for a couple of months, and he was surprised when I showed him some of the things it could do such as dragging the map in the browse map function.
All-in-all, very easy to use, and a very effective navigational tool!
On: 2008-01-26
We recently chose the SP c550, mainly for its sensitive SiRF receiver. A friend has one and it works great in NYC with no reported loss of satellite signals.
It does have one serious flaw. It does not properly compute the distance to destination. It appears that the "time to destination" is also too short because of the improper distance calculation.
For instance, our recent trip from Brooklyn, NY to New Bern, NC was calculated as 415 miles. MapQuest computed this distance as 515 miles, a 100-mile difference. Our odometer confirmed that MapQuest is right within a couple of miles, and that the Garmin indeed had a 100-mile error. A similar problem was noted between NC and FL.
I called Garmin and they answered the phone immediately. The rep confirmed that I had the latest software version. He said that the distance calculated is direct distance (as the crow flies), not the road distance, and that it is corrected once you get on the road. The latter is not true as I monitored the distance reported vs. odometer reading on our trip. The rep, although he considered these errors to be minor, said he would report this to the company.
The bottom line is that you shouldnt use this GPS for trip planning. Youll never complete the trip on schedule unless you exceed the speed limits.
Another interesting fact is that the GPS didnt report any loss of signals while passing through the one-mile long tunnels of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. As an Electronics Engineer, I cant believe that any GPS can maintain satellite signal reception under these circumstances. That seems like a bit of "slight of hand" programming to make the unit seem better than it really is.
Overall, were very happy with the unit and eagerly await a software upgrade that will fix the erroneous distance (and time) to destination problem.
On: 2008-01-25
I got my garmin promptly, and in perfect condition. It was so cold outside when I received it that I waited three days to finally plug it in & use it b/c i was afraid I might freeze it during charging. After plugging it in, I realized this was a needless concern. It worked perfectly as soon as I plugged it in.
On: 2008-01-25
At 3 am yesterday, my wifes car was burglarized and her c550 stolen. I didnt write this review with the intention of discussing the different methods of trying to prevent such a theft. This review is to share with others the tremendous satisfaction we feel in knowing the crook wont be able to use the GPS because it was pin-locked. Yes, any portable GPS I buy in the future will have a pin/password-locking feature. I believe once the overwhelming majority of portable GPSs in use have this feature, the crooks will stop trying to steal them.
On: 2008-01-25
I bet this is a great product but I dont know. I am sending my second one back. The one I received last week looked like someone had been in the box and the end piece on the traffic receiver was broken of so that the fuse would not stay inside. Sent it back on Monday. Thursday got the replacement -- Guess What -- looked like someone had been in the box and the end piece on the traffic receiver was broken of so that the fuse would not stay inside. I would say that Amazon was just recycling the same c550 but new comes from Irving, TX and old is shipped back to Lexington, KY.
Of course Amazon does not have any live people working for them or at least they have no phone service so you cant just call and say "Please check the product before you ship". I am going to keep trying until Amazon gets it right.
On: 2008-01-21
I have been searching for the right GPS unit that had the feature that best suited my use. I have found it in the Garmin Street Pilot c550. The real selling point for me was the text to speech feature, the pricing and it having the Bluetooh capability. I really like the feature of being able to answer the cell phone see who is calling, and having my address book loaded into the unit. I also like the ability to load my music into it. The display looks good and is easy to read with great direction. I also like the ability of moving it between cars. I am impressed and satisfied with the unit features so far.
On: 2008-01-20
Had this for alomost a month and Id highly recommend it. easy to use and witht he traffic option (I use it here in LA) it gets me out of those long rush hour delays. the blue tooth option works great with my LG phone and it was easy to set up. It did take a couple of reset trys but the unit final recognise the ph. It receives and makes calls all from the unit via the phones blue tooth capabilities. Im still learn new things it can do with adding topographical things for those out of the way places so it has room to grow as I learn more. You will be pleased and the price was very sweet and affordable for a GPS with blue tooth and traffic watch. Youll love it!
On: 2008-01-19
I loved it so much I got one for my Mom. I have noticed that it does have problems some times but I find it to be accurate over 95% of the time. I drive a lot through Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, D.C., & North Carolina just to name a few. I do print a paper map just incase I lose satellite reception (this has only happened once during a terrible hailstorm) & to check if I think there might be a better way. I find most people who have a problem find it quickly resolved once they set their preferences correctly... You can choose to avoid Toll Roads or Main Highways, You can opt for Construction Detours or set it for the Fastest or Quickest Route... These settings make a huge difference on the route the Garmin will take you. I stated out with a Cobra because the screen was larger but returned it quickly for my Garmin and I have been driving with it for nearly 2 years... I am LOST without IT!!!
On: 2008-01-18
I bought this as a gift for my father. I had a chance to use this model in a rental car during my last business trip; I was surprised at how easy to use and helpful this system was. My own car has navigation built in and I was pleased to find that the garmin was just as easy and informative. Plus you get the added bonus of bluetooth with the Garmin; so you can use it as a handsfree device for your cell phone while youre driving. Great purchase...great features...great device!
On: 2008-01-18
This GPS has saved me a lot of time and effort finding my way around
places I have never been. It has also made driving in stange places a
lot safer, and the bluetooth makes using the phone safer while driving.
I would have missed my daughters house last December if I hadnt had it.
Its been a great buy and time saver. If you are going some place you
have never been I suggest you buy it.
Ben
On: 2008-01-16
My wife do not have good knowledge of driving directions. I bought this GPS for my wife. It works absolutely fine. I have no complaints so far. I would recommend this GPS 1000% for anybody. Driving to a unknown place is now a piece of cake using Garmin C580.
On: 2008-01-16
This product has lived up to my expectations. I have yet to use the Bluetooth tech or the MP3 player but, then again, why do you buy a GPS? I live in a major city and the real time traffic alert is great. The only negative point I have is that the volume could be a bit louder, especially with the background noise while traveling at high speeds or with the window down. I highly recommend this product.
On: 2008-01-15
This GPS device is easy to use. Aside from the basic point-to-point directions, you can find stores near you or near your current route, which is useful for finding, say, gas or a restaurant while on a road trip.
The basic GPS functionality works well. It doesnt always choose what I would consider the optimal route, but it always gets me to where Im going.
I am less impressed with the traffic functionality, which is the main reason I chose this unit. It is slow to identify when there are traffic situations in the chosen route, and slow to identify alternate routes. As an example, I commute 50 miles to work each day. There are two main highways, and with no traffic the routes are within 5 minutes of each other. One morning, it told me to take the first highway, estimated travel time one hour. After about 30 minutes, it identifies traffic ahead, and the estimated travel time dramatically increases, and the alternate route is taking an early exit and a frontage road to go around the accident. But, the accident was quite bad, and had been there for a few hours, and so traffic was backed up even behind that exit. If the accident had just happened, I would have been perfectly happy with that option. But, the accident had happened long before I got in the car - so I would have expected that the traffic detector would have noticed it and adjusted the route from the start.
