Review on Renewed Garmin DriveSmart 65 Premium Navigator with Alexa from Amazon - Model 010-N2153-00 by Carlos Burrows

Pros: *The display is large and clear. * Lane handling is as good as I've seen. * Design variances seem to update quickly (as far as I can tell from my limited testing). *Software can be updated over Wi-Fi, no need to connect to a computer. * When changing route due to blocked traffic (accident), it goes fine and fast. *The manual is integrated into the software. Difficult to read while driving. You wouldn't do that, would you? Please say "no". * You know, features that are just plain handy for GPS. Bad: * I can't get a consistent volume from the device. Sometimes it's loud and unmistakable, sometimes you can hardly hear a whisper. The volume also changes while driving. You can verbally ask to change the volume, but it doesn't seem to help much. This may or may not be operator error (me). *I don't know why the GPS manufacturers keep putting suction cup mounts in the box. I haven't owned a car with a suction cup on the dash in over 25 years and states are starting to ban windshield mounts. Who knew you had to look through your windshield to drive. How do you know which states don't like windshield mounts? Don't worry, a nice officer will stop you and tell you if this is a problem. Aftermarket mounts are available, some inexpensive and some not so much. * This item is quite large, so depending on your vehicle's interior, you may have trouble finding the right place for it. Cut out a sheet of paper or cardboard the same size as the screen and use it to ensure the item fits your car well. Uh---: You can connect this to Alexa on your Android smartphone, for example. or maybe your computer tower if you're looking for something crazy. I didn't find any real use in the Alexa connectivity, it seems to duplicate the functions already present on the GPS (calling, listening to music ---), on the other hand I've only had this GPS for a couple of weeks, so there is probably more to learn. I doubt the Alexa connection was made just to be cute, it probably has a purpose I haven't found yet. * I don't think entering routes and stops along the route is particularly intuitive. I did it for a 2 hour drive with 5 stops along the way. It worked fine once I entered everything, but it was tedious to keep a record. I now enter addresses and save them in advance so I can select them on the go, rather than trying to type everything in at once before starting a trip. This method may be more useful for people with short attention spans like me, you never know when you'll have to stray to see the world's largest potato chips that look exactly like President Millard Fillmore's buffalo. This review was written after about two weeks of use. sometimes under stress (needing to go to the ER, new construction, new small country roads --- so after using GPS for a month or more I'll probably get a little smarter and realize that things that don't seem so obvious aren't actually that bad. I would buy it again or recommend it to a friend It has a lot of nice features, a great display and if you can read the instructions I think you'll like it.