GARMIN 010-00522-00 Streetpilot C550 GPS Receiver Reviews

• Bought this for my bro-in-law, should have bought it for myself.

  
  By A8NVUTR71EW0W on 2006-12-19
  This is the third Garmin GPS I've purchased, the first being a C320 for my mother and the second being a 2820 for myself. I've reviewed both of them here and I suggest you check those two reviews out first so that this one falls into better context.
  
  Having purchased three Garmins I can say with no small amount of certainty that the c550 is the one I should have purchased for everyone. (As I write this I'm seriously considering selling my 2820 and buying the c550 for myself.) It is as close to a perfect GPS as Garmin makes. It really seems as if someone at Garmin took the best features of both the low-end and high-end units and put them together into this one unit.
  
  As with other Garmin GPS's that I've used, the interface is very intuitive and easy to navigate. The LCD screen is touch-sensitive and all of the controls are laid out in a logical pattern with simple icons and bright (but not overwhelming) colors. It does everything you'd expect a GPS to do; it will create a route by speed ("fastest route") or distance ("shortest route"), allow you to save your favorite locations, etc. One of my favorite GPS features is the ability to make detours on-the-fly, and the Garmin makes this easy. Stuck in highway traffic? Touch DETOUR and it will plot a new course off the highway. I can't tell you how many times this has saved hours of potential sitting-in-traffic time. (The c550 is even better as it has the FM traffic receiver. If you drive through a supported area, the GPS will *AUTOMATICALLY* reroute you around traffic, construction detours, etc.)
  
  The unit is slightly larger and bulkier than the smaller 300 series units owing largely to its additinal features. Improving on the low-end Garmin units, the c550's screen doesn't suffer the wash-out problem that exists in the 300 series. The screen remains bright and clear even in direct sunlight. The screen itself is the same size and resolution as the 300 series but a subtle change in the bezel makes it look a bit larger. Like the 300 series, the c550 has a built-in battery that's good for about 6-8 hours under normal use (letting you use it outside of the car, particularly useful in case you ever get stranded in the middle of nowhere), simple external controls (power button, volume wheel, USB port), and an SD memory card slot. Like the 2820, the c550 has hands-free Bluetooth, will speak street names and exit numbers, and has the same anti-glare monitor.
  
  There's only one feature that the 2820 has which neither the 300 nor 500 series have which I've found particularly useful. On the 2820's display, there is an arrow in the upper-right corner that shows you what your next turn will be and, below that, how far ahead the turn is. The angle of the arrow tells you how sharp the turn will be; an exit off a highway will be at a slight angle while a turn onto a suburban side street will be at a more severe angle. While this may seem trivial it becomes EXTREMELY handy on the highway, as the arrow shows you which side of the road the exit will be on. (So if the exit's on the left, the arrow leans to the left. If to the right, then then arrow is to the right.) Both the 300 and 500 series will show you how far it is until the turn, neither of them tell you if it's on the left or right until you're about a half mile away. Personally I like having this information well in advance and the c550 doesn't provide this.
  
  The c550 also has features that exceed both units. For example, the c320 offers a mono speaker, no mic, no Bluetooth, and no traffic receiver, while the 2820 requires an external speaker and mic, and the built-in traffic receiver requires an external antenna at extra cost. The c550 has built-in stereo speakers, a built-in microphone, and a built-in FM traffic receiver with a built-in antenna. And while both the c550 and 2820 offer MP3 playback, the 2820 lacks an SD memory card slot so you have to connect the unit to your computer if you ever want to upload new MP3 files.
  
  The c550 uses the same WebUpdater application that Garmin supplies (free), to keep your GPS up-to-date with software updates and such. This is a no-brainer application; plug the GPS into your internet-connected Windows PC and run the app. It will poll your GPS to determine its model and software status, then compare that to Garmin's latest and greatest. It'll then download and install whatever updates it finds.
  
  I'm giving the c550 four stars instead of five, but I would really like to give it three and a half -- but Amazon doesn't let me do halves so I'm rounding up to four. Things I DON'T like about the c550: First and foremost, Garmin's support flat-out sucks. They NEVER reply to emails, pre- or post-sale, and their telephone representatives are significantly less than helpful. For this alone I take off a full star.
  
  If I could remove another half star from my rating, it would be for three minor shortcomings. The first is the "arrow display" as I explained above. With the addition of that one 'minor' feature I would drop my 2820 in a heartbeat and buy the c550 right now. Second, Garmin doesn't include the map CD with the unit. Although the c550 is preloaded, so is the 2820 -- but the map CD came with the 2820, so why not include it with the c550 too? And third, updating the Garmin takes a REALLY long time. The unit itself seems to operate on a USB 1 interface so you don't get USB 2 speeds, and the Garmin update site (which the WebUpdate application accesses) is often very busy. It took over two hours to update my brother-in-law's c550. Fortunately this isn't something you have to do very often but even so, a simple USB 2 interface would have sped things up immensely.
  
  I would definitely recommend this unit to anyone.
  
  

• 5 stars for GPS, but 1 point off for support

  
  By A2LEVKA3U6CXX7 on 2006-09-13
  We really needed a GPS in our family. My lovely wife, whom I cherish and who gets far too little thanks for driving our children to their many activities (and who might read this), would often call me at work to use Mapquest to help figure out where she was and where she was going. Much as I enjoyed these calls, I thought it would be best if she had an onboard co-pilot. After reading the reviews on Amazon, I thought the Garmin sounded like the best choice.
  
  First, the unit certainly does what my wife asks it to do: chart paths between points A and B. At that, it has been essentially flawless over the several weeks since we purchased it. In addition, it is tremendously easy to install (taking just a couple of minutes) and use. In the first two weeks, my wife went from a techno-phobe doubter to a true believer. Asked about the purchase in that first 2 weeks, I'd have given it 5 stars.
  
  Then it died, for no good reason. The company (Garmin) was a bit hard to reach, with limited tech support hours (including no weekends). We had to send the unit back, and we did promptly receive a second unit. That unit has worked great for going on a month now. Given that there are a couple of other users with similar complaints, I'd have to say that these units may not be quite as reliable as a typical electrical device. Also, we have not had any trouble with the mount, unlike several of the reviewers.
  
  In summary, for its core function, I think the unit is awesome. There are some issues with customer support that Garmin should work on, but these are not enough to seriously tarnish our experience.
  
