Before buying this GPS, I did an extensive research on the portable GPS units available in stores such as Best Buy, Circuit city etc. After reading a lot of reviews and comparing different products, this struck to me as the one that had all I wanted in one GPS. Sure enough, this product was rated one of the top GPS products on CNET reviews next to head to head competitor Tom Tom 930, which was my first choice until I read Garmin reviews. Here is what I have looked for in GPS and this is why I would highly recommend this unit to anybody who is looking for all in one GPS at a decent price.

Garmin nuvi 765T comes with a decent package–Bluetooth capability (it will import your contacts, history etc.) for Phone and lifetime traffic update in the covered areas (it’s always good idea to check coverage).

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Let me start out our that I only have experience with the nuvi 200w and the 765t so my opinions don’t expand beyond these two devices.

Everything about the 765t has improved from previous versions. The nice matte black color and the textured finish really are great cosmetic touches and make this $450 device feel like $450. The mapping and navigation are in typical garmin fashion, superb. The lane guidance is VERY helpful and is the reason I bought a new garmin to begin with. It really does take the guess work out of freeway driving. I had never driven in San Francisco before and I went up there for a concert. The roads are tricky but with the lane guidance I had no problem. The real life picture of the roads pops up now and then in tricky junctions. IT does look very realistic, but quite honestly with the lane guidance feature, you don’t really need to real life picture; you already know where to go.

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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.

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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.

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