- Dual-orientation 5.0" color touchscreen
- Subscription-Free Garmin 3D Digital Traffic2 updates as often as every 30 seconds3
- Multi-touch glass display with pinch to zoom
- Hands-free calling compatible
- Safe texting capable, reads text messages to you,Limited 1-Year parts and labor warranty
PROs
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+ Screen is very easy to see, even in bright daylight
+ Thin for a 5" unit
+ No issues with polarized sun-glasses
+ Snappy user interface; every touch is immediately registered
+ Drag gestures work on most screens
+ Intuitive design, easy to use
+ Removable window mount has a built-in speaker
+ Map and software updates are easy; no registration required
+ Very fast acquisition of GPS satellites
+ Very fast routing and rerouting
CONs
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Pricey
Screen looks delicate, like it could scratch easily
The 5" screen makes this too bulky to fit in your pocket or carry around (compromises!)
Windshield mount falls on occasion
SCREEN
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The first thing I noticed about this GPS is the big bright screen. From past experience, I knew that 5" was the right size for me. With a 5" screen, I don't have to focus as hard on the GPS when I take my eyes off the road. This allows me to get my eyes back ON the road as fast as possible which makes the GPS safer for me.
The screen on this unit is among best I've ever seen on a GPS (almost equal to the 3490LMT) and is clearly visible in the bright Texas sun. Even my polarized sun glasses do not interfere with the screen. The screen is really something to behold and is clearly where a lot of the cost of this unit stems from. The reason I say this display is not quite equal to the 3490LMT is because it has the same pixel count but spread over a larger surface. This means the display is not quite as crisp as the 3490LMT. But you'll have to look really really hard to notice the difference!
The unit has an auto-night feature that reacts quickly to changing light conditions so that the GPS is never too bright when driving at night or in a dark area.
The LCD viewing angle seems decent. There is definitely some darkening of the display as you move off to the side. For the primary viewer (the driver), the display will be easy to see even as you move your head around. The passenger may have difficulty viewing what's on screen if the unit is pointed at the driver.
Much less important but still nice is how crisp the screen is. It is a high resolution screen that renders maps faithfully with great detail, even when held close to your face. This makes everything smooth and pretty. Again, this is of questionable value when mounted in your windshield but it does look really nice.
TRAFFIC
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I haven't had much time to test the included HD traffic feature. It seems like traffic information is only given to you if you're driving on a route. It would be nice if it actually showed you traffic in the area, even if you're just driving without any route set. Surely it could at least figure out that I'd be interested in traffic information on the very road I'm driving on! After I've had more time with the unit I'll update my review with more information on the traffic feature.
From my experience with the 3490LMT, I expect it will tell me when traffic is ahead on a selected route. One thing I wished the 3490LMT would do was tell me about traffic on the road ahead, even if it doesn't know my destination. It does not do that (though neither does the competition as best I can tell).
NAVIGATION
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I love how quickly this unit acquires my location from the satellites. Within a few seconds after turning on, it knows where I am. My old TomTom often didn't know where I was until I was well outside of my neighborhood.
As with every other GPS I've ever owned, the default navigation view shows the current speed limits. The bad news is the speed limits are sometimes wrong by 5 to 10mph. This seems to be more common in neighborhoods and on lesser traveled roads but I've also encountered this on major freeways. The good news is that you can tap on any bad speed limit shown on screen and a "+/-" button shows up that quickly lets you edit the speed limit. I found myself doing this often after first but eventually the streets I drive most often were all corrected. I wish they could get this stuff right without me making changes but it seems to be a universal problem.
A nice visual cue to help you see your route is that after each turn, the graphical display zooms out to show you more of the upcoming route. After a few seconds, it zooms back in to the previous zoom level. This is subtle but effective in helping you see the details of your route while getting an occasional glimpse of the big picture.
Something that I really like is that you can drag the map around with your finger while navigating: just like you would do in google maps on your cell phone. This gives you the opportunity to see what else is around while sitting at a traffic light.
Routing and rerouting has been very fast in my experience. If I miss a turn, the GPS usually has the new route figured out in just a few seconds. Much appreciated during those high anxiety goof-ups I sometimes make!
Another nifty feature is that the 3590LMT learns your habits. If you prefer a particular route home because you know more than the GPS, eventually it starts routing you via the route automatically.
