Personalize your Garmin GPS - Follow that burrito!

Not to be outdone by TomTom's choice of celebrity voices to personalize their portable GPS navigation devices,  Garmin offers an increasing variety of vehicle icons to replace the generic car used to identify your position on their units. They are available as free downloads from the company's Web site. 

Choices range from ones you might expect, like sports cars, racers, and motorcycles, to others you might not. Like images of food.

You can choose an image that might look a little more like your own car, minivan, or truck. The Highway Hauler, for example, is an SUV. Come holiday season, you can download the version with a freshly cut tree on its roof, and it becomes the Holiday Hauler. A summer seasonal option is a heavily loaded station wagon bearing a remarkable resemblance to the Family Truckster from "National Lampoon's Vacation," right down to the wood paneling. Cue that one up for your family's own big adventure.

An impressively accurate vintage Winnebago might appeal to motor home pilots, and the modified Jeep CJ looks ready for the Rubicon trail. For truckers or long-haul wannabees, a big rig is available. Icons for various emergency vehicles let you give yourself your own police escort, or chase your own ambulance. For those who'd rather be flying, as many of us would when stuck in traffic, a variety of aircraft are offered. 

And then there's the stuff you might not expect. My personal favorite is the burrito. Yep, as in foil-wrapped, takeout food. Like an edible beacon, the burrito now proudly leads the way on our Nuvi 205W, turning one way and another in appetizing fashion. Not in the mood for Mexican? Download the slice of pizza instead.

In case you're wondering, no formal testing is planned to determine the impact of an eternal burrito or slice o' pie on our waistlines, but I'm thinking it can't be good. 

Pirates of the Caribbean fans can choose the pirate ship Black Pearl, available right side up or upside down. Now, I don't have a problem with someone who chooses to get their guidance from a fictitious pirate ship, capsized or otherwise. But those who opt for the cannon icon are another story. Motorists who like to follow an image of a large, deadly weapon while finding their way to Grandmas, the big box store, or wherever might have some serious road rage issues - but probably not as many as those who choose the tank.

There is an impressive selection already, with many icons tied in with specific Garmin marketing campaigns, such as NASCAR racing, and a group for a whimsical winter. Browsing the selection has had us joking about the possibilities for future choices. A cute little bunny...a nuclear submarine...a road-line-painting truck...Pac-Man...

Would you install custom guidance icons on your GPS device? And what would you like to see for choices?

As for me, I installed a variety on the Nuvi 205W, but I'm sticking with the Burrito of Guidance.    

—Jim Travers

For more information on portable GPS navigation systems, see our Ratings and buying advice and watch our video guide. Discuss GPS devices in the forums.  

Comments

[wewelsh39]

I love Consumer Reports, but I really can't get excited about being able to download a symbol for my moving vehicle. I did that last December. I'd really like to be able to download something more significant from Garmin. My son has an inexpensive TomTomOne and can download a lot more than I can for my Nuvi 750.

He can also change a route from point "A" to point "B" without having to add alternate destinations en route to his original destination.

[melville248]

WOW, some people have a lot of time on their hands! Well,I guess it could be fun following a runaway burrito?

[Rj]

Garmin GPS is for dummies. No personalization no PC sync & update tool. I have a 2 yr old tomtom which out beats a Nuvi 650 in the amount of customizations and content available on the net

[Sid Savage Auto Dealer Supply]

Ha, that was an entertaining article. What's next Monopoly pieces as your icon? Thanks for this, made me smile.