lemuzz

Could anyone advise the list of current 2010 Garmin Automobile models. There are lots of model numbers being sold new which don't appear on the Garmin brochures or on Garmins website

HumVee

lemuzz, that's because retailers are clearing out their inventory of purchased Garmin stock. Garmin is no longer making those models, but vendors may have warehouses full. There's no problem with purchasing these, as they still have full warranty, and are new enough to accept the current generation of road map products (City Navigator NT, as opposed to the older City Navigator maps).

All of the automobile models shown on Garmin's website are "current models," still being manufactured and sold. If you're asking what models are brand spanking new, those would be the nüvi 1450, 1490T & 1690.

lemuzz

Thanks HumVee. It is confusing with so many models to choose from when, with your explanation it is only 3 in fact. I can now go to the retailer and put pressure on to get a good deal.

HumVee

Perhaps it's a matter of perspective. I can see why you choose to think of the 1450, 1490T & 1690 as Garmin's only "current models," since they're the latest to be introduced. But I don't think Garmin would agree with you. I think from their perspective, they have 25 "current models" (not including the GVN 53, which is a specialized device meant to be plugged into existing car A/V systems).

Garmin lists 52 "discontinued models" (again, not including products that don't have a built in display). What I was trying to say is that any "brand new, in the box" Garmin GPS models you find in a store that don't show up on Garmin's current listings are discontinued models - and as such you might be able to argue for discount. They'd still be good units to purchase (assuming they have the features you want), and would still have full Garmin 1 year warranty.

I think that with the wealth of options available from Garmin (not even including options from other makers), you'd be best off developing a list of "must have" features for your GPS shopping, and then narrow your list down to models that have those features. For instance, I see that you are a Kiwi. As such, you might want to only look at models that come with a New Zealand road map. If you start with that criteria, your list narrows down considerably:

Current models:

• Preloaded with New Zealand and Australia road maps:
  • nüvi 1250 - SKU # 010-00783-22
  • nüvi 1260T - SKU # 010-00783-18
  • nüvi 1300 - SKU # 010-00782-4F
  • nüvi 1390T - SKU # 010-00782-05
• Preloaded with New Zealand or Australia road maps:
  • nüvi 255 - NZ SKU # 010-00717-23, AU SKU # 010-00717-22
  • nüvi 255W - NZ SKU # 010-00718-23, AU SKU # 010-00718-22
  • nüvi 265T - NZ SKU # 010-00576-16, AU SKU # 010-00576-1C
  • nüvi 500 - NZ SKU # 010-00700-21, AU SKU # 010-00700-20
• Preloaded with Australia road maps only:
  • nüvi 265WT - SKU # 010-00575-1C
  • nüvi 765T - SKU # 010-00715-24
  • nüvi 1490T - SKU # 010-00810-03
  • nüvi 5000 - SKU # 010-00639-02

Recent but discontinued models: 0! This surprised me...but it may just be that Garmin didn't bother to list the versions/SKU's of models that were available with maps other than North America and Europe.

Of course, you could purchase any Garmin road GPS, and then load it up with City Navigator Australia & New Zealand NT CD-ROM, but that would represent an extra expense ($112 US with free shipping from Amazon.com).

My personal favorite of all the above listed models is the nüvi 500, because this model is IPX7 water & dust resistant, has a user replaceable battery (very handy in a few years, when the battery dies and needs to be replaced - all the other models have to be disassembled or shipped to a shop), and supports Routes (which allows you to pre-plan and store routes on your GPS - models without Route capability would require you to program your destination & via points in each time). This means that you could use your n500 in your car, on your motorcycle, in your kayak and for short hikes without having to worry about it getting ruined by the weather. It is the only nuvi (except it's North America / Europe only sibling, the n550) that has this ability. That puts in the same toughness class as Garmin's zūmo line of motorcycle GPS units - but at a fraction of the price (but also without all the extra accessories and features).

So you see, searching for the right GPS unit isn't as easy as all that. If you have any "must have" features, and would like additional advice on which GPS unit might suit, please let us know!

HumVee

Wow! I enjoy doing this kind of research, because I usually learn something new as well. For instance, I just learned that the n500 does paperless GeoCaching! My kids and I love to geocache, and if I'd known this when I first started researching and buying GPS units, I probably would have bought an n500/n550 instead of a GPSMAP 76CSx to be the backup to my zūmo 660. Don't get me wrong - I really like my 76CSx, and appreciate it's features (including long battery life & using AA batteries), but for 90% of what I do with the kids the n500 would have been perfect....

Also, I discovered this little flash video highlighting some of the features of the n500. I've never noticed a "Demo" link for any of Garmin's other devices. I'll have to keep an eye out for it....

dav

I'm glad you are doing this kind of research, HumVee. I was interested in paperless geocaching models when the Oregon/Colorado came out, but hadn't looked into it recently. I'll have to look more closely at the n500.

HumVee

Thanks, dav! It kept my hands and mind busy, while I was waiting for my sister in Paris to respond to my instant messages!

I use the 76CSx for geocaching, but had no idea how little information would be downloaded to the device. I ended up having to print out notes and carry them along with us. Having all the geocache data downloaded to the handheld would have been far more convenient!

HumVee

lemuzz, did I offend you with my "Kiwi" comment? If so, please accept my appologies. I did not think of that term as a pejoratve - but rather a common nickname, just as people from the USA are often referred to as Yanks or Yankies. If I didn't offend you, and you've just been playing with your new GPS - then I'm wondering which GPS unit you ended up with....