rpeeples
09-14-2004, 04:36 PM
Just picked up a brand new Cobra Nav One 3000 GPS unit today, after looking carefully at Garmin 2620 and Magellan Roadmate 700; the Cobra is aimed at competing with these units, but is a brand new design released earlier this week.
The Cobra has the same feature set of the Garmin & Magellan units (Entire US/some Canada map + 2,000,000 points of interest on a built-in HD, voice prompting, etc.). It also has some extras I find cool: bigger 5.2 inch BRIGHT screen, built-in gyro to maintain nav when you lose the GPS sats briefly in a tunnel, nifty multi-destination trip planner, seems easier to program than the others. Plus it looks a lot cooler. Though not as cool as in-dash or OEM units. :) Lists for $1500, but got mine at Best Buy for $1099.
One thing, it's not touchscreen, it works more like an ATM, with function keys off to the side which change function depending on the screen. I like that; touchscreens get grimy and activating them is difficult on small units like this.
Driving around with it today in Chicago and it works and sounds great; took me to a really difficult street address very smoothly. The gyro works great under overpasses.
Got this unit because I couldn't justify $4K for an OEM retrofit, the BMW Accessory Nav unit has been discontinued, and I want to keep the car's stock HU because it works so well w/ Bluetooth, Phatbox, etc.
Here's some pics
The Cobra has the same feature set of the Garmin & Magellan units (Entire US/some Canada map + 2,000,000 points of interest on a built-in HD, voice prompting, etc.). It also has some extras I find cool: bigger 5.2 inch BRIGHT screen, built-in gyro to maintain nav when you lose the GPS sats briefly in a tunnel, nifty multi-destination trip planner, seems easier to program than the others. Plus it looks a lot cooler. Though not as cool as in-dash or OEM units. :) Lists for $1500, but got mine at Best Buy for $1099.
One thing, it's not touchscreen, it works more like an ATM, with function keys off to the side which change function depending on the screen. I like that; touchscreens get grimy and activating them is difficult on small units like this.
Driving around with it today in Chicago and it works and sounds great; took me to a really difficult street address very smoothly. The gyro works great under overpasses.
Got this unit because I couldn't justify $4K for an OEM retrofit, the BMW Accessory Nav unit has been discontinued, and I want to keep the car's stock HU because it works so well w/ Bluetooth, Phatbox, etc.
Here's some pics
