Fletch, put your Nuvi 660 in night mode, press an area on the right of the screen where there is no "button" preferablly in a blank screen spot, and hold your finger there. Looking at the SAME screen, is there a distortion on the left side like blur? I found going, that when I went to different retail chains with the Nuvi 660 on demo, all had a distortion. This was achieved by a light touch on the right side of the screen that affected the left, it isn't major, but it takes a noticable eye.

Oh no.. C550 isnt favourite anymore..

I want to clarify on my first posted comment. I know if you press/touch hard enough on any LCD screen, it gets distorted, but what I am talking about is an isolated distortion.

Brian - I am doing what you describe, and do not see any distortion. Then again, I just updated the firmware to version 2.4, so perhaps this was something that got fixed...
--Fletch

I find the inability to plan routes on a pc and the limited number of via points a major flaw. There is no way to block certain routes which can lead you into bad neighborhoods. To me this is most problematic and although the 660 is a serious candidate for a personal GPS I'll keep looking elsewhere.

Zeev - If route exclusion is a deal breaker for you, take a look at the Magellan RoadMate 2200T.
--Fletch

Heya Fletch, the firmware update wouldn't fix a hardware related issue, since firmware as far as I know of, does not physically update hardware parts. Like I said, it takes a noticeable eye, but even then, you can still see a "blobby" distortion on the left side of the screen with a sustainted touch/press on the right most side of the screen. Oh well, time to call or e-mail Garmin.

In other news, TomTom sueing Garmin again...??? As far as I'm concerned, Garmin started the Nuvi line of PND's which are about an inch thick and then comes the NEW TomTom One which is almost that same thickness. Why in the world is Garmin being sued (despite each wanting to take a stab at global GPS domination)? Everyone is so sue happy these days. It's a way to avoid talking about the problem between companies. Apparently sueing is much more effective. Oh well, Garmin still leads the US Market UNTIL TomTom makes the right upgrades to it's PND line.

Fletch,

Great review! I just got my 660 and LOVE it! But I have a question: In your review Figure 32, you say that:"Shortly before a turn maneuver, the Next Turn Page appears. This screen displays the upcoming turn on the map, as well as the distance and time remaining before you reach the turn."
Mine doesn't do this, is there a setting that enables this feature? I'm missing something!

Fletch,
The RoadMate is a candidate. I am waiting for the 2500T. I read that the database detail in the 2xxx models is lower than the Garmin products. I still have to research this issue.
--Zeev

Zeev, you could also wait for the Garmin zumo, it's the rugged version of the nuvi.
I've got one pre-ordered for my bike but it comes with everything for the car and has PC route planning, tracklogs, multiple destinations ...

I like the idea of the 660 using FM as a cellfone speaker but I also use this for my XM radio. Will the 660 FM output 'override' any other FM signal on that frequency?

bstronger -
Yes, but if something else is broadcasting on the same frequency there will be static and interference.
The recommended method is to find a frequency not in use on your FM radio and use that frequency. I don't think that two units can broadcast at the same time to the same frequency.
--Fletch

I'm trying to decide on this unit or the new Magellan 6000T?

I currently use a Magellan 700 with upgraded software to make it a 760.

I wonder between the Garmin or Magellan.

Opinions please

Mozart11 - If route exclusion and multi-destination routing is a deal breaker to you, then I'd say get the Magellan 6000T. If ease of use, FM transmitter, and and better routing engine is more important to you, then I'd say get the nuvi 660.
Personally, I much prefer the nuvi 660 over the Magellan RoadMate 6000T.
--Fletch

Thanks for input. On my current Magellan I really count on the tones alerting me "turn now". Does the Nuvi have this too. Is this the comparable feature from the article,
" Configuring the Attention Tone

If you want to have the nuvi beep before each maneuver to notify you that a turn is approaching, you can do so by turning on Attention Tone. The default setting is Off, and I found the attention tone unnecessary."

Thanks

Mozart11 - Yes, that's the same feature. However, the Magellan does a better job of it, alerting you earlier. Many have complained (and I agree) that the Garmin alert tone comes a little too late. Still, if you really like the alert tones, the Garmin does have that feature.
Really, I think the nuvi is a better GPS than the MRM 6000T. The traffic feature is also much better implemted on the Garmin.
--Fletch

Mike - make sure you're running firmware version 2.40. It will display that view before the turn, but not actually at the turn. Hope that makes sense.
--Fletch

Thanks again Fletch. I think I'll give the Nuvi a shot. Any good recomends to purchase online?

Mozart11 - I've been told not to make official recommendations for where to buy products...but, what the heck -- the best price I've seen is on Amazon, which is selling the nuvi 660 for $759. Can't beat that...
--Fletcher

Fletch, my version is 2.40 and it won't display the Next Turn page view (before the turn)in 2D navigation at all? I've updated several times with the same version and it is not shown it up. What happened then ???

Thanks.

I read the review and really like it I already owned a Nuvi 350 for about 10 months before upgrading to the Nuvi 660. I am happy with everthing except when you miss a turn it takes kind of long to recalculate my nuvi 350 did it much faster. Do you think that is because Garmin did not put in a bigger processor with all the added features that this unit has.

Last I noticed alot of home addresses i search for are off around 0.1 to 0.2 quite far considering your on a street with homes right next to each other it sometimes annouces the address is on the right when it is on the left and vise versa Version 8 seems to be a little off where as version 7 i never had any problems. I thought version 8 would have been the same as version 7 except for new streets and new home developments. thanks alot maybe they will speed up the recalculation in another unit and also fix the software version city navigator north america v8.

Fletch -got my Garmin 660. One question, that Garmin, when I called them, could not answer; If you 'missed' or did not quite understand a turn 'command' (outside noise, someone talking to you), is there a way to have the machine repeat it? Thanks... HDW

Fletch -got my Garmin 660. One question, that Garmin, when I called them, could not answer; If you 'missed' or did not quite understand a turn 'command' (outside noise, someone talking to you), is there a way to have the machine repeat it? thanks... HDW

Fletch,

If the 660 was just out of reach for the money, what would be the next best unit with SiRF III that you would purchase. I just took on GPS's as a new line for my company and want to get one for myself and not to sure which way to go.. I could get the 660 but I know as soon as I do Garmin will come out with one even better to fix all the issues you stated, it never fails..Please reply back when possible.. Thank you Fletch..

Fletch, I am in real estate and need multiple destination capability. Thought Tomtom 910 was the answer until I heard about mapping issues. Ideally, would like to set "itinerary" at home have the gps unit pick the route so I don't have to spend an hour with a map picking the best route to view up to 10 properties...( Would also like to be able to exclude a particular hwy)....then pop it in the car in the morning and go. Is there a sirf III unit out there perfect for me? Thanks JGK

jgk - the Magellan RoadMate 6000T will do what you need. The design of the unit leaves something to be desired, but it does have good maps, a good routing engine, route exclusion, and can build an itinerary and optimize the route. Click on Reviews up top and read the full review of the Magellan RoadMate 6000T for more details on what it can do.
Cheers,
--Fletch

Thanks Fletch, I agree with your review that the 6000t is not very "stylin" (ie it's ugly) but it looks like it will do the job. Is there anything new coming along that might be worth waiting a few (very few) months for? Best, JGK

JGK - Next year the Magellan RoadMate 8000T will come out, which sounds promising. I've not seen it yet, and it's at least 4-6 months away (maybe longer). I know a lot of products will come out in Q1 of '07, but I don't have any specific info yet. I don't know of anything that's right around the corner.
Best,
--Fletch

Thanks for the review Fletch. I am moving to the Czech Republic next year (Aug) but would love to purchase a GPS for the remaining year I have here in the US that would also be a great GPS in Europe. Does the 660 come preloaded with European maps as well along with the traffic notifier (GTM 21) like the Garmin c550 does? Thanks, Jason

One more question. On my 700/760 Magellanmit voice prompts me at 3 miles, 1 mile and half mile via voice. And then the two tones at my turn.

Does the Garmin do something similar? Voice prompts counting down to a maneuver?

The BILINGUAL version (which comes with the part # 010-00540-12 as opposed to the regular version which is 010-00540-00) is cheaper on both Amazon.com by approx $50 and on Chumbo.com by about $7 dollars. Also the bilingual unit is in preorder until the 30th of this month. Anybody know why the difference in price? Are they the same in every other way?

Sonal

I'm just getting my first GPS. Garmin 660 vs. TomTom 910? Opinions? Will use in NA, hands free phone, traffic reroute, portablility to rental cars are important to me. Thanks.

WER,
Read the 910 review. I too was stuck between those two models until I read the TomTom review and its flaws. I just bought the 660 and still awaiting the arrival. Where is NA anyway? - Jason

That was an excellent review. I have ordered the 660!
I have a combined cd/radio in my car. Can I listen to the cd with the fm transmitter on for traffic
alerts?

WER - no contest: get the Garmin. Better maps in North America.
--Fletch

Hi Fletch - thanks for the great review!!!

A quick question for you. You mentioned that the Audible player can playback MP3s as well as Audible files. Can you also bookmark the MP3 files like you can the Audible files? I listen to podcasts, and being able to bookmark them would be great.

Now if Amazon would only lower their price back to $739 again.... ;-)

Thanks!

Andrew - You can't bookmark MP3s on the nuvi 660. You can pause an MP3 file, and return back to the player later and resume, but you cannot save your place on a per-file basis like you can with Audible auio books.
As for the pricing, Xmas is just around the corner. I'm sure price drops are not far away...
--Fletch

I just bought the Nuvi660 based on your recommendation and I am lovin' it! Very nice screen and lots of goodies. I love the size of the screen and how I was able to pair it with my Samsung a900 cellphone

Just got the 660 after reading the review. I love it!! Only 1 day so far and it is so cool! Love the widescreen size. A really neat toy to have!

Hi Fletch - Thanks so much for an excellent review. You have convinced me.
1 Question- Must I always turn my radio on and listen to it in order for the Nuvi 660 to work ? There are times when I don't want to listen to any music and all I want is a quiet time. Thanks

I was at Circuit City demoing the Nuvi 350 or 360 unit and then the Nuvi 660 unit. Undoubtoudly, the Nuvi 660 is the clear winner, being bright, wide, and technologicaly glorious. But feeling the shell casing, it does look a little bit and feel a little bit more fragile than the Nuvi 350 and 360 units. Is the plastic casing thinner? Does anyone know if the LCD screen is not completely flushed with the casing like on the Nuvi 350 and 360? When I pressed the screen, the screen seemed to "sink" maybe less than a millameter from the plastic casing. Is this an issue with anyone who currently OWNS a Nuvi 660 or was it just the unit I demoed which many customers also demo too?

Fletch, is the Nuvi 660 indeed a lesser quality casing than it's predecessors?

Also, I have to know, I have an AT Hyundai 2004 Elantra, and the shift stick on it conflicts with the 2 ciggarette outlets. How far does the traffic receiver/power supply unit stick out of the ciggarette lighter when plugged in in inches? Thanks!

Brian - I think the nuvi 350/360 and 660 are the same quality, but the bigger size of the 660 makes the slightly cheap quality more evident. Still, I've been using the nuvi 660 pretty regularly (it's the GPS now installed in my car), and I've not had any problems with it. It just feels kinda cheap in the hand. I haven't noticed the "sink" in the screen you describe.

As for the 12v adapter, it sticks out about 2.5 inches (it's actually longer, but it's at an angle, so it only pertrudes around 2.5 inches).

Hope that helps!
--Fletch

Gilda - No, you don't have to use your car stereo to hear the nuvi. You can either use the nuvi's built-in speaker, or press mute on the unit and hear nothing (enjoy your quiet time).

--Fletch

Hi All,
I found that the points of interest do not show up in the 3D view. Is that true of am i doing something wrong? The TomTom units show points of interest in 3D view.

Fletch

Thanks for a great review, I am in Australia & the 660 is only being released here late this month, whilst your review was very in depth you did'nt go into the phone screens etc at all do you have anything on what these look like

I ordered my Nuvi 660 based off your recommendations. It arrived last Friday and it's my new best friend. It's the first GPS we ever owned and should last us quite a while. Very inuitive and easy to set up for this first time user. Very accurate and a pleasure to use.
Now if only my husband would quit changing the voice to the female Australian. I like hearing the British male :)

Anybody knows where I can buy the US 12/24V power adapter???
Lives in Denmark, and just bought it. Loves it, but would really like the FM transmitter :-)

I just ordered my Nuvi 660 from easttrades for $719, I think this is the best price out in the WWW. I am looking forward to getting it.

Berglund - Why do you want the US power adapter? The FM Transmitter is in the nuvi unit itself, not the 12v adapter.

The US 12v adapter has the integrated traffic receiveer in it, but I don't think that will work in Europe. Your European nuvi should already have the FM transmitter. Tap the power button twice to switch over to FM from the internal speaker.
--Fletch

The FM transmitter function looks great but I understand that in countries where such devices are illegal the nuvi 660 is supplied without this functionality. (The UK is one such, although it looks as if legislation will be changing soon [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4993528.stm ]

I asked Garmin support about this, and they told me

“Thank you for contacting Garmin Europe.

As the FM transmitter is illegal to use in some countries in Europe, the
nuvi 660s that are sold in Europe do not have the FM transmitter hardware
installed inside the unit, because of this there is nothing that can be
activated by a software update (as there is no FM transmitter inside the
unit).

