Customer Ratings & Reviews

My only real complaint- Phone connection required detail is in small print on the back of box and is obscured by the anti-theft device. That means I can't pair my phone with the stereo and have traffic concurrently (can only pair 1 device to the phone at a time) or that I must run my phone battery down while connected via bluetooth. Yes, a traffic power cord is available... for $70! My last GPS, a TomTom, when advertised as traffic compatible, actually came with the traffic plug. Yes, I read the BestBuy website details beforehand, this fact is not mentioned or even alluded to anywhere! OK, done with the rant. When connected via bluetooth to my phone, the traffic feature works great! As a GPS it works fine, it knows exactly where I am even if it isn't sure about the easiest way to get where I am going. To be fair, Google maps on my phone does the same thing occasionally. Case in point, I was in south Georgia a couple weeks ago trying to get from one small town to another. The Garmin recommended route would have taken me the wrong way for nearly 20 miles to get back to the interstate instead of the direct route on small country roads with 50-55mph limits. Google wasn't any more helpful though. The Garmin does well in more populated areas. I haven't used voice command or bluetooth calling so can't comment on those but text and email notifications on screen from my phone are helpful. Current speed and posted speed limits on screen seem to be accurate which is the primary reason I own a dash mount GPS. I'm conflicted as to whether I would recommend it to a friend. The price point seems too high to not have the traffic receiver packaged with, but it does do a lot when paired with your phone.

I bought this for my nephew to navigate across the county this summer.and we didn't get lost!! One time on a country road in Nebraska, I think we confused "her", so she asked us to "Leave the Road...."!

Great ithem Excelent by best buy Nice Excelent Tnx best buy So happy

Good navi but some times give longer route...would recommend

I definitely recommend this it has the most amazing cualitty for the price

God did not give me the GPS chip so when the portable automobile GPS came out I was an early adopter and it's been life changing. My first auto GPS was a big brick of a Garmin that sat on the dashboard and was controlled with a handheld remote control. While that seems like a century ago this is only my 3rd GPS - I get used to what I have, get very good at using it, and don't like change. So when my post-brick GPS started giving me problems I was not happy to be changing to a new one despite the new features that it might bring! So it's been about 3 weeks, my emotional attachment to my old Nuvi is fading and I'm warming up to this one. So with that background here's the DriveSmart 51 good and the bad as I see it today: 1) The lifetime maps update is a definitely plus - the Washington Metro Area is ever changing - HOV lanes appear where they previously weren't (big fines for not having enough people in the car!); Businesses appear and disappear over night; and on-ramps, etc seem to be ever shifting so having the latest automatically update is great. 2) Size matters. The 5.1 inch screen is much larger than the Nuvi - I debated getting the DriveSmart 61 with the even larger screen but was concerned that it would block too much of the view. The Drivesmart uses a higher resolution screen, however, resulting in much smaller font. . It's OK during the day but at night I either need to make the screen much brighter or put my reading glasses on in order to read the information including arrival time, speed limit, etc. 3) The Drivesmart is capable of integrating traffic data and adjust your anticipated arrival time, find different routes, etc. based on how much traffic is impacting the route. Again, this is a KEY feature required in any metropolitan area - for example, my ride home from work should take 25 minutes but in rush hour traffic it takes 2+ hours. What they DON'T tell you is that you must buy another power cord with the traffic receiver on it (about $70) or you need to get the Garmin App on your smart phone, open location services, and start the app which then transmits the traffic data via blue tooth to the DriveSmart. Seriously?! My Nuvi CAME with the traffic receiver and was fantastic. If I need to use my Smart Phone why should I buy a Garmin ... I can just use the Maps function of my phone! By the way, when I asked the Geek at Best Buy whether or not I needed to buy a traffic receiver he said No, it's ready to go . 4) I may eventually purchase the traffic receiving power cord (again, the Nuvi's traffic receive is not compatible) but in the mean time I've been using the app. The upside to that is when I get a text message on my phone the Garmin recognizes that and the Garmin voice "reads" me my text message. 5) I like being able to speak commands - Navigator - Go Home. Navigator Read Message, etc. Unfortunately, she gets it wrong about 50 percent of the time even when I speak carefully.

This is the 5th Garmin GPS unit I've owned since 2006. After and upgrade I usually pass the used one to someone else. I like this brand as opposed to others because of it's simplicity of use. Also it offers just the right amount of info onscreen. Particularly, lane assist. Which shows you what lane of travel to be in when you're in an unfamiliar place. Too, It warns you of sharp curves and school zones. I've used these so long now I turn the sound down now because It's just easier for me to read the info. You can even sync this unit with your smartphone. I drive for a living so believe me when I say that this unit is invaluable. I would not consider a GPS that does not include Lifetime map updates. Lastly, I only write reviews for products I believe in. Safe travels.

This is my 2nd Garmin. The first one finally died after 10yrs of use and abuse. I'm not a gadget freak so I was a little skeptical about all the features especially after reading other reviews. But, I must say this thing is fantastic! I love the voice prompts, and it was easy to pair with my phone, love the hands free calling feature. Very accurate directions(compared to my old one), easy to view screen, easy to navigate settings. Only one minor negative...With the size of the screen, Garmin should include several options for mounting in the original box, Using the suction cup mount really creates a huge visual blockage. I ordered the vent mount and it solved the problem.

