Garmin nuvi 855 review
The Garmin nüvi 855
Comparing the nuvi 855 and 7×5 series
Despite these improvements, the 855 does not include all the features found in the 7×5 series. It is missing the following:
- 3-D buildings
- A2DP Bluetooth
- ecoRoute
- Recent cities and streets folders that speed searches (though these aren’t really necessary if you’re using voice commands)
- Customizable data fields
On the other hand, the 855 has the following features which are not present on the 7×5 series:
- Removable battery
- Dual speakers
- Voice command
- Custom avoidances (avoid specified streets or areas)
- Backup camera input
This is unfortunate – there really isn’t one top of the line Garmin nuvi. If you want the best, you’ll need to choose between a 7×5 series and an 8×5 series unit.
Compare prices on the Garmin nuvi 855
One other note; the nuvi 885T adds Bluetooth and an MSN Direct receiver to the 855’s feature set. Since the models are so similar, much of the information below is taken directly from my hands-on review of the 885T.
To see how the 855 stacks up against other models, check out my Garmin nuvi comparison chart.
Using voice commands with the nuvi 855
The nuvi 8xx series offers the best voice command feature of any GPS unit on the market. I covered this extensively in my Garmin nuvi 880 review and rather than repeat myself, I’ve shot a quick video demonstrating the voice command feature:
I remain impressed with this feature. Popular Places even had ‘”libraries” and “rest areas.” Nevertheless, it is much faster to enter many things by hand, though the voice recognition feature is nice for anything that would involve a lot of keypad entry, like addresses and cities.
Custom avoidances
The nuvi 8xx series allow you to set custom avoidances. Follow the link for a full run down on this feature. You can select streets (or portions thereof) or rectangular areas to avoid. The only other nuvi with this feature to date is the nuvi 5000.
http://gpstracklog.com/gps_tracklog/
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Lane Assist and Junction View
I had previously experienced this feature using the 7×5 series in Atlanta, and I think Garmin has done an excellent job with it. Unfortunately, coverage is woefully lacking, as I did not see any signs of it in Charlotte or Greenville / Spartanburg. I can understand the latter, but c’mon, Charlotte is the 18th largest metro area in the country. Maybe it’s because I stuck to the northeast side of town, but I thought I would at least see it on I-85.
Other features
On top of all this, the nuvi 8×5 series includes:
- Pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada
- Multi-destination routing (and auto-sorting)
- Text-to-speech
- Where Am I? (find closest hospitals, police & gas stations, nearest address & intersection)
- Garmin Locate™ (marks position when removed from windshield mount)
- Photo navigation (navigate to geotagged photos)
- MP3 / audio book player
- FM transmitter
Garmin nuvi 855 recommendation
If you do most of your driving alone, and especially if you succumb to the temptation to use the GPS touch screen while driving, I highly recommend the Garmin nuvi 855. The voice command system makes it one of the safest GPS units to operate, and it is without doubt the best voice command navigator on the market.
However, if you usually have a passenger with you who can operate the device, or have the self-restraint to not operate it while driving, you might choose the nuvi 785T instead.
Finally,a recommendation for Garmin — charge what you will, but please, give us a top of the line unit that combines the features of the nuvi 7×5 and 8×5 series!
More Garmin nuvi 855 reviews
- Consumer-authored Garmin nuvi 855 reviews
have been posted at Amazon
- More consumer-authored Garmin nuvi 855 reviews are being posted at GPS Now (click the Reviews tab)
I’ll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some…
Other Garmin nuvi 855 resources
- A PDF version of the Garmin nuvi 855 owners manual
- Want to see how the 855 stacks up against other models? Check out this Garmin auto GPS comparison tool or my own Garmin nuvi comparison chart
- There is a dedicated Garmin nuvi message forum at GpsPasSion
- The official Garmin nuvi 855 web page
Compare prices on the Garmin nuvi 855 at these merchants:
- Check the current Garmin nüvi 855
- Get a great price on a Garmin nuvi 855 GPS Navigator & Personal Travel Assistant w/ Speech Recognition
at BuyDig.com
- Find the low price on a Garmin nuvi 855 at GPS Now, where shipping is free on orders over $99 (and the upgrade to overnight shipping is dirt cheap!); order by 5 p.m. Central Time for same day shipment
- Find the Garmin nuvi 855 Portable Automotive GPS System w/ Lane Assist & Voice Recognition
at TigerGPS, where you get free shipping on orders above $250
- Get the Garmin nuvi 855 for an amazing price on eBay
| Store | Rating | Best Prices |
|---|---|---|
Compare all prices on the Garmin Nuvi 855 Auto / Road GPS ranging from $170.99 to $525.00. | ||
 | In stock at circuitcity.com | $199.99 |
 |  In stock at MemorySuppliers.com | $525.00 |
 | In stock at CompUSA.com | $199.99 |
 |  In stock at PCNation | $185.00 |
 | In stock at TigerDirect.com | $199.99 |
 | In stock at Newegg.com | $199.99 |
 | In stock at RadioShack.com | $229.99 |
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Costco has them for a promo price of $299.99 wont last.
