Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for Mio C230 GPS

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Mio C230 GPS

Model: C230
SKU: 8539511
UPC: 841881002970
Loaded with 1 million points of interest and complete maps for the United States, as well as text-to-speech functionality and voice guidance in 16 languages, this GPS receiver ensures that traveling is fast and fun.
Average Customer Rating:
4 out of 5
4.0
 out of 
5
(30 Reviews) 30
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot 30 reviews
5 stars
13
4 stars
10
3 stars
3
2 stars
2
1 star
2
80% of customers would recommend this product to a friend 
(
24 out of 30
)
Customer Reviews for Mio C230 GPS
Review 1 for Mio C230 GPS

good gps navigation system

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: David000
on 07/05/2008
This is a very decent product, especially for the price. well... hey, it works. thats all im asking for. something easy to use to get me from point a t point b. I live in a bigger city, so i havent run into any problems w/ directions yet, but one complaint i have is the lack of variety in commands. It can sometimes be confusing in weird intersections or junctions. But other than that, great product for the price.
What's great about it: easy to use
What's not so great: sometimes directions confusing, not enough specific commands
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Mio C230 GPS

Great until it died

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: Cocoa30
from PA
on 05/01/2008
For my very 1st GPS it was easy for me to use right out of the box. It took me from PA to CO and back with no issues. But one day it just stopped working, Glad I purchased to PRP from Best Buy. Maybe I will get the newer one when my claim comes through
What's great about it: Easy to use right out of the box
What's not so great: Doesn't tell what side of street destination is on
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Mio C230 GPS

Gift

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Drea17
from Eagan, mn
on 05/01/2008
I got this as a Christmas present from my dad. Its not the easiest thing to use but once you get use to it, it works like a charm. It has a memory slot for more storage and saves your previous routes.
What's great about it: comes with all attatchments to hang/ set in car.
What's not so great: hard to use, not for quick learners
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Mio C230 GPS

Nice little tool

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: TunemanNYC
from new york, ny
on 04/29/2008
I love this thing. It's small and portable, fits in a shirt pocket and holds a charge for quite a long time. the only downsides are similar to all such devices:
1. maps need to be updated frequently. Construction and changing traffic patterns can become a problem for you.
2. sometimes the most direct route isn't always the easiest or fastest.
Just remember those things and this tool will help you on your journeys!
What's great about it: small, portable, helpful when walking or drivingt
What's not so great: frequently updated maps would help.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Mio C230 GPS

great for me

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: pesty36
from union city,nj
on 04/27/2008
takes me where i want to go and makes sure it gets me there
What's great about it: love it gets me where i want to go
What's not so great: no complaints
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Mio C230 GPS

User Friendly

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: rlbgsu
from Madison, WI
on 04/21/2008
I use this at least once a week for my current job and for my personal use. It was very simple to set up and use the same day as my purchase. If you want a product that can get you from point A to point B with out the directions this is the product for you.
What's great about it: Simple for those who hate directions
What's not so great: Doesn't have every function as the more complicated GPS
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Mio C230 GPS

Affordable Alternative

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: kde86
from Rochester, NY
on 04/20/2008
A great product
May not have all the bells and whistles of more expensive GPS models. But it will get you from point A to B.
If you are looking for an affordable GPS consider this one by Mio.
Text to Speech at this price is rare and a must for me.
The windshield mount is large but extremely secure.
The volume controls for this gps are hidden in a settings menu. but there is a mute option from the main screen.
Overall a great product.
What's great about it: Price/ Text To Speech
What's not so great: Difficult Volume Control
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 8 for Mio C230 GPS

Broke after only 6 months

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: Dolly7681
from Lynn,ma
on 03/15/2008
I got this divice for my boyfriend to use for work, so divice is used every day. After only 6 month of usage ubs conector for charger fell into divice. Customer service sad piace got broken from mother board and that is not covered under warranty and if I want it fixed it would cost $100. Did I mentioned that I had to pay mayself for device shipping to them.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Mio C230 GPS

