Dollar for Dollar this is probably the best/most useful elecronic device I have bought to date. I am already a fan of Garmin as I own a Forerunner 305 sports GPS watch and this product has further strengthened my faith in their product line. I did a lot of research before I purchased and heard a lot of negative commentary about their main competitiors, particularly Magellan.

I have spent a lot of money on OEM systems in my cars over the past few years. This little device has them all beat hands down on functionality and value. It's easy and intuitive to use (unlike my clunky $1600 BMW system) offers touch screen simplicity, (unlike my $1500 Nissan system). Most importantly, it's very portable. My wife and I used it on a trip to Arizona recently. After a trouble plagued flight with extensive delays we were faced with a long late-night rental car trip to our a final destination with our overtired 5-year old daughter in tow. Normally just getting out of the airport is a challenge to our marital bliss but this time it was effortless and tension free. I plan on taking it to Europe ( with map upgrades) this year as the challenge of driving from Rome's Airport to Tuscany will definitely be more manageable with it. I recommended this system to a neighbour who is also very pleased with his purchase. In summary

Great Product - Garmin knows Maps and GPS

Great Value - Can't beat this price

Does the simple things very well

Great features (eg gas station and ATM finder)

Works out of the box (you don't need a degree in electrical engineering to instal)

Beautiful graphics -clear screen with auto-dim for night use

I cannot think of any way I could improve this device. Great job Garmin!

This is the second Garmin Streetpilot we bought. We gave the first one to my husband's parents who use it when they tour around the states in their RV. Mind that my in-laws are not the techno-geekie type, but after about 5 minutes of demo, they're off and on their way of happy-RVing.

Top reasons to love my Garmin:

- Easy to use, right out of the box with all preloaded maps

- Gives you your traveling speed, distance, and best of all, you ETA right on the same screen as the route map

- The C340 gives you the direction with street names

- Easy input of street addresses

- Automatically reroutes you if you miss the given direction. But sometimes if you intentionally want to take a different route, it can be annoying with its persistent "Recalculating" message. Luckily, there's a "Reroute" feature, and it'll recalculate a different route.

- Transportability! When we travel out of state, we take the Garmin with us and just stick it in our rental car. Or we even use it in our other vehicle, which already has a built-in GPS.

- Accurate, even in our mazed-like streets in the New England areas.

Need improvements:

- The volume is either LOUD, or you have to crank your ears to hear the audio, even when the volume is already set at the 2nd highest setting.

- Wish I can instruct the routing calculation to avoid specific road or highway. For example, if I know there's more than one way to my destination, I'd like to specify which road to take, or which road to avoid.

- Sometimes the audio instructions come a bit late then optimal - not giving you extra time to get into the appropriate lane, etc., especially when you're in heavy traffic areas.

BTW, we bought another GPS made by Lowrance before, no way it measured up to the Garmin...we returned it in one week!

Though not perfect, the product is a Godsend. I travel 30+ times a year, and I love being able to find my way to the hotel or customer location from the airport or hotel.

The system offers American, English and Australian female voices for the routes. I decided on the Australian, who I call Sheila.

In Australia, they evidently don't have counties, and the ltter "z" is zed. I came to an intercection for Utica Ridge Road, and Shiela told me to turn left on "Crescent Zed Sixteen". There were no signs indicating any "Crescent", "Zed" or "Sixteen". I turned left anyway, and, about a mile and a half later, saw a sign identifying Utica Ridge Road as "County Road Z-16". After I learned to translate, Sheila and I are communicating well.

I have not yet updated the mapping online, but I have noticed that things that have changed a lot locally are not right yet to Sheila.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the product, the purchase experience, and the driving experience.

Although I can only rate in even numbers, I give this 4.5 stars.

Petey

I bought this unit here at Amazon around Nov.13th, played with it around town for a few days. Easy to set up, in fact you really don't need to set anything but your home address and where you want to go. THE BIG TEST! We just came back from our daughters new home for Thanksgiving in the mountains of Franklin, North Carolina. We have never ever been to this area in our life, our Garmin C340 took us right to our daughters front door. It never missed a road or turn, it warned us well in advance of all changes comming up. My wife and I are in our mid 60's, eye sight and hearing is not like once was. The unit is easy to see and to loud hear. We are very, very pleased.

Received my Garmin within a week after I ordered. Just in time to take a nice long trip the first of Oct. Streetpiolet C340 worked flawlessly. Was going to get the C330 but after reading review here found out for just a few bucks more Jill would speek the names of the streets. Found out that was a great help.

