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ChrisGreater Melbourne (Metropolitan), VIC
- 7 reviews
- 7 likes
A great GPS for the price.
We have a 2008 Lexus RX 350 and the maps can’t be updated at this time. We have had 2 previous Garmin in the past and liked their ease of use and the lifetime maps update. So we wanted something familiar. When you’re in your 40’s (late 40’s) a 7 inch screen is a plus. This is primarily why we bought it. It looks, feels and works like a Garmin. I’m not tech savvy and read the reviews that voice activation is a little clunky. We have saved all our searches/addresses and we find using the voice activation great. I have managed to pair my phone and...Read more
that also works. If you want a tech write up, I’m sorry I’m not your reviewer. But as someone who is a little tech challenged (That’s why we have teenagers!) I have found the Garmin to do what it’s supposed to do. Large screen, easy to use, more features than I’ll ever (or know how to) use.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Hans Ignals
- 11 reviews
- 1 like
Overall, pretty good, but POI data inaccurate
Maps are fine, although they cannot be completely up to date every time there’s an update.
Easy to install, bought a reversing camera to go with it, which is pretty useful. However the warning message at the bottom of the screen obscures the view of my tow ball which is handy when connecting a trailer. The warning should be at the top of the screen out of the way.
Much of the POI data is wrong. Schools showing up that were closed down many years ago. Petrol stations listed at private home addresses, in newsagents, rest areas, and places where there are no petrol stations. Railroad crossings show up even though the railway was dismantled and no longer operational.
Quality of sound when using Bluetooth phone connection is mediocre.
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Angela KPerth, WA
- 27 reviews
- 26 likes
This is great
Bought this to take on holiday in our hire car and now we have put it in my husbands car and so far it has been amazing, better than the in built navigation system in my car.
Very impressed so far and would buy another of this brand if we ever needed one.
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Find out how Garmin DriveSmart 51 / 61 LMT-S compares to other GPS Navigation Systems
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Kev HSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 38 reviews
- 29 likes
- DriveSmart 61 LMT-S
- Verified purchase
Good Value
Recently took my Kia Sportage in for service & asked for my Satnav maps to be updated (I was told that I would get 3 years of free map updates, when I bought the car). I was informed that Kia has changed suppliers of the satnav & that It would cost me just under $300 to have my unit updated! I thought that for under $300 I could get a stand alone Satnav with lifetime map updates, so I did my usual research & decided to buy the Garmin Drivesmart 61 LMT-S.
I have had Garmin Satnavs in the past, so knew that the quality & reliability is good &...Read more
that map updates are easily downloaded & installed. The satellite tracking sensitivity seems good, only loosing tracking in tunnels & underground car parks. I bought a Garmin Dash top friction mount as I hate suction mounts, which consistently fall off the windscreen. The friction mount is very stable & can be simply lifted off the dashboard when not needed. The latest software & maps are easy to download & install from the Garmin website, using my laptop. I really like the voice operation, although the unit is easily confused, if the radio is playing or other people are talking while you try to 'talk' to the satnav. It is much 'safer' to talk to the satnav, than trying to look at & touch the menu buttons on the screen, while driving. Map accuracy is as about average, but they are all out of date when you install them. Guidance suffers from the usual satnav problems, occasionally getting 'lost' or taking circuitous routes. These hiccups are, unfortunately, common to all satnavs & can be very frustrating. When this happens, it is useful to have Google Maps on your mobile phone, as a backup. The reason that I don't use Google Maps as my primary Satnav, is that in my experience it suffers from 'lag' & the guidance can be up to 50 metres behind your actual position. Of course, this means that it is easy to miss turns etc. very dangerous indeed. I would reccommend this unit, if you are looking for a satnav at a reasonable price.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Garmin excellence again
Also fitted to Range Rover. Excellent for long trip planning due to large number of waypoints that can be stored. LR unit only stores 5 waypoints. Maps great but off road coverage is poor to hopeless.
Voice command is average. Overall though is great GPS and is my fourth Garmin unit. I think off-road maps can be purchased from Garmin.
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DarrylSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 8 reviews
- 4 likes
Great for the price.
Great GPS with lots of extras. Speed check ... free lifetime maps ... easy to understand voices ... The interface is pleasant to look at ... It shows places to eat ... where to buy fuel ... so many extras to mention. The detailed maps are easy to follow. I paid under $200. Great value for money.
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ThePeoplesChampCanberra Central 2601, ACT
- 20 reviews
- 29 likes
A great gps let down by terrible update utility.
● the good ●
1. Gorgeous bright and high resolution screen.
2. The user interface design is intuitive and a pleasure to use.
3. Features such as roadwork updates and upcoming restaurants are useful.
● the bad ●
1. The garmin express program (crucial for updating software and maps) is garbage. Garmin express is the worst program I have ever used. It is so broken and inconsistent that it's basically legal torture to use. I've never had so much trouble with a single program than garmin express.