VOICE COMMAND
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In my experience, the voice command feature is so-so. It hasn't yet been able to find an address for me but it does seem to work pretty well when navigating to my saved shortcuts. I say the command "voice command, go home" and it works fine every time. This could get better with firmware updates. It does seem to be important to be in a quiet environment (radio turned off, windows rolled up) when issuing voice commands. No surprise there. This feature may improve with firmware updates.
MISCELLANEOUS
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The Garmin update software is very easy to use and works fine. I was pleased that I didn't have to create an account or register with Garmin. I just plugged in my navigator and it downloaded the latest maps and firmware.
My car already has bluetooth so I haven't tested that feature. I know I could have saved $30 by foregoing the feature but I figured that you never know what car you'll be init could come in handy if used in rental cars.
So far the firmware has proven reliable. I've never had it crash or hang on me.
The mount to my windshield is fairly secure and stable. It seems quite well made and the screen never sags under its own weight. Unfortunately, the mount has fallen from my windshield twice in 3 months of usage. Nothing has been damaged in the falls, but I find this annoying. This caused me to drop this to a 4-star review.
This unit seems to be a couple of millimeters thicker than the ultra-thin 3490LMT. I'm not complaining about this, but I do wish it was as thing as the smaller unit. Still, it's not thick at all: barely thicker than my iPhone 4.
SUMMARY
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So far this GPS is shaping up as the best I've ever used. I'm very happy with this purchase. I will continue to update my review as I spend more time with the unit.
UPDATE
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About 6 months after purchase, the GPS stopped working right in the middle of a 2000 mile road trip. The touchscreen became inoperable and the unit would crash after a few minutes of use. Of course, this was highly frustrating. Garmin support was easy to deal with. Garmin immediately sent me an RMA form and after I sent it back to them, they sent me a brand new 3590LMT. All told, this cost me just under $20 in shipping and a few weeks without the GPS. Probably about as best as one can hope for in such a situation. Hopefully the replacement will last longer!
Buy Garmin nüvi 3590LMT 5-Inch Portable Bluetooth GPS Navigator Now
This is an unusually long review, focusing on how well the 3590 works, as well as offering tips to help users get the most out of this product.PROS AND CONS OF 3590 LMT IMPORTANT TO ME
PROS powerful Voice Command; rapid Search for POIs and resulting route creation; automatically offers Alternate Routes to POIs; large collection of Lane Assistance and Junction Views; Lifetime Traffic Alerts are Ad-Free with 30 second updates; useful freeway Exit Services; Trip Planner for multi-destination routing; Speaker Volume adjusts automatically; Customizations of Dashboard data fields / Map Buttons / Shortcuts; quick Satellite Acquisition and fast map redraws; easy-to-use Settings; Nuvi with case fits easily in pocket; Map Display loaded with features; Lifetime Map Updates; Custom Avoids (for streets or areas) and Advanced Detours; and 3-4 hours battery life in hand-held mode.
CONS Long learning curve, insufficient online Manual, and many Quirks and Glitches (most of which can be overcome with TIPs provided here)
NUVIS ARE WONDERFUL This review is aimed at three primary groups: (1) persons buying the 3590 as their first GPS, (2) owners of previous Nuvis, especially like me from about 3-4 years ago, who wonder what it's like to upgrade from the 2xx, 7xx and 8xx series, and (3) owners of more recent 2xxx model Nuvis, who might learn some TIPs that apply to their units. We just finished a 3800 mile road test with this unit, using it during long daily Routes and extensive daily use in point-to-point mode, and offer our experiences to others.
The best thing about a Nuvi 3590 LMT is wherever we are in a strange city, we just SPEAK our search instructions with Voice Command (VC) to FIND: Place / Category / Recently Found / Saved Places / City, to eat, shop, get gas, visit a notable scenic site, or return to our lodging...and we're on our way. The 3590 reacts almost immediately with a new route: It calculates and re-calculates quickly. The Search functions generally apply to all GPS's and all Nuvis, but it is far more convenient to use Voice Commands on a Nuvi so equipped. Make your decisions to drive most anywhere WHILE DRIVING (without stopping to operate your Nuvi manually), even if you just change your mind "on the fly." This is especially great both on freeways and busy local streets! Of course, all Nuvis provide corrective routes when you make a wrong turn, and that's just one of their wonders. When you make a mistake, this and other recent Nuvis no longer say "Recalculating," but just automatically revise the route (by redrawing the magenta map line); the 3590 revises the route within about 5-10 seconds.
