Wookie Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 Can anyone recommend an after market GPS system for our car that has both U.S. and Mexico maps available? Also, did you purchase it here around Guadalajara and if so where? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conejorapido Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 You can purchase gps here in Mexico (Best Buy in Guad, eg) but in general they are more expensive than NOB. We've always bought ours on Amazon.com and always Garmin LMT (lifetime maps and traffic) with North America maps (includes Canada, US and Mexico). Lifetime maps gives you free updates via download. Traffic not much use down here but very useful NOB. You might also inquire around about a used one. I have sold two of my previous gps locally so that I could upgrade to a larger screen. Both went quickly. We have TomTom built in nav system in our new car and it is, IMHO, of minimal utility. No comparison to Garmin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 Garmin Nuvi with the North American plan...... Google it and look for a model that meets your requirements. I have the Nuvi 2597. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 http://www.mio.com/ Seems to be a popular brand at Costco. States does Mexico, Canada and US. However: ban on portable GPS units Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 I use an old Garmin Nuvi. Works great. Garmin used Navteq for the mapping software and they seen very up to date in Mexico. Bought a second one for our other car on Ebay last year used for $35. Software available as a lifetime update purchase on line or by the year. Also (don't quote me) pirate updates available on ebay for under $20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm30655 Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 I have a smart phone and have tried 3-4 apps. None come close to a Garmin plus you use data time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside7 Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 4 hours ago, Wookie said: Can anyone recommend an after market GPS system for our car that has both U.S. and Mexico maps available? Also, did you purchase it here around Guadalajara and if so where? Thanks I have PM you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Saltos Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 Order from Amazon.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 7 hours ago, Alpha1 said: http://www.mio.com/ Seems to be a popular brand at Costco. States does Mexico, Canada and US. However: ban on portable GPS units I needed a GPS to navigate in Guadalajara. I asked Spencer at S & S auto where was the best place to buy one locally. He said Best Buy in Guadalajara. I went there and asked them which was the best GPS for Guadalajara. They said MIO. I bought one and it is terrible-I am ready to give it away. Several times I have had to hire a taxi in Guadalajara to take me out of the mess that my MIO has put me in. My partner has a Microsoft cell phone. Sometimes the GPS in it is excellent sometimes it isn't. We usually use Google maps with it but recently it failed miserably. Buyer beware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oasiscloud Posted May 20, 2016 Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 Google Maps on my iPhone has never failed me in Guadalajara. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookie Posted May 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 Thanks everyone. I believe a friend is going to loan me hers for my trip to the States to see how I like it. If so, I will just wait and purchase one there. Thanks for the information about Garmin ... it does look like that will be the way to go. I would just try using Google maps on my phone if I had one but still have the old fashion flip type phone as we don't use it except for emergencies when we are out and about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danjames56 Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 Bought at best buy NOB. 89 dollars. TOM TOM. Works fine and brings you everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 16 hours ago, cedros said: I needed a GPS to navigate in Guadalajara. I asked Spencer at S & S auto where was the best place to buy one locally. He said Best Buy in Guadalajara. I went there and asked them which was the best GPS for Guadalajara. They said MIO. I bought one and it is terrible-I am ready to give it away. Several times I have had to hire a taxi in Guadalajara to take me out of the mess that my MIO has put me in. My partner has a Microsoft cell phone. Sometimes the GPS in it is excellent sometimes it isn't. We usually use Google maps with it but recently it failed miserably. Buyer beware. If it's that bad why not return it to Best Buy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barcelonaman Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 been using my smart phone and google maps, or waze in varios mexican sates recently and has been terrible. when it does work particularly in guadalajara, it doesnt seem to recoginze the lateral roads and tells me to turn right or left when on a bridge ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicamysterious Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 I have used my android phone in several countries. A few years ago it was not so accurate in Mexico but in the last year it has been. Google maps has a talking direction mode. I have used it to go to places I already know where to go in Guadalajara and surprisingly it showed me a quicker routes. One even shaving 20 minutes off a trip from Chapala to Zapopan. I use Google