We are aware that they are looking into the law on FM transmitters later
this year, we haven't put the FM transmitter into the Nüvi 660 as it is
currently illegal to use. If the law does change, then we will review the
situation but I still cannot guarantee that the FM transmitter will be
included in the European Nüvi 660s.

So, the comment “European nuvi should already have the FM transmitter” may not be true for all countries. Does the European version sold in all European countries have the UK mapping (i.e. if I were to buy a nuvi 660 in a country in which FM transmission was legal) could I get one with integrated FM transmitter?

Cheers,

Richard

Great review, but nothing is said of the optional accesories. The external antenna, the other holders for the 660???? which are good and might want to be purchaced and which are crap?

Kevin

Love it! So much better than Tom Tom, but where is the altimiter I thought they were going to include? Build in XM radio and visible weather/road conditions and you've got the perfect box!

Does ANYONE know if the Garmin Nuvi 660 runs a little slower than the Nuvi 350 and/or 360 due to its larger screen size or more functionality?

Also, is it true that the Garmin Nuvi 660 is made of less quailty material (like the casing) than the Nuvi 350 and 360?

Lastly, should I wait to buy the Nuvi 660 if I decide to get it, so any manufactuer glitches in firmware and/or hardware is worked out? Any people with negative problems with the Nuvi 660?

How is it overall and is there ANY word about new upcoming Garmin systems?

Thanks!

Garmin does not provide any software for the Mac. While you can transfer MP3s and photos, you cannot do software updates or add points of interest without the special Garmin installers.

The list of bluetooth phones supported is smaller than the nuvi 330. For example, none of the Treos are supported. This might change with a future update. If I could update it on my Mac.

I find the mount a bit short, so finding a place on the windshield is difficult. I've used a goose-neck mount, which gets the Nuvi where I want it, but it doesn't hold the device very well with the antenna extended.

Otherwise, a very nice unit. The screen size is especially nice on my aging eyes. It would even make a great portable e-book reader, if Garmin put some time into it.

Fletch - Best review I saw so far.

I'm looking for a new GPS but not sure if I should pick the Garmin Nuvi 360 or the Garmin Nuvi 660.

Can anyone tell me what's the different between the Garmin Nuvi 360 & the 660 besides the screen is bigger and come with the FM transmitter? Is there anything more?

Thanks

I've managed to update the nuvi software using my Mac by downloading the update file, using Stuffit Expander to unzip the executable, and dragging the enclosed files over to the mounted nuvi. You have to move the files from Nuvi>Garmin into the Garmin folder on the mounted nuvi. I checked to see which files would be overwritten, and made a copy of those.

Once the copying is done, dismount, and the nuvi should start its update. It takes a few minutes, so be patient.

Although I can make Points of Interest files, I cannot figure out a way to get the nuvi to recognize them. The POI Loader that you can get from Garmin probably creates an index or database that you can't easily replicate by hand.

So basically Mac support sucks.

Tell me more about the POI database. The 6000T has them preloaded and you can supposedly instantly locate the closest to your current location. Can the 660 do that as well? What is their POI DB like compared to the 6000T's?

Fletch what happened I downloaded software version 2.5 from the Garmin website for the Nuvi 660. Then next morning 11/3/06 The verbal directions were stuttering and not smooth as it was before. When the unit pronounces the directions on where to turn it does not speak some of the directions correctly anymore, is this happening to anyone else.

interesting about the verbal directions stuttering after upgrade. I checked the garmin site and there is no update to be found for the nuvi 660. This is strange because it was up on the site a couple of days ago. I wonder if there is a problem with the upgrade.

Hi Doug I called Garmin and they said that the people who design the software are aware of the problem and they told me that a software fix would be coming out soon, but they did not tell me exactly when. By the way the software version 2.5 for the 660 was on the Garmin website they must have taken it off. To bad they did this after I already downloaded it into my Nuvi 660 hope they fix it soon. Lew

For the complaints about the FM transmitter, you can always hook up the headset port to your cars "input" jack if equipped.

I've always had one MAJOR question about the Nuvi that no one can seem to answer. I hope someone here can:

It's a MUST that my GPS show "distance to destination" on the map screen. It looks like the Nuvis only show this on a secondary page, instead showing "time of arrival" on the main map page. Is there a way to change the display so as to show "Distance to destination" on the front, main screen?

Thanks, everyone!

Robinson

I've got the Australian version of the Nuvi 660, appears to be the same as elsewhere. 2 issues for me;
FM transmitter is very poor, even though my arial is on the front of the car.
There is no Alarm clock in the travel kit.

I emailed garmin - they tell me there is! - can someone else please verify.
If there isn't an alarm clock garmin needs to include a software plugin, even if it needs to be plugged in to use it.

New Firmware available on the garmin web site that at the moment only appears to install via the web-updater.

This update package contains:
Nuvi 6xx System Software 2.60
Traffic Receiver Software 3.70
Bluetooth Software 2.40
GPS Software 2.60

I got the nuvi660_260.exe version.
(crc=34288658, md5=ad583876aeefea6120c326496fe59779, ed2k=c108fbfac4326d1f7a651f5f6a340c85)

I think I'm missing something here and I hope you all can help! I am planning on buying soon and I'm deciding between the Mag 6000T and the Nuvi 660 and I really can't decide. I know the whole world seems to gush over the the Garmin's but I really don't see a huge win. You have to pay for additional POI's, the input is touch-screen only and the other features are pretty much identical. I care about screen size but only to a point and I could care less about bluetooth for right now. Plus, I've already got my iPod setup w/an FM transmitter so I'm not going to get a Nuvi for that feature. I'm really leaning toward the 6000T based on price, but if someone can give me a convincing argument, I'd change my mind. Thanks!!

Cyberdude, I just updated to the 2.6 firmware and I do not see anything like an alarm clock. There is the World Time, but no alarm clock on mine.

Hi, MrCyberdude and all


I am also from Australia. How do you find Nuvi 660 using in oz? I am going to buy a gps between Nuvi660 and tomtom 910. So far I incline to Nuvi660. However if I can get some feedback on 660 from you, it will help me to make a decision. Is it accurate in oz road? Does the speaking street names sounds ok?



Thx advance.

I've been using a Garmin 2620 for the last two years. One feature that I use all the time is find poi "near current route". I can choose the distance off the current route I am willing to go to find a poi, ie. 1/2 mile, 1 mile, 2 miles, 5 miles, or 15 miles. I understand that the 660 has a "near current route" but I think it only has a preset search range from the current route. Does anyone know what that range is? (one garmin tech told me 500 yards, one told me 15 miles). Is there any way to tell ahead of time how far off the selected route that point is? Thanks.

Fletch, this is a fantastic review. You have really taken the time to look into the finer points that someone who uses the unit on a daily basis and who wants configurability can appreciate and use. Thanks!

You posted in CONs the inability to specify multiple via points twice :) Must be really annoyed with it.

Questions Answered where possible.

Hmmmmmm what processor..... hmmmmmm Divx...... hahahaha it would then be the ultimate.
Even a video input would be über great. ;)

I am consistantly using the mp3/fm and wish it was the actual starting page, not 2 menu selections deep, needs an icon on front page at bottom right. Equalizer also, Garmin have made me expect So Much. Hahaha

The blue tooth works with my Dopod 838(aka HTC, but its not the pro) great, better than others ive used and expected. The voice recognition feature that is on my wm5 phone works ok when i put on an american accent.

I have found the touch screen sometimes thinks a different area is pressed, eg i have pressed 7 three times but the fourth time 9 gets selected. luckly it happens very rarely.

Startup security pin is great but not when u get the pin wrong, it doesnt give you a second go immediately but makes u wait for what seems like ages.

Robinson Robb - "time of arrival" instead of "distance to destination" on the map screen, doesnt look like this is possible. I like the speed on the front page when no destination is selected, it annoys me that it dissappears when the time to destination appears.

Nicholas - Thanks for the firmware feedback about the alarm clock, any other changes that u noticed.

andrewkmz - Nuvi660 in Australia uses the whereis/sensis City Navigator v7 maps and works for me well in Victoria, Melbourne and country east through to Traralgon. u can goto garmin site and look at the online map to see if your area is covered. Garmin IMHO is the best for routing at the moment and the magellan the best for off road.
The street name "Text to Speach" TTS is very good, gets some things slightly wrong like "Cr" as creek instead of "Court" or "Cresent" occasionaly but thats not the TTS issue but the map data, you definetly know what it means and is useful. For those of you that missed it, it can be turned off. This is done by selecting from different languages.(american, Aussie-Aussie-Aussie-oi,oi,oi, British, Espanol, Portugues) The other languages do not appear to have TTS features.

Jay Govinda - POI range does not appear to be distance dependant, but more likely limmited to ~=50 results.
Example; START SCREEN>> WHERE TO>> NEAR..>> DIFFERENT CITY>> typed COOBER PEDY>> FOOD-LODGING..>> LODGING. (search results)

Comfort Inn Coober Pedy Exp 0.3km NE ,(~=48 more results inbetween.)Alice Springs Resort 594.7km N. LOL another search of Bank ATM's gave 744.8km SE.

My attention is to Fletch:

I'am a new owner of nuvi 660 and also new at this gps thing. Would some one PLEASE tell me how to get the "card game" "travel alarm clock" that was specified on this review. Which version should i download?

I have software v2.00/audio v1.8/ gps sw v2.8/ bluetooth sw v2.4. Please Help POST UPDATES of the 660..??

Much Thanks..!

Great review!
One question: I live in Western Europe, and I can't decide between the Nuvi 660 and TomTom 910. The Nuvi seems to be lighter and more reliable, while the TomTom is currently a little cheaper and also includes US maps. Without the FM transmittter in the Nuvi, would all the features work in Germany, Switzerland and France, and if so, does it justify the exra costs of buying separate maps for the US? Thanks

Hi, I live in UK IN Essex, I have using the Navman 750 for near two months now and has just brought the traffic master T1 but getting fed up buying too many other item to fix this things cost me more moneys like Bluetooth, traffic master T1 get in the way for navman, I has contact the Navman peoples to get this Bluetooth built-in and traffic master built-in as well “all-in-one” go to stop wasting more moneys for this stuff for Navman GPS SatNav and so the Navman is sorting this out in the near future. I has notice at Comets shop about the Nuvi 60T with 4.3 widescreen with Bluetooth and traffic master in the packing box that could save my time to stop wasting more moneys spend on Navman 750. I would go looking forward to buy the Nuvi 60T in the near future with the nice more features. I just wonder what is the Processor speed is ! Anyone knows about this. I know I have been study that everyone’s want a World Map GPS SatNav with built-in Bluetooth, digital camera built-in, traffic master built-in on "all-in-one" of wireless the State of the Art Higher Tec. Fletct, your site is a great helpful to understand these thing to help everybody’s the rest of the world that Garmin website don't show it every much with no pictures to show it of not being helpful with it, the rest of the GPS SatNav Website got to show it with pictures and details to the peoples like the way you did fletch. Great much help. Thank you Fletch.

I have been very satisfied so far with this GPS. When there was traffic up ahead, clicked reroute, took a turn 0.3 miles away, and added about 1 hour more to my Sunday. It's nice having the option to have it show you the closest gas station to fill up at, or a faster route that you wouldn't have taken.

It is an amazing piece of technology, no buyers remorse here!

Same problem as Mike 101906 "in Figure 32, you say that:"Shortly before a turn maneuver, the Next Turn Page appears. This screen displays the upcoming turn on the map, as well as the distance and time remaining before you reach the turn."
Mine doesn't do this, is there a setting that enables this feature? I'm missing something!" - -
I have software 2.60ver loaded, and it does not do this feature either - is there something we are doing wrong ???
=
You said 'firmware 2.4' how do we check &/or reset the 'firmware' version ??

Hey - is there a need to use an external antenna with the nuvi 660? Thanks.

Does anyone know of a GPS unit that can calcuate a mileage log? As a self-employed piano tuner, I would love to have the device I eventually buy be able to store every trip in memory and then I can categorize them as personal, commuting or business miles. Then the device would be able to give me the total miles in each category when requested. This would save me HOURS of work every year at tax time. Is there any GPS unit that does this ??

I got a replacement nuvi 660 and found new frustrating problems with this unit that I didnt have with the original unit that had its own problems. I am had the following frustrating problems with nuvi 660:

1. It keeps taking me on the scenic route, despite being on the 'fastest time' setting and even when there is barely any traffic on the highway!! Although this may be alright when you know the route (i just ignore the nuvi) but, its VERY frustrating when I want to go to a new place and am unfamiliar with that route. When the setting is on "fastest time", I except such an expensive GPS unit to take me to the destination in the fastest time possible and dont expect it to take me on the scenic route filled with traffic lights. This is a very frustrating flaw of the nuvi 660.

2. The charge only holds for about 2 hours maximum.

3. While travelling on a regular route, it asks me to take an exit (which is in fact the correct route and the one I routinely take) but, once I take that exit it starts recalculating for no apparent reason and directs me to a different, scenic, route (yes, even when traffic receiver is off or when there is no traffic)!! This happened everyday on the same exit every time I tested it and also on few other routes in FL.

My nuvi 550 doesnt have this problem at all and takes me on the correct path every time.

This is another frustrating flaw when you are in a new area and dont know the route.

4. I took the 660 to Chicago recently and tried to find a hotel (nation-wide hotel chain), which has been there for yonks but the 660 couldnt locate it despite clearly entering the address. This was VERY frustrating because I was short on time. I wished I had the directions printed on mapquest.

