Review of Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator w/ US, Canada and Puerto Rico Maps (Factory Refurbished)

I didn't have a pressing need for a GPS, since I rarely drive in unfamiliar territory. But I decided to get one anyway because (1) I might have occasional use for it and (2) I was suffering from a severe case of gadget lust. Having used an entry-level GPS in a rental car once before, I wanted an affordable model with text-to-speech capability, one that would actually tell me the name of the next street to turn on, instead of saying "turn in 200 feet." This Garmin seemed to fit the bill. But I still didn't want to pay even discounted retail for it, so I shopped online for a refurbished unit and bought one from Amazon.com[...]. I've been very satisfied with the c340's performance to date.

I find that it's very easy to use; the touch-screen directions and menus are simple and intuitive. The directions are good. I've tried it out on routes I'm already familiar with and it has consistently guided me along the quickest routings to my destinations. In addition to the text-to-speech feature, I especially like this model's estimated-time-of-arrival feature. Once you tell it where you want to go, it displays your ETA in a box in the lower-left-hand corner of the map-view screen. The estimated arrival time adjusts continuously through your trip, according to your progress. I've found it to be pretty accurate. I suppose this could be useful if you want to let someone else -- like an anxious relative -- know when to expect you.

My only gripe with the c340 so far is that the instructions that come with it, and even the downloadable online manual, don't clearly explain how to charge its internal battery. When I first got my GPS from Amazon, I tried to turn it on, only to have it immediately turn off. It wouldn't turn on again when I tried a second time. Following the minimalist instructions, I pried the face plate off and pressed a little reset button and tried to turn it on again, with the same frustrating result. Finally, after doing some online research, I figured out that I needed to plug the USB cable that came with the unit into my computer and charge the battery through it. This took about three hours, and the c340 has worked like a charm ever since.

Garmin does not provide an a/c charging adapter with the c340. If you want to be able to charge it from a wall outlet, you have to buy one separately. In normal use, the unit will charge while it's plugged into your car, and supposedly is able to operate on its own for up to eight hours. But for times when the internal battery is low and there's no computer handy, I think the a/c wall charger is a must.

Garmin provides a suction-cup windshield mount for this unit, but the manual notes that it's illegal to use it in California, where I live. Fortunately, I got the dashboard friction mount as well.
Garmin StreetPilot c340 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Product Description
StreetPilot c340 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, speaks Street Names, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with motels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more.

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