At first I thought I was expecting too much from a GPS traffic device. But, the map feature with traffic on the iPhone is much better than the traffic on this device. Ive taken to using this device for a suggested route, but validating traffic with my iPhone before starting any long trips.
the GOOD:
-easy to use, intuitive
-good battery life
-good GPS functionality
the BAD:
-traffic detection
-offering alternate routes
On: 2008-01-12
This product is so easy to use. It recalculates quickly when you get off track or take a different route. Can be easily upgraded. Color is always easy to read day or night and voice is plenty loud enough. Only negative so far is that the Lock feature only gives you one try and then it is locked until you return to your home spot.
On: 2008-01-12
Spent some time reading reviews about the c550. Some were good others not so much. I went ahead with the purchase and am very glad I did so. I printed some of the not so good reviews and then sat in my car for about two hours using the 550. I found the unit to work as stated on the Garmin website. My money was well invested!!! I travel nationwide and the 550 has worked as advertised. Thanks Garmin, the c550 is a great product!
On: 2008-01-10
I bought this particular GPS Navigation system because it was the best deal for one having Bluetooth capability. The GPS system was easy to setup and the Bluetooth was easy to setup as well. Phone calls are easy to answer and make. Strongly recommend.
On: 2008-01-08
I received this for a Christmas gift and hoped it would help me with my Chicago area commute. I did a bit a research trying to figure out the skinny on how this unit gather traffic information and report it. As far as I could tell from the few reviews I read MSN was no better or worse than TMC. Some had good things to say others not so good. There seems to be a lack of information to find out who or where the FM signal for TMC or MSN is being broadcast from. So its not like you can look at cell towers and figure out if youre going to have coverage. Garmins site gives this generic map covering, of course, every place in the Chicago metro area and Milwaukee metro coverage overlaps it to the north. This unit comes with the gt20 TMC receiver built into the recharger/ power cord. I am coming from the 60031 zip code area and commuting south to elk grove. The first thing that I do is plug this thing in to get a look at traffic on 94 south. OOps, I had this for two weeks and have never seen it work out of my driveway. It usually doesnt get a (green) turn on signal until it becomes 294 some 13 miles away from where I start. When leaving work 60007 I have only once got a signal to give me the traffic conditions to give me an option of the route I could take. I have updated the software, again this is two weeks old and the software is out of date. Wow, thats sad. I have experienced on route 22 heading towards Barrington the garmins outdated map. It doesnt have the interchange/ bypass with 12 being there and panics and tries to reroute you on roads that arent there. Sadly you cant even change the traffic you subscribe to. It is specific for each unit, msn is the 580, and I have no clue if any pilot series picks up xms traffic I couldnt see it from their site. I am returning this and holding out for the dash express as my next best option for traffic. As it will get its traffic from two different sources, one, other dash units gps information and two, traffic.com.
On: 2008-01-04
The Garmin c550 is great! I have nothing to say negative about it really other then it is BULKY!!!
On: 2008-01-04
Very satisfied with the Garmin c-550 street pilot.Had to go to L.A.the week I purchased it.The Garmin performed stellar. I love not having to ask for directions
On: 2008-01-02
This is the first item i have bought off amazon and i was very pleased. This is the first GPS that we have owned so we are really new at this. The c550 is a great system and very easy to program. Our only complaint is that its off by a couple of houses when ever we go somewhere. which isnt a problem unless one of you try to come to my house you will end up down the block. All in all we are pleased and would buy again if had the chance.
On: 2008-01-02
I purchased the Garmin for Christmas and have only used it for a week, but it has been great so far. It recalculates your route very quickly if you go off your destination route. Havent yet had to use the real time traffic. Love it!
On: 2008-01-02
I did a lot of research before buying this. I didnt want to be a sheep getting Garmin just because its popular. However, after exhaustive looking around at other brands, reading review after review, I chose the C550 because it was the least expensive GPS of quality that has bluetooth, which allows you to make hands-free calls through the unit if you wirelessly connect to a bluetooth enabled cell phone. You can then call all of the points of interest in its vast system as well as all of your own contacts that are in your cell phone listings.
I also realized that I rented a car last year and also rented a GPS unit, and it was an earlier model of the same general type, probably a 330. Anyway, my experience with that was so favorable, that I knew Id like this one also. You see, that rental was in Santa Fe, and if you know the streets of Santa Fe, you know that it would be hard to find a more challenging place to drive around. Tons of one way streets, small, short, out of the way streets, etc. The Garmin I had then never failed to find anything I put in, and made our trip SOOOOO much easier than it would have been without it.
Anyway, I bought the C550 and operation was as easy as I recalled. I just plugged it into the car and it was ready to go. It "found" my bluetooth enabled RAZR phone in a few seconds and within seconds, I was talking to people on the phone through the unit, and they said they could hear me, and I could hear them loud and clear.
Now I cant wait to find all of the shorter routes I know I will find to places of interest. I was also glad that the unit came with an adhesive disk to mount the unit on the dash. My recollection about the suction cup on the window deal is that it can fall off. (However, if you have a GPS and only use windsheild mount, the trick is to wet the suction cup a bit before sticking it on, and then it will stay like a charm. I, however, use the dashboard mount, and the angle is perfect for me, and of course adjustable to however you wish to tilt it.)
It also plays MP3s, so you can load your ipod songs to an SD disk and play them, though I admit I havent tried this yet.
Love it. Couldnt really ask for more.
On: 2007-12-31
Great product for the price (I paid $306 w/ free shipping). Come with 3 free months of the FM traffic service. Comparable to a TomTom 720 w/o mapshare. The mount works on windshield only which is illegal in some states so you may require an optional dash or A/C mount. It has an optional safety feature that requires it to be at rest to program (which can be turned off). This is good because my wife has already had a near miss with a mailbox while trying to multitask. Mount it out of arms length for over ambitious types. Blue tooth works great with my phone. It automatically switches to night mode based on an internal clock. Great product I am considering a second one for my car
On: 2007-12-30
This is my first GPS. Its pretty easy to use, does what its supposed to, is fun to have, takes a lot of the anxiety out of going to new places. Voice is loud and clear, having the street names (text-to-speech) helps a lot. So far have discovered at least one new restaurant from POI.
Drawbacks:
When it gives you a route that, for various reasons, you really dont want to go (questionable area, propensity for sudden traffic jams even if it is unclogged at the moment, etc.) I havent found any good way to get it to give me a different route instead. Yes, you can choose between fastest and shortest route, etc., but that doesnt usually solve the problem. In one case, I found I could get around it by indicating Triboro Bridge as a stop along the way, but overall its a limitation. Otherwise, I can go my own way and listen to the voice get kind of peeved as it repeats, "Recalculating," and tries to get me back to the original route until it finally gives up. But that only works if youre pretty confident of a good portion of the trip already. The traffic feature, which is one reason I got this model, hasnt been much help yet and doesnt work in some areas, but I still have to give that feature more of a try. The thickness makes it impossible to stick in your pocket when you dont want to leave it in the car, so you need some kind of bag or case to carry it in. The manual is skimpy and leaves a lot unexplained.
