Which do I choose??

look for a unit with lifetime maps. Of all the bells and whistles, that trumps the rest unless you travel all the time.

You need to decide which features are important to you. Do you need multi-point routing (routes) is probably the biggest question to answer. Then comes screen size.

I agree with Box Car routes is very important if you want to take control from the GPSr and decide the way to San Jose.

it depends how much you want to pay for a gps. I have a 3790lmt with the bells and whistle and paid 399.00 at Best Buy. I will use it on a trip to louisiana tomorrow for the first time. I like all the features that it has so far.

It depends on your budget and the features that you want.

This is where I am turning to you all. Lifetime maps is something definite, screen size 4 to 5in range,the routes isnt such a big thing and other features I hear good and bad about. Bluetooth for example, is it worth it? I defintely want something that speaks street names and the lane assist, how good is that? Can I get something like this for around 200 bucks?

Routes is a bigger feature than you think. Get a unit without routes and then when you want to make a couple stops enroute to someplace you realize just how big a deal it is. With routes you can plan a trip of several days and have the entire trip in the unit. Then as plans change for a quick stop, it's easy to add it as an intermediate stop and continue on your way.

You don't have to buy new, a refurb from a reputable dealer like New Egg is a good choice as well. More bang for the buck but it probably won't come with lifetime maps - there are some being offered, but not many. The Bluetooth in these units is so hit-and-miss it really isn't worth it in my estimation. I bought a good speaker that clips to the visor and it works much better than my Nuvi ever did. The best thing about the speaker is even without the GPS in the car I've still got hands-free.

For myself, I'm wavering on picking up a 765T for a spare. I also have a brand new 255WT still in the package I may give for Christmas. No BT, no routes but a very capable unit.

I think any Garmin you choose will do the basic job of getting you there. You really have to set your budget and figure out what features you really need.

Just remember that when dealing with Garmin the old saying "newer is better" doesn't always apply.

Which model do you currently own? And is there something you don't like about your current model or do you just want to buy something "newer"?

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I would be interested in know what your technique in managing routes, while on the road, would be in a situation like this.

You just went through waypoint #3, heading for your next waypoint #4 when you see a road construction sign that will take you AROUND #4 (let's say 3 miles, all directions). You have to take the detour which will put you back on the road 3 miles past #4. You decided that you can skip #4 and continue on to #5.

OK --

1) What do you do to stop the nagging when you are forced to detour past stop #4?

2) How do you expunge #4 from your route listing and tell your nuvi that #5 is next?

3) Is there anything that happens automaticaly when you bypass #4, other than the commencement of the nagging?

No traps here. I just want to know what techniques YOU use with your 885 (your 255 doesn't have routes).

[I also want to compare your techniques with what is happening in the Trip Planner of my 3790LMT.]

Gary Hayman

One of the options on the 885 Nuvi is the ability to edit the route from the screen. You can reorder stops manually and even delete stops from the route. Exactly what the sequence is I can't remember off the top of my head and I don't have the unit with me.

Does everything you mentioned - Lane assist, Bluetoooth, lifetime maps, routes (which can be modified on screen), text to speech, announces turns

I've had mine 7 months - Love it.
4th Garmin I have owned - still have Nuvi 260 for backup and sometimes my S.O. uses it - dueling gps's !

I would go to Garmin's website and compare the features of the various units. I agree that lifetime map updates is imperative, otherwise you will either have to shell out for maps every few years or find the unit is obsolete. To me, routes are not that critical, but you may find you like them. Lifetime traffic is also not a big deal because I have found it to be extremely inaccurate most of the time anyway. Bluetooth is nice, if your car doesn't already support it. From there, whatever your budget will stand is a factor. You can go for one of the newer models and pay over $300 for it or you can get a something like a 1350 or 1390 for under $200 and have all of the features given above.

I like my old 360...that is until I bought the 775T. Like anything else, you should balance what you think you would like it to do for you, and the price. My daughter recently drove the east coast to the south with a 350 that I had given to her a few years ago, and loved it, but it really gets down to what you can afford and for that price, what it does for you, good luck, you can't go wrong with Garmin.

I love my 360 too, but I haven't updated the maps so it is getting a little old. Do you like the 775T as a replacement?

