garmin 2025.20 map update removes junction view

I was excited to see the new 2025.20 North America map update had been released. Given the giant Garmin nerd I am for automotive models (I own way too many of them), I got to see what happened after the update on everything from the current Garmin DriveSmart 66 all the way down to the old Garmin nuvi 1100LM and a whole bunch of models in between.

I noticed something. Junction View has been removed on some older models. Not all. Some.

This takes a bit of explanation.

Something new Garmin did this time around for North America models is that every single one labeled as "lifetime map" eligible (i.e. if "LM" is in the model name and has been updated in the last 2 years, it qualifies), the full USA + Canada + Mexico map data set is now included instead of just being limited to "lower 48" US or USA + Canada. This of course will require the addition of a 32GB microSD memory card, as many older models don't have the internal space to fit all that map data...

...and that's not the problem since getting a 32GB card is cheap.

On some - and I have to repeat this again so it really sinks in - SOME older models, the Junction View was removed. All the map data is there, but those little images to the side on SOME models aren't there anymore.

This is what a Junction View image looks like (a Garmin nuvi 2589LMT was used here):

The graphic to the right is the Junction View image; that's the thing that was removed on SOME older models. Instead of the graphic, a regular map view is placed in the same spot instead.

I noticed on older models like the nuvi 30LM, nuvi 40LM, nuvi 50LM, nuvi 56LM and a few others that the 2025.20 North America update doesn't include Junction View anymore.

For other models like the Garmin Drive 52 and Garmin DriveSmart 65, yes, Junction View is still there.

I'm totally okay with Garmin removing JCV on the older models

I'm sure some people that still use older models will get a bit miffed that JCV was removed. I don't have a problem with it, because on models like the nuvi 40LM and 50LM that never had a full North America map set before, now it does with the addition of a cheap 32GB microSD card.

I am totally fine with JCV being removed on older models and getting more map data, because that's what counts more.

Published 2024 Oct 17