Those issues aside, though, overall Im happy with it, and some of the drawbacks are probably common to other GPS models as well. Final analysis, I recommend it.
On: 2007-12-26
Amazons price for the Garmin StreetPilot c550 is excellent and the GPs system has easy to use features...and it also talks! Unfortunately, the power chord does not fit a VW Passat or Audi A6 cigarette lighter. Garmin says this is rare but acknowledges that there may be a few car models that cannot use the product. The literature does NOT include this caution.
On: 2007-12-21
This is a great thing ever. My wife can not go places without this. I hope every people should have this product.
On: 2007-12-18
If you are buying this and paying extra for the MP3 and Bluetooth options, DONT. The GPS is fine. Like all GPS systems, it has its limitations, but overall it works as it should. The MP3 player and the Bluetooth options are, in my opinion, terrible. The sound is very "canny." It looks as if Garmin could have installed some higher quality speakers in this unit. The bluetooth option requires too much interaction with the screen, making it dangerous to operate while moving. Do yourself a favor and get the C340 model if you are looking for a good GPS device and get yourself some other options for Bluetooth and MP3 player. The only advantage the C550 has over the C340 is the anti-glare screen, but you can purchase an anti-glare film to solve this problem, and believe me, the glare on the C340 is a problem. This is another place that Garmin has room for improvement.
On: 2007-12-17
The very first time I used this unit, I got totally lost. But the problem wasnt with the GPS, the problem was the connection between the chair and the mouse - I programmed in the wrong address. When I got the right address I was right where I wanted to be.
Garmin have done a great job in making a car navigation system that is so easy to use straight out of the box. You can get where you want to go without even reading the manual, the software is so intuitive. And the Bluetooth connection to my phone is just wonderful - I didnt even choose the unit for this feature, but it is so useful I would consider it an essential on any future unit I buy. I have used the FM traffic service, but to date I havent had to try any detours so I cant really comment on this feature.
I have had a hiking GPS for years now, and so Im familiar with how they work. It actually amazed me that about the only thing that a hiking GPS and a car navigation system have in common is the connection to the satellites - the way they use and present the data is totally different. As a result of using the hiking GPS there is some functionality that I wish the car system had (Garmin software engineers, I hope you are reading this):
1. I wish the c550 would display current heading (in cardinal points or as an arrow on the compass (track-up or north-up), user selectable) on the map screen. You can get heading info on the "Trip Information" screen, but it means toggling back and forth. This is important information to know when you are navigating unfamiliar areas.
2. I wish the c550 displayed altitude. It could display this on the "Trip Information" screen. While not necessary for car navigation, it is interesting info that Ive grown to love on my hiking GPS. Sometimes I even drive with both GPSs in operation, just to get altitude, which I guess makes me a certifiable gadget freak.
3. The next one might be a little harder to implement. I rent cars a lot, and have to fill up with gas near the airport. I would like to be able to aim the car at the airport, specify a detour along the way to a gas station (you can do this at the moment), but then Id like to specify that the gas station must be the closest reasonable stop along my route to the airport. At the moment I take aim at the airport, then change my destination to a gas station when I get near the airport. Most times this works, but on occasions Ive had a sizeable detour to get to the gas station.
4. A QWERTY "keyboard" would be more useful than the current ABCDEF one.
5. LAT-LON data would be nice too, maybe tacked onto the "Trip Information" page.
Keep up the good work, Garmin. Id have given you four-and-a-half stars if I could figure out how to do so.
On: 2007-12-14
Its just the greatest. Speaking street names makes driving through complex intersections so much easier. Excellent value.
On: 2007-12-12
This is my second Garmin GPS unit. I previously owned a Garmin Streepilot III which I absoulutely loved but unfortunately it got stolen.
As usual, the routing is outstanding and very accurate. The routing even routes past accidents and traffic jams if the FM Traffic service is activated !
The good:
1. Text to speech
2. Bluetooth - very good quality (Check garmins site for compatible phones)
3. Suction mount works flawlessly
4. FM Traffic receiver
5. MP3 player - works well (For sound effects, suggest buying a $15 Belkin FM Transmitter rather than paying extra $$$ for the units with a transmitter) - check coverage in your are
6. Fast searches
7. Long battery life
The not so good:
1. No ability to add via points ( the sp3 had this as a feature added by garmin via a update so am hoping this will be added later as a software update)
2. Unable to preprogram routes and save them.
3. Just enough bulky to not fit into your pocket.
4. FM service is extra $60 for 15 months after the first 3 months
I would recommend this unit over all the other Garmin units as the price and features are well balanced. This is all you will ever need to be able to go from point A to B and anywhere in between.
On: 2007-12-11
This is my second Garmin GPS unit. I previously owned a Garmin Streepilot III which I absoulutely loved but unfortunately it got stolen.
As usual, the routing is outstanding and very accurate. The routing even routes past accidents and traffic jams if the FM Traffic service is activated !
The good:
1. Text to speech
2. Bluetooth - very good quality (Check garmins site for compatible phones)
3. Suction mount works flawlessly
4. FM Traffic receiver
5. MP3 player - works well (For sound effects, suggest buying a $15 Belkin FM Transmitter rather than paying extra $$$ for the units with a transmitter) - check coverage in your are
6. Fast searches
7. Long battery life
The not so good:
1. No ability to add via points ( the sp3 had this as a feature added by garmin via a update so am hoping this will be added later as a software update)
2. Unable to preprogram routes and save them.
3. Just enough bulky to not fit into your pocket.
4. FM service is extra $60 for 15 months after the first 3 months
I would recommend this unit over all the other Garmin units as the price and features are well balanced. This is all you will ever need to be able to go from point A to B and anywhere in between.
On: 2007-12-10
This a great product, this is the second Garmin Navigator we owned, I have one in my car and Shaun has one in his car- they are more accurate than the ones installed in our cars
On: 2007-12-09
I am very pleased with this GPS unit, its sensitivity and operation. It is easy to use. My only complaint is with the FM Radio Data System used by the C550. I live in a smaller city rated as having some of the worse traffic in the country. The FM Radio Data System signal is not available in my area. So the FM TMC traffic receiver is of no value to me unless I travel to a larger city, which is not frequent. If the FM traffic information were available for my local area, I would subscribe. I understand there is a second type of FM or other radio signal that provides traffic info on other models of Garmin GPS units. (I think the signal is provided by MSN.) That signal is available in my area, but cannot be received by the C550. Other Garmin GPS units that receive the alternative traffic signal were costing, when I checked, about $100 more. Before buying a GPS, consider whether you would want the traffic info, and check signal availability for your area relative to the unit you buy.
