Garmin nuvi 1300 Review

Garmin is known for its innovative GPS products that offer great features at affordable prices. Garmin Nüvi 1300 is one of the few devices that offers CityXplorer maps pedestrian navigation capability. These CityXplorer maps are easily downloadable and available in US and Europe. CityXplorer maps will be available as an optional download to users, ranging from $9.99 to $14.99 and provides information for select cities that allows users to plan and use routes that include public transit options, such as buses and subways.

The 4.3 inch widescreen nuvi 1300 also has some innovative features like ecoRoute and free lifetime traffic alerts. So if you are a newbie driver and do not know the turns and the intersections of your neighborhood the nuvi 1300 can help you. The best part about this device is that it speaks out the name of the roads and the turns while you drive, you don’t have to squint into the screen to read them while driving.

Even if you aren’t traveling by your car, you can still use Garmin 1300 to know about the public transport services available in your city. It will give you updated information through CityXplorer maps about the timings and the routes of subways, metros and buses and trams. The CityXplorer feature can help you plan your travel in according to the routes and the public transport. You can easily carry your Garmin 1300 in your purse, pocket or even handbag.

If you need to reach somewhere fast without expending much fuel then the ecoRoute system in the Garmin Nüvi 1300 can help you out. You can choose the route that is quick and spends minimum fuel with the help of ecoRoute Fuel Report and Mileage Report. It even gives you tips to help save fuel on your route by giving you the most efficient way to a place. It also keeps a tab of the usage and fuel expenditure.

Actual user comment: "I have been using a GPS for all of 6 years now and they were all Garmin, this 1300 is the best yet, the screen is very clear even in sunlight,( best if plugged into the power outlet) the sound and voices are crystal clear, no it does not have a lot of features like some others but I have found that most of the other features you will not use and some just don't work in most areas, so if you want a great GPS to get you from point A to point B this is the one, I have the Garmin nuvi 350 and that works very well also but the 1300 has the bigger screen and is more up to date and that is why I bought the 1300 to replace my nuvi 350." - W.Davis (FL,USA)

The Garmin nuvi 1300 has a touch screen display and text to speech functionality which allows the unit to announce the name of upcoming streets. With this device you can even known in advance about the turns and intersections which are on the way to your destination and even alert you about the traffic accidents or construction work happening on the way.

The preloaded city navigator maps help you to navigate through the streets and the lanes without getting lost. You can even know your exact position coordinates through the HotFix Satellite finder and helps you to take the best and shortest route to your destination.

Other features include a JPEG picture viewer which allows you to view your favorite pictures and a world clock. The additional features like measurement converter, currency converter and calculator make this device handy during your travels. The Garmin nuvi 1300 will never let you get lost with its “Where Am I” emergency locator feature which tells the exact coordinates of your location and the addresses nearest to you along with the roads and the intersections nearby. It will also tell you about the hospitals, police stations and gas stations that are closest to you.

Summary of Product Features

Technical Details

More user comments:

• "I just moved to a new city and was constantly getting lost so I wanted to buy an easy-to-use GPS unit. I've never owned a GPS before so I can't compare this product to others, but I was able to make good use of this unit within minutes of taking it out of the box. The touch display and menu navigation are quite user friendly. One feature it lacks that I would have liked to see is some sort of directional indicator, like a compass or an arrow pointing to north on the display - it's easy to follow the GPS directions, but hard to stay oriented while you're constantly glancing at the screen. And I don't understand why the unit wastes screen space displaying my speed - my car already has a speedometer. Still, a very handy gadget overall. " - DJP (MD,USA).

• "Tried my friend's Garmin 1300 before ordering mine. Wonderful simple unit with rapid acquisition and some new very practical features. As always Garmin's routing accuracy and capability is among the best (they use the same maps and routing accuracy across the entire Garmin Nuvi line). Great user friendly interface. Large POI and the new capability of adding the cityXplorer maps makes the unit even more flexible in usage. My NYC cityXplorer really added to the Garmin's usefulness above and beyond any of my former GPS units. In short, a superb choice as compared to the very many competitors out there." - J.Jim (NY, USA)

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