shoplmart's Full Review: Garmin nuvi 760 Car GPS Receiver
A well-designed GPS can make driving in an unfamiliar area less stressful, even enjoyable. Conversely, a poorly designed GPS can be completely counterproductive: leaving a traveler many miles off course or worse: completely lost. With this being the case, I always buy from Garmin. I have owned a few GPS receivers from the Garmin Company and all haven proven to be reliable, accurate, and thoughtfully configured. That said, when I found Garmin's high-end Nuvi 760 (a GPS that once retailed for almost 1,000 dollars) for a measly 260 bucks at Costco I had to get it, especially since I had a road trip planned to Northern California that week. Does the 760's numerically superior trim level designation represent a better GPS than its numerically inferior counterparts, i.e. the lowly 260W?
About the Nuvi 760:
The Garmin Nuvi 760 is part of Garmin's near top-of-the-line 700 series of global positioning systems. The 760 is a color touch-screen GPS receiver that can be used in virtually any type of vehicle, save for motorcycles. The 760 provides a wide viewing screen (4.3") and measures 4.8" wide x 3.0 tall x 0.8" deep and weighs just 6.2 ounces: about as light as an automotive GPS gets these days. In addition to providing audible turn by turn directions (text-to-speech), the Garmin 760 provides luxuries like Bluetooth wireless technology, an internal FM transmitter, MP3 capabilities, A SD card slot for external info, and a laundry list of other noteworthy travel features. What's in the box:
* GPS receiver * Preloaded Maps by NAVTEQ for 2008 * Vehicle power cable with traffic receiver/FM transmitter * Vehicle suction cup (for your vehicle's windshield) * 3 months of free traffic info. * USB cable for PC downloading of maps/ charging of the GPS * Dashboard disk (for mounting GPS receiver on your vehicle's dashboard) * A short version of the full owner's Manual (the full manual will have to be downloaded at Garmin's website) and a quick reference guide.
Style/quality:A
Garmin's 760 is styled much like the lower-end trim levels. Visually, the 760 is almost indistinguishable form, say, a 205W. The 760 provides a simple yet attractive two-tone black on silver color scheme that isn't nearly as flashy as some of Garmin's other units, i.e. my 260W or 680 that are both dressed in all metallic silver. The less conspicuous design of the 760 definitely is welcomed, as any flashy electronic device in a vehicle tends to say, "steal me." Though the 760 weighs a mere 6.2 ounces, it feels incredibly solid with no flimsy plastics used to save on production costs: the 760's shell feels much higher in quality than any TomTom or Magellan GPS that I have got my hands on.
The Windshield Mount: A
One of my biggest gripes with many GPS companies, i.e. Nextar, is their horrible windshield mounts. There is nothing more aggravating than a GPS system that refuses to stay mounted to my windshield or one that rattles over every little road imperfection. Like the majority of Garmin systems, the Nuvi 760 comes with a solid windshield mount that keeps the receiver in position no matter how poor the road surface is. In the 8,500 + miles that I have had my 760 mounted to my car's windshield, it has never lost suction; even with the dramatic swing in temperatures that can oftentimes cause suction cups to lose their grip. The beauty of the 760's windshield mount is that it's fully adjustable; the mounting bracket is able to pivot from side to side or up and down with ease, so finding a good viewing angle from the driver's seat is never an issue. Also, unlike my Nuvi 260W and 680, the 760 is a cinch to remove from its windshield mount. By simply pushing in the plastic release button, the Nuvi 760 will pop right off its window mount and it snaps back into place with no hassle. Another convenient feature is that the 12-volt power adapter connects to the cradle versus the unit, so there is no need to fuss around with the cable when removing or installing the receiver from the cradle. For those of you who can't use a windshield mount due to state laws, the 760 does come with a small dash mount. However, it doesn't stick to dash surfaces very well and the dash of your vehicle will have to be completely flat for it to be effective at holding the 760 down on rough roads. This being the case, if you need a good dash mount for your Nuvi 760, I highly suggest the optional friction mount by Garmin, which runs about 40 bucks at Garmin's website (you'll get 10% off once you register your Garmin 760).
Ease of use/ergonomics: A
The Garmin Nuvi 760 boasts more features than most of Garmin's line of GPS receivers, however taking full advantage of these features is made easy thanks to Garmin's simple and self explanatory format. The Nuvi 760's home screen presents just two main menu options: "Where to" and "View Map" along with a volume, Bluetooth (if enabled), and tool icons located across the bottom of the home screen. If a route is set up the addition of a "stop route" and "detour" icon will also presented at the bottom of the LCD's home screen. Each home screen icon leads to sub menus that easily guide you to a desired feature. For example, by pressing "Where to" icon on the home screen, the 760 provides a host of self-explanatory sub menu icons to guide you to virtually any place in the USA, whether it be your local shopping mall or a residential address clear across the country.
