I've owned a Garmin Legend HCx for almost one year now and it has seen a fair bit of use, in the bush, on the road and as a navigation aid on my trips abroad. So far, it has met my expectations - it's a solid, reasonably priced unit, very versatile, expandable memory, whatnot. The receiver is pretty sensitive and reliable. The LCD screen is ok, could be a little bigger but that is the tradeoff you get with a compact design that fits easily in a pocket. I also appreciate the very long battery life plus it runs on commonly available AA batteries, which is a bonus.

I'd spent a lot of time and research before deciding on the Legend HCx unit but now I'm pretty much sure I made the best choice at the time. From what I've seen, no other major brand on the market comes close to Garmin once you take all the factors into account.

This is just my two cents. I'm no expert, I can only share my experience. Cost doesn't seem to be a major consideration to you (as it was to me) so you may be more inclined to look for a more expensive unit. There are plenty of products out there so picking the right one can get frustrating. IMO many technical specs don't matter all that much but the real priorities are the following: receiver sensitivity, intuitive interface, heavy-duty construction, battery life and expandable memory. In about that order of importance. Any extra features such as electronic compass or altimeter are optional and IME unnecessary (they also tend to drain the batteries faster). I feel many of the high-end units out there are a bit overloaded with bells and whistles. In that regard, spending more $ might not guarantee that much better actual performance in the field.

Good hunting and best of luck with your purchase!