Actually costco is selling them at a price of $267 with shipping and handling included. Already bought mine because of the low offer. The deal goes on until I believe July 5th, or whenever they run out of units.
Thanks for the tip!
Available on eBay for under $200 incl. shipping.
Don’t wast you money on purchasing MSN traffic.
I purchased the Nuvi885T for a trip from Orlando Florida to McMinnville Tenn. The directions were great. The approaching a turn warning was extremely helpful, especially going through the east coast’s nightmare city, Atlanta.
The one BIG drawback is MSN traffic. It told me about an accident after I was stuck in non-moving traffic on I75 for a half hour; then it predicted a 20 minute delay. Also, MSN only updates when you have been in a city for at least a half hour. I was constantly seeing yesterday’s gas prices or the gas prices 100 miles ago.
And now it’s going away entirely…
http://gpstracklog.com/2009/10/msn-direct-to-end.html
Amazon.com has the 855 at 199.99 – just purchased one and it arrived in three days. Amazon also offers a further discount if you purchase the carrying case for the 855 and the dashbgoard portable friction mount – all three at less than the three iterms purchased separately.
That’s cool. Thanks for the tip.
I’m trying to decide between the 855 and the 755T. My main needs are to have route mapping (I’ll be having to travel to 5-6 destinations daily in a relatively rural area I don’t know well; these destinations will change every day and I’d like to know the most efficient route). Both nuvis have this feature but I’m admittedly intrigued by the voice recognition capabilities of the 855. I don’t need Bluetooth or traffic alerts. Are there any specific advantages of the 755T vs. the 855? Any guidance would be appreciated…
I’m not a huge fan of voice command. I find it quicker to use the touchscreen, which you can still do on the 855. If it were my choice though, I’d go with the 755.
These seem like they could impact your decision though… If the ads will bother you, go with the 855. Another reason for the 855 is that you can exclude certain streets or areas from routes. Hope that helps!
do tomtoms have a feature similar to “custom avoidances”? I would like to avoid unsafe parts of town
No, they don’t.
Do you have to speak extremely clearly in order for the voice to work? Never used a GPS voice unit but voice technology is often frustrating
I found that it worked well for most commands without me having to be extra careful about how I spoke.
I’m trying to understand the traffic difference between nuvi 265WT and 285WT. 285WT gives you traffic for how long before you need to start paying a fee?
9 months. But the MSN Direct service will cease operations on 1/1/2012 and you will not be able to renew after that date.
do all garmins offer public transit mode? what about tomtoms?
No, TomToms don’t have it. It’s found on the nuvi 1xxx series, but you have to buy CityXplorer maps to enable it. Google Maps Navigation for Android appears to have a public transit option as well.
ah I see, thanks Rich. How much is CityExplorer subscription per year?
They aren’t subscription-based. They run $10 to $15 per city. More info…
http://gpstracklog.com/2009/06/garmin-cityxplorer-review.html
and
http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/us/maps/cityxplorer
I was needing to load a route into the garmin. It says that the 700 and 800 series can receive computer uploads of good maps with route points. Has anyone used this feature? Is it possible to have multiple routes?
I prefer to use Garmin MapSource / City Navigator to do this, but it can also be done with Mapquest online: http://help.mapquest.com/jive/entry.jspa?externalID=562&categoryID=11
So, Mr Owings, you recommend that I use the 700 or 800 series with another type of map service? I have map points loaded in a spreadsheet that google maps plot on a map, I need to be able to use these points for a delivery route. The mapsource/city navigator will accept a spreadsheet?
You can use the spreadsheet to generate custom POIs. This is an old post, but it should help get you started…
http://gpstracklog.com/2006/03/custom_pois.html
In entry #10 you (Rich Owings)mention to go with the 755 vs. the 855. You mention something about ads and that you recommend going with the 755. What ads are you referring to and why specifically do you prefer the 755 vs. the 855?
The lifetime traffic on the 755T is ad supported. They are small and don’t bother nme, but they do annoy some people. Otherwise, I gave the pros and cons of each unit there, in #10.
Any comments on the 855/885 models and the need to remove the battery to completely shut the unit off? I like you like the idea of the voice command, but don’t like the idea of having to remove the battery after using it or face it being dead after 3 or 4 hours. With so many subtle little differences between all of the Garmin models, what really is the best unit overall?
The best unit overall depends entirely upon your needs. The 8×5 series has an instant on feature. If turned off, the battery can drain all the way down, but it should take 4-5 days, not just a few hours. Hope this helps.