Garmin nuvi comparison chart

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It seems that Garmin is trying to create a nuvi for everyone, but with so many models in the marketplace, they’ve also created quite a bit of confusion. To help you navigate your way to the ideal nuvi, I’ve created the chart below.

Before we get into all the details, here’s a brief look at the various series in the U.S. nuvi lineup:

• 200 series – This budget, entry level lineup includes the nuvi 200, 250, 260 and 270. All have a 3.5″ screen. A relatively new series, these units have an internal antenna, giving them a less obtrusive profile; DISCONTINUED
• 200W series – The 200W, 250W and 260W are also entry level units with limited features, albeit with a 4.3″ screen;  DISCONTINUED
• 2×5 series – This newer entry level line offers the option of adding live traffic via FM-TMC or MSN Direct (explained below); like the 200 series, the “W” models sport a 4.3” wide screen
• 2×5T series – Updates the 2×5 series, adding free lifetime traffic and Bluetooth.
• 300 series – With more features than the 200 series, this set includes the first two nuvis ever released, the 350 and 360, as well as the 370; DISCONTINUED
• 500 series – “Crossover” models designed for use on driving, hikng, cycling and boating. Based on the 2×5 series
• 600 series – More feature laden still, this line includes the nuvi 650, 660, 670 and 680; DISCONTINUED
• 700 series – These units incorporate the high-end features of the 600 series, with the internal antenna found on the 200 series; DISCONTINUED
• 7×5T series – A newer high-end line adds lifetime traffic (except for the 785T), lane assist and 3-D buildings to the nuvi 700 series features
• 800 series – The first nuvis with voice recognition; DISCONTINUED
• 8×5 series – The second-generation voice command nuvi line
• x7x models – The transatlantic 270, 275T, 370, 670, 770 and 775T models have maps of the U.S., Canada and Europe.
• 1200, 1300, 1400 series – This newest line is thinner and lighter, and adds some features formerly found only on higher end models.

The nuvi links in the far left column below all go to my reviews of the unit, except for newer models that I haven’t reviewed yet. In those few cases, they go to Amazon links.

NOTE: Many older models are listed in the discontinued nuvi chart further down the page.

nuvi model	Maps	Screen size	Speaks street names	MP3 player	Traffic	Blue- tooth	FM trans- mitter	MSN Direct	Multi- destination routing	Track display	Speed limit display	Lane assist	Voice command	Compare prices
nuvi 205	49 states	3.5″	No	No	Option	No	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 205W	49 states	4.3″	No	No	Option	No	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 255	U.S. Canada	3.5″	Yes	No	Option	No	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 255W	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	No	Option	No	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 265T	U.S. Canada	3.5″	Yes	No	Lifetime	Yes	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 265WT	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	No	Lifetime	Yes	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 275T	U.S. Canada Europe	3.5″	Yes	No	Lifetime	Yes	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 285WT	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 465T	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	No	Lifetime	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi model	Maps	Screen size	Speaks street names	MP3 player	Traffic	Blue- tooth	FM trans- mitter	MSN Direct	Multi- destination routing	Track display	Speed limit display	Lane assist	Voice command	Compare prices
nuvi 500	49 states+ topo maps	3.5″	Yes	No	Option	No	No	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 550	U.S. Canada	3.5″	Yes	No	Option	No	No	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 755T	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Lifetime	No	Yes	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 765T	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Lifetime	Yes	Yes	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 775T	U.S. Canada Europe	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Lifetime	Yes	Yes	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 785T	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nüvi 855	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Option	No	Yes	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Compare prices
nüvi 885T	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Compare prices
nuvi model	Maps	Screen size	Speaks street names	MP3 player	Traffic	Blue- tooth	FM trans- mitter	MSN Direct	Multi- destination routing	Track display	Speed limit display	Lane assist	Voice command	Compare prices
nuvi 1200	49 states	3.5″	Yes	No	Option	No	No	Option	No	Yes	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1250	U.S. Canada	3.5″	Yes	No	Option	No	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1260T	U.S. Canada	3.5″	Yes	No	Lifetime	Yes	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1300	49 states	4.3″	Yes	No	Option	No	No	Option	No	Yes	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1350	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	No	Option	No	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1350T	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	No	Lifetime	No	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1370T	U.S. Canada Europe	4.3″	Yes	No	Lifetime	Yes	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1390T	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	No	Lifetime	Yes	No	Option	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1450	U.S. Canada	5.0″	Yes	No	Option	No	No	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1490T	U.S. Canada	5.0″	Yes	No	Lifetime	Yes	No	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 1690	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	No	nuLink!	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 5000	U.S. Canada	5.2″	Yes	Yes	Option	No	Yes	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi model	Maps	Screen size	Speaks street names	MP3 player	Traffic	Blue- tooth	FM trans- mitter	MSN Direct	Multi- destination routing	Track display	Speed limit display	Lane assist	Voice command	Compare prices

