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Garmin nüvi 500

REVIEW DATE:07.31.08

Garmin nuvi 500
Garmin nüvi 500: Right Side Garmin nüvi 500: Left Side Garmin nüvi 500: Main Screen

REVIEW

By Craig Ellison

In these competitive times when GPS manufacturers constantly vie to offer features that differentiate their products from all the others, it's hard to believe that the crossover GPS market has remained largely untapped. Well over a year ago, we reviewed Magellan's CrossoverGPS an outdoor GPS for campers, hikers, and hunters that doubles as a capable in-car navigator. Garmin is just now releasing a competing line of crossover products: the nüvi 500 series.

red arrow Read the Garmin nüvi 500 full review

Company

Garmin Ltd

http://www.garmin.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $499.99 List
  • Type: Portable
  • Turn-by-turn: Yes
  • 3D View: Yes
  • Display Type: Touch
  • Dimensions: 4.21 x 3.35 x 0.9 inches
  • Hard Drive: No
  • Flash Memory Type: SD/MMC
  • Preloaded maps: Yes
  • Waterproof: Yes
  • Speakers Included: built-in
  • Power: Adapter, Battery
  • Supports MP3: Yes
  • Multi Segment Routing: Yes

Bottom Line

The Garmin nüvi 500 is good crossover choice for those who don't want or can't afford separate dedicated automotive and outdoor enthusiast GPS devices.

Pros

Rechargeable, user-replaceable battery. IPX7-rated waterproof. Integrated with geocaching.com, a Web site that tracks geocaches. Topographic maps are included.

Cons

Lacks text-to-speech conversion in automotive mode. Poor track log handling. Distance to destination didn't work in compass mode. No Bluetooth phone integration.

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