Garmin StreetPilot c320 Portable GPS Navigator

Pros
- Easy to use. Almost no brainer
- Small enough to carry around
- Has alot of useful features like fiding nearest parking lot, restaurant, entertainment places, and etc...
- Bright and clear screen

Cons
- LCD is easily scrachable! put a screen protector
- Window mount sometimes fall off from the window (about 1 hr driving)
- Occational lost setalite connection. It would be good to display the predefined direction even though it lost the connection.
- Gets confused on the road when you're on a bridge and there's a road below it
- 3D is cool but I doubt anyone will use it. It's harder to see how far the next turn is.

Overall, I still think it's great GPS and will keep it for very very long time.

The C320, including the updated version 2.8, is full of imperfections and has so far 1 bug: once the gps calculates the route, it gives the estimated arrival time on the lower left corner of the screen. This time is never accurate and does NOT take into account your speed. For example, if you are stuck in traffic for 30 min, the ETA remains almost the same (the ETA can be 8:45 while the current time is 9:15!!!).
On the iQue 3600, the ETA is accurate +/- 1 min, it is constantly adjusted to the traffic and your speed.

I opted for the c320 over the c330 primaily for price, I'm not sure what the feature differences are.

The only "technical" task is loading the maps from your PC, as far as I could tell Macs are not supported by the software. The unit will only hold about 3-4 states worth of maps (not an issue for me). Physical installation is simple and the instructions are clear.

In operation the unit performed very well. The screen is clear and readable with a variety of view modes. We especially liked the voice directions which were more important to us than the visual element.

My only concern with the unit was that when you are using it for close-in street to street navigation there seemed to be a lag in announcing a turn which lead to a few missed turns. This is only an issue if you are relying on voice only.

I would purchase one again.

I bought the c320 from Amazon. This is my first GPS navigation equipment and have owned it about one month. Just took it to Dallas were driving is a real pain. I am very pleased with its functionality. It does the job. It was so nice to not have to plan every turn in advance; I could just enjoy the trip.

The screen IS big enough. The memory stick (128 megs) has enough capacity to hold Louisiana, half of texas and Arkansas. The c320 finds the satellites almost instantly. Calculations are quick. I love the dashboard feature that tells you max speed etc.

I would buy it a gain.

This unit has been easy to set up and use right from the box. The software installation instructions are clear, the start-up guide walks you through the rest of the process and within minutes I was practicing using it. I used it in the car today to find 2 new locations and had no problems whatsoever. The screen is easy to read and use. The information provided is helpful and the voice instructions are clear and easy to understand.

I've been using it for about 1 week now. Great little unit, easy to use, superior to the Quest and 2610 that I've also owned because of its faster calculation times and ease of use. Does indeed update arrival time depending on speed (at least mine does). Seems to be accurate within a couple minutes on my daily 35 minute commute. Starts the estimate based on it's internal average speeds for highways, etc, then adjusts depending on how fast you are actually driving. I would not spend the extra money on the 330. Spend a few bucks on a 512md sd card, I've tried but can't possibly think of how to use more than that on a single trip. And I would assume the sd card is a little faster than the HDD. You get more batter life, like 2x. Also, I like being able to upload favorites from the pc using the software, so the sd version is actually preferable to me. And it looks like the price is still too high here so until it comes down check out pricegrabber or nextag.

Pros
-large touchscreen
-easy to use
-portable, 8 hour battery, pocket sized (in loose pants or jacket
-fast calculation times & map drawing.
-nice mounting

cons
-no route saving or transfering, hence no waypoints can be stored in route but this is remedied simply by saving favorites and touching your favorite in route, just a little more attention requred.
-weak software.

Beats expectations. Get a 1GB SD card and you are set - with almost 3/4 of the U.S. loaded.

I bought this GPS device since I HATE getting lost. I was tired of printing out Google Maps, and then still getting lost. I took the family for a road trip and brought this along and it was flawless.
Key points:
> Very sharp and clear display.
> Easy to use. The install software was a bit slow to set up (20 minutes) but worth it, as you only have to do it ONCE!
> Offers choice of display (3-D, map, map North Up)
> Choice of voice prompts (I like the Brit English voice).
> Wide choice of maps.

It's great to drive and not worry about the directions or getting lost.

Read the rest of the reviews to learn the virtues of this device. I will not repeat them. As the title says, it is an excellent device with greate basic functionality. Let me explain what is missing:

Proper detour functionality. You can only ask it to detour from your current location. So, if you know that I-95 is at a standstill, you can't ask it to avoid I-95 until you actually drive up to it! My alternative route to work from home actually takes me initially in opposite direction. There is no way c320 would know that.

User settings could be more flexible. In Routing category you only have two options: quick route and short route. Other devices allow you to fine-tune your preferences.

No waypoints. You can't set up a route and then save it. Not a big deal for me but it is a standard functionality present in most of GPS devices.

Street names could be drawn in smaller fonts, allowing for more stret names on the screen. The map itself is not the most pleasant map to look at. Orange-yellow color scheme doesn't please the eye. I would prefer standard colors you find in your road atlas stuffed in the pocket of yours seat.

I only hope Garmin will be issuing firmware updates for c320 and does it soon.

Very nice unit for the money. You will need a 2GB SD card to fit all of the maps. (it comes wth a 128MB)The detail in maps is amazing. On a recent roadtrip into the middle of Arkansas it had dirt roads in the database! I have come to love this unit and would buy it again without a thought!!! Just bought the european software and drove 3900 miles thru Scotland and England with amazing accuracy!!!

Pros:
Neat interface
Map are accurate (so far)
Decent display
Voice commands are clear and really loud which is
more important than the display
Maps come as chunks of state, so easy to load
Suction cup is very firm

Cons:
The SD card that comes along is only 128MB
(can hold only calif maps .. )

This GPS has many pros like fast reroute calculations, nice touch screen, great visibility during day time, clear voice prompt, etc.
I can't think of any other cons except that the software it comes with can have little more functions like finding picnic spots at a given location.

I have used this system now for about 3 weeks and I have already got my money's worth. Driving was a breeze even on the Las Vegas Blvd strip. The name search came in handy several times during our trips. There were some glitches when going through underpasses or in areas where many roads (overpasses) overlapped. The system got confused and thought we had gone off route. But, those were minor. Just the time and money you will save in gas by knowing exactly where to go makes it worth it.

Voice commands, accuracy, ease of use, touch screen are all wonderful. In bright sunshine, wearing presciption sunglasses with polarized lenses I can barely see the screen. Night time use is wonderful.

I bought this GPS unit because my wife was nagging :) me to visit disneyland and hollywood in California. I wanted to drive (from phoenix, az) but concerened that we will get lost.

I was very thankful I purchased this unit because I did not expect that California streets and highways are like a maze. With this unit however I was driving like I've been living there for a long time. I was very confident I won't get lost that I deliberately go off-route.

Now, I am using it in hunting for our new home. What I do is to save all the addresses of the prospective houses to the GPS unit. Garmin will automatically sort them according to distance so your hunting will be efficient because you will be directed to the nearest point first from your present location.

Buy and try it.

This is an excellent product. We have a Garmin 530 in our plane, and this work as good for the roads ,as the 530 does the airways.


Exellent product, and very easy to program.

Thanks to the other reviewers for clarifying the difference between this unit (C320) and the C330, the C330 has a 2GB hard drive whereas the C320 uses a SD card (comes with a 128MB card). I thought my next purchase was going to be a 1 or 2 GB SD Card, until I received the unit and loaded 2/3rds of Texas onto the provided 128MB SD Card with about 65% capacity left. Why load more maps than what you'll use 99% of the time? Seems to me that searching for cities and addresses would be easier if the system had less data to wade through. If I travel out of Texas, I'll just add the additional state with a 2 minute software update and I guarantee you I'll have room left on the card. It also makes sense that battery life will be increased with the use of the SD card, rather than the 2GB micro drive of the C330, but I don't have any experiences on that yet.

Got this item less than one moth, but it faild to provide function as it promised, also it is weak in some functions.

I have owned several GPS, including Garmin iQue 3600, Quest, Navman . This C320 is not as it supposed to be. Here are its problems.

1. Easily to lose signal in city.
2. Confused directions. It told me turn right then asked me to turn left immeidately. It did not make any senses.
3. Some maps/directions are not accurate. The stree name is diffent than the one actually showed. I use V6.0 most update map.
4. In cloundy or bad weather, it really took time to get signals.
5. CAN NOT save current locations, for example, if you want to come back to your current location, there is no way to save it.
6. CAN NOT browse through map. For example, you know the place you want to go, but you don't know the exact mailing address. There is no way you can find such place through browsing map. It is useless function of browse map. Their customer support kept saying it is working, but never got a chance to use the actual item. Their knowledge is based on their web demonstration.
7. Limited POI, you can only can find nearest location, such as 2 miles, if you want to more, you have to know the name.
8. Few choices for planning trip. They only provide two choices, short time or short distance. But I found either way is not working as they support to as I know the trip.
9. The holding cup kept dropping. My car is not bad, but the holding cup keep dropping when I am in the road. Man, that's too bad. I have Navman, which never drop!
10. No via point. For example, if you want to go to point A before point B. You have to put point a as destination, then when you arrive you have to put point B as destination. There is no function let you put them in one time and allow GPS to caculate an effeicient way to route.
11. It is REALLY HARD to see it under sunny day. It is bad than Navman. In CA, it is almost impossible to see it under such Sunny day! Also the holding cup is aweful to adjust to find a good way to view. Who design it?!!

I may be picky for this product, but you should get a sold production for over $400 bucks! But it is a not too bad GPS for beginner user!

I have an Infinity FX with the in-house nav system so I have experience with these things. The c320 is a great unit for the price. Only two criticisms so far. The screen is too dim on a bright day and there's no "via" (waypoint) capability when putting in a destination. But, it doesn't cost a thousand bucks + either. I think it's a great value but it's a little disappointing the engineers didn't put in quite enough daylight screen brightness.

I read all the reviews, fretted over the choice between a handheld 76CS and the c320 and finally figured I'd be better of with a dedicated car navigation unit instead of a one size (tries) to fit all.

The c320 didn't quite work out of the box; it insisted that it needed to be connected to a PC to install the maps. That all worked flawlessly. The unit is quick, calculates good routes and the detours are usually pretty good alternatives.

The only reason I didn't give this unit a 5 start rating is that occasionally it can take a minute or so to acquire satellites, especially in remote areas. Also when you take it of the mount and place it back it forgets what city you entered last time which can be somewhat annoying if you do this a lot.

