Review on Garmin nüvi 2495LMT GPS Navigator: Portable 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Device with Lifetime Map & Traffic Updates by Sean Powers

I've been driving my Nuvi 2495 in my Mazda Miata for about 6 weeks, mostly with the top down and I love it a lot. The screen is bright enough to be seen well even in a convertible. I like using it vertically and the screen with its icons and windows seems well thought out for vertical use. I was amazed that the voice control works even when driving on the Autobahn at 70 with the top down! POIs are very good. I don't have a problem with the traffic sign or advertisements as they are pretty harmless in my opinion. The only downside I have is that the custom itinerary planning feature could be better. One of my main purchase criteria was the pre-planned route function. I want to be able to draw a route on my computer, send it to the GPS, and the GPS will provide directions for that particular route. Well, Garmin can do it, but it's a little clunky. You must use Base Camp to plot your route, which is "just" okay. You enter your start and end points and you can drag and drop the route along the roads you want, just like on Google Maps. The problem is that every time you drag and drop your route to create it, you create a waypoint, so your journey becomes a series of mini-routes, which is very annoying as you're heading towards those irrelevant waypoints. . Also, you have to be very careful when placing this waypoint, otherwise the Garmin will steer you into a field next to the road or it will float completely. Base Camp has a feature to identify these points as "formation points, do not warn" which unfortunately the Garmin 2495 does not support. With a little refinement, Garmin could have a great device here for those of us in auto clubs who like to drive on country roads. They are close to the MHO, but not close enough. That's my five cents. Have fun driving!