Garmin nüvi 550 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

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The Garmin nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 represent Garmin’s foray into the "crossover" GPS market, aiming for a device that functions well whether used for driving, hiking, cycling or boating. This review will take a hard look at how well Garmin pulls that off, but first let’s get some basics out of the way.

The 3.5" touch-screen nuvi 500 come pre-loaded with City Navigator and topo maps of the 48 contiguous United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The other model in this series, the Garmin nuvi 550, offers highway coverage of the entire U.S. and Canada but drops the topo maps. The preloaded map data features millions of points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs and attractions. The map data is provided by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality mapping. Geocaching, including Wherigo Platform player Built-in DEM Basemap (Digital Elevation Model) 3.5" QVGA color antiglare TFT with white Backlight Touchscreen Display - 320 x 240 Pixels User replaceable lithium-ion battery - up to 8 hours depending on use Dimensions - Width 4.21 x Height 3.35 x Depth 0.9 (10.7x8.5x2.3cm) Weight - 7.6 ounces (215 grams). Neither unit has text-to-speech, so you’ll hear "drive one-half mile, then turn left" instead of "drive one-half mile, then turn left on Main Street."

Advanced features found on the Garmin nuvi 500 and nuvi 550

There are some other nice features found on the nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 though. Based on the nuvi 205, the nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 offer:

• A redesigned map screen with an extra data field showing your current speed
• Speed limit display
• Tracklog display
• Recent cities and streets can be accessed from search screens
• Where am I?
• Photo navigation
• Terrain modeling
• MSN Direct or FM/TMC traffic (optional)

There are also a couple of features found on the nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 that are not present on the 2x5 series nuvis — multi-destination routing and a removable, li-ion battery rated at up to 8 hours.

Multi-destination routing is a very nice feature, but not a critical one. if the model doesn't have it, you can only enter one destination and one via point. This isn’t problematic since you can easily find locations under Favorites or Recently Found.

Garmin nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 usage mode

From the main menu, tap the icon in the center of the top bar (the walking icon is shown in the image below).

• Driving -Chose driving vehicle icon, map view (track up, north up or 3D), driving route preference (faster time, shorter distance or off road)
• Walking – Choose walking vehicle (defaults to boots), map view (track up, north up or 3D), route preference (on road or off road)
• Bicycling – Choose bicycling vehicle icon (defaults to bike), map view (track up, north up or 3D), route preference (on road or off road)

Garmin nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 driving mode

The nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 have lost none of its automotive prowess; it performs just as well on the road as any nuvi with comparable features. As a result, I’m going to focus this review on it’s uses for non-automotive pursuits — geocaching, hiking, etc.

Garmin nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 as a handheld

With any "crossover" GPS receiver, compromises must be made, and it appears that Garmin made them all on the handheld side of the equation. First, what they got right…

The unit appears to be well designed in terms of being waterproof. Battery life also seems good; it is rated at 8 hours. If you need more than that, it has a user-replaceable battery so you can always buy and carry a spare.

But there are more problems than not. Let’s start with the hardware. There is no lanyard attachment, and the unit is awkward to hold. They are pocket-sized, but there are no touch screen lock as there is with the Oregon series. The case seems a little fragile; I’d hate to drop it on a rock, and I definitely wouldn’t put it on a mountain bike.

Worse still, some basic handheld functionality is missing. While the nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 will display your track, and can "TracBack," you cannot load even one track to the device. Nor can you reposition waypoints to your current location; not as important as loading tracks, but a pet peeve of mine.

Also note that you cannot change the interval or method for recording track points. The nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 record a relatively low number of track points when compared to other handhelds. They start a new track segment when you change modes, or even if you search for a waypoint. Not only that, but they left a gap of up to several hundred feet in the tracklog when it does so.

Garmin nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 compass

The nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 do not have an electronic compass. It uses GPS signals to ascertain your direction, so you must be moving to get an accurate reading (that’s because the unit has no way of ascertaining which way you are facing if standing still).

That’s not so bad, but the manual says "…you must have a clear view of the sky" to navigate with the compass, and I’ve found that to be all too true. When under canopy, the compass is very slow to respond to a change in direction, sometimes taking 500 feet or more at walking speeds.

This is puzzling, because the distance to the destination was fairly accurate, steadily getting smaller even as the compass was telling me to go the opposite way at times. To further muddy the waters, the nuvi did very well, occasionally showing some error, but never more than 60 feet.

