Garmin Nuvi 760

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Works very well; accurate; lots of POI; great interface
I purchased this unit after a very disappointing experience with the TomTom 720, which couldn't even locate my 1978-vintage ...
I purchased this unit after a very disappointing experience with the TomTom 720, which couldn't even locate my 1978-vintage house and suggested some odd routes (see my TomTom 720 review). The Garmin Nuvi 760 found my house, suggested eactly the routes I usually take on my test trips and does SO much more very, very well.

The interface in general is very easy - the go to interface has 6 million points of interest. It had every restaurant that came to mind for my look-up test. Some rather new. Wow.

The screen is very crisp and clear. The bluetooth was no problem to set up with my Blackberry 8703e (Sprint) and now all the points of interest are that much more useful with phone numbers / call options for each.

It has great setting features - like being able to go from an "ABC" key layout to QWERTY, or selecting from an "automobile", "bicycle", or "pedestrian" mode - very handy.

It also adds a great direct "where am I" feature that gives your position at the touch of a button and then lists all the emergency service links (police, fire, hospital) on the side (you can also see those through the POI list).

It had multi-segment trip ability AND simulated GPS run through of a route - so it takes you through a route as if you were driving it, when you're really just at the kitchen table.

Okay, so great features that so far seem to be executed well, but I don't want those to take away from what really impressed me about the unit the most: very accurate and great routing - which after all are the key GPS functions and ones which at least the other company I tried seemed to miss on. Read more
by PB G4 (see profile) - October 9, 2007

30 out of 30 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Great GPS Best I have hAD
Had my 760 a few weeks and first observations
1. My screen is really bright and I like it.No
...
Had my 760 a few weeks and first observations
1. My screen is really bright and I like it.No problem seeing it even at night. Seems brighter than the 680.
2.The mount seems improved also.Locks the Nuvi on better and has a quick release button.Easy to use.
3.Signal is great! Mine picks in 15-20 seconds after I turn it on.It is between 11-17 feet accuracy.
4.Love to be able to sort routes, That is what I bought it for and it works great so far.
5.The voices are good but the speaker is smaller than the 680 so they are not quite as loud but still very good.
6.Re-routes quickly when you go offtrack.
7 Road lock does not seem to be a problem, have not run in to that scenario yet.
8.Really like it being thinner than the 680. Put them side-by-side in Best Buy tonight and you could really tell. Fits in my pocket better.Best Buys 760 unit was Solid Glossy Black, Mine I like better it is Matt Black nice finish with a silver stripe in the middle
9. My cellphone works better and people and understand what I am saying clearly. Had a problem with this on the 680.

Really glad so far that I updated from the 680. Traffic works fine with the cable provided but I bought an MSN cable as I prefer the MSN. Also I emailed Garmin about a Mapsource CD and they emailed back ?it?s on the way to you free?. Read more
by OrlandoRealtor (see profile) - December 1, 2007

