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Garmin nuvi comparison chart

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. For a quick overview of the different series, you can also check out my dissecting the Garmin nuvi series post.

The nuvi links in the far left column below all go to my reviews of the unit. Discontinued nuvis are listed in their own chart further down the page.

NEW: Click on column headers to sort chart. You can also click here for descriptions and more information about various features.

Model/ review Maps Screen size Speaks street names Traffic Blue- tooth Powered mount Multi- point routing Lifetime maps Speed limit display Lane assist Voice command Amazon link
nuvi 30 48 states & US + Canada versions 3.5″ Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 40 48 states & US + Canada versions 4.3″ Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 40LM 48 states & US + Canada versions 4.3″ Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 50 48 states & US + Canada versions 5.0″ Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 50LM 48 states & US + Canada versions 5.0″ Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 465T U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 465LMT U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 500 49 states+ topo maps 3.5″ Yes Option No No Yes No Yes No No Amazon
nuvi 550 U.S. Canada 3.5″ Yes Option No No Yes No Yes No No Amazon
nuvi 1100 49 states 3.5″ No Option No No No No No No No Amazon
nuvi 1200 49 states 3.5″ Yes Option No No No No No No No Amazon
nuvi 1250 U.S. Canada 3.5″ Yes Option No No No No Yes No No Amazon
nuvi 1260T U.S. Canada 3.5″ Yes Lifetime Yes No No No Yes No No Amazon
nuvi 1300 49 states 4.3″ Yes Option No No No No No No No Amazon
nuvi 1300LM 49 states 4.3″ Yes Option No No No Yes No No No Amazon
nuvi 1350 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Option No No No No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1350LMT U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Lifetime No No No Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1350T U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Lifetime No No No No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1370T U.S. Canada Europe 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes No No No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1390LMT U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1390T U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes No No No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1450 U.S. Canada 5.0″ Yes Option No No Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1450LM U.S. Canada 5.0″ Yes Option No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1450LMT U.S. Canada 5.0″ Yes Lifetime No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1450T U.S. Canada 5.0″ Yes Lifetime No No Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1490LMT U.S. Canada 5.0″ Yes Lifetime Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 1490T U.S. Canada 5.0″ Yes Lifetime Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuLink 1695 U.S. Canada 5″ Yes nuLink! Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2300LM 49 states 4.3″ Yes Option No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Amazon
nuvi 2350 U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Option No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2350LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2350LT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2360LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 2360LT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 2370LT U.S. Canada Mexico Europe 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 2450 U.S. Canada Mexico 5″ Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2450LM U.S. Canada Mexico 5″ Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2455LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2455LT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime No No Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2460LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 5″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 2460LT U.S. Canada Mexico 5″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 2475LT U.S. Canada Mexico Europe 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2495LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 2555LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Yes Lifetime No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2555LT U.S. Canada Mexico 5.0″ Yes Lifetime No No Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 2595LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 5″ Yes Lifetime Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 3450 U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Option No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 3450LM U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Option No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 3490LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 3590LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 5″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 3750 U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Option No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 3760LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 3760T U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Amazon
nuvi 3790LMT U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Amazon
nuvi 3790T U.S. Canada Mexico 4.3″ Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Amazon