BEST FEATURES of 3590
The superb Voice Command (= VC) feature operates very well, in conjunction with an excellent and speedy search engine of 8 million Points of Interest (= POIs), the spoken Volume is loud, and automatically adjusts depend on ambient noise; it usually hears us speak even at freeway speeds, with rear windows open and CD player on. If it speaks too quietly to us, we instruct it to display the Volume screen, and adjust it, sometimes to max 100%. Although I really liked our previous Nuvi 855, the 3590 is a very fast unit in many ways: It has fast satellite acquisition from Sleep Mode (usually ready to go in about 15 seconds, plus fast route calculations and map redraws. All Searches for POIs are made easier with smart technology that "types ahead" of a Name Entry (whether a city, street name, business name, etc.): Finger taps of preliminary choices brings the result instantly. The map and other screens are very responsive to finger taps, and scroll easily. We grew so confident with VC that we purposely chose not to select most POI destinations until the car was under way, because we knew they were already in our Saved or Recently Found folders. Other very useful features while driving are Lane Assistance and Junction View (these items were extremely limited in the initial 855 iteration), Traffic Alerts on major roads, and Exit Services for upcoming freeway exits, and Alternate Routes. A range of screen features make the 3590 highly customizable for each user: Map Dashboard (offers up to 4 data fields of info), there is easy access to Shortcuts of most unit features (you pick which ones to make into "Shortcuts"), and 3 buttons can be placed on the right side of the map screen for access to features YOU want immediately (with a finger tap). Bluetooth connectivity for smartphones is a major feature for many owners, but we have not used it.
The 3590 contains an easy-to-use, effective, and quickly responsive Search capability, which is far better than our Nuvi 855 from only three years ago. Searching manually with finger taps and scrolling is very effective and easy, after you learn some basic steps; using VC to search is also effective and quick, but with minor limitations (compared to manually). I find the 3590 extremely convenient, easy to use, usually very reliable, quick to respond to VC's and searches, particularly when I speak or tap its "FIND" functions. Don't overlook the value of having LMT on this unit: Lifetime Maps and Traffic are built in to the price, and that means you will always have Traffic Alerts for major metro areas, and can update Maps 4 times per year. Besides updating your highway and street maps, it also adds new Junction Views for freeways (and now, apparently major arterials).
NOTE: This review does NOT list all the features in the 3590 or how they work in detail. Most of the above mentioned features are listed elsewhere. Thus, readers are strongly advised to view the following great sources: Amazon.com "User Reviews" in 2012 by J. York ("Great GPS," Feb. 25), Tony D. ("Nice GPS," May 13) and Sam ("A Keeper:.." May 15). I urge you to also read the GPStracklog.com review by Rich Ownings (April 9), which is full of sample pix and comments about the 3590; he also compares it with other recent Nuvis; the screenshots alone provide FAR more understanding about features than the Garmin Manual:
VOICE COMMAND We were constantly amazed at what we accomplished with VC. Without VC on our 3,800 mile trip, we would have constantly had to stop and study alternatives for sudden changes in POIs and planned destinations. However, being able to Search while driving seems almost like a miracle! We navigated to a breakfast restaurant that was closed, and merely said FIND Category > Restaurants (but didn't like the nearby choices), and then said "Coco's," and found it three miles away. We were headed to a coastal town for its beach, but remembered that we also wanted to visit a nature preserve: FIND Category showed us Parks, and we found our POI on a Nuvi list, only a few miles away. We finished at that site, relocated Coco's from Recently Found, and that got us back on the original highway...and led us to the intended beach. Later we fulfilled one of our minor eatery goals and merely said FIND Place > "Burger," which brought up "In-and-Out Burger." Bingo...that was a surprise! The above all occurred in one ordinary day. I urge everyone considering any Nuvi to get one with VC: Once you become comfortable speaking commands, you will thank me over and over! Routinely, whenever we wanted a rest stop, we said "McDonalds," and soon reached its bathrooms, and also ended up ordering ice creams. [The ultra convenience of just naming your favorite fast food joint, finding it listed within a minute or so, and navigating there (and back to the freeway) may sound trite, but that might be our most favorite Search!] We also constantly adjust the Volume and screen Brightness via VC, in lieu of my reaching and distractedly touching the screen. It was effortless to Search for whatever we desired (and say "Add to Active Route"): We avoided making stops alongside roads or freeways, used no finger taps or typing, and it was easy to restate mistaken Commands. [By the end of the trip, my wife was beginning to operate VC by herself, or with my verbal guidance as to which screens she needed to access with finger taps; now home, she is still improving.]