11 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Wonderful GPS
All in all, I'm very impressed with this unit. I have been looking out for it for several months ...
All in all, I'm very impressed with this unit. I have been looking out for it for several months now and was on the fence between this model and the nuvi 680 which is also an excellent piece of equipment. I like how the antenna was integrated into the design of the unit. I have noticed no downside to this as I have always had quick connects to gps signals. The screen is bright and easy to see in sunlight. This unit along with other garmin units, has as easy learning curve when it comes to figuring out it's many options and settings. I live in the Houston area and the MSN Direct features work GREAT! I had some reservations about it, but after kicking the tires on the program for awhile, it has givin me correct gas prices and for the most part has beem very accurate to traffic updates. Now, I live just outside the Houston area and it still shows full bars on msn's own meter for reception. Now, this unit didn't come with the MSN Direct Receiver/power cord rather then it came with the FM Traffic alone version instead which also seem to gather information with ease. I was able to attain the MSN direct power cord/antenna for a reasonable cost although these things are expensive accessories. I found it a very worthwhile expense. I just wish they had one power cord that had both FM Traffic/Msn Direct in one. Having to bring 2 cords around is a hassle, but what can you do. Now the style of the unit in my opinion is improved over the ever ageing style of the former 300/600 series nuvis. They have 2 case styles of this unit. It comes in a standard matte black front and back and sides in matalic gray at most locations you will find on the internet or local area vendors. Now, Best Buy carries the unit in a full Black High Gloss version that I got. I just prefer the look and in no way takes away from the other style or performance of the other unit. On the Road the device has been very accurate and has an option to offer a great amount of details as you pan out on the screen to maintain maximum amount of data with area streets etc. I love details and the only drawback to that settings is the redraw of the maps as it moves is slowed down sligtly but hardly noticeable unless you are looking for it. I like driving on the main highways and it shows the current speed limits posted on the unit. There is so much good I could say about this unit, but others have all ready made their comments so I won't repeat. I will say that for an all in one unit it contains many features, some I will use and some I may never not. But, it's nice to have all those features there regardless for those moments when you just never know. I rank this unit on personal usage and open mindeness when scoring it so others out there wanting fair minded reviews can make their own judgement. It's just an incredible piece of hardware. Read more
by bigd1967 (see profile) - December 2, 2007

10 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 comment posted to this opinion

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Garmin's best yet
I travel a lot and having a navigation unit mounted in the middle of my dashboard doesn't do me ...
I travel a lot and having a navigation unit mounted in the middle of my dashboard doesn't do me a lot of good when my car is parked at the airport. This Nuvi 760 is replacing my Nuvi 350, as I wanted Bluetooth...I've had it about a week now and no complaints. The Bluetooth was a snap to set up with my Motorola Razor, it even downloade all the telephone numbers automatically. The FM transmitter is great and easy to operate and the sound of your cellphone or audio through you car speakers is really great. The lack if an antenna sticking out the back is a nice improvement.
They have also improved the suction cup window mount, much better that the one that came with my Nuvi 350, this one stay put. Start-up seems much faster and the wide screen is nice other than the larger screen reduces battery life...my will run about 4.5 hrs with the brightness at 50%, but since it's usually used in the car and hooked up to the 12v battery life is not an issue. Lots of new and easy to use features. I continue to look at other Mfg's to find a better GPS unit but you just can't beat Garmin quality and support. this is my 7th GPS of one sort or another and it's so far the best yet...but nothing rate a 10 Read more
by wmoss7 (see profile) - November 7, 2007

6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.

8 out of 10 - Excellent
An excellent portable GPS system.
I tried to do my homework on portable GPS systems before I bought my new system, the Garmin Nuvi 760. ...
I tried to do my homework on portable GPS systems before I bought my new system, the Garmin Nuvi 760. My previous system is the Navman 4420. I bought the 4420 for 2 main reasons - 1. it is a Bluetooth enabled GPS receiver; and 2. it works with my HP iPAQ RX3715. Navman no longer sells or supports the separate 4420 GPS receiver and software so I cannot get map updates; time to change systems. My experience with the Navman/iPAQ combination system was ?okay?.

I have owned the Nuvi 760 for 2 weeks and have used it in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and Detroit locations.

I narrowed my search for a new GPS using web reviews. The top products I considered were the TomTom 920 and the Garmin Nuvi 760. My selection of the Nuvi 760 was heavily influenced from friends who raved about the Nuvi 660. The Nuvi 760 is mostly an updated version of the 660. Nothing in this review is specific to my use of the TomTom since I do not have it and have not used it. There are several sites where you can compare features between the Garmin and the TomTom such as http://www.gpsreview.net/compare-gps/?gps=1214-1197.

