Garmin nüvi 350 Review

What the reviewers like:

• Lots of features at a pared-down price
• Great navigation
• Easy to use

What the reviewers don't like:

• No multi-point routing

Garmin nüvi 350 review highlights

Most reviews of the Garmin nüvi 350 are from the first quarter of 2006, when the product was new. At that time, reviewers saw it as a state-of-the-art device with a stratospheric price; neither is true anymore, making the nüvi 350 a good value today. GPSMagazine.com had the best original review, and revisited the nüvi 350 in August of 2007. Reviewer "Fletch" tests the nüvi 350's routing head-to-head against TomTom and Magellan units. Other reviews are relatively pedestrian; we list the best of those below. As for owner-written reviews, Amazon.com has the best collection, with more than 2,100 write-ups for this auto GPS unit.

The Garmin nüvi 350 was the top-rated GPS unit by many reviewers in early 2006, although some criticized it as too expensive. The street price has dropped nearly 80 percent, but newer and better units have been introduced since then. Reviewers now see the nüvi 350 as the best entry-level unit with the critical text-to-speech feature (which announces actual street names). Experts often recommended it instead of the stripped-down Garmin nüvi 250 (*est. $180) and nüvi 260 (*est. $220), which both cost nearly as much as the nüvi 350 but lack several of its features, including traffic and MP3 playback.

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*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. GPSMagazine.com
Garmin nuvi 350 Review
Fletch
Aug. 6, 2007

For this review, "Fletch" conducts a head-to-head test of the Garmin nüvi 350, TomTom ONE XL and Magellan Maestro 4050. In his typically thorough fashion, he provides information, illustrations and comparisons, concluding that the nüvi 350 is the best GPS receiver priced below $400. This unbelievably detailed review is more than 16 pages long.

2. PocketGPSWorld.com
Garmin n?vi 350 review
Maft and Mike Barrett
Dec. 14, 2006

While this review of the Garmin nüvi 350 is competent, comparisons are mostly limited to other Garmin units. The British perspective is a minor disadvantage, as graphics, maps and navigation are different in the U.S. This site rarely reviews car GPS units, and does not rate or rank products, so the review lacks specific expertise.

3. GPSReview.net
Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS Review
Tim Flight
Mar. 27, 2006

GPSReview.net provides a detailed and comparative performance-oriented review, and many user comments add to the discussion of the Garmin nüvi 350. However, products aren't rated or ranked. The review also lacks photographs or screen shots and is dated, with the purchasing advice section referencing a discontinued product.

4. PC Magazine
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Gadgets for the Great Outdoors - Garmin nüvi 350
Craig Ellison
Updated Jan. 30, 2006

Craig Ellison offers a review that is solid in many regards, but is now dated. Ellison notes that the Garmin nüvi 350 appears to be the first GPS unit to use the SiRFstar III chip; now, that technology is standard. Ellison's finding that the nüvi 350 is the best in its class is no longer accurate.

5. Trusted Reviews
Garmin nüvi 350
Sandra Vogel
Mar. 9, 2006

This review of the Garmin nüvi 350 is not up to the quality of TrustedReviews.com's more recent GPS reviews. It's short, non-comparative and dated. The unit is down-rated for value, which receives much attention in the review, but the price has dropped drastically since the review. Illustrations are very good, and the presence of subcategory ratings puts TrustedReviews ahead of reviewers with single or no ratings.

6. Amazon.com
Garmin nüvi 350 Reviews
Contributors to Amazon.com

If you're looking for user reviews, Amazon.com is the place to go. More than 2,100 owners have posted reviews and real-world assessments of the Garmin nüvi 350. The most interesting reviews are the recently written comments -- valuable because although experts agree that other GPS units have surpassed the Garmin 350, users are still very happy.

Also see full report: Auto GPS

Garmin nüvi 350 Review