I definitely recommend this as an easy to use, no techno-frills device. Am planning on buying a bigger SD card and getting the Europe maps when we go on our next trip to Europe

This would be a 5 star unit if you can see the screen. Between the shiny screen surface (too much glare) and lack of brightness...I could hardly see the screen on sunny day..Very unhappy with the screen. I spend more time adjusting the unit to see it than where I am going...Also...picks up major glare from the dashboard. Hard to believe this thing was field tested and released with this set up. Other than that..very easy to use...great touchscreen...everything else is great..but whats the sense in having a screen you can not see. Also..they shade out all the surrounding roads in a pale yellow so only the main road you are on is dark...again..in the daylight..these roads are basically gone on the screen..One last thing, if you wear polarized sunglasses..forget it.. It cuts down on the screen glare..but for whatever reason..also takes the brightness down even more..and you can barely see anything.. I will try the roadmate 300..heard it has a much better screen.

UPDATE- atfter 9 months of very little use..the battery died just when we needed it..on a trip in unfamiliar grounds. I got a refurb unit back from Garmin that looked like it was used hard..Mine was used very little and babied..not a mark on it..I wish they would just fix the originals and stop doing this refurb thing..I like to know the history of what I have. I know it is more efficient to go the refurn route but I would have waited the extra time it took to repair mine.

I had this unit for one week. I live in NJ. The supplied SD card enought only for part of NJ and NY. The unit doesn't create the new route instead of previous one, if you desided to turn somewhere on the middle. It keep trying to bring you back to the place where you made unwanted by that software move.
Map is also very bad. It doesn't have a lot of destination point, which existed for decades. Since Garmin use the same software for ALL their products, I would NOT suggest to buy their products. Look for Pharos, instead. Their software is much, much better.

I tend to be quite critical when it comes to products, but I have to say, the C320 blew me away. This easily ranks as one of the best products I have ever bought. I have had it for several weeks now and it still brings a smile to my face when I use it.

First off, the touch screen is a MUST for this type of product. Initially I thought a button interface would be OK, but I was very wrong. There are many "hot spots" on the screen, and the device always seems to know what I want when I touch a certain location. This ease of use is simply unobtainable with buttons. Whatever you do, if you are in the market for an in-car navigation system, get a touch screen.

On to specifics. The unit is very well made and has a quality feel to it. Setup took some time - the desktop companion application was not as easy to use as the device itself - but I did manage to load up maps for Maine, Vermont, NH, Mass, Conn and RI in the provided 128MB card. NY would not fit in the remaining space. My biggest complaint so far is that the database is not up-to-date. We were looking for a highly regarded seafood restaurant which it had in its database. We blindly followed its directions and it led us to a vacant lot where the restaurant used to be. There have also been one or two times when it suddenly blurted "off route - recalculating" while we were traveling along a straightaway on a divided highway. Turns out the highways had been re-routed a little and the device was still tracking the old path. I went to the web to download updates for the maps but could not find any for the C320 (the one I found said excludes 320). I don't know why that would be, but I am hoping an update will be available soon (or, if already available, hopefully I will stumble across it ;-).

Aside from the occassional map discrepancies this product is perfect. The voice directions are excellent, clear and timely. I love how it gives you a heads up "keep right, exit right in 1.5 miles" and when you are approaching a fork in the road it always tells you well in advance to "keep left or keep right". The database is amazing. And I can't emphasize enough its ease of use. The windshield mount works well, but the provided dashboard mount is a permanent fixture. I have ordered a different dashboard mount (removable) for my other car so I can easily move the device between vehicles.

The smallish 128MB card is more than big enough to hold several states. There are several advantages that I can see to the solid state memory of the C320 vs the hard drive capacity of the C330. First, searches are faster because they are searching significantly less data. Second, battery life is better. Third, I expect the C320 to be more reliable than the C330. Lastly, it's hundreds cheaper! If capacity is a problem, 1GB cards are $60 on sale, and would presumably have enough space for at least half the country (6 states in 128MB, 1GB is 8 times larger).

If you are in the market for a nav system you cannot go wrong with this device. Highly recommended.

I like the quick reroute or detour button. Very useful when you run into road constructions or roadblock in area that you are not familiar. The POI(Points of Interest) is great. Map software is up to date & excellent. Response time from power on to aquire satellite signal is almost instantaneous(1~3sec). Birdeye view angle is not adjustable, so certain area in busy streets will make it hard to read. The direction arrow is way bigger than it should be. Speaker volume is good but when cranking up the volume the difference in loudnest from let's say 80% loudness to 100% is very different in loudness, the volume adjustment are not granular or smooth. 20% to 80% loudness is almost hard to distinguish. The size claim to be portable, but still too thick to in glove box. Dash mount has a very good & strong suction cup. But the wire is built in to the mount, so you can't remove it if you want to. It's not bad, but not great either. I still like my Navman ICN 510 better.

After using the GPS navigation system that came with my car, my wife decides she wants one also. So knowing my wife and after doing some research we decided on the Garmin StreetPilot c320. We got it for the price, size, features, and I have a Garmin eTrex Legend so I'm very familiar with that brand. We chose the c320 over the c330 because of the $100+ price difference and especially because you get the freedom of loading in only the states/provinces you need. Also since you load the maps using the CD, you can every easily load updated maps using any future updated CD's. I don't know how you would do it when the maps are stored in the internal hard drive like the c330. Also it takes a lot less power to read off of the SD card than a hard drive so the battery will last longer per charge. The unit came with just a 128 mb card and that wasn't enough for us as we travel up to Canada quite often and we live in the NJ just outside of the NY metro area so just by having those two state in the memory card, that doesn't leave much room for much more and that just won't work for us because we ski in the New England states all the way up to Maine and we go to Florida quite often so we'll need maps for those areas. So I got a 512 mb card [...] and I was able to get all the states on the east coast plus Vermont, Hew Hampshire and Ontario Canada including Hamilton and Toronto. So after the setup I compared it with the GPS navigation system that came with my 2005 Honda Accord with the latest DVD mapping software. I found that for the most part they were identical. They both took me through the same route with some minor variations. What I liked about the Garmin is that when you get closer to the next turn it will zoom in closer for greater details of the streets. Then after the turn it will zoom back out to get a greater view. Another thing I like about the Garmin is that it seems to have more Points of Interests (POI) than my car's system. For example, I belong to a Tennis and Fitness club. I don't know the address but knew the name of the club. With the Garmin I was able to search for it using the different categories under Athletic Clubs. The club wasn't even in my car's navigation data base. The only thing I wish the Garmin can do that my car's navigation does is show you the list of turns and roads it plans to take you and the distance away your destination is from your current location. My wife is learning to deal with the mounting location of the unit but wishes that the mounting arm can be smaller so she can mount it on the dash of her car and not take up so much space. Overall she absolutely loves it and uses it all the time. Oh, one other thing that needs improvement is the "Go Home" feature. In my car's navigation system when you store your home location, in order to use it you have to punch in a 4 digit PIN. This way if someone steals your car, they won't be able find where you live. With the Garmin it doesn't have that safety feature. So if the unit gets stolen and you've put your home address in there, they'll know where you live. Therefore, to combat that security concern, I put the address of a nearby strip mall instead of my actual address. This way it will get us to a place where we are familiar with and get home from there.

[10/12/05]...it broke one month after I bought it. The unit kept resetting itself, losing saved data (home, favorites, etc., but not losing the maps on the SD card). First it would happen every few days, then it got more frequent until it became unusable, turning off and on constantly until the battery would die.

This leads me to comment on Garmin tech support. Once you get to talk to them, they're nice and helpful. However, grab a big cup of coffee, sit down and put them on speakerphone, because you'll be waiting 30-60 minutes to talk to somebody. I am not exaggerating. They open at 9AM eastern; I called at 9:02 and was on hold until 9:26. I called again at noon, and didn't get to talk to someone until 12:55. That's ridiculous.

I sent my unit for service today. I will post an update when I get it back from repair...

[Update 11/21/05: I received a new replacement about two weeks after I sent it in. Seems to work well so far...]

Some comments about the unit itself:

1) The operating system is intuitive and easy to use. No need to read the instructions, except the quick start guide for the map loads.

2) The voice is clear. Sometimes the instructions are confusing. "Keep right/left" means go straight, for example. I like the British English voice.

3) The unit has a fair amount of glare in daylight. This can be ameliorated by purchasing the boxwave screen protector. It is available here at amazon or at boxwave dot com. Some claim it improves visibility when using polarized glasses, too.

4) The competing Roadmate 300 seems to have similar features and is a hundred bucks less (refurb) here at amazon. The Roadmate also has a flat rear surface, which would make it easier to mount in most situations.

5) The face trim is blue; it looks kinda silver in the picture.

6) The C320 fits all of Florida on its included 128MB card. Unless you travel across country ALL the time, 128MB is probably enough. You would need a 2GB card to fit the entire US, but you are unlikely to need the whole country. For a road trip visiting, say, 10 states, a 512MB-1GB card would probably suffice. Note that this unit plus a 2GB card is about the same price as the C330, but it does not have a hard disk, so you don't have to worry about it crashing.

Let me start to say that I have been using the C320 for about 4 months to the day. I bought this device when I was living in Fort Lauderdale, FL knowing my family was moving to a small county(but growing county)in North Carolina.

I used this on our first offical trip to our new home here in Waxhaw, NC. There would have been no way I could have found our new home, with all of the winding country roads, without the C320. Yes, I was there when I purchased our new home, but the realtor was the one that did all the driving while we were looking for new homes. My family has used it numerous times in finding different locations(shopping, dining, post offices, etc, etc) without failure. It truly is an amazing device in finding locations since we do not know our way around in our new town. Even my wife says that it is very easy to navigate/program.

Some friends came up to visit us and they wanted to go look at land to buy in another small county near us. They could not believe how well this device showed them around the rural areas that they were looking in. They also commented how easy it was to program using the touch screen buttons.

One of the down falls that I have found that the maps are not up to date but the C320 still gets you to your destination without failure. Once you learn the roads you can figure out the fastest/easiest way to get there next time. Also the display can get washed out with the bright sun at times but the voice navigation tells you were to turn.

I would absolutly recommend this device to anyone in the market for a portable GPS.

I haven't used this much as it's for my parents (I have Toyota in-car navi which I LOVE and have had a lot of time using) but I think this one is a lot better for my parents than the Garmin Quest I bought for them a year ago for about the same price. Larger screen and especially TOUCHSCREEN makes all the difference! The Quest is not touchscreen and has a arrow cursor you have to direct around the screen. It's too confusing for my parents, and they ended up not using it much. Typing in addresses on the touchscreen is a lot easier than going up-down-left-right through an alphanumeric grid. The Quest is smaller and has more flexible features but my parents would never use those anyway. I'm sure when they see this GPS next time they visit they will get a lot more use out of it. Also the speaker is built in-- the Quest speaker is integrated into the cigarette adapter. The c320 also picks up satellite signal a lot quicker and easier, without having to flip up any antenna.

My one complaint is that in normal mode you can't just press anywhere on the screen to recenter the picture on the spot you pressed-- you have to go through the menu to some "browse" mode.

