What GPS/NAV are you using in your Gen 2?

• Indash?
• External mount (on the dash, on the windshield)?
• Factory/aftermarket?
• Do you prefer one brand over another?
• What feature is missing from yours that you most want?

...and feel free to post pics of what you have, how it's mounted, etc.

I have three new Garmin units incoming for our car, the truck and my motorcycles, and I'm always intrigued when I see how/where people mount their GPSs...

I think the "perfect" location would be an on-demand heads up display, allowing you to remain focused on the road ahead.

But given THAT doesn't exist, I was thinking of trying up next to the rearview mirror now that I've installed the riser bracket.

I've seen them down low on the left, between the A pillar and gauge cluster hump.

Seen them way forward on the dash wedged between the glass and dash.

Seen the bean bag mounts (I don't use them) and the suction cups.

What I'd like and haven't seen, is a dash-top unit that holds the GPS in place by allowing it to slide in from the top - sort of like a "hump" on the dash for the GPS to reside in.

Post 'em if you got 'em!

 

The perfect setup would be 'factory' - but since I don't have that ...

I run with a Garmin Nuvi 2450. The Garmin sits in a mount from ProClip. I'd post a picture of it, but its been discontinued....
But for location: http://www.lieblweb.com/cpg/albums/ToyotaTacoma/2007Tacoma/normal_IMG_8020.JPG

I also use my cell phone (iphone) for turn-by-turn directions. My cell phone mounts to another mount from Mountek. Very slick.... Attaches to the CD slot.


And if I wasn't using both of these...I'd probably just use the Mountek. A good thing about the Garmin Nuvi, is that I can load thousands and thousands of POI's in it (geocaches). Depending on the situation, whether I'll use the phone or the Nuvi.

 

GARMIN Nuvi... get one with lifetime maps... great units. Mine uses a windshield mount... but there are lots of options to mount it...

I've had built in Nav in other cars (Honda Civic SI)... but i regret spending the bucks... its MUCH more expensive up front, and the updated maps are over $150 each time you want to upgrade...

 

So I finally got a chance to use the factory unit that came with Entune to go from Dallas to Ozona, TX. I compared it to Google maps. When I had cell phone coverage (once I headed south of I-35 it got sketchy), I'd say Google was better. The in-car unit did some weird on/off the highway stuff that was wrong. It did keep me on the right road, but it wanted me to exit and then get back on the highway. I'm giving it a 8 out of 10 at this point.

I have used it quite a bit in the DFW metroplex and it's pretty good. The only glitch there is that we have so much construction that the map programs can't keep up with changing off-ramps, etc. I don't know about where you guys live, but there is basically a boom going on here. Every road is under construction + they are building houses, apartments, warehouses, it's insane. New roads all over the place.

 

When I need it, my Samsung Note II is a great Nav system!

 

Garmin nüvi 2797LMT 7-Inch Portable Bluetooth Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps and Traffic​

I love this GPS. It seems that they have upgraded the suction cup mount for the windshield because it has yet to fall off (Now watch.. I'll go out in the morning and it will be laying in the floor). I paid the extra $4 for the weather info and it is great while traveling. We took it to Colorado last month and it never gave us a wrong direction. Can't ask for much more than that.

Real Time Weather Map





​

 

A Galaxy Nexus with Google Maps/My Tracks.

I haven't yet decided if I eat to buy a fully dedicated GPS unit.

 

Just got this new-fangled thing from Rand McNally called a map. Not sure how to mount it though.

 

I was undecided also. I have always had a Garmin unit but the last one that I bought didn't have the lifetime map updates and it was 4 years out of date. I think they wanted something like $75 IIRC for a update and I said screw it and just used my Galaxy Note II for a while. It worked great and hell the screen was bigger than my last Garmin. But then they came out with this new unit and I have been really happy with it. It is bluetooth enabled and has a dedicated app for your phone so you can use it as a hands free phone while in the car. That's a pretty nice feature to have along with the real time traffic and weather. Of course my phone did all that stuff too but I just got tired of taking on and off the mount on the windshield (Yeah... I'm that lazy lol). Plus I just like buying shit

 

What the hell is a "map"??? You have peaked my interest!

 

Have you heard of http://www.pilotshop.com/pilot-supplies-kneeboards-c-55_57.html Boone Taco? Heh

In all seriousness though, I'm using a portable Garmin Nuvi while I wait for my Alpine INE-Z928HD unit to show up. I used the Garmin for a while and was happy that I could load up other countries maps to it, unfortunately my overseas PCS got axed so I get to dump more of my hard earned money into toys for my toy.

-J

 

I have a Rand Mcnally unit that works wonderful. It knows practically everything about anywhere

 

I think it's an app on my iPhone?

But seriously, I use my iPhone if I can't figure out where I'm going...

 

Oh... Good! At least there is a app for it. I was worried for a sec.

 

I don't think there's a 'street navigator' that will ever work perfectly - or - as you would expect it to work.

Aside from the Garmin, our cell phone has both Google and Iphone navigation and my husband has Sat/Nav in his Acura. The good thing - they'll all get you where you want to go. Since we use all 4 at certain times - its easy to take notice to the good/bad in each. They all have their pros/cons.

We've been running with Garmin Nuvi's for a many years. Our first unit had an internal issue that we fixed, but we couldn't rely on it (it's a spare). Our 2nd unit - after 2 years - I hooked it up to the computer to get a firmware updates, and it didn't work right since (kept rebooting itself over & over again). It was out of warranty. I ended up sending it back to Garmin and paying 1/2 cost of a new one for a replacement. We use our Nuvi hard....and we load it with 6000 POI's. We also have 2 Garmin handheld units. They are also quirky at times but mostly related to firmware glitches.

We tried looking at other brands - and it seems Tom Tom & Megellan are the only other 'big' street navigators out there. Tom Tom doesn't have geocaching support (like Garmin does) and Megellan gets bad reviews (that I saw). I just wish Garmin had a more reliable firmware. They make updates to fix other issues, which creates new issues etc.

Just some friendly feedback....

 

Factory in-dash for the Tacoma. We have 2 Garmin Nuvi's for our other cars.

 

I like that weather feature! That looks like a tv sitting on the dash though. Lol

 

I'm clearly compensating for something

 

Iphone 5.

Sync it up via bluetooth and it gives voice commands over the stereo. You never even have to look at it.