Mio Rocks

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Scoop
from NJ
on 03/05/2008
I was overwhelmed researching all the options for GPS units. I was able to eliminate half by not being willing to pay over $200. What was left was limited, even though I didn't want all the bells and whistles...I wanted a GPS. Didn't need a unit that took your blood pressure and translated Hungarian. Text to speech is PRICELESS in a GPS unit. It is invaluable in allowing you to look at the street signs they are announcing approach and when to make the turn, instead of a screen, which is not safe. This unit has shown me new ways to get to things in my own TOWN. Sure, you may think "your way" is best, and very often there is no replacement for local knowledge of roads...but this unit is RELIABLE with fantastic practical options for the $$$. It blows the doors of the Tom Tom, which my neighbors had and bragged about...now, not so much.
What's great about it: VALUE... includes Text to Speech!!!
What's not so great: Text to Speech only works for "stern" female voice...not the friendly english voice.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Mio C230 GPS

Excellent low cost unit

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Mandrews
from Erie, PA
on 03/03/2008
I have now owned this GPS unit for a little over two months after having done extensive research into it and like products. I have in that time used it extensively. My first experience with an automobile unit was with the original factory installed unit in my wife's Acura MDXwhich cost over $1000. Though having a smaller screen, I find this unit very comparable to that unit, and large enough. To have text to voice is a requirement as far as I am concerned. Without it you have problems in tight city blocks. Though it is not perfect (what unit is?), by reading through the documentation you can be using this unit to its full extent in 2-3 hours. Many helpful navigational extras but no unnecessary fluff like bluetooth. On a recent plane trip to Denver, it located me within a couple minutes of turning it on. I have no regrets with my purchase and recommend it to anyone. POI's are sufficient. On a trip last month, the unit helped me find a great little seafood restaurant which otherwise I would have not even noticed.
What's great about it: Excellent unit for the cost; Pronounciation of street names;
What's not so great: Tells you that you have arrived, but does not tell you the address is on your right or left. Could use a few more POI's.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 11 for Mio C230 GPS

easy to use & portable

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: pintopatty
from chicago
on 02/14/2008
I travel often and this unit has already gone on 3 trips since I got it at Xmas. Easy to see, easy to pack, easy to program. Using the manual was basically a waste of time, but I found it easy to figure out right out of the box. If you are not at all "techy" this may not be the unit for you, but I'm not that computer savvy, and found this pretty simple to understand.
What's great about it: easy on-screen instructions, take it anywhere
What's not so great: written manual almost useless
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 12 for Mio C230 GPS

Great little unit

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: flybynite
from Edgerton, WI
on 02/10/2008
I had purchased the 220 six months ago and was very happy with it. When my daughter took a job where a GPS would be a big help for her I decided that I would give her that unit. I decided that it would be a good time to update myself to the 230. I thought that the 220 was a great buy but the 230 turned out to be even better. I like the size and have used it on my motorcycle with no problems. If you are looking for a small basic GPS you can't go wrong with this one.
What's great about it: Very easy to use out of the box, fast in finding routes and locations.
What's not so great: No external speaker plug
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Mio C230 GPS

Great for the price

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Louiemlaw
from East Providence, RI
on 02/10/2008
I have had this for a month now and I have not had one problem with it. For the price it is the best one out there. It has the very important 20 channel Sirf satellite receiver so it never loses its signal. It gives great directions. I would definitely recommend this to anyone.
What's great about it: Great directions, never lose satellite, easy to use
What's not so great: No real time traffic
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Mio C230 GPS

Disappointed

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: Michiman
from Michigan
on 01/23/2008
I picked this up after a lot of looking around. Not very happy, but it's not all bad. First, I had a simple question that I e-mailed their tech support with. Waited a month with no response. I re-sent the question. A week later, still nothing. Maps are NOT able to be updated which is a BIG minus. And, I tested it out using an address I knew how to get to. It kept telling me to turn around and go north, when I really needed to be going south. This caused it to recalculate the route for about 5 minutes. It finally caught on, and calculated it right the rest of the way. It locks on to the satellite quickly. Other than the one glitch and the customer support and the fact that the maps are not able to be updated, it's not too horrible. I still would rather have another unit.
What's great about it: Screen size,ease of use
What's not so great: Gets confused,tech support
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 15 for Mio C230 GPS

Great for the money!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Methos1
from Canton, OH
on 01/06/2008
I have been using the Mio C230 for about a week and have had no problems with it at all. As soon as I plugged it in it recognized my address and identified it. One suggestion that really helped me was reading the directions throughly before hooking it up. Sometimes the urge to try it out right out of the box is just to tempting but the user interface is challenging to figure out on its own. Once you get the hang of using this device you will appreciate the many different options it offers. After several trips it has gotten me to my destination each and every time. If you have problems programming your cell phone or using a computer this may not be the device for you. I have 2 friends who have bought the Garvin nuvi 200 and that device is much easier to use but without many of the C230's options. Both are very impressed with this device and now long for it over theirs. All and all a very accurate GPS with many options that once you get the hang of are easily accessable.
What's great about it: Text to speech, User interface, night mode and more..
What's not so great: Limited POI but still has most around me! Non printable directions, on disc only.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Mio C230 GPS