Then a couple of weeks ago (Nov. 11) everything was working great when the voice (Jill)just went to being very distorted. Called Garmin Tech Service and after holding 10 minutes got a techinician who informed me I had the wrong Tech. so back on hold for about 15 more minutes and this time got a hold of the right person. They gave me a work order # and I took it in. One week to the day received my Garmin 340 back but upon closer inspection found out this one had a different serial #. After reading the report about them replacing the unit (I hope it was a new one and not a refurburshed one)I deceided to give it a try. It didn't work right, only had two states showing (Alabama and Arkansas) everything else blank.

So now back to Tech Services for this time only about a 10 minute.Tech was very helpful and had me reprogrammed in just a couple of minutes.Now it works great. Just hope I don't have any more trouble. It defiently knows how to get around.Still am very pleased with the unit and tech support has been fantastic. Would highly recommend it.

I have to admit, I'm a GPS junkie. I've had a variety of GPS units over the past decade and currently own 3 - the c340 being my latest acquisition for use solely when driving.

I am greatly impressed with this unit. It was fast to get going right out of the box and after the initial satellite acquisition and almanac download (for those who are interested, when a GPS unit is turned off and moved a significant distance, say 300+ miles, from where it last thought it was, it needs to recalibrate itself by downloading the current almanac of satellite positions from the GPS satellites. This can take a few minutes.) In any case, after the initial automatic recalibration, the unit acquired satellites quickly whenever I turned it on.

The user interface is very easy to use. I've used Hertz NeverLost systems for years and have always thought they had a good interface. I think Garmin's is better. The touch screen is intuitive and very easy to use and the adjustment I want to use most, tinkering with the volume, is an easy-to-use wheel on the side that allows instant access without requiring interaction (and interference) with the on-screen navigation/map display. Very well thought out!

One highly useful feature is the ability not just to search for Points of Interest (POI), but to have the unit search for those points of interest that are along the route you are currently navigating. This allows you to identify, say, hotels along your route while you are driving and then, using the telephone info provided by the unit, to call the hotels up and see if you can negotiate a lower rate before you arrive - "let your fingers do the walking..."

If you don't tell the unit where to look, though, it can take quite a while to search for a Point of Interest. I didn't know which city to specify and I did a search for "Eagle Rock Rec" (I was too lazy to spell out "Eagle Rock Recreation Center" which turned out to be about 175 miles away) and the unit chugged away for several minutes but eventually came back with the right entry for me to navigate to. I later realized that even though I didn't know the exact city the destination was in, I did know a city that was near the desired destination. When I specified that information, the c340 took only a few seconds to find the right location.

The advanced user can also create your own POI lists complete with custom icons and load those into the c340. I have done this for all In-N-Out Burger and Krispy Kreme locations. The advantage to having your own custom POIs even though these places are in the built-in POI list is that the custom POIs are visible on the c340 map screen at certain zoom levels. If you are a Geocacher, you can do the same with geocaches, but you'll still need your handheld unit to find the cache.

The newer (and more expensive) c5xx units evidently have the Sirf circuitry in them which is more sensitive, allowing signal acquisition indoors, but I found the sensitivity of the c340 to be fine - especially since I have limited my indoor driving lately :-). In fact, I was just playing with the c340 in my office yesterday and it was able to acquire a GPS fix on my position, so it seems to be fairly sensitive even without the Sirf circuitry. I haven't tried the c340 under a thick tree canopy with cloud cover or in a city with lots of concrete canyons yet, so I could change my tune. The comparable c5xx unit at this price point, the c530, lacks the c340's text-to-speech capabilities (this prevents the c530 from announcing street names).

Since I already have a Garmin handheld GPS unit as well as Garmin's MapSource Topo mapping software, I used the unlock code that came with the c340 to unlock my MapSource maps for the unit. I then loaded the topo maps for the entire Western US onto an SD card (between 300-500 MB) and plugged it into the c340 to see what would happen. It worked! So now I have the c340's excellent built-in maps and POIs for on-road trips *and* Topo Maps available to me for off-road adventures.

One thing you should do if you are in the US is enable the unit's WAAS capability (the default is for WAAS to be disabled). Enabling this capability increases the accuracy of the unit when certain satellites are in range.

Also, since this unit has a touch-screen, fingerprints on the screen are inevitable. You should *never* use an ammonia-based product (like most window cleaners) to clean electronic screens - it will cause them to fog. Instead, use those little antiseptic alcohol towelettes. They are cheap and if you don't use them for cleaning your touch-screen they might come in handy for first-aid.

