Nextar W3-01 3.5-Inch Touch Screen GPS Vehicle Navigator

by Nextar

Product Details

Owners Manual [PDF]

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0014TMYPU
• Item model number: W3-01
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,011 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 2, 2008

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Never miss a turn again with the Nextar W3-01 GPS navigator. Preloaded with maps of the 50 U.S. states and equipped with 1.6 million points of interest--including gas stations, restaurants, movie theaters, and more--the W3-01 makes it easy to get just about anywhere. Simply enter information on the navigator's 3.5-inch touchscreen display and let the voice prompts guide you to the destination. The navigator is also notably versatile, with both 2D and 3D viewing modes, along with a night mode feature that adds light to the screen for easier viewing. And should you make a wrong turn or take a detour, the navigator automatically recalculates the route and gives you new directions.

The navigator sits at an easy-to-read angle on your dashboard.

Other details include a built-in MP3 player that will entertain you en route, a Secure Digital (SD) card slot for added memory, an address book with room for up to 300 addresses, a speed alert that tells you when you're exceeding the speed limit, and a built-in rechargeable battery. Bundled with a DC adapter, USB cable, pouch, and suction cup, the W3-01 measures 5.19 by 2.99 by 1.2 inches (W x H x D) and carries a one-year warranty.

Product Description

Nextar presents the Nextar X3-02 3.5" Slim GPS Navigation System With MP3 Player, a superior GPS product. The Nextar GPS X3 mobile navigation system assures that your days of getting lost are over! Finding an address or any of 1.6 million points of interest such as the nearest gas station or restaurant is a snap anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. Just enter information in the X3's 3.5 inch touch screen and let the voice prompt and detailed map guide you to the destination. The X3's built in MP3 player will entertain you with your favorite tunes while en route. Just copy your favorite play list onto an SD card and insert into the slot. The X3 moves easily from car to car using the convenient vent mount. A rechargeable lithium ion battery assures that the unit stays active. The Nextar X3 will provide you with worry free navigation on even the most complex routes!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent price, cool features and hasn't got me lost...yet!, August 22, 2008

By 

S. Reid "amazon queen" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nextar W3-01 3.5-Inch Touch Screen GPS Vehicle Navigator (Sports)

I bought this recently, knowing nothing about any GPS models and the differences between them. I was attracted by the low price and decided I would take a chance. If it didn't work well, I would simply return it within the 30 days.

It didn't take long for the unit to establish my location (home). Figuring out how to use it took less than 10 minutes. Entering destination information is easy, simply tapping on the screen, and the unit allows you to store favorite locations. Voice instructions are clear and easy to follow and there have been no misdirections. Amongst a number of cool features, I like the fact that you can do a "demo" run - sort of like a trial run of the journey before driving - very cool! So far, no problems at all and I wish I had bought one earlier, instead of trying to follow printed MapQuest directions. I would like to come back and rereview once I have used this for longer.

One reason I have not given this 5 stars at this time, is that the mounting unit (which for some reason does not match the picture in the instructions) is a little short, which makes positioning in the car a little challenging. Not enough of a problem to bother me though.

Also a little troubling, is sometimes it doesn't recognize a street name, which means that you have to either be familiar with the area or experiment a little to help the unit pinpoint the exact location. I can do this in the state where I live. Not sure I could do this in other states though.

Overall, so far so good and, as it hasn't got me lost yet, I am very satisfied with performance and price.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Completely disappointed! Maps are ancient., September 20, 2008

By 

Modern Blue Argonaut - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nextar W3-01 3.5-Inch Touch Screen GPS Vehicle Navigator (Sports)

I bought this on a Gold Box special for four reasons: the other reviewer had given it 4 stars, the manufacturers web site had this listed at $299, Amazon had the "date first available on Amazon" as May 2, 2008, and I knew this was the newer model to the W3, which I had purchased as a gift for a family member last year. So I incorrectly assumed the maps would be up to date.

Unfortunately, even though my house is 3 years old, my street is still not listed on the maps, so obviously the maps installed on this GPS are very, very old and useless to me. The date of manufacture as listed on the box is September 2007. Even my old GPS has my house and street on it.

I checked the Nextar web site, and they don't have updated maps for this GPS unit. Even if they did, they charge $50 for map updates, so I would recommend not buying this GPS.

Additionally, the Nextar W3 (prior model) that I gave as a Christmas gift to a family member last year broke after only 4 months of use.

I know I should talk a bit about the features, but the fact is this is a GPS unit first and foremost. Maps are the single most important feature of GPS units. But, just to touch upon the features, I didn't care for the voice, it was robotic in comparison to my MIO that uses inflection in a pleasant manner. The screen was not as clear as the MIO either. I did like the volume toggle, and I doubt I would use this as an MP3 player, but that is an option.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GPS Lite, less filling but still satisfying, September 25, 2008

By 

Stephen Cunningham (Northern Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nextar W3-01 3.5-Inch Touch Screen GPS Vehicle Navigator (Sports)

This unit exceeds my expectations based on the $79 purchase price. I find the menus logical and very easy to use. I haven't bothered to read the instruction book. So far it has taken me to every address that I have put in it and the listing of business, gas stations and restaurants seems very complete given the limitation of only 1.6 million points of interest. I especially like the interface for selecting destinations, once you start to type in the name of the state and city; it jumps to that name usually after only 2 or 3 letters are input saving a lot of time. I find it amusing that in the menu system Wal-Mart has its own button! No typing required!

I find the voice instructions are very helpful when negotiating city traffic in an area that is unfamiliar. It is much safer than trying to look at the screen and the volume control is easy to reach. It lacks a few features of the more expensive models, or perhaps I just haven't found them yet (maybe I should read the book) but it seems to do a good job of doing what I bought it to do, that is to show me where I am relative to where I want to get to. I like to plan my own routs. I have found that many GPS units lack the proper filters in rout selection menus to be completely trusted with cross country route planning, for example, no dirt roads, and if you tell it to take the shortest route possible you had better be prepared for the consequences. This unit is no exception. You can tell it to stay on major roads and it will do a good job of route planning, and it routs well once you get to a city or town, but if you use it for traveling cross lots in the country you have to be careful about what you ask it to do. For instance if you ask it to take you to a location that is many miles south west of where you are presently located and tell it to take the shortest route, it will do exactly that. Because of the offsets in the north south roads at county/township lines, the shortest route will be a zig zag west then south then west, then south path because it will avoid going the 50 or 60 foot east, at those road offsets. Perhaps this is just peculiar to my area, I don't know, but you just have to be smart enough to ignore it sometimes, because it will do exactly what you tell it to.

Overall I am very pleased with this unit. It is easy to use, the voice is easy to understand and has good volume, and the mounting bracket works well and seems very secure. I wouldn't expect this unit to match the performance of a more expensive unit, but it seems very adequate for my needs.