Customer Reviews

Garmin StreetPilot i2 2.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(48)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have had a Garmin iQue 3600 for over 3 years. I recently bought the i2 for my wife. We just used it in Phoenix for a few days and I must say I'm considering getting the i2 for myself. The suction cup works well and it is very compact and connects to the DC power via the mini-USB port. It makes for a very compact traveling companion.

At first, I felt that the hard button controls and no touch screen would make the interface difficult to use. To be honest, it works better in most cases! The thumb wheel/button works great and the back button is intuitive like a browser. It picks up the sats fast and gets great reception. The B&W screen is easier to see in sunlight and is pretty sharp and surprising usable for the small size. The voice is loud (and adjustable) and we had little or no issues. I like the 3D mode but you can switch to 2D if you like that better.

I agree with other reviewers about one way streets and occasional longer than needed routes. Also, U turns are a fact of life in Phoenix and it usually doesn't factor in U turns as a possibility so it takes you down and around instead. However, adjustments can be made in the settings to look for or avoid highways and not to ignore U turns, so look there.

I find that mounting my iQue is a pain so I use an external antenna and a sand bag mount. Having to haul all that on trips was a pain. I'll take the i2 from now on as it is all in one and very packable. I can see how there would be issues on windshield placement so think about that before you buy. I had no trouble on 2 different rental cars. Make sure you press solidly in middle of back before flipping lever and it wont go anywhere.

All in all, when you factor in the small size, nice usability and the price, this one is definitely top of the list! If you want a unit you will likely use in your own car all the time, I would suggest the iQue in a hard mount or the C300 series. These have touch screens and allow you to slide scroll and such. But they are twice the money!

Love the price point and features. Size of a tennis ball. Monochrome screen is quite readable although color would help (Garmin i3 model). Streets appear clearly and correctly. Voice volume setting can be set to loud. Input is sufficiently easy and responsive. Rerouting is fast (5 seconds). Satellite signal sensitivity is good when suctioned to windshield. I like that it uses two AA (rechargable) batteries.

The unit's routing performance in Chicago is very disappointing both in terms of routing and safety. It has consistantly failed to take one-way streets into account while routing. Worse, it consistantly commands you to turn the wrong way into one-way streets. This is a major safety hazard. All the one-way streets in this area have been so for at least 15 years. I don't understand this failure. Also the routing has been quite poor. It has us unnecessarily zig-zagging through streets. My routing woes are consistant with other reviewers (see Garmin i3 reviews).

Price and features make this unit worth recommending but given it's unsafe behavior, I recommend using with caution. If Garmin corrects its routing, I shall keep the device for years. Otherwise, it's just an interim solution.

23 January 2006: Very pleased with routing in Phoenix and Portland, OR. I'm appreciating the device the more I use it. It's a great value with well implemented UI and features.

21 February 2006: Worked in Las Vegas pretty well although newer areas weren't fully accurate.

2 September 2006: Thought I had bricked the unit during a failed firmware upgrade. The screen showed "System Software Missing" and couldn't be turned off. Turns out I only needed to download "Unit Software Garmin i2" from [...]. It brought the unit back to life. Another indicator of thoughtful engineering. Congratulations to Garmin engineers for sidestepping failed firmware upgrades.

