Garmin StreetPilot i3 Review!

Now on to the important stuff. I'll do this in question/answer style:

Q: Does it get a signal easily?

A: Yes. It grabs a signal better than the Rino 130 did - and I live "in the sticks" of Northeastern Connecticut. Signal wasn't a problem.

Q: Is it readable?

A: Yes. It may be small but you can read it.

Q: Is it readable in sunlight?

A: I drove it around and purposely drove on a road so the sun was directly hitting it. I could read everything easily.

Q: Is there brightness control?

A: Yes (thank God).

Q: How does the voice sound?

A: Shockingly, the voice (as in "Turn left in 300 feet" when it gives you directions) is a nice and very human-sounding female voice. It is crisp and clear. Volume can be adjusted. The top volume does distort a little bit. When the windows are down when driving on the highway it's hard to hear it - but what can you expect from something this small.

Q: Is it accurate?

A: Very accurate. The zoom levels are astonishing. It knows every road anywhere you travel.

Q: Does the "recalculate" work if you miss a turn?

A: Absolutely. Works almost instantly the moment you miss a turn and will recalculate to get you back on course fast.

Q: Is it easy to find stuff?

A: Very easy. You can map by entering an address or simply picking what you want like "lodging" or "fuel".

Q: What's better? 3D or 2D?

A: I prefer 3D, but for those who like the traditional GPS displays, the 2D is really nice, too. I'd say mix and match and pick what you like best.

Q: How's the menu system?

A: Well designed. Can be used from novice to expert. I learned it in less than two minutes without reading the manual.

Q: What's your favorite feature (so far)?

A: The "Go Home" feature. You put in your address and set it as home. From whereever you are, you tell it you want to "Go home" and it tells you exactly how to get there - and says when you'll most likely arrive.

I'll be writing more on the i3 later after I use it a little bit more. My initial reaction: FRICKIN' AWESOME. The price is good. The unit is solid. It's EASY. Good job, Garmin!

Published 2005 Aug 24