by Fred Jung

Created on: February 14, 2009

I love my Garmin StreetPilot c550. Before I had a GPS navigator, I was always getting lost or missing turns. Once I drove in the wrong direction for more than half an hour and had to drive half an hour back to where I veered off. You can't believe the words I was using when I discovered my mistake. I tried using car compasses to help me, but they all never knew where North was. One compass kept telling me I was going North no matter what direction I was driving.

One day, my wife bought the Garmin StreetPilot for my birthday through Costco. I was excited to use it. It took a while to get use to as I sometimes over-anticipated a turn and turned too early. Or I would zone out and miss it when it announces the next turn.

The interface is very easy to use and understand. You can view the map or choose a route. The colors are bright and easy to view when driving. Moreover, it automatically changes colors when it gets dark outside so that it won't be too bright for night driving. When looking at the screen, it is very easy to know where you are going. The voice of the navigator is very clear and you can choose many different voices. I like how you can choose different icons to represent you on the map. I had downloaded a few. I was a futuristic car, fighter plane, cannon, rocket-propelled sleigh, and a walking boy.

Many times, it has chosen very good routes and got me to my locations without a hitch. What is great is that it will tell you the approximate time you will arrive at your location and will keep updating it when you get delayed or when you are making good time. For the first three months, it warns you about traffic and informs you how much it can cause delays. Then, if possible, it gives you the option to take an alternate route. After the three months are up, you can purchase a subscription or not.

There are a couple glitches that I have experienced. When i was driving north on Route 87 to New Paltz, NY, I was supposed to exit on Exit 18. Unfortunately, the navigator told me to continue past Exit 18 and then drive 15 miles to exit 19. Then it said to turn around and drive south another 15 miles back to exit 18. I realized it after I drove past exit 18. Also, it can't find the exact location of my brother's condo and doesn't think you can turn left onto a major road near his home. So you shouldn't be completely dependent on the navigator and probably should consult a map or map website.

Overall, I am happy with this product and use it almost everyday even if I know the route. You never know when you can get lost or want to go someplace else.

Learn more about this author, Fred Jung.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.