Users will be pleased that VC does NOT use any special button to activate it (the 855 had a plastic button strapped onto the steering wheel): You just start VC by speaking a custom "voice activation" command. The default command to activate VC can be customized to whatever word or phrase that you choose, and is easy to set.
ROUTINE NAVIGATION FEATURES Learn to use the Lane Assistance and the Green Navigation Bar (top of map) to preview upcoming turns: Pages 28-29 of the Manual present excellent instructions about these features, complete with text and graphic examples. [**TIP TO GARMIN: The description and screenshots of LA and JV should become a model for the rest of the Manual.] *TIP: I always preview the next turn or lane change by tapping the LA button, just to be sure that I know what's coming; this is really helpful when a turn is very sharp or somewhat complicated, or learning that a supposed junction change is, in fact, just to stay on the same highway (and NOT turn). Previewing LA is also helpful when stopped at a traffic light, and may reveal which lane you will want to be in RIGHT AFTER that turn. *TIP: Tapping the Green Navigation Bar brings up a summary of all upcoming turns/highway lane changes, and is useful to get a sense of mileage distance between them. *TIP NiM: The Lane Assistance arrows will ordinarily be simplified when you first see them (say just one or two lane arrows, when the next turn is, say 10 or more miles away); then, as you get within a mile or so from a junction, the LA display may suddenly indicate 5 or more lanes, and highlight the lanes you should be in. Lesson: Be alert to the LA button signaling a more complex intersection or junction as you near the turn!
Recently Found (RF) works automatically: When you choose to Navigate to a newly found POI, that item is entered into your RF folder. Later it is easy to Search RF and re-visit that destination. Similarly, any POI found by manual Search offers you the opportunity to store it in Saved Places: First, tap the round i button, located below the named POI. Then tap the 3 black bars at the upper left of the named POI, and choose Save. After Saving, you can go back to either view Alternate Routes or Go to that destination.
Owners of older Nuvis will appreciate a new feature in the 3590: When driving WITHOUT being on a route, the Green Navigation Bar automatically updates the name / number of each cross street. This can be useful if a driver doesn't know exactly where he/she wants to go, but is kept informed of each street being passed, and lets him/her know when getting close (or not!) to the destination. Personally, I also enjoy watching my progress on the map, street-by-street, especially where I DO know the streets...but still need a little help in finding the one I want. An 855 feature NOT found on the 3590 is automatic Zoom In as you near a turn, and automatic Zoom back Out after completing the turn: I did not even realize this until I read it on a discussion forum.
COMMON FRUSTRATIONS: Key 3590 features which could frustrate many users are particular quirks and glitches within VC, TP, Search, routing and navigation processes, and Traffic Alerts, and .... I offer TIPs to make these features and many others to make YOUR Nuvi work better. Please realize that I'm not trying to scare anyone off, but instead, trying to make the 3590 work better for you. Though VC works great for me, I have read several persons who complain that VC will not readily understand their speech, and others that contend the speaker volume is not loud enough. *Tip NiM: If VC isn't responding to your command, TAP the "Exit" text (at bottom of screen) and try VC again. I admit that I have to repeat our VC "wakeup" command more than I like, but that's a small irritation. If VC Search seems to return a useless POI, try changing your "FIND" command to something else (such as "Place" or "Categories," or even "Recent" and "Saved." If it happens while driving, guide your "co-pilot" thru a MANUAL Search of Categories to find your objective. We generally thought that FIND Place was our most useful VC Search tool. *TIPS: Be sure to click the Volume button, then click the "Wrench" symbol (at top left) and set as "Enabled," to Automatically Adjust Volume (to compensate for car cabin and road noise). Be alert that the Mute button is not accidently enabled in Volume. Occasionally we will close a window or turn down music to ensure that VC hears our commands correctly.
