- Combines GPS based portable navigation with a fully featured MP3 audio player
- Large, easy-to-read icons, a bright 3.5-inch display, and a user-friendly touch screen
- Comes with preloaded maps of the entire U.S. (Alaska and Hawaii included)
- Preloaded points of interest (POI) database lets you easily locate restaurants, hotels, gas stations and more
- Weighs only 6 ounces and measures 4.33 x 2.76 x 0.79 inches (W x H x D)
I researched all GPs units for over a year. Two GPS's I have experience using plus I spent countless hours researching on the Internet and I played for hours in the store demonstrations.
Some generalities one needs to realize concerning "ALL" GPS units. You will not find any GPS unit that is 100% accurate 100% of the time. You will find that "ALL" GPS units at one time or another will not always take the shortest route or fastest route no matter what you try. This is due to many reasons which include the number of satellites tracking you, weather, map accuracy, etc..,. I have heard often that to buy a unit using NavTeq mapping and avoid the TeleAtlas mapping. Personally, I have ran 2 different GPS units that used "current" NavTeq mapping and I was not impressed. Locally I would sometimes find myself being shown off road with no roads existing while the roads I were on were major secondary roads and had been there for 10+ years and then while driving several long trips on major highways, I would be shown as being off the interstate driving ¼ to ½ mile off in the pasture somewhere. I have found just the opposite with the TeleNav mapping. I have run the TeleNav mapping in the same spots that I had trouble with the NavTeq mapping and I have not had one problem with its mapping navigation. Locally, the NavTeq mapping would sometimes only take me within 1/4 to 1/2 mile of my destination saying I was there when I wasn't. Not with the TeleAtlas, most of the time right on the money but has never been off more than 200 feet. Even running address look ups and points of interest in the demos at the stores, the NavTeq mapping did just not show updated information. Just the opposite with the demo of the TeleNav. "Personally", I like and support the TeleNav mapping over the NavTeq mapping, but please remember this is based on using the TeleNav mapping only with the Mio C310X with the note that this GPS unit comes with the most up to date mapping available (Aug 2006) to this date.
You will find that the majority of GPS units in the GPS market are Garmin and Magellan units. "Personally", I do not like the interface of the Garmin GPS units. In general, the public has Magellan units rated less "overall" compared to Garmin units plus Magellan is known not to have good customer service. "Personally" I do not know but that is the general consensus you will find when one researches. There are many brands out there now which are trying to compete with Garmin and Magellan GPS units. Some are rated pretty good and some are rated quite average or below. BUT there is now a unit that competes head to head with the best of Garmin and Magellan GPS units and depending on your taste, leaves them in the dust. Such a unit is the Mio C310X.
I was very impressed when I bought the Mio C310X and now after driving several long trips, it has not only lived up to its new reputation on the market but has even exceeded my initial review. Here are my thoughts and please realize when you read anyone's pros and cons that some pros and cons can be things that are not "NEEDED" but just nice to have.
Pros:
Uses 20 channel SIRF GPs satellite tracking
Uses TeleAtlas mapping. Has been accurate 99% of the time I have used it
Auto screen dimmer switch from daytime to nighttime use
Speaker is loud and clear
Over speed limit alert on some roads
Can play MP3 while navigating
Small and lightweight unit
2D or 3D viewing with automatic angle viewing
Displays mountains of information for you to see on the screen to include your speed, distance to destination, and time remaining on trip. Also displays cameras at stoplights.
Power is provided by DC car plug, computer USB , or built in battery (approx 2 hours)
Superb windshield mounting bracket
Some units will have 1GB extra memory (check box)
Impressed with customer service (used twice to ask a general question)
Cons:
Comes only in white color
For some people......No built in wireless Mp3 transmitter (easily fixed by using headphones, cassette adapter, or wireless fm transmitter unit and do remember that the built in speaker is a pretty good speaker)
For some people.....does not announce the name of the road you are turning onto ( I don't find this a problem as it displays the name on the unit's screen)
You should be quite happy with this GPS unit. Its fast, accurate, and has lots of bells and whistles that only come with much higher GPS units. Good hunting deciding on which GPS unit that will fit your needs and budget.