On the positive side:

Ease of use: The Nuvi 760 is very easy to use. My old Navman required me to start the 4420, connect the 4420 with the iPAQ via Bluetooth, configure and use the SmartST software for the iPAQ. The Nuvi760 . . . well, just turn on the system. My first destination was to my home from the location where I bought the unit. I did not read the instructions to set up or to enter my destination. I just turned the unit on and used the ?Where to? function of the Nuvi. (Real men do not need instructions [or travel directions]; or at least they do not admit it.) Getting back home was easy, intuitive and accurate. I found this to be true of all of the locations I have used the unit to find.

Start up: A GPS receiver determines your position by collecting signals from geosynchronous satellites and triangulating your position from their signals. Satellite acquisition time is about the same for the Nuvi 760 compared to the Navman 4420; roughly 5 seconds (?warm? start) to 45 seconds (?cold start? from a new area). I prefer the Navman satellite acquisition display, I can see the number of satellites (up to 12) I am receiving and their relative strength - green, yellow or red - good, fair, poor. The Nuvi shows 6 bars for satellite reception; also red, yellow, green, but as an overall indicator, not by individual satellite. Not a big deal but different. Actual satellite acquisition time is about the same for the two systems. NOTE: Acquisition time is much faster when standing still. If you are moving it seems to confuse the GPS receiver.

Finding locations: The Nuvi clearly excels over Navman here. The Navman requires satellite acquisition before selecting a destination, the Nuvi does not. This is a significant improvement if you are trying to set up a route inside your starting point before you leave. (NOTE: The Nuvi 760 has all of the North America maps; the Navman requires you have to have loaded the appropriate maps to ROM memory - internal, or external SD cards). SmartST breaks many cities into subsections which the Nuvi does not. The SmartST system can be a very confusing method when trying to pick a destination location where you are not familiar with the location of the destination. The Nuvi can readily find streets, POI (Points Of Interest - like store names) and intersections from user input. You can also enter a few characters and have a list of possible candidates displayed for you to select. You can type location data using a user configurable ABCDEF or QWERTY virtual keyboard. I have noticed that POIs are not complete; I do not know if this is because Garmin requires a royalty to be included in their POI listings. I have a UPS store near me that does not display when using ?UPS? as a search criterion and it has been there at least 6 years. Not a major problem but a relevant observation. Route calculation is quick and accurate.

Map coverage: The Nuvi 760 includes all North American maps - Canada, US and Mexico. The SmartST software included only the US and Canada and specific maps had to be loaded to my iPAQ by state or province (or parts of states/provinces). The TomTom boasts North America and Europe. I do travel in Europe on business so the Nuvi 770 may have been a better choice since it includes North America and Europe. I may have to buy the European maps. Here the TomTom 920 may have an advantage since it includes the North America and European maps. I have used the Garmin 760 North American maps in the SF Bay area, Chicago and Detroit and found the maps to be quite good.

Bluetooth: I wanted Bluetooth connectivity to use my Samsung Blackjack cell phone with the unit. It works very well except transmitting voice from the Nuvi. Voice pickup of the Nuvi is poor. This has been pointed out in several reviews. I cannot say if the TomTom works better. Receiving and hearing calls is good enough. I may need to buy a voice receiver so the party I am calling can hear me better. This is a clear negative for the capabilities of the Nuvi 760. Still, adding the cell phone via Bluetooth was easy. Cell phone integration does not exist for the Navman 4420.

Traffic problem reporting: The Nuvi 760 includes a 90 day FM traffic information subscription. I have not found this not to be particularly useful except for reporting the travel time delay to be expected versus open road travel times. It does offer the ability to ?avoid? road segments but only if the software can calculate an alternate route near where you are. This alternate route did not exist for my commute home from the SF Bay area or on the trip to Chicago O?Hare?s airport. I did get a delay estimate because of the heavy traffic which was marginally useful. This feature is only ?okay? for me so I may or may not renew the subscription to the optional service ($60 per year).

Data Storage: The Nuvi 760 includes 2GB of ROM storage and about 512MB is free out of the box. The storage can be used for additional maps. MP3 files, audio books, and other add-ons (like additional vehicle icons or commercial and user created POI files). The TomTom 720 boasts 4GB of ROM but I do not know how much is useable; one review says 170MB is available on the TomTom. The Navman SmartST software allows SD card expansion for additional maps only.