  ADDENDUM (10/16/06) - after some use, I have concluded that the function which estimates arrival time does so by using a best-case assumption about your speed. It seems to predict that you will always be traveling at the speed limit on a given stretch of road. This means is does not anticipate the inevitable red lights. It consistently underestimates travel time for in-city driving. If I could deduct a 1/2 star from my original review, I would.
  
  
  

• Great, when it doesn't die on you

  
  By A2O2ZKPV2J0JUG on 2006-08-09
  I've gone through two of these. The first i exchanged at the store, the second was past the 14 day return policy, so I had to mail it in at my expense.
  
  They work great for the first few weeks. The first one died around when the temp was getting into the 100s, so I thought "Ok, maybe the heat did it". The second died overnight when the temp was around 60. Just won't turn on anymore.
  
  I've read other reviews indicating a similar problem. Hopefully Garmin can send me a non-defective unit. In the meantime, be careful and make sure you can return it.
  
  ** UPDATE **
  
  The returned unit from Garmin has been working flawlessly. I believe they have worked out the defect in the original batch.
  
  

• Not necessarily the best value.

  
  By A6FIAB28IS79 on 2007-08-07
  Practically all of the Garmins in the Street Pilot and Nuvi series will perform equally well, so it may make sense to assess your needs if money should happen to be of any consequence. My wife loved my Street Pilot 340, so I got her the top-of-the-line Nuvi with the wide screen. She didn't like the price tag (even though it was my expenditure) or the small size of the unit, so I returned it for the c550. There's little likelihood she'll use the blue tooth feature for phone connectivity and less probability she'll find any use for the MP3 player or subscribe to the live traffic reports. We've noticed no greater speed in the unit's locking into a signal. The naming of streets is nice but not at all essential. Moreover, she's noticed that it seems harder to unclip this model from its bracket than my 340, and her tastes are "offended" by having a little car driving around on her screen instead of a simple arrow marker.
  
  So why spend almost $200 more for the 550 than the currently deeply discounted 330? It comes down to one feature: a polarized screen that doesn't wash out during daytime use. Is it worth the premium price? Depends on where you place the unit in your car and also how important watching the screen is to you. Some users are perfectly content to respond to the voice directions alone.
  
  As for the cost of these devices, you're paying for the technology, not the cheap (admittedly highly functional) plastic materials. The audio quality is sufficiently loud and clear for speaking purposes, but the plastic enclosure gives the sound a synthetic, dry, "plastic-like" quality that is ill-suited for long-term listening of any sort let alone full-frequencied, resonant music.
  
  Look for the next improvements to be in sound quality (if Tivoli can get all that hi-fi sound from an iPal speaker, it can't be too long before miniature GPS units begin to come close). In the meantime, don't feel like all is lost if you have to settle for a Street Pilot 330, which is definitely the best "deal" at current prices. It's not clear that the 550 is worth the week or two of groceries it requires you to give up in exchange for a less reflective screen.
  
  

• Integrated Traffic Great; Rest is Pretty Good

  
  By A253XKAR4A93Z9 on 2006-08-30
  I had been waiting for this spring's new generation of car GPS. I'm glad I waited.
  
  The integrated traffic feature is incredible. Yes, its not perfect and often not quick enough. And common sense needs to be used on whether to accept the rerouting. But I commute several times a week outside of Boston for 90-120 minutes. There are multiple routes (495, 95, 93, 24) I can take. Within 5 minutes of leaving my house I can carefully monitor conditions and adjust my route at any time. I save 30-60 minutes/week since it lets me take more "aggressive" routes that are shorter but are often clogged with traffic. It also works well on bridge and tunnel traffic in NYC. Not so useful in areas which rarely have traffic (thus not updated as frequently) or where there aren't good alternate routes.
  
  Bad points: Makes weird routing suggestions on many long distance trips. Sometimes, if you keep driving your way, it will suddenly agree and note that your way is ten minutes shorter than the way it suggested five minutes ago. I'm not sure why it didn't calculate that up front. Mount got sloppy after a month and falls off the windshield in high heat conditions. Also, the battery stopped working (only works when plugged in) which I haven't addressed with Garmin. It is hard to examine an entire route instead of just the current portion.
  
  Good points: Traffic (see above). There are better deals if you don't need traffic. Spoken street names are great. In-city navigation is great. Bluetooth works well. MP3 is slightly useful. Having the entire database loaded is great (Canada works very well). The database of stores and landmarks is far more comprehensive than any I have used. Many golf courses. I will put in Walmart and it will show all Walmarts until you find one just off the interstate for a minimal detour.
  
  The traffic feature is incredibly easy to use without the aesthetic and installation hassles of similar solutions.
  
  
• easy to use and reliable.
  By A15RL3DYDCTG9N on 2006-06-19
  i bought this unit 6/14/'06-
  so it's been 5 days since i started using it.
  
  i was thinking about c330 for nearly 3 months but
  decided to go for c550 as garmin claimed it had many improvements.
  
  i've heard some bad things about c330's screen "washing away" under
  bright sun lights, but so far c550 never gave me any problem.
  (garmin claims c550's screen is superior to previous "c" series units...)
  
  it's very easy to use, and despite the small screen,
  it is very easy to read.
  
  garmin claims it has "integrated" fm traffic signal receiver,
  but the signal receiver is actually a part of 12v socket charger-
  in other words, traffic receiver only works when the unit's power socket is connected to the car,
  and when it is running on the battery alone, you won't get the traffic signal.
  
  it's bluetooth feature is pretty helpful, too-
  when your cell phone receives a call
  it displays caller id, and you can use the unit to answer the call and use it as a speaker phone.
  
  i've try to go about 6 different places i've never been,
  such as restaurants, car dealers, stores... etc. and
  it was very, very accurate.
  
  it tends to get a bit "confused" if you are on a place that
  does not exist on its map.
  but once you manage to find the nearest road that is highlighted
  on the screen you are good to go.
  
  this is my first navigation unit and
  overall i'm very satisfied,
  and recommended to everyone...
  
  pros-
  1. bright, clear screen that is very easy to read.
  2. accurate and reliable navigation.
  3. bluetooth hands- free feature.
  4. relatively small.
  5. long battery life.
  
  cons-
  1. so- called "integrated" traffic receiver not truly "integrated."
  2. almost useless mp3 play back feature.
  3. text- to- speech (reads street names and exit # and such...) not so good.
  4. still bigger than "nüvi" series.
  5. wish the sound was a bit louder and clearer.
  6. a bit overpriced.
  