On: 2007-12-08
I got this 3 months ago after which it just didnt switch on with no response even with the usb cable. After sending it back to Garmin I got a replacement which was supposed to be new. The replacement was unable to detect the satelite signal and had a bad screen. I would pres one button and it would do something else. After working for about 30 minutes with tech support to try to fix this they asked me to return it back to them. I am waiting for my 3rd GPS unit. Luckily I didnt waist more money on a second GARMIN that I was planing on buying just before thie nightmare happened.
On: 2007-12-05
Pretty much couldnt live with out the garmin GPS. My previous was a few years old and i liked the garmin product. This pretty much takes you dorr to door which of course is the important thing. The blue tooth works great with my cell phone and was easy to set up. Pretty much couldnt be happier with it.
On: 2007-12-03
The Garmin c550 is definitely a great buy. I was amazed at how fast it calculates routes. I definitely recommend this unit
On: 2007-12-02
After researching all GPS brands and options and reading the reviews, this being my first GPS, I decided to buy the Garmin c-550. For the price & the options it appeared to be the "best buy". Now that I have used it for a while I can honestly say I made a great choice and would highly reccommend this one. Its so easy to use. Just plug it in, it locates itself and you are ready to go. The unit quickly recalculated when I changed the route and the clear by-street name instructions really help. I was also pleased because the unit, within plenty of time indicated which lane of traffic to be in for your next turn. I really appreciated this on those 6-lane loops with exits on both sides! You are also given ample time (half mile) warning of next turn and the visual on the screen updates as quickly as you are moving. The memory slot worked great for adding my music to be played on the mpeg player and the Bluetooth phone option was easy to pair up. Just be sure to look and see if your phone is compatible. My high end palm treo was not but my wifes Razor was. Attaching to the pc was easy and although it needed no updating I can see it will be easy if/when needed. It has some customizable options that are handy as well. The size of the screen is perfect. It can be set to dim to the lighting and you really arent staring at the screen that much to need anything bigger. I found this unit to meet and exceed all my expectations!
On: 2007-11-30
If you are buying a GPS, be sure to get all the bells and whistles. Bluetooth lets you make calls using the device. If you are traveling you can check for restaurants and call ahead with a simple touch of the finger.
I love my Garmin and I strongly endorse it to my friends.
On: 2007-11-28
I can get lost in my own neighborhood so GPS was developed for people like me. I delayed buying a personal GPS using the excuses of "they cost too much", "the maps arent good enough", "not enough features for what I want", etc. I finally found the incentive to go out and buy one - my teenage kids driving 350 miles to visit relatives over Thanksgiving - without me. I did my homework, shopped at a competing electronics store and then purchased the Garmin c550 from Amazon. It arrived the next day thanks to Amazon Prime. I read the instructions and tried to get some music loaded on the Garmin but didnt have much luck. My music is not in the MP3 format so it wasnt recognized. But I didnt buy this gadget for music - that was just a nice plus. I plugged in the adapter that doubles as an FM traffic receiver and plugged in my work address. The directions were clear and gave me plenty of time to switch lanes and make my turns. When I chose a different route than the garmin, it "recalulated" my route and gave new instructions. The kids took it with them and they not only found the farm house down an old dirt road, they also made it to the airport to pick up their father and then to their uncles house for leftovers. You have many choices for voices and accents as well as languages so if one voice is difficult to understand, try another.
This weekend I used the Garmin to find my way to a college town 3 hours away. I was able to enter a generic destination, pick an address and then find my hotel near my destination. Along the way, my son and I were hungry so we asked the Garmin to find a place to eat nearby. It was able to route us to the restaurant we selected from the list and then back on our route to the hotel. All in all, it did pretty much everything I wanted.
What didnt it do or did wrong? Just as we arrived at our destination, with one turn left, it locked up and required a reset. The reset button is found under the decorative plate in the front. This was not a good time to lock up but we had flipped back and forth between a couple of screens so it was probably trying to execute conflicting commands. My bad - I suppose. It would be better if it didnt lock up at all but it is a small computer. Another oddity is the pronunciation and interpretation of street names. FM271 North was pronounced "Federated States of Micronesia 271 North"; University Dr. was pronounced "University Doctor"! In other places the streets (these same streets) were pronounced "FM 271 North" and "University Drive". Eisenhower Drive was pronounce "ee sen HOWERdrive". You hear it, go "huh?" and then glance at the map to make sure you can find the street it just said.
I have not yet tried to use the bluetooth capabilities in this GPS but the traffic feature works fairly well in Dallas. If this feature is the main reason you are looking at this device, make sure the traffic feature is available in your area. It worked "okay" in Dallas, but its ability to recognize a traffic jam and re-route you is only as good as the traffic report.
Overall, I like my new toy. I was able to look up restaurants in the town where I stayed and get immediate directions to them. It took me straight to the parking garage on campus and got me back on track when I thought I was smarter than the machine and took a wrong turn.
On: 2007-11-27
I can get lost in my own neighborhood so GPS was developed for people like me. I delayed buying a personal GPS using the excuses of "they cost too much", "the maps arent good enough", "not enough features for what I want", etc. I finally found the incentive to go out and buy one - my teenage kids driving 350 miles to visit relatives over Thanksgiving - without me. I did my homework, shopped at a competing electronics store and then purchased the Garmin c550 from Amazon. It arrived the next day thanks to Amazon Prime. I read the instructions and tried to get some music loaded on the Garmin but didnt have much luck. My music is not in the MP3 format so it wasnt recognized. But I didnt buy this gadget for music - that was just a nice plus. I plugged in the adapter that doubles as an FM traffic receiver and plugged in my work address. The directions were clear and gave me plenty of time to switch lanes and make my turns. When I chose a different route than the garmin, it "recalulated" my route and gave new instructions. The kids took it with them and they not only found the farm house down an old dirt road, they also made it to the airport to pick up their father and then to their uncles house for leftovers. You have many choices for voices and accents as well as languages so if one voice is difficult to understand, try another.
This weekend I used the Garmin to find my way to a college town 3 hours away. I was able to enter a generic destination, pick an address and then find my hotel near my destination. Along the way, my son and I were hungry so we asked the Garmin to find a place to eat nearby. It was able to route us to the restaurant we selected from the list and then back on our route to the hotel. All in all, it did pretty much everything I wanted.
What didnt it do or did wrong? Just as we arrived at our destination, with one turn left, it locked up and required a reset. The reset button is found under the decorative plate in the front. This was not a good time to lock up but we had flipped back and forth between a couple of screens so it was probably trying to execute conflicting commands. My bad - I suppose. It would be better if it didnt lock up at all but it is a small computer. Another oddity is the pronunciation and interpretation of street names. FM271 North was pronounced "Federated States of Micronesia 271 North"; University Dr. was pronounced "University Doctor"! In other places the streets (these same streets) were pronounced "FM 271 North" and "University Drive". Eisenhower Drive was pronounce "ee sen HOWERdrive". You hear it, go "huh?" and then glance at the map to make sure you can find the street it just said.
