Home > Consumer Reviews > Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS

This is a great unit for hiking or biking. The tools for driving are a little weak but that's not the main reason for buying this device.

LOVE this toy!! I got this for my husband as a Father's Day gift for hunting/fishing, and he takes this everywhere. I told him he'd better hang on tight, cuz his wife might steal it. :) Very cool!! Amazon.com came through for me in getting it in time for Father's Day. I got the trial Prime account free for a month, and I ended up paying less than $4 for next day service, love that!! Before you buy it elsewhere, check here first, and do your research, cuz it's WAY worth it!!

The Garmin etrex Vista is every thing promised. Seems to work great, But for me it demands some study and learning.

I don't own this product, although I do own 3 other Garmin GPS units. When I saw that this unit does NOT come with a map, that maps have to be purchased separately, I decided that I don't need the unit. Between the cost of the unit and the cost of the maps, it's too expensive for what I'd get out of it.
Garmin makes good products, but their customer service in all areas is sadly lacking.

Update Feb 2010: Now I own the HCx, having received it for Christmas. I found on line that you can use Metroguide maps with it, as they don't need to be unlocked. The map I have is old, but all I use this unit for is to lay out tracks when I go for walks, so it makes little difference. It's capable of a great deal more than what a GPS novice might imagine and it's a great-looking unit. As to customer service, I'll revise my comment above to say that their response to my emails was much faster than I thought it would be. They responded specifically to my emails within hours of my hitting the Send button and their responses were helpful.

The Owner's Manual that comes with the unit is nothing more than a quick start guide, for all practical purposes. That's Garmin. They make great units and so many of them that their documentation falls short.

I was bought a few months ago, And using in Turkey. i was updated Turkey map. It's very usefull.