Have $400 budget, new or used?

[GeneC]

GPS newbie...Of course if read a bunch of posts but... If you had about $400 to spend on a gps, would you buy a new unit such as a zumo 220 or go with a used device. I saw a used BMW navigator III for the same price range. Don't need a lit of bells and whistles, just want to be able to download a route from my computer and for it to get me there. For the forseable future, i will be riding i the USA only (maybe Canada) Thanks in advance, Gene

[MrBob]

Originally Posted by GeneC

GPS newbie...Of course if read a bunch of posts but... If you had about $400 to spend on a gps, would you buy a new unit such as a zumo 220 or go with a used device. I saw a used BMW navigator III for the same price range. Don't need a lit of bells and whistles, just want to be able to download a route from my computer and for it to get me there. For the forseable future, i will be riding i the USA only (maybe Canada) Thanks in advance, Gene

Check out refurbished units on eBay and Amazon. Look for factory refurbished rather than seller refurbished and also look for a factory warranty.

[GeneC]

Originally Posted by MrBob

Check out refurbished units on eBay and Amazon. Look for factory refurbished rather than seller refurbished and also look for a factory warranty.

Sounds good. Which unit would you suggest? Thanks

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by GeneC

GPS newbie...Of course if read a bunch of posts but... If you had about $400 to spend on a gps, would you buy a new unit such as a zumo 220 or go with a used device. I saw a used BMW navigator III for the same price range. Don't need a lit of bells and whistles, just want to be able to download a route from my computer and for it to get me there. For the forseable future, i will be riding i the USA only (maybe Canada) Thanks in advance, Gene

I'd save a little longer then get a Montana 600, which is selling for $459 at GPSCity.com

If you want to make a purchase which will keep you happy for a long time, get the best you can afford from the start.

[MrBob]

Originally Posted by GeneC

Sounds good. Which unit would you suggest? Thanks

Depends on your budget and how you want to use it. A motorcycle specific unit like a Tom Tom would fit into the 400.00 category. Lots of people are using the Garmin Nuvis and I'm inclined toward those because Garmin is compatible with the Mac platform. And, my old eyes like the 5" models.
I once had a Garmin Street Pilot that I used every day, all day long and never had a hiccup though it was useless in bright sunlight. I bought it refurbished on Amazon and sold it for what I paid for it two years later.
I buy refurbished tools, phones, cameras, and other electronics and have saved considerable money without any problems.
If you follow this thread long enough you'll discover that no one agrees on a damn thing in terms of choices. It helps a lot to actually handle the units you find interesting.

[GeneC]

Originally Posted by Emmbeedee

I'd save a little longer then get a Montana 600, which is selling for $459 at GPSCity.com

If you want to make a purchase which will keep you happy for a long time, get the best you can afford from the start.

I'll check that out, thank you

[GeneC]

Originally Posted by MrBob

Depends on your budget and how you want to use it. A motorcycle specific unit like a Tom Tom would fit into the 400.00 category. Lots of people are using the Garmin Nuvis and I'm inclined toward those because Garmin is compatible with the Mac platform. And, my old eyes like the 5" models.
I once had a Garmin Street Pilot that I used every day, all day long and never had a hiccup though it was useless in bright sunlight. I bought it refurbished on Amazon and sold it for what I paid for it two years later.
I buy refurbished tools, phones, cameras, and other electronics and have saved considerable money without any problems.
If you follow this thread long enough you'll discover that no one agrees on a damn thing in terms of choices. It helps a lot to actually handle the units you find interesting.

Got it, thanks :-)

[wbbnm]

I just bought the Montana from GPSCity for the $459 price.

But I also had to buy a mount for ~$35, a RAM ball adaptor for $6 and a new City Navigator for $75

[Fire Escape]

While buying used may get you more 'stuff' for the same money, it invariably gets you that much closer to the "That unit is no longer supported" date. Manufacturers used to think about building something that could be used for a long time (didn't always do it but at least considered it). Now with computers being outdated by the time you get them home and owners wanting to trade up every week (a slight exageration), it has become easy for the manufacturers to say 'Well, yes that was our best unit, but that was two years ago, we don't fix those anymore'. If you don't plan to own and use it for a long time, used may be a better deal. If you want to keep using it, even after you have learned all it's features (usually takes me a couple of years) you might be better served with new. YMMV


Bruce