I tried different ways, moved to various locations hoping that the 660 will accept & detect the address/hotel but it didnt. It didnt locate it even when I tried to find the hotel by entering the name. Finally I went into the "find lodging,food" menu and then entered the hotel name in the "ABC" menu...it eventually detected the hotel this way. I lost a lot of time just trying to figure this out when I shouldnt have had to. I had the correct address of the hotel and yet the 660 just couldnt detect it when I entered it!!

There were other problems I encountered with the original unit I had returned, which I dont have time to post here now. But in my view, the nuvi 550 outperforms the 660. I wanted to upgrade to a bigger screen but am truly disappointed with the 660s' performance in FL and IL.

I am returning this second unit also and getting a refund.

Based on my experience and in my opinion, it is simply not worth investing hard earned cash in nuvi 660 until Garmin fixes the problems with the 660.

I hope Gramin is taking these problems seriously and trying to fix them, via software updates, if possible. I guess there is nothing they can do with the products already in the market if its a hardware problem.

Bottom line: Buy the 660 for its big screen but in my view and based on my experience, the nuvi 550 is far superior to nuvi 660 in terms of guiding you to the correct destination without hassles.

Hope this unbiased review helps anyone who is planning on getting the nuvi 660.

I was not sure if I would keep the NUVI 660 so I wanted to buy it local if I needed to return it--The best price I found on the web was $748---I was out shopping at BJ's and low and behold, the NUVI was there for $749 with a 30 day return poilicy--OK, it cost me 7% sales tax but the ability to return it was too great---Anyway, after 2 days with the NUVI and new to GPS--You will have to pry it out of my dead bodies fingers!! My only complaint--I like to listen to the radio which I thought the NUVI FM could override.

My take on the Nuvi 660. Great piece of hardware, but the following NEEDS to be fixed:

1.) Quality Design - The Nuvi 660's casing is in fact cheaper quality than that of the Nuvi 350 and 360. Also the touch screen isn't as fixed in the casing as it should be, if pressed a little more, the screen sinks in, not much of the case with the 350 and 360. Garmin, PLEASE make your products durable, it's NOT okay to make a great GPS with cheap parts. We want Durability, not Breakability.

2.) Battery - Garmin, please, more battery life, not less.

3.) Processor - The processor in the Nuvi 660 is in fact similiar to the Nuvi 350 and Nuvi 360 processor. A more feature packed GPS needs an enhanced and better processor to take the work load.

4.) Speaker - The speaker on the Nuvi 660, in fact all the Nuvi's are a joke. Garmin needs to catch up on other GPS Manufactuers internal speaker(s) technology. The Nuvi needs a better quality speaker, I don't like distorted sound.

5.) SiRF StarIII - This awesome GPS Receiver chipset needs to be integrated INTO the Nuvi, not a flip-up patch that can break.

6.) Traffic Receiver - It would be nice to integrate the traffic receiver into the unit, activation, expiration can be done in the unit internally, and then get more service through connecting the device to the computer and activating.

7.) Other Considerations - Video Player; Real Satalitte pictures of the world stiched together (some PND's have this already); bookmark individual music files; more support for music, picture, and video file formats; Better User Interface; touch screen "buttons" for having a dynamic zoom up to down and down to up on any map your on when on the road like the Mio C310X has; DURABILITY and all mentioned notes above; look at other features from GPS manufactuers and learn something new to implement or improve over on; and lastly, a BIGGER BETTER PROCESSOR!

Folks, the Nuvi 660 is good, but has its flaws. I'm planning on getting something different, cheapness and slow processing IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE.

Hi Fletch: Just bought Nuvi 660 based on your review. I had similar problem to earlier post: the "turn in" view does not automatically show up prior to a turn. I must manually press the "turn in" icon; it then shows up for a few seconds only. I have version 2.60 on my unit. Thanks.

I am in Australia, recently purchased Garmin 660...find it easy to use, with clear instructions and nice bright screen...the windscreen mount is excellent (better than tomtom). MAJOR PROBLEM...dont download any upgrades from Garmin Web, I did and wiped off all the Maps...luckily retailer replaced with new one!

Very informative review! I was deciding between the TomTom 910 and the Nuvi 660 and the article convinced me the 660 was the better choice. After trying it all day, I think it is terrific also. The change to the wide color screen is a big improvement over the GPS V unit I have had for a while. And the improvement in route calculation speed and off route recalc speed is much better also. To transition to this new unit without loosing all the collected data, I have one question: Does anyone know if, and how, I can transfer the stored waypoints from the Garmin GPS V unit I have been using for the past five years? Thank you for any help here.

I have a GPS V and have just upgraded to the nuvi 660. I managed to transfer waypoints in two different ways.

They appear on the 660 as favourites or as custom POI.

To transfer them as favourites make sure you have the latest version of Mapsource which recognises the nuvi. Connect the GPS V and upload the waypoints from it to Mapsource. Disconnect it and connect the nuvi. Then save the waypoints to the nuvi and they will appear as favourites.

The other method involves saving the waypoints from Mapsource as a .gpx file using "Save as". You then need to download the POI loader from the Garmin website. Use that to upload the waypoints as a set of custom POIs.

Both the favourites and the POI display only the nearest waypoints by default. If you select the waypoints using spell you can see them all.

PLEASE NOTE: The only trouble I have had is that my backup of waypoints within Mapsource had the maps that I had loaded to the GPS V included as well. There is a danger of uploading these old maps by mistake so make sure you only have waypoints loaded in your Mapsource session. I very nearly loaded GPS V maps to the nuvi but managed to abort it before it had started the upload proper.

I am wondering about the FM feature. I am planning on buying the 660 mostly for the bluetooth and fm feature and I am wondering if I am listening to the radio and the phone rings do I have to change the station on the fm radio before I can answer or does it change automatically when the phone rings?

I should have added that the POIs that you create can be viewed under Extras when selecting a destination.

I like how the Magellan allows you to pick any American Interstate and list what services are at each exit. Does the Nuvi 660 do this same function?
Also, is it posible to change the upcoming turn warning, so it starts warning you at 2 miles, then reminds you again at 1 mile, then again at 500 feet?

In response to a previous post, the Treo phones are compatible with the 660 bluetooth. They are listed under "palm one".

Not sure what the purpose of the SD card is. If all of the maps are pre-loaded, what additional maps would you need? Can you load MP3 files directly to the 660, or do they have to go to the SD card? I have seen 4GB SD cards, are these compatible with the 660 if you want to load all of my iPOD songs on the 660? Thanks for the help.... Jeff

Jeff Popa,

The purpose of the SD Card is if you want to load more MP3's onto the unit after you have exceded the internal free memory storage limit. You can also load maps of other countries if you wish as well as photos. An SD Card can also be used for firmware updates for the unit. I don't believe 4GB SD Cards are supported at this moment, however I could be wrong.

Here is some news on the new upcoming Garmin Nuvi. The Garmin Nuvi 670/680 has been unofficially anounced and new features include the MSN Direct/SPOT Network. This allows for real time data flow over an FM signal band for weather, traffic, sports, stock, etc.. More features are sure to follow as well.

http://www.gpslodge.com/

http://gps.engadget.com/2006/11/28/garmin-nuvi-670-680-with-msn-direct/

Hello. I am looking at getting the Nuvi 660, but read that the FM Transmitter option will not work in Canada. Is that true? Does the Traffic Data option work in Canada? I want the best GPS out there, but I dont want to pay for options I can't use. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am considering buying the Nuvi 660 for use in the United States, but will be traveling in Spain soon and would like to use it there too. Can anyone tell me if it comes preloaded with the maps I will need for Spain?

I just ordered the Nuvi 660 and someone mentioned that I should check the compatibility of my phone for the bluetooth connection. My phone, the Samsung SGH D807(Cingular), is not listed on Garmin's website, though many similar models are. Does this really mean that I won't be able to use the bluetooth connection at all, or may it just limit the functionality through the bluetooth? Are you aware of anyone trying to connect with this phone?

URGENT: My Magellan Roadmate 760 has failed and I am seriously considering replacing it with the Garmin Nuvi 660. I have some vision limitations and the device serves a critical function in the capacity of a handicap driving aide. Because of this, the following questions are really important. I have an upcoming road trip and need information ASAP:

Prompting:
My Magellan Roadmate 760 provided prompts at 2mi, 0.5mi, approaching the maneuver and a tone at the required maneuver. What prompts does the Nuvi 660 provide?

Repeat:
A button on the 760 could be pressed to repeat the last prompt. Does the 660 have this feature?

Least Use of Freeways:
In some instances (night, especially), I need to exclude travel on freeways. Does the "Avoidances/Highways" option provide this functionality? This is critical.

Map Data:
How current is the map data on units currently available at retail? (Date of map data)

I am also a new owner of a nuvi 660, and I love it. My previous GPS was the CoPilot software built into my Motorola A780 cell phone, and the nuvi blows it away. Thanks for this helpful review. I would also like to ask where the game and travel clock are -- I recently did the web update to version 2.7, but can't locate those two items anywhere. Am I just missing something?

That was a wonderful review of the Garmin 660. I must agree this is the best GPS I have ever used in my life. I purchased on after reading your review and it is truly the best GPS on the market hands down. Thank you for your time and effort, you review reflected it!

After searching the internet for reviews on GPS systems I found your site. Your reviews were very helpful in helping me make an informed decision. When I first began to look at GPS my heart was set on finding the right "Magellan" for me because someone I know gave me a recommendation. I instead read all of your reviews so that I could make an Informed decision. Your reviews helped me be optimistic and understand the general Pros and Cons of the different GPS manufacturers (Garmin, Magellan,Tomtom, etc.) My Wife bought me the Magellan 3000 a few weeks ago before she read any online reviews. After reading all your reviews and your "Units to Avoid" section I took the unit back. After reading that you and many other users were having problems with Magellan units sometimes being sluggish and freezing I decided to start researching the different Garmin units. It seems that Garmin does have many very reliable units. I saw that you made the Garmin Nuvi 660 your "Editors Choice". Among other things, I really like this unit's sleek design. Since I can not afford this unit, I figure the Garmin Nuvi 350 is my next best choice since the "Blue Tooth" and "Traffic" features are not important to me. I narrowed down my search between the Garmin Nuvi 350 and the Magellan 2200. I like both units because they are affordable and have many of the newest technology upgrades and features used in GPS. I know you did not review the Garmin Nuvi 350 but looking at similar Garmin reviews and this Magellan 2200 review I am planning to purchase the Nuvi 350 from Walmart for 440.00 and cross the Magellan 2200 off my list since the only thing I can find it has better is that it is water resistant. I was hoping you and the other readers could tell me if I am making the right decision. Thanks again Fletch your reviews are second to none!

This is a great review thanks.

It helped me more than the Garmin info that came with my 660.

read your article top to bottom..

This is a great review thanks.

It helped me more than the Garmin info that came with my 660.

read your article top to bottom..

Thanks for the review. I drive a similar route to the one you used as an example often. Believe it or not the route the Tom Tom chose would get you to your destination 30 minutes quicker. Just getting from the West Side highway(9a) to the entrance to the Major Deegan can be a 30 to 40 minute ordeal most of the time. I use the route the Tom Tom chose because, although slightly longer, it bypasses all the XBronx traffic(which is generally a parking lot. I just ordered the Nuvi 660 but now have second thoughts that maybe the Tom Tom is more "Street wise".

Just got my Nuvi 660 from TigerGPS and love it. It is the single coolest thing I have ever owned! Thanks for your in-depth review which is largely responsible for my decision to buy it.

But...there is one thing that surpised me. YOU CANNOT NAVIGATE BY ZIP CODE ! (unless you live in Canada). The manual says you can do it, so I tried it but the 660 kept kicking me back to the "search all cities" menu. Garmin tech support confirmed this. The navigate by entering zip code does not work in the US !

To me this is a minor dissapointment, but not a huge deal, as the unit is stellar in every other way.

I thought you prospective 660 buyers may want to be aware of this.

GREAT SITE, AND GREAT REVIEWS!
I am excited to have just gotten my first GPS for christmas! It is the Nuvi 360.
I have been doing reviews to see if we want to upgrade to the 660. I like the idea of the larger screen, however some of the problems I have with the 360, I think I will also have with the 660....
1. THE STOP BUTTON - I have been using the unit for only two days, but I have accidentily hit the stop button more times than not! Is there any reason Garmen put that where the BACK button is? The Back button is probably the MOST used button, why place it where you instictivly press? Why not have it go BACK to the MAP?
(infuriating)
2. More than one way point? Or Swap points? Maybe there is a way to do this?
3. Store a differnt route? We have found that the unit is navigating to the "major" roads, when taking a local street will save time/distance.
3b. Plan the route manually? Again the navigation choose the local "highway" with stoplights, over the interstate, which paralled the local for over 10 miles? Couldn't determine how it was deciding where to go.

Before we "upgrade" to the 660 - is there another unit that might be a better choice?

Again, great site!

Not getting a timlely response from Garmin on
procedure for battery re-
placement for nuvi 660.
It would really be a bummer
if I have to ship the unit
back to Garmin when battery
fails in approx. 3 years. Is there an outlet near
Fremont, Calif. 94536, that
is authorized to replace the battery ?

Great article! I will be traveling throughout the Caribbean next year and am looking for a GPS solution. Can one obtain detailed maps of Caribbean destinations (i.e., Kingston, Jamaica)?

If not for the nuvi, is there an alternative that you know of?