The Garmin online Manual actually does an excellent job explaining how to SEARCH, and you should read pages 8-13 carefully, especially about the two Search Bars at the screen top. Search is perhaps the most important Nuvi feature to learn well: I think it crucial to practice a lot with FIND Place / Category / City / Address. Search does NOT require entry of City and State first; instead, a look at the Search Bar shows it is automatically "Searching near City X," and the Search results automatically list POIs by closest distance to you. [See later discussion on How-to use GPS Simulator for a distant location.] If you start a Search for Cities or Place, the "type ahead" feature will probably offer your choice before you finish typing. Using the exact name of a business helps, although Search always tries to finish the spelling of whatever name you are entering. Even better, practice using the Manual instructions for "Search Tools" with VC (even in your living room!), because it will make you more comfortable using Search while driving! *TIP NiM: When you Search to FIND Address, speak the address QUICKLY (and clearly), i.e., "2834 University Place, Madison, Wisconsin." FIND Place is a powerful tool and can find tons of chain store names for gas, food, lodging, shopping, by just speaking the names; it operates wonderfully by VC the great majority of the time. We tested it over and over with names of popular fast food restaurants, motels, gas brands, groceries and pharmacies, and the Nuvi recognized our speech for all of them. Of course, you can also Search for everything by typing on the screen, and remember that you can retrieve everything later by going to Recently Found and Saved Places (if you save them). FIND Category was our second most used VC Search tool, especially after you learn to "drill down" within specific categories like Restaurants > Browse By Style > (10 basic eating categories, plus 24 dining style subcategories), OR Shopping > (and 15 labeled subcategories), and 10 other broad Categories (like Gas, Lodging, Rest Areas, Attractions, etc.).
It appears from online posts that most owners of recent Nuvis equipped with Trip Plannner prefer NOT to use that function to create multi-route waypoints (= vias); instead, they prefer to use Garmin software titled BaseCamp (free from Garmin, for your computer). Some prefer to create routes on Mapquest, and transfer them to the Nuvi (however, this involves a special modification of your Nuvi into "Mass Storage Mode," and to "label each Via as a Stop" in Mapquest). You cannot transfer Routes from Google, but only its Via points. I think that I'm in distinct minority by planning entire days of routes entirely in TP. I became used to using the Nuvi 855 (with its "Custom Routes") to create routes, and continue that now on the 3590. [I find BaseCamp very unwieldy and frustrating, especially compared to Mapquest or Google Maps, with their "rubberbanding" route creation. Sure, TP is also challenging, until one learns by experiment and uses several built-in features of the 3590, combined with (1) careful planning with a road atlas in hand, (2) identifying planned stops ahead of time and putting them in Saved Places, and (3) using the TP function of "Browse Map" and a fingertip to place Via points on roads just AFTER passing desired highway junctions. This IS challenging to a rookie, but once learned, it goes quickly for me: This was also discussed in greater detail earlier, in "TRIP PLANNING." A big advantage of using TP is that one can always depend on creating a route wherever you are, just in case you don't have your computer (and BaseCamp) with you!
GPs online forums constantly receive user complaints about various Nuvis and problematic navigation/routing (it doesn't have my street, 20 year old major store is not in database, takes me off highway and re-enters right away, routes me thru local streetlights instead of highway, etc. *TIP: Preview the Nuvi route BEFORE you drive off; either View the Map first to see if the general direction of the route seems correct OR review the specific street directions (press the Green Navigation Bar at the top of the map). *TIP: Whenever you think that you can improve on the Nuvi route, just go the way you want...and the Nuvi will self-correct / adjust to that, and keep offering corrections to your intended destination. On the other hand, we occasionally ignore the Nuvi route, and later realize that it was actually right.
Traffic Reports for the 3590 are Ad-Free and supposedly update every 30 seconds, while free traffic reports on older Nuvis have ads built-in and the reports are updated at about 30 minute intervals. Over the past three years, I have read primarily about complaints with the free Traffic Alerts (and the advertising annoys a lot of users), and know that they are often criticized for mistakes: Either no traffic delay actually exists, or you're sitting in a long delay but never get a Nuvi alert. My experience with 3590 Traffic Reports is primarily limited to three weeks on major highways in Southern California and Utah, but the perhaps half dozen yellow and red alerts were extremely accurate: The Traffic icon indicated alerts about 5-10 miles ahead, and the unit beeped about 1-2 miles before the actual incident location (NOTE: the beep and text description of the delay are NOT mentioned in the Manual). All of our predicted delay times were accurate, and there were no false alerts. [Back home now, I continue to get useful alerts, and expect to use the Nuvi more for local driving; I rarely used the 855 locally.] Alternate routes were automatically offered for two Red alerts, but the projected time savings were negligible and ignored. In addition, users always have the option to speak "Detour," and select the mileage range they wish to divert from any existing route. The Manual incorrectly states that the normally Green traffic alert icon will turn Gray when there is NO traffic signal; however, our button is always Green (even when outside service range); the icon will change to Yellow and Red as described. I remain uncertain as to whether the feature "trafficTrends" is truly useful, and have temporarily disabled it.
