Garmin's newest portable GPS navigator, the GPSMap 495, looks nearly identical to several of the company's other products, including the GPSMap 496, which you might notice has a designation only one number larger than the 495. The 495 is, indeed, a handheld one feature less impressive than Garmin's current flagship portable.
The big deal with the 495 is the price. It sells for $1,695 list, which is $900 less than the 496.
So what do you not get with the 495? XM satellite weather (and radio). In fact, you can't add XM even after the fact. The interface isn't there. While XM Weather might be a big deal for many pilots, if you've got it elsewhere in the panel or just don't want or need it, then the 495 is a great value.
What do you get with the 495? Everything else the 496 has. Standard features include WAAS, SafeTaxi airport diagrams, the 496's fast processor for better panning and update, as well as five-times-faster GPS updating, Garmin's Smart Airspace feature, terrain awareness, and an FBO and airport services database that covers more than 5,300 public-use airports, and much more.
For more information on the 495, visit garmin.com.
