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Garmin Nuvi 1450

Garmin Nuvi 1450The Garmin nuvi 1450 has the same list of functions and features as its bigger brother, the 1450 LMT, but without the lifetime map and traffic update. The retail price for a brand new unit is around $319, although bargains on several online sites are abundant and you can easily find one for less than $160.

Just as the 1450 LMT, the 1450 has a giant (by GPS standards) 5 inch wide screen, a profile that’s just under an inch thick and weighs a tad under a pound. The old menu button on previous Garmin units has now been replaced by an arrow on the lower left hand side of the excellent touch screen. This touch functionality also serves to quickly change from one screen to the next, or to pan around a map.

Features
More on the Garmin nuvi 1450 interface and display, like the company’s other recent models, the lower left hand field can be customized according to what numbers the driver wishes to see. This can be made to display data like direction of travel, elevation, time of day, distance to destination, estimated time to destination or estimated time of arrival depending on whether the device is in map or navigation mode. Likewise, these fields can be shifted to run along the right hand edge of the screen, with the top three fields easily customizable and made to display any of the previously mentioned options.
The lower right hand corner of the display shows the speed and the speed limit in the current area. As the car reaches the speed limit, this display changes color, warning the driver of the fact. Some users find this a little distracting since if you stay at the limit, the speed display flickers as the color changes. It may be better if the warning can be set to go off within a range a few mph under the limit.

Like the 1450 LMT, the Garmin nuvi 1450 has the advanced Lane Assist function that will give an early enough suggestion when to change lanes in anticipation for a turn or exit. Even more useful is the included Junction View feature which shows a 3D animation of an upcoming junction, turn or rotunda. While these features are definitely well-executed for major roads, some users have noticed inaccuracies in other areas.
The unit also has a neat ecoRoute function, for those who wish to know the route that’ll give them the best fuel mileage, and it will allow plotting routes to multiple destinations. Garmin’s proprietary CityXplorer Maps, that improves navigation for pedestrians, is also supported.

Cons
As mentioned, this unit does not have the lifetime map and traffic update feature. But this is not necessarily a bad thing since most users have posted being irritated by the ads that constantly appear during traffic light stops (the lifetime traffic update feature is ad-driven). Some users also may not like the included mount as this is the type that comes with a separate power cable that could become quite fiddly if the unit is frequently removed from the car.

Conclusion
The Garmin nuvi 1450 has a list of impressive features and, if you can do without map and traffic updates, is well worth considering.