IT AIN'T PERFECT I find the 3590 amazing and overall love it, but also know that like virtually all Nuvis, it contains many "Quirks and Glitches." I was frequently affected by screen glare from bright or reflected sunlight, but usually just adjusted the angle of the Nuvi to compensate (which is easy with the vent mount so close). When glare persists on part of the screen, I sometimes briefly shade it with my hand. I have read of several persons who specifically let screen glare be a "deal breaker," and returned their 3590 because of just that. I disagree with several commenters who believe that the larger 5" screen is "easier to read." In fact, I bought hoping that was true, BUT I have held the 3590 next to my 855 and viewed the same neighborhood street areas and find that the text size is identical. Garmin's specs list the 3590 as having greater pixel resolution, but my eyes do not detect that either. I do think that the map displays of Lane Assistance and Junction Views are a bit larger (and thus easier to read), but don't think it is significant. I do prefer the larger screen, but cannot explain exactly why. Contrary to one Amazon comment, I definitely think that 3590 does NOT feel "cheap," nor does the screen seem "fragile." I think that the hardware is high quality, has a good feel, and find the screen exceptionally responsive to finger touches. Some have claimed that the speaker is "terrible" or "voice quality is poor," but not to us: Perhaps others use a different voice than American-Jill, but we have no trouble understanding her commands (although they do distort at 90-100% volume, which we rarely use). In addition, Jill usually hears and responds to our VCs at freeway speeds, with the rear windows and sunroof open, and CD player on relatively high volume; only occasionally do we make the cabin quieter to speak VC.
I have been disappointed with both my Nuvis for not providing earlier warnings of upcoming turns. Most local street commands come at .7 and again at .2 miles before turns; most freeway turns are announced at .8 .6 miles or a bit less (and again at about .2 miles). I consider this a quirk of Nuvis, that these warnings come a bit later than should be; there are times at local street speeds that it simply does not give the final warning until just before entry to a left lane turn lane. Simply put, I have learned to overlook these shortcomings. During highway driving, I usually compensate for short warnings by tapping the LA indicator (top left of map), and preview unfamiliar turns several miles in advance. [A curious thing is that although many users have long complained about Nuvis NOT having an audible beep with turn commands to help "get driver attention," the 3590 does have a beep call attention to text messages about major Traffic Alerts, about 1-2 miles before an incident.] Yes, the Nuvi will occasionally exasperate you with routing inaccuracy, say "bear left" when it really means "TURN left," misunderstand your Voice Commands, be slow to establish satellite connection, and even (rarely) point the wrong way for turns. It has also directed specific U-turns where they would be illegal. Despite these occasional glitches, I have learned to live with them, knowing that overall this Nuvi is a wonderful and necessary tool for our main purpose of taking long driving vacations. My wife and I are sometimes bewildered at an odd behavior, but more often laugh at its mistakes, as a welcome diversion during long drives. We often discuss "Why did it do that?" and sometimes even figure out how to use it better in the future.
SUMMARY Buy the 3590 or another recent Nuvi, because they are wonderful tools loaded with terrific features, when you know how to operate them well. Be prepared for a large learning curve if new to Garmins. Consider buying a less expensive unit, such as the 3490, 3790, 2460, 2595 (5" screen and VC, with almost all same 3590 features, and much cheaper), and all produced in the past three years. I have no experience with them to know which might operate more reliably, or better/worse than the 3590, but they do contain many similar features; they may not have all the newest map Customization buttons/Dashboard data fields, nor the 3590 powered mount with its powerful speaker. The 3490 is identical, except for having a 4.3" screen. Research them yourself at Amazon, in online reviews, and other internet resources. My experience with the 3590 has been unusually extensive, with daily use over 4,000 miles (so far) and three weeks of driving long Trip Planner routes, plus simple point-to-point driving short distances within cities. Don't be dissuaded from the 3590 by my long list of sometime "quirks and glitches," because few persons will use the Nuvi enough to ever encounter all of them. Experiment right away with whatever Nuvi you buy, trying my TIPs where possible, and learn to operate it efficiently and make it an enjoyable experience for yourself. Be patient and learn to love it for what it can do for you.
