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| GARMIN Zumo 450 3.5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator | 
 enlarge | Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $799.99
Buy New: $369.97
You Save: $430.02 (54%)
New (74) Used (1)
Avg. Customer Rating:  51 reviews
Sales Rank: 1076
Platform: Not Machine Specific
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 320x240
Display Size: 3.5
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.4
Dimensions (in): 2 x 3 x 4
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: 0100056705
Model: 0100056705
UPC: 053759068050
EAN: 0753759068059
ASIN: B000MF7L46
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Does not live up to expectations! September 3, 2007
21 out of 23 found this review helpful
After hearing good things about the Zumo product line from Garmin and owning another Garmin GPS unit I purchased the 450 model because I did not need all the features and the expense of the 550. First off there is no owners manual in the box only a "quick start" card and a cd containing a pdf manual which does not print on standard size paper. This doesn't work out so well if your on the road without a laptop to view the manual. The unit does seem to be well built and installation was pretty simple on my 2002 Gold Wing since I already had power for a previously installed GPS III and a mounting bracket on the bike. Once the cradle that comes with the unit is assembled and the power cable connected to the cradle (by tiny screws), attaching it to the bike was a snap but once the cable is connected to the bike power source the cradle assembly must remain attached to the bike since the power cable is screwed to it. On the GPS III I could unplug the cable from the rear and loosen the mounting arm and tale the whole unit off the bike just leaving the cable in place. The unit itself attaches to the cradle with a multi-pin connector on the bottom and small clamping device at the top with security screw that takes a special small screw driver that's supplied. This makes it very unhandy to just pop the unit off for a quick lunch or rest stop. Also,the little screwdriver they supply is stupidly designed. They instruct you to attach it to your key chain via the hole at the top but if you do this to turn the security screw you have to turn your whole key chain and keys because it doesn't swivel at the top. For me that includes the big key fob for locking and unlocking the Gold Wing's luggage. Dumb design. OK now for operation: Programing routes via computer or the touch screen was no problem and was actually pretty easy. It took a little investigation before I figured how to copy routes to a SD card on the computer and then put the card in the Zumo and upload them to the unit. It's easier to upload routes via the supplied usb cable. Again pretty hard to do if you don't have a laptop on the road. BUT the biggest problem I had was that on my first 750 mile trip this Labor Day weekend the unit quit working after 500 miles. It's "deader than a door nail". Made a rest stop on the way home and shut the unit off and when I went to leave it would not restart. It does not work off the bike power nor the internal (4 hr) battery. By the way the only way you can charge the internal battery is from the bike power cable and I think it also charges when attached to the computer via the usb cable. Anyway another rider on the trip said that a friend of his had the same problem with his Zumo and he had to return it and they sent a complete new unit. Hopefully they will do the same for me but I did not expect this from Garmin (or any other gps of this class) since I have used my GPS III for years on my motorcycles and bicycle without a problem. This is a unit specifically designed for motorcycle use and it it very disappointing to have it fail so quickly. I hope it is not a Zumo-wide flaw.
OK I just read Chad K's review below and the manual and did the "power & +" buttons reboot and the unit is up and running again. But why did it quit in the first place??? Would have been nice to have the manual on the road but my laptop won't fit in my trunk!
 Convenient but question the reliability August 26, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I had a Garmin 2610 for several years and mounted it in my cars, my Goldwing, my Suzuki, etc. The 2610 is NOT an ideal motorcycle GPS but is great for a car because of its remote.
On the other hand, the Zumo is really convenient for both types of vehicles. The Zumo is my first experience with a 3-D, what-you're-pointing-at-is-up display; after a couple thousand miles I've grown to like it. I'm not sure that the Zumo has auto-zoom, but whatever it is doing is far superior to the auto-zoom on the 2610 (which frequently showed me a quarter of the continental United States...like I need that on a motorcycle!)
All of the features of the Zumo have a design center of a bike rider with 3 season gloves on. I like that!
Compared to the 2610, you lose some options, some extra data, etc., but overall I do not miss that stuff a bit.
Yes, the 450 compared to the 550 requires some extra purchases (automobile components) but it is $200 less expensive at this point.
I just got back from a 1300 mile drive (in a car) to California from Portland. On the return, I plugged my portable XM radio into my car's AUX input instead of the Zumo (which I had done on the outbound) with the 2GB SD car I had loaded up with tunes. Well, at 5:15 am, I just about drove up the sidewalk when the Zumo spoke to me without the benefit of an audio input to the car's system. Garmin does not do a very good job of marketing the fact that the car mount INCLUDES a speaker on it, so no audio connection is needed to the car (although the output is provided!).