I currently own the Nuvi 200 which is pretty old by now, it has old maps and stuff altho Ive tried to keep other things that I like from this site up to date. What would you suggest? After reading the comments about routes and stuff maybe it is a good idea to look more into that.......

Again, it comes down to what you want the unit to do. A lot will depend on how you use it.

I too started with a 200. My daughter has it now, still with the 2007 maps but then she doesn't travel that far and sticks mainly to the interstates when she does go somewhere.

One of the reasons I upgraded was because I outgrew the 200 and had come to use the unit to plan day trips and longer trips for vacations. Routes became a necessity. The 885 had/has MSN and I opted for the lifetime on it. As others state, the reports are spotty and the coverage isn't great but it did have some use. I've since bought a GTM-20 for the times it may help.

I also purchased lifetime maps, bought with a deep discount during one of Amazon's sales. Like many others, I use the MP3 as a player and connect the unit to my car stereo. This isn't possible on a lot of the new units as they don't have the audio out jack. I wasn't sure if I would like the powered mount, but have come to realize it's a great feature as well. It's so easy to snap the unit off the mount so it marks the last position - very handy when trying to find the car in a large parking lot.

About the only bells it doesn't have are of dubious value in my estimation - Ecoroute and My Trends. My Trends may be of some value, but Ecoroute is a joke, at least the early versions that would rather route you along city streets with stop signs and lights than use the freeway with its higher speed and better fuel economy. I honestly don't think there are many on this site that will say Ecoroute is a worthwhile feature.

I swear by my Nuvi 760. My maps are up to date and it gets me everywhere I want to go without issue.

I really like and use all the features on my 765t, except for bluetooth. I tried it once, and the reception wasnt all that good. Everything else is great! It doesnt have lifetime maps. I love lane assist, the ease of adding POIs, icons, sounds, and mp3s play through the FM radio! So, if you can still get your hands on a referb 765t, or a 755t (no bluetooth), I would get that one, or one with similar features. But whatever you get, be sure it has lifetime maps!!

as one might surmise, with all it's improvements, it's fantastic! However, I use my 765T as I have no use of the Europe maps on a daily basis, I keep that one for overseas trips.

You must understand, I was the poster boy for ADD! (Attention Deficit Disorder) and a gadget freak. So, I kept acquiring, but never selling any of my Nuvi's! I have a total of 8 now, all lifetime, all fully charged and updated, BUT NO MORE...I think. A 350, (2)360's a 370 initially bought for European excursions, but now, since the maps are getting much bigger, cannot hold all of Europe any longer, a 255W, a 760, a 765T and a 775T. I have also given both my daughters a 360, and they adore them.

When I travel, (Europe)I take the 775T, and a 370 just in case. To me the 350, 360 and the 370 were (are) very dependable, and I'd never leave them behind. I'll never get rid of those, it's a great backup for me.

Please give yourself at least a week of driving around with it near home, before you start on your trip!

You want to get comfortable with your new gadget in a lower-stress environment. Get used to working with it, and get used to its quirks.

That way, when you start on your trip, it will be a friend you know how to get along with.

Still on 350, heard 7xx are good. Don't go with 1xxx, total crap.

Its not a problem to locate refurbished 7xx units, but I can find no units with lifetime maps. Can you point me to a good place for this?

Refurbs are not usually bundled with lifetime maps, and the 7xx series was never marketed by Garmin in a model including lifetime maps. Some retailers may have had special promotions bundling the lifetime map card along with the GPS, but it is unlikely you will find too many refurbs packaged this way. If you want a 7xx, you will probably need to purchase the lifetime map subscription separately.

At Amazon:

Garmin nüMaps Lifetime North America Map Updates by Garmin
Buy new: $69.99

I just checked. This is a $69.99 price with free S&H and "Fulfilled by Amazon*" --it will be a long time before it gets better than this--and this deal could be gone by tomorrow for all we know.

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-n%C3%BCMaps-Lifetime-America-Up...

*Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service [Amazon] offer[s] sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's own warehouses, and [Amazon] directly packs, ships, and provides customer service for these items. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Super Saver Shipping...

Well I did it now. I went and ordered me a 765 after favorable support from you all and also with the features that it has available its the unit I picked up. Now all I gotta do is wait for it and then have fun!!!!!

Glad you made a choice. I wish you the greatest success with your unit.