I also realize that despite my high regard for the 3590, some will hate it for one or another of the various quirks and glitches, any one of which they may consider so important that it becomes a "deal breaker," and causes them to reject it. I suggest that those who reject any Nuvi for a perceived crucial flaw (apart from an obviously defective unit) to consider this: Compared with TomTom and Magellan brands, I believe that Garmin Nuvis consistently have higher overall ratings at Amazon. Just enter each brand name separately at Amazon (without a model #), scroll through the respective models, and let your cursor HOVER over the Ratings, and you will find most Garmins rate higher than any model of those competitors. Be careful not to let your "deal breaker" override the OVERALL features and performance of any GPS: Buy one that will offers the best range of features important to you AND appears to get generally high overall user satisfaction. Certainly any alternative brand may have its own "deal breaker(s)," and will likely operate quite differently overall: This could amount to a case of "pick your poison." For me, despite the 3590 "quirks and glitches" (and lack of some desired features), I love its performance with high quality VC, effective TP, speedy search function, fast satellite acquisition and rapid rerouting, range of customization options, LA and JV displays, and overall ease of use. I truly hope that 3590 buyers take advantage of this review and many *TIPs herein to make it a "Nifty Nuvi" for them too.
Sure, I really wish it had six more Voice Commands (that were on the 855), a beep noise to signify upcoming turns, would notify me sooner with the last alert for each turn, had more Traffic Reports for local arterials, was much easier to learn via a better Manual, that the map displayed the names of every town or city as I approach and drive through them, never made a mistake with turns, was easier to use TP, didn't freeze up occasionally, never had me repeat some VCs, had less screen glare, provided the 4 subscription services for free, and had faster internet downloads of Map Updates (actually, that process has improved a lot lately!), etc. Perhaps I've given some readers the wrong impression and totally scared them off from the 3590. ALERT Dear Readers: Remember that virtually EVERY recent Nuvi has almost the same shortcomings, and it is still the most popular GPS brand: Most persons are quite satisfied with their Nuvis, and certainly don't experience as many issues that we encountered over our long road trip. As for me, I still love this unit for everything that it does do very well. I know it must sound trite, but I consider the 3590 Very User Friendly, once you know what you are doing: Practice Practice Practice. [**TIP TO GARMIN Add these 7 crucial Voice Commands to make the 3590 much more convenient and safer for drivers: Next Turn and Direction Detail (to operate the LA button and Green Navigation Bar), Zoom In and Zoom Out, Trip Computer, Trip Planner (to access created Routes), and multi-commands for using Traffic Reports.]
If you think that you would become very frustrated with some of the 3590 features and performance described here, or are reluctant to follow my advice to LEARN Your Nuvi, then you might be better off with another GPS. If you want to buy a Nuvi other than the 3590, I recommend making sure it has Voice Command. Most new Garmins in the past three years have come in pairs, either with or without VC. The extra price for VC is only $30 $70 more, but should be totally worth it (3790/60, 2460/50, 2360/50, 2595/2555); Bluetooth connectivity is also usually included with the VC models, and may be a nice "extra" for your future. My reading of the specs for the Nuvi 2595 (including
VC) makes it seem very much like the 3590, but is much less expensive (and only about six months older). Regardless, I am sure that it would have a very similar "learning curve" as the 3590, but that most TIPs here would also apply to the 2595. Prospective buyers don't realize how easy and convenient it is to SPEAK commands to the Nuvi until they have tried it, and then they would never want to be without it. I also recommend reading Amazon Reviews to view how well users regard VC in each of the recent models that interest you (some apparently have better VC performance than others).
NOTE: I expect to add a significant amount of extra information about the 3590, in the COMMENTS following this Review (see Below).
Read Best Reviews of Garmin nüvi 3590LMT 5-Inch Portable Bluetooth GPS Navigator Here
I've had this GPS for about a week. I am very happy with most aspects of this device. Screen and maps are great, better than any other I have seen. Voice recognition is excellent. I only wish more features (such as screen zoom) were available through voice control. Routing has been perfect so far. POI list is excellent as well. Smartphone link is a great idea but incomplete without IOS support.This would be a 5 star review except for one major blemish. Despite my being in the NY metro area in a spot where Navteq shows "strong" coverage my traffic reception is near useless. In ten hours of driving I have had accurate traffic for less than 15 minutes. A quick Google search shows the GTM-60 traffic receiver/traffic firmware has clearly had problems in the past. What is not clear is whether these issues have been completely resolved. I went through all the troubleshooting and fixes posted on the web (including Garmin's site) and with a Garmin CSR. The Garmin rep said he never heard of a problem with this unit and I could return it(at my expense). I will return the traffic receiver and hope for the best although my gut feeling is that they have still not resolved their firmware problems.
