This Nuvi does several things very well, and I've yet to discover any serious shortcomings. My thoughts:
Navigation: Excellent, as is typical with Garmin units. On a couple of occasions the voice (right now I'm using Australian Karen) told me my destination was on the wrong side of the street.
Map: The map is clear, the refresh rate is fast, and all of the right information is provided on-screen, including details for upcoming turns and junctions, speed limit, and traffic alerts. It's annoying that I can't choose to switch the display of my current speed to some other piece of info. I already have a speedometer. The 3D buildings feature seems pretty gimmicky, and is implemented sporadically, even in downtown Boston. When there is coverage, most buildings are monochromatic blocks, and not the photo-realistic buildings seen in screenshots.
Lane Assist: This feature has been spot-on so far. It's nice driving in a new area and not getting flustered about being in the wrong lane. I have yet to see the full-screen 3D Lane Assist Junction View shown in the many 765t screenshots -however, I've done very little highway driving, and I believe this screen requires that the user press the top-left (upcoming turn icon).
>>>>>UPDATE: After some highway driving, it turns out that the full-screen 3D Lane Assist Junction View shows up automatically before potentially tricky highway junctions. Very nice.
Traffic: As far as I know, I have not been re-routed because of traffic. However, it's very easy to bring up a list of major roads and their current traffic conditions, and to avoid them at will. The pop-up advertising associated with the "free" traffic is pretty subtle, and never distracting.
Bluetooth: I'm impressed with this feature so far. It mated with my phone (old Motorola RAZR V3) easily, importing all of my contacts in the process. The ability to instantly dial any point of interest (e.g., to check on store hours) is brilliant. The volume from the speaker is reasonably loud. I also tried sending the audio to my car stereo using an audio cable, and the output seemed a bit low (I had to turn my car stereo way up). I have not yet tried sending the audio to my car stereo using the FM transmitter. I called my voicemail, and the built-in microphone picks up my voice reasonably well with the engine running. I'm not sure how well it would work with highway speeds. I'm told that the cheap Garmin microphone (which plugs into the cradle, not the unit) improves voice quality.
>>>>>UPDATE: This is true -the microphone is an improvement, though it adds yet another long cord to your long cord collection. Also, I've tried the FM transmitter. It works, albeit with a certain amount of static. I imagine this feature would intolerable if you are driving a long way.
Other features: I haven't used the SD card slot for anything. I haven't tried the photo viewer or the mp3 player, and I probably won't.
Build Quality: Seems solid. The unit has a certain heft to it, and it's covered in a soft, rubbery coating. I've also dropped it already (because I'm an idiot) -still working beautifully.
Suggested improvements: Garmin doesn't make it easy to look up the actual coordinates (latitude and longitude) for favorites or points of interest. This information should be available at the press of a button.
Needless to say, I'm pleased with my purchase. The 756t is not cheap right now, and if you can live without the new features, you might be better off with an older unit. That said, if you're looking for a gps device with all of the latest features and compatibility, this seems to be a solid pick.
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I'll try to make this a unique review by comparing the pros and cons of FOUR different Garmin units I've tried: c330, 265t, 765t, and the 885t. There are few reviews that offer face-off comparisons between models which can assist in making a purchasing choice. I'll share some highlights for each model, beginning with the one I've owned for over three years. Bottom line: If you want to go cheap, the c330 still works fine with new maps loaded I literally drove all over the country and rarely had any problems. If you are looking for a new model, get the 265t and you won't be disappointed. Don't buy the 765t. Consider the 885t but be ready to return if the volume output is too low.
Note with all models I had the latest firmware updates and maps at time of writing the review.