Not so positive:

Price: The Nuvi 760 is more expensive than a lot of GPS systems, including the TomTom 920. My best advice is to surf the internet for best pricing. I paid $599 for my unit ($20 more expensive than the cheapest web site but I got it same day from a local distributor). The TomTom 920 tends to be less expensive.

Turn navigation: One of the negatives of the Nuvi is the distance from your turn when the voice directions tell you to turn. This is a valid issue; however, I found the Nuvi warns you several times as you approach a turn. I found that if you pay attention to the early warnings you are well prepared to take a turn even if you are right on the turn before the final turn notification.

Carrying case: For $600 you would think Garmin could include a protective carrying case; it does not. While this is not a major issue it is an irritant to pay another $20 to get a cover to protect the unit when removing it from the car.

AC adapter: The Nuvi does not include an AC charger. The unit has a built in lithium ion battery, a DC charger/adapter for the car (with FM traffic information receiver), and a USB cable to attach the unit to your PC/laptop for data transfer and charging. (I am charging my Nuvi using the USB cable as I prepare this review.) One thing I really like about the Navman is the user replaceable AAA batteries. I know that sooner or later the non-replaceable battery in my Nuvi will no longer hold a charge; I will have to send the unit in for service and/or buy a new system. To me, user replaceable batteries should be standard.

Overall: I would recommend the Nuvi 760 to friends and family looking for a portable GPS unit. I would say it is about an 8 on a 1 to 10 scale. If price is a major consideration, look at the Garmin 660 as an alternative. Read more
by ca_mustang (see profile) - December 9, 2007

5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.

8 out of 10 - Excellent
Will buy when it becomes available
I went shopping for portable/mobile GPS systems today (birthday gift for my wife), and came home with a nuvi ...
I went shopping for portable/mobile GPS systems today (birthday gift for my wife), and came home with a nuvi 660. Then I started reading specs, reviews, etc.

I've decided to take the 660 back and wait for the 760 to become available for purchase. It seems to fix some of the shortcomings of the nuvi 660; for example, it will save up to 10 routes (the 660 will save none), allow you to specify 'via' points, etc.

I'm presuming that performance otherwise will be on-par with the 660. I couldn't find anywhere, but hope that the in-car charger plugs directly into the GPS device itself, and not into the suction-cup mount, as with the 660. Either way, it won't be a deal-breaker for me.

I also presume that the map data out of the box will be more current that the 660. Read more
by Jon Austin (see profile) - September 12, 2007

5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.

7 out of 10 - Very good
Great GPS in a Small Package
I have been a Garmin supporter for along time. I am coming from a feature packed 2820 and I have ...
I have been a Garmin supporter for along time. I am coming from a feature packed 2820 and I have had to sacrifice a lot of features going to the Nuvi.I am going to start off with the negative first:

I had a lot of issues with the Bluetooth version 3.0 with my Blackberry with disconnects. I called Garmin and they had me downgrade the Bluetooth software and now it works great.

I also live in Houston and I used custom avoidances on my 2820. What was nice about that feature is a could tell the unit to NEVER take me a certain way. This was useful because certain roads look great on a map but are a pain to drive.

I am also getting used to not having a remote. If I was on a call I used to be able to just push volume up on my remote. Now I have to reach over and go into the menu.

I use my GPS for work and personal. Having categories in your favorite folder was useful for me. I had a work folder and a personal folder. So when I want to go somewhere with the wife I don't have to sort through 100's of doctors.

My last gripe has to do with the handsfree operation. While on a call and you are following a route there is no longer a ding to let you know that a turn is coming up. I have already missed a ton of turns because I am in sles and live on the phone between going to Doctors' offices. Also the speaker is weak and tinny when you bump up the volume. If you are on a highway you have to be at 80% or above for it to be a comfortable conversation. I will be hardwireing my audio out to my car radio as a result of the poor performance.