I got Garmin I2 after extensive research online and feedback from friends who use GPS. I narrowed it down to Garmin I2 or I3 for the reasons
1.That you can get a 1gb transflash card for $45 and load the enitre map of USA and Canada and never have to go to your PC to load anything for the rest of the products lifetime.
2.I wanted a GPS unit to navigate, i.e some of the newer and more expensive units have options of loading pictures and MP3(I got myself an Ipod for the money i saved getting by getting an I2)and yes some of the units have a remote control.
3. Touch screen was one of the tougher decision I had to make. Its faster than the scroll wheel on Garmin I2, the cheapest garmin unit with a touchscreen was more than twice the price of Garmin I2(about $300 more). But they are bigger, i can slide I2 in my trouser pocket. Well, the trade off is it takes 30 seconds longer to type an address.
Now that I had it down to two units(took me two weeks of research!), I chose Garmin I2 over I3 bcz
(a) Its cheaper by about $85.
(b) I had problems reading the color screen with my sunglasses on in a friends car, he told me the same too.
(c) I think the battery might last longer on monochrome screen(not 100% sure).
(d) The pixel count is higher on garmin I2 monochrome screen when compared to I3 color screen.(240 x 176 pixel VS 176 by 220 pixels)
Pros of Garmin I2:
1. Its small.
2. Its as accurate as more expensive GPS units out there(it uses the same map software as other Garmin units use and its got pretty descent reception)
3. The speaker is pretty clear and loud. You can hear it with windows down at 65 miles an hour and listening to music.
4. Screen is very clear, I love the monochrome screen. It dosent fade in sunlight.
5. Very easy to use, its one of the few electronic gadgets you dont need a manual to operate.
Cons:
1. I wish they had a rechargable battery, this thing sucks up AA's.I am forced to use 12 volte adapter cable(comes along), and i dont like wires running around.
2.The suction cup is lousy, it keeps falling off the windsheild. Now i have it mounted on dash, its not so bad anymore.

Overall its one of the better purchases I have made in years. Its got the value and looks good.

Owned my i2 for a few weeks and it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. I didn't think I'd be able to afford a navigational GPS for a while, but the i2's price made it possible.

Notes: Really sticks to the windshield. Just make sure the windshield is clean and dry - wipe it with a dry paper towel before affixing the unit. Use the best NiMH rechargeable batteries. These devices use power similar to digital cameras. The cigarette lighter cord is best for very long trips, but it's more fun not having the dangling wire.

The black and white screen is fine but, if you spend a lot of time on the road, color may be worth the extra cost of an i3. In each of those units you're limited to an area of about 5 New England size states. If you travel farther, you must load in your next geographical area.

In that case the i5 might be a better choice; it has the entire North America, I believe, built in. However if you're going to spend that much money, you might want to research other Garmin lines too. The Garmin brand appears to be the best, although the Tom Tom Go systems have a very good reputation also.

Finally, a word about GPS in general. Having used it, I'll no longer leave home without it - even on a routine trip. Here's why. First, if you need to deviate from your routine route for any reason, it's easier than you think to get yourself lost. A GPS will get you to your destination. Second, it's like having a map and a guide to everywhere you're going, complete with address locations and points of interest.

And third, it shows you the roads as you drive. This is extremely helpful in bad weather conditions where you're not sure if your road curves left or right. You can see the turns in the road ahead right on your GPS. If street signs are unreadable or missing, no problem - the GPS screen names them all as you approach them. (However if you really can't see, it's best to pull over until conditions improve. No GPS can put you together again.)

With a GPS, it's virtually impossible to get lost! Truly a marvelous device for the 21st century.

I have always been a fan of GPS. The problem was getting others in the family to use them based on complex or limited map down loads. This little gem will hold about 5 states worth of data, and that can be changed easily. Got the I2 as battery life was more important then color screen, plus $100 less. Highly reccomended.

Have had a Garmin i2 for about three months and find that it is an exceptional value. Besides mapping your route, you also have voice notification well in advance of turns or freeway changes. The accuracy of this tiny device is uncanny. The monochrome is over a hundred dollars cheaper than the colorized version and is great. You don't have time to be looking at the map while driving anyway. Provides rerouting if you decide to get off the road for gas or a bite to eat. Love the feature of looking for next gas and will give next station, hotel, food. I liked the first one so much, this is my second for my son for Christmas. Amazon also has the lowest price on this item so you don't need to shop further than right here. The only drawback is the number of states it will hold. You can do the west, center then east but not all at once. If you're going crosscountry, you'd better have a laptop so you can reprogram as you go but other than that its well worth the money. Another very great feature is that it is also battery operated so you can program your next days travel destinations from your hotel room or travel trailer. Most others DO NOT have battery backup and have to be programmed from the car or at extra cost buy an adapter

