I have a 2555lmt, it's a couple years old but I am completely satisfied with it. Like you a 5 inch screen is plenty for me. With free map updates it's all I need. Not sure if the traffic is the fm or HD turtle spoke of.
That one has the 3D Traffic. It's better than the old FM Traffic in that it updates every 5 minutes. The traffic information is still rather basic, for example, "Slow traffic ahead," "Accident ahead," "Construction ahead," etc., but it's still useful.
The HD Traffic gives you much more detailed descriptions of traffic alerts. For example, "Stalled car in left lane," "Long-term construction ahead," "Accident - Right two lanes blocked," "Debris in roadway," etc. The HD Traffic also includes (for most but not all models with the HD Traffic) some basic weather information including current temperature, 6 day forecast, and more details.
The HD Traffic is included with the Prestige series and a few other models (I'm sure more and more will have it in the future). If you want it, you can add it by using the
GTM 60 HD Digital Traffic Receiver, for $70.
Now, there's also the Garmin Live Traffic that you can get with the Smartphone Link (Live Traffic costs a one-time $20) that actually provides far greater coverage than the HD Traffic (which is piggy backed on FM radio signals). HD Traffic is better in some cities, Live Traffic is better in others. For example, there is no HD Traffic in Canada, but Live Traffic covers pretty much all of southern Ontario and the other major cities in Canada. Toledo has no HD Traffic, but it is well covered with Live Traffic. Live Traffic works wherever you have a cell phone signal, so rural, whereas HD Traffic won't do rural. Live Traffic goes directly from the traffic servers to the Garmin via the Bluetooth link, so it really is live. It's updated every 60 seconds (contrary to the 2 minutes that Garmin states on their site), and is actually more accurate than the HD Traffic.
You connect your smartphone running the Garmin Smartphone Link app via Bluetooth, and you get the Live Traffic (also available is extremely detailed Live Weather, $5, and Traffic Cams, $5).
Live Traffic and HD Traffic cannot be used at the same time (except for the 3597, sort of), so you have to look at the coverage and make a decision.
HD Traffic Cities
HD Traffic Map
Live Traffic Cities
Web based Live Traffic
With the 3597, under the traffic settings, you can select AUTO, and it will automatically switch between HD and Live Traffic. I'm not positive, but I think the only other Garmin that does auto switching is the NuviCam model. But otherwise, if you connect the HD Traffic power cable and boot the Garmin, the Garmin uses the HD Traffic as the primary. Then you can connect the smartphone and the SmartLink and it will use the Live Traffic. To go back to HD Traffic, just disable SmartLink or Bluetooth and select HD in the settings.
If you don't have built-in HD Traffic and are looking at adding it, if it's one other the other, the $70 HD Traffic, or the $20 Live Traffic, go with the Live Traffic, as it's better overall. I added Live Traffic to my 3597 and it spends by far most of its time connected via the SmartLink rather than using the HD Traffic. It's only rarely that Live Traffic isn't available and HD is available instead (and that I notice the change). If you live and work in one of the cities on one of the above lists at the links, then you should go with whatever works for your location, but for expediting I've found the Live Traffic to be great.
I added it about a year ago, after I found out it really and truly would auto switch between the two.
I also added the Live Weather, which is worth the $4.99. The basic weather information as far as forecasts is weak, as it's just high and low temps and % of precipitation, things like that. Any weather app on the phone is going to be much better for detailed weather and forecasts. But it's got a weather radar that is updated every 15 minutes, with animation, and it's got weather alerts, and the road information is excellent, as it tells you wet, ice, snow, strong winds and fog. And gives you alerts along your route.
I got the $5 traffic cams, too. Marginally worth the $5. I mean, it is, but instead of automatically giving you the traffic cams along your route, you have to go in and manually select which cameras you want to be on the list of cameras you can choose from. That's great for someone who commutes to work and regularly deals with the same traffic cameras, but it's basically worthless for expediting, especially since you don't even know the names of the roads where the available cameras are in different cities. When in a route, and you're driving, it will give you a list of nearby cameras and their direction from you, so it's not that bad to go through the process of choosing a camera. But it requires more attention that you really want to give it when driving in areas that have enough traffic to require traffic cameras, quite frankly. But it comes in handy at times, especially out west in the mountain passes.
