Let me start by saying that I currently own and use several different GPS units: Garmins Nuvi 750, Colorado 400t, Rino 130 (a pair), Magellan 1470 and a Dash Express (I've also owned Garmins 2720, 2820, Nuvi 350, and a 60CSx in the recent past). I have so many of them because I use them for different purposes:
* Automobile navigation: I travel all over the country and always take a GPS with me for use in my rental cars.
* Walking in urban areas: I love to stroll around great cities and a good GPS not only keeps me from getting lost, it helps me to find areas of interest.
* Hiking in rural areas: As a birdwatcher I find a hand-held GPS receiver essential. Getting lost in the desert or the woods is no fun at all.
* Bicycling: I love to just bike and then try to figure out how to get home later. A GPS makes it easy to find my way back.
* Geocaching: A wonderful hobby that involves finding things that others have hidden using coordinates posted on the web. A GPS is an absolute necessity if you want to do this.
So, why did I buy yet another Garmin, the Nuvi 500? It is a part of my eternal search for one GPS receiver that is appropriate for all of these endeavors. It is important to understand that no GPS is perfect, nor is any one model ideal for everything. However, some accomplish some tasks well but are useless for others. The Nuvi 500 (and it's brother the 550) are useful for all of my needs.
Instead of comparing it to other models that are more specialized, let me grade the Nuvi 500 in how well in works ,right out-of-the-box, for each task that I wanted it for:
* Automobile navigation: B-
There are much better units for this purpose if that is all you are going to use it for. Still, it gets you there. One major feature that I missed at first in the Nuvi 500 was Text-To-Speech (or TTS). This is where the unit pronounces the names of streets and roads. With it a GPS will say "Turn right on Broadway Street". Without TTS is will say "Turn right at the next street". However, in March of '09 Garmin released a firmware update that gives the nuvi 500 this feature! I have downloaded it to mine and it works just like my nuvi 750 (make sure that you download some TTS voices as well). I assume that new units will have this already installed. Still, the display is somewhat small for an automotive GPS, especially if the dash is deep and far from the driver. Although you can buy an optional FM traffic receiver, some units, like the Dash Express, have this feature built-in, plus it can connect via the internet and get real-time traffic info. My Garmin 2820 has built in satellite radio, however it is pretty big and needs to be plugged in.
* Walking in urban areas: A
Here is where the Nuvi 500 shines. First, it is small enough to fit in a pocket (although I do wish that it was thinner) yet it's big enough to see the display without squinting. However, my favorite feature is the user-switchable batteries. Most GPS receivers use built-in rechargeable batteries; nice but when they run down you either have to find a place to plug it in and recharge it or you are stuck without a usable GPS. The Garmin Nuvi 500's back opens up and the expended battery can be swapped out with a fresh one. This is a HUGE benefit for anyone using a GPS in any place other than a car. Another nice feature for the urban tourist is that you can download photos from a special web-site and not only see them on the Nuvi it will give directions to where the photo was taken. Cool.
* Hiking in rural areas: B
The Nuvi is not as ergonomic as those units designed to be hand held. It is a flat, rectangular device without a textured surface, still it is very usable outdoors. What I like about the 500 is that it comes loaded with both City Navigator and Garmin's Topo Map (the 550 does has more North American coverage but does not have topographical coverage). Both units feature "digital elevation model" (DEM) mapping which shows you shaded contours at higher zoom levels, however, the Topo maps will show much, much more. Details like elevations, streams, small bodies of water, trails, landmarks and many other features that can really be useful when you are out in the boonies.
* Bicycling: A
I had my Garmin Colorado mounted on my Trek 7300 bike and although it looked funny (I have photos of it on Amazon's Colorado 400t page) it worked O-K. Still, it did not come with the same type of street maps that the Nuvi does (I could have purchased it for about $100 and downloaded it onto the Colorado if I wanted to) and it was not as intuitive to use as the Nuvis are. Also, the Nuvi 500 really looks nice on my handlebars. Since it is waterproof (as is the Colorado) you don't have to worry about a rainstorm.
* Geocaching: B+
If you haven't geocached and don't ever plan on doing it then you might want to skip this part of my review. However, if you are on of the many thousands that enjoy this growing hobby (over 800,000 geocaches have been placed worldwide) this is a GPS that can take you from your driveway to the cache and back effortlessly. Like the Colorado (and similar models such as the Oregon) you can download cache information directly to the GPS. Other Garmins can download the coordinates but the Nuvi 500 (and the 550) will display the cache information, hints, logs and just about everything that you need to successfully find what you are looking for. You can also record the results of your search (found, did not find, needs repair, etc.) for later transfer to the geocaching website. I've used the Nuvi 500 to find caches and it took me right to it. I'll still use my Colorado but if I only want to take one GPS with me, it'll be the 500.
Additional things that I like:
The Nuvi 500 lets you change your mode of travel (car, bike or on-foot) from the main page. It will then customize you directions based on your mode of transport icon (for instance, you can navigate one-way streets much differently on bike or on foot vs. by car). Another nice touch is when you choose a destination a little tab slides out from the "Go!" icon on the screen which shows your Usage Mode (car, bike, etc.) the Distance and the Time based on your chosen mode of travel. My 750 does not have this feature. Another thing that I like is that you can easily program the Nuvi 500 for on-road or off-road use. If you are traveling on foot you are not restricted to directions that require you to stick to the streets.
Somethings that I am not crazy about:
The specs list the battery life as "up to" 8 hours. I set the backlight to 50% and got 5 hours of use. Still very usable and with a second battery (which I bought with the unit and highly recommend) you can get 10 hours of continuous use without needing to recharge it or turn off the backlight completely. I also wish that the housing had a textured finish on the outside edge, giving you something to help you to keep your grip.
One final gripe: I can understand why Garmin does not include the AC charger with other Nuvi models but this one should really come with one. After all, it's billed as a multifunctional GPS, not an automotive GPS.
I am very happy with my new Garmin. I will be recommending this unit to all of my geocaching, birdwatching and bicycling friends. If you're are looking for a GPS that does it all, so far this one is the best.
UPDATE 12/03/08: The price has dropped quite a bit since I purchased it only a month ago. Now the value is even better! Grab it while you can. TR
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