  
• Great product - Phone interface works perfectly
  By ACQ2RIDJ0HBI3 on 2006-07-13
  I have been using the c550 for two weeks now. The unit is extremely user friendly and feature rich. In the Metro DC area, the navigation has been very good with the traffic avoidance capability a nice feature. I have been frustrated on only one occasion where after asking it to find me an alternate route around a backup of a few miles, it had me exit, take a side road, then get right back on the congested road. The Bluetooth interface with my Motorola RAZR V3M works flawlessly. With the phone in my pocket, it "sees" the phone within 10 seconds and automatically populates the GPS' phone book and call history. Even the voice dialing, i.e. "Call Robert Smith", works very well. I highly recommend this unit if you have a Bluetooth phone.
  
  
• Stay away from this unit
  By AJZAJBGU2HAKS on 2006-10-14
  I did quite a bit of research and after reading a lot of positive reviews, I decided to go with the c550. First, i'll start with the positives. Nice looking unit. Small enough to put in your pocket yet large enough to be seen on the dash board. The suction cup mount was easy to install and since I only had the unit a week, I didnt have the problem of it falling off like others said in their reviews. The unit was very intuitive to use, the touch screen was nice and no problems with it. I never used the mp3 player or the blue tooth options. However, the sample songs in it sounded horrible, like it was playing on an old transitor radio.
  The negatives. The unit did not offer alot of features. I took a road trip from Florida to New York. All throughout the trip, hundreds of miles from home yet, the unit would tell me to get off the highway and take other streets. One address I put in, the unit took me to an old grassy field about 3 miles from my destination. Another time it had me drive past my destination about 1 mile, go about another mile in a circle and took me back to the destination. Another time, i knew I was only about 2 miles away from my destination and the unit kept telling me to make a u-turn. The traffic feature was a joke. it would say there was heavy traffic up ahead and suggest an alternate route. I would keep on my normal path with no heavy traffic and no problems. Although the unit would show businesses along the way it did not show rest areas along the highway or exit numbers on the exits.
  I returned the unit to Circuit City and they charged a 15% restocking fee which was 120 dollars. I wrote to Garmin and reported everything and they responded with a form letter stating they were not responsible for the information the unit uses. Don't they test their products before subjecting the public to their crap? Very disappointed at the quality of the product and the poor customer service. I thought Garmin was suposed to be the best.
  Bottom line: nice looking unit but has very few options inside it and the actual navigation stinks. I had better results from paper maps and Mapquest.
  Stay away from this unit.
  
  
• Great GPS, questionable Traffic avoidance
  By A3LSZKFJGM3SOC on 2006-07-10
  I am a long time Garmin customer who previously owned C320. I was excited to see Garmin released C550 earlier this spring (2006) with bluetooth connection , mp3 player and traffice avoidance funtionallity. I immediately sold C320 off EBAY and bough C550 from CC ($ 680 by using 15% discound coupon + ordered from NH to save some tax). The GPS works 99% as same as C320. There are not much improvement in term of navigation.Though , Gamin improved some POIs and mapping issues( add more voices, icons , search , dragable map). The most important resons why I bought this unit are bluetooth connection and traffic avoidance abilities.
  As far as I concern after using the unit for about 2 months, the Bluetooth connection work perfectly with my phone ( I have Samsung a-900 "blade" from Sprint. C550 always be able to sync with my phone (Address , call history , etc) perfectly. Though , I am hoping that Garmin update it software for C550 to be able to read text messages like the one Tomtom can. I somehow disappointed with traffic avoidance system. The adapter does not work the first time I bought (broken, had to exchange). Then when it works, it does not help me that much. Yes, it helped me avoid jamed traffic by putting me into local road which will double or even tripple my driving distance. By avoiding traffic you get to drive longer which sometime you better off waiting for trafic to move (i'm in Boston, traffic is not that bad here anyway) . Overall I'm impressed with the unit in terms of accuracy , entertainment , easy of use. I would rate this 5 out of 5 if the traffic function got improved.
  
  P.S. please forgive my grammar and vocabulary as English is not really my first language.
  
  
• Right out of the box!
  By A18H4UJMMZGM63 on 2006-06-27
  What an impressive unit, and as advertised, it works right out of the box. I have used NeverLost many times in rental cars, so I was already familiar with the concept of using a GPS system like this in the car. This unit can easily be figured out without even reading the manual, and having it announce the streets that you need to turn on by name is a great feature. I haven't even used all the features yet, but navigation is the main reason I purchased it, and this one works great.
  
  
• Great Product/Very poor mount
  By A3DSZOK6OZ3STV on 2006-08-23
  I use this unit because I am in sales in an unfamiliar territory. It is "spot-on" in it's ability to find any location. The traffic monitor is a "nice to have" feature; however, it notifies you when it is nearly too late to do a detour. The estimated time of arrival feature is invaluable. Unlike some other reviewers, I have had no problem with satellite access. I've gone through tunnels and it rapidly re-accesses satellites within seconds after emerging.
  
  My only beef is that Garmin provided a windshield mount that is an absolute piece of junk. I have been driving along and the unit has fallen off. I was concerned that it was going to be broken. This problem, in my opinion, is serious of enough to consider a different unit that has a better mount. Garmin should "step-up" and design a new mount and ship it to those of us who "took the leap of faith" to buy this product.
  
  
• Will Never Again Drive Without My Garmin
  By A5K5DIDKAML5C on 2007-10-05
  In my home we've turned the phrase "green eggs and ham" into a verb, much like "google" has become indicative of a definitive action. To "green eggs and ham" something is to change your mind on some item or concept you had previously disdained. It started back in the early 80's when my Daddy finally permitted my Mom to purchase a microwave. For years, he'd held off, swearing that if his own saintly mother (the matriarch of seven kids) had done without one, we could too. Once she wore him down, Daddy was the first to admit, "Green eggs and ham - I love it! Why did we wait so long to purchase it? How have we done without it for so long?!"
  
