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February 7, 2007

Garmin nuvi 680 Review
GPSmagazine Rating: 4 of 5
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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.

Table of Contents

  1. Specifications
  2. Unboxing
  3. Mounting the nuvi 680 in the Car
  4. Using the nuvi 680
  5. Finding Addresses
  6. MSN Direct Features
  7. MSN Direct - Traffic
  8. MSN Direct - Weather
  9. MSN Direct - Gas Prices
  10. MSN Direct - Movie Times
  11. Saving Your Current Location
  12. Entering an Address Using Coordinates
  13. Finding a Place by Spelling The Name
  14. Telling the nuvi Where to Search
  15. Setting the Home Address
  16. Travel Kit
  17. Playing MP3's
  18. Audible Books
  19. Photo Viewer
  20. World Clock
  21. Currency Converter
  22. Converting Units of Measurement
  23. Garmin Language Guide
  24. Travel Guide
  25. SaversGuide
  26. BlueTooth
  27. Text-to-Speech Voice Quality
  28. Using the FM Transmitter
  29. Using the Garmin Lock Feature
  30. Configuring System Settings
  31. Configuring Navigation Settings
  32. Custom POIs
  33. Routing Engine Performance
  34. GPS Performance: The Mighty SiRF
  35. Useful nuvi Tips & Shortcuts
  36. Updating the nuvi Software (WebUpdater)
  37. Pros
  38. Cons
  39. Conclusion

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
Posted by Fletch on February 7, 2007 | Comments (80)