I’m left to conclude that the inability of the compass to guide under even light canopy may be more of a software issue than a problem with the antenna and/or chipset.

Perhaps this will be improved in a future firmware release, along with another compass / off-road navigation issue; the "Arrive in ____ ft" field below is always blank.

Despite this, in my field tests, the direction arrow seemed to point towards the destination, as if it were functioning in bearing mode. A call to Garmin tech support indicated that the manual may be in error. Note that there is no user setting allowing you to switch between bearing and course mode.

I cannot recommend using this device in the backcountry until the myriad compass issues are resolved. I found it very difficult to rely upon the nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 for off-road navigation.

Finally, if my notes on the compass are a little confusing, just know that it parallels the experience of using it!

Geocaching with the nuvi 500 and nuvi 550

Like the Colorado and Oregon models, the nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 fully support paperless geocaching, displaying the full description, cache size, difficulty and terrain ratings, as well as recent logs. Caches can be transferred directly from geocaching.com using the Garmin Communicator plugin or pocket queries can be dropped into the Garmin / GPX directory on the unit. You must be a premium member of geocaching.com ($3/month) to run pocket queries or transfer the full information to the unit. Screen shots follow.

Garmin nuvi 500 and nuvi 550 tips

• Quickly tap the power button to bring up an option to change the screen brightness; this is a nice way to prolong battery life when you leave your car to use the device as a handheld
• Hold the lower right corner of the screen while powering on the device to bring up a hard reset option (erases all user data)
• After you transfer routes from MapSource, select Tools > My Data > Import Route From File

Conclusion and recommendation

There is something very attractive about having one device for multiple uses. I have to say that I really like being able to load all waypoints to one unit, use it to drive to the trailhead and then use it for a hike. But many compromises must be made with this type of unit, and as I said earlier, Garmin appears to have made them all on the handheld side. They left all the nuvi auto functionality in, but seemingly did the minimum on the handheld side, without adequately testing it as well. It’s almost as if they didn’t even talk to their handheld folks in developing it.

Until the compass issues are straightened out, I cannot recommend this unit for geocachers, hikers or mountain bikers. Where you will be sticking to roads (road biking), or moving faster (4WDs and ATVs), it may be worth considering.

If you are seriously looking at a “crossover” type unit, you should consider a couple of things:

• What is your primary use going to be? Would you rather compromise on the auto or handheld side?
• Rather than spend $400 or $500 on this unit, you may be better off with a low end nuvi 205 for your car, and a basic (Venture HC) to mid-range (60Cx) handheld.

While Garmin may fix the compass functionality, the future might not bring many more improvements for the nuvi 500 series. Garmin seems determined to keep the nuvi platform simple, and I doubt that they will add the ability to load tracks, or any advanced handheld functionality. With luck though, they’ll use it as a learning experience for a new line in the future.

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It seems that Garmin is trying to create a nuvi for everyone, but with so many models in the marketplace, they’ve also created quite a bit of confusion. To help you navigate your way to the ideal nuvi, buyer guide written below will be useful starting point.

First of all, Garmin nuvi can be categorized into these groups.

• Basic Model (nuvi 2xx)
• Crossover model (nuvi 5xx)
• High end without voice control model (nuvi 7xx)
• High end with voice control model (nuvi 8xx)
• Portable GPS navigators (nuvi 12xx,13xx,14xx,16xx,5000)
• GPS navigators for RV and truck drivers (nuvi 5000)

Basic Model (nuvi 2xx)

• It has maps of the entire U.S., except for Alaska (49 states). Like all the nuvis, the it has around 6 million points of interest (POIs), name of geographic point that may be of interest to you.
• 3.5 inches screen size
• Track display – See where you’ve been. It can be helpful in finding your way in unfamiliar areas.
• Speed limit display – First implemented for major highways, we’re now starting see it on other thoroughfares as well.

• Live traffic – A nice feature that isn’t quite ready for prime time. Expect lots of inaccurate reports as well as incidents that aren’t reported. Delivered via FM, this service is provided by the Traffic Message Channel, hence you will sometimes see it referred to as FM-TMC. Unlike most other brands, Garmin traffic receivers are incorporated into the vehicle power cable. Also see MSN Direct for another traffic option.
• MSN Direct – This service provides gas prices, live traffic, weather and movie times. For nuvi 7xx and 8xx series models, second-generation MSN Direct adds even more features, including “Send to GPS” via the Internet. In terms of which is better for traffic, MSN Direct or FM-TMC, this often depends on which metro area you are in.