I bought the c320 the middle of October, 2005, and have updated the software to version 4.8 and the map data City Select North America NT version 7.0. This is the latest software and map data as of the date of this review. I really like this unit and would buy it again. I would have given it 5 stars except for the Map Data being just a bit too much out of date. Still, this is an amazing device. Here are some quick pros and cons for those who don't want to read the whole review:

Pros:
- It will get you to your destination.
- Easy to use; you can figure out how to do most things just by playing around with it.
- Calculates new routes very quickly.
- Lots of Points of Interest (POI).
- Map database shows even very remote roads, i.e. dirt paths out in the middle of nowhere.
- Long battery life: about 10 hours.
- Small enough and accurate enough to use while walking.
- North American NT V7 is compact enough to fit ALL on a 1G SD card.
- There is no itty-bitty hard drive to wear out.
- Pleasant British English voice.
- Knows when the sun sets to switch screen brightness.
- ETA is updated in this software version.
- Does not have any problem picking up satellites in any car (or train) I've used it in.

Cons:
- Map data is too far out of date; data must be at least 2 years old.
- Screen is hard to read in direct sunlight.
- Complex process to unlock new map data DVD.
- It's a little fussy about street names when looking up an address.

Nits:
- No altitude indication.
- Does not know when you cross time zone to change clock.

I've used this now for a couple of months, including a train and car trip from Iowa to Arizona. I've also updated the unit software and the map data so I have an idea how easy that is to do.

You can indicate your routing preference (shortest distance or fastest time, no toll roads, no unpaved roads, etc). This will at times produce some funky routes. For example, shortest distance and allowing unpaved roads can send you down some pretty rough roads. If you use it in a place you know well, you will probably disagree with some of its routes. That is to be expected because it does not know about busy roads or traffic lights or other things like that. On the other hand, since using this locally I have found some good routes I have not known about before.

I took this on a train ride across 6 Western states. It had no problem picking up satellites if I kept it up against the window. If you set the unit to show enough detail, it will show you traveling right down the middle of the railroad tracks. Since this is a car navigation device it has a preference for roads, so if there was a parallel road near enough to the tracks the cursor would jump over to the road. Crossing those remote areas showed how much detail is in the map database; some roads that were no more than two dirt ruts showed up on the screen.

We used it in the rental car when we got to Arizona. From the middle of nowhere to Phoenix it worked great. We were able to use it to avoid some heavy Phoenix traffic by just getting off the interstate and driving city streets. Even though Phoenix is pretty much laid out in a grid, I don't think I would have tried to navigate around the traffic jam without the c320. The out of date map data problem showed up in Phoenix in particular. The city is growing so fast that there was several times where the map data did not show a new street.

I've used this in 7 different cars (and 1 train) so far and never have had a problem picking up satellites. Just to try it out, I bought an external antenna that I have mounted on my truck roof. With an external antenna, the signal is a little stronger and maybe it might take a little less time for the unit to first acquire satellites, but the external antenna is not really necessary.

Sometimes looking up a specific address can be difficult. If you don't spell the street name exactly as it expects, it won't find the street. For example, if you are looking for "East Park Ct" and spell it "E Park Ct", the c320 won't find it. The solution is to be less specific; just search for "Park" and pick the correct street from the list it will give you.

I received a free map data update since the new map data was released before I bought my unit. Unlocking a new version of the map data is too complicated. After getting a new DVD, I had to visit Garmin's web site several times to finally figure out how to get my "unlock code" for the new data. Once you get the data unlocked, loading it into a SD card is easy. The "MapInstall" software Garmin gives you is simple to use.

The City Select North America NT version 7.0 map data is the same data as is in version 6.x, but V7.0 is more compressed. As a result, all of the V7 data will fit on a 1G SD card, including all 50 states, all of Canada, and Puerto Rico. Since you can now get all the map data on one SD card, why buy the c330? (The c330 is exactly the same as the c320, except the c330 has its map data preloaded on a little hard drive.) Here is how I see the c320 and c330 compare:

c330:
- Map data is preloaded.
- If the internal hard drive crashes you are screwed; it's not user replaceable.
- Some reports of the c330 not working above 10,000 ft, but will start working again when it's moved below 10,000 ft.

c320
- Map data must be loaded onto a SD card by the user.
- Even if you consider in paying for a 1G SD card, the c320 is still about $100 less than the c330.
- No moving parts.
- If the SD card fails (not likely) you can just replace it with a new one and reload the map data.
- About twice the battery life of the c330
- Works above 10,000 ft.

Overall, I think I would buy the c320 over the c330. I don't know why Garmin doesn't sell a c320 with map data preloaded 1 G SD card and discontinue the c330.

I purchased my c330 from Amazon about two months ago. It was delivered next business day as promised. Also as promised, it was ready to go "right out of the box" -- nothing to load, nothing to configure ... I didn't even have to charge the battery! Just powered it on, took it outside, and watched it find the satellites in about four minutes. After that, it was ready to go.

Changing preferences, entering waypoint information, and otherwise "navigating" the unit's menus and features is very easy, so it was a snap to plug in an address and have the route info displayed in seconds.

Now, I'm from hill-country Texas and I currently live in the corn-field-flat mid-West, so driving in the New Jersey and New York area used to be a daunting task. The Garmin made it much easier, but not foolproof. This fool found that even with WAAS enabled, the voice prompt "Turn right in 200 feet" usually referred to the street that I just passed. The convergence can be off significantly. Perhaps the c340 unit (which has voice prompts by street names instead of approximate distance) would be better. But then again, you can't read most of the street signs until after it's too late to make the turn anyway.

Problem not. Even if you miss your turn, the c330 is quick to recalculate your route and get you back on track. Sometimes, however, it can be irritatingly insistent that you make a U-turn to make up the missed turn, even when you can clearly see parallel streets and can usually navigate back to your intended path on your own. Of course, in downtown Manhattan, this means you get honked at by every cab driver, and most other drivers and pedestrians also signal that you're "number one" in their eyes as well.

Customer service: Thanks to a careless baggage handler at O'Hare or Newark, my Garmin came out of my luggage strangely mute -- no sounds came out of the unit anymore. Everything else worked just fine, but I no longer had voice prompts. I logged onto Garmin's website, found the TechSupport contact button, sent an e-mail, and got a response in 48 hours. I was issued an RMA number, shipped the unit back to Kansas City, and received a brand new unit by return DHL shipment in only six days. Now that's quality stand-behind-your-products support, in my book.

Overall, I give the unit a four-star rating. I'd give it five, except for the outdated map data that shipped with the unit, and the fact that it sometimes doesn't seem to know the difference between 200 feet and RIGHT THERE! Must have been a male who programmed some of the measurements. :)

This was my first car GPS and my first Garmin product. The unit is well built, easily figured out and functions top notch. The mount is great, screen easy to see and the sound good and crisp.

I am a bit put off, however, by Garmin's greed by selling the unit with outdated maps and database, then asking for $50 for an update disc on a brand new product! This is unacceptable. Here's some examples of bad data I've found in just a week of local use. I dread using the unit in an unknown city.

Local map data not updated:
Two freeway onramps changed 4 years ago.
Freeway bypass loop opened 3 years ago.

Database data not updated:
Missing large mall 6 years old, but the Mall Loop Rd on map.
18 stores opened 3-6 years ago missing.
19 restaurants opened 3-6 years ago missing.
K-mart closed 4 years ago still in database.
Major park opened 8 years ago missing.

All these found in just one week of use. I would have rated this a 5-star had it not been for the abismal map and database and the greed of Garmin wanting $50 to update it on a brand new product. They had a great product, then messed it up with the lack of a simple update of the data.


EDIT Dec 25th:
One thing I want to point out is that A Gordon is wrong about the map upgrade to the latest version 7. I bought my C320 a couple of weeks ago and the map upgrade is 100% FREE. You have to go on the Garmin site and order the DVD, but it's totally free and you use your existing reg. to unlock the maps. Done deal...ok, so read below for my review.

This GPS rocks for the price I paid. (I paid 399.99 with free shipping here on Amazon). It's easy to learn how to use, the text is big enough for even a blind bat like me to be able to see it easily, and the included suction cup locks her right onto your windshield until you remove it. Make sure you clean the area on the windshield as well as the bottom of the suction cup for best results.
I live in MA and I've got all of New England loaded up and it fit quite well on the 128MB SD card. IF you want to be able to load up alot of states at once I'd recommend a 1GB card.
It has been very accurate and always gets me where I want to go, but I have noticed it doesn't necessarily choose the shortest route but it does tell you the ETA. If you mess up and take a wrong turn then the unit quickly recalculates another route for you. I've had a much different experience than others who said their unit took a long time to acquire satellites. Mine is very quick to locate satellites and I've never lost a signal nor have I had to wait for it to recalculate a route if I took a wrong turn which I have done intentionally just to see how quickly it will provide me with a new route.

Only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is because it came with outdated unit software as well as map software. The unit software you can download right away, the updated map software they will send you on a dvd. Once I placed the order on for the version 7 map upgrade, I received it in 4 days. You use your original registration code to unlock the maps and it IS A FREE UPGRADE for the V7 Maps on the C320 Street Pilot.
I shopped around and looked at many GPS units such as Magellan, Lowrance, and Tom Tom. THis one has everything I need and then some. I believe it uses the same maps as the more costly Tom Tom Go 300. Some cool features that I really like is the ability to show you a list of eaterys, entertainment, movie theaters, airports, hospitals, and many other important points of interest. Additionally, with a touch of the screen you can instantly navigate to these places. Oh, and I almost forgot about the favorites. You can save any route to a favorites list instead of having to retype in your destination address or scroll through the categories.
For the price I paid as opposed to the cost of others in its class, I think the C320 is a great unit and I'm 100% happy with the purchase.

Update: I put this thing to a good test yesterday as I had a service call in Boston at a new clients home. I am happy to report that it works well helping you navigate the busy streets of Boston. The voice navigation will tell you how many miles before you have to turn, example: "turn right in 1.2 miles". As you get closer to taking the turn, example: a right turn, the voice nav will begin telling you, "stay right". Then when you are coming up on the turn, the voice will say turn right. Now, you do need to use some common sense a bit. IF there are several streets one after the other, then just look at the screen and it will display the name of the street that you should be turning on and the approximate distance it is from you. For best results seeing the screen on a sunny day, mount the unit in a spot where it's easiest to see. You can be creative. I removed mine from the windshield and now have it mounted on the shelf area above my steering wheel and its totally visible during the day. Read some of the other reviews on GPS units that cost 200 and 300 more than this one...I got news for ya, all of them have the LCD screens and all of them can be tough to see if the sun is shining either in your eyes or on the unit. It got me to my destination in the middle of Boston so its already worth it to me. You can change the way it plans a route in the settings by choosing either fastest route or shortest route. For my trip to Boston I found that the fastest route took me down the expressway, and the shortest route took me through the back roads. I let it take me the fastest on the way in town, and the shortest on the way home. Both were clear and got me to my destination with no problem. The fastest was 19 miles, the shortest was 14 miles. I love this thing and think it does a great job for a 400 dollar color GPS unit. Despite it's few imperfections, I find it 100% better than jerking around with map books, mapquest, or trying to read written directions from a piece of paper while you're driving!