After reading extensive reviews on Best Buy, I decided to buy this GPS because I was moving to MO and more drive was involved compared to NY. So instead of burning data, thought of buying this little gem. After receiving box, The setup was easy. 1. I just connected GPS device to my laptop and updated the maps. Make sure you have close to 20GB free space on your device because an image file is being created for maps on your local computer first then being updated on the device. it was not hours of wait to get the map updated, my maps were updated in close to 20-25 mins. 2. device took little longer to switch on, but once charged, it was good. 3. tested in MO, it is good. working flawlessly. you have feature to add excat address or search the place like on google maps. 4,. the turn by turn direction is very helpful - specially for a new driver in states like me. go for it, itis almost amonth now, I am going to update the maps again. it does not show the live traffic unless you pair it with your mobile. i did not try that.

I needed a gps that I could upgrade the maps without a computer. This Garmin updates the maps through WIFi. Voice command,easy to use, Screen size and easy to read graphics are great.

This is a good product, the Bluetooth works really well And Connect really fast. The screen is well lit big enough to see and it’s great Features

I bought this one which is smaller than the 6" Garmin I had purchased before. Has WIFI which will allow you to update maps easily. Only concern is the 1 hr battery life but we will see.

First and foremost, download Garmin Express to your computer and set it up. Mine did not work until I did this despite the instructions saying it is "Ready to go out of the box." The unit is very accurate and responds well to Voice Commands. The voice prompts are friendlier than previous versions and the Lane Assist and WiFi are welcome additions. With WiFi, you don't have to be connected to your computer for updates. When connected via Bluetooth to your cell phone, much more opens up. However, you must be aware that you will be using your Data Plan. If you are on a limited plan, you may want to watch your data usage closely. Garmin doesn't use the Traffic/Power Cable with my model like my old Garmin Nuvi 1300 did. Not sure if it does for other models. Traffic and other features are utilized by the use of your cell phone. Hands free calling is available and works really well. This model is compatible with the Garmin Back Up Camera which can be purchased for about $150 (on sale) and installed by Best Buy for $60. I am considering it for use with my Sienna. In order to fully utilize all the extra features available, they are acquired only on a subscription basis. For example: Live Traffic Cams and Traffic Lights that have cameras (works in some areas without additional charge). Info can be found on www.Garmin.com. This model was the correct choice for me, though sometimes I wish I upgraded to the model with the Dash Cam built in. All in all, I'm happy with my purchase. The reason I didn't give it a 5th star is that the cell phone is heavily utilized (though it can be used without it) and the built in battery only lasts about an hour. I have mine plugged in all the time. Bob K.

I've owned multiple Garmin GPS units. I drive 200 plus miles a day for my ambulette and can have up to 10 stops a daily and this unit is by far the best one I have used. The screen is high quality, the unit is very quick and with the wireless software and hardware updates. The voice control is awesome. The only problem so far is the unit shuts off and powers back on sometimes. I need to find out why, It would be nice to find a bluetooth head set to work with this unit.

Bought to replace a 5 year old system. Maps are great and unit is sleek. Works well and hasn't steered us wrong.

Have used these for years, this is my 4th Garmin. Like the glass screen with capacitive input on this model, very easy to see and use the touchscreen. I have Android Auto in my car with a large screen and I can use google maps or waze, but I don't always plug in my phone. I like having the freestanding GPS on the dash. My car has a switched power point, and so I never have to worry about turning on / turning off the GPS, it just comes on when I start the car, and off when I stop the car. Its all good except... why can't Garmin be as useful with voice commands / requests as is Google maps? I am constantly frustrated trying to enter a destination (either touch input or voice) compared with the absolute simplicity of asking Google for the same thing. Fortunately my main reason for having the Garmin actually isn't for directions, but rather just being able to see where I am and what is coming up. For directions I often get frustrated trying to find what I want in the Garmin and just use Google.

Using the GPS for tech work I visit many homes a day. The GPS works very well overall and is far more accurate than my previous 2 models. The voice commands are next to useless because it never understands you unless you are telling it some big box store. The new interface to me is slower than on previous models and more annoying to use. I do however really like the sleek design, and bright screen and it's navigation is excellent

This is a sleek-looking auto GPS and I bought it because my old Garmin finally gave up the proverbial ghost. I do a lot of traveling to new places and did just fine getting myself around with my old Garmin. This one operates totally differently. Trying to get to a geocaching GZ is probably impossible with this, although admittedly a crash course in updated operations might help. Coords can be entered, although if I mis-hit a number I seem to have to go back to that line and re-enter the entire thing. Entering an address seems pretty straightforward, but I have to get fairly close to my actual destination before the viewer's map is really much help. My husband suggested hitting the - (minus) button a couple of times and that did help a lot. I suspect my main problem with this model is that I am so accustomed to my old Garmin. Very likely anyone way more tech savvy than I am would have no problem with this new version. Modern times- one has to download the owner's manual, of course.

Been using this for a month from NC to Boston. In local routing it takes the long way around to get to the destination. It updated the first night I got it and again a month later. The alerts for curves in the road and red light traffic cameras work good. It starts and loads quickly. I think it’s better to leave the voice command in the default mode so it works for more than one person. I added maps for Ireland. They loaded fast using the USB and a micro sd card, over WiFi takes too long. Purchased it using the Best Buy app making it easier to pick up at the store. Only complaint is it won’t accept my traffic cable for traffic updates from my previous Garmin, Garmin wants $69.00 which seems excessively priced to me.

Garmin Drive-Smart GPS Unit is a must for all. As a first time Auto GPS purchaser, this Unit seems to do it all. Easy to install. Fires right up. Tells you all parameters with voice or not. Updates automatically. Great addition to on-board information. You will never get lost.