Best GPS unit?

You do plan on looking at an atlas for routing as well don't you?

 

For me Rand McNally is the best there is... not only do they give you a multi route but it also keeps track of miles driven, when to do your pm's and if u r hazmat, dry van, height width....all the stuff one needs for a safe load. Just keep in mind with whatever GPS u chose.... u r the driver, u can't always depend on a computer. Things change, so always do u r pretrip planning with map/atlas..... Safe journey

 

A MAP, along with some common sense

 

Rand is good for finding places to park, Garmin has the eye candy, and Copilot has senseable routing.

Not one has it all.

 

They all have the same map software (pretty sure anyway). Its all on preference how they are set up for tools specifically.

And for god sakes please, please buy a actual atlas too.
I have a plain and simple yet effective garmin 560 and it works fine as a guide , but don't always trust them as they will leave you a stray , or under a bridge that you don't belong under


Edit: garmin has points of interest , witch helps out finding places to park as well.

 

I'm a new driver too, and looking for an answer to this question as well.

What I can say though, my first trainer (an owner op who has twenty years of experience) had a Cobra GPS (not sure which model) which I was impressed with.

What I liked best about the Cobra was the "Junction View" feature which is a creepily accurate simulated 3D display of what you are going to see in the windshield at major highway exits and intersections (like a windshield view complete with all the lanes and accurate road signs in advance of actually reaching them) with big arrows showing you what lane you should be in. You should google "junction view" to get a visual of what I'm trying to say.

It literally guides you onto the right part of the highway well in advance, so you don't have to fight to switch lanes at the last minute.

Other things I liked were the advance voice warnings about approaching truck stops and weigh stations.

We got lost once in Tennessee when the Cobra lost some of it's satellite connections and could not triangulate because of mountains (hills?), but otherwise no problems.

I can also say I briefly played around with the Rand McNally GPS, and it has a primitive display in my opinion. I'm not sure if Rand McNally offers "Junction View" on any of their models. I think Garmin may though.

Oh, yeah. Get the 2014 Rand McNally Road Carrier Road Atlas. I needed it even with the GPS. Don't fly blind. Know what you are getting into. You have to know when the GPS is wrong.

My two cents.

 

Road atlas & look @ point A to point B then go in a straight line. Sensibly of course

 

I bought and have used the Garmin Dezl for several months now. My co-driver has the Rand TN 720. We use them side by side, and they both consistently and simultaneously disappoint. You will probably be equally dissatisfied.
Both models are overpriced, IMHO, and do not deliver foolproof and failsafe routing.

 

I have had a Rand McNally GPS for maybe a year. I have been driving since 2000. It has a sense of humor for sure. Right now, the last few weeks, it won't tell me to make a left turn into wherever I am going, but has my either circle the block until it's on my right side, or go past it, u-turn somewhere up ahead and come back. I have no clue why, I marked no u-turns and since when is making one safer than just turning left. It even does this if something is on the other side of the highway. Go past it to next exit then come back.

Shortest route is often longer than the practical route.

All I can say, use a map. I know what I am doing. I use it for a suggested route. Not my bible.