NOW, my complaint...on this return car trip from the north Bay area, the Zumo went belly up somewhere just south of Shasta City. Why??? Dunno. Fortunately, it had already directed me through a fairly tortuous route through Napa & Sonoma counties (in the dark, with fog, yuck). On the road, I tried every CPR technique (even reading the manual on my laptop during the lunch break) but to no avail. Once home, where the tools are, I got out my metric allen wrenches, removed the battery, counted to 30, put the battery back in, and all was swell. Guess what little tool is going into the Zumo's carrying case???
Except for this lapse in firmware which seems unrecoverable without a hard repowering/rebooting, I like the Zumo 450 a lot. Would I go for the 550? Well maybe...maybe not. The Bluetooth thingy is OK, but using it means you spend mega bucks rather than $4 for an audio cord. Fit a BT earpiece into my helmet?? RUNUTS?
Indeed, the internal memory holds the entire USA and every 2-bit Denny's along the way!!! You put in an optional SD car for the ability to play music.
OH YEAH - ONLY .MP3 files area supported. Bummer for other formats.
 Great product; some things to consider August 2, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
First of all installation really was quick and easy with the included hardware. I just needed a small screwdriver and a hex wrench from my toolbox to complete installation.
Something I didn't pay attention to when deciding which model to get: apparently the Zumo 550 also comes with everything you need to mount the unit in a vehicle if you want; for the 450 you have to buy the suction mount and cigarrete lighter cord separately. Adding to the confusion, as stated by several other reviewers, Amazon's descriptions for the accessories are all wrong. However the part numbers given by Tom S below are indeed the correct parts you need to order to install in a vehicle, and the box you get in the mail says they are for the Zumo, even though Amazon says they're for anything but Zumos.
Very nice unit for bike or car, in the US or abroad August 1, 2007
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
I bought the Garmin Zumo 450 as my first GPS. I had contemplated getting a GPS for years. I've always been a `map guy' and was reluctant to make the leap to GPS. I had plans for a few motorcycle trips this year and saw the Zumo line. I also had a car trip through France planned and when I realized I could buy a France map card for the Zumo, that sealed the deal. I've used the 450 on three motorcycle trips already and just got back from France. The Zumo was a real nice addition. Apart from the navigation, it is handy for looking up places. When in Indy for the F1 race, I wanted to find a bookstore...looked it up in the Zumo. Wanted to see a movie...looked it up in the Zumo and it gave the telephone number so I could call for movie times. The France map card worked great...helping me navigate the maze of Paris and the countryside. I still recommend using a map to cross check. On the downside, I wish the Zumo had elevation. Also, since the added features of the 550 (Bluetooth, etc.) didn't appeal to me, I got the 450. Well, the 550 comes with a car mount which I would have appreciated. Probably would get the 550 the second time around. Bottom line, it is a nice tool. Easy to use, in the car or on the bike.
7,000 miles and all smiles! July 27, 2007
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
I bought the Zumo 450 a month ago and promptly mounted it to my 2003 Goldwing. The supplied RAM mount is excellent and provides for a variety of mounting positions. Wiring was made simple by Honda, as there is a fused auxiliary power supply under the left cubby.
The Zumo is exceptionally intuitive and easy to use. I played around with the unit for about a week while commuting to and from work. Then the fun began. I took a trip on the motorcycle from Seattle, WA to Blandon, PA and back. All told the trip was 7,000 miles. We did a ton of sight seeing during the trip, and thanks to the Zumo we had no stress about going anywhere we wanted to go.
With confidence, we rode into and around Chicago and Philadelphia. We took back roads out of Glacier National Park that we would never have seen had it not been for the Zumo directing us there.
Only had two issues with the Zumo while on the trip. The first one was that the unit froze up and would not turn on once. I followed the manual's instructions for resetting the unit (press the + and Power buttons at the same time) and I was off and running again. The second issue was that while in Philadelphia the Zumo told us to make a left turn when the street was a one-way street for traffic in the other direction. No big deal, just went an extra block and the Zumo immediately recalculated the route.
The Zumo has a ton of great features. The ones that I used the most on the trip were;
Knowing my actual speed vs. what my speedo was reading.
Altitude readings were fun!
Knowing how many miles were had left for the route in a given day.
Finding the nearest Hotels.
Finding the nearest Starbucks!
Finding the nearest gas station.
This thing has a bunch more features that I did not use much, but I am sure that I will get around to them soon. Going on another 1000 mile trip next weekend!
I am completely satisfied with this unit and would highly recommend it!
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