>> Streetpilot C330. Owned it over 3 years. It is an older model, and not flat like all new models today. Instead of flat, it has something of a triangular shape, and the mount has takes up more space. It is harder to pack in bag or suitcase because of this, and is the primary reason I decided to upgrade. To its credit, it is built more sturdily than any of the new models. I'm sure it could survive multiple falls. The screen is smaller, but plenty bright and easy enough to read when the sunlight falls on it. The touchscreen is sensitive and I never had much complaint with it. It is has an important feature missing from all new models a wheel volume control on the side. All new models make you hit an icon on the screen to adjust the volume, and then you must touch again to change the volume in increments, and touch one more time to return to the map. The volume is plenty loud on the c330, which is not always the case with newer models. The icons on the map are simpler. For instance, the vehicle is a blue triangle rather than a car. The maps are not as detailed, but sufficiently so. There are no spoken street names, but the prompts are good enough to get you where you want. You can still purchase map updates that will load on the unit, although the onboard memory can only support a region of the US at a time. The GPS receiver is fine most of the time, but failed me in Chicago with all the tall buildings, and I sometimes had to wait for service when leaving a rental car garage. Overall, it is a very good unit and Garmin would do well with future models to bring back the side volume control, and the tank-like build quality.
>> 265t. Owned it about two weeks so far. This is the most recent model I've purchased, and I am impressed. I will lead with a weakness, however. I bought a refurbished model on Amazon. It saved me about $40 over a new model, but I had to contact Garmin multiple times to get the free map update. It had been previously registered and the free map update was not available. Garmin had to reset the registration. I wrote them and sent a copy of my purchase receipt, and they reset the registration. Other than this, I would not have realized it is refurbished just by looking at it. The operation is also fine.
I want to emphasize something you really don't need a widescreen model (e.g, 265wt). Trust me on this. The only thing afforded by widescreen is the QUERTY-style keyboard. A few people might miss it, but I don't even though I'm a daily user of keyboards. The widescreen gives you more visible map coverage on the left and right, but it is not needed for navigating. Everything you need to see is in plain view on the squarish screen of the 265t. To best of my knowledge, all of the other functions are the same. The 265t is also smaller and easier to stow away. Save yourself the extra dough and get the 265t over the 265wt.
The 265 shares the most important features as the more expensive 700 and 800 series. In fact, I only miss a couple of things from these other models. For instance, the 800 series can be controlled by speaking commands very nice. The 700 series can display time remaining to destination, or distance to destination. Handy! I understand there are more flexible routing options with the 700 and 800, but I never use those so can't comment. Gpsmagazine.com claims the 700 and 800 have stronger GPS receivers, but I noticed I can get a signal from inside of my home with the 265, so I am hoping that it works just as well as the 700/800 in cities with big building all around. The 265 lacks 3D buildings, lane assist, and junction view. Lane assist is helpful, but the other two only show up once in a while depending on your location. It lacks a built-in MP3 player, but I don't think I miss that either (more on my experience with this below). The 265 has smooth scrolling of the map like the 765, which the 885 lacks. It also has free traffic service, but so far I haven't benefitted from this (more below). One thing better about the 265 is the volume. It is just as loud as the c330, louder than the 765t, and MUCH louder than the 885. Using the bluetooth, I can make a phone call and hear and be heard without any problems. Overall, I think the 265 would be a far better bargain for most people saving $100-$250 over the high end models but sill including great features.
>> 765t. Used it for a couple of months then returned. I won't repeat what I said above. Actually, I was really disappointed with this model for a couple of reasons. The traffic feature did not work at all for me. I drove over 500 miles to DC, and then back, and it never helped me once. I hit construction. No warning. I hit accident backups. No warnings. I got stuck in horrible downtown DC traffic, and was told I would be delayed 3 minutes, which stretched into 2 hours! Here is what I found unforgiveable, though. It sometimes told me to turn in one direction, then correct itself after I made the turn to get me going the other way. At first I thought it was me, but no, the darn thing actually got the turn direction wrong about 5% of the time! This is totally inexcusable, especially when you are entering or leaving a highway. If you are told to go onto an onramp, and then it changes its mind, you could spend another 5-10 minutes getting turned around again. I don't know why this unit had this problem. It was the one reason I had to return it. I recommend purchases from Sam's Club or Costco, which allow you to return items months later (hold onto that receipt!).
The bluetooth worked for my phone, and the volume was good enough to make calls, although callers told me I was hard to hear sometimes. I did not try the MP3 player to see whether the volume was sufficient. The FM transmitter is a joke the signal is super weak and unuseable. Some reviews say to get an external FM transmitter to compensate, but that means spending more money and seems silly.
On the plus side, I used the 3D building view to help me find the Lincoln Memorial on foot in DC, but that was only the one time it helped me. The junction assist (photo realism for highway interchanges) is nice, but you will only see it in some cities.