I have not yet tried to use the bluetooth capabilities in this GPS but the traffic feature works fairly well in Dallas. If this feature is the main reason you are looking at this device, make sure the traffic feature is available in your area. It worked "okay" in Dallas, but its ability to recognize a traffic jam and re-route you is only as good as the traffic report.
Overall, I like my new toy. I was able to look up restaurants in the town where I stayed and get immediate directions to them. It took me straight to the parking garage on campus and got me back on track when I thought I was smarter than the machine and took a wrong turn.
On: 2007-11-18
This is a great product, does what was advertised. I wish the touch screen keyboard layout was QWERTY rather than alphabetical.
On: 2007-11-15
I found that the Garmin C550 was very easy to use and very accurate. The biggist fault with it seems to be the manual. I dont think that it covers everything the unite will do. I did have a problem with it but after I hit the reset button it was OK. I still dont know what caused the problem.
On: 2007-11-11
Great unit. Best I have used and Ive used a few. Excellent receiver, gets signal very quickly, even works in tunnels. Amazon description is wrong. This unit does come with a car adaptor so no need to purchase an extra one.
On: 2007-11-04
My husband and I used this nav system on our honeymoon in Hawaii. It was great. So we purchased this once we got home. We are very pleased with that decision.
On: 2007-10-31
I travel for a living and this Garmin is just about the best thing that I have ever purchased. I have not had any problems, technically or otherwise using the Garmin. I am driving in America and Canada, so the North American maps are a real plus. I used to have to rely on mapquest or google maps, and now all I do is use my Garmin.
The vendor was quick and I would not hesitate to do buisness with them again.
On: 2007-10-24
I wont reiterate what the other reviewers have said, which is mostly accurate. I bought, and paid extra for the 550 for the traffic functions. I did not expect to be impressed and in fact expected to return the unit due to inaccurate traffic info.
Much to my surprise, the traffic in the NY-NJ area seems to be fairly accurate, timely, and better then I had anticipated. I am not anticipating perfection, and in fact had one questionable rerouting due to traffic in the first 2 weeks. But I also had several positive experiences. The data seems to be quite good.
One problem not mentioned in the user guide is that you need to unfurl the cable connecting the power supply / traffic receiver to the GPS fully in order to get the best traffic reception. Took me a week to figure that one out!
Also I emailed Clear Channel, who distributes the data, to complain about traffic coverage at my home and they got back to me quickly with news that they expected to be hosted on 3 additional FM stations in my (semi-rural) area before year end.
Overall a very positive experience, and I havent even gotten my Bluetooth phone yet.
On: 2007-10-24
This product is everything we expected except for the dash mount. I would have liked to know that the vaccuum dash mount required a permanent adhesive disk be affixed to the dash which made it not transportable to another vehicle. We want to easily switch between cars or even take the Garmin C550 with us to use in a rental car when we fly somewhere. It has taken some experimentation to see what the best dash placement for the GPS is. A permanent adhesive disk would have prohibited changing our mind. We went to Frys Electronics to buy another type of dash mount -- friction mount. It works very well -- the Garmin does not move around on the dash even with sharp turns and we can just pick it up and take it with us to another vehicle.
On: 2007-10-22
Having tried the Garmin Nuvi in the past, I wanted to find a similar GPS system without the cost - I found that in the Streetpilot C550. When compared to all other products it definitely provides all the best features at the lowest cost.
I spent a lot of time researching each model and realized the C550 had many advantages. The Streetpilot offers the following features that lesser models either offered none or few of;
1. Bluetooth (allows handsfree cell phone use while driving)
2. Mp3 player (you can take songs from your ipod and play them on the Garmin although the sound quality does suffer during playback)
3. Traffic receiver is included! (This is huge since with other Garmins, you have to buy it seperately at a cost of over $100 - plus they give you 3 months free).
4. Touchscreen - you can type in streets and addresses rather than scroll, which is very helpful.
5. Speaks street names - which is suprisingly helpful if youre in an unfamiliar area and have a lot of streets all coming together at once. This device will tell you to turn on "Elm street" rather than turn in 30 feet, which can be confusing if there is three different roads coming up in 30 feet.
The traffic receiver also includes a cigarette adapter charger, so dont think that you need to buy one seperately from the device which I almost did since they recommended it.
My only complaint about the Garmin, although trivial, it lacks common sense sometimes. When you calculate the fastest route, it really means the fastest route. It will tell you to take truck bypass routes or go down side streets (rather than along the main road) just to save yourself 2 or 3 seconds off your trip.
One surprising advantage to this device is how up-to-date the maps are. My neighborhood is less than 1 year old and it had all the streets. That was a surprise since every other GPS device Ive used did not and also Yahoo and Mapquest dont even have my neighborhood online yet.
Lastly, the yellow pages feature makes this device worth the price alone besides all the other options. You can type in the name of where you want to go and it seems to have everything! Banks, restaurants (even obscure hole-in-the-wall places are listed), gas stations, airports, hotels, etc. and it includes their phone number which if you have your cell phone connected you can dial!
I highly recommend the Streetpilot C550!
On: 2007-10-13
Ordered it with Next Day delivery to the vacation destination in Washington State to get out of boring city. Used it on a 3 hour trip to Seattle and Point Defiance Zoo just by entering an address from a pamphlet.
Pros: The touch screen menu is very easy to use. You can play MP3 files from a SD card, and output into a car stereo with an input jack. At divergence or multiple junctions, GPS will instruct you to stay on the left or right. At a multiple junction, just listening to voice instruction may not be enough. Usually you need to look at the map.
Cons: The BlueTooth froze and had problem "enabling" after updating the software through the internet. You should backup the original files first. Contacted Garmin, and they were willing to replace it. They responded via e-mail very quickly. But I replaced it through Amazon. GPS may not give you a best route, but it will take you to the destination. If BlueTooth is enabled on the GPS, you can not use the BlueTooth headset.
Everything on this GPS is very easy to use and understand.
On: 2007-10-10
Highly recommended. Spend the extra with this model for the bluetooth (unless your car already has it, then go for lower model). This is a very easy to use model (UI). Highly recommended.
On: 2007-10-10
This is a great GSP system. I have see several of my friends use theirs and you need to have a great memory of where all the features are located. This model is easy to use that you dont even need to read a manual. I taught my father-in-law how to use it in 5 minutes but still has issues with his cell phone after 2 months. I was recommended to buy this from a sales man that trales all over the world and says he uses it everywhere. Great GPS all around!!!!
