Garmin's waterproof nuvi 500 navigator gets reviewed

For those who spend just as much time getting lost in the forest as they do on the highways, Garmin's nüvi 500 holds quite a bit of promise. Combining four modes covering cycling, boating (optional), driving and walking, this waterproof navigator has nearly every walk of life covered. GPS Magazine recently got to spend some time with the Q3-bound unit, and not surprisingly, it came away very impressed. On the roads, this device performed just as admirably as any other Garmin unit. When traveling off the beaten path, things were just as great. The only real knocks on this were the added bulk / weight and the omission of text-to-speech, but true adventurers aren't apt to care about that when consolidating four GPS devices into one.

[Thanks, Fletch]

[Itchy Pajamas @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:42AM]

After disappointments with the Colorado (missing features compared with models that came before) and the Oregon (screen visibility and accuracy, from what I've read), I'm hoping the nuvi 500 will be a winner. I use a nuvi in my car and I love it. To have the same thing, but weatherproof, and with the ability to save tracks, it could fill a need (gadget lust?) for me. I'll be following the reviews with credit card in hand.

[iEye @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:45AM]

I guess this is useful for the people who blindly follow the GPS and constantly drive into rivers... The car might be a loss but at least the GPS is saved for another misadventure...

I wonder if Garmin used some of that Golden Shellback waterproof coating?

[Allen Jazeera @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:54AM]

In ... 200 yards ... take left onto ... Middle Fork Broad River.
Oh wait, no text-to-speech. I guess instead it would come out:
blarble ... blrbblglubblebarl ... bblalbburgleblar (which I think is a city near Hamburg).

[Mike @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:21AM]

No text-to-speech? No thanks.

[One Winged Wonton @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:21PM]

I work for amazon and we sell TONS of these things! As well as other units such as the 350's those things are hot too.

[Jack @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:17PM]

I dropped my Nuvi 650 into a stream, so this is a welcome product

[Jack @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:18PM]

Does GPS work underwater?

[El Scorcho @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:32PM]

For people like me who have never owned a gps, it's tough when I think about buying one. There are too many choices and companies like Garmin and Tom Tom seem to change models...daily.

[Reid @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:09PM]

Sounds like it's made for motorcycles, actually.

I love my Nuvi 350. Can't go wrong with the Garmin Nuvis IMHO.

[Cassini @ Jul 23rd 2008 4:36PM]

In the GPS Magazine review, it says that it's not motorcycle friendly. But that isn't to say that a motorcycle mount couldn't be made for it later on.

[Ellianth @ Jul 23rd 2008 6:23PM]

Waterproof you say? So now when people follow it's directions into a body of water, at least one thing will be salvageable from their car!

[Cassini @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:43PM]

Based on its dimensions, I wouldn't say that it's bulky or heavy. From the dimensions, it's actually quite small and pocketable.

It's a shame that although it provides voice directions, it doesn't pronounce the street names. That's something they could and should have added. But I don't see any reason why they couldn't provide this in a firmware upgrade. I guess that would not only depend on Garmin's willingness to do so, but also whether or not there's enough internal memory in the device to handle the extra storage space required to store a street name pronunciation database (or in whatever data form that feature is stored). A feature upgrade like that would probably also demand a small fee, since every little extra thing in a PND costs money.

Waterproofing the unit is fantastic, but they also need to ruggedize the case better. But it looks as though Garmin will be offering a carrying case for it for around $20, so who knows what that will look like and consist of? Maybe that will provide adequate protection.

Other than that, it seems that it does most things that a person could ask for. And with features like an electronic compass, Wherigo Player, HotFix, Garmin Connect Photos, Geocaching GPX file support, and optional MSN Direct traffic and info support, this thing really does have most everything. It's expensive, but I can see why.

Why do people want BT in a PND? Is it really that much more difficult to just use your mobile phone's speakerphone or a BT earpiece? And why do people want MP3 capability in a PND? Use an iPod or the like, for media. PND's are meant to get you from here to there, wherever that happens to be; so IMO, the lack of BT or MP3 support hardly seems a loss (especially since I use the solutions I mentioned above).

But again, I just hope they do offer a TTS (text-to-speech) firmware upgrade for it later on (even for a small fee). That would be a very worthwhile upgrade.

Another thing I'd add about this, is that I hope the additional mapping info found in the BlueChart g2 Vision software and Vision Inland Lakes software can be loaded on our own microSD cards. I don't like the idea of having to buy pre-loaded cards and swapping them in and out. I'd like to be able to independently buy my own card (based on the capacity I choose) and then load everything on that one card. I also hope they offer more topographical land support (3D maybe?).

Ya know, once you see a feature rich device like this, by extension, based on usability logic, it isn't that much of a stretch to begin daydreaming for further technological integrations. So with that in mind, for the real convergence and environmental geeks, (especially considering the device's topographical capabilities when hiking, etc.), they may have wanted to see measurement features such as altitude, temperature, barometric pressure, and the like. I don't think that's asking too much, but all those things (and much more) can be professionally handled with a Kestrel Instruments 4500NV Pocket Weather Tracker (NIST Certified; with or without Night Vision capability (I'll link to the NV version: http://www.ambientweather.com/ke845nv.html ).