Buy Mio C310x 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Now
There are a whole bunch of presumptions about this GPS and GPS systems in general. Don't let them get in the way of your buying this system. This is what I've found from using the Mio:
(1) Just about any GPS is better than no GPS.
(2) This isn't a device to check the "rightness" of the routes you travel regularly. It's best when it gives you directions when you don't know where you're going.
(3) No GPS will have 100 percent correct maps. One day, you'll have the worst map, and the next day, when you get the update, you'll have the best. So don't compare the maps with those of other companies.
(4) What the Mio has is sufficient. You have things that some other GPSs don't have, like the whole road system of the U.S. already installed, rather than having to buy a flash card and load the info yourself.
(5) The voice in the Mio won't tell you the names of the roads. I'd rather have something that told you to turn right at the next junction rather than something that told you to turn onto "Shubablub Street," which is spelled completely differently to how it sounds, and you have to look for the name sign on the street.
(6) The screen is small compared to original equipment navigation systems, but in fact it's large enough for what's needed. The backlight makes it easy to understand. And the fact that it cost you well over $1,000 less than the car manufacturer's version is a pretty good thing, too.
(7) Also, unlike those expensive built-in navigation systems, you can use it in any car that you own and any one that you don't own, like a rental car, or a friend's car. And when you replace your car you can easily transfer it to the new one that you buy.
It's very easy to become a GPS dweeb, because many are based on Windows CE PDA's, and people want to do things that are astounding because they're done on a GPS system, but they aren't very useful.
My advice is to get the Mio, or if there's a comparable GPS that costs less, get that one. You won't like everything about it, but that's true of any GPS I know about.
Read Best Reviews of Mio C310x 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Here
Ok, answering Steven's post on December 1st, I think he needed a bit more time with the unit.
First of all, the quickstart manual IS a joke. I fully agree with that. If he had spent a bit more time with the unit, he'd have found that there is a full manual on the included DVD which is great and goes into detail on settings, etc. The interface is fine, although you do have to drill down and back out for several options. However, to me, they are all very logical straightforward programming. I have absolutely no problem reading the street names, and if you're on a plotted route, the bottom of the screen tells you the street you are on and the top of the screen tells you the one you are next turning onto. Very intuitive, and very easy to see at a glance.
His complaint on the cockpit mode is valid, but while navigating, you don't have to use cockpit mode. You can turn on a full map view as well. However, you lose some of the nicities (such as that street name top / bottom view) available in the cockpit. If I don't have a plotted route but want to see a map, I prefer a north up map view. If I have a plotted route, I'm listening to the directions more anyway with a glance over to see the street name I'm turning on, and thus use the cockpit mode.
I don't even know what he's talking about regarding seting up destination and the unit doesn't tell you automatically how to get there. It certainly does! You can scroll around the screen or look for POIs (Point of Interest) even when a route is plotted. The popup lock button just then takes you back to your current position and then tracks on you as you move. This is a good feature, as maybe I want to scroll / look ahead (ok, more like my passenger...I'm driving).
MP3 function works fine. And you most certainly CAN have MP3's playing at the same time as GPS. In fact, the GPS voice prompts pause the music and then auto-resume so they're not competing with it. Again, he might know this if he had either used the built-in help screen (yes, there is built-in help to explain every button / setting choice) or the full manual on the DVD. My one criticism of the MP3 player is that you have to build a playlist on the unit rather than on your computer to transfer as it does not use a standard format (aka Winamp).
