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Garmin devotees - which one is good?

P

Provincial_sweater09

Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2026
Moto(s)
SV650
So, outside Garmin, I dont see any "good" options out there in N. America in the affordable range (~$200)

- Beeline: the rubber attachment worries me, display is too minimalist
- Carpuride and similar: last resort because it's really uses two devices including your phone
- Tomtom: does not sell in N. Amrica (anymore) it seems

XT2 and XT3 with price points closer to $600 are way outside my current budget.
So looking at 396 series which seems to be available new ($225) and refurbished with 1-year warranty ($178) on 3rd party sellers like GPS City etc.
Does anyone here have real life exp. in Garmin 396 usability, connectivity and durability etc. or, should I save up and buy XT2/XT3?
 
Have 2 garmins

Hate garmins

That is all

Had to fire up my barely running cobwebbed windows 7 laptop from 2013 to mess with it because Garmin can't be bothered with Chromebooks...
 
I have a Zumu XT2, and while it has some nice features, it is also frustrating at times. In general, the good outweighs the bad, but I have a hard time saying it is worth $600. But anything good isn't going to be cheap. I am not sure $200 is realistic. At that point, I'd probably just buy a QuadLock and use a phone.
 
I've had a dozen Garmin GPS's & I liked them all. As a newer model came to market, I was able to get them below cost for evaluation. Ran them on boats, bikes, cars and trucks. Since retired, I've have an older DriveSmart 61LMT on the F250 crew cab for years. Garmin support rocks.

Only advice that comes to mind is shop what you want hard, use some of the intrawebnet tools to watch for sales and don't hesitate when it pops on sale. Same for a few specialty shops that sell a lot of Garmin- they'll put up some sweet deals. I was not concerned with renewed product- follow their program as if its going break, it will do so in the first couple months.
 
You lost me at Chromebook...that is an educational institution device of least expensive compromise, not a private sector tool designed for a wide spectrum of tasks.

To the OP, you get to pick good or cheap, not both.
 
I haven't needed a "computer" for 13 years since I retired. Hence me pulling out my 13-year-old Windows 7 laptop.
My wife has a nice new Chromebook for bookkeeping etc.
I do everything I need to do in life on my Android phone.
I have been navigating via my phone on the motos But decided to try to use my old Montana 600 with it now permanently mounted on my 890, so I tried to update and clean up the device.
Such a clunky interface.
Makes you really appreciate how good and easy Google maps is
 
I just use my phone if I need navigation. I still use an eTrex 20 and GPSmap GPS but I mainly use it for off road riding to record my tracks and keep track time during races.
 
I just cancelled my inReach subscription yesterday. I do not need it now that I have a StarLink Mini. It is small enough to take on a motorcycle, which I have done. Fits nicely in a saddlebag. But it's main purpose is for my RV trips. I also have a Verizon portable Hotspot with unlimited data service. The hotspot is for when I bring my computer into restaurants and such--which I am usually alone in these days since being widowed.

I still have my Garmin Spot, which I use a lot more often. With it, I can call for road service anywhere by a press of a button.

The Starlink can even be taken when hiking. It draws less than two amps at 12VDC (~20 watts or so) so it is easy to power up from a little battery or whatever.

1780041027083.png

-Don- Reno, NV
 
I like my Garmin Zumo XT and they can uaually be found for $250 used on ADV Rider since a lot of guys feel the need to upgrade to the XT2 and XT3. Mine has been solid using it on my bike and in my car. It connects with my inReach and my phone for even more features.
 
Bought a burner android phone (2025 Moto G Stylus) and threw it on a handlebar mount. Screen is daylight readable, good battery life, and I don't care if it dies because I'm only in it something like $70. Too many good free mapping programs out there (e.g. Organic Maps) which put most Garmin units to shame.

I have an iPhone 17 which has satellite connectivity if I need it.
 
augustiron said:
Latest gen cellphones all have satellite connectivity if that is a concern
Click to expand...
It will not be long, IMO, when the entire cell system is obsolete. We then will all have sattelite phones--built into our Smartphones. They do NOT use the cell system at all. They connect direct on the internet.

IOW, I except the entire cell system to soon be removed--the only question is when.

BTW, expect Elon's system (StarLink) to be the biggest satellite system in the entire world--much larger than any government's satellite system.

"SpaceX has received FCC authorization for a total of 15,000 satellites (including 12,000 first-generation and 7,500 second-generation). However, the company has applied for permission to launch up to 30,000 additional satellites beyond that, with a decision on the remainder currently deferred. SpaceX has also signaled long-term ambitions to potentially deploy as many as 42,000 satellites in its megaconstellation. "
 
Of course it is.
Elon wants to control as much as possible.
Sure, have all wireless communication flow through him and his companies.
What could possibly go wrong
 
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