  This year, I've "green eggs and hammed" a techno gadget - the GPS unit. Who needs it when we've got something as nifty as Mapquest to get us from point A to point B? My mother-in-law foisted one upon my husband for his birthday last year and I scolded her vociferously. Her gift to Greg was the Garmin C550 Streetpilot GPS Receiver and I was upset with her for spending the money on something I was positive my husband wouldn't use. After all, he's one of those guys who absolutely refuses to ask for directions. I was sure it would sit unused in his car.
  
  Wrong - a major "green eggs and ham" moment! We tried it out on a family trip a week later and became instant Streetpilot addicts. When my own birthday rolled around two months later, guess what my mother-in-law purchased for me? Yes, now we have "his and hers" models in our vehicles.
  
  What's the good of this particular tech gadget? You'd be amazed! Here are some of my favorite features:
  
  * Speed and accuracy. As soon as its been turned on, the Streetpilot determines your location and queries you about your desired purpose. Within minutes of entering your destination address, you receive a map and detailed instructions which are verbally given to you turn by turn. The GPS also computes your estimated arrival time - I've found it's accuracy on that item almost uncanny. The unit has options to update your route and travel time, accounting for delays in traffic hotspots.
  * Ease of use. The Streetpilot has an easy touchscreen interface and gives verbal directions to walk you through the directions. It even anticipates which lane you need to be in for upcoming directions. Unlike mapquest pages which may require a solo driver to look at a paper copy of the directions, a voice (or rather, your choice of many voice styles) tells you exactly where you need to go without you taking your eyes off the road. Our voice of choice, Lee the Australian, has never led me astray and is even smart enough to recalculate when I make a wrong turn or miss an exit.
  * Bluetooth. In many states, hands-free cell phone usage is now the law. The Streetpilot immediately converts my cell phone to hands free and has a clear signal for a speaker phone conversation that can be heard throughout the whole car.
  * Doubles as an MP3 player. My Streetpilot holds some of my favorite tunes and podcasts, making my road trip even more enjoyable.
  * Goes with the flow. Now, when we leave on a family road trip, we rarely scout out the directions beforehand. With the address, it's easy to drive straight to our desired destination. But we can also stop and smell the roses along the way, using the Streetpilot to direct us to upcoming points of interest, services, lodging, or even an emergency Starbucks stop.
  
  I will never again go back to driving without my Garmin C550 Streetpilot GPS Receiver - getting to our family fun has now become easy and reliable.
  
  
• Not as good as anticipated
  By A3GPUHCDD598MG on 2006-10-17
  I had another vendors GPS and the cord was shorting out and had a protection plan. When I went to have the cord replaced the store no longer carried the brand and I would be entitled to a new unit. A comparable unit was the Garmin C550. After some time I decided to get this unit. After getting it home and checking it out further I hooked it up and it would not acquire satelites after 45 minutes. I took it back and enroute it finally acquired the satelites. I returned home. The next day after over an hour it never did acquire satelites so I returned it for another. This one did acquire satelites. Since I was going on a driving trip I was anxious to use this GPS. Well enroute to our destination it had us turn off the interstate and go through some local roads for no apparent reason. I just returned to the interstate even though the unit was not directing us to do so. Then we were going to a specific location and it was off by more than 2 miles as to the actual location. On the return trip it took us to an old 2 lane curve laden road to arrive at a destination. This road, in my opinion, would not be able to be traveled by anything bigger that a car. Luckily I was not driving the RV or I would have never been able to naviate this road. My older unit had some features I would like to see on this unit such as, selecting the use of toll roads or not, the screen identifying the direction of the next turn so you do not have to wait until you are .3 miles from the turn. I will continue to use this unit but I did buy another protection plan with this unit allowing me to exchange it. Time will tell how this unit performs. Hopefully Garmin will update the software to satisfy user comments about the unit.
  
  
• EXCELLENT UNIT-A FEW **VERY** MINOR ISSUES
  By A2PRIQ2EA5GYML on 2007-02-01
  Bought this unit a couple of days ago. I've had a chance to explore all the features, and overall, this is an EXCELLENT unit.
  
  Here is what I like:
  * From the time I opened the box to the time I started using it was less than 5 minutes. Very simple and intuitive interface.
  * Incredibly sensitive satellite receiver. The unit even worked indoors in my kitchen when I first turned it on. How can that be, since I thought you had to have a clear view of the sky? I don't know, but it did. No issues in the car either. No dropped signals, and virtually instantaneous satellite acquisition.
  * Directions for the most part were very accurate (see below for minor exception),
  * You get plenty of advance warning for turns.
  * When you deviate from the directions that the GPS gives you, it recalculates a new route almost instantaneously.
  * Spoken street names.
  * Anti glare screen (you can still see it in bright sunlight).
  * Bluetooth phone link works perfectly with my Razor phone (see below for minor issue). Sound on both ends is crystal clear. I could even access my address book on the unit itself.
  * Windshield mount is very easy to get on and off, and it held the unit very securely.
  
  Here are the minor issues:
  * Maps seem pretty up to date, but you still have to use common sense. There is a road that opened up near my house about 5 months ago, and the GPS didn't recognize it. It kept wanting to take me a different route, but since I knew the road was there, I took it. The good news is that it recalculated a new route almost immediately once I left that road. Along those same lines, I was visiting someone in a gated community, and I knew that you had to go in the front gate and not the back. The GPS kept trying to direct me to the back gate because it was closer. This is a common sense issue, not a technical issue.
  * On very rare occasion it gives you an odd or unusual turn. Near my house, it wants to route me through a small subdivision to get me home (very small-only about 20 homes), when I can get there by staying on the main street and making one turn. Not sure why it does that (perhaps it may be a few feet shorter and the GPS thinks it's a shortcut).
  * Remember to check or uncheck the box to avoid highways and toll roads depending on what you want to do. The very first time I used it, it sent me on a toll road for 1 exit, then had get me off and resume on surface streets. I could have gotten where I was going without going on the toll road. I don't fault the system because technically it took me the shortest route, but it's just something to keep in mind.
  * When you are talking on the speaker phone, it mutes the voice giving you the directions. If you're talking and driving, that is a bit of an issue. You can still see the directions on the screen, but you lose the voice prompts. I read some review where the person said that you have the ability to change this feature, but I haven't figured out how to do it yet.
  * Pricey, but you get what you pay for. The cost differential with the C340 (about $150) is well worth it in my opinion.
  