I give this unit a highly positive rating. I like it.

I admit it! I have never been good with directions. Since receiving my Streetpilot, I've gone places I would never have attempted without it. This is an amazing tool and I just love it. No more having to ask my truck driving brother for directions and being laughed at. I now have "Jill" my new navigator. And better yet, my wife is not even jealous! Easy to use right out of the box. The description could let you know that it comes with the suction cup mount but I really like the mount that just sits on the dash. It was not included with the C340 but well worth the additional $35.

I read many reviews of the Garmin C340 before I purchased it. My final decision came down to the C340 and a comparable NUVI that was about $100-$150 more. I decided to buy the C340 because I did not need many of the additional features of the NUVI, including the blue tooth cell phone interface, the language translator, and the MP3 playback.

After using the C340 for a month, here are the "unusual" things that I really like that some of the other reviews do not discuss:

First, it comes with a USB cord that you use to connect the C340 to your computer and update the device. I use the USB cord to recharge my C340 in the house. You do not need to buy the optional AC adapter, saving around $50. Since the C340 runs off of its built-in battery for a very long time (I found it holds a charge for longer than the advertised 4 hours), you do not need to connect it to the in-car power adapter. I never have to use the DC power adapter, and there are no cords dangling in my car.

Second, Garmin makes updating the firmware for the C340 very easy. You download a small program to your computer once, you connect your C340 to your computer with the included USB cord, and you run the program from time to time. It automatically checks for software updates, downloads them to your computer, and uploads it to the C340. No muss, no fuss.

Third, you can download a small software program from the Garmin website that allows you to download and process "points of interest" from third-party sites. I downloaded several free POI files showing all the red light and speeding cameras in my area, as well as places where there are speed traps, and whenever I approach a targeted intersection the C340 sounds an aundible signal, and flashes the names of the intersecting streets in a bright red bar on the screen. Very nice feature.

My C340 came with about a dozen different "voices" and languages. For no practical reason, I downloaded about another 1/2 dozen "voices" from the Garmin website using the software update program. Essentially, there are options to hear both a man and a woman speaking American English, Australian English, British English, German, French, Polish, Italian, and several other languages. Unfortunately, I could not find any Asian languages.

Obviously, the NUVI is smaller and more portable, and has a lot more features than the C340. And supposedly it has a better satellite receiver. But I really like my C340, and if it has the features that you are looking for, I would recommend it to you.

This is a great device. I travel a lot and 99.999999% (clasify it to six sigma) it is accurate, with an exception, once when i was in down town chicago on a sunny morning when it lost the satellite and took approximately 20 min to re-lock itself.

In general C340 has a great database of places, routes, auto calculation, much more than we need. It is worth every cent spent.

I also find it useful to save tolls. I have saved over $100.00 in 1 month, where it always calculates a toll free route for me. It pays for itself.

Update: Maps for WI are terrible. Shows Location like JC Penny in woods. In Chicago looses satellite reception (because of tall buildings).

First of all, I'm an electronics junkie. My house looks like the Star Ship Enterprise, and I'm extremely picky concerning the function of everything that I purchase. Probably too picky. So, after being more than impressed with the Garmin StreetPilot c340, I decided to write this review. I purchased this unit due to an upcoming road trip to Florida, and I'm HORRIBLE with directions. It seemed like the logical thing to do. After much research on the latest GPS units, the c340 seemed to be best suited for my needs, financially and functionally.

PROS:

As stated time and time again, the c340 is extremely user-friendly straight from the box. No bulky manual is included (although one can be downloaded on-line), most likely due to the fact that it is not needed. There's a brief start-up guide which is more than sufficient to get this thing up and running. Simply let the satellite locate your home location, which takes a few minutes and only has to be done once, and you're ready to input your next destination. Hit "Where to?" on the touchscreen and everything is made perfectly clear. It could not be any simpler. You'll then have options to enter addresses, food locations, lodging, your saved favorite locations and recent browsed selections, fuel, intersections, attractions, shopping, parking, entertainment, recreation, community, near-by cities, hospitals, transit, and auto service locations. There's no guess-work involved: just touch the type of place you wish to find and go; you'll get plenty of options. You can also touch the "Near..." option, type in a city of destination, and it'll pull up businesses in that city for your convenience. Again, this unit is extremely easy to navigate. Pick your destination, hit "Go", and you're all set. Just follow the highlighted path and you're sure to get there with ease. I've had no problems or long-term satellite loss in my area so far. Phone numbers are also shown which would be especially convenient when making hotel reservations on the road.

