Garmin DriveSmart 51 / 61 LMT-S

I discovered if you disconnect the vehicle power after use & then when needed start Garmin on it's internal battery by pressing the back power button & then connect vehicle power to the Garmin it works fine & does not continually reboot itself.

Overall the product is very good but I do have some issues or corrections (which I will also raise with Garmin), after a 3000km trip in country and outback areas.
*A caravan park I was looking for was not listed.
*Petrol pump icon is used for Truck Stops and Rest areas where there is NO petrol. If you search for the nearest petrol it will also list these places as the nearest location.
*Entrance to a caravan park 500m in the wrong place which you could miss subsequently forcing a u turn on a busy road.
*Plotted a 229km route in the outback when the shortest distance was 129km.
Otherwise it worked well everywhere on my trip.

Summary
Of the three series: Drive, DriverSmart,and DriverAssist, this one strikes the right balance of feature and cost. The default behaviours are mostly sensible and adequate. The device has updated technologies to match today's life style and offers solid essential features.

Pros:
Responsive UI
Mature approach to core features
OTA update via WiFi a huge improvement over USB (so you can ditch the Garmin Express software)
Stable software and durable build (e.g. using mini-USB instead of micro USB)
TripAdvisor and Foursquare features are .... well ..... usable
...

Mapping has proven accurate thus far (albeit with limited use). We have both the 6" and 7" models as the windscreen is further away in one car and they replace a Navman S80 that is going to the 3rd vehicle and a Tom Tom GO 720 that got drowned.

The navigation menus are somewhat easier to use than either of those, the turn by turn function is handy and the large displays make reading at a glance easy.

The mounts look solid (especially compared to the Tom Tom) and seem to hold better even in hot weather.

As all my previous Garmin models this one is the same. Simple presentation and reading on screen, no problems with GPS signal even on rainy days, faster response compared to my old model and maps as good as all Garmin maps. The touch screen is the same old mat low sensitivity screen you have to press it more than even a cheapest mobile phone. Then again it is not used as often as mobile (to touch) so it is not a big deal.
This model is definitely better featured than the basic models. It has so many features I was impressed. It can even sugges...

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.

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 &...

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.

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...

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

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 ...