  
  
• update: only 1 or zero stars
  By A1OLD06RCHZFD on 2006-06-30
  Update First:
  
  Well, after a month, my c550 quit picking up sats. I had to call Garmin for technical support. I ended up being on hold about 5 hours over 2 days before getting a return authorization. They do have some really cool "on hold" music, but 5 hours is still not cool.
  
  Day 1:
  
  On hold for Over 3 hours. This is partially my fault because after a little over an hour I had to go to work. Went to work and called back (put the "on hold" music on the speaker phone and worked while I waited). After almost 2 hours I got on with a tech and he helped walk me and my wife through a reset procedure. Unfortunately, the reset procedure takes about a half hour to then pick up the sats again. So he had to hang up.
  
  Unfortunately, this procedure did not fix the device. So I then followed the directs to update the operating system. This also did not fix the device.
  
  Day 2:
  
  On hold for almost 2 hours. After talking with the tech about what I had done. He gave me a return authorization.
  
  My conclusion:
  
  I would not buy another Garmin device. The c550 is really cool and when it works, it works really well. However, the company is really not worth dealing with.
  
  The pros:
  
  Great screen. Really good directions. Basically like having a dynamic Mapquest map talking to you the entire way. Recalculates quickly when a mistake is made. Really gave my wife a lot more confidence driving in places she is not familiar. My wife and I really love it. The database for locations and phone numbers of local things like gas, shopping, food and instantellers is really amazing and usefull.
  
  The cons:
  
  FM traffic report is basically useless in the bay area. Sometimes it tells you about a traffic jam after you are already in it. Other times it confuses the direction of the jam so it says there is a problem when the problem is on the other lanes. Also, Garmin advertises this is free for the first 15 months, however this option is not available on sign up. False advertising actually.
  
  Also, as California does not allow windsheild mounted GPS, then the next step is to buy the dash mount system. This is a useless design and in the end, I had to crazy glue the mount to my dash to get it to not fall over. Crazy glue works great though. The device still wiggles in the mount however as it is just plane a bad design.
  
  Too bad too because the c550 is a really nice device made worse by a bad mount design and a company that falsely advertises their traffic package. I guess they could correct this and this post could go out of date, however I question a company that has to be told that they a not fullfilling their obligations.
  
  
• An Improvement Over the c330
  By A2K6B1UKFN5Z6D on 2006-07-09
  A year ago I paid $850 for a Garmin c330 and returned it because the display was not sunlight readable.
  
  For the same price I was thrilled with the c550, which includes a sunlight readable display, talking street names, built-in real-time traffic information (first 3 months free, $60 for next 15 months), Bluetooth hands-free cell phone assistance, and MP3 player.
  
  The touch screen is very easy to use, probably the easiest of any PND (personal navigation system) on the market.
  
  It also includes one via (mid-trip destination) so that a sophisticated user can force the routing to take a known detour.
  
  The real-time traffic updates work, at least in Chicago. In one case I was actually warned soon enough to take an alternate route. The c550 quickly recalculated a new route. Usually there's not much I can do about entering a traffic jam, but at least the c550 shows me how long the traffic jam is.
  
  The talking street names are easy to understand and help keep my eyes on the road.
  
  The Bluetooth worked with my cell phone even though it wasn't on Garmin's approved list (Motorola E815).
  
  The speakers do not give the same audio fidelity as a car radio with built-in Bluetooth. They are adequate for navigation, OK for cell phone use, and unacceptable for MP3 music. There is no problem understanding the person on the other end of the cell phone conversation. The person I was talking to told me that my audio quality was excellent. They couldn't tell I was talking through the microphone on the c550 which was an arm's length away. My phone was in my pants pocket with the cover closed. Bluetooth will also dial numbers for me, either from my phone book which is automatically loaded into the c550, or from the phone number listed in a point of interest such as a restaurant.
  
  To Garmin's credit the c550 includes a headphone jack that could be plugged into an external speaker. Talking on a cell phone with an improved speaker is like talking to the person next to you. Its more natural. But in a rental car on a business trip it would be too cumbersome to schlep around an external speaker.
  
  I see the c550 as an excellent PND for car rental companies. But for personal use, the Garmin Nuvi is still my favorite because its smaller and has more features.
  
  
• AWFUL WINDSHIELD MOUNT FOR A GREAT UNIT.
  By AWSVN140XTW5R on 2006-07-10
  What was Garmin thinking when they changed the mounting from the c300 series to the c500 series,instead of a secure mount that holds the unit in place.They added a ball and socket mount that literally gives absolutely no support to the unit.Go over a bump and unit will tilt downward.go over another bump and it moves to one side.another bump and it leans all the way forward almost facing the car floor.My unit in my old C340 never moved by itself,Garmin needs to rethink this mount and send buyers a new one that secures the unit.otherwise unit is great.For some reason i cannot downlaod POIs like i did in my c340.The blue tooth is great,I have no need for a MP3 Player as its easier just to put in a CD.And you can only program it to make one stop on your way to your final destination,inexcusable for a unit at this price.For those who no doubt will disagree with my opinion of the awful ball and socket window mount.Wait a moth or go over some heavy bumps and then tell me what you think.
  
  
• Better than not having a GPS but lousy software design
  By A2QTC7NDHPBRPG on 2006-08-13
  Good touchscreen and simple menu's do not make up for serious flaws in design -- all directions disappear when connection to satellite is lost (this happens often in metropolitan areas). What would be better is when the conection is lost only your location should should stay the same but the directions prior to the lost connections should continue to be displayed; directions are listed using north/south etc instead of right and left turns; directions only show next turn even when there is an immediate turn after the next turn; zoom out is very limited.
  
  
• Best I've seen so far.
  By A2QKO7RQKGZ1RE on 2006-06-18
  This GPS is the first I have ever owned, and I'm glad I waited. It was easily used right from the box, without even looking at the instruction manual. It has a readable screen in almost any light, clear directions with plenty of warning of upcoming turns. The included traffic monitor is indispensible for driving in metropolitan areas. The satellite reception is good, even in my heavily wooded neighborhood. The maps have so far been accurate with streets under 2 years old. An incredible value for the money, and better, I think, than the systems that are available preinstalled in cars today.
  