Like all of Garmin's automotive GPS receivers, all of the navigational functions for the 760 are accessed via touching the LCD screen: the only physical button on the Nuvi 760 is the on/off/screen lock button. Naturally, a touch screen is the best format for a GPS with as many features as the 760 has, however I would have liked to see Garmin use a physical button for the volume control. As with my Nuvi 260W and Nuvi 680, if I need to adjust the volume of my 760 I have to toggle my way all the way back to the home screen. Needless to say, adjusting the volume isn't easy to do while driving: in fact it's downright dangerous. Another gripe that I have with the 760's ergonomics is that the clock and GPS signal strength icons are only located on the home screen. When I am driving I almost always have my GPS in "View Map," so it would have been more appropriate for Garmin to include the time and the GPS signal strength on the map viewing page: it certainly wouldn't have taken up too much map viewing real-estate.
The LCD:
LCD Quality: A
The 760 comes standard with a wide 4.3" WQVGA color TFT LCD display that provides rich color, a super bright white backlight, and excellent clarity with no visible pixels. Roads are easy to see at all times of the day/night, streets are clearly labeled, and there is no localized distortion when touching any of the icons on the LCD (a problem many Magellan GPS receivers still have). During daytime hours the Nuvi 760 provides a bright backlight (brightness can be adjusted) that allows for easy on eyes viewing. Even with the sun glaring directly on the 760's LCD screen, I never have had any issues viewing maps or any of the menu icons. Unless you program the 760 to stay in "day mode" all times, at sunset the Nuvi 760's LCD automatically switches to night mode, where the background darkens dramatically allowing for an easier to read display during the nighttime hours.
Graphics: F
While the 760 employs a colorful LCD that is easy on the eyes, I am disappointed with the 760's lack of geographical representations. Unlike some modern GPS units, i.e. the Hewlett Packard IpAQ or even Garmin's own 705 series line of GPS receivers, where you can view 3D buildings and get lane assist (lanes are shown in more detail as you approach upcoming exits) the Garmin 760 still provides a completely flat geographical environment with only blotches of color to represent geographical features, i.e. lakes, forests, etc. You can adjust the graphics on the 760, but even when the graphics are set to "best" they aren't terribly impressive and it unfortunately slows the 760's refresh rate dramatically. Garmin does allow for a 3D viewing mode, but this feature hardly represents a real 3D environment (3D mode simply tilts the viewing angle). The 760 is completely devoid of 3D polygons, so if you are looking for a true 3D environment, you may want to check out the Garmin 705 series.
My gripes with the 760's display don't end with its graphics, or lack thereof. The 760's display is, by far, the most problematic GPS display that I have ever dealt with. To explain, on my trip out to California the 760's map screen completely froze up on four different occasions. On one of these occasions I was driving through Birmingham Alabama where the 760 diverted me onto an alternate route due to traffic delays. While this detour would have been appreciated, the 760's screen completely froze up after diverting me onto an alternate route, leaving me on an unfamiliar road without any further directions. I had to pull off the next exit and reset the unit: not exactly something I like to do in a big and unfamiliar city. It should also be noted that the touch screen on the 760 isn't as sensitive as other Garmin's that I own, so you will need to use a firm finger to get the icons to activate.
Screen Info:
* 480 x 272 pixels * 4.3" * Actual display size: 3.8" wide x 2.25" high x 4.3 inches diagonal * WQVGA color TFT antiglare display * Bright White LED Backlight
Feature content: A
Though the Garmin Nuvi 760 offers just two main menu icons ("Where to" and "View map") on its home screen, feature content is not scarified.
"Where To"
By pressing the "Where To" icon located he home screen, the 760 allows you to choose from a multitude of straight foreword choices for finding a desired location. For example, you can choose a location by points of interest, i.e. restaurants, lodging, gas stations, etc. which will display a host of related business according to your current location (default), along your route, in any random city, or near your destination. All POI's (points of interest) are sorted conveniently by specific sub menus and are arranged in order from closest to furthest along with an arrow indicating the POI's direction relative to the direction you are heading. The 760 also allows you find a location by coordinates, intersections, your stored favorites, cities, or you can always manually enter in an address using Garmin's simple address searching format. When a desired POI or address is found, simply clicking the "go" icon will prompt the 760 to map out the quickest route possible (default) or by the least amount of mileage. The 760 will then calculate your estimated arrival time (will be posted on the map viewing page) and the exact mileage to your destination. When you do have a route set-up, the 760 also allows you to setup as many as 12 via points, so you can program additional points of interest or addressees into the 760 without resetting your entire trip!