On: 2007-10-06
In my home weve turned the phrase "green eggs and ham" into a verb, much like "google" has become indicative of a definitive action. To "green eggs and ham" something is to change your mind on some item or concept you had previously disdained. It started back in the early 80s when my Daddy finally permitted my Mom to purchase a microwave. For years, hed held off, swearing that if his own saintly mother (the matriarch of seven kids) had done without one, we could too. Once she wore him down, Daddy was the first to admit, "Green eggs and ham - I love it! Why did we wait so long to purchase it? How have we done without it for so long?!"
This year, Ive "green eggs and hammed" a techno gadget - the GPS unit. Who needs it when weve got something as nifty as Mapquest to get us from point A to point B? My mother-in-law foisted one upon my husband for his birthday last year and I scolded her vociferously. Her gift to Greg was the Garmin C550 Streetpilot GPS Receiver and I was upset with her for spending the money on something I was positive my husband wouldnt use. After all, hes one of those guys who absolutely refuses to ask for directions. I was sure it would sit unused in his car.
Wrong - a major "green eggs and ham" moment! We tried it out on a family trip a week later and became instant Streetpilot addicts. When my own birthday rolled around two months later, guess what my mother-in-law purchased for me? Yes, now we have "his and hers" models in our vehicles.
Whats the good of this particular tech gadget? Youd be amazed! Here are some of my favorite features:
* Speed and accuracy. As soon as its been turned on, the Streetpilot determines your location and queries you about your desired purpose. Within minutes of entering your destination address, you receive a map and detailed instructions which are verbally given to you turn by turn. The GPS also computes your estimated arrival time - Ive found its accuracy on that item almost uncanny. The unit has options to update your route and travel time, accounting for delays in traffic hotspots.
* Ease of use. The Streetpilot has an easy touchscreen interface and gives verbal directions to walk you through the directions. It even anticipates which lane you need to be in for upcoming directions. Unlike mapquest pages which may require a solo driver to look at a paper copy of the directions, a voice (or rather, your choice of many voice styles) tells you exactly where you need to go without you taking your eyes off the road. Our voice of choice, Lee the Australian, has never led me astray and is even smart enough to recalculate when I make a wrong turn or miss an exit.
* Bluetooth. In many states, hands-free cell phone usage is now the law. The Streetpilot immediately converts my cell phone to hands free and has a clear signal for a speaker phone conversation that can be heard throughout the whole car.
* Doubles as an MP3 player. My Streetpilot holds some of my favorite tunes and podcasts, making my road trip even more enjoyable.
* Goes with the flow. Now, when we leave on a family road trip, we rarely scout out the directions beforehand. With the address, its easy to drive straight to our desired destination. But we can also stop and smell the roses along the way, using the Streetpilot to direct us to upcoming points of interest, services, lodging, or even an emergency Starbucks stop.
I will never again go back to driving without my Garmin C550 Streetpilot GPS Receiver - getting to our family fun has now become easy and reliable.
On: 2007-10-06
GarminC550 is easy to use.
Great features are: announcing upcoming turns ( including street name) well in advance, reiterating street and turn when you are a few feet away, estimated time of arrival, easy to follow road map (including what street you are on and nexy cross street.
Annoying features are: Even though I live near Boston, many areas it will not work, doesnt always give you the shortest route, sometimes thinks you are in another town, still does not come with the greatest attachments to your window.
Although this product is better than the 350...Garmin still has a way to go before it can compete with a factory installed GPS system/Garmin StreetPilot c550 Bluetooth Automotive Traffic GPS System Includes: FREE Shipping, FREE PhotoBlocker Spray, FREE E-Book, and FREE Database of Red-Light Cameras, Speed Traps, Speed Cameras, and DUI Checkpoints
On: 2007-10-05
In my home weve turned the phrase "green eggs and ham" into a verb, much like "google" has become indicative of a definitive action. To "green eggs and ham" something is to change your mind on some item or concept you had previously disdained. It started back in the early 80s when my Daddy finally permitted my Mom to purchase a microwave. For years, hed held off, swearing that if his own saintly mother (the matriarch of seven kids) had done without one, we could too. Once she wore him down, Daddy was the first to admit, "Green eggs and ham - I love it! Why did we wait so long to purchase it? How have we done without it for so long?!"
This year, Ive "green eggs and hammed" a techno gadget - the GPS unit. Who needs it when weve got something as nifty as Mapquest to get us from point A to point B? My mother-in-law foisted one upon my husband for his birthday last year and I scolded her vociferously. Her gift to Greg was the Garmin C550 Streetpilot GPS Receiver and I was upset with her for spending the money on something I was positive my husband wouldnt use. After all, hes one of those guys who absolutely refuses to ask for directions. I was sure it would sit unused in his car.
Wrong - a major "green eggs and ham" moment! We tried it out on a family trip a week later and became instant Streetpilot addicts. When my own birthday rolled around two months later, guess what my mother-in-law purchased for me? Yes, now we have "his and hers" models in our vehicles.
Whats the good of this particular tech gadget? Youd be amazed! Here are some of my favorite features:
* Speed and accuracy. As soon as its been turned on, the Streetpilot determines your location and queries you about your desired purpose. Within minutes of entering your destination address, you receive a map and detailed instructions which are verbally given to you turn by turn. The GPS also computes your estimated arrival time - Ive found its accuracy on that item almost uncanny. The unit has options to update your route and travel time, accounting for delays in traffic hotspots.
* Ease of use. The Streetpilot has an easy touchscreen interface and gives verbal directions to walk you through the directions. It even anticipates which lane you need to be in for upcoming directions. Unlike mapquest pages which may require a solo driver to look at a paper copy of the directions, a voice (or rather, your choice of many voice styles) tells you exactly where you need to go without you taking your eyes off the road. Our voice of choice, Lee the Australian, has never led me astray and is even smart enough to recalculate when I make a wrong turn or miss an exit.
* Bluetooth. In many states, hands-free cell phone usage is now the law. The Streetpilot immediately converts my cell phone to hands free and has a clear signal for a speaker phone conversation that can be heard throughout the whole car.
* Doubles as an MP3 player. My Streetpilot holds some of my favorite tunes and podcasts, making my road trip even more enjoyable.
* Goes with the flow. Now, when we leave on a family road trip, we rarely scout out the directions beforehand. With the address, its easy to drive straight to our desired destination. But we can also stop and smell the roses along the way, using the Streetpilot to direct us to upcoming points of interest, services, lodging, or even an emergency Starbucks stop.
I will never again go back to driving without my Garmin C550 Streetpilot GPS Receiver - getting to our family fun has now become easy and reliable.
On: 2007-10-05
I got this garmin c550 a great deal and this gps is really do wonders with bluetooth, loud voice suport, tells the street names too and much more.... I would suggest to buy this....
On: 2007-10-04
FROM ALASKA TO CHICAGO, IL TO DAYTONA BEACH, FL AND TO MICHIGAN AND BACK. THE GARMIN C550 WAS JUST AWESOME!!! NO COMPLAINTS, MONEY WELL SPENT!