The suction mount is also very nice. I was skeptical about it at first: What if it falls off? Will I be able to see the road? No worries; it's great. Like the unit itself, the mount is high-quality and very sturdy. Just attach the c340, place the mount into position (I have it right under my rear view mirror), and pull the lever down. I don't see any way that this mount could fall off, and it's not a distraction while driving. I hear that it's illegal in California, but I really don't see why. It provides the perfect location for the unit and is no more distracting than the rear view mirror. A dash-mount disc is included also for CA residents or in case you'd prefer a lower location, but it's a permanent mount, so I'd advise caution if going with this option. I won't use it myself.

As far as power goes, a 12V adapter is included for the car, but don't worry about buying the AC adapter. The c340 includes a USB cable that allows it to be powered and charged via any computer with a USB port. Very convenient when planning out trips at home to save battery life. The USB cable also allows you to download male voices from the Garmin site such as American English Jack, Australian English Lee, and British English Daniel which is very cool.

CONS:

Not much to say here. The only 'major' thing I've noticed so far is that some local businesses are not in the database, and a few businesses are present which no longer exist. It's kind of strange: local mom and pop stores can be pulled up, but NO Walmarts in my area. I have three Walmarts within 25 miles of my home, and none are in the database. I didn't subtract any points since all Garmin GPS units seem to utilize the same database (nearly 6 million points of interest) and it does have the potential to be updated. Also, keep your eye on the road during exits as it may not detect recent route changes. It will recalculate a new route if you simply go past the road that has changed; you won't get lost, but it can be an inconvenience. It's happened only once to me so far and I've been doing a lot of traveling. It was a familiar area and I didn't even realize that the road had changed. Again, this is a Garmin database problem which hopefully will be addressed in a future update.

The voices for the most part are spot on. They can pronounce streets that I've been mispronouncing for years. However, every now and then it's hard to decipher what they're saying as they can sound overly-digitized. This is just a minor inconvenience since most of the time they're flawless, but keep your eye on the screen just in case you don't understand the street name. No big deal really. I use American English Jill, and she is usually very accurate with pronunciations. British English Daniel is also easy to understand, although he must be downloaded.

CONCLUSION:

All-in-all, I'm very, VERY impressed with the performance of the Garmin c340. This is my first GPS, and I can't imagine needing anything more. I'm not sure what these $1000+ units do, but unless they drive me to my destination and pump my gas, I don't need them. I've heard people complain that the touch screen collects finger prints. Hmmm...unless you have jelly, paint, or motor oil on your fingers, it does not detract from the display. Hello, it's a TOUCHscreen. Of course it's going to get finger prints on it. Wipe it off now and then and you're good to go. I've also heard complaints that sometimes the unit doesn't give you ample time to turn via text-to-speech. Well, I've been driving everywhere with this thing for the past three days, and it verbally tells you TWICE when to turn, by street name and in which direction to turn. It tells you once within a 1/4 mile or so and once again right before the turn. If you miss your turn after two verbal prompts, a big white arrow on the GPS screen, and the name of the street at the top of the screen, you may want to reconsider this whole driving thing. The turn alert is almost overkill; if you're awake and free from severe brain damage, you can't possibly miss it. Maybe this was a problem with some of the older units, but mine is perfect. Perhaps these people didn't hear the first prompt and of course the voice prompt times will be shorter with city driving, but that's to be expected. As far as satellite loss, I've only experienced a couple seconds of it while driving so far which is no inconvenience at all. There is an optional generic antenna that can be purchased for around $20 if this is a problem in some areas. The actual Garmin antenna costs more, but I've had no need for it so far.

After three days of taking the c340 everywhere, I absolutely love it; I have no regrets whatsoever. It's one of the top 3 electronic purchases I've ever made in my life. I can't wait to take it to Florida and find all the local attractions that I would never have been able to locate otherwise. This thing is great. I've already had two friends order the c340 after seeing how well mine works. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

UPDATE:

I just returned from Florida, and I love this thing even more. We never had any need for a map: I simply typed in each destination and we got there with no problems whatsoever. When we got a craving for some baby back ribs on the interstate, I simply hit food, barbecue, got a nice little list of local restaurants, picked one and hit GO. It takes you right there! It then took us right back to the interstate. I'm still amazed that this type of technology can be purchased at a reasonable price.