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 Multi- destination routing Track display Speed limit display Voice commands
nuvi 200 49 states 3.5″ No No No No No No No No No No
nuvi 200W 49 states 4.3″ No No No No No No No No No No
nuvi 205 49 states 3.5” No No Option No No No No Yes Yes No
nuvi 205W 49 states 4.3” No No Option No No No No Yes Yes No
nuvi 250 U.S. Canada 3.5″ No No No No No No No No No No
nuvi 250W U.S. Canada 4.3″ No No No No No No No No No No
nuvi 255 U.S. Canada 3.5” Yes No Option No No No No Yes Yes No
nuvi 255W U.S. Canada 4.3” Yes No Option No No No No Yes Yes No
nuvi 255WT U.S. Canada 4.3” Yes No Lifetime No No No No Yes Yes No
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 Voice commands
nuvi 260 U.S. Canada 3.5″ Yes No No No No No No No No No
nuvi 260W U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes No No No No No No No No No
nuvi 265T U.S. Canada 3.5” Yes No Lifetime Yes No No No Yes Yes No
nuvi 265W U.S. Canada 4.3” Yes No Option Yes No No No Yes Yes No
nuvi 265WT U.S. Canada 4.3” Yes No Lifetime Yes No No No Yes Yes No
nuvi 270 U.S. Canada Europe 3.5″ No No No No No No No No No No
nuvi 275T U.S. Canada Europe 3.5” Yes No Lifetime Yes No No No Yes Yes No
nuvi 285WT U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No
nuvi 295W U.S. Canada 3.5” Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes No
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 Voice commands
nuvi 350 U.S. Canada 3.5″ Yes Yes Option No No No No No No No
nuvi 360 U.S. Canada 3.5″ Yes Yes Option Yes No No No No No No
nuvi 370 U.S. Canada Europe 3.5″ Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No
nuvi 650 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Option No No No No No No No
nuvi 660 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
nuvi 670 U.S. Canada Europe 4.3″ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
nuvi 680 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
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 Voice commands
nuvi 750 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Option No Yes Option Yes Yes Yes No
nuvi 755T U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Lifetime No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
nuvi 760 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Option Yes Yes Yes No
nuvi 765T U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Lifetime Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
nuvi 770 U.S. Canada Europe 4.3″ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Option Yes Yes Yes No
nuvi 775T U.S. Canada Europe 4.3″ Yes Yes Lifetime Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
nuvi 780 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
nuvi 785T U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
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 Voice commands
nuvi 850 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Option No Yes Option Yes Yes No Yes
nüvi 855 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Option No Yes Option Yes Yes Yes Yes
nuvi 880 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
nüvi 885T U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
nuvi 1690 U.S. Canada 4.3″ Yes No nuLink! Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
nuvi 5000 U.S. Canada 5.2″ Yes Yes Option No Yes Option Yes Yes Yes No
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 Voice commands

 

Garmin nuvi 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.” The only current nuvi without this is the 1100 series.
  • 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. Most Garmin nuvis with a T following the model number have ad-supported traffic (see reviews for screenshots). One exception to all this is the 3490LMT, which features ad-free HD traffic.
  • Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use – Generally speaking, the sound quality has gotten much better on recent models, but check the reviews (the first column links to these) as it does vary.
  • Powered mount – The power cord plugs into the mount, rather than the GPS. That’s one less connection to fuss with when you want to use your navigator. I’m a big fan of these, especially when combined with a friction mount.
  • MSN Direct – UPDATE: MSN Direct services are being permanently discontinued as of January 1, 2012.
  • Multi-point (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. The one exception here is the nuvi 2×5 series, which allows multiple via points, even though it doesn’t have the other true multi-destination features such as sorting.
  • Lifetime map updates – Garmin has started selling units bundled with lifetime map updates, which you can typically download quarterly. Newer models with these have an LM or LMT (the latter includes lifetime traffic) tacked onto the end of the model number.
  • 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. Found on all current nuvis, but only some discontinued models.
  • Speed limit display – 100% of roads aren’t covered, but I typically find that most are.
  • Lane assist – Shows which lane you need to be in for Interstate exits and some surface streets in larger metros.
  • Voice commands – A killer feature and it actually works pretty well on most models.

Return to Garmin nuvi comparison chart

 

Nuvi_tracks_and_speed_limit_2

 

Comments

  1. Judy says:
    December 6, 2011 at 7:31 am

    Hi Rich,
    Yours is just the site I’ve been looking for. We have a Nuvi 350 that has been amazing–until recently when it froze up and left us in our driveway. We’d like our next GPS to have Europe maps. Is it better to buy a unit with the maps installed or try to do it ourselves? I’ve read stories of people not having the memory to install Europe and I don’t really understand how the memory cards would work. Which model would you recommend?
    Thanks for your help.

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      December 6, 2011 at 8:54 am

      It’s usually cheaper to buy them pre-installed, though you can buy a City Navigator Europe micro-SD card and add them via the slot on the side of any nuvi, and memory won’t be an issue. The current models with preloaded European and North American maps are (most recent to oldest) the 2475LT, 2370LT and 1370LT.

      Reply
  2. Kathe says:
    December 9, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    What a fantastic public service you’ve provided! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  3. jo says:
    December 16, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    Of the 3 voice choices on the nuvi 1490lmt that I just purchased, the voice language that I prefer, American English, does not speak street names. Is that true of each model? Thx

    Reply
  4. Barbara says:
    December 19, 2011 at 3:03 pm

    If I purchase a nuvi model with lifetime maps for 48 states and at some point want to add maps for Hawaii and/or Canade. Will I be able to do so once (not every time)? Will there be enough room in memory? What cost is involved?

