So, who trusts their XT's navigation?

[Oop North John]

Had Garmin GPSR's from the Streetpilot 3 and this is the first one where I've had to think about work arounds for the routing algorithms we have been inflicted with when using a downloaded route, which has a way / via point..

Buy an XT2? Seems more like throwing good money after bad.

I suspect that my 396 will be being used well after the XT, and when it becomes obsolete, then a smartphone will probably take over.

I do hope that Garmin sort out the routing, but they don't seem to do many updates after a newer model comes out

[Peobody]

So, who trusts their XT's navigation?

I do. I believe it will always get me to my destination. The loaded question is "Who likes their XT''s navigation?", or more loaded would be "Who likes their XT's navigation when it recalcs a specified route?" My answer to both is a resounding NOT ME!

[Stu]

The loaded question is "Who likes their XT''s navigation?", or more loaded would be "Who likes their XT's navigation when it recalcs a specified route?"

Not me!

And I am falling out of love with it at a rapid rate! so much so I have been pricing up a TomTom or even looking at using waze through spare mobile phone

[rbentnail]

I'm kind of in the same frame of mind as yoose guys. The XT is a little quirky, especially with the recalculating. Otherwise, yeah I trust it. But my workaround is not to modify an active route. I'm better off making a stop and doing a quick route creation on the XT.

Now, this is going to come across wrong, I know it is, so please don't take it that way. It's just an observation/opinion and it's worth double what you paid for it------- Over time I've noticed the more "involved" a person is with the device- file names, file order, file placement, exactness of any detail whatsoever, tracks, speed, Bluetooth, etc., etc.- the more likely he/she/it is to be unhappy with it. I'm a basic route person- I make a route, I put it on the card, I import it and I ride it. I delete it, I delete it and D.U.N. done. I barely use Bluetooth at all. No comm system, rarely any audio instructions and alerts. Basically for me it's a lighted map. My nuvi780 was fantastic, my 595 is pretty good. The XT is just ok.

I still believe, I've said it many times- the more a device does, the less it does well. The nuvi had no extra anything, just maps. Worked great, very intuitive. The 595 not so much as the bloat began. The XT is so bloated with (for me) useless BS that it seems sometimes it can't find its way out of my driveway.

[TripleThreat719]

I have been very satisfied with my XT, but... I did have to learn its unique operating parameters compared to other Garmin devices I have owned and come to terms with a few things that I wish were different.

I probably don't use mine the way most do. I plan very specific paths of travel utilizing basecamp (some hate it, some love it - I've been using it for years and it's what I know). I then export those specific paths of travel as a "Track" in the form of a gpx file. I then send that exported track to myself via text message and open it on my phone. I then share that gpx file with the Explore app which creates a collection in my explore account that contains all of the "tracks" and POIs or waypoints associated with that track that I built in basecamp. That collection is then shared with my XT through a wifi connection or via the Garmin Drive app.

I then open the tracks within the collection and convert them to a "Trip", which gives me turn-by-turn spoken directions when I navigate the trip. I also keep the original gpx track visible on the screen to make sure that the "trip" stays true to the "track". I always have recalculation turned off, as I do not want the XT to tamper with recalculating the trip if I miss a turn, or a road closure forces a work around, or if my "track" takes me off of a navigable road into a trail in the woods.

Sometimes I use it to find my way back to a starting point, like a campground I am staying at, if I have just been out wondering around in an unfamiliar area with no intended path of travel in mind.

So far, the XT has proven itself more than capable for my intended use, and it has the best screen of any GPS I've ever owned. It's vibration resistant, weatherproof, and doesn't overheat in direct sunlight like a cell phone does.

[Oop North John]

I wonder if the XT2 has improved the raison d'etre of a sat nav, or just made it even more problematic?

[ledwardio]

For simple 'take me to ABC' – I trust it in as much as it will get me to where I want to be, but I don't trust it to take me the fastest route - far too often I've taken a different road to the route, for no other reason than personal preference, and once recalculated the arrival time can come down quite dramatically.

[Peobody]

Defining "faster route" is important. The XT is overly eager to put you on roads with higher speeds, often at the expense of time. The "Faster" vs "Shorter" setting in the XT is also relevant but I assume "Faster" is set since that is what the expectation was.

[ledwardio]

The definition of 'faster route' is pretty clear - it's the route that takes the least time to travel The way Garmin approach it now means they should change the setting to 'Maybe faster route'

[Oop North John]

The definition of 'faster route' is pretty clear - it's the route that takes the least time to travel The way Garmin approach it now means they should change the setting to 'Maybe faster route'

I think that the "faster" means, use the fastest roads wherever possible even if it doesn't mean the shortest time to do the route