Garmin StreetPilot 2720 Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am currently trying out the Garmin 2720 and the Magellan 6000, both top end units, to see which one I am going to keep. Tough choice ! Both are terrific for routing, have all the advanced features, like text to speech and traffic info option, but neither one is perfect.
Here are the pros and cons of the Garmin 2720, as compared to the Magellan Roadmate 6000:

Pros:
1. The maps of the 2720 are much more readable. On the 6000, it is hard to see which street label belongs to which line. The 6000 is also practically useless to use as a map (just scrolling and zooming around), since it is way too slow and jumpy. The 2720 is perfect in these respects. Scrolling is very smooth. When a destination is entered, the corresponding map is shown, and can be zoomed in. Very cool. I had first tested the 6000, and once I tried the 2720 I could not believe how good it was (or how bad the 6000 was). The map quality is a difference like day and night. With the 6000, I had trouble to understand the map even for the areas I am familiar with, like the block around our home or office.

2. Dash mount. I prefer the beanbag mount of the 2720, since it is easy to move from one car to another, or to stow away. Plus, the windshield mount is not legal in CA. For the 6000, no beanbag option is offered yet. With the beanbag mount, the unit does usually sit a little farther away from the driver (at least in my car), but this is no problem with the 2720, since it has a convenient remote control.

Cons:
1. No battery ! Very annoying that you can program your route on the 2720 only after starting the car. This problem is compounded by the long startup time of the 2720 (around 10 sec vs. 1 second for the 6000), and the fact that the 2720 does not start to navigate until it has a satellite lock. So when I start the car, enter my destination and start driving, there will be no directions. The 2720 then has trouble to get the inital satellite lock while driving, so I have to pull over and wait until it has the lock and gives directions. The 6000 starts navigating from the last known position. Also, I can take the 6000 home and program it from my sofa, then take it with me to the car and start driving.

2. Interactive POI: most POI (like restaurants) are not displayed on the 2720 map. You need to search for them via menu, and then get a list. On the 6000, you see the icons for restaurants, gas station etc. displayed right on the map, and you can click on an icon to get details or to have the 6000 plot the route to them.

3. POI search. On the 2720, you can only search for POI around your current location, or any other specific location that you need to enter first. If you don't know the approximate location, you are out of luck. With the 6000, you can enter a restaurant name and bring up matches for the whole state. I used it to find a restaurant in a city 300 miles away, and it only took a few seconds. On the 2720, it was very difficult to find it at all.

4. Destination search. If you enter a city or street that does not exist (due to typo), the 2720 will bring up a prompt "Not found". The 6000 is much smarter and does not even let you enter something invalid. If you enter the first city letter, for example, then it presents only those letters for your choice of the 2nd letter that correspond to actual cities in the database, others are grayed out. Very convenient.

5. Destination entry order. With the 6000, you enter the street first. You can omit prefixes like N or S. It will then show you the available range of numbers. This is very convenient if you just want to drive to a certain street (i.e. you know that a certain restaurant is on that street), but don't know the number. Enter the street first on the 6000, then pick some number in the middle of the available range and go. It will also figure out the street prefix based on the number. With the 2720, you need to enter the number first, and then later you get a prompt to correct it if it was invalid.

6. Locate button. The 6000 has one. Press it, and it shows you city and nearby street and other details, and you can also save it. The 2720 has no such feature.

7. Route options. Both have "shortest time" or "shortest distance" options, but only the 6000 also has options "prefer freeways" and "avoid freeways".

8. Screen size. The 6000 screen is a bit larger.

I have not made a decision yet. Even though there are only two areas where the 2720 has the advantage over the 6000, these two points weigh heavily. Especially the map readability, since this is one of the main reasons to have a GPS. As I said, tough choice.

UPDATE AS OF 08/21/06:
I returned the Magellan 6000. Due to the poor map display, it was of little use, no matter what features it offered.
The 2720, even with the shortcommings listed above, is much more usable and even enjoyable in daily use. I have also updated it's firmware with the latest version from the Garmin website (was very easy to do), and now at least item 3 (POI search) is pretty much fixed. It still takes quite long to find a POI that is far away (2 minutes vs. 10 seconds on the 6000, for a POI 300 miles away). But at least you can find it at all, plus it gives an indication of the increasing search radius while it is searching. Since such a search scenario is pretty infrequent, I can live with the delay. The fact that Garmin improved the firmware also makes me hopefull that some of the other shortcommings can be fixed over time (except for the missing battery of course).

As for the missing battery, we compared the 2720 against the Garmin nuvi 360, which has a very similar feature set and operation, but includes a battery. The nuvi 360 has some advantages, it's ideal for carrying around and has a few extras like MP3 player. Still, our verdict was to stick with the 2720. This was mosty my wife's decision who by now has fallen in love with the 2720. It was due to the follwing advantages the 2720 has over the nuvi:
- 2720 has a larger and brighter display
- 2720 sits very secure on it's beanbag mount and can be moved easily to another vehicle. It feels and is more robust.
- 2720 includes the City Navigator on DVD, where you can plan your route ahead of time and make changes, then download it to the 2720. This is invaluable for larger trips. Even if you don't make any changes, it is very helpful to preview the route on the larger computer screen, zoom into sections etc. We tried it for one route and found it to be terrific. (Only inconvenience again is that you need to connect the unit to an AC adaptor in addition to the computer as it has no battery)
- The audio is a bit better, due to the larger speaker

So bottom line, we decided on this GPS, the Garmin Street Pilot 2720. I'll keep it a 3 stars for it's missing battery and other smaller shortcommings, but after our research it's still the best unit out there.