Very Dissapointed

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: Laurenski
on 01/04/2008
I did my research and thought this would be the best for the price but it is horrible. I tried to get to the easton mall and It was farly easy..but then I had to take my friend back to his house and it took me in circles. I later tried to go to my friends house for new years and the whole time It had no clue where I needed to go because it kept telling me to turn around, when I knew I was going the right way. I am taking it back to the store immediately.
What's great about it: small, spoken street names, preloaded maps
What's not so great: doesnt have all the cities, makes you go on wierd back rotes
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Mio C230 GPS

Great for the money

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: SledUtah
from Utah
on 01/03/2008
I am very pleased with this GPS. I used this next to a Garmin 320 for a few days. They would take different routes to the same place, but I'm not sure which was more accurate. The Garmin was more accurate for the ending point, it would say "arriving at destination on the (right/left). While the Mio would only say arrived at destination, with no right/left. A few times it would say arrived at destination when I was still a few blocks away.
The big advantage to the Mio is the customization because it uses a version of mobile Windows. You need to connect it to a computer and do some searches on the web. You can unlock it and download a program that will add MP3 and video capabilities. You can also add games, calculator, photo viewer, etc....
Remember, Best Buy matches prices. It was on sale at another store, so I got a screaming deal (ends 1/4/07), just search for a good price.
What's great about it: Compact, Fast, customizable
What's not so great: Number of POI's
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Mio C230 GPS

Don't Buy this GPS!!!!

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: Highland66
from Highland, CA
on 12/31/2007
As a GPS receiver it appears to work fine; however, it simply lacks a convenient user interface. Simply put, the design of the database is useless. Specifically the Point of Interest (POI) database can NOT be searched by category. In essence, if you'd like to find a store other than a mall or electronics store, you'll have to know its address or the name of the store to search for it. This is not useful! If you needed to find the closest convenience store or department store when you are unfamiliar with the area, how would you know what store name or address to search for?
While the manufacturer claims it is possible for the user to categorize POI's, it is cumbersome, inconvenient, and and time consuming. It is everything you DON'T want from a device (as a category) intended to make your life easier. Why would anyone want to sift through 1,000,000 POI's in order to use their GPS? If you were willing to do that kind of monkey work, you'd be better off programing the telephone directory and selling your POI database. This unit was originally purchased for my parents; I currently use a Garmin Streetpilot i3; I've had it for 2 years. By comparison, the Mio C230 has a larger screen, slick touch-screen interface, and voice-text prompting; but I wouldn't give up my i3 for the C230 on the basis of it's utility as a convenience.
Lastly, it's voice to text leaves something to be desired. I'll concede that probably every GPSR with voice to text has the same problem; however, when attempting to read street names like "La Palma" or "La Mesa" the unit will read them as "Louisiana Palma" which may not annoy you as much as it did me. Even street names like Greenspot or pronounced as Greenspit.
What's great about it: Screen size
What's not so great: POI database
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Mio C230 GPS

Very Good Product Depending On What Your Needs Are

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Entrep1
from Stone Mountain, GA
on 12/29/2007
I purchased this unit on 12-24-07 and didn't start using it right away because of the holidays. I'm a Georgia County Police Officer and from another state; I soon saw the need for a GPS system because of the rapid building and expansion of my region and I don't know all of the new developments because they're not on alot of maps.
I took this unit to work, put it in my patrol car and began to answer calls. At first I thought it was taking me in an around about way to get to my destination, but I always arrived in the shortest possible time.
This is a great unit and better than I anticipated.
What's great about it: Quick link and accurate
What's not so great: No ac power cord and inadequate volume
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Mio C230 GPS

great GPS for technologically challenged people

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: jaguirre1974
from Pottstown, Pa
on 12/27/2007
This is my first GPS and it is the easiest thing in the world to use. Very user friendlly right out of the box. I keep it in my cup holder and it never looses a signal. The bracket that it comes with is a bit bulky so I will have to search the internet for a different, more sleek bracket. Other than that, Santa made a good choice.
What's great about it: size and ease of use
What's not so great: bracket is big and bulky
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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