• Maps of all 50 states and Canada.
• Speaks street names – Formally known as text-to-speech, this function allows the device to call out the name of the street for upcoming turns, so you’ll get “in one-half mile, turn left on Oak Street,” rather than just “in one-half mile, turn left.” A very helpful feature.

• Live traffic
• Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use

Crossover model (nuvi 5xx)

High end without voice control model (nuvi 7xx)

• MP3 player – Some people don’t like this, but I really do. It’s nice to have the name of the artist and song on the GPS screen. Though it varies by model, typically the music is paused or the volume reduced when navigation instructions are given.
• FM transmitter – This can work well enough in small cars in rural areas, but expect problems in urban areas with a crowded FM band. The distance to your antenna impacts reception quality, which can be problematic in larger vehicles with the antenna embedded in the rear window.
• Multi-destination routing – A very nice feature, but not a critical one. if the model doesn't have it, you can only enter one destination and one via point. This isn’t problematic since you can easily find locations under Favorites or Recently Found.
• Lane Guidance - With the new Lane Guidance feature built into the nuvi 7x5 series, you'll never question which lane you should be driving in again. It provides you with a view of what lane you should be in for upcoming turns. And with the 3D Lane Assist Junction View, you'll be able to see a photo-realistic screen that shows you both the road detail as well as the signs as you will see them on the road. The signs that aren't needed for navigation are faded compared to the appropriate lane signage. This features is included in TomTom One 140-S which is the budget model of TomTom. However this feature isn't included in basic model of nuvi.

High end with voice control model (nuvi 8xx)

• 3-D buildings
• A2DP Bluetooth
• ecoRoute
• Recent cities and streets folders that speed searches (though these aren’t really necessary if you’re using voice commands)
• Customizable data fields

• Removable battery
• Dual speakers
• Voice command
• Custom avoidances (avoid specified streets or areas)
• Backup camera input

Portable GPS navigators (nuvi 12xx,13xx,14xx,16xx,5000)

GPS navigators for RV and truck drivers (nuvi 5000)

• External analog video (e.g., a back up camera)
• Customized routing to avoid select roads and areas
• Digital elevation maps that shows details about the surrounding terrain

Discontinued model which I don't recommend

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At the risk of upsetting the nice PR folks who provide me with review units, I've decided to share my thoughts on what brand of GPS is best. Clearly this is subjective — its my opinion and mine alone. And things do change. However, based on models I've tested over the past year, this is how I see things shaking out.

• Garmin – Garmin receivers are intuitive, easy to use units with an uncluttered interface. If you want a simple out of the box solution that just flat out works, this brand’s for you. They are easy enough that your parents or even grandparents can use them. While Garmin isn’t always the first to introduce new features, they generally nail them when they do. Finally, all their nuvi units have around six million Points of interest (POIs), name of geographic point that may be of interest to you, whereas most other brands will drop the numbers on lower level models.
• TomTom – The one place TomTom out paces Garmin is on customization. If you want to tinker with your device, get under the hood and play with settings, a TomTom may be your best choice. That flexibility can cost you though – there are more menus to navigate and a more cluttered screen. Having said that, TomTom does the best job of balancing lots of options with an intuitive interface. TomTom often leads the way in innovation too, though first to implement doesn't necessarily make for the best implementation. One other note — TomTom uses Tele Atlas maps while Garmin uses NAVTEQ. Both do well in urban areas, but in my experience, Tele Atlas maps underperform NAVTEQ in rural America.
• (TIE) Magellan and Navigon – These brands will perform basic navigation and get you from point A to point B, usually as well as a Garmin or TomTom. But along the way you may experience frustrating things like confusing interfaces, excess steps, lockups, etc.
• Mio – Before switching to the Navman interface, I would have ranked Mio higher. They dropped some advanced features in the changeover though, and I found routing problems in recent review units. Perhaps next year’s switch to Windows Embedded NavReady will improve their rankings.
• All the rest – Don’t go there. Stick with one of the companies above that have been doing this for years. Check the GPS rankings on Amazon and after scrolling way down to find the off-brands, read their reviews and you’ll see that the problems just get worse.

Car GPS Brand Summary

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