Just after purchasing a 660.
Software is 2.70, audio 1.40, tm 3.70, gps 2.90 and bluetooth 2.40.
Shame it doesn't have the fm transmitter as it's illegal in ireland. Also no games or alarm clock listed.

For the uninitiated in GPS, the unit comes with all europe maps, is it better to purchase the maps of the US on a card or another method??

Additionally, the supplier of the unit also informed me to push the unit to it's max so that it fails and avail of a free replacement before the warranties run out with updated/upgraded units...
Also...prefer the Australian female accent... how did we ever survive without it?? lol

I have just purchased a Garmin Nuvi 660 and am disappointed with some of the features.
1) Not having the distance to go on the mapping screen is a real drag. The information displayed on the map screen in the real world is less than useless.
2) The simulator in map form runs according to local speed limits. I entered a journey from London to Nice in the South of France a distance of some 800 miles. Why would anyone want to view a simulator with speed limit restrictions is beyond me? Please Garmin sort this problem out and lets see the simulator at fast speed. Not all of us have 10 hours to view a simulated journey in map form.
3)Once the simulator reached the Channel and told you to board the ferry it would not continue any further.I would really like to see the quality of the continental maps but the fact the simulator doesnt seems to cope with ferry crossings prevents this.
4) Not being able to plan a route on your PC is equally annoying.

Well I've bought both the Nuvi 660 on January 15, 2007. I had bought the Magellan 6000T a few months back. I was a Magellan 760 user. I had read and posted here in this thread before both purchases.

So now I've been using the Nuvi for a few days alone. And then in the car with the 6000T side by side. I also updated the Nuvi with the latest update when I got it.

My bottom line is the Magellan's routing options of Fastest Time, Shortest Distance, Most Use oF Highways and Least Use of Highways is a much better option than the Nuvi 660's two options of Shortest Time and Shortest Distance.

And the Exclude feature on the Magellan is a must in my opinion, even though I hadn't really used it. But this weekend I took the Nuvi only, to take my son to a new place to drop him off. The highway we took was all backed up on the other side. So my return trip home after I dropped him off, I certainly wasn't going to knowingly put myself into a 5 mile long traffic jam. And because the highway was really the only way to get there, the Nuvi Shortest Distance gave me the same highway to take back. So I figured I would just ignore the Nuvi and let it re-route me. And every re-reoute it just kept taking me to that highway, each time a different way! And I didn't have the 6000T with me. The Magellan allows me the option to exclude any portion of the route. I could just Exlude that highway and the Magellan would just take me without trying to MAKE ME GO TO THAT HIGHWAY. The Magellan let's me select Least Use Of Highways, which would have solved my dilemma. I just kept ignoring the Nuvi re-routing and it eventually, after about a half hour of extra driving, didn't try to take me to the congested highway.

If you do miss or ignore the Nuvi driving route, the automatic re-reouting is nearly twice the time then the Magellan. The Nuvi just doesn't acknowledge a missed turn for quite a bit. This is very troublesome at highway speeds. The Magellan pretty much knows within a second or two and recalculates automatically. The Nuvi takes 5-6 seconds. A lot of highway goes by in that time at 70-80 mph.

And now to the alert tone on the Nuvi and Magellan units. The Nuvi is worthless with the audible tone at your turn. It gives this tone at 3 tenths of a mile out of the turn. On local roads this is nuts for the driver. To many roads to go. So now I'm looking at the street signs or at the Nuvi watching the distance count down for my turn. So now my eyes are off the road and trying to locate my turn. Very unsafe. The Magellan plays it's alert turn tone about at the turn. So the driver knows this is the place to turn. You HAVE to look at the Nuvi way to much for safety.

And as others have posted here, the Nuvi does not switch over the screen to show the driver the next upcoming turn. The Magellan does this. On the Nuvi you have to manually tap the Distance to Turn icon to see it. This is so annoying. Also the total miles of the trip is shown on the Magellan 6000T screen the whole time. The Nuni 660 doesn't. You literally have to go into the route and scroll through the whole trip to the very end, to see how many miles the trip is. On hundreds of miles trip, you will be scrolling a long time folks.Just to know how many miles the trip is. Is Garmin nuts or what?

Another truly annoying aspect of the Nuvi is that it DOES NOT alphabetize the address book! The Magellan does. So my Nuvi address book, or Favorites as Garmin calls them is random. I have Shelly in the One location. Why? She was the first Favorite I programmed. Then comes David, then Adrienne. etc... So the Nuvi keeps the order of Favorites in the order they were entered into the unit. You know what it's like to scroll through trying to locate a name with S, but don't have a place knowingly to start, like scrolling down to the R section first. You have to scroll and read each name to find one. With many Favorites, this is so annoying and slow. Wow. Garmin are you nuts or what?

If Garmin would just include the few things that the Magellan has over it, The Garmin is the clear winner. The Garmin Nuvi screen is a thing of beauty. Do this and the Garmin wins hands down. But for me, the Magellan really is the best at what it's supposed to do. Navigate a driving road trip. And it's $250 cheaper. The Magellan OS is slightly slower, and that's because it's a Microsoft CE OS. CE is crapolla OS on everything it's on. I'm sure Magellan now that the company has been bought will get a better OS and not from Microsoft. The Garmin OS is nicer to use.

Magellan over Garmin for the main function of a Navigation GPS.

I agree COMPLETELY with the last poster! The Nuvi 660 is NOT ready for primetime, and even my old Magellan Roadmate 700 beats it on navigation!

I recently purchased and returned a Nuvi 660 after having been VERY disappointed not only with it's navigation choices (THE most important part of any GPS), but also with its inability to locate MANY mainstream truckstops/gas stations along a major interstate I tried it on.

Specifically, I discovered that the Nuvi lacks an incredibly important navigation choice that my old Magellan Roadmate 700 (recently stolen) had ... choosing "most use of freeways" versus "least use of freeways." On a trip to Minneapolis from the Chicago area, the Nuvi repeatedly tried to redirect me back to one of two interstate routes even when I was already on the other one (a much faster choice at that point). On the way back from Minneapolis, it tried for ALMOST 40 MILES to redirect me off the fast interstate and back toward the other interstate (using rural routes), even though that would have added at least an hour (and probably more) to my trip. Although the Magellan products allow you to force it to use highways as much as possible, in the "shortest time" mode they almost always do this anyway and MAJORLY outperform the Nuvi 660 in quality routing! On the trip up to Minneapolis, we put my father's Roadmate 800 side by side with the Nuvi 660, and it quickly became clear that Magellan still does it MUCH MUCH better. Whatever shortcomings the Magellan 6000T may have, the ability to "get it right" on the navigation trumps all else...

There WAS a lot to like about the Nuvi 660, but since it repeatedly failed to outperform a much older Magellan unit (as did several other GPS's I recently tried (TomTom Go700, SupportPlus 3.5" SD card model, etc.) that lacked the ability to choose "most use of freeways" and navigate accurately in general) I've concluded that the only option I have is to go back to the Magellan brand. The Magellan 6000T is likely at least as good as the Roadmate 700 I loved, and with the smaller size, better receiver, and optional features I can only assume that it'll be a winner. If it's not I'll let you know!

I purchased the Nuvi 660 after read your glowing review of it and I had high hopes it would live up to expectations, but let's face it ... it doesn't matter how nice the features of a GPS are if the navigation doesn't cut it...

I REALLY liked the FM transmitting feature and bluetooth capability of the Nuvi 660 ... I was able to use it VERY effectively to make numerous calls that everyone in my big SUV could take part in, because the microphone on the Nuvi did a good job of picking up voices from everyone in the truck (even the third row) and the passengers could all easily hear the caller because there was a stereo speaker right next to each of them that allowed the caller to be heard. I would love to have similar capability in the Magellan I'm going to buy, but I'll have to use a separate FM transmitter to accomplish this since it's not built-in to the 6000T. I also loved the bright, wide screen on the Nuvi 660 (it looked like HDTV next to the older Roadmate 800), but again, these great features only pay off if the product navigates well, which the Garmin sadly doesn't...

I was hoping the software upgrade you mentioned at CES would have addressed (and added) the option for "most use of freeways." If it had I might have been willing to overlook the glaring omission of so many important POI's on the Nuvi 660, but since it doesn't I'll have to strongly suggest that anybody seriously looking at the Nuvi 660 re-evaluate the superior Magellan products.

By the way, I am also the owner of a Garmin GPS60cx with the upgraded street navigating option (spent an extra $100 for it), and even this older handheld unit (I use it on my motorcycle) outperforms the Nuvi 660 in accuracy and routing options! I'm frankly astonished that Garmin could release such a flawed product line given that their reputation is top notch on the whole...

Regards,
Steve

Yes Steve. I agree with all you posted too.

I traded a couple of posts here wit Fletch. He so strongly recommended the Nuvi 660. I did go with the Magellan 6000T though because I was already a Roadmate 700 users/owner. But there was always this thought in the back of my head, maybe the Nuvi 660 is that much better. It's just as you write too.

I also was using a Roadmate 700 that I upgraded with the software I bought from Magellan. Which made the 700 into a 760. Speaking street names etc... And I just sold my 700/760 on eBay this weekend. I was saving it as a backup, but I figured I got the Nuvi, might as well get some money.

Yes there are some glaring omissions on this very expensive high-end Nuvi 660. I'm thinking of selling it on eBay too. I do love that screen though.

And I find the Nuvi not as accurate with locations too. The first Favorite I put in is a house. I go there all the time. The route is the same for both the Magellan and the Nuvi. The Magellan pinpoints the final destination correctly on the right. The Nuvi announces the house on the left.

Not sure why it got such glowing reviews on this site? Some of the basics of GPS navigation for the auto is glaringly absent on the Nuvi 660. It does not deserve the accolades this site has given it.

Makes one wonder.

I also upgraded my 700 to a 760, shortly before it was stolen (grrrrr!!).

I'll chock up this glowing review to the fact that he simply hadn't used the 660 enough to realize how big a deal the shortcomings actually are. I will admit that I wanted the 660 to be "as good as he said it was" so badly that I was willing to overlook the huge price difference versus other products that had almost as many features.

In fact, I was very excited when I started seeing a bunch of low cost GPS systems that appeared to have many more features than my 700 (and almost as many important ones as the Nuvi 660) for as little as $150 to 200 bucks! I tried one of them (the Supportplus product I mentioned) that, while kind of ugly looking, had an .mp3 player, a movie player, an FM transmitter (that worked fairly well), and several other neat features! If it had only done a good job of navigating (it didn't) I would have been VERY happy to live with the so-so styling...

So far I'm finding that it's best not to mess with success. Magellan got it right from the start, and although the 6000T could be improved in a variety of ways (based on the review here) I'm guessing its navigating capabilities are still second to none, if you assume it's at least as good as our old 700/760's.

Those units weren't perfect ... occasionally they'd miss an address, but they were consistently right MOST of the time, and over the years I gained a great deal of confidence in being able to jump in the car and know I was going to easily get where I wanted to go without major drama.

Regards,
Steve

My 6000T performs slightly better than the 700/760 I had. But the form factor is what I was looking for. Smaller. The Bluetooth in the 6000T works fine with my RAZR.

I was never let down by the navigation abilities of any of the Magellan GPS units I had or have.

I should have posted earlier, I sold my 700/760 for $250 on eBay. You could have replaced yours.

The price I paid $500 the 6000T and &734 for the Nuvi 660 just 10 days ago. From a price performance view, the Magellan clearly out blows away the Nuvi 660. And from a navigation performance view, again the Magellan 6000t blows away the Nuvi 660.

That's why the recommendation here is so strange to me. The Magellan software gives the user more options at navigation. The main function of what anyone wants in a GPS unit for the car. And more information on the front screen. Things that give the driver a much better picture of the planned trip. At a much lower cost. I think the reviewer likes the bells and whistles of the Nuvi.

Magellan wins both ways hands down. Performance/value and Value/performance. Clearly Magellan.

Mozart11 – The Garmin units were rated higher in my testing due to their ease of use and their excellent routing engine. We found that the Magellan 3000/6000 form factor was very difficult to operate, the menu system complex, and the units were prone to freezing and/or locking up. The Magellan 6000T was also sluggish to navigate the menu system, and we found the traffic features poorly implemented. Overall the main issue with the Magellan 6000T was its complexity to operate versus Garmin’s extremely simple interface.

I actually agree with you about much of what you say about Magellan. My favorite GPS of all time was the Magellan 750NAV. Unfortunately, Magellan has not maintained their level of excellence in GPS navigation over the past few years, and has been surpassed by Garmin.

The good news is Magellan is under new management, and their product line is improving again. The Magellan RoadMate 6000T does offer a lot of neat features (multi-destination optimized routing, routing methods, and highway mileage markers, to name a few), but for pure basic navigation, the Garmin nuvi series (and StreetPilot c550) are hard to beat.
--FLETCH

Fletch,

Like I've stated several times today, there is a LOT I liked about the Nuvi 660, but it clearly falls flat compared to the three Magellan models I've had personal experience with.

As far as usability is concerned, I found the Nuvi to be MORE difficult rather than easier than the Magellans in several ways. For one thing, when you use the keypad to spell out names, the Magellan system actually eliminates letters that don't apply as you're spelling out a street or city name, which makes it MUCH less likely you'll accidentally hit the wrong letter and have to back up. This happened several times to me with the Nuvi, and made me long for the more "logical" Magellan strategy.

