I'm about 99% convinced that this would be the ideal unit for my first GPS. I'm looking for feedback from those who own it on one question. How well can you hear the spoken instructions when you have the top out (coupe)/down (vert)?

 

I have a garmin and yes you can here it with the top down. It actually will get quite annoying if you make a wrong turn.

 

I have the 350 and love it. Havent used it with the top off, but it is loud enough that I can hear it over a lower volume radio. My guess is that it will be fine. I tend to pay attention to the map more then the spoken directions.

 

I have a nüvi 650 coming in this week. If you think you will not be able to hear the speaker then you may want to consider a model with the FM transmitter. I wanted the bigger screen, the nüvi 650 does not have Bluetooth or the FM transmitter. Found it online for $508 shipped. Can't wait to try it out, moving to SC this summer so I'll need it on those beautiful backroads in the Highlands.

 

Have the 660 & can hear it with top down. FM transmitter works OK & it's sort of nice as long as you don't drive into L A or any other large city where you don't have an open FM channel to hook to.

 

I have the 350. It's a great little unit. No problem with the volume - top up or down.

 

Well I'm bummed out now.

I was doing some further reading on the 350 and discovered that there is no way to plan a route on the PC and then download it into the GPS. I enjoy doing at least one road trip a year where I find the twistiest, off-the-beaten-pathiest roads and then follow them. I suppose the GPS might still be useful in that case, as it would at least allow me to easily see where upcoming towns, intersections, POI's, and hidden curves might be, but I'd lose the route assistance features (turn left in x feet).

<sigh>

 

I have the same unit, it is loud enough for top down/off use. It also fits nicely in the left corner of the windshield, within easy reach and not blocking your forward view.

 

I would get the Nuvi 360 because 350 doesn't have bluetooth (I think it's pretty important to have your hands on the steering wheel while driving instead of holding onto the phone), and it allows you to copy your cellphone's phonebook. I believe buydig has the 360 for $399, no tax and free shipping.

Andy

 

That kinda bummed me out also but I figured since you can enter 500 favorite places I would just plan my route using the favorite places as waypoints along the way. Just put them in order and go from one favorite place to the other.

 

From what I've read, you need a cell phone to use that feature. I don't even own one, so it's not something that's important to me.

I actually called Garmin to see if there was any other difference between the 350 and 360 (from the detailed spec sheets it looked like the 360 might have more memory, but it doesn't).

Although I am still kicking around the idea of whether an extra $200 would be worth it for the 660's bigger screen (as said, I don't need bluetooth and the FM transmitter isn't all that big a selling point either).

 

Hmmm, interesting.

So if you wanted to take some twisty secondary highway, you'd just pick a spot along that highway so that the Nuvi would be forced to route you down that road? When you get to that favorite, you'd select the next one, again forcing the Nuvi to select a particular route? It's not perfect, but if I'm understand you correctly that might just work well enough.

 

I have the 360 and I love it, but I suppose you could do with the 350 just fine. I happen to have a samsung blackjack that is bluetooth capable with a headset so the 360 is suited for me. For the price difference you might as well get the 360 for the extra feature, although I plan to put one of those double din pioneer in-dash nav units in mine later in the year.

 

I just bought the C330 this past weekend. It is a great little unit. Its not the fanciest model out there, but it was great for my trip to Boston. And I can hear it ok with the top down... granted I'm not doing triple digits

 

That's what I'm thinking, just go from one favorite place to the next. Put one favorite place at the intersection of the main road and the twisty and another at the end of the twisty and so on.