Garmin nuvi 3450LM Review

Garmin has earned a solid reputation for their nuvi GPS devices because of their sleek designs and easy interface. The ease of use was combined with powerful features making it a very popular choice amongst drivers and it really helped spark the GPS movement as it is one of Garmin’s objectives to promote safer and more convenient driving for everyone.

Every year, Garmin releases a set of new models that normally have some minor new additions which is always good for people who were on the fence in buying a Garmin nuvi device. But the new Prestige series have more promises in-store with enough new additions to convince even the owners of high-end devices to make the upgrade. The Garmin nuvi 3450LM is an affordable Prestige device that includes free lifetime map updates.

Garmin nuvi 3450LM GPS Navigator

Design

While the nuvi 3450LM looks a bit similar to the older Garmin nuvi models from the front, one of the major design improvements is on the thickness of the device, measuring just 9mm. This is a breakthrough feature because 3450LM does not take any steps backwards in terms of specifications and other features. It is a 4.3-inch device with a newly-designed glass touchscreen that is more durable and comfortable to use. The device is also light and it is easy to pocket or put in a bag or purse.

Features

The user interface of the Garmin nuvi 3450LM also has the same look and feel as its predecessors with some nice improvements blended in. Being part of the Prestige series, Garmin Guidance 3.0 serves as the main engine and it has all the features of Garmin Guidance 2.0 as well. Garmin Guidance 2.0 actually sports some new improvements for the more affordable new models so there is plenty to play around with if you plan to trade in your old model for a 3450LM.

Setup and initialization is easy as usual where you just turn on the device and you are ready to plan your first route. This new engine focuses on speed where things like searching and route planning perform faster. Even spelling searches perform faster because of a new feature called instaSearch. With Garmin Guidance 3.0, the nuvi 3450LM can use its InstaRoute technology to load the maps faster as well. Zooming operations are much easier thanks to the much awaited support for pinch-to-zoom multitouch control.

When it comes to the navigational experience, some familiar features make a return like text-to-speech so you device can tell you which street you need to make a turn. The number of points of interest has increased significantly to 8 million covering just about all of North America. With the Free Lifetime Map updates, you are guaranteed the most recent maps 4 times a year for life with no hidden subscription fees needing to be paid. The graphics have been substantially improved with the terrain sporting new 3D graphics. Some of the landmarks are fully rendered in 3-D as well for a more realistic view. There is another unique feature called myTrends which monitors your habits so the device can better predict your next destination saving you the need to make a route manually.

Lane assist was one of the best new features when it was first introduced by Garmin and has existed in many midrange and high-end models since then. This feature finally gets an upgrade courtesy of the new Garmin Guidance 2.0 and 3.0 improvements so you can now take advantage of the new photoReal junction view which is available in certain metropolitan areas. This feature makes it a lot easier to navigate through any intersections and exits that you are not familiar with by splitting the view to two different sections. This split screen mode shows a visual representation of the junctions in one side and the 3D map on the other so you won’t lose track of your position or surroundings. The Bird’s Eye junction view may also be used if you prefer to see an overhead view of any interchanges up ahead. Like the original lane assist feature, visual indicators help you take the right lane before there is any chance to miss the exit. The Exit Services feature will also let you know anything that you can find once you exit the highway.

One of the things that the nuvi 3450LM lacks out of the box is the new Garmin Traffic support. Fortunately, you can add this functionality later on by purchasing a Digital 3D Traffic accessory receiver so you can collect vital data from other Garmin users and official news feeds so you can get proper traffic updates in real-time. This allows the engine to make better routes based on the data while avoiding traffic jams so you can arrive at destinations much earlier. This feature can really make your map look lively with all sorts of visual indicators that can aid in your navigational experience. Updates can be made in 30-second intervals through the HD Radio broadcasting system.

The nuvi 3450LM also has a microSD card slot which serves as a storage area for any cityXplorer maps that you can download from Garmin’s site. You can also download some custom voices to give your text-to-speech engine more of a personality. Even vehicle graphics can be downloaded for more personalization options.

The “Where am I?” function also makes a return to the Garmin nuvi 3450LM so you can get the exact coordinates of your location along with any police stations, hospitals, and other emergency points of interest nearby. The park position feature can come in handy if you need help with finding your parked car.

Conclusion

The Garmin nuvi 3450LM has a $369.99 price tag but uses the Garmin Guidance 3.0 engine to justify the cost. The feature list really shows that this Garmin nuvi device is a huge leap over the previous family of devices. Then you are safe when it comes to map updates because Garmin can deliver these updates for free with no expiration date.

List Price: $369.99

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