Discontinued nuvi models

The following, older nuvi models have been discontinued, though many are still available online and are fully supported by Garmin.

nuvi model	Maps	Screen size	Speaks street names	MP3 player	Traffic	Blue- tooth	FM trans- mitter	MSN Direct	Antenna	Multi- destination routing	Track display	Speed limit display	Voice commands	Compare prices
nuvi 200	49 states	3.5″	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 200W	49 states	4.3″	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 250	U.S. Canada	3.5″	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 250W	U.S. Canada	4.3″	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 260	U.S. Canada	3.5″	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 260W	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 270	U.S. Canada Europe	3.5″	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 350	U.S. Canada	3.5″	Yes	Yes	Option	No	No	No	Flip-up	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 360	U.S. Canada	3.5″	Yes	Yes	Option	Yes	No	No	Flip-up	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 370	U.S. Canada Europe	3.5″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Flip-up	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 650	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Option	No	No	No	Flip-up	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 660	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Flip-up	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 670	U.S. Canada Europe	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Flip-up	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 680	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Flip-up	No	No	No	No	Compare prices
nuvi 750	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Option	No	Yes	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 760	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 770	U.S. Canada Europe	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 780	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Compare prices
nuvi 850	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Option	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Compare prices
nuvi 880	U.S. Canada	4.3″	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Compare prices
nuvi model	Maps	Screen size	Speaks street names	MP3 player	Traffic	Blue- tooth	FM trans- mitter	MSN Direct	Antenna	Multi- destination routing	Track display	Speed limit display	Voice commands	Compare prices

Feature descriptions

• Speaks street names – Formally known as text-to-speech, this function allows the device to call out the name of the street for upcoming turns, so you’ll get “in one-half mile, turn left on Oak Street,” rather than just “in one-half mile, turn left.” A very helpful feature.
• MP3 player – Some people don’t like this, but I really do. It’s nice to have the name of the artist and song on the GPS screen. Though it varies by model, typically the music is paused or the volume reduced when navigation instructions are given.
• Live traffic – A nice feature that isn’t quite ready for prime time. Expect lots of inaccurate reports as well as incidents that aren’t reported. Delivered via FM, this service is provided by the Traffic Message Channel, hence you will sometimes see it referred to as FM-TMC. Here is a link to a coverage map. Unlike most other brands, Garmin traffic receivers are incorporated into the vehicle power cable. Also see MSN Direct, below, for another traffic option. UPDATE: The 2×5T and 7×5T series lifetime traffic feature is ad-supported. Read my Garmin nuvi 755T review for details.
• Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use – Another nice idea, often saddled with weak implementation. In my experience using the nuvi 660, the sound quality for the person hearing your voice is awful. An external microphone helps, but who wants to deal with the wires? UPDATE: Bluetooth that works.
• FM transmitter – This can work well enough in small cars in rural areas, but expect problems in urban areas with a crowded FM band. The distance to your antenna impacts reception quality, which can be problematic in larger vehicles with the antenna embedded in the rear window.
• MSN Direct – This service provides gas prices, live traffic, weather and movie times. For nuvi 700 and 800 series models, second-generation MSN Direct adds even more features, including “Send to GPS” via the Internet. I focused quite a bit on MSN Direct service in my Garmin nuvi 680 review. In terms of which is better for traffic, MSN Direct or FM-TMC, this often depends on which metro area you are in. Here is some more info on MSN Direct and a coverage map, which I have found to be overly optimistic in fringe areas.
• Antenna – The older 300 and 600 series nuvis used a flip-up antenna; newer models sport an internal antenna.
• Multi-destination routing – A very nice feature, but not a critical one. If the chart says “no,” you can only enter one destination and one via point. This isn’t problematic since you can easily find locations under Favorites or Recently Found.
• Track display – See where you’ve been. This shows up as a thin blue line as shown below. It can be helpful in finding your way in unfamiliar areas.
• Speed limit display – First implemented for major highways, we’re now starting see it on other thoroughfares as well. See image below.
• Lane assist – Found on the nuvi 7×5 and 8×5 series, as well as several 1xxx models. I cover this feature in detail in my hands on Garmin nuvi 755T review.
• Voice commands – A killer feature and it actually works. See my Garmin nuvi 880 review for a hands on (voice on?) look.

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