On: 2007-10-02
I was happy to see this item on the website. However, the item I received was not new in Garmin packaging. I thought I was ordering from a site that would have described the item as being either an open box item or would have clearly indicated that it was not in a sealed Garmin Box. It didnt mention that it was not in the original packaging. The item was loose in a reasonably sized, white gift type box.
This raises questions about this present which I purchased for my husband as a gift. I rely on Amazon for purchasing items and I have always gotten exactly what I expected. This was a disappointment and since I went through Amazon I would have expected a better description by those that use the Amazon site to list their items.
On: 2007-10-01
Clear maps; clear instruction with ample time allowed before changing direction; recalculating feature in the event one would take a wrong turn; clear voice; changing the view of the map to zoom in on intersections where one has to take a turn or a different route.
On: 2007-09-30
Excellent product and pricing. I did a lot of research prior to purchase including demos at local stores and and happy with my choice. I travel extensively and expect continued good service for many miles to come. I initially had difficulty w/ the bluetooth portion but tech support emailed me the updated software and explained its install in a timely manner. The unit is well made and not at all flimsy, like others on the market.
On: 2007-09-28
Have been using this for a few weeks now and overall is value for the discounted Amazon price. The traffic feature is mostly useless in the NY area. WHere there is traffic there are no alerts and where there are alerts there is no traffic.
Besides that the only other issue that Garmin needs to sort out is that once a route is decided, it does not necessarily take the fastest or best route if we turn off or miss a turn. It only finds a way back to the original route. Not all bad however, because one of the most important features of the GPS is having the ability to find your way back in an unknown area is veru useful.
On: 2007-09-28
Very fast shipment, came on date as promised! Fantastic product! I just moved to a new city, and there is no way I could have gotten around without getting lost without the Garmin C550! It has saved me so much time driving and has also gotten me out of a few traffic jams! Love it!
:-)
On: 2007-09-19
Im not an early adopter, and could have gone through life just fine without one of these, but... my away-at-college, freshman daughter called last week wanting to visit a friend in another city over fall break. Shes never driven cross-country alone, and never been to the city she wants to drive to next week, and shes only been driving for two years... "hmmm, sounds like a good excuse to try out one of those Garmin things," I thought. A friend put me on to Garmins stock last November, Ive almost tripled my money in that investment, so I thought it was worth looking into... if the stocks doing that well, there must be something to the product, right?
Im completely sold on these things, and although I was confused before purchase, simply because of the huge number of devices offered by Garmin, I think I made the right choice. As far as I can tell, this model is the least expensive one that comes with Bluetooth capability. I find that very handy. Not only can you talk on your cell phone through the c550 as if it were a speaker-phone, make & receive calls as well as text messages, it will also load your cell phones phone book... you can scroll down the list of names & numbers in your cell phone right on the Garmins touch-screen... much easier to do when driving than having to look down at your phone. Even better, this device can connect to as many as 5 different bluetooth devices (one at a time). Every member of my immediate family now has their cell-phone tied to the Garmin... you can switch whats "Bluetoothed" to the Garmin via a few strokes on the touch-screen... very easy to do.
My only gripes are these: the info is a little dated... for example, some restaurants shown in the c550 dont exist any more, in some cases for a year or more... maybe they should try to update that list as often as they update the street maps. That doesnt bother me a great deal, but some. The only real gripe I have is that the speakers dont work as well as I wish they did. In a really, really quiet car, theyre fine. You dont have to turn the Garmins volume up all the way and you can hear as well as understand the directions. In a car that has the least bit of road noise, like mine, I have to turn up the volume all the way, so that the speech comes out a little distorted, and it makes me think I may blow the speakers by keeping it turned up to max. volume all the time. The speakers are on the sides of the device, toward the back... I assume they were too big to put on the front of the box, but where they are now aims them at the sides of the car... if they cant be in front, would they be better in the back if they were aimed at the windshield? Maybe more sound would bounce off the windshield back to me better? Ill leave that to Garmins designers... its something that would improve the device in my opinion.
All-in-all, very happy. This is one cool, useful gadget. Love the Bluetooth capability, dont really need the mp3 player. This is a very, very easy device to use too.
On: 2007-09-19
I have had the c550 for a few weeks now and love the Bluetooth capability. The maps are right on and easy to read. The traffic alerts that came with the unit are not as accurate. It will alert me to an accident up ahead but when I reach that point there is no sign of it. Unless the traffic reports become more accurate, I will not spend the $60 for a yearly subscription. Other than that I highly recommend it.
On: 2007-09-15
I do not have the worlds best sense of direction and I am a lousy map-reader. So this type of product is a lifesaver for me. I chose Garmin because my husband and I have had good experiences with other Garmin products. I chose this particular model because it had the features I wanted without too many extras to drive the price up. I did not need to spend an extra $200.00 for a photo viewer, e-book reader, etc. I just want it to tell me how to get where I am going, and that, it does.
The features for which I bought it include the glare resistant screen, Bluetooth compatibility and Text-to-Speech. (TTS means is says street names when it is telling you to turn.) The screen works well in all lighting conditions and the volume is amply loud, even in traffic. I havent set up the Bluetooth yet, so I cant say how well it works. (I dont honestly know that I will, but I want to know that I can.) The voice isnt unduly mechanical and I feel more confident when it tells me the street name before a turn. You can set it so that it will "Ding" before its spoken warnings, but it has not been needed thus far.
It has a few quirks. First of all, it is bulkier than some other units. (It cost less, so I could live with that.) If you go off-route, it says "Recalculating" in a voice that slows down just slightly, giving me the impression that I have annoyed it. (Its an electronic "Jewish Mother")
It does not always pick the route I would have picked on my own. Thats not that big a problem, because it will recalculate and in any event, it will get you where you need to be. All in all, it is a good product that keeps me from getting lost.
On: 2007-09-14
The Garmin c550 is a great navigator but the points of interest are dated and may lead you to places that do not exist or are clearly wrong. My suggestion is if youre not familair with the location call using the bluetooth function. Its made easy b/c the phone #s are given and a couple of button presses away from a ring.
Also I have a Verizon Motorola Q and the bluetooth works great with phonebook and all.
On: 2007-09-10
This is a terrific product that does what it is supposed to do. I brought the C550 for my wifes birthday and she loves it. I got the C550 because of the built in BlueTooth connection to her cell phone. She keeps the phone in her purse sitting on the floor of the truck and when a call comes in or she wants to make a call, she just pushes a button on the C550 and it brings up her address book. She can touch the screen when the correct name appears and the system does the rest. The day after we got the GPS we went on a 1300 mile trip and it never missed a beat. The lady that speaks to you seems to get irritated if you dont turn when she tells you too. Example, we were in Williamsburg, Va. looking for a place to eat. We punched up fast food and saw a McDonalds and told Millie (thats the name of the GPS - you gota name her!) but just before we were supposed to turn on the street for the McDonalds we saw a Chick-Filet and kept going, boy did she get mad she kept saying "Re-calculating turn around in 500 feet) - Great product - good price if you look around the internet.
