Updating GPS maps
 

My Garmin Nuvi 370 is three years old. We are taking a two week trip in the New England area this summer and we don't know the area at all. Do I need to update our GPS maps or are the roads about the same? How much could they change in three years? I'm just trying to decide if it's worth $70.
Thanks

I was angry around Providence that I hadnt updated mine as it seemed to be getting me off of the highway to side roads to get back on the same highway. Not sure if an update would have helped or not. Id vote for better safe than sorry and update.

With new GPS starting at under $100 it might make more sense to buy a new one.

We came across this same thing! It was $70 to update my TomTom..we just bought a Maggellan with a nice big screen for $150... TomTom was about 4 years old.. so it seemed right to do...

I update my Magellan every two years. Costs around $75 and is easy to do.

Does anyone else find it sad they make the maps so expensive that getting a new GPS is the better choice? Very wasteful.

Monica - sure. Seems to be the way we live with disposable everything now. I think it is a global economy thing- cheaper to pay tiny wages to foreign workers to make this stuff than it would be to pay US wages once it is here to fix it.

I guess it depends on how much you pay for the GPS . . mine was over $300

Mine was too--has European maps on it as well as U. S. maps.

Rich and Connie - but how much would a comparable GPS cost today? Prices have really dropped.

<<I was angry around Providence that I hadnt updated mine as it seemed to be getting me off of the highway to side roads to get back on the same highway. Not sure if an update would have helped or not. Id vote for better safe than sorry and update.>>

Getting around Providence is a nightmare! To make matters worse, they change street names and take their time submitting changes (apparently) to Navteq.

I live in New England and just updated by Garmin. I was a bit reluctant, wondering if the unit will last (or need repairs), whether updates were worthwhile, whether I'd want a newer/different unit/model sometime soon. I decided to do the updates because this one has all the features I can imagine every needing.

Anyway, it's not so much updating roads/directions, but the "points of interest" are updated as well - restaurants, shopping, lodging. So, if hotels have changed names/ownership, and so forth, they're updated.

I did "search by name" for places not found on previous trips, and they've been updated and/or are now included. I learned after the first trip to always include the address and phone numbers for our destinations, lest they not come up with a name search on the Garmin.

I use MS Streets/Trips, also with Navteq maps, so the updates are much more apparent, and, I think, quite worthwhile.

When people complain that their GPS gave poor directions or places are not found...it's because the routes/maps are based on data provided by each municipality...and I've noticed a huge improvement in recent years.

You still need a good road map. In Hyannis, directions to our motel took us down a dark, deserted, road, no where near the motel!

I have a 3 year old Honda with a built-in GPS and since I keep my cars about 10 years I will likely update it in a year or so. Since I do homecare for work, it is essential to my daily travels - and fortunately I have had more success with it than djkbooks indicates above. I admit I rarely use it for Points of Interest or Search By Name - unless it is to look under "fast food" category for a bathroom I can use.

It always gets me where I want to go, although on familiar routes sometimes wants to send me one way when I think I know a preferred way. Never tried it in Providence, but it successfully navigate the Boston Big Dig completion. There is one area in Worcester where it goes insane - and like most mapping programs really really likes the George Washington Bridge over the Tappan Zee Bridge.

I carry an ancient map and book of local maps with me - but the maps there are probably older than my loaded maps - and have not used the paper maps in 3 years.

My first GPS was also over $300... and 4 or more years old.. so we just got a new one with a bigger screen for the $150! It's almost nicer than my more expensive one... and the screen is a little bigger...

Think maybe $30 would be a good price for an update... they might get a lot more...wishful thinking...

You can now buy lifetime North American map updates for Garmin for around $80, so that's not a bad deal. I agree that in NE the changes are most likely to points of interest, not roads.

My sister just bought a new Garmin . . the map was already three years old

I think if you register on garmin.com, you can get one free map update within the first 60 days of using your unit.

My iPhone has the latest Google Maps, and is constantly updated, even so far as to include traffic reporting. I use this in conjunction with my 3 year old GPS (and 3 year old maps) and rarely get irritated, despite the fact that I drive into new territory quite frequently.

As always, the first thing you have to learn about your GPS is that you cannot follow the directions blindly. When Chatty Cathy says, "Turn right here.", sometimes you just have to reply, "No Thanks."

I find we use the "Points of Interest" feature as much or more than the driving directions. Great for finding a Starbucks or diner while on the road. We download the AAA POI file a couple of times a year to keep it current ( free!)

The annual map updates are $70 for the Magellan.

I tried to update my Garmin and found the website to be extremely confusing. As I remember, I couldn't find the update price without putting the software into the shopping cart.

I wrote to Garmin politely (if perhaps ironically) about my issues and never got a response. It was like dealing with Comcast.

So I saved the money and didn't update. My GPS is getting kind of knocked around, so I may just look for a new one and put this one in my other car if prices are as low as others suggest.