I returned mine to Amazon after a nightmarish trip to Washington DC. Even though I bought it for $399 (versus the $499 now), I still found it not worth the money. It seems this model was a good attempt by garmin .. but still has a long way to go before it is a professional GPS making significant contribution to the driver's navigation ability. Following are the six things that annoyed me the most:

1. The screen in daylight is so dull. You can hardly see it. As somebody pointed out in one of the reviews, I can't believe that garmin engineers released this model after field testing. Shame on garmin for doing that. (Those who say it's okay .. I admire your patience with it .. and appreciate your effort to avoid buyer's remorse)

2. The unit does not tell which street to turn on .. just silly commands like "Stay right and then stay right" even though there might be 3-4 intersecting streets. Without the street name, it is very easy to take the wrong street especially if you are in a busy downtown with multiple streets closeby (or intersecting). I know that the street name comes on the screen .. but it's too distracting for a driver to look at the screen .. (As stated earlier, you can only make out the street name by looking at the screen if it is "non-daylight" condition)

3. The unit takes quite a bit of time to "acquire satellite signals". You keep sitting in the car until it does so. If you start driving .. it get's really confused .. seems to take even more time to acquire signals.

4. The accuracy and directions are sub-optimal. It took me through real complicated ways .. when I could clearly see in the map how easy it was to reach a certain place. Sometimes it will say "reached destination" while the destination is nowhere to be seen!

5. The suction cup mount is quite clumsy. The wire sticking out of the mount just adds to the clutter. Garmin adds the bean bag functionality to a higher priced model .. but this does not help the C320 buyers.. does it? (You can buy it if you shell out extra money).

6. Even though it claims to be a portable unit, it is very difficult to use it in hand - it is bulky for your pocket.. and places where you need it most like downtowns, hiking etc. .. it does not acquire signals easily due to maybe the building/other objects obstructing the direct view to the sky.

Just FYI:

1. I had the latest v7 software loaded in my unit during the trip. The unit comes with v6 CD, and then you have to order the DVD from Garmin for v7 (It's free of cost). You will then have to connect to Garmin's website to get the unlock code (pretty simple procedure)

2. Another thing that you may want to note is that the retail selling price of the unit $749.99 stated at Amazon is misadvertized .. thus projecting huge savings (almost 50%)... while the fact is that the official Garmin's Suggested Retail Price is $589.27 USD. Amazon should be a little more clear so as not to mislead the buyers using this falsely advertised savings projections. If Amazon is using it as a selling point, it is obliged to state it truthfully.

Please feel free to disagree... this is just my opinion. I have tested it "a lot" .. and would advise you to wait a couple of more cycles before garmin (or some other company) comes with a reasonably priced unit which does not have these fatal flaws. Till then, I don't think serious consumers should waste their time and money in playing with this makeshift experimental toy ..

Had to get something for now and would not spend too much. This seemed like not so bad thing, the biggest concern was the size of the screen. Got into local FRY'S and checked out the c330, the size looked good enough to use it, so I ordered the c320 from Amazon.

Needed just something simple for wife to use when she gets lost, and this seems like good unit for that. I will not mention the good, but just the bad as I always want to know problematic spots when deciding to buy stuff.

1 - as it was said, the unit takes a while to acquire the signal when turned on. I suggest to turn the unit on a bit sooner before you start driving.

2 - encountered few satellite signal looses in areas where I would expect the unit to work flawlessly, but I had the unit in the middle of the car at the time, so perhaps that might be a factor, perhaps should think about external antenna



I bought Garmin C320 right before my 10 day trip in California. I'm glad that I made the purchase. It helped GREATLY. My wife and I do not have to mapquest in hotel like we always do. We've got much more flexibility in terms of sightseeing.

The GPS is very easy to use. It not only offers driving directions like it is supposed to do, it also shows local landmarks, restaurants, gas stations etc, which proves to be extremely useful. Now we do not even have to carry a tourbook anymore.

The only complaint that we have, however, is that the reception in extreme weather was not good. I am not sure if this is a common problem for all GPS or just this one. We were in Point Reyes National Seashore the other day. It was the foggest day I had. We were in a zigzag one-lane road with probably very limited view ahead. If the GPS could receive satellite signal all the time, instead of losing connection once in ten minutes, we would not have to looking for the edge of road all the time.

Other than this, I have no complaint. This is a great tool. You will not make mistake buying it.

I've only been using mine for a few weeks, but so far I am very happy with it. I also have a Navman PocketPC with integrated GPS, the c320 is far easier to use.

It can sometimes take several minutes to acquire satellites when you first turn it on, but my Navman was even worse. I've seen a lot of complaints about "screen glare", but frankly mine has been crystal clear in every driving situation so far. Maybe it's because my car's window is tinted on the top, or maybe because of the dark interior color, but I have not had the glare problem that others have mentioned. I've also seen complaints about the "window mount" -- I am very pleased with the window mount and would not replace it for "bean-bag" mount. It doesn't vibrate (like my Navman), it never falls off, it's easy to adjust, and it's well-built. I've also seen a few complaints about the 3D map mode. I used this all the time on my Navman, and I find it far better than the 2D map. Things up close I can see in greater detail, yet I get a broader "macro view" of those things further away. It provides a much broader/wider line-of-sight than the 2D mode.

The unit is super-easy to use. It shows the turns using large white arrows. It "announces" the turn as you approach it, but unfortunately doesn't provide an audio alert as you just reach the turn (like NeverLost or my Navman does). The points-of-interest feature is really cool (but some of the data seems outdated to me). We were out-of-state & had a craving for Chinese food -- we selected FOOD and then CHINESE, and it immediately provided a list of all Chinese restaurants within about 20 miles (it shows the address, the distance & the direction).

For the money (I paid about $400 for mine), the unit is a great value. My list of Pros & Cons:

PROS
Easy to use
Intuitive operation
Solid Window Mount
Points-of-Interest (POI)
3D Map Mode
Large touch-screen buttons
Automatic switch to "night mode" screen

CONS
Some of the POI database seems outdated
No audio "alert" when you reach the turn
Doesn't support waypoints
Can take several minutes to acquire satellites


I would recommend the C320 as a very practical and economical auto GPS device. A word of caution, as with any automated mapping product, you should validate the general route prior to starting your trip since you sometimes are taken on longer or highly trafficked routes.

Notables-
-The setup is very easy.
-The device can be used without consulting the manual thanks to well designed menu screens.
-The suction cup that holds the unit to the car winshield locks on very tightly.
-The screen is smaller than units sold with most cars, if you want to view a route or follow along while driving, this can be a bit of a problem. I use the voice prompts and rarely view the screen.
-The included memory card can hold roughly 2 states worth of maps. That is more than enough for me, but might require an upgrade for others.

I bought the Garmin 320 for $399 after returning the Garmin Quest. The Quest was cheaper and had more features but the 320 is much easier to use because of the touch screen and the fewer menus and options.

pros
1. Easy to use, touch screen, clear directions.
2. Fast satellite connection and route calculation/recalculation.
3. The local business database with phone number seem pretty good. (I needed to find a 24 hr pharmacy on a trip to a remote place and this feature came very handy at 11pm in the night.)

cons
1. Cannot specify to avoid Highways (I work-around by not getting on to the highway and it recalculates with local routes)
2. Map software needs to be updated (request from Garmin for free)

Well-designed, very easy to use. Only physical limitation thus far is sensitivity to heat. Being exposed to sunlight in the windshield makes it difficult to protect during travel. When too hot, locks up. Has to be re-set with button behind plastic screen surround.

Maps still in early stage of development. Have numerous errors. Particularly aggravating is the frequency of errors on exiting a roundabout. Have hardly found one case where this is correct in the South African map. However one soon finds out when one has made a mistake as the unit recalculates.

Adding new waypoints and POI should be made easier and one should be able to categorize the waypoints rather than save them in "favourites".

Still product is a lot of fun. I wish I had bought it from Amazon. The South African retailers are charging more than double.

The garmin works well at navigating directions. If you should alter your course it will tell you all the directions you will need to get to your destination. I do like the not having to look at the map while driving to unknown places. The only cons I have had was loosing satellite signal during a heavy rainstorm and when there is a temperature change on the windshield the suction cup has come loose. Overall I do like this product but has a few flaws.

From the reviews provided by GPSer, C320 looks like a perfect machine with reasonable price, but now the price got up more than $150 now at Amazon.com . Personally, I think it is not a good time to buy this unit now, maybe after the new type of the Garmin unit comes out with reasonable prices. I will wait.

I purchased this unit about two months ago. I work with a local florist and thought this would be a good way to find the various delivery addresses. The unit is easy to use and has an easy touch screen which one could learn to use without reading the instruction sheet. The unit is only as good as the maps that are furnished. In my experience the local maps are about a year or two old as new streets at least this old doesn't show up on the unit. The most disturbing problem with this unit is not taking you to the exact address. Between 85% and 90% of the time the unit would designate an address on the wrong side of the street or having you arrive at the address and it still being several hundred yards down the road. The unit also leads you in the opposite direction you should be going searching out the major highways rather than a quicker, closer route. Other than these irritating problems the unit is simple to use and can definately get you to your destination (which may take longer if you're familiar with the city you're driving in) Another problem is the difficulty of mounting this on the windshield where it doesn't block your view. In my estimate the dash mount would be the best set up. I plan to purchase the dash mount accessory which doesn't require you to mount the unit permanently to your dash. It would have also been nice if the power cord was attached to the unit and not to the mounting bracket so it could be easily removed when wanting to use the battery power rather than have the cord dangling from the windshield. Because of these annoyances I have to give this unit 3 stars, but you can't beat the price that Amazon has to offer. Oh by the way the maps are easy to load from the cd furnished, but if you want to do more that a couple states at the time I would recommend you buy a larger memory disk than the 128mb. supplied with the unit

I did a lot of research before i bought this particular model. I've always been partial to Garmin compared to others like Magellan or TomTom because i have always heard great things about Garmin products and i have friends who own them and they love it.

Right out of the box the product is very intuitive and easy to use. There are no buttons on the face. There is a volume wheel, power switch, and usb connector on the side. It's lightweight and portable. It has a rechargeable battery which is great. It has a windshield suction mount with a built in charger that connects to your power outlet in the car, so if your charge begins to die you can just plug that in (i really like that feature). This way you pretty much take it anywhere as long as it has battery power.

The screen is not huge which was fine with me. As long as you have good eyesight you can see the screen and follow the directions. The audible commands are quite loud and you can hear it over your radio, even if its turned up a little. It does not say the street name where you have to turn, but it does give you ample warning and distance remaining to your turn. You can't miss your turn unless you just aren't paying attention.