    Reply
  5. Danielle says:
    December 20, 2011 at 9:20 pm

    Do any of the newer GPS units have an MP3 player? I have a Nuvi 660 and use the mp3 player feature constantly, but it does not seem to be included anymore. I want to update my maps, but do not want to spend $90 on lifetime updates when I could put that towards a newer model that includes the lifetime updates.

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      December 21, 2011 at 8:23 am

      Not in the US. The 7×5, 8×5 and 5000 were the last series to have it. The 3490 has an audiobook player, but doesn’t support MP3s. I’ve seen it reported that Garmin had promised an MP3 player add on for the 3790, but it sure hasn’t shown up yet.

      Reply
  6. TheOfficeMaven says:
    December 21, 2011 at 10:29 am

    IMHO, there’s no sense in having a MP3 player on the nuvi 37xx or 34xx series as the devices don’t have any way to output stereo sound (i.e. they don’t have an audio out jack and there isn’t any way to get stereo sound out of the powered mount either). Who wants to listen to their music collection in mono??? Certainly not me, and I’m betting that’s the reason why Garmin didn’t add an MP3 player. An audiobook player is fine as there’s no real need to have stereo sound for audiobooks.

    Reply
  7. Randy says:
    December 21, 2011 at 7:02 pm

    Which Garmin Nuvi is better the 2012 model 50 LM or the the 2011 model 1450 LM?

    Reply
  8. Randy says:
    December 21, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    Which Garmin is better the 2012 model 50 LM or the 2011 model 1450 LM ?

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      December 22, 2011 at 7:57 am

      Probably the 1450, which has multi-destination routing and better controls for clearing trip history from the device.

      Reply
      • Kai says:
        December 28, 2011 at 6:56 pm

        Rich,

        Again, thanks for all of your guidance and information. You indicated on my earlier post that the 40LM or 50LM would probably be good for me because I indicated that I was a novice and wanted some basic features. The features that seem to interest me most are: speak street names, lane assist, speed monitoring, ability to use the GPS when walking (not hiking just walking in neighborhoods), favorites, ability to delete some history without deleting all history, lifetime maps. And the ability to add maps for the Caribbean. I wasn’t this detailed in my first post from the other day – you don’t know, what you don’t know.. To be honest I am learning more and more from your site (just enough to be dangerous. LOL).

        Based on your response to Randy, do you think that I should go with the 1450LM instead of the 50LM (I plan to purchase the GPS this week so not sure if it will be considered a 2012 model or 2011)? Based on your site it looks like the 1450LM is a little less expensive, but provides more functionality.

        What is your best advice? I truly appreciate the help because I am really at a loss with all of the options available.

        Thanks,
        Kai

        Reply
  9. Randy says:
    December 24, 2011 at 7:16 am

    Thanks for your website! It made shopping for a replacement GPS much easier. We currently have a 265wt and I found an excellent deal on a 50LM at Staples. With some discount I had, it was about $100! Thanks again for taking the time to help others.

    Reply
  10. Kai says:
    December 26, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    Hi Rich,
    Thank you for providing this website. It is extremely helpful. I am interested in buying a Garmin that speaks street names, has lifetime maps, is fairly easy to maneuver (I really am a novice user), and includes maps for the Caribbean.
    Are there any that you recommend?
    Thanks,
    Kai

    Reply
  11. Bill Menke says:
    December 26, 2011 at 7:24 pm

    I went out looking at GPS unit today as my 855 was stolen last week. I looked at so many today, Rich you had a interesting comment that the 1450 would be better than the 50LM because of easier controls for deleting history, I could never figure out how to delete history on the 855 other than wipe out all history. So your comments make it sound like there is a way to delete some history but not all on some machines and in particular the 1450? thanks

    Reply
  12. Sarah Sutherland says:
    December 27, 2011 at 4:22 pm

    Hi,
    I am travelling to the US for a ski trip (Summitt county colorado) and was going to take my Nuv 1390 but to pay US maps was going to cost $70 and i can get a new simple GPs from walmart for $68, so am now looking on ebay or can one buy a SD microchip with the US map loaded.
    Are the maps specific for each type of nuvi? I have an idea they can only be used on your registered GPS unit?

