Nuvi: A-

Garmin's nuvi product line grew considerably in 2007. As of this writing there are 14 different Nuvis to choose from. Despite the dizzying array of Nuvis, Garmin maintained the same user interface, routing engine, and ease of use across the entire Nuvi product line. Every nuvi will route the same way, meaning that a budget conscious consumer can pick-up an entry-level Garmin and get the same top-notch routing as the $800 nuvi 760 (provided they both have the same maps installed). Picking the right Garmin is just a matter of deciding which features are important to you, such as screen size, bluetooth, traffic, and so on.

Features: B+

Garmin made good progress with the nuvi 700-series, finally adding important features like multi-destination routing, track log recording, and automatic saving of last known vehicle position (i.e. the "Where did I park my car" feature). Still sorely missing is the ability to exclude specific roads from the route, something that's easy to do on Magellan's GPS units. Many users have also requested the ability to create and upload routes via a PC.

Also troubling is recent data indicating Garmin's new in-house GPS receiver might not be as sensitive as SiRF's. Let's hope Garmin re-thinks its strategy of moving away from SiRF next year (or improves its own receiver), as GPS receiver sensitivity is a critical component of any GPS device.

Support: A

Garmin's support is top-notch. Based here in the U.S., Garmin's support staff is knowledgeable, courteous, helpful, and easy to reach by phone between 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Central time, or email 24x7. Compared to Magellan's support, calling Garmin feels down right luxurious. And unlike TomTom's spotty support, which can require a call-back within a set amount of time, Garmin-employed support professionals are available to help at your convenience, not theirs.

Map Update 2008: C+

Garmin's Map Update 2008 was easy to install (on supported GPS units) and was an important map update that contained updated Points of Interest (POIs) and tons of road updates. If you owned a Garmin automotive GPS in 2007, you wanted this update.

But the update was expensive, retailing for $70, and Garmin's complex upgrade scheme caused confusion with customers and left many streepilot owners out in the cold. Some customers complained that if Garmin is going to let Wal-Mart sell the c330 at discounted prices, those customers should still be entitled to a free map update if the unit shipped with the older maps installed (or those GPS units should have a big sticker on the box saying the unit has older maps and you won't get the new maps for free). Nuvi owners who qualified for a free map update DVD reported shipping delays as Garmin was initially out of stock (although Best Buy managed to have the update in stock and on store shelves for $70). Finally, some users found that the new, larger maps didn't entirely fit on their device, and had to drop Canada/Alaska and settle for the lower 48 States.

Garmin's Handling of the Tele Atlas / NAVTEQ Acquisitions: B

Garmin missed the boat on buying a mapping provider in 2007, and let rival TomTom purchase Tele Atlas and Nokia snap up NAVTEQ. That left many wondering what Garmin would do if Nokia and TomTom denied Garmin access to the mapping data it so desperately needs. Garmin then entered into a bidding war with TomTom over Tele Atlas, and even though Garmin didn't ultimately win, the bidding ended up costing TomTom $870 million more than it originally expected to pay for Tele Atlas. Garmin then responded by securing a lengthy contract with NAVTEQ that guarantees access to mapping data for up to 10 years.