All in all, the interface is VERY nice, the maps scroll fluid (unlike Garmin units I've seen), and can seamlessly rotate in full 3D, in fact zooming out and in / rotating based upon your speed, how close your next turn is, etc., and this can also be controlled by the user in settings. It's simply the best looking GPS I've seen. If this unit were widescreen (for a bigger view in cockpit mode) it would be ideal.
One additional criticism / bug. The fast flyover feature that quickly shows your route does not function. My only flyover is in real-time, which of course is not practical. You can zoom out to preview the route, but if you want to generate a "watch-the-path" on the map or cockpit mode with a simulation of the car moving, you really need the fast-flyover. I've got a call into Mio regarding this issue.
Tomtom has only switched to NavTech on one unit, and in fact, just released updated TeleAtlas maps for their products. Mio is set to do the same in 6-9 months, and this map update has been stated will be FREE for those that purchased this device. That will not be true (like all other GPS companies) after the first free update. The 2006 TeleAtlas maps are much improved due to a previous company acquisition here in the USA that are incorporated into this set of maps to be released.
One final note: users in Washington DC are reporting some major map problems with many routes / bridges unavailable (in red). This error is making DC about useless with the Mio. If you live there, I suggest you get another unit or wait the 6 months till new maps are available, although I'd be surprised if Mio doesn't issue a fix before then.
Want Mio C310x 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Discount?
I'm writing this review after getting the unit for Christmas at a steal price (200 bucks 50 mail in rebate), using it for 2 weeks in both familiar and unfamiliar areas, loving it, and then reading negative reviews that are just plain wrong on features etc that people say are missing.
A) My unit included ac adapter, car adapter, usb cable, 1GB memory, suction cup window holder as well as piece that allows you to attach the suction cup to a dash board. I have heard that some newer units may no longer include an ac adapter because this was a mistake. The suction cup holds VERY tightly yet somehow by pressing a button on the holder is also incredibly easy to transfer between vehicles. I have already done this.
B) The unit does come with short initial documentation to get you started but a full manual completely explaining every feature comes on the included DVD. It is easy to use and understand.
C) You CAN save your own points of interest, you CAN create POI subgroups in the MY POI folder (I have my gf, friends, and "favorite fun places" for example). If there is an existing POI that you want even more easily accessible by putting it in one of your groups (thats what my "favorite fun places" created group is for), you can find that POI, then click the POI menu, click "New" and create a "new" POI at the very same location and put it in your list. YOu can even name it the same as the existing one if you want (i.e. you find an existing Wawa and want to put it in your own group you find the Wawa and create a new place called "My favorite Wawa" at the address and put it in your group). Easy enough. Could have had a feature that just said "add to my x group" but this isn't much harder. Also, two destinations (Preset as "Home" and "work" but readily customizable) are always super-accessible from the first screen.
D) You CAN play the MP3 player and listen to navigation at the same time; it pauses the music to give commands.
E) You CAN route from any address to any other address for trip planning's sake. just find the starting address, click "Start" find the other address and click "Route to". Then you go to your itinerary and can see the whole route, and do any other routing options (changing paramerters, fitting the whole route to screen, seeing the ETA, distance, turn by turn, etc)
F) Once you route to a destination, if the cursor is still at the destination start driving and wait a few seconds, after a bit, the screen will go back to your current position. YOu don't have to "Lock" or "Unlock" or anythying like that. I've done this numerous times.
G) The unit is VERY quick at rerouting/recalculating. I can't imagine faster. I used this feature recently when there was traffic on the highway, pulled off, this thing got me back on the highway easily and past the traffic even though I was unfamiliar with the area.
H)The automatic night colors/day colors feature is very cool.
I) The fast flyby feature is in fact broken or something. That is one annoying thing, you have to do the slow flyby (or not do it at all). I do hope they fix taht. Still you can do essentially teh same thing by going to itinerary and "show"ing each step.
J) The Unit DOES have a "History" feature unlike what one person said. You DON'T have to keep retyping the same city in if you have put it in the past five times. Go to "Menu," "History." Viola. Moreover, if you go to the "Address" menu, the first step is choosing a city. The most recent cities you have chosen are also already displayed there.
