The Garmin nüvi 52 is a popular vehicle satellite navigation system. It is manufactured in three different sizes: one has a 4.3 inches display, one is 5 inches large and the other has a display size of 6 inches. The 52LM is the top selling vehicle GPS unit on Amazon.com and it comes with preinstalled US maps and free lifetime map updates. Apart from the display sizes, four different versions of the GPS receiver are sold on Amazon.com as per below:
- Garmin nüvi 52 – with US maps – the price for 5-inch version is currently $112.90.
- Garmin nüvi 52LM – with US maps and free lifetime updates – the 5-inch version currently costs $109.46.
- Garmin nüvi 54 – with US and Canada maps – the current price for 5-inch model is $130.46.
- Garmin nüvi 54LM – with US and Canada maps and free lifetime updates – the price at time of writing for the 5-inch model is $137.99.
For some strange reason, the US maps version with lifetime updates is cheaper that the one without lifetime updates. Thus one has to be stupid to buy the model without the free updates. At the same time, the model with US and Canada maps and free lifetime updates costs just $7.53 more than the version without free updates. Thus for just a few dollars more it makes sense to choose the model with the free map updates.
Amazon.co.uk is also selling four different versions of the same sat nav unit:
- Garmin nüvi 52 – with UK and Ireland maps – the price for the 5-inch model is currently £79.99.
- Garmin nüvi 52LM – with UK and Ireland maps and free lifetime updates – the 5-inch version is presently sold out but the current price for the 4.3-inch version is £73.99.
- Garmin nüvi 52 – with UK and western Europe maps – the price for the 5-inch version is £78.99 at the time of writing.
- Garmin nüvi 52LM – with UK and western Europe maps and free lifetime updates – the 5-inch model is currently priced at £79.99.
Here as well it does not really make sense to buy any model that does not include free lifetime updates. All models come preloaded with maps and include a microSD card reader and a USB connector for charging the unit and for updating the maps through a PC.
Garmin nüvi 52, 52LM, 54 and 54LM Positive Customer Reviews
Given that the GPS unit is a top selling device, it comes to no wonder that there are more than 2,100 customer reviews for the unit on Amazon.com at the time of writing. More than 1,300 people gave a maximum rating of 5 out of 5 stars and the average rating is currently 4.3. The average rating on Amazon.co.uk is 4.3 out of 5 stars, with 130 out of 205 users giving a maximum rating.
The user ratings do not distinguish between the different versions mentioned above since all versions are basically the same product, with the only difference being the preinstalled maps and the lifetime updates feature.
In the opinion of one reviewer the nüvi 52LM outperforms GPS receivers costing twice as much. Another user said that he ordered the 54LM and although it does not include traffic alerts, a feature that is usually included in more expensive models, this is still a very good sat nav for the price.
A reviewer stated that he has used the 52LM to perform multiple deliveries in the UK and he did not have any issues whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the man stated that the lane assists feature works beautifully and the facility for inputting postcodes into the software is very easy and straightforward.
A woman wrote that she bought a nüvi 52 for her husband and despite the fact that they are both senior citizens, they found the Garmin to be very simple to use. As a matter of fact, it gave them the confidence to visit places that they would not have visited had it not been for the GPS unit.
Another man said that he is very pleased with the performance of his nüvi 52LM especially since the voice on the sat nat is very clear and the fact that the device is able to find satellites fairly quickly.
Another reviewer stated that he had borrowed a few vehicle GPS units from friends to try them out and in his opinion the Garmin ones were the best. Thus he got himself a nüvi 52 and he did not regret taking that decision.
Drawbacks of the Garmin nüvi 52, 52LM, 54 and 54LM
Coming to the cons of the nüvi 52 range of GPS units, one user has commented that Garmin’s support leaves much to be desired. He said that he contacted them to ask for assistance as his unit had broken. However it took him four emails and two long phone calls before Garmin told him to ship the faulty unit back to them.
Another user wrote that he was unable to update his device. He tried using the software recommended by Garmin and also tried updating the maps through their website but it did not work. When he contacted the Garmin’s helpdesk to ask for help they told him to use the software that was not working in the first place.
According to another reviewer, he had issues in syncing with satellites but Garmin’s support suggested to stay away from high rise buildings until the GPS receiver was able to find it position correctly. The guy followed these instructions and he did not have any further issues.
According to another user, the charge on the battery only lasts for about two hours. Having said this, the sat nav is meant to be used in a vehicle, in which case one can keep it connected to the cigarette lighter for charging. This same user stated that the Garmin 52LM only provides the option to choose from faster journey time, shorter distance or off road. Apart from that it does not provide the possibility of choosing from a number of routes.
A couple of reviewers also commented that no manual is included with the Garmin nüvi 52, 52LM, 54 or 54LM. Having said thisn one of the users also commented that the manual can be easily downloaded from Garmin’s site.
