ZUMO 500 or Zumo 550 - HELP

[Madsplash]

Hi Guys,

I've used Garmin XT program and a Garmin10 GPS through my PDA. It worked most of the times until recently on a trip to Scotland I was sent through tracks that I though I had enrolled on the Dakar Rally without knowing it! Am I going mad I question myself!

Anyway, enough is enough and I have decide to ask Santa for a proper bikers SATNAV! Now which one?

I know that the Zumo 500 is UK maps and 550 has Europe maps, but I've seen on advertised on the several internet shops a free upgrade to Europe v10 maps. Does this means that within the 60 days they say I can upgrade a Zumo 500 (with UK maps) to Europe maps?

Some 500 are imported from Europe (France or Luxemburg) is this ok? Or should I stick to the Zumo 550?

Any help regarding this would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[haga lout]

get the 550 as it comes with car mount works out cheaper in the end as you get more use over winter

 

[casperghst42]

Get the 550, I got the 500, and it does not have enough internal memory to take more than the region born with (evening Benelux is too big for it these days).



Casper

 

[Womble]

The 500 is OK with a memory card, and it gives you more room for music, radio plays etc.

The 2 advantages for the 550 are the car mount and the announcement of road names.

I've got a 500 and I'm more than happy with it. If the car mount doesn't matter to you and you get a good deal on a 500, go for it. If you later find that you do want the car mount, they pop up on here fairly regularly secondhand.

 

[Madsplash]

Thanks very much for sharing your experiences and opinions. It seems that I will be going for the 550. I'm not bothered with the car mount as my car has it's own Satnav, what is making go the 550 way is the fact that I have read of a few guys with issues on the 500 due to being imports plus the fact that I haven't received a confirmation from any dealer or shop that the Europe Maps are downloaded for free from Garmin. Basically If one has to pay for a the 500 + the Europe Maps it will be better and cheaper to get a 550!

 

[Womble]

When I bought my 500, the UK maps were stored in it, but all versions came with exactly the same version of City Navigator - the only difference was how much you could store in the unit at one time, which doesn't matter if you do as I did and store everything on a memory card anyway OK, things may have changed in the meantime, but I doubt it.

Why not register on Zumoforums and check out the info there - it's a mine of information and this question is sure to have been asked over there already.

 

[Funrider]

I assume you are talking second hand, as I can't see why you would buy a new model that is no longer being deveolped and will have limited support in future.

If buying new go for the 660, it's a lot more flexible

 

[doolittle]

Hope nobody minds if I chime in on this thread. I am looking for something similar:

This site (satnaveasy) have the Zumo 500 for £235. Seem to deal in refurbished items.

I want a satnav which can issue instructions over bluetooth and also accept mobile phone calls over bluetooth. Budget about £200, so this one is close. Have plenty of SD and microSD cards already.
Anybody ordered from them or recommend somewhere else?

Other option is to get a non-bike specific model and put it in the tank bag. Anybody recommend a model which has the bluetooth instructions and mobile phone pairing option?

Thanks!

 

[Beemerman59]

I assume you are talking second hand, as I can't see why you would buy a new model that is no longer being deveolped and will have limited support in future.

If buying new go for the 660, it's a lot more flexible

Why do you think the 550 is no longer being developed? I am still receiving software upgrades for it - just downloaded one.

A more honest answer (IMHO) would be to say the 550 is a matured product which does what it is supposed to do. The 660 is newer and not so well debugged yet. I guess thats a reason many places are charging more for a 550 than 660.

 

[Funrider]

Why do you think the 550 is no longer being developed? I am still receiving software upgrades for it - just downloaded one.

A more honest answer (IMHO) would be to say the 550 is a matured product which does what it is supposed to do. The 660 is newer and not so well debugged yet. I guess thats a reason many places are charging more for a 550 than 660.

The last update for the 550 was Sept 2009, what you downloaded are more likely to be general voice file updates etc. See link below for latest Garmin update for the 550:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/downloadsUpdates.jsp?product=010-00567-00&cID=135&pID=414

One reason the 550 is more expensive is that the Car mount is an expensive item due to it having a built-in speaker. With the 660 the car mount is cheap because the speaker is in the 660 unit.

Also the 660 uses a comon Form Factor, the same as the Nuvi range, whereas the 400/500 series uses a box that is not used in any other range.

It's not a case of being honest, I'm just stating the facts.

 

[Beemerman59]

The last update for the 550 was Sept 2009, what you downloaded are more likely to be general voice file updates etc. See link below for latest Garmin update for the 550:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/downloadsUpdates.jsp?product=010-00567-00&cID=135&pID=414

One reason the 550 is more expensive is that the Car mount is an expensive item due to it having a built-in speaker. With the 660 the car mount is cheap because the speaker is in the 660 unit.

Also the 660 uses a comon Form Factor, the same as the Nuvi range, whereas the 400/500 series uses a box that is not used in any other range.

It's not a case of being honest, I'm just stating the facts.

Fair enough, to be honest (sorry I really shouldn't use that phrase) when I upgrade my maps I just look to see if there's a software upgrade and don't bother looking to see whats in it. I guess for me as a 550 owner, there's very little on a 660 which is worth changing to - lane assist and the stereo bluetooth are all that would benefit me in any real way so the 550 is still a very viable option for a bike satnav. I have looked into it but the cost plus the extra to fit cradles/locking options for two bikes just makes the small differences not worthwhile. Plus I have lifetime maps on the 550 which is not transferable. Unless my lottery numbers come up I will be keeping my 550 for a while yet.

 

[Funrider]

It's a bit like the Old 1100 Pan European v's the new 1300 model.

Buying new I'd always go for the 660, but if you've got a 550 there is not much reason to update unless you Really want some of the new features, so a 2nd hand purchase comes down to price and what you want.

Personally I found the 550 a bit too big, as I like the way the 660 slips into my pocket when I'm off the bike, but that's so personal it does not count as a real reason for most people to choose by

 

[Dewy631]

I am also looking at a GPS, has anyone used the Tom Tom rider Pro, seems to be a bit cheaper than the Garmin?

 

[doolittle]

I am also looking at a GPS, has anyone used the Tom Tom rider Pro, seems to be a bit cheaper than the Garmin?

From reviews I read, TT has a much clunkier interface for programming routes, but once under way interface isn't too bad. No equivalent PC software supplied as per Garmin for programming routes.

 

[Dewy631]

OK, thanks may look at the Zumo 650, Would anyone recommend the BMW Navigator 4