Also, has it occurred to you that the Nuvi menus might SEEM easier because they're offering you less control and fewer options? This is a disadvantage, not an advantage.

Now it may seem like I'm trying everything to "sway" you (and everyone else) over to the Magellan, but I remind you that this recommendation comes as a result of having tried several other contemporary GPS's with unsatisfactory results, as well as having given the Nuvi 660 a real chance to succeed on several fronts only to have it disappoint in all the most important ways. At the end of the day I just couldn't justify keeping a GPS that can't find basic POI's and doesn't navigate as well as other units costing many hundreds of dollars less.

That's what it's all about, after all ... if it doesn't provide proper navigation, it can have the prettiest, best menu and features in the world and still be useless... Sorry, the Nuvi gets an A+ for style and extras but a D- for accuracy and routing engine. If I didn't already have experience with the MUCH superior Magellan products I might not know any better ... but I do.

I respect your right to rank these units as you see fit, but the single most important criteria in ranking these products ought to be "accuracy," ability to find/number of POI's, and then ease of use/features...

Regards,

Sorry Fletch I totally disagree with you. Just because the Nuvi has a big green GO button, doesn't make it easier to use for a user. Or better.

What do you mean now with the routing engine? As a user in the real world now of both Magellan & Garmin, I think you mean that the Nuvi calculates the route input by the user a little faster than the Magellan? Who cares? The Magellan re-calculates a missed turn while driving 3x faster in my experience than the Nuvi. That's what matters to drivers. Being routed fast and accurately. The Nuvi is far behind the 6000T in this case.

I quote your post: "Overall the main issue with the Magellan 6000T was its complexity to operate versus Garmin’s extremely simple interface. "

The Magellan difficult to operate? You really have to go back and rethink this statement. From the first moment I came in contact with a Magellan, a Hertz rental at least 10 years ago maybe more, that had the Magellan installed on a stalk at the time, I just intuitively used it. The Nuvi? No. I had to get the manual on the CD to read to do things on the Nuvi.

The Magellan lists on the screen Points of Interest (POI) icons all the time as you travel. Click on an icon and the Magellan tells you what it is and asks if you want to go. The Nuvi doesn't do this. On the Nuvi, if your traveling a programed route and need gas, or an ATM or food, you have to click the menu icon, then the Where To icon. And then select the specific POI icon you want to look for. Food, Gas? To do this the user has to make two clicks just to get to the menu to then select separately the Food/Lodging icon. Then select one of NINE icons, the last two of which the user needs to click and scroll too. USER FRIENDLY? The Magellan, everyone of these services is on the screen all the time! All there on your screen. ONE CLICK to select Food, Gas, ATM, etc... on the Magellan. One click on the Magellan or three clicks on the Nuvi, just to the select with another click or scroll!

Sluggish to navigate the menu system? Maybe a touch slower than the Nuvi. but sluggish is very big misrepresentation of the Magellan. IMO

Granted a lot of this is personal opinion and subjective. But personal opinion has nothing to do with Magellan one click versus Nuvi 5-6 clicks. One is easier than 5-6 for any person in my book. The Nuvi does not alphabetize the Favorites. This defies reason and is so much harder to find a Favorite if not in alphabetical order. Searching through a Nuvi Favorite list looking for one that is in a random order is nuts! And harder for any user.

I don't know how can you write what you did today? I'm fortunate enough to get these two units to compare. And ultimately one is for my son who just got his license to drive. I would want him to have the Magellan way before the Nuvi. Why? Because he can program a route on the 6000T for do what he needs at the time. The Nuvi a user can only go with the Garmin way. Like I originally posted, the Nuvi did all it could to put my on a road with a five mile traffic tie up. I just had to ignore the Nuvi and drive around to force it to do something else. Snd the traffic alert didn't seem to to anything to help the Nuvi out of a major road tie up.

The Nuvi is nowhere near more user friendly in my real world use to the 6000T. You should really go back and review each unit. I think the current review and recommended choice is doing a huge disservice to your readers. A buyer actually gets more with the Magellan for $250 less cost than a Nuvi. That's what makes your recommendation very disturbing to me.

I think what Fletch means by the Magellans being sluggish is that they are underpowered. This subsequently causes the units to be slow or freeze up during use. It's nice that you can get to Magellan's POI in "One Click" but if the unit freezes like many consumers have reported than does that matter? I personally like the way Garmin has its POI set up. You can see all your options in a selected catagory versus having to touch every icon on the map. I have had my Nuvi since Christmas and it has been completely reliable. Ive also used both units being compared and in my test of the routing engines the garmin not only computed the route faster but got me to most of my destinations in a quicker time. The User Interface of the Magellan really needs updated. It looks like a couple of 1st graders drew the icons and maps. Was the magellan 6000 was recently discontinued? It's never a good idea to purchase a discontinued product. I understand your point of the "Route Exclusion" feature. I agree this feature needs to be implimented into Garmin's software. (Still not enough to make magellan better!)

Mozzart11, You are being a bit childish about this whole thing. I expect you to start crying and stamping your feet in a minute. Buy what you want, and let it go at that!

I can tell you that I purchased a Nuvi 660 for my wife at Christmas, and it has been flawless in California, Arizona, and now in all of New England. I also have a built in GPS in my Honda Pilot, which everyone rates as very easy to use. Well, they both plot the same route, with the difference being that the Honda unit causes my wife to take out the owners manual, while the Garmin is much more intuitive. By the way Mozzart11, that is what is meant by "user friendly".

So, I don't know why you feel you have to be "right", but quite frankly you sound like you are on some sort of vendetta. So, give it a rest, and enjoy whatever unit you prefer. Fletch did a great review, pointed out the pros, and I (and many others) made our decision to buy whatever. I believe that since I was given the ability to think for myself, I used that ability to do some research before buying the Nuvi 660, and Fletch's review only provided more information that I used to make my decision. Mozzart11, good luck with your choice, and Fletch, thanks for your opinions and review. I certainly would never spent $700 plus based simply on someones opinion. If you did Mozzart11, then shame on you!!!

Incidentally, I purchased my Nuvi before I read Fletch's review, but find his review to be very useful as a review of the features of the unit. Fletch, thanks again.

Fletch:

Could you help with with a question I have on the operation of my Nuvi660?

My question concerns the "screen lock" button. When I push this button on my unit, the screen goes "grey", and the unit stops responding to any inputs, other than pushing the power button again to unlock. Per the manual, this function is to prevent inadvertant "taps of the screen". In reality, this function seems more like a "pause" function, that could be used to keep satelites aquired, etc. to allow faster start-up. Also the greyed out screen should prevent "burn-in" of images to the screen. How long do you feel you could keep the Nuvi660 in this state with the unit plugged in to power with the cord plugged into a power port in my car?

Thanks for your help.

Peter

Peter-

Get a life.

Good for you and your wife on using your GPS.

But there is something wrong with a review of products where one is recommended HIGHLY over another that is $250 more expensive, but offer less core ability at it's main feature. Navigation. And you hate someone expressing their opinion. Unless it's yours. You have all the freedom to comment, but someone is wrong to comment. What's it like in your ivory tower?

As to your GPS in the Honda, I'm sorry your wife is incapable of figuring it out.

You also sound like one of the types that comes to forums and posts to people looking for help to: RTFM. Just tell your wife to also.

Who needs to feel right? Except you. I even posted it's all subjective. So get off your friggin high horse and navigate to your shrink and chill. Or get that Honda manual out and read it to your wife. Between the both of you, you might figure it out.

God damn. The anonymity of the web makes some people just feels so superior.

Mozzart11,

I actually like it in my Ivory Tower, and am sorry that you have to exist in a dung filled basement. That must be what gives you such a crappy attitude.

If you took a vote as to how many people actually like their Nuvi660, you would be in the minority. Like I said, buy what you want, and leave the rest to decide what they want. If I wanted a review from you, I would have called you!

MOZART11

STOP CRYING!
YOU ARE AN IDIOT! GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE DUNG IN YOUR A$$! MAYBE YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR
"SUBJECTIVE" OPINIONS TO YOURSELF OR TAKE THAT $250 YOU SAVED AND START UP YOUR OWN WEBSITE WHERE SOMEONE CARES! I THINK MAGELLAN IS BETTER OFF WITHOUT SOMEONE LIKE YOU CAMPAIGNING FOR THEM! KEEP YOUR MAGELLAN AND SHUT UP!

Peter-

Your first response here and it's to ATTACK ME. And then say I have a bad atitude. Wow.

Your hostile to people who have opinons different than you. So your only ability is attack the person. Your self righteous mentality is priceless.

Have a nice life.

Peter,

I have one word for you...

GARMIN

as a new GPS user, I bought the Nuvi 660 back in November and absolutely LOVE it. I figured out the bluetooth, loaded some audiobooks and mp3 files...even some family pictures. The best part is that I don't get lost now. Gives me confidence to drive anywhere.
Love this gadget!!!!

Hi all,

I just purchased a Nuvi 670 and so far things are tracking very much as the 660 review predicts. I did have a question regarding all the different language files available to be selected (besides English in american, english and australian flavors) Are these files required or can they be deleted from the device? It looks like they take up about 15Mb per file and there's a ton of them. If the non-essential ones can be deleted, that would certainly free up a measurable portion of the 4Gb overall. Just curious

Thanks for a great site

Amusing how many are attacking Mozart for correctly pointing out the legitimate shortcomings of the Nuvi 660. As I mentioned several pages back, I own(ed) both Magellan and Garmin products, and while the two-year-old handheld Garmin GPS60cs I still have is terrific (especially with the upgraded street navigation feature installed), the Nuvi 660 falls short, both in it's ability to navigate accurately, and in its complete inability to find even the most basic POI's (Points Of Interest), such as major truck stops that have been around for many years.

On a major street just around the corner from my house, the 660 actually instructs me to exit the roadway and then get back on to head toward ANY destination just east of me. It consistently fails to navigate the "fastest" routes to a variety of destinations, and frequently chooses to take me OFF the freeway when clearly I should stay on it.

By comparison, my OLD Magellan Roadmate 700 with original map data (since updated several times) was far more accurate, easier to use, had more relevant options for "most use of freeways," etc, and warned me of turns properly and promptly EVERY time. If I deviated from the prescribed route, it always quickly recalculated an acceptable alternative, whereas the 660 consistently failed to effectively do so. The 660 also missed many other "known" points of interest that the old Roadmate 700 always found, and the Roadmate offered more control and an interface that provided more information than the new Garmin. After all these years, there's just no excuse for selling an item with so many flaws.

I have no bias whatsoever against the Garmin company or the Nuvi 660. I had heavily researched it for several months, and had concluded that it would be my next GPS following the theft of my Roadmate 700. Fletch's review of the 660 convinced me that my research was on target, so I purchased one with the expectation that it would perform at least as well as both of my older products.

Unfortunately, all the great features are worthless if the unit consistently fails to perform in its primary role as a navigation system ... so I returned it and will go back to the tried and true Magellan system. My father owns a Roadmate 800 which continues to perform extremely well, though not without minor glitches of its own. Bottom line ... the Magellan products navigate better than any others I've ever used, and at the end of the day THAT is THE most important factor in choosing the best.

Fletch missed the mark in awarding the Nuvi 660 his "editors choice," because he chose features over performance. Those of you who've not experienced any other GPS system may very well be blissfully ignorant of the fact that the 660 makes a LOT of mistakes, but if you're happy with it than more power to you. I, on the other hand, know better and demand more.

I will continue to enjoy my Garmin GPS60cx on my motorcycle, but for the car I'll go back to the best ... Magellan.

Regards,

Thanks Steve. And you too are absolutely correct. And you summed up Fletch's review perfectly with "because he chose features over performance."

On a 660 that costs $250 dollars MORE than it's nearest competitor. To give the 660 the Editors Choice is just to strange to comprehend. If prices were the same on Garmin 660 and its main competitor - Magellan 6000T or 2200, than the Fletch review has more validity. But Fletch likes to use the Tom Tom mostly as his comparison to Garmin, again for some odd reason. But consumers are being steered wrong by the Editors Choice of the 660. In my opinion.

I don't get the banter they both use Navteq software. Tell me how one can be better than the other when finding locations?

Charles - there is much more that goes into a GPS's mapping abilities than just the provider (NAVTEQ in this case). For example, companies can pay more or less money to NAVTEQ for more or less attributes (i.e. does a road close after 5pm during certain week days? Does a given intersection have a liklihood of causing an accident and should be avoided? What is the normal rate of travel for a given street? Is commercial traffic excluded from a certain road, etc.). The more data a company buys from NAVTEQ (or Tele Atlas), the more data the GPS has to work with when it calculates the route.

Then there's the routing engine: having the same mapping data doesn't mean you'll get the same results. Just look at the various online mapping sites (Yahoo, MSN, Google, Mapquest, etc.). They all use NAVTEQ, but all produce slightly different results. Optimizing the mapping data and doing the math on the "best" route is very complex, and Magellan and Garmin tend to do it better than anyone else so far. This gets especially complex when the "best" route isn't the shortest distance. For example, if your GPS knows that a certain highway is always jammed up at 5pm during a weekday, then taking a longer distance route will actually produce a shorter drive time. All these are factors that the GPS must make. So there's a lot more to it than just both using NAVTEQ. It's a question of how much data did they buy from NAVTEQ, and how good are their engineers at interpreting that NAVTEQ data and creating a route.
--FLETCH

Thanks Fletch...as usual a detailed answer which is above and beyond. Just for the record I bought the Nuvi 660 based on your review and the unit is everything you said and more. It would be nice if it said you have arrived in front of the location instead of nearby the location...anyway to adjust this with a software update? Magellan does a great job of this.

