Garmin nuvi 680 Review (GPSmagazine.com)

Verdict: Editor's Choice 2007

Garmin nuvi 680 - GPSmagazine's Editor's Choice

REVIEW UPDATE: This GPS model has been discontinued

Last year the Garmin nuvi 660 was my Editor's Choice for the well-heeled GPS shopper. Garmin announced the 660's successor, the nuvi 680, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 2007. The nuvi 680 is identical to the 660 in every way, except for the addition of MSN Direct.

Unlike the nuvi 660, which uses ClearChannel's TMC service for real-time traffic data, the 680 leverages MSN Direct for real-time traffic data, local gas prices, movie listings, and weather information. The nuvi 680 has a suggested retail price of $1071, and will be available for purchase by March 2007. Improving the already excellent nuvi 660 is a tall order.

Read on to see how the nuvi 680 stacks up.

If you're confused by the nuvi product line, you're not alone. Below is a feature comparison chart for the Garmin nuvi product line. The nuvi 680 is Garmin's latest and most expensive nuvi to date.

	nuvi 350	nuvi 360	nuvi 370	nuvi 660	nuvi 670	nuvi 680
Screen Size	3.5"	3.5"	3.5"	4.3"	4.3"	4.3"
Pre-Loaded Maps of North America	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pre-Loaded Maps of Europe	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Text-to-Speech	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth Compatible	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FM Transmitter	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Live Traffic	GTM 12	GTM 12	Included	Included	Included	MSN Direct
MSN Direct	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
MSRP $	$643	$750	$965	$1,039	$1,179	$1,071
Street Price (as of Feb '07)	$430	$530	$820	$700	$1,000	$1,000

In case you're wondering, the nuvi 670 has a slightly higher suggested retail price than the nuvi 680, due to its pre-loaded maps of BOTH North America and Europe.

1. Specifications

Receiver: high-sensitivity WAAS-enabled GPS receiver
Display: 4.3 diagonal, 480 x 272 pixels; WQVGA TFT landscape display, with whit backlight and touchscreen
Unit dimensions: 4.9”W x 2.9”H x 0.9” D (12.4 x 7.4 x 2.3 cm)
Weight: 6.2 oz (190 g)
Battery life: 3 to 7 hours
Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling
FM transmitter (U.S., Australia and New Zealand only)
Dynamic content from MSN Direct
Includes Garmin Lock™, an anti-theft feature
Text-to-Speech (voice announces streets by name)
Fingertip touch-screen interface
Look up addresses and points of interest
Choose 2D or 3D maps
Upload custom POIs, including alerts for speed zones and safety cams
Built in Travel Kit includes MP3 player with sample MP3s, audio books, picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters, calculator and more
Add optional software such as Travel and Language Guides to personalize nüvi
SD card slot
USB interface for loading data