I have been using this GPS unit from March this year. I have used it in MA and NY and for countless trips to neighbouring states. When I bought it the prinicipal doubt I had was that if it would be useful when its so small in size.
I am thrilled to report that this was not a problem at all. The small size is still good enough to give you an accurate idea of which direction you need to go and with superbly accurate voice prompts you almost dont need it. The input system works well with the unit automatically narrowing your choices based on the state and city you choose. It stores recent finds and also points of interest.
The real use of the GPS over just getting directions from online mapping sites is when you get lost because you took a wrong exit or turn. It recalculates your route in seconds and gets you back in track.
It has been invaluable to me moving to a new state as well. In addition I have used it innumerable times to go to the nearest stores or train stations which it has all stored.
I think you do yourself a really big favor by buying this unit. You do not need to buy any of those 500$ + devices, trust me this does the job as well.

I've had the i2 for a few days only now. When buying, my main decision was between the i2, i3, and i5. I considered other models on the market too expensive. The i2 is monochrome with no maps installed, the i3 is color with no maps installed, and the i5 is color with maps preinstalled. Does color make a difference? Does preinstalled maps make a difference? After buying the i2, I feel I am not missing out on anything. Here are some practical suggestions:
1. I wanted to hold the entire US on one memory card so I wouldn't have to be uploading new maps for different trips. At the time of purchase, I didn't know what size card to get. I worried whether a 1 GB microSD card was the right size card. Turns out that 1 GB is totally sufficient for the US/Canada maps! Paid $40 for a Sandisk 1GB microSD card from Amazon and $216 for the i2. Total cost $256, glad I didn't pay the extra for the i5 just to have the maps preinstalled and for the color screen.
2. The only problem I had uploading the maps is that the software creates a temporary file on your hard drive before it uploads to the i2. Whatever amount of maps you are uploading, you need approximately double that space on the hard drive. For 1 GB of maps, you need 2 GB of free space. I only had that much free space on my external HD, but Windows was stubbornly only using my C drive for the temporary files and I got error messages for insufficient free space. Luckily, Garmin tech support figured out you can redirect Windows to use another drive for temporary space. In XP at least, right click on My Computer, goto Properties, Advanced, Environment Variables, then for System Variables change the drive for TEMP and TMP to the drive where the free space is located. Problem solved. Remember to change back to original settings once you're done.
3. Other than that, uploading of maps was easy and fast using the Map Install wizard. Very user friendly and dumb proof.
4. I have read other reviews that the color screen of the i3 and i5 can be hard to read at certain angles and in certain lights. The B&W screen of the i2 has been very easy to read so far.
10/1/06 Update
1. In NY, there are towns that originated early in the years of the state that are only used officially by the state and counties in order to divide the areas. These township names are often similar to the name of a city, but the township may actually designate a different or overlapping area than what we know to be a certain city. You should usually enter the address that does not say Twn (town). Only people like real estate agents or people involved in town/county government would know the older township names typically.
2. I get very little satellite reception in Manhattan. Even in Queens, the narrowness of the streets and height of buildings means I usually don't have a signal except out on open roads like Queens Blvd. When driving in NYC, be prepared for long stretches where your i2 doesn't have satellite signals. In that case, just click on Review Turns to see what to do next.
___________________________________________
Edited 6/3/08
I have to change my recommendation to a one star. As a GPS newbie, I did not know what to look for. Now that I have more experience with the Garmin i2, I know what NOT to look for. While the I2 is functional, the main problem with it is the slow recalculation speed. When you are driving 70 MPH down the freeway, you do not have time to wait for your GPS to recalculate. You should buy a GPS with as fast a processor speed as possible. TomTom sells GPSs with 400 MHz processor speeds now and 64 MB RAM. When I called Garmin to find out the processor speed of the I2 recently, I was shocked that they refused to disclose this information. I guess they prefer an uninformed consumer. I'm going to buy a new GPS and this time I will buy the TomTom GO 730 and see how that performs for me. I'm staying away from Garmin until I know what I'm buying. The other thing worth investigating is the GPS receiver chipset. Some of them are using the SIRF Star III (don't buy anything with an older chipset), and SIRF just announced a new chipset so expect to see that roll out in the next few months. There are some competing GPS receiver chipset manufacturers but I don't know all the details on those.