K) I haven't tried windows down yet but the volume to me is very loud if you want it to be. I've been what I consider to be blasting my music on my car's cd player and could hear the unit just fine over the music.
L) The fact that the unit does not pronounce the street name to me is insignificant. The unit always tells you very clearly on the top of the screen the next road you will be turning on. All it takes is a glance. Plus I have heard that many units that speak names frequently butcher them. I'd rather have an accurate name right there on the screen. If anything, I do not find it to be a negative. It is certainly not a feature worth an extra 300 bucks.
Overall I have been truly impressed with the unit. There were a ton of features on it I didn't even expect or know about. It has been very accurate, and I'm sure will get evenmore accurate with the map updates coming up. I live in NJ. I couldn't be happier, and knowing that I got all of the features of a 500 dollar unit for 150 makes me even happier. I would buy this unit over others unless you've actually compared another unit to this one head to head using them (for instance having friends with them) and can actually justify the other unit's higher price for some reason.
ok, so i got my unit on black friday. but even if i had paid twice as much as i did, i would still give it 5 stars.
i have a 2005 infiniti g35 coupe, with a factory-installed GPS system, which was around a $1000 option. i have stopped using it in favor of this little gem of a unit. i have also played around with a tom tom go 700, and a garmin c320, which are also great systems, but cost much more and aren't nearly as portable as the Mio.
PROS:
-the screen is beautiful with extremely sharp resolution.
-although the interface is a little complicated at first, once i played with the unit for an hour, it now seems quite intuitive. there are a lot of customizable options. one thing that is difficult to figure out was how to save my address book. you actually have to do it under 'My POI'.
-it locks on quickly and gets a strong signal even inside my apartment.
-the small size, and the fact my system came with a AC adapter. also the rechargeable lithium battery lasts a pretty long time between charges. this is one of the few GPS systems that i would not be embarassed to carry around while touring a new city on foot, because it is so thin that it looks like a PDA. It seems like that Mio designed this unit with this in mind because there is a "on foot" setting which takes into account the slower speed, and avoids freeways, etc. This is unlike most of the other units i have seen (Garmins, Magellan, Tom Tom), which are way too bulky to carry around. i have been carrying my Mio around on my waist in a PDA case. i plan to use it when i visit a new city to get around--it will also be extremely helpful to find stores, restaurants, hotels, gas stations (see next comment)
-the Points of Interest function is awesome. i can search for nearby businesses by 'category' (for example, nearby japanese restaurants, or nearby gas stations, or nearby shopping malls), OR i can search for nearby businesses by 'name', for example, the nearest Best Buys, or Targets, or Disneyland. this is awesome, and is my favorite feature because in my Infiniti, i can only search nearby businesses by 'category'. (in my infiniti, if i want to find the nearest Best Buy, i have to choose 'shopping', and then scroll through tons of stores before i find it.)
-the rerouting is almost immediate once it senses you have passed the suggested turn.
-as the last reviewer mentioned, the zooming function also works wonderfully smoothly and quickly.
-i have been using it in Los Angeles, and i have had no problems at all with the TeleAtlas maps. it has consistently chosen the best routes all over Los Angeles.
CONS:
I have to think long and hard to think of some cons...but there are a few
--when i turn on the unit, it sometimes freezes and becomes unresponsive while it is searching for the satellite signal for 15-20 seconds. at first i thought the system crashed. but just be aware of this.
--although there are 15 or so voice languages, there are two voices for English and they are both male! (one is an american accent, one has a english accent) it would be cool to have a british lady accent.
--the mount is a bit on the larger size, but it does work extremely well, so i guess i shouldn't complain.
--no bluetooth, but i don't think any GPS systems less than $300 have bluetooth.
all in all, an awesome little piece of equipment. i couldn't be happier with this baby.
