Garmin 595 vs 396

Still shopping for a GPS.

$300 less than the 595 is the 396. It has everything that the 595 has minus Pandora/Spotify, tire pressure monitoring (595 requires the valve stem caps sold separately), screen size.

I was wondering if anyone has the 396 and can comment on it, or even better, if there is anyone who has owned both units and help me decide if the 595 is worth $300 more than the 396.

I have a 395 and use the tire pressure monitor system .
It can do everything that I have asked of it. I have sena units on my
helmets and have the 395, phone and xm radio all bluetoothed to helmet.
When on rides I get directions from 395 aand every other darn thing
you can think of going through my head.

Good device for my needs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shortleg0521

I have a 395 and use the tire pressure monitor system .
It can do everything that I have asked of it. I have sena units on my
helmets and have the 395, phone and xm radio all bluetoothed to helmet.
When on rides I get directions from 395 aand every other darn thing
you can think of going through my head.

Good device for my needs.

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Thanks for the reply! What advantages does the 595 offer over the 396 to justify another $300?

If the 396 ...

... allows me to pre-select roads and build my own route and give me turn-by-turn
... use Garmin's TPMS system
... use Live Stream to calm my wife's nerves about my verticality
... connect via Bluetooth so I can play my iTunes from my phone in the saddlebag

then I think I am 80% satisfied.

Missing is being able to stream Pandora through the unit, which I would like to be able to do, but not sure if that's worth $300.

I ended up going with the 396. I talked to someone at RevZilla who knew both the 595 and 396 well and walked me through a detailed comparison step-by-step. They have such great customer service. Apparently the 396 is a more modern unit, and it has caught up to the 595 in most ways by offering nearly all the features of the 595 minus a .7" wider screen and 3D topography. Not worth $300 more to me. Next up is ordering the TPM sensors with my RevZilla cash!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VStarRider

...Next up is ordering the TPM sensors with my RevZilla cash!

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As I remember when the 396 first came out, I don't think it has the TPMS. I was looking to purchase at that time as they really discounted the 395 when the 396 came out. I wanted the TPMS with the GPS so I purchased one of the discounted 395's. Been very pleased.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by F6Bster

As I remember when the 396 first came out, I don't think it has the TPMS. I was looking to purchase at that time as they really discounted the 395 when the 396 came out. I wanted the TPMS with the GPS so I purchased one of the discounted 395's. Been very pleased.

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Yep, you are right. The guy at RevZilla must have mixed the 395 and 396 up. No big deal, though - the FOBO tire pressure monitoring unit is $100 and uses an app on your smartphone. Actually cheaper than buying two Garmin TPMS units at $70 each.

Thanks for the catch, though - otherwise I would be returning them!