  
  
• GARMIN C550 FLAWLESS FOR FIRST TIME USER.
  By AHLDKVEACNXFD on 2006-07-23
  I buy lots of top of the line equipment, in just about every buying catagory you can imagine. The Garmin C550 is the most useful piece of electronic equipment I have ever owned. Its user interface is so intuitive, that you just don't need to review the owners manual in order to figure out how to use just about all of it's fetures. "Think Ipod"
  
  I took it along with me on a trip through north east Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. Not only were the directions 100% accurate but when I missed a turn, it recalculated the route within seconds! I have read many GPS reviews where the units would let the driver go for miles before recalculating.
  
  Route calculations and satellite fix occurs within three to five seconds, add in blue tooth phone compatibility and you can dail any number listed in the POI database or any number listed in your cellphones address book. You can even use voice dialing, if you phone supports it.
  
  It earns it's keep and is worth every penny. Highly recommended.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Great Product; Great Features.
  By A2L0FN6MWXD1CZ on 2007-04-20
  There are so many GPS units out there that choosing the right one was difficult. I was looking for specific features: Portability, FM Traffic/Road Conditions, Bluetooth cell phone link and easy programming. I had the opportunity to try a similar unit that was provided by a rental car company. As I was driving down the highway, it alerted me that a better route was available. I chose to take the alternate recommended route. I later learned that there was huge accident on the freeway that would have delayed me at least one hour if I stayed on my original course. I was also amazed as a approached a construction area, and the device warned me in advance. Remarkable!! This is right out of Buck Rogers.
  
  We own a car with an expensive, built-in $1,800 GPS. It is impossible to program and about 70% of the time, it does not find the right street. It is practically a waste.
  
  The Garmin c550 is perfect for those to need a dependable device that can be easily taken from one car to another.
  
  
• UNIT HATES HIGHWAYS.ON AWFUL WINDSHIELD MOUNT UNIT WONT STAY STILL
  By A32N13AM5595M9 on 2006-07-17
  I have taken 3 trips with the GPS c550,Going there is horrible.On all 3 trips.the unit took me thru the boondocks,example,on my way to the Poconos.it sent me thru every small town and back country road in PA to get there.when all it had to do was put me on the highway 80e.On the way back.it put me on 80e.Going to Maryland,again i had to endure every small town and side road,and again it took me on the highway back.I have learned this is a bug in the c550 and most garmin units.it just avoids highways going to a destination,and uses them on the way back.Also,having just one waypoint in a $800 unit is crazy.garmin needs to update this asap.also the unit when on the awful windshield mount moves on its ball socket after every turn or rough road,and i constantly have to reajust it.annoying as hell and i dont know how garmin is gonna fix this disaster.plus,despite reports of its working under heavy skyscrapers,it says "unable to locate sateliites" whenever i am in Manhattan near tall buildings.I would not buy this unit until garmin gets the bugs out.and it LEARNS to use highways going and coming.
  
  
• C550 intial review
  By A20OUEJC281K0F on 2006-08-05
  My biggest concern before buying the C550 was whether it would work with my new Motorola Verizon E815 cel phone. I searched all over and other than Garmin's site having it not listed as a comaptible device, I took a chance as the unit is so new there were no posts. The only posts I found were people who had issues with Verizon phones not working very well with the Garmin (or any Bluetooth device for that matter other than headsets) as verizon cripples their Bluetooth phones.
  Bottom line, the Verizon Motorola E815 seems to work fine... Bluetooth pairing, address book import, voice dialing, calling, receiving calls all seem to work. Amazing considering it's Verizon.
  The only gripes I have with the C550 (after owning an original TomTom Go) is not having a compass on the map, having to dive into the menus to scroll the map, no in unit data transfer to/from an SD card, setting a "home location" not obvious, no extra voices (yet), no full Mac implementation (yet - just can see C550 as a drive), not being able to see the whole route easily, no included AC charger, limited customized options, and cartoony car icons (I'm using the arrows).
  However, it outshines the TomTom Go in every other way. Great audio volume, bright screen, terrific Bluetooth implementation, traffic (we'll see how that works in real use later), more accurate maps (Navteq vs. TeleAtlas), seemingly better POIs and many more.
  
  
• Install Firmware update immediately because of a bad bug.
  By ARLMB2E8ARSO5 on 2007-04-14
  I love the product, but I had a major problem. 7 days after purchase, my streetpilot went dead.. and I mean DEAD. There is a bug on some of the systems that causes the power to turn off. You need to go to the garmin site and install the webupdater as soon as you get it. The update became available as of 4/03/07. If you are unsure how to do this, go to the Garmin site for the phone number and call them during work hours M-F and the very helpful staff will guide you through the process. I had to take mine back to the store and get a completely new c550 and have just installed the update a few minutes ago.
  
  Otherwise, it's a great product and you'll enjoy it.
  
  Also, be sure to create an account and register your product. They can help if whoever steals your gps calls in for service, they tell them to send it in for a replacement and then make sure YOU get your gps back... but you have to register it.
  
  
  
• Disappointing Product Quality
  By A183SZ7083HQXS on 2006-12-03
  After reading reviews on the many GPS navigation products on the market I settled on the Garmin StreetPilot c550 for ease of use and appeared high quality. I spent the extra $200 above the c530 getting the Bluetooth and MP3 player as an extra measure in purchasing a premium product. Well folks, you can imagine my shock to find the unit non-operational (broke, dead, nothing) on the fourth use within two weeks of delivery.
  
  To be sure the interface was very intuitive, picked up the GPS signals extremely quick and was overall a nice piece of equipment to have in the big city. Heck, it was very amazing to key in Starbucks in a nearby suburb and find 10 stores close to my proximity.
  
  The point is that the c550 met my needs instantly, yet the product quality absolutely did not meet expectations. As a means to avoid the direct (an often published) hassles of dealing with Garmin, I am returning the unit to the retailer. At this point I'll be looking at alternative GPS units to find a manufacture which subscripes to high quality standards (at least five sigma of quality, or 230 defect per 1,000,000 produced, a reasonable amount by today's top standards in electronics).
  
  
• Excellent GPS! Highly Recommend!! 1 point off for windshield mount.
  By A2TIO1SVM1J3KJ on 2007-01-05
  When researching the available portable GPS receivers on the market my head began to spin as I am sure you the reader are going through now. I purchased this unit for the car and not as a handheld portable device. In my opinion if you are looking for a handheld version I would look at the Nuvi line from Garmin or the TomTomOne.
  