>> 885t. Used it for 3 weeks then returned. I'll lead with the one problem I had with my unit that caused me to return it. The volume was too low. I could hear the turn prompts well enough. But it was not nearly loud enough when driving at highway speeds for phone calls or the MP3 playback. When making calls, I could not hear the caller very well, and could not be heard clearly. When using the MP3 player, I really strained to hear an audiobook, and using earbuds did not help any. It could have been a problem with my particular unit. I can't say. I may purchase another unit to see if the volume is better. Like the 765, the FM transmitter is unuseable.
However, I really liked controlling the unit through speech commands. It works very well, and is safer to do than taking your hands off the wheel to use the touch screen. You may to strap a button onto your steering wheel that is used to engage the speach recognition. It takes getting used to having it there when turning the wheel and feeling it under your grip sometimes. Even so, if they put this feature on all of their other units it would be AWESOME. Please, Garmin, keep this feature for the future! I also liked the MSN Direct service. The traffic service actually worked for me, much better than on the 765t. You can see weather forcasts and even look at a local weather radar. This can be helpful if you are driving a long ways and concerned about heading into a storm. You also can monitor stock prices, get fuel prices for nearby gas stations, and movie times. I found however movie times were not displayed for second run (discount) theaters in our area.
Lane assist and junction view worked as well as the 765t. I did not have problems with the unit telling me to go the wrong way, like I did with the 765t. As I said above, I might buy another 885t to see if the volume issue was specific to the first unit and not the model.
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I received my 765T a few days ago and love it so far. After reading some up and down reviews, I wasn't certain what to expect. I am pleasantly surprised.
To start, the unit's volume is plenty loud, even at highway speeds. The screen is readable at all times, and automatically changes to a darkened "night mode" at night very easy on the eyes. You can force it to day or night mode, if desired.
The map's movement and fluidity is tremendous. It has a very natural looking motion at all times. Garmin claims the unit updates at 10fps, and it seems to be about that. I am still deciding if I prefer 3D or 2D mode yet, but both are great. I tested routing on a few trips and the navigation worked perfectly. Directions were given in plenty of time, and repeated at appropriate intervals. When just driving (not navigating) the green bar at the top displays your current road, and even displays the next exit when driving (not navigating) on major highways. This was unexpected for me and really cool! The voice on the unit is clear.
The overall feel of the software is great. The menus move quickly and seem logically laid out. You can add categories to your favorites to better organize them. This helped a lot, since favorites are sorted by default via distance from your current location. Creating folders for your favorites works very well. You can even add a picture (and phone #) to your favorites. Very nice!
As for Bluetooth: I paired the 765 with my Blackberry Storm easily, and everything works flawlessly. My phone's contacts transferred immediately, and I can call Points of Interest and people from my contacts easily, with 1 touch. I do not have any of the bluetooth issues described in other places. No issues at all. So I'm either lucky or maybe there is some inconsistency in the hardware. More likely, different combinations of cell phones and GPS units lead to varying results. IMPORTANT: I did update the unit to it's latest firmware, which many say have helped their bluetooth connections.
I haven't been to an area with a traffic reception signal yet, so I can't comment on the traffic function.
All the other niceties work well for me also: The picture viewer, MP3 player, etc all work as advertised. I even put 1 of my pics as the startup image.
In conclusion, I am very pleased with the product so far. This is a great product that I would highly recommend.
Honest reviews on Garmin nuvi 765/765T 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
I purchased the Nuvi 780 on Oct 1 because the 765t wasn't available at my local big box yet. Two weeks later (and after a firmware upgrade), my 780 developed a speech impediment: "Turn left at highway . . . . . 405, then turn l . . . eft." It sounded like she had to pause to either think about where she was, or to hold a fist in front of her mouth for a silent burp or something. That unit went back and by that time the 765t was out. A swap plus $100 later, I had the new unit. Pros over the 780: much faster screen redraws, faster sat acquisition, more POIs, slight user interface tweaks (all for the better IMO) and generally a tighter feel. Cons: ad supported traffic (doesn't bother me, but it might others) and no included MSN Direct. However, after using the service for 2 weeks, I would gladly trade it for faster screen redraws and the lane assist feature. Movie times and gas prices are nice, but until I can actually make my movie and dinner reservations over the GPS, I'll forgo it. The bluetooth functionality gives me the direct-to-POI dial feature, which is so utterly cool. I just moved to the Seattle area and would be so utterly lost without this gadget. It takes the stress out of driving, and that alone is worth the hefty price.
