All seven new models are expected to hit store shelves in October.

The traffic and Bluetooth are nice additions to the nuvi 2x5 line-up, but the most exciting new features are the 7x5's lane assist and 3-D transparent map view. According to Garmin's press release, when driving in areas where the GPS contains detailed 3D models of buildings, the nuvi 7x5's will display a 3-D map view with the buildings superimposed on the map.

Also good news is the nuvi 7x5's increased speed. I haven't actually tested a new model yet, but I'm told the new accelerated map-drawing and routing capabilities are "impressive". I'll be able to report more on that once I get a nuvi 7x5T to test.

Garmin is also touting a new feature called "Garmin HotFix", which sounds exactly like SiRF's InstantFix, a feature that improves start-up time and lets the GPS almost instantly determine your location (provided the GPS has been turned on within the past 7 days). If Garmin's HotFix is really a re-branded InstantFix, that's very good news indeed, as it's a good sign they're using SiRF's high performance GPS chipset.

I asked Garmin if the company plans to roll out any of the new features (lane assist, 3-D transparent map view, Garmin HotFix) to any of the existing nuvi models by way of a firmware update, and was told that there are currently no known plans in place to do so.

I also asked if we'd be seeing a nuvi 8x5 model anytime soon, and was told that no plans have been announced for an 8x5T series nuvi. The lack of an 8x5T model may leave some high-end buyers with a bit of a dilemma: "should I buy a nuvi 800-series for the voice recognition features, or do I care more about the new 7x5T's lane guidance, 3D'ness, and lifetime traffic?" For the rest of the buying spectrum, the new nuvis good on paper, adding some important features and upping the ante in the increasingly competitive GPS market.