- garmin's servers are slow and small updates take over 1 hour to download.
- garmin's update software fails to recognize the connected gps....Read more
Purchased in May 2016 for $300.00.
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John13Perth, WA
- 47 reviews
- 49 likes
- DriveSmart 51 LMT-S
- Verified purchase
Overrated and overstated with many hidden shortfalls.
Bought this to use overseas as it has Voice Command which is a critical feature for driving in Europe. It can also accommodate extra maps by way of a micro SD card, so I bought the Garmin City Navigator Europe NT Full Coverage 010-10680-50 maps for the outrageous price of $139.00 to work with this GPS whilst driving in Europe. To my horror I discovered that the Voice Command feature does not work on any maps but with what was originally loaded onto this GPS. For example, when trying to use it for France, it says this feature (Voice Command) is ...Read more
not available in British English. It was the same for the UK and ALL other European countries. Over and above, the maps were horribly outdated. Although Garmin stated the European map I bought was 2018 and current, it could not locate an address in Spain which was in existence for 12 years plus. In fact, it could not locate the entire village. Yet Google Maps found the address in seconds. This GPS does not come with a mains charger - it is an extra and from full charge, you'll be lucky to see 20 minutes until dead flat albeit Garmin claim 30 minutes which in itself is ludicrous. If you want to enter an address while in your hotel room for example, unless you have a wall charger, forget it. The Garmin DriveSmart 51 LMT-S is overrated and overstated and we are clearly being mislead by Garmin. Avoid at all costs - especially if considering this item for overseas travel. Rather hire a car with a GPS.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
NotocaPerth, WA
- 9 reviews
- 2 likes
So Far So Good
Just purchased this unit 1 week ago (June 2018) for a sale price of $227. I love the large 7" screen and the map detail, Have been driving around Perth and the Perth Hills testing it. Its been very accurate and the alerts are very helpful. Voice activation unfortunately is very frustrating, The unit does not understand the Australian accent. Either I can't pronounciate properly or this unit just guesses at what you are saying. And the guesses are not anywhere near the words you spoke. It can take up to 10 or more attempts before it gets it righ...Read more
t. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do a road trip and test it properly out of the city. I no longer need my HUD as all the info is on the Garmin. Updates and help files have been straightforward so far, It has lifetime maps. So far maps are accurate and reliable, Signal strength is good. Extremely easy to install and the windscreen bracket is great. Easy to remove the unit when not driving. Definitely way better than google maps. Hopefully, I'll be able to add more info at a later date after I've had it for a while and done some country trips to truly test its metal. Can't wait to see if it has good coverage of unsealed roads in the country and outback areas.Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
Find out how Garmin DriveSmart 51 / 61 LMT-S compares to other GPS Navigation Systems
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wedgetailClunes
- 2 reviews
- 2 likes
- DriveSmart 61 LMT-S
- Verified purchase
Ideal for what I need
Updated to the Garmin Drive smart 61 LMT-6 Got it at a competitive price from Harvey Normans. Good quick response when activated, nice large easily readable screen, clear voice command, easy to install very pleased with the devise. Following needs improvement, the supposed gas stations are invariably non existent, the speed zones are often incorrect. Apparently this is common in most name gps`s as they install the same map apps, despite these " issues " I am happy with the overall performance of the device. Word of warning device is NOT compatible with (hard wiring) direct to battery, causes malfunction !!!
Regards Wedge Tail
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john wilsonGold Coast
- 15 reviews
- 33 likes
A really great product
I purchased this unit for my wife's Range Rover after being lead on a 15klm. trip around the outskirts of Bundaberg instead of 4klms through the center of town by the inbuilt unit.This isn't the first time that this has happened. My wife who is technology challenged fitted the unit and programed it, while I was away for a week, it's that easy, her own words. She has been for several fact finding trips with this unit, she couldn't be happier it does everything she has asked of it, I am looking forward to using it myself.
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BazForrestfield
- 2 reviews
- 2 likes
A big disappointment.
The find gas station feature is a joke. Crossing the nullarbor where fuel is only avail every 300 kms or so the garmin keeps telling me fuel is avail at truck stops. These are usually a small gravel parking are with a rubbish bin. When I tried to put in Nundroo where fuel is available it could not find it. Tried Nullarbor roadhouse which was about 60 k ahead and was told it was 500 plus k behind me. No where near as good as my old tomtom. Could lead inexperienced travelers into big trouble.
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GregWattle Glen Victoria Australa
Best yet
I have had other garmin sat nav’s, nothing wrong with just upgraded each time. I have found this new model to be nothing but fantastic, larger screen & map detail easier to read & keep eyes on the road rather than looking down to use the Nissan Xtrail in car model
Connects easily to my smartphone for the other features & notifications
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Not worth it!