If you miss your turn the recalculation is almost instant (i love this). It uses a memory card to store map information. I have the standard card that came with it and i have the entire state of Georgia stored on it and it only filled it a quarter way through. If you are planning a cross country trip then you would probably have to buy a larger memory card, but if you don't travel out of the state much, you should be ok.

I have had this GPS for about 2 weeks and have traveled around a bit, including downtown. It took me straight to my destinations without a hitch.

If there is something that i really don't like about it, i'll do an update here later, but as of now, i'm really really happy with it, and i'm very picky about what i buy.

Great GPS :)

So a few weeks ago, some friends and I went on a random Sunday afternoon road trip to Providence Canyon in South Georgia. The GPS got us there great. On the way back, one of my buds told me to take a left, and swore that was the road we came in on (it was getting dark), despite the GPS's recommendation, I took the road. A few minutes down the road, I realize he was badly mistaken, so I decided to try out how well the GPS performed. (Did I mention that the low gas light was on? - times were desperate to say the least!) The GPS said to a route that I was unsure about... Took us across dirt roads, back roads, etc. But said it was shorter than turning around. I was TOTALLY SHOCKED when we came out on a very familiar road - right next to a gas station!!! All that said - This GPS is well worth it. The response time is pretty good, and is VERY accurate (within a few feet).
#2
Some friends borrowed the GPS to take cross country trek for 3 weeks. All they could say was that they would not have made it without it - especially since they were camping out the whole trip. It found all the campsites they needed, without a hitch. Took them across sevaral states and 3 countries.
The only thing I would recommend is to buy a 1GB card for it. You can store every state/province that is available with the software. (US/Canada).

I would have rated this 4 stars but buying from Amazon earns it an extra star. I got it for 368.99 on May 11 and choose regular shipping FREE but 5-8 days. Well I received the Unit in 2 days. Great. I loaded up a few states, the 128MB card is lame but I can get another SD card easy enough. I would deduct a star from Garmin because it ships with Version 6 maps when Version 7 have been available for nearly a year. Anyway when I went back to Amazon tto post this, I noticed that the c320 was now $339.88. I made an automated call to Amazon and the credited me the $29. Great job. The Garmin c320 seems to be exactly what I am looking for and at a great price. I almost bought the I5 with the little screen and no touch screen but now the c320 is actually less.

Unfortunately the map software providers of the world can't keep up with the pace of development in fast growth areas. We recently moved to Seattle area and I got this so that my wife wouldn't call me at work for directions as often. For that purpose, it works well. However our street doesn't exist on the map and there are other places around us that just aren't there. Restaurants are generally good but misses a lot (maybe you pay for a listing?). I would like to see regular software updates with downloads from Garmin site that kept this data more up to date.
Other issue with the unit is in bright sun (this is mounted in the window of our Toyota minivan) display can get washed out.
We like the array of voices that you can choose from, the directions and overall presentation of information is good, size of the unit is good, it mounts securly and easily.
I wish you could enter additional datapoints of your own. Unit only lets you set your home. I want Favorites to let me add my current location and label it.

Overall this is a good unit, but it's lastest V7 update is still poor. It could not find alot of business names even if the business been there for years. Until that option is upgraded. I would not recommend this GPS. I have been using it for 5 months.

This is an excellent product. The main things i was worried about was regional maps and city maps and it covers it. I only put a 256MB card in, and i have maps of the entire California, Oregon, and Washington area. The speed is excellent and always right on the mark. This is an excellent buy and i would use this over any other GPS.

I've been using c320 for about a month, and i'll never go back to printing directions from mapquest! Very simple and user friendly. If you can type numbers and letters, you'll never get lost. If you have poor vision, don't worry! there's a voice instruction too! It will remind you over and over again to take "left turn, right turn, exit, stay in left lane, right lane~..." in a female american English, British English, spanish, french, etc voice...
My sister owns a Honda Accord with Navigation system, and I was actually thinking of paying about $800-1200 for a high-end system, but when I heard about c320, everything changed. I only paid $339 for it! and I don't see much difference.. You don't get extra options and buttons, but it's good enough to guide you.

Pros:
- great price
- user friendly. It's so easy, they don't even include a long instruction manual! They do include a quick starter guide.
- quick recalculation if you take a wrong turn.
- touch screen. (you don't have to scroll...)
- comes with a mount with charger. Just plug it in your car outlet.
- very simple. No extra junk and features that will confuse and frustrate you.
- Touch and go system.
- choose, faster or shortest distance.
- can set options to avoid U-turns, highways, unpaved roads, toll roads, carpool lanes....

Cons:

- outdated Version 6 map. You could order free version 7 map, but it takes additional 1-2 weeks to receive a cd/dvd, and you have to reload it to your GPS with an unlock key... too much work for me!
- Voice instruction is only limited to left, right, etc.. Does not state the street names or freeway numbers.
- glare.. can't see the screen on a sunny day.
- SD card slot with only 128MB (will hold about 3-4 states. I loaded Maryland, delaware, virginia, pennsylvania). But you can purchase a 1GB for about $35


I have been very pleased with the StreetPilot. It is very useful on patrols at night where street signs can be difficult to read and house numbers missing. I found the loading instructions easy to follow and was able to make full use of it the first day.

Highly recommend it! Have owned it for more than a year... works perfectly. Its very user friendly and provides accurate directions. We bought a 1GB memory card and uploaded all the US and Canadian maps into the GPS. Its a great buy.

easy to use, easy to setup. Took it on a trip to the north woods of wisconsin and even the most remote roads were recognized. I love the detour feature and the route recalc. My brother used the speedometer feature in his ski boat! Good buy for the money and for someone who wants a good quality and easy to use GPS.

I am a Police Officer in a large city and was recently transfered to a new section of which I had no knowledge of the streets. The key map I had did the job but gave me a headache evertime I used it because I just didn't know the area and didn't know what I was looking for. I researched the various GPS systems and decided on the Garmin c320 and was not disappointed. The first night I used it I was able to imput very quickly the addresses I needed to get to and it took me straight there. The verbal commands were very clear in the British English voice (don't use the American voice- it sounds like a computer). The second night I used it when there was a Home Invasion in progress and I had no idea where it was. I quickly put the address into the GPS and followed its directions and arrived in about 8 minutes, well before the other police units, who knew the area well but were having trouble finding this one location.
I have tested it for two weeks now and I feel confident that I can get anywhere at anytime. One weakness though is the mapping system which I think is the weakness of all GPS systems. There needs to be a better and more accurate update system since it was unable detect the newer subdivisions and the new highways being built in the city. At one point the GPS told me to turn left but there was a new toll road blocking my path. Knowing that the street I wanted came out on the other side I drove about a mile and then turned and the GPS quickly recalculated a new pathway and took me to where I wanted to go. But still I think there should be quicker updates for users.
Another weakness is driving into the downtown area. I asked it to find police headquarters in downtown Houston and it did great until I got in-between the buildings and then lost the signal. The entire time downtown I was unable to use the device.
But overall I am very happy with it and can't imagine driving the streets of Houston without it. I rode with another officer who was also new to the area and showed him how it worked and he was blown away by it and probably made a sale for the Garmin people.

This is the device to get if you want to use it for a single city or state. If you are a traveller I would probable get the c330 since it has the entire US already in its system.

We bought it about 1 month ago. It malfunctioned the first day..got stuck. It worked OK for 2 weeks and then again it started to malfunction. It keeps losing satellite reception every 10 minutes. I am returning it!


Nice Idea but this product never did work for me. It frozed up soon as I started to use it. That Sucked!!!

I read a lot of good reviews for this unit and decided to get one for my self. At first, I liked it 'cause of its compact, easy to use, and good price. But after a week using it, it started locking up and freeze the screen. I could not reset or turn off the unit at all. The only way to get it reset is wait for the battery to run out. It locked up every time I used after that. I'm returnning it now. I bought this unit from outpost.com and I don't know whether they just only sell defected units over there.

The Garmin C320 is a very good value it has good features combined with easy operation. Although the maps and POI are a few years out of date, I still think it was a good purchase and would recommend it. I purchased a 2gb sd card on the internet for $40 delivered and loaded the entire USA and Canada and it's only 75% full. I also downloaded custom POI's Wal-Mart, Harley Dealers, Lowes, etc. now when I travel I can find more than just my destination.

Now the downs
1. It's hard to see on my dash in bright sunlight
2. When I first turn it on it takes 2-3 minutes to find the satellites
3. Sometimes the route is not what I would plan (but it will get you there)



I've had this unit for a week an so far it has functioned quite well. I haven't had any issues seeing the screen during the day (except with sunglasses on) and I have it mounted on the left side of the drivers console next to the driver's door window.

It does a great job of automatically re-routing if you make a wrong turn. It does sometimes get confused when you arrive at your destination if your destination is a large facility (i.e. the mall, university, etc) and doesn't recognize that you are there.

The download of the map was easy. The 128Mb memory card allowed me to install 5 East Coast Southern states. I will probably upgrade to a larger card but this one is sufficient unless you travel over a large area. I was able to pre-program locations that I may travel to (divisional offices for my work) ahead of time, although I couldn't find "How To" in the instruction manual. I just entered the address but instead of pressing "GO" I chose to "Save" and named the location. The entering of the address is pretty intuitive and the unit narrows your choices based on the info entered so that you don't have to enter the entire street address. I would have preferred a QWERTY display instead of ABCDEF but that's a minor issue.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the unit and I would reccommend it to someone looking for an entry priced unit. I considered the Garmin i3 and i5 but I chose this one in part because of the touch screen. Using the dial wheel on the i3 would be problematic once the unit is mounted to the windshield.

Purchased item 2 weeks ago and was very excited until I opened the software and discovered you need a PC to install it as it DOES NOT WORK ON A MAC. 1st Major problem. After making a bunch of calls I was eventually able to get an associate to stop be with his laptop to install the V6 Maps from the software (unit doesn't work without maps). Once installed I was reasonably happy with the unit, especially the listings of stores, restaurants etc. c/o City Search. My V.7 Maps update DVD arrived in the mail and it was downhill from there. We weren't able to install the update as the maps were locked and no unlock code was provided. After waiting on hold for almost 30 minutes we got through to CS who after grilling me with what seemed like 20 questions to verify I was the legal owner of the unit, provided me with an unlock code. We entered it and we were able to install V7, however in doing so all the City Search information that makes these units so useful was erased. We tried numerous re-installs of both V6 & 7 Maps to no avail...there seems to be no way to uninstall maps 7 xlear the SD card memory. Tried call CS again around 4:20pm CST and there was no menu options to get tech. support. I pulled out the 128Mb SD card from my camera to try and get back the City Search information & were unsuccessful. This whole process took 2 hours. If you have time to waste calling tech support & screwing around trying to install maps and entering unlock codes, go for it. In summary, The 320c is a great product if/when you can get the Maps installed and are not a MAC user. I'll post an update if/when we resolve the problem.

