Traffic Update worthwhile?

Hi everyone,

Newbie here, so please be gentle.

I'm planning on replacing my aging Garmin i3 units with a reasonably modern unit. At present it is either a nuvi 1410 or 265WT.

The former has lane guidance and the latter lifetime free traffic updates.

I've managed to get by without lane guidance up until now, but thought the traffic updates might be worth having, as long as they actually work well.

Today I got stuck in a jam in Crosshands, but managed to take another route due to local knowledge and eventually the i3 gave me directions to the route I was taking. A lot of the time it will try and get me back on the original route.

So opinions please, and does anyone have traffic updates and how reliable are they. There was no traffic update on the radio for this jam today.

 

The I-95 shuffle with lane guidance

My "commute" two days a week is between Washington, DC and New York City. (Not the most friendliest of routes if you're familiar with I-95).

Being that this pleasant sojourn takes me through DC, Baltimore, The Delaware tolls, Philadelphia (NJ-side), the Jersey turnpike, then across the bridges or tunnels into Manhattan, I can honestly say, that my nuvi 1450T gets quite the workout. Mostly it just keeps me company and finds gas stations or restaurants but I decided to try out the Real View Advanced Lane Guidance system just to see how it works under "battle conditions".

I am of two minds: One, it is VERY distracting, at least at first until you get used to it then you kind of treat the view like any other gps advice and usually ignore it or follow on a sort of mental autopilot into the lane it wants you to go. Also, when you are in major city areas, there does appear to be a lag time periodically which of course defeats the purpose of the lane guidance!

The other mind, says its great! (when you really need it). If its working correctly, it gives you enough time to "bully" your way over five or six lanes to get into the appropriate lane and eventually make it to your exit.

Its not a feature I MUST have, nor use very often. Like I said, its good in areas where you have no real idea where to go, but even then - at least in my experience, it is sometimes wrong. i.e. the Washington, DC reversible lanes and some of NYC that are one way for a short distance then switch to being one way in the opposite direction (upper west-side seems to flummox it).

Anyway that's my story with it. Hope it is of use.