UPDATE AS OF 08/28/06:
We have now completed our first longer trip with the 2720, and it worked out great. So we are confident that we made the right decision. Routing was efficient, it picked the perfect routes and guided us flawlessly. The best part however, as compared to other devices, is the terrific quality of the map display. It looks that the 2720 is smart enough to always show the right angle and zoom, depending where you are (on highway, approaching a ramp, in rural area, in city streets etc), to give you the most information. Also, the map is very easy and quick to grasp, even in an unfamiliar area, which is important while driving. Just to give an example: While on the highway, traffic was slowing, and we could see a jam ahead. There was also an exit just comming up. Wondering if I should take it, I glanced at the 2720 and saw that it displayed the exit, highlighted a parallel street a few blocks away, and even showed at a bird's eye view how that street would merge back onto our highway a few miles away. So I just took the exit, and the 2720 recalculated the route immediately and guided me on the parallel road and then back onto the highway later. Voila, the jam was gone. I did not have to press any button or interact with the 2720 in any way while doing the detour. I guess when using the traffic info feature, the 2720 would even do such recommendation proactively, but I have not tried this yet. It works just fine the way it is.

To round this review up, during daily use we have found that we do not miss the few firmware shortcommings that much (and Garmin is improving on them). The battery we do miss a bit, but less than we originally thought. You will have to decide for yourself, of course. We found that once the novelty of the GPS wears off, we no longer carry the unit home that much to play with it (for which we'd miss the battery). And while driving, we just enjoy the precise directions and the terrific map.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin StreetPilot 2720 Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description:
If you're looking for a premium vehicle GPS navigation system, one with text-to-speech and the ability to gather real-time traffic information, the StreetPilot 2720 is the answer. In addition to the turn-by-turn voice-prompted navigation available in earlier StreetPilot models, the 2720's text-to-speech functionality allows the unit to audibly announce the names of upcoming streets and points of interest, letting you keep your eyes on the road while navigating through busy traffic and tricky roadways.
At the heart of the 2720 is a new control system that features a widescreen, automotive-grade touchscreen display that automatically dims and brightens based on ambient light conditions. While the 454 x 240 pixel touchscreen interface is designed for ease of use, the 2720 also ships with a wireless remote control that can be used to operate the device's functions.

The StreetPilot 2720 offers clear, easy-to-read 3D directions to your destination, and state of the art text-to-speech and traffic interface capabilities.
See the 3D system in more detail.

Preloaded maps are available and ready to use right out of the box. View larger.

A convenient touch screen allows for quick access to features such as maps, recent locations, food, and hotels. View larger. Meanwhile, an integrated dash-mounting system provides easy adjustment and quick release, or you can use the included "bean bag" mount if you don't want to add a mount to your dash. An included speaker attachment that is built into the 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter enables the 2720 to deliver voice prompts. An internal antenna that communicates with up to 12 GPS satellites is provided, as is a USB port for PC connectivity. There's also an MCX-type connector for hooking up an optional external GPS antenna. And if you need waterproofing, the 2720 is up to the challenge; it meets IEC 60529 IPX7 standards, which means it's submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
Finding your way with the 2720 starts with inputting a location on the touchscreen. Next, the unit's text-to-speech feature speaks to you just like a back seat driver, telling you the names of streets and when to turn and in what direction. And if you happen to miss a turn, don't worry--the 2720 automatically calculates a new route to your destination. In addition to point-to-point navigation, the 2720 can calculate the most efficient route between multiple destinations--a real time-saver for realtors, salespeople, and errand-runners. You can also tell the unit to avoid specific areas or road segments when calculating a route. You can also select a three-dimensional mapping perspective, or choose from several 2-D overhead viewing options. What's more, audible and visual navigation instructions and warnings help you navigate more quickly while keeping your eyes on the road.
Another time- and frustration-saving feature of the 2720 is the database of preloaded maps and points of interest. Gone are the days of uploading partial maps from your computer to your GPS device: the 2720 has them all built in. The unit comes preloaded with Garmin's highly detailed MapSource City Navigator NT North America maps of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Finding points of interest along your route is made easy with the 2720's huge built-in database of nearly six million hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions. Garmin has also made it easy for users to upload custom points of interest--now you can add school zones or safety cameras to your database. You can even turn on a proximity alert to notify you of upcoming custom points of interest.


Locations: Pinpoint your exact location for easy travel, then save these destinations for later use.

Trip Distance: Calculate your arrival time, and keep track of your speed in relation to it, for complete control. Garmin really kicks the power of the 2720 up a notch with the addition of real-time traffic information. This optional service will display congested areas on a color-coded map, allowing you to avoid traffic by simply pushing a button that calculates a new route. All this wizardry is made possible by the new Garmin GTM 10 receiver that connects to the 2720 and other select Garmin products. Note that while the GTM 10 receives digital data from specific FM broadcast stations in select major metro areas throughout the United States and Europe, these traffic services are available only in select cities where coverage exists. The service requires the GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver and, in some cases, a subscription to enable these traffic capabilities.

What's in the Box
StreetPilot 2720 receiver, MapSource City Navigator NT North America maps, 12-volt power cable with external speaker, alphanumeric remote control, PC/USB interface cable, AC power adapter, beanbag mount, dash mount, protective cover, owner's manual, and a quick-reference setup guide.

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