  As far as in the car, look no further!! Originally this unit was retailing for $799 but currently you can get it for far less. For that it is worth it!!! Comes pre-loaded with US maps, POIs AND includes the Garmin FM receiver (a $125 value) The FM receiver is integrated into the cigarette lighter charger which is convenient if you don't mind the cable. It comes with a 3 month traffic subscription and if you want to continue I believe its around $60 for 15 additional months. If you travel for work, trust me, you will love this feature. You can ask the device to avoid jams if need be or at the very least know where the traffic is and what is going on (i.e. construction, accident, congestion etc). Plus it will calculate your estimated arrival time to your destination which has been spot on perfect since i got it! Every arrival has been within a MINUTE of the ETA! That's pretty good. Check the Garmin site for technical info for your area on traffic technology. but I believe this is a pretty wide spread technology that almost every city offers. If this doesnt appeal to you you can get the c530 which is the basically the same unit minus the FM receiver adapter.
  
  I have also put the mapping to the test. I live in south Florida where roadways change OFTEN and the c550 has been accurate in every way. Recalculates when you miss a turn immediately with an impressive degree of accuracy It has saved me several times already and I have had the unit for 3 weeks! It even knows where U-Turns are illegal!! I have read industry reviews saying it is sometime slow to get a signal but in my opinion, slow meaning about 15-20 seconds once in awhile upon start up is no big deal. Once you get a signal it doesn't loose it, I have even had signal inside my house! That is very rare for GPS units!
  
  My father in-law has a $90k Lexus with the GPS built in and it doesn't do half of what the Garmin can do. For example, POIs (points of interest) are very decent and come pre-loaded as well. You can find local banks, food, shops etc. I use that feature everyday!! You can purchase even more detailed POIs in the form of a SD card but I haven't found a need at the moment. You can also add your own POIs pretty easily. Once you put in a new address you can save it and add a phone number as well. I have all my friends and family plugged in so at anytime i can call and tell them when I will be arriving. Also if you are driving to a new location and like it you can add it quickly by just touching the little car icon and it will store it immediately. (Note, pull off the road before adding the title information :)
  
  Bluetooth connectivity! Awesome! I urge you to get a cell phone with bluetooth technology if you don't already have one. Find a POI, such as a restaurant. The phone number appears on the page to say go. Touch the phone icon to call ahead for reservations or store hours etc. The ETA feature will let you know exactly when your going to arrive... done. The unit has a built in Speaker phone and microphone which in every call I have had, the participant on the other end was surprised to know I was talking to them on a speaker phone. The built in speakers are adequate, and if you have a AUX IN to your car stereo you can hardline it into it using a stereo mini plug cable. It also instantly syncs your entire phone book and recent call list, plus, if you have voice dialing it supports that as well. I own the Motorola Razor V3 FYI. I had a bluetooth earpiece and haven't used it once since i got the Garmin c550.
  The only thing I can say is a con in my review is the windshield mount. It attaches to a ball mount which tends to not hold the unit in place in some cases. So far it has been fine for me but once in a while when I touch the far left or right side it will move a bit. You will read other users saying the same thing, even to go as far as in bumpy roads it may move out of position, so possibly Garmin might fix this but don't quote me on that. But with all the features and ease of use I still think you can not go wrong with the c550. I absolutely love this product, recommend it highly, and would purchase one for each family member if I could. I already bought one for my girlfriend! :D
  
  
• Not for Austin, Texas
  By A1J7LPN356ARFN on 2007-04-03
  I've used Garmin GPS for a while now, starting with their StreetPilot III (which still works, after 4 years, now in my wife's car), GPS 10 (which I sometimes carry as a backup) and now the C550. The C550 is by far, the best GPS device I've used. It has many strengths:
  1. Fast GPS lock on. Especially so if you're touring and stopped only for a while. If you've only powered down the device for a short while, the GPS will find the GPS satellites almost instantly, which is really amazing.
  
  2. Bluetooth capability. Very useful, and the Bluetooth function works even while running on battery. Now I don't have to carry a separate device for making conference call while on business trip. I use the C550 when I'm in the hotel room.
  
  3. Sun light readable screen. The screen alone makes this a better device compared to older Garmins.
  
  4. Very fast routing capability. Being used to the slow routing capabilty in other Garmins, I was amazed how fast this thing can calculate routes.
  
  There are some quirks you should be aware of though:
  1. As my title suggests, this device does not work well in areas around Austin, Texas. The maps are pretty poor for the outlying areas around Austin and you'll have difficulty following its direction. There seems to be plenty of highway/freeway changes and additions to this area and they're not reflected in the MapSource 8.0 NT. In downtown Austin, it works alright though.
  
  2. 3-D maps can be a little difficult to get used to. Especially when you're in parking lot or off normal road and the GPS will tell you to "Please drive to the highlighted route". With the 3-D map, you can't normally see the highlighted route unless you zoom out a lot or switch to 2-D view.
  
  3. In a strange lack of foresight, Garmin chooses to display the main menu with its 2 basic option "Where To?" and "View Map" every time you power on the system. While understandable for its target market, it doesn't make sense when it does the same thing when you have an active route and you re-started the device (eg for fuel stops). You'll have to manually press the "View Map" button for the screen to show the route information. An option for users to select if they wish to start with the "View map" option would be nice.
  
  4. Remaining miles info. On the older StreetPilot III, I have the option to display how many miles I've got till I reach destination. The C550 only shows you miles to next turn. Not a big deal but I miss knowing how many miles to go when on long distance driving. Useful for deciding if I want to stop for gas for simply finish the drive and return the car (I typically pay for the fuel option when renting).
  
  5. Time zone update. For some reasons, the unit I have will not update its time zone and device time. I purchased and initialized the device in California, Pacific Time zone. When I travel in another time zone (eg. Texas), the device still shows California time. A bug perhaps or something I missed.
  
  Overall, no major problems with the device and I'm satisfied with the purchase. If you're a new owner, here are some tips:
  1. Buy the bean bag friction mount, it works much better than the wind screen mount. This is especially so if you have a sporty car (eg. BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS etc) with firmer suspension and the shock of going over a bump is better handled when the C550 is in in bean bag.
  