Garmin i2 is an entry level automotive GPS. If you don't want to spend too much money on a GPS, it's a good one.

Pros:

- adequate memory size, 128MB, which holds several states.
- small size, easy to carry
- voice prompt clear
- small screen adequate for turn-by-turn guidance
- good startup time
- click wheel OK for data input

So what does it NOT have, other than what's obvious (smaller screen, no color, no touch screen)? I also own a Garmin StreetPilot 2610, which is considered one of the best in class for automotive GPS. I'm comparing the i2 against the 2610 but keep in mind that the 2610 costs twice as much as the i2. Naturally it has more features than the i2.

Cons:

- Need to buy a friction mount if you don't want to make permanent modification to your car. That's another $35 which probably cost $10 to make and should come with the unit.

- No first instruction. It's a little strange in that it doesn't announce the initial move. If you are in a parking lot, you wonder which way you should go when you come out of the lot. The 2610 gives instructions right away like "drive 0.2 miles south then turn right." It has to say north/south/east/west instead of left or right because it doesn't know which way you are moving until you move. The i2 displays the initial move on the screen but doesn't announce it.

- No North mark on the map. If you have your map set up as Track Up, 2610 shows a North arrow on the screen. i2 doesn't.

- Fewer display fields, not customizable. When you are navigating to a location, the screen shows ETA and distance to the next turn. It doesn't show distance to the destination. When you are not navigating it shows the current speed and direction. The current speed display is not very useful because you already have a speedometer on your car. It doesn't show the altitude. The display fields are not customizable.

- Uploaded waypoints are kept separately from saved waypoints. If you get to a place, you can save the current location as a waypoint. You can also upload waypoints with the POI Loader software. However the uploaded waypoints go into the Custom list and the saved ones go into the Favorite list. If you are looking for a waypoint you have to ask "did I save it or did I upload it?"

- No auto zoom. The 2610 will auto zoom in and out depending on the distance to your destination. So you will have a big picture of the route. The i2 doesn't. It stays at the zoom level you selected.

- Annoying "recalculating" announcement. If you didn't go by the route it picked for you, the i2 recalculates a new route for you, which is good. But every time it does that, it will make an announcement "recalculating ..." Just do it, you don't have to say it. You can turn off the "recalculating" announcement on the 2610 but you can't on the i2.

Except for the no first instruction flaw, I would rate these cons as minor. For general use Garmin i2 is adequate for getting you from A to B.

Like many, I have been wanting (and needing) to get a GPS unit for the car for a while now, but couldnt find one to justify against the "free" competition of printing out Yahoo/Google Maps directions.

But then this little baby became available on Amazon (and Walmart) at $199, and so decided to take the plunge. And so far, having used it for 2-3 days now, and 2 trips, its a great little unit.

The first time you do the install/setup, it installs all the maps from the DVD onto your PC. This takes upwards of 1GB of space on your PC/Laptop, and then you have to download the different regional maps to the GPS unit from your PC. The good part of this is that you can install the software on both your desktop and your laptop (if needed) so you can download the maps to the i2 GPS Unit from either location. (It connects via USB2, but will still take 5-10 min to load 128MB of maps. But it offers the option of turning the GPS unit off, after the maps have completed downloading, which is nice).

Using the i2 in both daylight and evening/night time presented no problems. The screen (4 greys) is easy to see, and the voice prompts very clear and loud. The unit gave me clear directions to where I was going, and then also back to the Airport.

Its not a top of the line, touch screen, navigate a 12 state trip, with 20 stops GPS unit with a large color screen. (And you cannot expect that from a under $200 standalone GPS unit).

It IS a very good GPS unit, so far, for helping you get from Point A (usually home, a hotel or an airport) to Point B (a friends place, a hotel or a customers office) and back.

More feedback to come as I use it more....