UPDATE: GARMIN exchanged this unit for a C330 with pre-installed maps. Although Garmin has been promising MAC support for sometime it's still vaporware. In anycase, I'm very happy with the C330. I suggest using Yahoo Maps or MapQuest ahead of time to evaluate alternate routes when planning trips as sometimes the directions given aren't the shortest/quickest route.

This GPS has everything that you could want! I can't believe the accuracy and the maps have information on the smallest of backroads and private streets. I was reluctant to buy one that didn't have preloaded maps, but I was shopping price so I tried it. I had the maps loaded and the unit ready to go in 15 minutes! Compare to units at twice the price, I can't imagine how they could be any better. I was able to load seven states on the supplied memory card, and I like the idea that in the unlikely event that I should travel outside of that area, I need only upgrade the memory card. An unbelievable value!!

Just got my yesterday with latest firmware and City Navigation
Easy setup and beautiful device

Amazon is the best

I have bought this device couple of weeks ago at amazon and this thing is a breeze to use. Loading maps using a pc is the only thing that keeps this GPS par from others.If you can manage to buy a 2GB SD, this would be a one time process.
I was in a dilema whether to pick i3 or c320 in the begining but, the Touch screen feature and large display inclined my decision towards c320.
Some people reported that the maps were outdated and the windshield mount wouldnt stick for a long time.The package I recieved came with the latest map verion-v8.0 and coming to windshield mount, I have left it on my cars windshield right from day1 and it never fell off.
Over all I am happy with my purchase and would definitely recommend this to any one who is looking for an inexpensive GPS.

I ordered this GPS unit to help me take my daughter on college visits. It's helped so much. I wish you could program in building names (like dorms) rather than just street addresses, which dorms don't often have, but...aside from that it's great. I don't think even the really pricey GPS units allow that anyway. I do wish it came with a better manual though. There was a black shiny disk that came with it, however there was no documentation to say what the disk was. I finally realized that it was to stick to my dash so the unit could adhere to it rather than the windshield. But this unit really works well. We love it and use it constantly. My oldest daughter uses it just within town to get places she's not familiar with so it gives us both piece of mind.

Pros: Cheap, Touch Screen, Fast.
Cons: Comes with Maps version 6 instead of 7, Glare.

For the price (318.00) I don't think you can get a better product. I did a LOT of research before buying this and it really paid off. This GPS will give you clear voice directions turn-by-turn with great accuracy. Sometimes it misspells streets and minor details but it's rare. Also you should do the firmware update and order maps version 7.0 (free). After the firmaware update you will have to do a hard reset by turning it off then turning it on while touching the bottom left corner of the screen and saying yes when prompted. (search on google for hard reset). The only thing that bugs me is that version 7.0 is been around for more than a year and they still ship v. 6.0. Anyway, I love it and it was one of the best buys I ever made.

I shows the fastest road but not using highways but small roads.
Besides ok

Wow is this thing so stinkin easy to use!!! If you don't mind taking the time to up load the software to the GPS then it is the easiest thing to use. I didn't have it for one day and missed it instantly. I paid about $310 and that is really inexpensive. For what you pay for it, it is absolutely amazing!! If I had one complaint is that it doesn't have traffic avoidance, but that is in the newer models. This is a must buy for anyone who drives a car. Trust me you'll enjoy this thing so much.

I had previously been using TomTom software on a PDA with a GPS unit attached. When the PDA died, instead of buying a new one, I looked into getting a dedicated unit.

This unit seemed to be the best buy, and it was. It works great. There are many aspects about it that take a little bit of 'getting used to' versus the TomTom, but once you have used it for a few days, you don't even look back.

It is more simplistic in some cases (such as the Detour) functionality. But in reality, it's all that I need for detours (ie: Get me off this road 'now')

I love it, and will consider buying another for the other vehicle, instead of switching it back/forth like I'm doing now.

Before we begin, according to Garmin tech support, what separates the Garmin C320 from its more expensive C330 is the amount of memory on the SD memory card. The C320 has 128 Megs. If want a C330, but can only afford a C320, buy the C320 and purchase an inexpensive 2 Gig memory card. Once you have the larger card installed, download all of the maps you need from the Garmin site.

The unit that I purchased worked great. However, I did find that I occasionally deviated from its recommended routes. One of the first attempts at using the unit failed because the address I was visiting, a building on a college campus, didn't have an address recognized by the Garmin C320/C330. Most of the time, the Garmin worked flawlessly. When combined with a high detail paper map, the Garmin helps by informing you as to where you are.

Unfortunately, my Garmin C320/C330 screen colors began to distort after about a month of infrequent use. The opening screen showed cyan distortion. Other screens showed magenta distortion. My first choice was to use the Garmin Web site to resolve the issue. The Garmin Web site is nearly useless and obviously not a high priority of the company. My call to tech support on a Monday morning, just minutes after they opened returned a message saying that they were busy and that I should call back early in the morning to avoid a long wait. The actual wait was more than an hour and half. The technician was good natured and provided an RMA number for the return of the unit. This could have been done automatically through their Web site if the Web site were functional. I can't imagine what the wait time would have been if I had called later in the day.

I like the Garmin C320/C330 and plan to keep and use it. For $1,500 or more dollars less than a factory installed GPS system, it is a bargain. I fear that Garmin may fail as a company if they don't produce more reliable units, produce a useable Web site, and improve tech support service.


Got the C320 for a trip to California. Was able to load Arizona, all California, and a couple more states on the included SD card. Routing was easy to use, did have some problems acquiring satellite signal downtown in between tall buildings (drove in the general direction of where I thought I needed to go until satellite signal was picked up).

Took it also on a trip to Kansas City. Also some problem acquiring satellite signal initially. Had a highway entrance ramp that was closed, and had to 'guess' whether to go east or west on another freeway. After making the guess and following the new freeway, the GPS recalculated the route quickly and took me to my destination.

Had a problem with the mounting system...there's a lever to flip down for the suction cap to attach to the windshield. This lever worked at first, then stopped working (required too much force). Rather than forcing it and breaking it, I looked closely at the mount and saw that one of the pins that the lever pivoted on was loose. Shaking the mount a few times until the pin fell back into position fixed the problem. If shaking it a few times did not work, a convenient tool to use (for pushing the pin back in) is the plug from any headphone.

Also bought an 1 GB SD card for $20 and now have the entire US map loaded in the memory (no more loading maps before trips).

In summary...

Pros:
1. Easy to use, touch screen nice and faster then other data entry systems.
2. Fast route re-calculation.
3. Removable SD card allows inexpensive memory upgrade.
4. SD card better than hard drive - no worries about hard drive crashes.

Con:
1. Mounting bracket has problem with pin falling out
2. Voice volume sometimes not loud enough
3. Voice instruction tells distance to turn, but not street name (requires looking at the screen to see street name)
4. Sometimes routing is not best - will take you on small streets, even a gravel road (turned out to be blocked)
5. Entering custom POI's not very intuitive or easy

Conclusion:
For the price, it's a great value and gets its work done. It's dependable, though it's good to have a general idea where you are going (like north or south) even if you use GPS systems.

i love my street pilot. I feel so confident and secure by knowing where I am at all times. Even when I turn the wrong way, it takes me the right way. I even test it turning the wrong way just to the pilot can get me right back on the right track.

Wife and I traveled out of the country. The car rental offered the C320 for $9.95 daily rental and we tried it. GREAT results. We purchased three in total for our Realty Office. The more expensive models come preloaded with software, but you can save half the cash if you possess minimal computer savy to download maps.

Very easy to use. It provides so much information about where you are and where you are going. It provides info on places to eat, sleep and play as well as how to get there. It provides hospitals, grocery stores and the list goes on and on. I have found this product to be extremely useful. Even for the technically challenged, it is a snap to use.

I bought this GPS for my 60-something year old mother as a birthday gift. I bought it specifically with her in mind because of its simplicity. Many GPS systems have a multitude of buttons, confusing menu systems and exotic options. The StreetPilot series is very simple and straightforward, and having the large screen (for a unit of its size) was a big selling point for me.

The unit is about the size of a baseball and reminds me of a tiny version of Apple's original iMac computer. There are very few external controls; only a power button and a volume dial. Every other function is controlled through the large (for its size) touch screen. There's also a "docking port" on the back which mates to the mounting arm and provides power, a port for an external antenna, and a mini USB port for connecting it to a computer. The unit contains a (sealed) rechargeable battery which is good for about 3-4 hours -- handy if you suddenly find yourself stuck on the road and need to walk to the nearest gas station or hotel for assistance.

It ships with a suction cup swing-arm thing that you can attach to your windshield; the GPS mounts to the arm so you can position it to your liking. It also ships with an adhesive pad if you want to permanently mount it on your dashboard, a DC adapter for your cigarette lighter, a 128MB memory card (good for two small states or one medium/large state), a Windows CD containing the application and maps, and the owner's guide. No surprises there. It is my understanding that Garmin now offers a Mac OS X application although I have not tried it.

Setup is a piece of cake. Charge up the GPS (mine shipped with a half-charge on the battery already) and insert the SD card. Install the software on your computer, connect the USB cable, select which states you want on the GPS and download them. When it's time to go, mount the unit in a location in the car where it will have good outward visibility (e.g., the base of your windshield) and plug in the power cord. One really clever/useful feature: The unit will automatically shut off (after asking you if you want to continue on battery power) when you turn the car off, and will automatically power up when you turn the car on. It does this through a simple voltage check through the power cord. Not very high tech, but effective and useful.

There's one bad thing about the physical design of the StreetPilot which has been mentioned by others before me: The screen quickly gets washed out in everyday lighting conditions. You often find yourself adjusting the GPS so you can see SOMETHING. There are two solutions to this problem. Solution #1 is to fashion a sort of hood for the GPS. (I worked with a local shop to make a small opaque plastic hood which I Velcro'ed to the top, which works flawlessly.) Solution #2 is to put the GPS off the dashboard (up near the rear view mirror works especially well) and then run an external antenna. The problem is bad enough that I'm removing a full star from my rating of this product; had Garmin put a better screen in this unit I would have given it a full five stars.

One thing I thought was particularly nice: At sunset, the GPS automatically shifts colors to a "night mode" which uses darker colors so as not to blind you during night driving. At sunrise it switches back. This isn't a Garmin-specific feature but it's nice to see nonetheless.

You can preprogram a number of favorite locations into the GPS which makes it a lot easier to work with. You also program your home location into it so that at any time you can "GO HOME" with the click of a single button. It also contains an astonishing amount of information about regional businesses; you can tell it to locate gas stations, restaurants, hotels, shopping, amusement parks or virtually any other type of business in your area, and plot directions to those locations with a quick button press or two. Very simple.

