GPSrChive Discussion Forum

If I purchase the "City Navigator" map as an additional download, are updates included, or do I have to pay for each update separately? What would each update cost? Has anyone had any experience with this?

If you purchase a map on the Garmin website, be it City Navigator or a Topo Map, it is a one-time purchase of the version current at time of purchase only. In other words, no updates included and you have to do a new purchase to buy an updated version of the map. Also no discounted price when purchasing a new version.

City Navigator is based on HERE maps which are heavily outdated in many areas.
Think twice if you want to buy it.

There are free OpenStreetMap based alternatives (like OpenMapChest, AlternativasLibres) that are up to date.

Thank you very much for the information. I find it very strange that Garmin only offers updates for the pre-installed maps.

Is OSM a good alternative, especially when it comes to routing?

For car navigation, Garmins aren't wonderful. The problem is that City Navigator (HERE maps) has so many bugs which aren't fixed at all, that it is simply unacceptable. In many areas they are outdated 10 years or more.
They have Map Creator for reporting bugs, but it is futile - they ignore almost everything.

You can switch to OSM and have up to date maps, byt you will lose speed limits, lane assistant, live traffic, etc.

The best you can do is just to buy cheap Android phone and use anything else (Google Maps, TomTom, etc.).