I also use their Forerunner 305 which is excellent as well. I wanted to buy a Magellan system because I have used it in Hertz cars while traveling but your reviews as well as many others pointed to the Garmin products.

Thanks again for the response and a great review.

I live in San Diego... So will the standard package include the dashboard mount in this nuvi 660? Please let me know... I am planning to buy this ASAP as: "NOTICE TO DRIVERS IN CALIFORNIA AND MINNESOTA: State law prohibits drivers in California and Minnesota from using suction mounts on their windshields while operating motor vehicles. Other Garmin dashboard or friction mounting options should be used"

Thanks

Jayanth,

Yes, the windshield mmount will be included, even if you buy it in CA.

--FLETCH

I am having some real trouble finding a good place to mount it. I don't like the windshield options except way over to the left, and then the power cord stretches across my dashboard and steering wheel.

I found a place to mount it in a little well containing the clock/thermomter (and I had to spring for some of those temporary adhesive disks), but now it is suffering from some severe shaking as the car moves -- so much that it looks blurry when I try to read it.

Not sure what the solution will be. Maybe I really wish it were in-dash.

David - why don't you want to mount it in the windshield? That's the simplest solution.
--FLETCH

Looks like it will do the trick, but is it true you can't avoid freeways? I'm in the LA area and they can, and often are, backed up forever at any time of the day or night

Salesperson at BestBuy told me that the FM transmitter was improved in the 680 and that the power connection is smaller. Are either of these claims true? I drive a sports car with limited room in the cabin so the plug length is important

Hi Fletch:

Can you tell me why the Nuvi 660 states arriving at location (this happens with a house address) when you are about 4-5 houses away from the actual address. This means you have to hunt for the address. Is it me or does the Magellan (including Hertz version) version pinpoint the address better. Another words close to spot on. Did this surface during your testing of the Nuvi 660?

Hi Everyone, I bought the 660 because of the excellent reviews, the great display and smaller size. Have been using the Magellan 760 for a year. After comparing them for 1 month side by side in Minnesota, Chicago and new York, I decided to buy 5 more 760 to give to my daughter who always gets lost, my ex wife, and 2 other children and another one for me as the 760 trounces the 660 as far as ease of getting to the right place safer, more accurately and changes routing quickly. I can get the 760 for aroung 400 as compared to the 899 discounted price I paid for the nuvi.

Hi, I’ve been using a Garmin 320c here in the UK for a while and have now decided to upgrade to a Bluetooth version. The Police have started to crack down on mobile phone use whilst driving (now illegal), I had decided on the 550c, (needs to be Garmin as I have an investment in MapSource stuff)
Now, yesterday a buddy was showing me his new nuvi 660, one thing I was most impressed with was the “browse map” screen. On my 320c this is very clunky using the pan and scroll arrows, on the 660 it’s just like the touch pad on this laptop. My question is what is the 550c like, has it been upgraded to the 660 type or does it retain the 320c clunky job?
Cheerandgone
Geoff.

Geoff - The Garmin c550 is quite similar to the nuvi 660 (in terms of its user interface). It's more like a nuvi 660 than a c320. Hope that helps.
--FLETCH

Jose - You overpaid for your nuvi 660. It can easily be found online for around $700 even. Also, the main drawback to the RoadMate 760 (apart from being discontinued and no longer supported by Magellan) is that it doesn't use SiRF's high performance GPS receiver. So when you drive behind tall buildings or through a short tunnel, the 760 looses its position. The newer RoadMates (2000, 2200T) have a much more sensitive receiver, as does the nuvi.

From a reliabiltiy standpoint, I consider it more important to have GPS signal and be about to route, than the re-calculation time you mentioned...
--FLETCH

An important question for anyone who has a nuvi: how early does the unit start giving you *audio* warnings of an upcoming maneuver? And does it tell you which way you need to maneuver without your having to tap the screen for maneuver details?

Elsewhere I read complaints regarding the nuvi that at highway speeds you were often told too late that an exit was on the left instead of the right. But since I haven't seen similar comments here I'm wondering if those complaints were fixed by an update?

I on the wall between a nuvi 350, a StreetPilot c550, or the Magellan 2200T. The inability to block roads that are closed in the Garmin units is why the Magellan is in the running. If it's true that the Garmin's don't give well detailed warning of upcoming maneuvers, I'm afraid that it's a Magellan for me. (Of course, with the Maestro just announced, I may have to sit on this fence for another few months.)

Your assistance in clarifying this is greatly appreciated.

Simcha

I have both a Magellan 6000T and Nuvi 660.

The Magellan gives better upcoming warning for manuvers with tones. Both tell which way upcoming turn is.

Magellan GPS units re-calculate much sooner and quicker than my Nuvi 660 if a turn is missed or ignored. The Magellan is about 2 seconds. The Garmin is almost 20 seconds to re-calulate! And at highway speeds that's a lot of traveled roadway and additional exits past before the Nuvi figures out where it is!

Magellan is more accurate at final destination too.

Magellan units give more GPS features for less money than Garmin.

I think the Magellan is a superior GPS than Garmin.

Simcha:

I have a Nuvi 660 and have never blown an exit because the unit did not provide enough advanced warning of the approaching exit. Should you blow past the exit (because you weren't paying attention) it recalculates extremely fast...a lot faster than 20 seconds. Again more than enough time to get off at the next exit.

The unit is bright, it switches screens fast and the customer support is based here in the states.

Buy the Nuvi 660 you'll be very happy.

AUSTRALIAN FIRMWARE Update.... i noticed no update for a while and now.

Long live the new King Nuvi660 ...... HIGH POWER FM ...... firmware update with 2.0mW, 1.0mW and 0.5mW
selectable strength via the hidden menu. enable by default it appears.
Also there is a service mode screen that lists what software is in error as well as more info, very interesting
(hold your finger in the top right of the screen for about 5 long seconds.
this may lock up sometimes user beware. to exit press the power firmly for a second or two.

I have to agree with a long back previous poster HELEN about when doing an online update having all the map data wiped. Not a happy experience if you had not plugged in via usb and done a full file copy from the garmin nuvi660. This did happen to me but i believe it was because the unit ran out of memory space when installing the updates. due to all the extra languages i installed before doing an update on the firmware or something similar. The FIX was simply to copy the single large file gmapsupp.img of some 130mb.. (from memory).
I never had to contact garmin and all was well when i consequently update after that.

Someone asked about the FM mp3 and bluetooth function and i have found them to work very well together by pausing the mp3 while the phone conversation takes place and continuing mp3 after the call ends. i can even place a "voice dialled" numbered call because my windows mobile 5 (WM5) phone has voice commander software. It will even read my SMS's but if i have say 2 long sms txt it has disconnected me mid message. This time needs to be extended or left until i exit the screen.

For those of you that want a routable map of Singapore and Malaysia there is a FREE version that i have installed onto the nuvi660 that can co-exist with the Australian maps. look here www.malsingmaps.com

i have personally email the a firmware fault to garmin with screen shots and explaination and garmin have provided a fix, so they do listen! Thanks Garmin

BUT i'm still awaiting the ALARM CLOCK that was written in this very review that i was sent to by GARMIN telephone support when i asked for information relating to their product.
Maybe it has something to do with the problem that i have in that if you power it off the current time gets lost until the antenna is open up.

SHAME Garmin SHAME, ADD the ALARM CLOCK

Can I buy maps of Australia and New Zealand for a Nuvi 660?

Is there anyway to enable the FM transmitter on a UK model of the Nuvi 660? It's been legal here since December 2006 and I've just purchased a unit thinking that it would be available.

About FM transmitter on a UK and EU model of the Nuvi 660? Try this link, http://www.unbelievableshop.com/store/ they have now a model Garmin Nuvi 670 with FM transmitter, later in april they also will have a new model of Garmin, Nuvi 660 FM, as they told me on my request. I will by that one (Sweden) because it will include EU maps only and not both EU and US maps as in Nuvi 670.

Hi!
After reading some of the bad comments about the Garmin nuvi 660 am I better off buying the Magellan Maestro 4040?
A-T

hey now i have the Magellan 700...what i don't like is that the 700 doesn't have the 3D maps....right now I'm thinking to get the Magellan 6000t and i don't know what to do i have somebody who is selling for 340 $ and i don't know what to do ...can some body help me ....

I noticed that there was mention of a 'hidden' menu to adjust the FM transmitter strength.

Any tips on how to access this feature?

Interesting question AT...I am in the same situation. Love to see what comes back...

On another note, how helpful/important is the Traffic Package? The 4040 has it as an option (not released yet) but the 4050 charges quite a bit for this standard feature

A-T:

Yes. Or the 6000T which has the traffic built-in, with a paid subscription after the trial 3 months.

Has anyone had a problem with a loss of suction on the windshield mount while the car is parked in the sun? Now that Southern California is getting warmer I am starting to have this problem. When I get back to my car after work, the mount has fallen off. I don't keep the Nuvi itself on the mount while the car is unattended. I take it off and put it in the console box. But even without the weight of the unit it still falls off. The inside of the windshield has just been cleaned. I have tried spit but that doesn't work either. Got any ideas?

Anthony - check out this thread in the forums: http://www.gpsmagazine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8

BC: Did you ever find out about the hidden menu to adjust the FM transmitter strength? That would be very helpful to be able to do... Thanks.
-Sam

Yes - to access the nuvi's hidden menu, hold your finger in the top right of the screen for about 5 long seconds while powering on the GPS.

Fletch, I have tried to access the 'hidden menu' while powering up the GPS without any success.

I can access the 'maintenance menu' by holding my finger in the top LEFT of the screen for 5 long seconds while powering on the GPS. But this menu does not have the option to adjust the FM transmitter strength.

Any suggestions?

BTW I have the a USA model with Software version 3.60

Regarding changing the FM transmitter power, I found this on another forum site:

"Press and hold the upper right corner of the Nuvi 660 screen. After a while it enters a maintenance mode.

One of the screens has a set of radio buttons for the FM transmitter strength. I think that the choices were 0.5mW, 1mW and 2mW (none selected at the time).

Unfortunately, I found no way to change and save this setting."

I can get into this menu too by pressing on the right top corner of the screen where the clock is for about ten seconds after the nuvi is already on, but have no way of saving the settings.

I played with this around my radio and found that while I was in the menu the strength definitely changed because the static went away on the station, but since there is no way that I found to get out of the maintenance screens without powering off there is no way to save the settings.

This tells me that the FM power on the unit is software configurable if Garmin would only allow it.

My unit is a US model with version 3.7

I was also pressing the right corner for some time. Indeed a maintenance mode follows. When you entered sometime "next" you will see a screen in which you can put on and off the audio outpunt amongst others the FM. I see fm sweep anf fm power but what you have to do???? so if somebody can help!

Once in this service menu mode, how does one get out? I was looking around but, after going through all the pages, there was no clear press to get back to normal mode. I tried holding down the top right screen again but nothing. I eventually had to reset it to turn it off and then turn it back on.

Thanks,

Bob

Bob - I think reseting it is the only way to get out of the service menu...

Well, I just placed an order for Nuvi 660 from Costco online. If you're a Costco member, they have a deal you can't pass up. As a father's day special they're selling it for $499.

I was debating if I should go with 680 or 660 because the MSN direct had a nice potential, but this special sealed my decision. Great thing about this purchase is that it's $100 less than anyplace else you can buy this unit (I thought Sam's Club had a nice price at $599), and I can return the unit anytime for full refund (including S/H) to my local Costco store if I decided it wasn't right for me. So this was a no-brainer, no-risk opportunity for any Costo member to try the unit out yourself. You've got nothing to lose and at a price no one can match at this time.

I understand from other posts that it may not be as good as Magellan for routing calculation, but I also think the location you'll be using has a big impact on its performance (I'm in Phoenix). I also know that many other GPS reviews can't be all wrong for selecting 360/660 as their top 10 if it wasn't good. The bottom-line is that it needs to satisfy my expectations and I'll never know it unless I try it myself. I really appreciate Fletch for his in-depth review of the unit so I'll know exactly what feature set to expect.

I too just ordered a couple from costco ...1 for me and 1 for my dad,will update soon how things go.

Just got my 660 and we're already off to a rocky start. I tried to enter the hotel for my friend's wedding next month and it would not allow me to complete the street address. Called Garmin and the rep was unable to find it on his system. Just very aggravating because the $200 Mio I played with at the store last week actually had the hotel in its POI. Also the TomTom One had it. I hoped that if it did not know that a hotel was at that address I would at least be given directions to that area or a nearby intersection (the way google or mapquest will) but it just flat out would not let me proceed. By the way, the reception is in New Cumberland, PA at a Holiday Inn Conference Center, place has been around for quite some time. Address is
148 Sheraton Drive
New Cumberland, PA 17070
if anyone wants to take a crack at it.
Anyone have any ideas on what to do when this happens? Oh, tried it on the magellan in my sister's car and it couldn't find it either but I didn't tinker around it for too long. Might have to end up taking that if it locates it.

Hi, great in-depth review. I just got my Nuvi 660 too, and I was wondering if you have this problem. I recalibrated the screen a few times, but it still sometimes responds to touch somewhere other than what I've intended. Weird.

I bought the Garmin Nuvi 660. Does anyone know where to buy a microphone for the Garmin? I bought 2 microphones on-line - both did not fit.