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After waiting a long time to buy a GPS and reading many, many reviews while watching the prices go up and down, I finally pulled the trigger on a Nuvi 765T on Thanksgiving morning when I saw the price drop to $349.00 on Amazon with free shipping. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the price and couldn't buy it fast enough. Especially since at the time, the lowest price I had seen was around $460. Although it had the features I wanted, I had some reservations about getting the 765T because of several reviews that listed problems with the screen, speaker volume, bluetooth, missing features from the 760, etc. So after putting it though its paces for a few weeks I would like to share my observations with this unit. First off I have to say I couldn't be more happy with my purchase. In the past I had used the Nuvi 350, and several different TomTom's as well as rental car units, and this unit blows them away. The first thing I did was to up update the firmware to v.2.50 and had no problems in doing so.
Screen: The screen on the unit I received is very bright and clear. The colors look great and it is just as bright as the Nuvi 350 I had used. The sensitivity on this screen is fine and there is no problem with the calibration for buttons, etc.
Sound Quality: The sound from the speaker is very good on this unit. Could it be louder? Sure. But in normal driving with the radio at regular listening volume and /or the windows open, I have no trouble hearing it at all when set to 100%. When driving without the radio, I actually turn it down to 80% as it is too much. The navigation voice (have tried several and like Australian Karen) at 100% is clean with no distortion. From some of the reviews I had read, I was expecting to have to hold it up to my ear to hear it, but it really is fine.
Bluetooth: This was one of the things I was worried about not working, but surprisingly the Nuvi immediately paired with both my, and my wife's older Sanyo Katana phones. It also shows the phone books and the contact names for both phones. In making calls over the Nuvi, the people I have called state that the voice quality is fine and there is no echo or distortion. Although I don't use my cell phone a lot, when I do, its great not having to hold the phone and drive at the same time. Very happy with this feature.
Traffic: I was really surprised on how accurate the traffic feature on this unit has been so far, as I wasn't really expecting much. Perhaps the coverage is better in the Chicagoland area then other areas, but it has accurately shown where there were slow downs and congestion ahead on I-90/94, I-57 and I-355. The "ads" for the free traffic pop up from time to time, but I rarely notice them and they certainly are not in the way or distracting at all.
Routing: So far, with one exception, the routing has been really spot-on. The navigation has brought us to our unknown destination with no problems, and takes the routs I would normally take for the places I am familiar with. It even knew that our home street is divided by a drainage ditch and instructed me to go past our house and make the correct two left turns to get into our driveway when arriving on the opposite side of the street. This really surprised me! It did one strange thing though, when driving home from Chicago going south down the Dan Ryan expressway, I need to eventually merge west onto I-57 south, and for some reason, the Nuvi kept telling me to get on the Indiana toll road and go east, which would have taken me miles way out of my way. I should have brought up the turn list to see where it was going to take me, but I was in heavy traffic with bad weather and needed to keep my eyes on the road. Once I passed the exit for the Indiana toll road it "recalculated" and took me home perfectly. The only thing I could think of was that I had "Avoid Traffic" enabled and there was some heavy traffic on I-57 ahead which it may have been trying to avoid, but I'm not sure. I will turn off the "Avoid Traffic" feature and try it again the next time I travel that way.
Other Features: I love the Lane Assist, and the Junction View has come up many times in the Chicago area which is a big help. I have not tried the FM transmitter yet which a lot of people complain about not working well. The picture viewer is nice and I have loaded some pictures on it and taken it to friends houses and used it to show them vacation pictures. Since my car radio plays MP3's I don't have much use for the MP3 player as of yet but will try it out in the future. I loaded several POIs for various places and they work great too; giving both audio and visual prompts within set distances of the POIs.
I could go on and on, but those are the main things I wanted to share. I had read about some early complaints with this unit, especially with the pre v2.50 update, so perhaps I just go lucky with this unit, but so far I could not be happier with it!