Directions are called out clearly in a mechanical-yet-female sounding voice. You quickly learn to pay attention to the verbiage in use; "turn left" is different from "stay left" or "merge left", for example. Directions are given according to speed and location. When you enter a highway, for example, you are told how long it will be before you get off the highway ("in 12.2 miles, keep right") and then as you approach the turn you're reminded again ("in 400 feet, keep right"). If you're caught in traffic it won't drive you insane with mindless repetitions. One REALLY nice feature: If you miss a turn, the GPS will automatically announce, "off route; recalculating" and within a second or two plot you an alternate route based on your current position. It bears mentioning that while the C320 does not call out street names or exit numbers the screen does display this information, so the GPS screen may show "Bear right at exit 17A" but the voice will say only "in .5 miles bear right". Many of Garmin's higher-end systems will call out the street names and such so if you must have that feature you'll need to look at something other than the c320.

Of course, any GPS is only worthwhile if its maps are accurate. My c320 shipped with version 6 of the map software which were not flawless but were quite good. On 10-07-2006 I updated the maps to version 8 and found that several minor errors that existed in the version 6 maps had been corrected, and a number of points of interest had similarly been updated. It is my understanding that Garmin ships the most current map software as they're updated. (The 2820 that I purchased in 2006 came with version 8 of the map software which is the most current as of this writing.) Note that you will need at least a 1GB memory card to install all maps; a 2GB card is recommended (by me) so that you can have all maps and as many custom points of interest that you want. The c320 uses a standard SD card; as of this writing a 2GB card can be purchased for less than 40 bucks. One minor annoyance: The c320 has a USB 1.x interface rather than the faster USB 2 interface. Transferring all maps -- about 950MB -- takes between 45 minutes and an hour. Fortunately you only need to do this once.

Garmin also has a very nice and painless method of updating the software in the unit. Connect the GPS to your Windows PC (no Mac support) via USB, then download and run Garmin's free WebUpdate application. It will detect your GPS model and then contact Garmin's servers for any applicable software updates. (You may need to run the updater several times to get all of the updates.) My c320 shipped with version 3.2 of the system software; after running WebUpdate it brought the Garmin to version 5.3 which contained a number of bug fixes and performance updates.

I would definitely buy this product, or another Garmin product, again. In fact, I did! I purchased the Garmin StreetPilot 2820 for my own personal use. (You can see my review of it here on Amazon as well.)

5 stars, no questions!

Very user-friendly, extremely functional and now quite affordable. Get one and you'll never be lost. I researched other brands too but decided to go for Garmin. I chose the c320 over the c340 because it gets the job done for a much lower price. Unlike the c340 which has all the maps loaded, the 128Mb drive sufficient only for a small area (sometimes only 1-2 large states such as CA) but I got a 1Gb drive which are really inexpensive these days and have alomst the whole US map on it. And because it has to search thru that much less info, it is also faster.

My only gripe is (and it's still not a big deal) that the built-in POI (Point Of Interest) database is a bit dated (I purchased mine in Dec 2005). There has occasions when my GPS took me to a store or a restaurant that is no longer present. But when it comes to getting from place A to B, I can move around with confidence!!

A great GPS for the price. very up to date maps and easy to use system

The only reason this doesn't get five stars is because it's not perfect, but it's very very good. When driving on some curvy back roads in West Virginia it got a bit confused about the proper route and took me through a private neighborhood with only one exit, the way I came in. I was also searching for a gas station while I was there and found that gas stations it had listed were no longer there and there were others that existed elsewhere. A little frustrating when the gas light has been on for a few minutes. I have not experienced any of these issues in Virginia, where I live.

Other than that, the detour button is helpful and has already saved me a lot of frustration. I've also started being adventurous on my ride home from work letting the GPS recalculate the best route after each time I disobey its recommendation.

Additionally, you should purchase a 1 gig SD card to accompany the c320 because the new version 8 of the maps software will fit all of the US and Canada on that one card. Perfect for cross country excursions!

I would recommend this to anyone wanting a high quality GPS for a very low cost!

Purchased unit several months ago. Used in Southern California region. Has been reliable. Straigh-forward features. Easy to use. Much driving time saved.

Warranty issue with mount being loose. Unable to tighten further. Contacted Garmin. Replacment sent via UPS 2 Day. No charge. Outstanding warranty service. Outstanding.

Dependable gps unit, second to none warranty, and a great value. In addition, an American company. Very satisfied with product and service.


I am a lifelong GPS user and I think this is the best product for under $500. I used this side by side by Street pilot i5 and Neuvo and MS streets GPS. This is the cheapest GPS reciever available. The only limitation which was not preloaded maps and expensive memory. Now a 2G SD card costs $40 and 1 G (which will have 90% of US) costs $25. So I do not see any reason for going for Street pilot i5 or C330.


I purchased the SreetPilot III about four years ago and found to be accurate and very easy to use. So when it came time to upgrade the Map software I decided to buy the C320 instead of spending $100+ to just get the new version 8 Map software.

Garmin has definitely improved not only the Map software but has written much better operating software. The software now finds the satellites quickly, and it doesn't lose contact with them either. The software performance is also much faster. A route from Washington DC to New York would take the StreetPilot III at least 3 minutes to calculate while the same rout now takes the C320 less than a minute.

I also purchased 1 GB card and loaded all of USA on it. The 1GB card was was less than purchasing the C330 which had all of the maps pre-loaded on it

I highly recommend this GPS, with only one reservation; that is: the screen does get washed out in daylight lighting conditions. But I believe the recommendation to create hood for the GPS will solve this issue. But for around $300 you are not going to find a better GPS and it is an excellent deal.


The Garmin C330 is "a good product." BUT, it is currently NOT "state of the art". For almost the same price you can get the Garmin C530. The C530 has a brighter screen. And, just as important, the C530 has a "Sirf" receiver. With the "Sirf" receiver I could "acquire sattlites" even inside my house---where before with an i3 I could not. And, I shopped around finding several places that sell the C530 for about $400. If you send me an email, if Amazon will allow it, I'll tell you where I found this lower price! Email:boland7214@aol.

PS: Yes, it's true the C530 does NOT have "voice recognition" announcing the upcoming street name. But, do you really need it? I don't miss voice recognition because the SAME INFORMATION is PRINTED on TOP of the C530 screen in BIG LETTERS. If you can read you WILL know what is the next street---you HAVE to look at the GPS anyway to see where to turn...so just READ the next street. It's "no problem" in my opinion.

Afterword: Stop! My C530 just died---won't start. I'll let you know more about what happens later.




October 17, 2006 Update: Still thrilled with the unit. The POS can be somewhat spotty though -- today we went looking for Cosi Restaurant in New Rochelle NY that was in the directory, however, it was not where the unit directed us. This has happened on a few ocassions in different places, however, the purpose of this unit is to prevent you from getting lost and to facilitate the discovery of more efficient routes (both of which it does almost flawlessly). I think that perhaps I should get a BlackBerry if I would like to locate a cup of coffee or a Macys.

Another thing that is really cool is that you can view the surrounding roads in varying levels of detail. This is important if you're trying to figure out how to navigate around something like a roadblock or a back-up. I've discovered many shortcuts this way.

I know some people have some sour grapes with this unit. However, it's less than $300. I've bought computers for 4 times as much and put up with a heck of a lot more dysfunction. Computers are not perfect, and a GPS unit is no exception. However, I cannot remember the last time I spent $300 on a piece of electronics that worked this well.

We also called Garmin for a replacement suction cup, as it had adhered too stubbornly to my windshield to remove properly (I've got a rubber bullseye now, but the suction cup still works on my husband's car). This is a potentially annoying thing, but they were very helpful on the phone and didn't ask us to send the defective suction cup back.

I still recommend this unit 100%. I only wish I could get commission for the units that people bought on my recommendation.


After years of waiting for prices on GPS units to decrease to a reasonable cost, I was very excited to purchase the C320. We used it over the weekend to get from Westchester County, NY to Queens and then from Queens to Manhattan, and then onto Philadelphia. The accuracy was spot on and it was uncanny how we were able to track our exact location and view our progress. I also enjoyed viewing the trip stats -- time moving, time stopped, avg. MPH, highest speed, etc. The interface is very intuitive and easy to use -- if you can use a Microwave, you can use this GPS. The display was easy to read both at night and during the day. I don't have a single negative thing to say about the unit. It is probably the best $300 expenditure I've made in recent years.

One of the best items I have ever purchased. There is no way you can get lost with this thing! I loaded the whole US and Canada on a 2 gig sd with 1 gig left over.

I spent a lot of time trying out GPS units, and have compared Garmin, Tom Tom, Magellan, and several factory GPS units. All of these GPS units tell you how to get somewhere and will re-route if you make a wrong turn. However, Garmin is my absolute favorite, and here's why:

1. The most important thing about Garmin units is the user interface. It is simple to understand and easy to use.

2. The Garmin unit uses a built in database of sunrise and sunset times (based upon your location) to automatically change from daylight mode to night-time mode. This is important because the daylight screen is much too bright for use at night. With the Tom Tom, you must make this change manually.

3. If you have the Garmin unit plugged into your car power, when you turn off the car (and the cigarette lighter power goes off), the Garmin unit will detect that and automatically turn itself off (it gives you 30 seconds to override and keep the unit on).

4. When you start your car again, the Garmin unit will detect that too and automatically power up. If you were in the middle of a trip, the Garmin unit will pick up where you left off, and you won't have to tell it where you were going again.

5. Unlike most factory GPS units, Garmin will allow you to select your route and make changes while you are moving.

6. The Garmin units have an extensive database of locations and the excellent interface makes it easy to search the database to find what you want. Do you want food or gas? Just click three buttons and a list of locations (sorted by distance) will appear. If you know the name of the place you want, you can type it in on the on-screen keypad and Garmin will find it for you. You can even add your own locations using the favorites feature. I first started using this when I was out of town, but its amazing what you'll find near you when you look.

7. While you are driving, the Garmin unit will both prompt you to turn and give you a written explanation of the turn (including the street or highway name and direction) at the top of the screen. The Garmin unit also shows an estimated arrival time (usually a few minutes earlier than you'll actually arrive) and the distance to your next turn. A separate screen gives you detailed trip information, including how far and how long you've been driving and your maximum speed. I used mine on an airplane once (yes, it is allowed - read the back of the airplane magazine), and it now says that by maximum speed was 590 miles per hour.

8. I often use the Garmin even when driving locally, becase it often finds better, faster ways to get there then the way that I usually use.

9. Garmin offers a variety of installation options and accessories. My favorite is the friction based dashboard mount (three weights connected to a center stand) which is much more convenient than the supplied mounting system.

10. If you turn off the GPS receiver (see settings) and then look up another location, you will get the option to set this new location as your present location. This will allow you to use search Garmin's points of interest for the new location. This is a great feature when planning trips, because Garmin's points of interest database is quite extensive and includes all of the typical tourist attractions, plus food, shopping, gas, banking, etc.