On: 2007-09-07
This is the greatest GPS I have ever owned or rented from Hertz or Avis. Right out of the box and I was good to go. Lots of excellent features and up to date software. I was cruising cornfields in IL on county roads with corn taller than my car on both sides and I ended right where I wanted to be. So very simple to use, too. The estimated arrival time feature is great. I recommend this GPS to anyone needing an automotive GPS.
On: 2007-09-06
Ill echo any positives that I read before deciding to buy - the c550 (my first gps) worked easily and immediately right out of the box, etc. - without ever having seen a gps, you use this intuitively. Mine was purchased in August, came with maps and software up-to-date; but going to the Garmin website was easy as well, downloaded some extras (nothing important).
But heres my story from our first real use of it this past Labor Day weekend. Returning to Connecticut from New Jersey on Friday, we were on a course to hit the usual parking lot on the G.Washington Bridge - turned on the radio advisory way ahead to hear that its a 2-hr delay going over the bridge. Heard from someone at a rest-stop that the Tappanzee was just as bad so dont bother, sister-in-law at the same rest-stop making basically the same trip said she was just going to get in line and deal with it. To make a long story short, we decided to just let the Garmin take over and avoid traffic. It took us off the turnpike (saying that it was recalculating the route to avoid traffic tie-up), worked us through a couple little N.J. towns (during which we kept passing on-ramps full of parked cars), and got us over the bridge in maybe 20-30 minutes. As we approached the Connecticut border, called sis-in-law to see where she was - she was still in traffic not even yet in sight of the bridge.
Aside from my traffic story, I love this little machine anyway. Oh, and dont be an idiot like I was on the first try - use the locking lever on the suction cup mount (duh) to lock that baby down (could that mistake be why people are complaining about the mount?). Its not going anywhere...
On: 2007-09-05
This is a wonderful little machine. I dont know how I functioned without it. It is so easy to use, and the directions are wonderful. The screen is clear and easy to read. This was an excellent purchase. Highly recommended!
On: 2007-09-04
Great product. Easy to use. I truly did just have to plug it in. It took me where I wanted to go no matter how many wrong turns I made.
On: 2007-09-04
I was working in Auburn AL and did not know my way around. I was backing tracking all the time wasting time that I really did not have. I spoke with my supervisior about getting a gps and he said that was fine. A co-worker of mine had recently purchased a garmin 550 and loved it so I got one. It has been great. It doesnt do that well on detours but it has been a great investment.
On: 2007-08-28
I live in Queens, NY and drive in high traffic areas in the Metropolitan Area.
I purchased a Magellan GPS and ended up returning it two weeks later. It had an old POI database...and seemed to think that everywhere in NYC was New York...which was frustrating.
I rented a 340 Streetpilot in Florida several months back and loved it... I ended up buying the 550 for a bit more money because of the spoken street names and built in FM receiver.
The POI database in the 550 is amazing! I have yet to look for something that it hasnt found... I purchase one for my 90something year old grandparents. They love it. I just purchased one for a friend of mine.
Another friend borrowed it and took it to Utah. It was fabulous. They were able to find lodging, restaurants, you name it..with minimal issues.
I have had very few issues with the 550. Once it wanted me to get on a bridge in Manhattan instead of taking an Avenue..which was totally wrong...however, its always accurate otherwise (and this was a complicated intersection). I HIGHLY recommend it. Im the most geographically challenged person..and I no longer worry about a thing. Well worth every penny!
On: 2007-08-26
I have been pleasantly surprised by this GPS. I expected a great product, but this is even better than I expected. The item arrived quickly and was exactly as advertised.
On: 2007-08-26
Ive had the unit for about 6 months. The unit no longer charges properly when plugged in unless the connector is wiggled for a while. Also, the directions can be off frequently (takes me off the freeway on the exit and then takes me right back in).
On: 2007-08-23
I purchased this GPS as a gift for family. The only complaint I received was that the power ran down quickly during use, but I called the Garmin help line and they sent me out a new car charger. The system is fun to use and easy to learn.
On: 2007-08-23
I have only had my c550 for a couple of weeks so I havent had the opportunity to fully use it. However, so far I think its great. It is very easy to set up right out of the box (the instruction manual is very detailed and easy to follow). It is also very simple to use.
This is also my first experience with a GPS so I have nothing to compare it to. I bought this particular unit because I didnt want to spend a fortune but I did want the text to voice feature. None of the less expensive models have text to voice. Also, based on reviews I had read in tech publications, Garmin uses a better map set than other companies.
On a recent road trip that included multiple destinations the c550 worked almost flawlessly. I set it for "fastest route" and it delivered; sometimes taking me off the main highways for short cuts through some back roads.
I only encountered two problems. At one point it tried to send me down a one way street the wrong way. However, when I declined to do that it immediately recalculated and sent me off in the right direction.
The other problem was also minor on this trip because I had a general familiarity with the area, but could be a problem in unfamiliar territory. As I said, one reason I bought the c550 was for the text to voice capability. I wanted this so that it would give me the names of the streets (i.e. tell me to turn right on Main St. in .2 miles rather than just tell me to turn right in .2 miles). The c550 does just that but what was a problem is that it gives you the name of highways rather than their route numbers. For example, it referred to Route 1 as the Blue Star Memorial Highway. Unfortunately, all signs refer to the highway by its route number. In fact, I didnt see any signs that Blue Star Memorial Highway. This could be a bit confusing if you were not aware of the highways name as well as its route number. I would find it much easier if the device used route numbers where they exist.
The bluetooth connection could also be useful. I didnt have the chance to use it so I really cant comment on it. However, I find the mp3 player to be useless. My car has something called a stereo that works much better. I think it would be better to drop the mp3 bit and lower the price by a few bucks.
However, overall Im very happy with the unit and think that it is well worth the price. The few extra dollars I spent on this unit was well worth it.
On: 2007-08-22
I am new to the GPS world and have always thought owning one would be a good idea. I shopped around and found the best price on this model and ordered mine. Recd quickly and once I had it, took no time to set up. Attached mount to windshield, plugged in TMS receiver, and away I went. I also use the Bluetooth functionality and it works great. I use this every day on my daily commute and the traffic feature has helped me to avoid a massive tie up within a week of purchase. The traffic feature is handy when you are either approaching a tie up, or are already in it. I was already in it because as soon as I entered the highway it was jammed up. The unit told me that there was accident 8 miles ahead and that there were 3 different traffic warning due to this accident. I used the detour feature to have the unit send me off the highway. The alternate route was slower and the unit warned me of this, but at least I was moving when I took the alternate route.
I used this in NJ on a recent trip and was surprised that it did not suggest the route that I was taking. The unit wanted me to go on local roads at times instead of the main int | | |