    Reply
  13. Tonya says:
    December 27, 2011 at 10:22 pm

    I have a 855T that I love (steering wheel device and all) but the buttons are taking longer and longer to work when spelling out streets, etc. I purchased last year the Lifetime Maps for $80 and the device is up to date. Do you think these “sticky” buttons are a sign of the unit failing? I have assumed it is. I moved from a huge city to remote area and see errors all the time, esp in speed limit signs. I was thinking a new Garmin that had all my 855 features plus accurate speedlimit signs might be the way to go.

    I am very close to buying the 3790LMT. There was a mention the “near” feature is gone – does it not say what businesses are near? Now I can press “restaurants” and it will list them in order of proximity – does that happen with the 3790? I used to be in traffic constantly, now I’m not except when taking my GPS with me for business travel — is it worth it to get the one not ad supported? Do you think this will eventually go away?

    Finally, I love that I can track where I’ve been, I use that all the time. Would I lose this? I also do see why or when one would use this for music, reading books or looking at photos — but all the other options in the top chart I need in a new Nuvi. Is the 3790LMT the right one for me? I can get a deal on this for around $225. Also, can I re-sell the Lifetime Maps I bought?

    Thanks, this is SO very helpful!

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      December 27, 2011 at 10:40 pm

      First of all, I would try updating the firmware. If that doesn’t work, back up your favorites and do a hard reset…

      http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=24536

      The 3790 will list POIs in order of proximity. The “near” option allows you to choose what to search near; I think the feature may be there once you tap the menu icon.

      If you’re not using traffic much I wouldn’t pay for the ad-free option. The 3490 is ad-free BTW; the 3790 isn’t.

      Speed limits won’t be better on a new unit than they are on the 855 with up to date maps.

      All recent units have the trip log, letting you see where you’ve been. You can’t sell the lifetime maps; they’re tied to your 855.

      Hope this helps.

      Reply
  14. Dave says:
    December 29, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    Hello,

    I think that either your chart is wrong or just outdated. The nuvi 40LM does indeed have a voice command. I was at a store this weekend and was looking at one of the 40LM’s.

    Reply
  15. Bill says:
    December 29, 2011 at 7:50 pm

    thanks so much for your help, I went and bought the 50 lm tonight, Radio Shack was no longer carrying the 1450 model you liked, but you also liked the 50 lm so bought that one, thanks so much, sure appreicate your help.

    Reply
  16. Robert says:
    January 1, 2012 at 9:48 am

    Thanks for a really useful website/advice site.

    I have a Nuvi 750 and am considering a newer model as mine as of late is taking a really long time (~5 minutes) to acquire satellites and this was not always the case.

    1) any idea as to why the slowness of satellite acquistion?

    2) am I able transfer my favorites to the new device? if so, how and is there a cost or does garmin provide this as a tool with a new device?

    cheers/a healthy 2012 to you

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      January 1, 2012 at 5:33 pm

      If you aren’t using it often, that could be a cause. When you start your GPS, it begins to look for satellites. Once it locks onto them, it also begins downloading the satellite almanac data for the next week or so, speeding satellite acquisition for that time period. It can take up to half an hour for this data to be fully downloaded. If you use the GPS infrequently, or for short five-minute trips, the data will expire or not get fully downloaded. If this is the case, you should try leaving the GPS on, under open sky or on your windshield, stationary, for a full 30 minutes and see if that helps.

      If you are using it regularly, is the firmware up to date? You can update it by using http://garmin.com/webupdater.

      To transfer favorites, just connect it to your computer and copy the current.gpx file. Then transfer this to the new unit.

      Reply
  17. Bonnie says:
    January 1, 2012 at 2:43 pm

    What a great place to finally be able to sort out all of this info. My husband has started a job where he has to deliver packages to all different destinations. What is the best GPS to help give him multple destinations the easiest way possible?

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      January 1, 2012 at 5:36 pm

      Any of the units listed above with multi-point routing will do this. Are there other criteria you’re looking at? A 5″ screen might be nice, maybe voice command too.

      Reply
  18. Jimmy says:
    January 3, 2012 at 12:35 am

    I am moving to Germany soon and have been looking for a garmin with the europe maps included( will be back in three years so the north america maps are a must have) but i would also like the lifetime maps feature. I see that none of the garmins have both of these features and would like to know what model you would recommend, I’m thinking that if I want the lifetime maps ill probably have to buy the sd card for Europe.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  19. John says:
    January 5, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    My Nuvi 780 will only run on battery power for about 5 minutes before shutting down. Can the battery be replaced? If I need a new Nuvi, would like a recommendation that includes the lifetime maps and traffic. Thank you

    Reply
    • David says:
      January 5, 2012 at 5:48 pm

      Whist the official answer will be that Nuvi batteries are NOT user replaceable, if you search on YouTube you may find that it is possible.