maps and waze. Both free. Both have voice direction. I even give voice commands when in Google maps and the street view let's me see what I should see when approaching the location. I used a dedicated GPS before but got frustrated at having to update it. And paying for other country modules. I finally gave it up when after a year I had to buy updates. If you have a friend with a smart phone try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tycobb1020 Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 I agree . . . Google Maps on iPhone is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted May 21, 2016 Report Share Posted May 21, 2016 2 hours ago, Alpha1 said: If it's that bad why not return it to Best Buy? They won't take it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicamysterious Posted December 29, 2016 Report Share Posted December 29, 2016 And have garmin updates changed? I had one and got 1 free update and then they wanted to charge fir the others. Google and was have improved greatly. I tested Google recently to a place in guad I usually go and it suggested. Different route. It saved me 20min and was accurate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 My experience is Garmin publishes updates in April or May Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TelsZ4 Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 38 minutes ago, Mostlylost said: My experience is Garmin publishes updates in April or May Garmin publishes FOUR updates per year.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazydog Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 On 2016-05-20 at 11:01 AM, Alpha1 said: http://www.mio.com/ Seems to be a popular brand at Costco. States does Mexico, Canada and US. However: ban on portable GPS units So instead of trying to do something about stopping cows, horses, donkeys, cars with no lights that can't keep up to the speed accessing the highways, they thought it was a bright idea to ban gps. Oh Mexico...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TelsZ4 Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Oh yes that's right.. Two or three years ago they made having a GPS mounted on your windshield an offence... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Can't speak to their car maps but the maps for the Garmin GPS on my BMW motorcycle are full of errors and not only in Mexico. For example, on a recent 4K miles road trip to New Mexico, AZ, and a circle route in Old Mexico, the thing mis-identified roads that have been paved for decades as unpaved, routed to towns totally wrong and would have gotten me thoroughly lost had I not carefully research routes beforehand using Google maps and printed out some critical areas to take with me. Coming out of Tepic, it said that libre 15 was unpaved and tried to route me to PV to go home. It misrouted through Durango. In New Mexico, it couldn't find a well known road between Cloudcroft and Ruidoso, then identified it as unpaved (40 years or more since it was paved), then misrouted between Ruidoso and Mountainaire, etc. It tried to send me to Los Alamos to go to the Taos area and didn't know of the existence of the Santa Fe bypass that has been there for nearly 20 years. The thing cost me nearly $600 U.S. and is basically worthless. Updating frequently hasn't helped. The mapping isn't even up to the level of Rand McNally, let alone Google maps, which I find to be far more accurate here in Mexico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TelsZ4 Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 49 minutes ago, Mainecoons said: Can't speak to their car maps but the maps for the Garmin GPS on my BMW motorcycle are full of errors and not only in Mexico. For example, on a recent 4K miles road trip to New Mexico, AZ, and a circle route in Old Mexico, the thing mis-identified roads that have been paved for decades as unpaved, routed to towns totally wrong and would have gotten me thoroughly lost had I not carefully research routes beforehand using Google maps and printed out some critical areas to take with me. Coming out of Tepic, it said that libre 15 was unpaved and tried to route me to PV to go home. It misrouted through Durango. In New Mexico, it couldn't find a well known road between Cloudcroft and Ruidoso, then identified it as unpaved (40 years or more since it was paved), then misrouted between Ruidoso and Mountainaire, etc. It tried to send me to Los Alamos to go to the Taos area and didn't know of the existence of the Santa Fe bypass that has been there for nearly 20 years. The thing cost me nearly $600 U.S. and is basically worthless. Updating frequently hasn't helped. The mapping isn't even up to the level of Rand McNally, let alone Google maps, which I find to be far more accurate here in Mexico. If it were my GPS. I would be talking to Garmin customer service. I have used a Garmin for the last ten years to drive from Ontario and to many places in Mexico, and around Guad, They have worked well, not prefect !!! But well enough that I have always got to where I wanted to go.. I would not leave home without mine.. I do have a couple of apps on my iPhone, they work but don't come close to a stand alone Garmin GPS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 The thing works fine, the mapping software is poor. They've been advised of all these and a number of other serious errors and did not respond. The thing is integrated with the monitoring functions of the bike and thus is useful for a number of other things. But as a GPS it is of limited value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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