"View Map"
Most of the time I have my 760 in "View map" mode. Here I can view my current location on a map, my highlighted route (if one is selected), how many miles it is to my next turn, and I can access information about my planned trip i.e. my vehicle's current speed, the posted speed limit (if available), upcoming streets, and my destination time. By touching the speed/arrival time icon (located in the bottom left corner of the 760's screen) I can get statistics regarding my trip, i.e. my average speed for the trip, my max speed, my total time on trip, etc. Or by touching the "turn in" icon located at the bottom right hand side of the map viewing page, I can get a complete turn by turn list of my trip along with the mileage and estimated time it will take for me to arrive at those projected turns. Another nifty feature of the 760 (and most Nuvi trim lines) is the ability to get info regarding your elevation above sea level, coordinates, nearest address, and the nearest police stations/hospitals/gas station by simply clicking on the vehicle icon on the map screen (you can also access this feature by clicking the "Where am I" icon in the tools menu). Overall, the map viewing page is well designed with thoughtfully positioned icons, an easy to read text bar, and a easy to-understand format.
Other features:
-MSN Direct compatible (you will need to purchase the optional MSN direct receiver) -Headphone jack -MP3 player -Picture viewer (you can download pictures from your computer and transfer them to the 760) -World travel clock with currency converter, measurement converter, and calculator.
Performance:
Signal: B
Like any GPS receiver, performance of the 760 will vary depending on your location. The 760 gets equipped with a high sensitivity SiRFstar III receiver, which has proven to be extremely sensitive; I have never lost a signal while driving outdoors and rarely will lose a signal indoors. Locking onto a signal is generally fast when first starting up the 760. Unless I am indoors, which can take up to 10 minutes to find enough satellites, it usually takes no more than 10 seconds to find enough satellites to begin routing while in my vehicle or outdoors.
Accuracy: D
In the time that I had my Garmin 760 it has proven to be more of a mixed bag in terms of accuracy than the all praise that I usually give the accuracy of a Garmin GPS receiver. The Good - The 760 almost always provides the quickest route to a destination. When I drove out to CA, for example, the 760 found that taking Interstate 40 was quicker than taking highway 10. I had always thought Interstate 10 was the faster way, but thanks to the 760 I saved a good 3 hours of travel. The 760 also does a great job alerting the driver of upcoming turns with virtually no error when it comes to mileage/feet immediately before a exit. A cool feature of the 760 is that the LCD will automatically zoom in as you approach your exit for a better view of the road. The voice prompts (when they work) will also tell you which side of the freeway the exit is on and will give you further directions before the exit if the driver must make a sudden move. The Bad - The 760 doesn't always have updated roads (despite having supposedly the latest maps by NAVTEQ) and sometimes businesses that have been out of service for years still show up in the 6 million POI database. In Central California, for example, I was low on gas and found a nearby Shell using the Nuvi's POI database that was about 5 miles off the main road. Instead of leading me to a Shell gas station, the Nuvi 760 lead me to an old farm house where, if there ever had been a Shell station, it certainly wasn't in this century. Roads are also sometimes not updated. For example while driving down to Myrtle Beach SC some of the updated highways still don't show up appropriately on Nuvi's map screen. This can be nerve racking, as the 760 will attempt to re-route my car back onto the old road with the annoying voice prompts telling me to do a U-turn every mile or so. Lucky for me I knew this was a relatively new highway, however had I not known I would have been lead by the 760 nearly 10 miles out of the way back to the old highway. Mapping isn't the only thing that I have found major inaccuracies with. Estimated arrival times can sometimes be ridiculously far off target (sometimes hours) and the speed limit icon will oftentimes be up to 20 MPH off the actual speed limit: needless to say, I don't rely on the speed limit icon.
Rerouting: B+
In the event that you do miss your exit or get off a projected route, the 760 will automatically recalculate a new route to help you get back on track. By missing an exit, for example, the 760 will recalculate your route and then quickly provide new directions to get you back on the correct road. When you purchase the 760, it automatically comes with 3 months of traffic information, which alerts the driver (via different traffic icons on the map viewing page) of hectic traffic conditions ahead. By clicking on the traffic icon the 760 gives you specific information about the delay and the option of detouring around the event. However, like my 260W and 680, the detour option will sometimes attempt to route me way out into the boonies: sometimes up to 10 miles off route and sometimes onto roads that aren't suitable for small FWD cars. I don't use the detour option unless I know the road and the area: it seems to be much quicker just to wait out the delays then to get tossed out into no man's land.