I am convinced all on-line company's have no idea about a compatible microphone.

The Garmin sits on my dash which is too far for people to hear me on the phone.

Thanks for any help

Just bought the 660 based on this review.

Went to costco.com and ordered online. The price of $499 is good through June 11th.

If you are not a member, you can still get the price. You just pay a $25 non-member surcharge. Membership costs $50. You still end up saving $75 over the next lowest price I could find.

I ended up paying $561 all in. Shipping, taxes (MA 5%), surcharge.

Bob, you are an idoit and did not answer my question.

FYI, I called Garmin support this morning and during our conversation I found out that Garmin is ready to release V9 of City Navigator NT.

I was happy with their support person but disappointed with Garmin due to the fact that they will not give me V9 for free even though I just bought my unit. Typically, when a new version of software comes out within 30-days of your purchase, companies usually give you a free upgrade. It's not the case here.

So, I recommend anyone thinking of buying any Nuvi models to wait until V9 is released.

I just spoke to Garmin's PR person, and they said they are putting the finishing touches on the v9 maps and they "should" be available within the next few weeks.
--FLETCH

Great resource you have here! I have to admit though that my head is swimming with all the info on all the various models and companies. I have pretty much narrowed down my choice between the garmin 550 and the nuvi 660. Both seem extremly similar with the one big exception being the nuvi's fm transmittion. I' will admit i am a novice and maybe you could shed a little more light on comparing the two as tomorrow 6/12/07 i plan on making a purchase. thanks a lot.

I am interested in the Nuvi 660 but have a question about he settings. It can be configured for a bus or big rig etc. My question is what does this do for you. I am very interested in this because I will use this in my motor home and if it will keep you off of narrow roads and roads that are inapropriate that would be a great point for RV owners.

I just purchased a new Garmin NUVI 660. At first reading, I have found the Garmin supplied manual is a bit lacking. There are things about the 660 I guess I just have to explore and find out for myself. HOWEVER, I now just surfed the Internet and found this web site of yours which completely describes the 660 and how to use it. That is simply wonderful! My question: Is it possible to obtain a printed copy of what you have in your web site? I have considered printing it directly from my computer. I am "stumped" on how to do it with each page a separate screen. Is it possible to print all the pages at one time, without have to open each one and printing it? I will be looking forward to your response, Sincerely, Tom Roberts

I bought mine in January 2007 and am very pleased. The one problem I have had has been with the rubber suction cup on the windshield mount. Now that Summer is approaching it is getting hot and you don't want to leave the mount on the windshield after you get to your destination. The rubber will fuse to your windshield.
I called Garmin to let them know that they may have a problem and to get some suggestions.
They have upgraded the rubber suction cup but still recommend removing it if you are going to be parked in the sun for any length of time.
I was amazed when they offered to send me a whole new mount for free, and they did($35 value).
This brings me to my main point. Garmin has the best customer support of any GPS manufacturer and better than most other products or services. They don't outsource so you will get to speak to a real live American for a change, and a helpful one at that.
In contrast, read the tales of woe on the Amazon site for the Magellan 4040.
By the way Fletch, I understand you were having the same problem and I saw that black ring on your windshield in another review. It comes off really easy with Formula 409.

I bought the Nuvi 660 a week ago from Costco, and have found it to be a good GPS with a good route engine. The UI is simplistic- wonder what intelligence level Garmin was targeting. No POI's on the screen (e.g. gas stations, banks, restaurants)! The maps are outdated, but Garmin informed me that the new ones will be available in a few weeks for 75.00. Why should someone who just bought a new unit be made to pay for a map update? TomTom and LG both would ship you 2007 maps for free or just postage.

"Out of memory" problem: I have the same out of memory problem that has been discussed earlier, but a hard reboot does NOT fix my problem.

Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Costco is now selling the Nuvi 660 for $599.99 until June 30th. Darn, I missed their deadline for $499.99
I hope I made the right decision, it arrives on Tuesday & its my first GPS.

Just purchased a nuvi 660....voice prompts do not announce street name..can anyone offer advice?
Thanks,
PW

May I ask. Can one find ones position by Lat & Long with the 660 please. I have a 660 but cannot find how to ask it, "What is my present Lat and Long?"

regards

Frank

Frank - yes, you can. While looking at the map screen, tap on the vehicle icon. This will allow you to save your current location, and will also display your position in lat/long.

Any word on if Garmin will release an upgrade or a newer device that will have the route exclusion option? I like everything the 660, but without the route exclusion option, I can't get it with all the heavy traffic I go through. I saw your recommendation for the Roadmate, but I'd like to know if there will be an upgraded Garmin soon?

I recently transferred some contact phone numbers from my mobile (Nokia N70) to nuvi 660 via bluetooth. Now, how can i edit the entries that i have copied into this unit? I don't see any option to delete any phone number or contact? Any way to achieve this? And is there any way to erase the entire phone book?

I just purchased a Nuvi 660 and love the unit. However, I tried mounting the Nuvi using the supplied disk to my dash and the first time I removed the unit, the mounting disk separated from the dash. It does not appear very sticky. Do you have any suggestions?

I am looking to purchase my first gps system. I am totally up in the air BUT I think I have narrowed the field to either the Garmin nuvi 660 or the Magellan 4040. I went to a local store to actually see each unit and the clerk tells me they did not have either system in stock but can get them from another store. He also tells me after looking on his computer that the Garmin 660 is being discontinued. I was taken back a bit! Can anyone confirm this or is the clerk wrong? I really don't want to get a new system which is being discontinued already.. especially if the model seems to be popular. Any help would be appreciated.

Sometimes clerks at stores have access to what models their store/company will no longer carry - i have a feeling that store will start to carry the 680 and that led him to believe the 660 was going to be "discontinued."

I purchased a Nuvi 660 based on this review and I must say I was very disappointed with the unit. I found its inability to set up multiple-destination trips very limiting, and I found the time it takes to recalculate a route much too long.

I returned the Nuvi 660 and purchased a Magellan Maestro 4040 and could not be happier. The Magellan has all the features one needs for navigation without the additional features such as an MP3 player and a photo viewer. And the Magellan's ability to set up multiple-destination routes makes it particularly useful. I am also very impressed with how rapidly the Magellan senses a need to recalculate a route and then accomplishes that task .

I must say that in my opinion this review is much too positive about the Nuvi (and the review of the Magellan 4040 is much too negative about minor points of little importance to the primary function of the device - efficient and effective navigation.)

In addition, the Magellan's method of warning you of upcoming turns with a combination of audible tones, visual warnings including the split screen view, and warnings at 2.0 miles and .5 miles ahead of the turn are very, very effective.

Thanks for the insightful review. I am now the happy owner of a Nuvi 660. I especially like the hidden tips you offered. It was annoying having to hit Back, Back, Back...to get thru menus. Holding it down works much better. The GPS units Bluetooth even syncs perfectly to my iPhone too. Address book, caller ID, dialing, and call history were all displayed only texting didn't work but, to be fair the texting didn't work to well on the Razr either. (A phone listed as fully fuctional on Garmin's website.) Keep the reviews coming. You have an eye for small details that most reviewers neglect.

Nice Review
I have read other reviews and they mention that there are no street level names. Is this real as I want to know and read the street names not just hear about them.
Is Garmin upgraded software to include more way points

Just some ? before I but one

thanks a bounch

I just purchased my first GPS - the Nuvi 660 and love it. The review was very helpful. I am having problems with downloading audio files to the external SD memory card. It is downloading to the internal memory but indicates that there is no space on the external memory to download to even though the card is empty. Does anyone know what I'm doing incorrectly?

thanks for you help
M.

Apparently, the new (SPOT) service from Microsoft will be $9.95 a month, starting to serve the 100 most populated cities and possibly spread out from there. Some of the things I've heard, the Microsoft service can deliver information on dining, news, weather, games, and stocks. I am wondering what service the Nuvi 670/680 will incorporate. Apparently, the service utilizes FM radio broadcasting that will be leased. Ultimately, I'm sure that instant messaging and e-mail will be an option. Right now there is such a vast amount of GPS mapping systems, that I've tried to determine which is the best in the GPS poll.

See for yourself, GPS Poll: http://todayspolls.googlepages.com/home6

Fletch, in your review you state that the 660 can do zip codes. My new 660 doesn't seem to let me do zips, only cities. Any thoughts?

I recently bought the Nuvi 660. Its a great machine with a lot of bells and whistles, except for one thing, it lacks accuracy. The addresses that I've typed in so far is a couple of hundred feet off from the mark. I used to own the Magellan 860, which was dead-on. This issue becomes problematic in situations where streets and turns are tight. While in Flagstaff AZ visiting, it had me running in circles because it was a couple of hundred feet off in my actual location. Before I return this to the store, can anyone tell me if this could be solved through future software upgrades? I may go back to Magellan.

This Garmin nuvi 660 review was good but missed the mark on the FM transmitter. Basically, it's so scratchy as to be useless in all the cars I've tested it in. Utterly useless.

You did hit the mark that Garmin should either calculate or ask you each time whether you want fastest or shortest route. It's unfathomable to have to dig through the default settings switching back and forth ten time a day just to get the fastest route sometimes (e.g., on highways) and the shortest on others (e.g., on local roads). Unfathomable.

Overall, with these two major omissions, it was a GREAT review of the Garmin nuvi 660!

If u r interest about Greece dont buy it.Its REALLY poor their map.
And with their price u can have a palmtop that makes even more than just a gps.

FM transmitter is a bucket of poo, like others have already stated. Tried a Belkin fm transmitter through the headphone jack, and it sounded a little better, but not much. Probably gonna have to get the adaptor to hook it up directly to my stereo, which completely destroys my idea of paying so much for this unit that doesn't live up to what I thought it would. Waiting to hear back from Garmin on this very issue.

will the 660 do elevation i seem to enjoy this when i travel????

I want to by the 660 but i really need an altitude feature and i need to be sure the 660 has it. do you know for sure.

Is it just me or is no one reading these comments to help answer the questions? I would love to read some of the answers that people have questions with.. but none.. what up?

I love my 660 -- most of the time. I miss some of the features that my etrex had (cost $100!). How about a display update that shows elevation and real-time lat/lon. Also a "vehicle choice" of "aircraft" would allow real-time count-down of distance to destination without "Nagatha" constantly trying to get you back on the nearest major highway. These things seem like software issues. The box has the data, it just does not display it!

With the new Nuvi 7 series coming out soon, will I be able to upgrade my 660(one month old) for Routing and tracking, or will I need to buy a new one. Is there anyway one can activate the FM transmitting feature. Bought mine on a trip to Dubai and didn't had much time to really look at all the specs :(

How do I enable the feature that makes my nuvi 660 speak street names? I have been using for a few days now and it works great, but I have yet to hear a street name announced! Anyone know how to turn this feature on?

You'll need to make sure you select one of the voices that supports Text to Speech.

After buying this unit and using it for about 6 weeks, I decided to return it. The FM transmitter wasn't too bad in my Infiniti G35, but I wish it were a bit stronger as occasionally, it would get static. Also, the voice tended to break-up a bit on navigation instruction, even with the built-in speaker.

Navigation was generally marginally better than on my Magellan 2200t, but if you tried to drive a different (parallel) route that you know is better, it tries to repeatedly re-route you.

One time, it routed me through a residential street filled with speed bumps! Thinking I selected something other than Fastest Route, I double checked, but for some reason the unit didn't know the speed bumps had been there for several years.

Also annoying was that you couldn't just delete the 'Most Recent' destinations selectively as on the Magellan. It's all or none for the Garmin.

Hopefully this will change with the 760, but for the price, I can't justify the 660 at 3 times the cost of the Magellan 2200t.

Something to consider before buying this unit: i've found that even when you select the "fastest" route, it will take you off interstates and route you through neighborhoods w/35-45 mph speed limits and lots of traffic lights, adding significant time to trips. I found this to be a little unnerving, especially in the NYC/Newark area.

I ultimately ended up with a NUVI 650 as I had issues with the Magellan. I did not need Bluetooth, nor what seems to be the marginal benefits of the Traffic Receiver, and was not impressed with the FM transmitter of the 660.

I ultimately 'hacked' a Belkin FM Transmitter to boost the power output, and am very happy with the results, when paired with the 650! Much better than the 660.

I bought 3 more NUVI 650s at a great price from Costco for 2 collegues, and one for my In-law's Christmas present!

IMO, no nav is perfect, but until things change markedly, the Garmins remain the top choice!

I picked this up last Thanksgiving but recently the suction doesn't seem to be holding on... like it keeps coming unloose for some reason and falls off... any ideas? The surface is clean... even tried it on the little dash disc it came with and it comes unloose on that as well.

John, I highly recommend you check out the friction mount---got mine on amazon for about 25 bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LRMS66/sr=8-3/qid=1199590424/ref=pd_cp_e_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1199590424&sr=8-3&pf_rd_p=250314601&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00005UK9X&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=140VMVK41X01KJSFD8RK

Garmins fail on really basic functionality!

I don’t get it! This GPS (and for that matter all Garmin GPSes) fail miserably on the very basic thing a GPS is supposed to do and all these reviewers go ga-ga over them! Are they biased/paid/whatever?

Don’t believe me or like what I am saying?

Ok tell me this:
You have told the Garmin to navigate to somewhere. It has plotted a route and you are on your way. How do you know which way you have to turn next, right or left?
You look at the screen….nothing! Yeah it says turn in xx miles. But which way?