Now for the good, traffic alerts work well. The screen is bright and very readable. The vehicle icons are cool and you can download more. You can run a mic to the cradle base for better sound while on a call. The size of the unit is great. Read more
by dentalrep (see profile) - February 8, 2008

4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Works as advertised
After a disasterous experience with the MIO C520 (returned), the Garmin 760 is welcome relief. It is EASY to use ...
After a disasterous experience with the MIO C520 (returned), the Garmin 760 is welcome relief. It is EASY to use and it works! My only complaint is that it likes to send me on major highways when I know they are not the best route. The returned MIO 520 was good at the back roads, but had some "show stopper" deficiencies. The Garmin 760 wants me to return to the preferred route a bit too long after I take the back roads. But it figures it out after a while. The configuration choices for the 760 are "fastest" and "Shortest", but the freeways are NOT the fastest as one might expect. For areas where the user is clueless, the Garmin would be a great tool. I have no major complaints. Read more
by rc_allen (see profile) - November 27, 2007

3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

6 out of 10 - Good
Garmin Nuvi 760
I purchased a Nuvi 760 yesterday. If you like downloading ROUTES into your GPS from your computer this is NOT ...
I purchased a Nuvi 760 yesterday. If you like downloading ROUTES into your GPS from your computer this is NOT the unit for you. Routes must be built in the unit and this is not very easy and in some cases seems impossible.

The 760 will NOT download GPX files from your computer or MapSource as routes. It will only down load GPX's as "Custom Points of Interest" (POI's). You then have to select each POI and try to re-build that route in the unit. This is VERY difficult and time consuming, with a LOT of menu layers and button pushing between the list of POI's and the route pages.

Further, the POI's are re-ordered - from the GPX route's original sequence - to list them in order of proximity from your current position (from closest to farthest). So, it is impossible to see what the GPX's routing was originally. This makes any attemt to order the POI's like the GPX's route impossible.

As an example, after Downloading a GPX tour of the 17 mile drive of Monteray, Ca, I had to move each POI to hand build a route in the unit. But, even after allowing the unit to do its cool new feature and "optimize" the route, the unit planed a route helter-skelter through Pebble Beach Golf Course and not on the leasurely, logical costal site-seeing tour like the original GPX's route was built.

A quick check of the user's manual and GPX's are not mentioned.

Another problem is Garmin does not send a CD COPY of "City Navigator North America NT 2008" in the box so you can put it on your computer. Silly really...you bought the license agreement to "City Navigator North America NT 2008" when you bought and powered-up the Nuvi 760.

I REALLY HOPE Garmin is not going to ask people to buy the same set of "City Navigator North America NT 2008" map data TWICE! Now that would be inflation...

Also, all functions of the unit are not usable when plugged in to a USB. So, as shipped, the only way to use/program the device while charging it is in your car. So, plan on buying the AC adaper if you want to play with the 760 outside your car. No carry case included either...

It seems like Garmin stuffed a lot of complex features in this device to try to make it "all in one", But in that process they made it more difficult to to do many things that are more easily done on the computer. Read more
by vmtilley (see profile) - October 20, 2007

6 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 comment posted to this opinion

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
BEST OUT THERE, NO ROCKET SCIENTISTS NEEDED
I TRIED THESE BRANDS, TOMTOM, MAGELLAN,LG, COBRA,ETC.GREAT EFFORT,BUT KNOW PRIZES.CUSTOMER SUPPORT FOR THESE BRANDS WERE ...
I TRIED THESE BRANDS, TOMTOM, MAGELLAN,LG, COBRA,ETC.GREAT EFFORT,BUT KNOW PRIZES.CUSTOMER SUPPORT FOR THESE BRANDS WERE OK TO HORRIBLE.SOME TECH HELP DIDNT EVEN KNOW THEY SUPP