Home > Consumer Reviews > Garmin nüvi 1300 Series 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

If you're looking for a Garmin with basic GPS functions, you may want to consider the nüvi 1300.

It works as advertised, but is missing a lot of features found in other GPS models for a lot less cash. A traffic receiver is available from Garmin for a $118, however check out other Garmin models which have this receiver included. A speed limit sign is not available in this model, but can be found on the 1350, $50 more than this one. A USB cable which is inexpensive to buy, should have been included.

Bluetooth is another recommended feature. In the 1300 series, you have to go up to the 1370T model to get both Bluetooth and traffic receiver included--at an additional $200 over the price of the 1300!

A more sensible solution would be to go to another Garmin model like the 265WT which includes: (1) FM traffic receiver, (2) USB cable, (3) Bluetooth compatibility, and (4) Speed limit info. The 265WT is currently on Amazon for $30 LESS than the 1300 but loaded with all these features and latest mapping software.

Yes, the nüvi 1300 works as advertised, but is just not the value GPS that you can find in other models.

I agree with the previous reviewer: it is way cheap that Garmin doesn't include a USB cable with the unit. However, mine came with instructions (and was very easy to set up, much easier than my previous Garmin, a nuvi 360) and found my current location quickly and accurately.

There are a few notable improvements I've found so far as compared to the Garmin 360--(1) the touch screen is much more responsive and accurate (2) there seem to be more POI (though, of course, there are still locations that are not listed) (3) there are lots of extra features like the ecoroute thing, which allows you to track your gas mileage and the cost of driving from 1 location to another.

As far as the negatives, the lack of accessories is the biggest problem. Ironically, if you want to register your product to get a 10% discount on accessories, you have to have the USB cord accessory so that their website can recognize your nuvi. This is not going to bode well for the number of people who will register their Nuvi 1300s, and I assume Garmin will come up with some solution to this in the future (i.e.--a way to register without connecting the nuvi to your computer). When I called Garmin, they promised to send me a USB cord for free, so that might be something to try.

Overall, great GPS with a few small problems.

Ugh. I cannot believe people are making such a hoopla about the omission of a $3 USB cable. I realize that whole $3 argument works both ways, but why in the world people are making such a big deal out of it, is beyond me. I mean you barely USE the dang thing, not to mention the fact that you probably have one around the house already! I sometimes think people just LOOK for a reason to complain.

Anyway, on to the review:

First of all, I have the 1300T, which is identical except it includes lifetime traffic. That being said, I have had this going on a month now and find it to be one of the best, if not THE best GPS Vehicle Nav I have come across. I have several handhelds of various names, but in sticking with the scope of this review, I will only mention my previous experience with the vehicle GPS units.

I've had just about every brand name of GPS unit in search of the "perfect" one. Up until now, the closest I came was with a Nuvi 350 when it was first released in 05, which I foolishly sold as I wasn't using it as much as I had originally thought. Back then, GPS Nav was a nicety and not nearly as "big" as it is today. Since then, I've had units from Magellan, Cobra, Finedrive (Ugh!), Whistler, TomTom, Mio(My favorite TeleAtlas based brand) and Navigon. All had their plusses and minuses but, never really hit that sweet spot. With the exception of one small detail, the 1300 FINALLY gets it.

I can't tell you how happy I am to be back to a Navtech based device. While TeleAtlas certainlny has come a long way, it's still not as accurate as Navtech. I still have two of my TeleAtlas based units(Mio and TomTom) and have done a series of comparisons between the 1300 and the others, with the 1300 being the most accurate. The Navigon actually has free map updates and is running the very latest maps, but still falls short in comparison.

The routing alogarythim is also much better in this unit than with rest. With the exception of the Nuvi 350, of course, which routes very similar to the 1300. That's not to say, there are no routing flaws. All GPSes have flaws, and this is no different. However, the strange routes are far less than with my previous units.

And last, but not least: Appearance. Good lord this thing is gorgeous! The map display is top notch and looks great scrolling through whatever road I may be on. I know this doesn't really matter to some, but for those who like good looking graphics, this is the unit for you!

Also, I HIGHLY suggest looking for the 1300T, or ponying up for the add-on lifetime traffic kit for the base 1300. That is if you live in an urban area and are affected by traffic on your commute. This has saved me TONS of time, as people around here can't seem to drive through a simple tunnel without crashing daily! I will point out, however, the free lifetime traffic does come at a small cost. There are unobtrusive ads(hotels mostly) at the bottom of the screen when on the traffic menu. These only show when not moving and are quite small. Definitely not something to get in a fuss over, but thought I'd point it out.

The only thing I would change about this model(and the whole Garmin vehicle line) is the ability to better control your detours. On my previous TomTom, Magellan, Navigon and Cobra, I could tell it how far to reroute and in some instances, choose the route. Garmin just gives you one Detour and that's it. Sometimes even putting you back on the same road a few miles up. This isn't as much of a problem with the traffic module, as it automagically routes you around the traffic. But it would still be nice to have more tweakability.

I used to have the Garmin 260W. Was fairly happy with the performance. So when I saw this Nuvi with a traffic receiver, I thought it might be a good deal.

This piece has so many issues:
a) Sometimes switches off randomly (even when connected to the power outlet). Sometimes doesn't switch on either.
b) The touch screen is moody. Doesn't become active sometimes. I have to wait for a while and try again to go through the menu
c) And finally, the directions are so so wrong! It sends me to places where there is nothing. I mean nothing. It says we have arrived and I am thinking where the hell I am. It has happened many times. When I first experienced this problem, I called up Garmin and they updated my maps. Didn't make any difference.

I am planning to return this and get a new GPS. I am not sure if Garmin even did some testing of this unit. Just too many issues!

I got this after getting super lost one Sunday and loved the ease of use--no need for a manual. Text to speech is wonderful and clear, display is beautiful . . . and it keep getting me lost! Badly. In familiar territory, it has chosen routes I never even heard of: back country roads with no shoulders, hairpin turns, no street lights, all when I could have taken the turnpike or a 4 lane divided highway. Got lost in Baltimore on interstates, gave me the opposite of the correct turn in NJ. It just keeps happening. I'm using the default selection for routing ("fastest") so it's not like I chose eco-route or anything odd.
By contract, a Navteq unit I'm comparing it to never has gotten me lost once. Unfortunately, that unit has terrible TTS, so I may use distance and direction announcements only and skip the street names, but I got this thing to keep from getting lost and I've taken more bad turns and odd routes with the Garmin 1300 than I ever did on my own. Back it goes.