GPS Devices Life

Well Designed - Nicely Done, Garmin - Garmin StreetPilot® c330 Car GPS Receiver Though I've only had mine a few days, first impressions are terrific. The screen clarity is superb, the user inte...

Almost perfect GPS navigation system - Garmin StreetPilot® 2620 Car GPS Receiver The Garmin StreetPilot 2620 is very close to being a perfect car navigation systems providing accurate accessible ...

The Garmin 2620, first released almost two years ago, can now be found for less than half its original price of $1300 (as of Oct. 2005). It was one of Garmin’s first compact-size, color GPS for cars.

If you are attracted by the 2620’s low and dropping price, you should be aware of the following points before you buy.

1. This model is being discontinued by Taiwan-based Garmin. They have a new model called 2720 which has better features, including the ability to add points-of-interest (POI).

2. The 2620 does NOT have the popular 3D maps like on the 2720, the Garmin c330 (which is $100 cheaper, BTW), or the TomTom GO models. A lot of people who’ve ever used GPS units, including yours truly, just love the 3D maps. 2D just seems too stale, too crowded, too confusing.

3. The 2620’s screen is 3.7″ diagonal (Garmin claims 3.8″ on its website) but has only 256 colors. Most modern GPS units can display thousands of colors. The newer and cheaper Garmin c330 is 3.5″ diagonal but can display 65k colors and is therefore a better value. The small color palette on the 2620 means some of the map details can look a bit crude. Not a fatal flaw by any measure, but visually, it just doesn’t look great.

4. The 2620 is a bit heavy at close to 1 pound without the mounts. It’s not portable in the sense that you can’t carry it with you since it requires vehicle 12V power. In comparison, the Garmin c330 and the TomTom GO models can be carried in a pocket as they are powered by a built-in rechargeable battery.

5. The included maps may be outdated, depending on where you buy the 2620.

To be clear: I’m not saying the 2620 is a bad product. From all the resarch I’ve done, it’s clear that this is a very capable and fairly accurate product.

I decided not to buy the 2620 because, after all, it is a 2-year-old model, being discontinued, and does not have 3D maps. And its current price is not competitive with the newer c330 or competition from TomTom.

One thing I do like about the 2620 (and 2720) is it includes a beanbag friction mount. I don’t own a car, and only drive rentals (Avis), so the GPS I eventually buy must have a portable mount.

Garmin StreetPilot® 2620 Car GPS Receiver Product 010-00357-03 Key FeaturesDesignationAutomobileForm FactorFixedMap capabil...

Overall excellent - Garmin StreetPilot® 2620 Car GPS Receiver I have had a StreetPilot 2620 for over four months and have used it to get around unfamiliar cities and to drive f...

Helpful, but not Flawless - Garmin StreetPilot® 2620 Car GPS Receiver Overall, I'm happy with my purchase of the Garmin StreetPilot 2620, but the unit isn't as flawless as Garmin would...

Get a Garmin StreetPilot 2620 and never ask for directions again. - Garmin StreetPilot® 2620 Car GPS Receiver When I bought my new car, I passed on the GPS system from the factory. As the next year wore on, I was regretting...

What a Blast!! - Garmin StreetPilot® 2620 Car GPS Receiver I drive approximately 45K miles per year as a salesman in the North East and have been considering purchasing a na...

Probably the best choice for in car GPS yet! - Garmin StreetPilot® c320 Car GPS Receiver I've had this unit on loan for only a few hours, and already feel it's worth writing a review. Having used the Ga...

Garmin 2620: GPS ready to use straight out of the box. - Garmin StreetPilot® 2620 Car GPS Receiver

$150.00 for updating the mistakes? - Garmin StreetPilot® 2620 Car GPS Receiver