Garmin Drive 51 USA+CAN LMT-S GPS Navigator System with Lifetime Maps, Live Traffic and Live Parking, Driver Alerts, Direct Access, TripAdvisor and Foursquare data (Renewed)

This GPS is easy to install in car and use. Rarely does the GPS get confused. Just be patient and let it self correct your route to destination. Update GPS software and North American maps using Garmin Express app and laptop. Software update takes about 5 minutes, map update can take 60 minutes. Just follow the software prompts and directions. User needs USB mini to USB cable to operate with laptop for update. Garmin 51 comes with 8 gb memory, purchase of a 8 or 16 gb micro SD card recommended for updates. Charges and operates from 32 F to 113 F. GPS may fail to start, charge or operate if outside this temperature range. Warm it up or cool it down, then restart if it fails to start/operate. GPS voice is excellent quality. Take your time to read the Garmin 51 owners Manual prior to use.

Garmin is the best in GPS navigation. I've tried other brands but nothing compares. You don't need instructions because it's so easy to understand

This is a refurb unit, but the quality appears to be absolutely brand new (perhaps it was a LMT unit in its past life rather than its present LM). But in any case, the unit performs as it should. The software is very similar to my nearly 8 year old Garmin, so that it was very quick to come up to speed. Software update are easy to do on my Windows PC. The price was so good that it was an easy decision to buy. There are a couple of things that are annoying with the unit. First, I find that the unit protests when you try to charge with a non Garmin USB cable and 12V charger. The unit senses a data cable and goes into communications update mode. UGH!!!!! This is not necessary. A simple on screen confirmation button should be used. Why do I say that this is annoying? Well, the place I mounted this Garmin in my car is about 8 inches away from the 12V socket. I don't need 3-4 feet of cable. The same happens inside running off of a 120V charger. Double UGH!!! (Yes I tried different communications/charge USB cables and different 12V chargers.) Next annoyance is the LCD polarization. Hasn't anybody at Garmin tried looking at the GSP's screen with polarized sunglasses? This GPS normally operates in a horizontal mode. So why polarize the LCD in the diagonal? By the way, my 8 year old Garmin does the same thing. I haven't been in every new car with a build in display, but I haven't notice a similar problem. The deal (price) was so good that I couldn't give this unit less than 4 stars.

It was refurbished. Condition like NEW. Gps itself works perfect almost like WAZE. To get traffic info needs to App to be installed. I didn't care. Excellent buy.

So why am I giving this a 1 star when it's not bad? Overall the GPS is OK, but I have two complains. It seems a bid slow. Going from one end of the city to the other when I avoid the toll road it takes a LONG time for it to find the route, but I'm usually OK with that with Garmin as they don't put too much processing power into their unit. My biggest gripe is their traffic. This is a LMT-S, which means it should have lifetime map and traffic, but which it does. However, those clowns at Garmin did NOT provide a cable capable of receiving traffic over the air. So you will NOT have any traffic data unless you install an app on your phone and pair it via Bluetooth with your Garmin and run the app when you want traffic. Well if I wanted to use my phone for traffic or navigation why the hell would I spend hundred dollars or more buying a Garmin? I could use Google map for free. Fortunately for me I still had my cable from my last used Garmin I bought that died on me. Once I used that cable it started receiving traffic over the air. Hey Garmin, spend 50 cents extra and provide a traffic capable cable. Really, really idiotic.

The device works great, when you first get it you need to plug it in to let it charge to full then update the software on it, afterwards let it acquire satellites and then its good to go. The device came with the power cable for the car and to connect it to the PC and both of these work correctly. There are no features you loose from aftermarket cables and there is no voice recognition which you should know if you read the product information unlike some of the other reviews on this. I do recommend getting a SD card for long term, I updated it and the internal storage is now 50% full off one map update. I also recommend getting the sandbag stand for it, the suction cup one that comes with GPS systems also fails due to vibration.

I bought this to upgrade from the smaller one I bought about 15 years ago. Used it for a trip into NYC. Did really well. I loved the split screen for indicating what lane I would need. Didn't hold a charge, but wasn't concerned...just kept it plugged in. It did get slightly confused in the city, as it told me I was going the wrong way on a one way street...which I was not. But I knew enough that it wasn't an issue. That was in October, 2023. Now, in February 2024, I was leaving for a week in Florida, and thought I would grab this out of my car for the rental, so wouldn't have to use my data on my phone, and also, I like the features. On my way to the airport, I tried to put in the address so I could see how I was doing for time, but after I turned it on, it went off almost immediately. Thought I must have done something wrong, so tried again. After 3 or 4 tries, I could never get it to stay on long enough to even get to the main screen. Checked connection, and saw no problem. Of course, too late to return. It is "renewed", and normally I have had no issues with that type of purchase, but this seems to be a lemon. When I get home, I will see if I can do any troubleshooting, but as it stands, would not recommend, unless you only need it for a month or so.

I use to have one of the earlier Garmin GPSs that came out in 2009, and loved it to pieces before it was stolen out of my car in 2015. Decided to buy another one so I wouldn't chew up my phone data using google maps, for my long drive from Seattle, WA to San Diego, CA... Totally worth the purchase... favorite feature is the fatigue feature... after about 2 hours of driving it will ask you 'if you need a break', at this point you can tell it to find the nearest gas station or rest stop... or you can tell it to let you go for another 30 minutes... or you can tell it to shut up and stop asking... worth it, I still use it daily so that I can understand San Diego better.