Get this Garmin and that Kestrel, and anyone would have a very solid amount of data at their fingertips!


I guess what I'd really like to see, is a marriage of the best features from both this Garmin Nuvi 500, and Garmin's Rino 530 HCx (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=146&pID=8523#). Now THAT would be a killer device!!!

[Cassini @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:06PM]

Based on its dimensions, I wouldn't say that it's bulky or heavy. From the dimensions, it's actually quite small and pocketable.

It's a shame that although it provides voice directions, it doesn't pronounce the street names. That's something they could and should have added. But I don't see any reason why they couldn't provide this in a firmware upgrade. I guess that would not only depend on Garmin's willingness to do so, but also whether or not there's enough internal memory in the device to handle the extra storage space required to store a street name pronunciation database (or in whatever data form that feature is stored). A feature upgrade like that would probably also demand a small fee, since every little extra thing in a PND costs money.

Waterproofing the unit is fantastic, but they also need to ruggedize the case better. But it looks as though Garmin will be offering a carrying case for it for around $20, so who knows what that will look like and consist of? Maybe that will provide adequate protection.

Other than that, it seems that it does most things that a person could ask for. And with features like an electronic compass, Wherigo Player, HotFix, Garmin Connect Photos, Geocaching GPX file support, and optional MSN Direct traffic and info support, this thing really does have most everything. It's expensive, but I can see why.

Why do people want BT in a PND? Is it really that much more difficult to just use your mobile phone's speakerphone or a BT earpiece? And why do people want MP3 capability in a PND? Use an iPod or the like, for media. PND's are meant to get you from here to there, wherever that happens to be; so IMO, the lack of BT or MP3 support hardly seems a loss (especially since I use the solutions I mentioned above).

But again, I just hope they do offer a TTS (text-to-speech) firmware upgrade for it later on (even for a small fee). That would be a very worthwhile upgrade.

Another thing I'd add about this, is that I hope the additional mapping info found in the BlueChart g2 Vision software and Vision Inland Lakes software can be loaded on our own microSD cards. I don't like the idea of having to buy pre-loaded cards and swapping them in and out. I'd like to be able to independently buy my own card (based on the capacity I choose) and then load everything on that one card. I also hope they offer 3D topographical land support.

Ya know, once you see a feature rich device like this, by extension, based on usability logic, it isn't that much of a stretch to begin daydreaming for further technological integrations. So with that in mind, for the real convergence and environmental geeks, (especially considering the device's topographical capabilities when hiking, etc.), they may have wanted to see measurement features such as altitude, temperature, barometric pressure, and the like. I don't think that's asking too much, but all those things (and much more) can be professionally handled with a Kestrel Instruments 4500NV Pocket Weather Tracker (NIST Certified; with or without Night Vision capability (I'll link to the NV version: http://www.ambientweather.com/ke845nv.html ).

I guess what I'd really like to see, is a version where Garmin marries the best features from both this Nuvi 500, and their Rino 530 HCx (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=146&pID=8523#). Now THAT would be a killer device!

[Cassini @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:11PM]

Why is it that when I post a second time (and with a few edits), THAT'S when my first attempt at the same post shows up, despite all the times I had hit F5?

Engadget To Do List:

1.) Fix commenting system! (Add Edit and Delete functions!)
2.) See #1 above.

:)

[Cassini @ Jul 23rd 2008 9:40PM]

Of course, then again, the Magellan Triton 2000 might kick the Nuvi 500's butt. Not sure yet, but the Triton is lookin' awfully good.

[Cassini @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:09PM]

I know I'm commenting a lot here, but edit functions would help...

Anyway, from the reviews on Amazon, the Magellan Triton 2000 is a piece of crap, despite its nice spec list. Oh well. Win some, lose some.

Looks like Garmin is where it's at, currently.

[Terry Kinnear @ Jul 25th 2008 9:25AM]

Hello - I am just now pursuing my first (and it will be my only) GPS. I was attracted to the Magellan Crossover 2500T, but bothered by users' electronic criticism of customer service and topo maps. I do understand, however, that complainers (like me, oftentimes) express themselves loudly and often.

The other day, however, I learned of the Nuvi 500 (and 550). The Magellan does have text-to-speech, which makes it attractive.

Given all of your experience base, please tell me why I should spend the extra $$ on the Garmin as opposed to the Crossover (which is half the price). Thanks a bunch. Terry

[Fletch @ Jul 25th 2008 4:09PM]

You should buy the nuvi 500 over the Magellan CrossoverGPS because the magellan is like 2 years old, about to be replaced with a newer model, Magellan's support is horrible, and the Garmin is overall a better unit with newer maps. Anything else?