  2. Buy one of those cigratte lighter socket extender so you can plug the C550's power adaptor into the socket extender and plug the extender into the car instead. This way, you save on the wear and tear on always plugging the device in and out of different cars. I wore out 2 adaptors in my StreetPilot III before I adopted this habit. Those extenders from Radio Shacks are dirt cheap compared to a new power adaptor for the C550.
  
  3. Beware of road naming conventions. Some states, like Texas, name their roads differently. For example, if you look at Yahoo maps or the map in your C550, some highways in Texas are labeled US 2341. But if you look at tourist guides local to Texas, they labeled that road "FM 2341", which you won't be able to locate using the C550. Interestingly though, the device says "FM 2341" even though its search and display shows "US 2341". Other examples are "Mo-Pac Expressway" near Austin. Many locals spell it "MoPac Expressway" without the hyphen, you'll have a heck of a time if you spell it the way they do.
  
  4. The Bluetooth capability works with most phones, even those not listed by Garmin. The only differences are that for some phones, you cannot use the phone directory and call history. You will still be able to make/receive calls using the C550. I get around this issue by creating a Favourite location and entering the phone number of people I call most. Its a bit of a pain but it can done. Afterall, its best not to talk too much while driving eh?
  
  
  Good luck with you purchase!
  
  
• Worth its weight ...
  By A2CSI3KNCF2ML8 on 2007-04-17
  I had a Magellen for about 2.5 years, but when it stopped navigating properly, the folks at Magellan said I'd have to drop $275 to fix the processor. Considering I paid $1100 for it, I thought that was a lousy option. So I bought the c550 and am very happy with it. It is very accurate-even more so than my father's in-car unit he has in his Nissan Morano. My father and I recently went on a 180 mile trip (twice in a week) into rural Maryland, once while using my c550 and once in his vehicle. The c550 was able to get us to our destination as well as to some destinatins during side-trips without a hitch. The Nissan's unit, however, had difficulty not only getting us to our destination, but also in re-calculating routes when we changed course.
  
  Another nice feature is the points-of-interests that are preloaded. My Magellan had this, but the interface on the Garmin is much nicer and informative. And, with the built-in Bluetooth, you can make a call right from the Garmin. For instance, on a recent trip to Pittsburgh, my wife and I were looking for an Indian restaurant. I checked in the Garmin under cuisines and located several, all with distance displayed. I chose one then had the Garmin call to see if they were open as we were arriving into town late. They were and it worked out perfectly. We were also able to locate hotel accomodations as we were there unprepared. It saved for a lot of 411 info calls and anxiety for trying to find a place to stay in while in an unfamiliar area.
  
  The traffic feature is nice, but limited to big highways. While driving to Pittsburgh, it was fairly accurate in locating slow traffic. It was correct in one accident that we came upon as well as slow traffic due to construction. The unit comes with a free 6 month trial for the traffic feature, but will cost $60 a year thereafter. I'm not convinced this is a need as of yet.
  
  The bluetooth feature is very nice. It displays the caller's info. It will also link to your phone's address book allowing you to search from the Garmin for a contact. The calls come through clear on both ends. This feature is worth the difference in price IMHO.
  
  As you can see, I am very pleased with my Garmin to say the least. At the time, I thought the Magellan was the bomb, but I now know that I was definitely missing out.
  
  
  
  
• I wish that my brand new Garmin worked.
  By A262I027BPZTAP on 2007-06-24
  My husband bought Garmin as a Christmas present for me after we moved to the East Coast. The product worked 6 times total. When I contacted Garmin for technical support, the technician admitted that specific product we had was defective. They acknowledged that the part number was part of a "bad run" and then gave me the run around about warranty services. They really do not want to replace it or give us our money back. After this deplorable customer service, I would recommend that Amazon customers consider alternative GPS systems. TomTom or Magellan specifically. I am not sure how this battle with Garmin will end... either we will have to sue them or raise a stink to get them to abide by their warranty obligation. My advice is GO ELSEWHERE for GPS systems.
  
  
• Great GPS!
  By A3FG45HL2Z4952 on 2007-06-29
  I've had this product for almost a month now and it is flawless. I've not experienced the lock up or crash problem some have had when using the SD card slot while playing mp3's. Maybe they upgraded the flash and/or software since then. However, I also don't intend to use it long term to listen to my music in the car. The sound is still tinny and thin because of the small speakers.
  
  Right out of the box it is ready, willing, and able to go. I needed it a day after I got it. I plugged in the address, portions of the address really, it filled in the rest, gave me a choice for multiple addresses, and, BAM, got me going in under a min. As a consultant, I'm always going to new locations around the Puget Sound and even Portland areas. This device makes it SO easy to get where I need to go without the worry of printing out online maps.
  
  However, that does not mean it doesn't have some flakiness to it. The Bluetooth seems to have some weirdness about connecting and being connected to. It has disabled itself several times. On one occasion, it disconnected itself right after I hung up a call. Another thing that Amazon STILL has not updated is their web site in recommending the car adaptor when you buy the c550. First off, you don't need one for car because it comes with one. Second, is the fact it is the WRONG adaptor. As stated in another reviewers review. What makes it even worse; I had to pay to send the adaptor back.
  
  However, overall, this is a great product and I couldn't really be any happier. No longer do I need to GoogleEarth or Mapquest a location, print it out, and then read it while I'm driving the road.
  
  
  

• GARMIN 010-10085-00 Ll Cigarette Lighter Adapter
• Garmin 010-10052-05 GA 27C Remote Antenna with MCX Connector
• Garmin Bean Bag Mount for GPS V (010-10195-00)
• Garmin Deluxe Carrying Case for StreetPilot and GPSMap 176 (010-10231-01) systems
• Garmin Beanbag for Portable Friction Mount for Garmin GPS Units (Beanbag Only - Mount not Included)

• GARMIN 010-10747-03 12-Volt Adapter Cable
• Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for nüvi Series and StreetPilot C5XX Series GPS Navigators (C530, C550, and C580)
• Garmin A/C Charger for StreetPilot C Series
• Garmin Dashboard Mount for the StreetPilot C510 and C550 (010-10747-02)
• Garmin Deluxe Carrying Case for StreetPilot and GPSMap 176 (010-10231-01) systems