I went through 2 Garmin 1350LMT in just over a month, many problems with the 1350, I worked with tech support, returned both units, I upgraded to a Garmin 2350LMT, much better unit, more features and the display map is much better than the 1350.

You will be fine with any Garmin that comes with lifetime maps. Good luck!

I currently have a Nuvi 765T and I love it. It has traffic, bluetooth , MP3 player, and FM transmitter. I is an older model, but still sells for around $125.It was refurbished with a one year warranty.
I just ordered a nuvi 1690 refurbished for $95 also.

I love my 3790 LMT. 3d (downtown area and terrain maps). slim design, touch glass screen, rotating screen, reliable, and most important it's a Garmin.

I have had a series of the bottom end GPSs from a couple of companies and always replace them when I couldn't stand the maps being so far out of date anymore. This time I decided to jump in higher in the food chain and get LTM and hope that I would be happier for longer.

I finished a 5 week loop around the USA 2 week ago and was very pleased with my decision. I jumped to the top of the 24XX series to get voice commands and that has been useful.

Some one asked how we do routes. I have tried the long routes and always want to change my mind along the way to many times. I now put major places along the way in my favorites list before I leave and do a bunch of smaller routes that I add to if necessary. One big advantage to this approach is faster recomputing when I change the road I want to take or add to the route. I can also use this approach to force a route that the GPS doesn't think is optimum. I don't like to overplan trips.

Jim...

I just stop the route and start it again at the next point in the route, I'm using a 3760T

...by my opinion not the best choice... (I own 765T) I would rather go with 3790...much nicer and better unit then 765...

He's just brought it. its now the best GPS ever made, don't give him that crushing blow.

Congratulations on your purchase of 765T. Just make sure you backup the entire 765T to your computer. Also make sure you download Webupdater from Garmin and make sure you have the latest firmware for the unit as this solved the keyboard issues the 765T had (http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4357)

With my Zumo:
WhereTo?>Custom Routes>Active Route>Edit>delete the first non-greyed via point which should be waypoint#4>Done>Save. Then hold the Back button until the display is back to the main menu. The Zumo will recalculate based on current position and without the deleted point.

I have a 765T and love it. It is old but work just fine.

If u are a over the road i would say the 565D 5" screen or the 456T with the 4" screen.As for car only it dose not matter for they are good. Jolley

I have been using this 765 since it became available and the only small issue is that the battery runs out fast. About 30 minutes of life. No big deal. So I leave it plugged in. Functions perfectly.
I have seen the newer 3790. Smaller, better display. But does it work better?
I would appreciate any comments on the 3700 series. I have not seen any rumors of a 3790 replacement yet. That might be the one I need.

a 2460... Just a thought.

I don't know how much the lifetime maps and traffic are worth, not much, but I guess I opted for it and got the 2350 LMT for $175 no tax free shipping. Have had two of them and both locked up, the 2nd needed to have the cigarette lighter unplugged, and let it shut off, and reboot. The first would not power off or reboot so I let the battery drain.

imho it is what it is, my 660 powered off for no reason multiple times when it was new. We don't live in a perfect world and Garmin certainly doesn't build perfect products either, but they work most of the time.

My wife uses her droid all the time, I use it some of the time, but prefer the 2350 while on the road for red light cams...

The nuvi 1690 is a very good unit, it does not come with lifetime maps included, but a lifetime map subscription is not overly expensive (shop around). It includes nu-link services which is really needed for this unit. The first year is free, then $5.00/month ($60.00/year). The reason you want to keep you nu-link subscription is because unlike most nuvi's with an FM transmitter, this unit talks to AT&T cell towers, 2-way com with a cell tower has numerous benefits over simply an FM transmitter. You won't be disappointed in this unit and you won't have to upgrade for awhile.

I got my Nuvi 1390LMT for a year now and I loved it. It does everything that you ask for here and is under$200. Buy at Costco so then you can always return it without any hassle

Editing the route is also easy on the 760. You can easily add, delete, or reorder the points along your route.

The Garmin 1490LMT (approx $200) has what you are looking for:

5 inch screen
lifetime traffic
lifetime maps
routes
spoken directions

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-1490LMT-Bluetooth-Lifetime-Traf...

I will do this when I get the unit. Thanks for the support.

For $379.99 at Costco warehouse. It's sleek, thin, load of features and expensive of course.