On the road with the nuvi 350

We received a Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator this Christmas and took it on our trip to South Carolina. I’ve used a Garmin eTrex for several years and like a lot of the features and the huge amount of information available from it’s simple format. But its use on a trip was limited by it’s lack of internal memory and difficulty to route away from the computer.

The nüvi 350 solves those problems, automatically routing and having enough memory to load the full map and POI (Points of Interest) for the US and Canada. In practice it is easy to setup and use. When we deviated from it’s recommended route it would recalculated and offer alternative routing from our present location. When we needed to detour around Atlanta due to traffic tie-up, a press of the on screen button sent us on our way.

Preferring a more scenic return route, we selected the “shorter distance” option and came down US 441 from I-85 to I-10 north of Lake City, FL. On that route a few of the shortcomings make their appearance.

While the nüvi 350’s database is the 2008 map, it failed to have the changes in the roadbed due to fairly recent construction. Now that construction wasn’t totally new but had be opened, I’m guessing here, within the past year or so. In those areas the nüvi went off trying to route us back to a road that didn’t not exist. The same problem appeared in Greenville along a new stretch of road I know is over a year old. Getting past those areas, it recalculated and went on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Additionally, some of the POIs were off or non-existent. Apparently these businesses closed or moved and the changes didn’t make the database. That kind of error is to be expected.

Another negative, at least for me, is the inability to pre-determine your route. I like sitting down at the computer with mapping software and plan my trip. This isn’t possible with the nüvi 350, any nüvi or Street Pilot that I’m aware of. You can determine a series of interim waypoints and insert them as you go along, but to completely preplan and setup you trip, nope.

Some of the nüvi 350’s weaknesses are common to most if not all mapping products, software and hardware. Most of these use the same map database, and this database is flawed in some areas. In Ocala we have a stretch of road that no matter what I use, Garmin, Mapquest, Google Maps, Streets and Trips; they all read this 2 mile strip off from as little as a block to as much as 2 miles. So, as the on screen disclaimer advises, be aware that it, like any other product is imperfect and don’t bet your life on it.

Just the same, the Garmin nüvi 350 was fun and easy to use, very helpful in getting around situations, and contains a very good POI database. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes to travel while appreciating the benefits of modern technology.