      I have seen websites selling Batteries for my Nuvi 255 and found a Video showing how to open a Nuvi 255 and change the Battery.

      Whilst I have no need to do this currently, it is good to know the option to try a repair is possible, and the cost of the replacement screen seemed worthwhile thing to attempt if you have some dexterity to get the unit open and some skills with a soldering iron.

      Reply
  20. John says:
    January 5, 2012 at 3:13 pm

    My Nuvi 780 will now only run on battery power for under 5 minutes before stopping. Is a new battery available or is it time to get a new unit. If a new unit, please recommend one with the Lifetime maps and traffic. Thank you

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      January 5, 2012 at 3:20 pm

      Most nuvis, including the 780, don’t have owner-replaceable batteries. You would probably need to go through Garmin to replace it. I think you would end up being happier with a new unit, given the cost of replacing the battery.

      Here are some current recommendations, but if you let me know what other features you are interested in, I might be able to help more…

      http://gpstracklog.com/buyers-guides/auto-gps-buyers-guide

      For a basic model with lifetime maps and traffic, you might want to check out the (from older to newer) 1350LMT, 2350LMT or 2455LMT.

      Reply
  21. John says:
    January 6, 2012 at 10:00 am

    This site is awesome, especially for those of us that do not understand the many nuances of technology like the nuvi. I got to ask my question and the answer was exactly what I needed to hear and learn. Thanks

    Reply
  22. Mike Schwartz says:
    January 7, 2012 at 9:22 am

    Hello – I’d like to find out if you know whether the Garmin 2475 LT has street maps in England/ UK? It says Europe, however that can mean only so much. Thank you for your reply. Great webiste.
    Mike

    Reply
  23. David Cotner says:
    January 8, 2012 at 11:22 am

    I have a Garmin 680 that has most of the features I want/need but had MSN Direct which I will miss. The Garmin GTM 20 traffic accessory lists as compatible with the 680. Will this unit provide me with traffic data integrated with my 680 maps as well or better than the MSM Direct traffic alerts, or is it not really compatible with my 680?

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      January 9, 2012 at 8:04 am

      It should work fine if you get the right one. There are two GTM 20 models. The following, from Garmin.com support, should help:

      “In October 2009 Microsoft announced that their MSN Direct Service would be discontinued on January 1st,2012. Discontinuation of the MSN Direct service means your supported device no longer receives the MSN Direct content such as Weather, Traffic, News, etc. Other device features not dependent on MSN Direct Content, such as navigation, will not be affected by the discontinuation of MSN Direct service.

      The power cable once used to receive the MSN Direct content will continue to provide power to your Garmin device. If you would like to add the ability to receive traffic alerts from our traffic provider NAVTEQ please utilize the links below to purchase the correct traffic receiver for your device:

      For customers with GDB 50 MSN Direct receivers please purchase a Garmin GTM 20 with Lifetime Traffic: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=36249
      For customers with GDB 55 MSN Direct receivers please purchase a Garmin GTM 35 with Lifetime Traffic: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=68325
      Microsoft customer support is available to answer any questions about existing subscriptions, refund eligibility, or questions about the discontinuation of the MSN Direct Service at 1-866-658-7032 until January 31st, 2012.”

      Reply
  24. den says:
    January 10, 2012 at 5:10 pm

    i currantly have a garmin 350 seems to be fine is there any reason i should get a more advence model is there any major advantages on the newer models i notice that some features thats on the 350 is not avalibel on the newer models like mp3 etc. so whats on your mind

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      January 11, 2012 at 7:32 am

      MP3 players are no longer offered on current models, though some now discontinued models are still available with that feature. But yes, there are plenty of new features offering reasons to upgrade. A few of the most common or important are: speed limit display, trip log display, lane assist, multi-destination routing, traffic and lifetime map updates.

      This might be a good starting point in considering a newer model: http://gpstracklog.com/buyers-guides/auto-gps-buyers-guide

      Reply
  25. den says:
    January 11, 2012 at 2:10 pm

    the mappinng itself is there any diffrents in the newer models vs. the 350

    Reply
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