This is the 2nd Navman I've had in 3 months! Both have just died on me without any reason! Horrible product , never purchasing a Garmin again! Looks good but works horribly, maps arnt in date , hardly any signal strength , absolutely terrible! Will be going with tomtom or Navman next!
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FrustratedMelbourne
- 2 reviews
- 4 likes
Worst product I have ever purchased.
Will not update software.
Takes forever to find satellites (usually never unless multiple restarts).
Will not connect to phone.
Voice commands do not work.
Manuals worse than useless
Support incomprehensible, uncontactable
I have never had such a frustrating product in 30 years of using high end tech. Usually such products are ok, connect and do what they should. This thing - terrible. But it isn't only the device, everything about Garmin appears to be impossible. Manuals, support, everything.
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Find out how Garmin DriveSmart 51 / 61 LMT-S compares to other GPS Navigation Systems
Know better, choose better.
Great product - could be better
The smart drive 61 is a great gps that once setup is an awesome bit of kit in the car once setup. The screen is large and clear maps are good and easy to read, installation simple and updating the device a breeze.
I am upgrading from another ageing portable GPS and own other Garmin GPS's (for sport activities) and am a fan of how intuitive and logical the menu system is. Not so with the Smartdrive 61. It takes some time to work out how to customise the Garmin to your liking and working through the menus is not straight forward at all for a ...Read more
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William SAdelaide
- 8 reviews
- 4 likes
Worst GPS I have ever owned
One, the maps are very old and WRONG, if you use your gps for a 5 km trip...the directions will probably end up a 10 km trip...it might look flash...but very poor in my opinion, will never buy Garmin again after the experience with this one... and will go back to either Navman or Tomtom...they may not look as flash... but at least give decent directions
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JocVictoria, 3585
- 13 reviews
- 5 likes
Its a great little set up well worth the money.
This is great we have owned a tom tom and a navman and have never been overly impressed with these but I have now updated to this Garmin drive smart 61 LMT-S and its great maps are easy to download and it shows parking spots and heavy to light traffic I'm so glad we bought this.
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HenryGreater Melbourne (Metropolitan), VIC
- 7 reviews
- 8 likes
- DriveSmart 61 LMT-S
- Verified purchase
Best GPS Unit out there
This is the 4th Garmin I have owned over the years. I have the Google and Apple maps on my iPhone but these are practically useless when there aren't any signals or internet connectivity. It's all well and fine to drive around in the city but when push comes to shove you need a solid workhorse of a GPS to do the job. My old Garmin did the job very well when I drove across the Nullarbor from Perth to Melbourne in large swathes of the great Australian countryside where there are basically no phone signals or internet connection. This new versio...Read more
n is sleek, highly intuitive, has Wi-Fi (Especially handy for downloading the latest Map Updates without plugging into a laptop or USB Connection) Bluetooth and voice recognition. The maps are accurate and the signal strength exceptional. and it was a relatively easy thing to set up as I have ben doing that over the years. Would I recommend this Unit? Yes I would.!Similar opinion? Write a review on ProductReview.com.au!
DarbCentral Queensland, QLD
- 6 reviews
- 8 likes
Excellent tool
This is our most recent Garmin GPS.
We have now had 10 models over the years, but this one is the best.
Works perfectly anywhere including the bush - not like a phone GPS that needs a phone signal.
Its easy to program and accurate and easy to install on the windscreen with the magnetic base.
This means you can pull the unit off the windscreen when driving, give it to my navigator and change things while on the move.
We pre-program all of our important drives BEFORE we leave Australia, along with all our accommodation, things to see do as ...Read more
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Questions & Answers
Aurosscoasked
Can l update maps on a Garmin drive 61LMT-S GPS with out a computer thanks
No answers
Rex Beerasked
Can it output sound to radio (Bluetooth?) headphones.
Bruceasked
I belong to the CMCA and need to download their poi's. We have tried and tried to no avail.
How do you do it, Just about to give up on my $200 garmin.
1 answer
I really have no idea what to do to get your poi's. I am totally frustrated with my Garmin, tries to take me the wrong way on one way streets, tells me to turn at 3 not sure what that means, and also 'right turn ahead on to' with no indication of street names. its a total lemon
Details
Garmin DriveSmart 51 LMT-S2.5(14) | Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S3.6(26) | |
---|---|---|
Category | GPS Navigation Systems | GPS Navigation Systems |
Price (RRP) | $279.00 | |
Screen Size | 5" | 6" |
Display Type | VGA | |
Connectivity | Bluetooth | |
Features | Free Map Updates, MicroSD Slot and Voice Control | |
Battery Life | 1 hours | |
Dimensions | 140 x 84 x 18 mm | |
Weight | 0.17 kg |
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