11. Be sure to check for the latest map and firmware updates at Garmin's web-site.

I bought my c320 from an ebay seller new for $287 b/c the reviews on it's performance were very high. I'm extremely impressed with the c320 and really do not know how I managed to live in Chicago without it. It's like satellite radio - after a taste, you cannot go back. The size is portable and touchscreen is large and vivid. The voice directions are easy on the ears and not chatty which was my original fear. It's user-friendly and I enjoy the simplicity of use. I tried the Lowrans GPS systems, but found them difficult to use. And I'm a tech gadget freak. The c320 has been very accurate charting routes around Chicago. I admit to intentionally missing my routes so it will automatically recalculate a new route. Oh, the little joys in life! I would highly recommend purchasing a 1gb memory card from Kingston for $19.99 on Amazon. I've downloaded all U.S. states onto mine. I packed it on business trips for use in my rental car. It's a great value and strong performer from Garmin family for less than $300. Picking up a carry case is probably a good idea. Amazon has that too. Vive le c320!

Editing my earlier review- device died after three months of ownership, had to send it back for warranty repair....

This is the first GPS I've owned. Just got back from a trip to New England and used the C320 extensively there. It never steered me wrong, and the detour feature came in handy in Boston where there were some Big Dig related closures. It seemed to know about every little dirt road in Vermont (though I wish it had a way to include more detail about the road type). It was fast in calculating and recalculating routes. This model does not speak street names but was not a problem. The suction mount holds onto glass VERY well. The touch screen is sensitive and the user interface intuitive. I NEVER had an issue with satellite reception (except in tunnels, naturally- and when emerging it would pinpoint location again in seconds).

I do have a few quibbles. When using "shortest route" option it can send you on some odd paths. Claiming that you are a "truck" can eliminiate some of the back-road routes. Fastest route seems to work best. If you miss a turn, and have included UTurns in "avoidances," it can send you on quite a big loop rather than just having you turn around at then next intersection. It can be hard to read in bright sunlight. And it's "points of interest" seem to cover things like gas stations and tourist destinations well, but fall short on shopping.

Overall, I don't hesitate to recommend this as a good midpriced GPS option.

I have been doing research on finding a good gps for a few days know, i've actually read almost all the reviews for this one and decided it was right. I love it! I use the smaller memory card for my state, and the larger one for the entire US. (I bought a 1gig for 19bucks). Great buy!

I recently moved to the Phoenix area and have to drive all over the Valley. This unit does live up to their promise out of the box. If you go to Garmin's website, you can download updated drivers, computer to c320 unit interface that allows you to customize the unit for your purposes. With the standard SD card slot, you can upload huge areas with good detail. The address or site imput is quick and easy and the detail is so good that it will even tell you on which side of the street a location is. This unit saves me so much time and trouble travelling from point to point. I cannot wait to download 3D topo maps for off-higway driving.

1. first peek the device looks small and cheap. the instructions are bare MINIMUM and the manual must be downloaded from garmin.

2. the cd took a LONG time to load, then would not go beyond a window stating ' error communicating with device' and there was no going any further...period, rendering the device useless.

3. to unloack the maps you need some type of 25 gigit code...which was nowhere to be found. you had to check a box which them connected you to garmin, supposedly to give 'the code'. by then i no longer trusted garmin and how they would then have access to data on my computer. some companies plant stuff and some take stuff and you would be none the wiser. so going that route, with all that goes on today, i do not think is prudent.

4. the device as sold is NOT legal in california. you need to buy as they say, 'accessories'. i called the chp and they confirmed the illegality of using the device suctioned or mounted onto a window. you want ticketed?? i do not. if they are selling in california they should be up front in their ads and state the inability to use their device as sold in california.

5. there are batteries somewhere IN the device. now i do not know of any battery that lasts forever. the batteries are well concealed and i could not find any access door to them. what happens then when they die? is the device kaput? can you change batteries? you just do not know, once again a failure to disclose.

i read the reviews and bought based on them. but i am disappointed and frustrated with the device. it is useless to me and so will go back to amazon. since i was never able to get the device to load, nor get the maps unlocked i have no idea how well it works...but i would be ultra skeptical. and my trust in garmin is at a zero point.

I love this GPS. But after using, you have to take it out and put in your trunk! Somebody broke my car window, and took out my GPS....


I have used various pocket pc navigation software and was quite sketpical at the 279.99 price at first. However, this is a great basic device for on the road traveling. Extremily user friendly and very easy to set up. I recommend this model over the over cXXX models because like me 90% of the people that would use this device would probably stay in there region for example south east, north east, etc. Of course a 128 mb cd card isn't going to cut it but I'm sure you might have an extra one (there like 20.00 or so now). All and all great device for a novice user. Your average user doesn't need bluetooth, an mp3 player, traffic information, etc. All the other features that you get for $1,000+
My only complaint would be, you are unable to see the actual coordinates on the device? You are unable to travel to coordinates only physical address. However, garmin does have software called mapsource which allows a user to upload his favorites to a computer and will allow you to see the gps coordinates. You can't complain for 279.99 for a automotive gps unit.

I test drove it at BestBuy, immiditely liked it amone some others offered (tomtom, sony), then went home and ordered it online at Amazon. The GPS is exactly what it is designed for: Car Navigation! Directions and Points of Interest are really the only thing you'd need for a car navigation system, plus this litte thing even talks! with a 2GB SD card (cost $35) you can load entire US AND Europe Maps and travel everywhere in your car without getting lost.

Screen is not as bad as most user describes, I made a small shade for it so it reads pretty darn good even in harsh bright sun light. Very responsive processor, no sluggish menu found on a lot of other brand GPS systems within same price range. Touch screen is also great and easy to use. Without power adapter, this little thing can run continuely for over 6 hours on battery, so you can carry it with you when you get out of car.

Antenna is one of the best amone competitions, though not using Srif chip, it locks fast and accurate(WAAS).

Route calculated is quite good, though not the best. Sometimes it will give false direction and ask you to go around a circle... If you get off the route, the system will automatically recalculate a new route for you.

Maps are up to date, point of interest information is quite complete, though some information is really old and does not include newest shopping centers/grocery stores. Tor example, it does not include a major movie theater close by(rave motion pictures) or a Wal-mart that's been built long long time ago.

Recommended Buy!

//If you are looking for a hiking and off road product, Garmin GPS 60CSx or 76CSx is your best bet, they are also great car navigation system as well (just without voice navigation). Both GPS device support SD card, so you can use one SD card for both the outdoor model and the C320!

We bought this unit and the Garmin i3 for comparison since they are about the same price. I was initially interested in the i3 because it's smaller in size. It's much easier for traveling, especially going to Europe, we are thinking of carrying it while we are walking. But once we compared it with the Garmin C320, we returned the i3. Using the wheel on the i3 is tedious compared to touch screen feature on the C320. It is definitely easier to see the bigger screen while you are driving. And I do think it's worth buying the dash mount because it's a pain to keep pulling the suction cup on and off the windshield leaving circular marks on the windshield. The dash mount does not require adhesive, it just sits there. It works very well.

Another comment I want to add is that it is very easy to load maps onto the unit. I live in Calif and if I am in town, there is no point in holding the whole country's map on this unit. The more states, cities you have in your database, the longer it takes you to scroll through to find the state, city, street that you are looking for. When I travel out of state, I just load the other state(s) onto the unit prior to leaving home. That's why there's really no need to buy a 1G memory chip and load everything on there. And that's the reason why I decided not to buy the C330 which has USA and Canada and Puerto Rico on it. Plus the price is another $100 higher


I got this as an anniversary gift for my husband. We all know men WON'T stop and ask directions!! Now he doesn't need to. We just got back from Gatlinburg, Tennessee (from Maryland). Took us through Washington, D.C., without any problems. Our cabin was at the top of Ski Mountain, with lots of sharp curves and steep hills. We were able to see, in advance, when our roads were coming up. If "she" makes mistakes (only once) it's corrected, immediately. Definitely buy with confidence!!

This product is amazing. I started a new job on the other side of the state of Florida. I got miserably lost in this new area untill I purchased my Street Pilot. I now have no worries of getting lost or being late. I can find anything or anywhere on the navigator and it takes me there with no hassle. Technology is wonderful!!! I would highly recommend this product to anyone. Everyone who drives should have one.

it unbeleavable gps it takes you where ever you want at exacte adress, i used it in my summer holiday in united state .

This one will get you there! After reviewing about 10 GPS car navigation systems I chose this one. The Garmin Street Pilot c320 is easy to use,
failry accurate in locating restaraunts in the area, (some restaraunts that closed years ago still show). Excellent at locating street adresses and gas stations. The low price is also what attracted me. This one cost me about $350 with S/H. I priced many and even a comparable model at local stores sold for over $500.00. I have used mine in the Santa Cruz mountains
and it does throw it off. However, the mountains tend to block sattelite signals in general. I have had it show me on a parallel road, off road and stop short or long for 1 mile. It also has an annoying way of telling me to turn around when I passed a destination. I do use this for business and use it extensively. Most casual users will not run into these problems. When this one losses the signal it often regains it within a mile or 2 and recalculates. It is very easy to move from 1 car to the next. It runs off battery for a day or so. When you compare other GPS systems to this one. You'll see that for $200.00 to $1000.00 more your not buying much more of a GPS, your just spending more money.

Excellent value and great customer support. Had a problem with a broken contact on the dash mount, Garmin sent a replacement within 5 days.

The included 128 SD card is good enough to load 3 or 4 States. Solves my normal needs as a stranger in the new big city.

Why I don't have a soft leather or leather-like case for it? My friend got one with his C330.

We have found this product sooo very useful and would highly recommend it. We have used it locally and on vacation. It traveling by car all the more pleasant.

I have been using this GPS for 5 months now. It is a good buy. The only thing I wish was there- If could speak out the street names as well while taking turns. This feature is a part of newer models like Garmin Nuvi, but thats double price of Garmin C320.


In his job, he's driving a lot. This gizmo worked perfectly and installed flawlessly. He's also impressed by how accurate and up-to-date the maps are considering the amount of road construction continuously going on in our area. He especially likes the feature that allows him to search for businesses. In terms of Amazon, I searched all over the web and Amazon had the best price and got it to me quickly.

I love this product! It tells me where to turn (nice soft female voice), & keeps me on track. When I don't enter an address (which is usually), I choose street map which shows me what streets are approaching. Great unit for the $.

I recommend this navigator for someone need to buy a basic navigator with a great price. You just need to spend some time to install the map software and upload the states you are interested in. The memory card of course doesn't take everything, maybe you can think of memory upgrade later. Sometimes accuracy problem took place but I think it's a weather issue.

This is one of the coolest things I have purchased in a while. Does a great job at a great price.

Is everything it was advertised. Am very pleas