So I am deducting 1 star for the defective traffic feature and 1 star for the 30 minutes I spent on hold to speak with an uninformed and patronizing customer service rep who wasted an additional 45 minutes of my time before agreeing to the RMA (much of that time was trying to convince him that the NY metro area is supposed to have Navteq coverage he was having some map reading problems).
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I've had a Garmin Nuvi 360 for a very long time, and have been pretty happy with it, and very happy with Garmin as company, in terms of their customer support, and tech support.However, my recent purchase of their Garmin Nuvi 3590 LMT has completely changed my view of Garmin in every way.
In the past, when you called their tech support, you got through to someone very quickly, and the person you spoke to was very knowledgable.
I can say with certainty, based on a recent and large sample size, that neither of those things are true anymore.
That's a shame, because Garmin was one of those rare companies that you USED to be able to say that about.
Now, onto to the 3590.
While lots of "bells and whistles" have been added along the way, over the years since the Nuvi 360, unfortunately, for the 2012 model year, some of the most important, at least to me, "nuts and bolts" (necessities) have been taken a way.
TURN BY TURN VIEW
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When you are in the regular map view, and click the green bar on the top, it puts you into the turn by turn view.
** This view, new for 2012, NO LONGER UPDATES THE DISTANCE (OF THE STEP YOU ARE ON) of when you need to turn.
** So, it can say "MAIN STREET 6.0" (MILES) FOREVER!!!!
** And the 6.0 will never change, no matter how far you drive.
** My Nuvi 360 that is 5 or 6 years old, updated the miles, and my wife's Nuvi 1360 (discontinued) that is 1 or 2 years old updated the miles!
** I like to stay in the turn by turn screen, and use it as my main screen, but that becomes impossible if the distance of the step you are on does not update!
** Who could have possibly thought removing this BASIC GPS FEATURE WAS GOOD IDEA?
** I have spoke to Garmin at length, to many different people, and it was REMOVED ON PURPOSE!
"SPLIT SCREEN VIEW"
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There is another view available, that I call the "split screen view".
It shows you the map on one half of the screen, and the the next turn on the other.
You can manually call this up by pressing the green button on the upper left of the screen.
** However there is 1 MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS VIEW as well.
** It is not PROGRAMMED TO RE-CALCULATE, SO IF YOU DEVIATE FROM YOUR PRESCRIBED ROUTE, IT WILL NEVER ADJUST TO SHOW YOU THE RE-CALCULATED WAY TO GO, IN THIS VIEW.
** On the phone, Garmin tech support says you are not supposed to stay in the view for more than a few seconds.
** How is anyone supposed to know that?
** Why would they make a view that does not re-calculate?
** IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, THIS COULD REALLY MESS YOU UP!
SPEAKING OF "RE-CALCULATING"
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While I'm sure many people found it a little off-putting when their Nuvi, said "re-calculating", it was helpful to hear.
It meant either you took a different route on purpose, or you missed a turn or something.
This unit does not say it, and does not give you the option of saying it.
To me, that is poor, just as all the above things I wrote are as well.
CRASHING
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I have only had my 3590 a few months, and it has inexplicably crashed 5 or times. Just shut down, and re-started itself.
NAVIGATION
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Finally, the 3590's navigation is worse than my Nuvi 360, despite the fact all the same preferences are chosen.
The 3590 has me going some of the worst ways possible to places.
I ran both at the same time one day, as a test and Nuvi 360 directions were much better
CONCLUSION
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I have had the most updated software (6.30) and maps since I started using it, so that is not problem.
It was just poorly programmed.
I truly hate the 3590.
My wife's 1390, that is discontinued is better, except her traffic is slower.
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Looks feels great, very sensitive quickly starts. Bad sound like any cheap cell phone, painful mount keep dropping if you don't make sure it snapped properly. BTW release button is at the bottom if that touches the bottom unit drops. What irritates me it takes few try may be a drop or two of unit (thats not good) before unit snaps to the mount and you keep touching screen Ooops!!!! , it's not easy for me tho. Wait for price drop if you can :)Updating: Wow, it has great voice command feature, just loving it :) You just need to speak "Voice Command", it activates, to exit just say exit :) so simple, it also worked with loud music on. If you follow this sequence its easy, like I was trying "Albertsons" for grocery it was not giving right results instead if you follow this example sequence it works great. Say:Voce Command --> Say:Grocery --> Say:Albertsons --> Say:Go --> Say:New Route !!DONE!! Hurray no need to touch screen :)
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