Review on Garmin nüvi 1300LM 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator: Discontinued by Manufacturer - Best deals, Reviews, and more by David Dugas

My previous GPS was a Magellan Roadmate 2000 which is a few years old. When he started guiding me through parking lots using the shortest possible route, I knew it was time to replace him. I had my eye on it for months before moving on to this particular GPS. So many bad reviews put me off many other models. The Megellan line performed well but seemed limited, even limited. I was ready for something new. This fits the bill. The first thing you'll notice are the physical aspects: it's small, although the screen is a good size. The mount is compact. Much smaller than Magellan. I can pack all of the GPS and related gear into a small camera bag. Very good. There is a metal frame around the GPS module. It's loosely mounted and I can see it falling if it ever fell off. The power cord is long enough if you need to mount it far from an outlet. The mount works very well despite being small. I recently cleaned the windshield with a special cleaner which made it very slick and the Magellan mount struggled to hold on but the Garmin held up straight. Power connects from the back rather than the side, which seems odd. The only thing is you just need to connect the power supply before installing the GPS on the mount. The screen is the right size. Not too small, but not too big either. Online: This device, like other Garmin GPS devices, has additional online features that you can download for your device. I really like it because it allows you to keep your device "fresh". You can upload different vehicles to represent your vehicle on the map. And you can add other voices if you get tired of the ones that come with it. The online ones are incredibly annoying, but you still have a choice. You can even download the program for free to use your own voice. There are even games for your GPS if you want. All very good options, although I don't intend to use them. Of course, the ability to update the map 4 times a year is great. Actual Usage: I found it odd how the program was designed to add waypoints. If you need to enter more than one, you'll have to go back and go through the menu again. Given that I only added a few locations for my initial setup and don't expect to do so again, it doesn't matter. It takes some time before the device locks onto the satellites for the first time. It actually takes longer to calculate the route than it did on my old Magellan. This gives you a countdown while the route is calculated. The screen scrolls smoothly as you move around the map. The screen shows a lot of information, including current speed, and updates quickly. If you deviate from the route, it tells you to recalculate instead of clearing the screen like Magellan did. Forwarding is quick. One feature I really like is the voice. He is good at pronouncing street names. He speaks quickly and naturally most of the time. And informative without skimping on reprimands. Speech becomes a little slurred, but not annoying. I wish he had given me directions a little sooner as I approached the turnoff. He waits until I'm near the turnoff, which isn't good when you're on the freeway. Estimates of expected arrival times need to be improved. They have an ETA on screen (which I really like) but it seems to think I should be a speed demon and never stop at a traffic light. Even with a 5-10 mph speed limit on a long drive, ETA calculated I would arrive 10 minutes early for my 100 minute drive. But the way back was flawless and I drove closer to the speed limit. Find out. The calculated route gives slightly different results than Magellan. He did a good job laying out routes that avoided slow sections and traffic lights. Old Magellan always had a different way back than the way to the goal. Garmin doesn't do that. I've noticed that lane names sometimes flip and rotate on screen when you're on a winding road or the lane is at an odd angle. It can be distracting. It shows my own house across the street, so the map is inaccurate as well. Conclusion: I like this GPS very much. It has a few things that seem quirky, but it works well and I enjoy using it. There is nothing wrong with that that would make this device difficult or even useless. and it's user friendly. You'll have to take a little time to figure out how it's organized if you haven't had a Garmin before. I think this is a good buy and the price is not bad for what you get. I expect to enjoy it for many years to come.