FM Transmitter: F
While I have had no problems with my 680's FM transmitter, I can never get a good enough signal with the 760 to hear anything but static from my car's speakers when attempting to use the FM transmitter. If you want a GPS with a good FM transmitter, this is not your GPS.
Battery life: A
According to Garmin, the internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery will last for up to 5 hours after being fully charged. I have found that this is a pretty good estimate of how long the internal lithium battery will last after a full charge. In a test of keeping the 760 off its charger, I was able to get 4.5 hours out it before the low battery-warning screen popped up. This is an indicator that this unit does use a little more juice than, say, my 260W which provides more than 7 hours of operation after a full charge, but nevertheless the 760's battery life is sufficient. You can charge the 760 in two ways straight from the box: using the USB port or the 12 volt car adapter. Both methods of charging will charge the 760 extremely fast; normally I will get a full charge out of my 760 using either charging method in less than 30 minutes. For those looking for an AC adapter, you won't find one in the 760's box, however Garmin does offer an optional AC adapter for $24.99 at their website.
Audio: D
Garmin's 760's audio quality ranks among the best on the market. While the 760 still employs an obviously artificial female voice, the sound quality is crystal clear with absolutely no distortion. Unlike many of Garmin's lower end GPS receivers, the Nuvi 760 provides text-to-speech directions. So, for example, instead of hearing generic directions like "turn left" as you approach your turn, the Nuvi 760 will say something more specific like " In 1.8 miles turn right" or "Turn right on Harris street." The 760 will subsequently give additional directions like "continue to drive 10.7 miles to destination on left" The text-to-speech feature is extremely useful as it allows the driver to pay more attention to the road and less attention to the GPS map screen as you do with receivers that don't have text-to-speech. So why did I give it a D grade if it's so great? After just six or so hours on my trip to CA the 760's text-to-speech feature completely stopped working and then seven or so hours later mysteriously starting working again: this is a scenario that has occurred more than one time. Both my Garmin Nuvi 260W and 680 have text-to-speech and I have never had a problem with them, so it was surprising to find that the near top-of-the-line 760's text-to-speech was so unreliable.
Bluetooth: ?
If you couple the 760 with any Bluetooth compatible cell phone, you can use it as a hands-free speakerphone (there is a small microphone in the front of the unit) to place and receive phone calls. You can also combine the Bluetooth to the 760's FM transmitter for hands free calling using your vehicle's stereo system. I have never used this feature so I can not comment on how well it works.
Customization: A+
The Nuvi 760 is fully customizable. By clicking on the tools icon located on the home page, you can modify just about every feature the 760 offers. For example, you can change the map view from 2D to 3D, you can change the language (most popular languages are available), adjust the map quality, etc. You can also switch the type of vehicle/situation you are in. For example, if you feel like walking you can use the "pedestrian mode" or if you are on a bicycle you can use the "bicycle mode" where the 760 will choose roads that are more fit for bicycle use.
Reliability: F
Other than the occasional LCD glitch, I never have had any major problems with any of my past Garmin GPS receivers: it's one of the major reasons why I choose the Garmin brand over its sometimes unreliable competitors. The 760 model, however, has been an exception to Garmin's impeccable reliability record. In the few weeks of having my 760, I have experienced more problems with this unit. Not only does the 760's screen randomly freeze up from time to time, but also the text-to-speech feature will sometimes completely stop working (even after restoring the unit to its factory settings). Had this been, say a $80 GPS from Nextar or TomTom I might be able to forgive these quirks, but comming from one of Garmin's higher-end GPS recivers, these unpredictable quirks are completely unacceptable.
Price & Warranty: B
According to the Garmin wesbite, the Nuvi 760 has a MSRP of $499. You can, however, get the 760 for far less money on Amazon, Costco, or eBay. The prices for the 760 range anywhere from $260 at stores like Costco to as much as $500 as some online stores: needless to say, it's a smart move to shop around to find the lowest price. As for the Nuvi's warranty, if anything goes wrong with your 760, Garmin offers a 1-year parts/labor warranty.
Overall: C-
While the Garmin Nuvi 760 offers a lot of features, is easy to use, and provides a crystal clear LCD, it's unfortunately plagued with problems. In the short time that I have owned this GPS, it is already suffering from off-the-wall malfunctions, i.e. the text-to-speech feature will intermittently stop working, the LCD will completely freeze up, and the FM transmitter is underpowered: the FM transmitter virtually useless. Though I do appreciate what Garmin has done with the 760 (giving it such a high feature content), it's just too unreliable for my blood. When all is said and done the Nuvi 760 is not recommended, at least until Garmin works out the quirks.
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