Review: Garmin nüvi 1350

I pride myself of being good at telling directions. It’s very rare for me to get lost (except for some unforeseen circumstances). Give me a map and I can direct it for you. I can also remember the direction to anywhere, provided I have been there once. It’s a no-brainer kinda thing. If you want to remember your way, there’s only one secret: remember your reference points (e.g. if that particular area has a petrol station, shopping centres or anything that can be instantly remembered).

But lately it has been a chore for me to remember some of the usual places that I have been to. For example, I’m quite familiar with the famous Indian restaurant in Jalan Gasing PJ (Raju’s), but now every time I went there, I tend to forgot the way. There’s a way to overcome this shortcoming: a GPS unit. Read more about GPS in Wiki.

I’ve been using a GPS unit with my Nokia phones for some time now (and a self-installed Garmin XT), using their installed and free Ovi maps. Honestly, the maps are accurate and updated. If only the phone can locked to the satellites a bit faster (it may takes a few minutes to get a lock). But being free, all its quirks and errors are better left unexplained.

Garmin nüvi 1350

I discovered the Garmin nüvi 1350 quite by accident. A friend of mine have one for sale, and only willing to let go at a price. Since I’m looking for a unit, I made him an offer he can’t refused. A trade-in, aka barter trade-lah!

Original Garmin by Garmin authorised dealer, Aeco Technologies

The unit is preloaded with Malaysia and Singapore maps (courtesy of Malsingmap.com), 4.3 inch Display Screen with ultra slim model, New 3D user interface design, Lane Assist (Junction view and Lane info), Voice prompt navigation (selectable with various male or female voices with different dialects), Speak Street Names (e.g. “Turn right on Jalan Setiawangsa”), Fast off route and detour recalculation (in case you decided to take a detour), Eco friendly Navigation (where you have the ability to input your vehicle’s mileage/liter for a true eco-friendly journey), Loaded with thousands of POI (Point of Interest) and best of all, touch screen. Speed limit on some major highways are also shown.

I have the pleasure to test the Garmin unit twice this week. First, the journey from Ipoh to KL, and second, from Subang Jaya to Midvalley and return. On both occasions, the unit has chosen the fastest way to my destination, except for a minor error quite near to my home, where the unit calculated a route around my home rather than passing by in front of the entrance.

Lane/junction assist

The lane assist is a godsend! If any part of your route has a junction, the unit will show you which route to take, by pointing out the picture of the actual junction and which direction(s) to take. This is useful, as it eliminate the error when facing an unfamiliar junction(s).

Highway exits

When you’re facing some exits on your highway, it might be confusing on which one to take, especially with the confusing road signs on Malaysia roads (KL included). The unit will display the information on the right side of the screen, and prevent you from missing your exit. Try the NKVE on Ipoh’s side and you’ll know how bad it is if you missed your exit.

Overall, I’m happy with the Garmin. It’s not expensive (you can get one below RM750) but make sure you get it from an authorised dealer, as they will assist you on updating of maps, firmware updates and maintenance of your GPS unit. It comes with voice-assist, which is good as you don’t have to always look at the unit while driving (various voices are available to choose), the screen is bright enough to look at, even under direct sunlight and the unit is portable enough for me to carry anywhere. Only if I can make calls with it.