Which GPS is best for Mexico?

Thanks John,

I'll give that a try.

I have a Garmin Nuvi 2797 which I purchased because it is large 7", comes with lifetime maps & traffic for Canada, USA and Mexico. and it can import routes. NEVER trust where it routes me on it's own.
I use MS Streets & Trips (Discontinued in 2013).
1. Create a route with all vias you need to go the way you want.
2. Save it and then click Data/Export to GPX file
3. Copy that GPX file to the GPX file folder in your Nuvi
Now to select the route in Nuvi,
4. Turn it on
5. Click Apps -- Trip Planner
6. Find trip GPX that you saved, select it
7. Even then it may route a different way between vias, so add vias if necessary.

really happy with my Nuvicam by Garmin, just used it for the first major trip, have not yet crossed into mexico yet, but through the US it automatically told me about traffic delays (I assume it picks up the info off FM stations broadcasting a subcarrier), the voice response system is far better than it was on my 855, it understands me most of the time, Large screen. The lane drift & collision alerts are a bit too sensitive, but it used its built in dash cam for that and I think window reflection is playing a part. None of tat irrritating recalculating stuff, it just adjust if you go the wrong way. A pricey GPS at $400, I think it's their most expensive, but it's worth it.

My Nuvi 50LM worked great in Mexico after buying a $50 Mexico map but it didn't allow me to import routes. It would take me from point A to point B but I had little control over altering the route.
After some research I replaced the 50LM with a 2557LMT($140) that comes with North America maps loaded ( Mexico, US & Canada )and does allow importing routes.
Now I just have to figure out how to easily and reliably import routes to it.

Last year, when coming back through Hermosillo, we got caught up in a detour.We ended up in a seemingly residential area with no signs about how to get back to the main road. Luckily there was a Camaro with Arizona plates in front of us and I decided to follow him, assuming he was going to the border. I also was driving just my truck so it could have been worse if I had a trailer on behind me. Anyway, the Arizona guy led me back to the main road and on we went. Up until that time the Garmin Nuvi 2597 worked flawlessly down to Mazatlan and back.

However I also had maps and really checked the route with google maps and earth. So for me, the Garmin worked well last time. In about a week we'll be heading off to Mazatlan again, this time with our trailer. I'm loaded up with maps, Garmin, rabbits foot, 4 leaf clover and other good luck charms to help me avoid a city detour. Hope a black cat doesn't cross my path!

Streets and Maps and old Garmins did not show the Arco Norte from 57D to 85D. Have not checked our current Garmin
Reed and Elaine

I do not know for sure about a website that rates GPS systems but I use Laptop GPS World which is a sort of online forum where many GPS systems used in computers are discussed - questions asked and answered - systems compared. But this is mostly about systems that used in computers and not a GPS such as Garmin. To the best of my knowledge there are not a whole lot of options if you plan to travel in Mexico as not all GPS systems cover Mexico. Some Garmins do come with Mexico already installed as well as lifetime updates so hopefully your GPS will have the newest roads in Mexico - but keep in mind that most maps and GPS systems are at least a couple years behind the road builders. The data does not go out to mapmakers until the road is opened.

we use a Garmin 2595 with lifetime maps and traffic and it can be updated about every 6 months, you can update any Garmin with lifetime maps about every 6 months, well worth the extra for the lifetime maps

Does anyone know of a good website or magazine that rates GPS systems? (from personal experience please)... Please dont tell me to look it up on the web...I know how to do that. I am just looking to narrow the field first.

No consumer road mapping GPS device I am aware of is 100% accurate as far as route planning - they all make mistakes. That is why we need to carefully study the planned route to make sure it is taking us the way we want to go. This is not as difficult as it may appear at first.

In some cases the device will have us get off a highway to go around in circles and then return to the highway at a different point.

We recently crossed from Canada to upstate NY. The GPS had us go into NY and then back to Canada and then back to NY. It also wanted us to take a ferry over Lake Champlain.

We have long used Microsoft Streets & Trips for planning routes as it is much easier to see the route and to make any changes. We can put in "stops" or "waypoints" to create the route we want to take. We have planned one day drives in Mexico where we had to put in up to 13 waypoints. That would be from Lake Chapala to San Miguel de Allende without taking Cuotas.

With some Garmins and some versions of Streets & Trips you can plan a route in S&T and then connect your Garmin to your computer to have the Garmin take the route you planned in S&T. I have not done this but others have. Another way is to plan the route in S&T to figure out the stops to force the route and then manually add those stops to your Garmin.

We can also plan and force a route in the Garmin but it is not as easy. We have to study the map on the Garmin and move it around to track it all down and then put a point on the map for each stop or waypoint - we touch the map at each point in the correct order and have each one added to the route. Once a route is created it can be named and saved for future use.

There are lots of things that can be done with a GPS and lots of mistakes that can be made. Fooling around with the device until we have a firm grasp of ways to use it is time well spent. It can keep us out of trouble - and get us out of trouble we might get ourselves into.

Never ever follow a GPS blindly. You must check the route and plan the route. There are ways of doing this but you have to learn before you hit the road.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waypoint

A waypoint is a reference point in physical space used for purposes of navigation, otherwise known as a landmark.