Sure you can click the top of the screen to get full details but why omit this essential arrow? The screen has plenty of space!

Another scenario which exposes a fatal flaw – Voice prompts are way too late!

You are barreling down a crowded 6 lane highway at 70MPH and a split is coming up. You wanna know which side of the road you should stay on so that you take the correct turn. You look at the screen…of course nothing! (see above) Then you calm yourself by thinking, “ok this thing is going to tell me”….you wait. The turn is 2 miles away…………silence………now the turn is 1.5 miles away…….everyone around you is changing lanes and trying to get into the correct lane……but you?.....listening to silence………you start sweating……..1 mile!........nothing…… silence!!....you are really frustrated now……..0.7 miles before the damn GPS FINALLY says “left turn in 0.7 miles”. Ooops ! But you are in the right lane. The split is coming up fast. You have seconds to go to the correct lane, but there are 8 lanes on the highway now. You have to go across 3 or 4 lanes in seconds. Man! You are toast! This can easily get you in an accident, I know because I almost got into an accident the other day.

Here is a similar situation:
You are in a 40mph 4 lane suburban road ….your turn is coming up. This thing will tell you like, 0.5 miles before the turn! And then right at the turn! That night I almost skidded off the road when this thing told me at the last moment that the turn is here.

Of course people will say this is user error but I’m not a novice. I am a power user of GPS. I have been using them for 5-6 years now. Most other GPSes tell you the next turn right on the screen with a simple arrow. Good ones start alerting you 2 miles before the turn comes. Then once at 1 mile, then again at 500 yards and then once again at the turn. But this one…only once before the turn and that too ……way too late!

Yeah some reviewers call this good feature “Too chatty”, yeah right!

I talked to Garmin about this flaw and basically the answer I got was the same answer others get…..they don’t care. Needless to say My Garmin 660 is going back to the store.

I totally agree with above.
This makes Garmin useless. I'll return mine too!!!

The language translator does not translate. However, in your review at #18 you said the 660 did a good job of translating. I played with the language translator (english to spanish) of the Nuvi 660 at Best Buy and found that I when pulled up the english spelling of house, then pressed the speaker icon, house was pronouced in english instead of spanish. I selected english "to" spanish, but it gave me english "to" english. I know how to say and spell house in english, I thought a translation was from one language to another. The Garmin Language Guide did not translate from one language to another. Instead, it provided the spelling of the word I was looking for in the other langage instead pronoucing it. This is not translation. Since I do not know spanish it would be nice if the Nuvi 660 would pronouce the word house in spanish, which would help me learn how to say the word.

Hi,
I never used GPS before. I recently purchased Garmin Nuvi 660 and Magellan Maestro 4250. I used both for few days and returned both. Here are the Pros. and Cons. I found about these two GPS.

Garmin Nuvi 660

Pros.:

1.The windshield mount is awesome. The power card and traffic antenna are built-in with the mount. So we don't have to messup with wires everytime we need to attach or detach the GPS from the mount. I don't prefer leaving the GPS inside car for security reasons. So this feature is very convenient.
2.The screen interface is very easy and the response is very quick.
3.BlueTooth feature worked excellent with my phone Sony Ericsson W300i. It immediatly recognized my phone and imported all data even the text messages.
4.Nice MP3 player.
5.Traffic alert is an excellent feature and it works fine.

Cons.:

1.The very basic "next turn" symbol is missing in this GPS. Thats really shame for Garmin. We can get the detailed information about "next turn", by touching the "Turn in" option. But I don't prefer operating GPS (meaning touching screen) while driving. So many customers and reviewers pointed out this flaw, But still Garmin is not listening to them. Garmin is still releasing new products without this option which is ridiculous. And also it doesn't alert the driver about the next turn as Magellan does. I would like to have "next turn" symbol, current time, arrival time, remaining distance information on the main screen itself. But garmin doesn't show all these information.
2.Most reviewers says Garmin's routing engine is best. But I don't agree with this, based on my experience. Even if you select the "fastest time" option the garmin still doesn't choose highway instead it choose local road with lots of traffic signals. I feel Magellan 4250 is way better than Nuvi 660 as far as routing and routing options are concerned.
3.Garmin asked me to take an exit, I intentionally missed that exit, But on the screen, still it shows my car is going towards the exit road. It took around 10 seconds for garmin to realize that I missed that exit. At that particular time, the distance between the actual location of my car and the car symbol on GPS screen should be around 500ft. And another time I was in the parking lot of Costco. But on the screen it shows that my car is on the near by road. The distance should be around 200ft. I really surprised by this behaviour of Garmin GPS. helloooo garmin where is your accuracy?
4.On my way from office to home, garmin asked me to take an exit and again took me back to the same highway. How stupid it is? Fortunately, I'm very familiar with that route, So I didn't take that exit.
5.The speaker sucks, the volume is very low even at maximum setting. you can barely hear the voice instruction on highways. Magellan speaker is better than Garmin. I heard TomTom speaker is best.
6.The FM transmitter is completely useless.

Magellan Maestro 4250

Pros.:

1.The unit looks solid and stylish.
2.It has more routing options compared to Nuvi 660. I tried all options and it choose the routes exactly as I expect. I'm very much familiar with the routes that I tried.
3.The speaker sounds better than Garmin. And the voice instructions sounds somewhat natural.
4.It alerts the driver about the upcoming turn, well in advance. And it shows the next turn direction.

Cons.:

1.I found a funny bug in this GPS. Instead of announcing "Dr" as "drive" the GPS announce it as "doctor". That was a big joke. That itself shows how well the units are tested. At that time itself I decided to return this GPS.
2.The Bluetooth feature is not as good as Garmin. It didn't support my phone Sony Ericsson W300i.
3.Magellan says it has traffic alert option and it also has antenna connected to it. But I never get any traffic alerts. This option is completely useless. Garmin does better job in this area.
4.In Maryland state we have I-270 highway. It has two set of lanes, express lanes, and local lanes. I need to take exit 11, So I can choose express lane and take exit 11. It is one straight road, very simple. But this GPS asked me to take local lane and it keep on announcing "stay on left lane", "stay on right lane", blah, blah, blah. It is very irritating. Even if I'm in the express lane the GPS thinks that I'm in the local lane and keep on announcing the usual blah,blah,blah.
5.The windshield mount is very big compared to Garmin mount. And the power card and traffic antenna wire goes to GPS instead of mount as in Garmin. This setup I really don't like. And placing GPS on the mount is ok, but not as easy as Garmin.

I was just wondering: If bluetooth isn't really a deal breaker for me, what other features does the Nuvi 660 have over the Nuvi 650?

I have been surfing this review and all discussion, questions but found no answer for some of the question I am interestd. I wonder why.

Now my questions:

I recently bought a 650, I guess that most of functions are same as 660 except buletooth, FM Tr...support.

1. One of post said that if firmware2.4 installed the next turn window would come up autometically when approching the turn. and one post said 660 has no this function at all. which one is correct? Please tell!

2.how big a SD mem 650/660 can support, 2GB or 4GB?

3. What's extra? do I need to pay extra for down loading the POIs?

4. How do I know my current gps software version?

I would very much appreciated if someone, especically the site owner can clearify these questions!!!

Can I veiw the coordinates of a saved location. I like to hide caches. When I save the location and go home to post it, i would like to be able to veiw my saved loaction and then see the coordinates for it. I have the nuvi 200 which doesn't do this. I am looking into the 660 now.

I have just bought a 660 but I cant get the fm transmitter to work on it. Why is this?
I have tried to do it as per the review but nothing comes up when I press the speaker symbol.

Can 600 display selected categories POI on the screen while navigating ? Like TomTom display gas station, restaurant etc on the screen.

Can 660 display selected categories POI on the screen while navigating ? Like TomTom display gas station, restaurant etc on the screen.

For all you curious folks that didn't bother checking Garmin's website...

Changes made from version

4.20 to 4.30:
Added support for MSN Canada
Addressed an issue of missing MSN Direct movie times
Addressed an issue in GPS Buddy where an out going message can be stuck in the message queue and never get sent
Addressed an issue with Cyclops speed camera cache
Changes made from version

4.10 to 4.20:
Improved the map drawing speed.
Corrected issue with proximity points in areas with many roads causing the map to draw slower.
Corrected issue where all traffic delays were represented as 1 minute.
Changes made from version

3.80 to 4.10:
Add support for Mexican and African time zones.
Fixed bug where selecting Travel Guide from the Where to? menu would result in No Matches Found.
Fixed issue where some coordinates would not be properly displayed on the coordinate entry page.
Updated currency converter exchange rates.
Fixed bug where having too many custom POI symbols could cause the unit to reboot.
Added support for Canadian traffic information.
Fixed bug that occasionally causes map road labels to not match physical street signs.
Added support for 11 new pre-recorded voices.
Fixed bug with ejecting from a Mac computer.
Fixed bug where some audible books would cause the unit to reset.
Changes made from version

3.70 to 3.80:
Enhanced Touch Screen sensitivity
Changes made from version

3.60 to 3.70:
Corrected problem with displaying tour guide titles
Corrected problem with losing final destination points if a route is too long
Changes made from version

3.50 to 3.60:
Corrected French traffic translations.
Add Lithuanina text language.
Fixed tour guide text.
Changes made from version

3.20 to 3.50:
Updated Daylight Saving Time dates.
Able to read a new SMS before sync is complete.
Changed subcategories in find menu.
Removed severe weather alert.
Added Brazil Portuguese voice.
Added Bulgarian voice.
Added Lithuanian voice.
Added Romanian voice.
Added Serbian voice.
Changes made from version

2.70 to 3.20:
New Traffic Interface
Fixed Memory Full message
Removed + when dialing POI's in the United States
High power FM support for Australia
Changes made from version

2.60 to 2.70:
Fixed address searches in some EU cities.
Hide scroll buttons during slide show.
Add Brazil and Mexico to locale list.
Changes made from version

2.40 to 2.60:
Added SMS/Text Messaging support.
Improved shutdown sequence when disconnecting the Nuvi from the computer.
Show ferry lines on the map.
Fixed problem with some help files not showing up.
Improved support for USB mass storage on Macs.
Centered battery gauge on screen locked page.
Fixed lock-up selecting traffic provider.
Added '-' to edit phone number keyboard.
Fixed browse map to display correct colors in night mode.
Added 4GByte SD card support.
Fixed possible file corruption.
Changes made from version

2.00 to 2.40:
Select Language Page string corruption
FM Frequency page not in sync with Quick settings page
GPS starting location not being saved properly
Memory leak in bluetooth setup page
Changed saftey camera tone rate
Traffic receiver missing message error
Increased Backlight at power on
Increased touch size for Traffic icon on map page
Improved large phonebook sync
MP3 playlist support (m3u)
Added Estinonian and Romanian text languages
Added Greek, Croation, and Slovenian voices

I have seen the Nuvi660 on the web for as low as $239. Would I be buying an older unit without upgrades if I bought the unit for this price? Would I be better off spending the $733 to $750 price to be sure of getting a newer unit?

Magellan 4250 vs Garmin 660

First I would like to thank the rat bastard who smashed and grabbed my 4250 (that I got for xmas) for helping me compare units and write this review.

To add insult to injury, I called Magellan with my s/n and wanted to disable the real-time traffic, and they said that they couldn’t but agreed that they should be able to in a perfect world.. I also added the s/n to the list of stolen units incase it gets sent in for repair. Both my calls to cust svc surprisingly went OK, I called CA.

This brings up the main reason I switched from Magellan to Garmin: India.
Magellan was bought by an Indian company. Now working in the medical field and moving from the IT field I have had lots of dealings with Indian Company’s, EVERY time they are the worst of the worst. My guess is that they will run the company into the ground quickly – I hope that I am wrong. It seems they must drag random people off the streets and have them answer phones with ABSOLUTLY no experience or training what-so-ever. They rarely have a clue and now use the trick of escalating issues to second level where the next person is clueless, they just ware you down until you give up….
India = failure, incompetence and death, I am anxious to see what happens with Jaguar and Range Rover. RR is a joke but I hate to see Jag die and ugly death, thinking Ford buying their name was the worst thing that would happen.

Anyway, I did not want to buy a gps that would not have updates like the Navman F20 that I bought my son a couple years ago, company was sold and dropped updates although they are trying to keep selling new models.

My orig gps is a nRoute from 4 years or so ago – I would plug it into my laptop and was the best darn gps I used. Garmin gave me free updates for 1 year, it has tons configurable options that even the most expensive mobile units do not – for eg. I was able to give speed limits on different types of roads, so I kept highways at 75 to keep me from taking back roads all the time.

The biggest problems with both these units are that they want to take shorter routes but on a congested road with traffic and stop lights everywhere, sure the speed limit is 40 but you end up sitting in traffic and averaging 15 mph…. Strangely enough my Magellan (and I assume Garmin with the same flaws) had this problem: Flying down a highway at 75 and the unit wants me to get off on a busy side road and average say 20 mph, I of course stay on the highway – the trip eta was say 30 minutes – I stay on the highway and as it recalculates it now says 24 minutes ! WOW it actually calculated that it was taking me longer to get there. Worse yet I have no idea that the useless real time traffic did some calculation and wanted to avoid something. I do like the Garmins map of traffic where I look for myself at the roads and decide. I am heading to NYC Thursday and will decide if I will keep the 660. Plus I will test the poi’s that I loaded for speed traps and red light camera – we have quite a few 10 miles or so from my house.

The biggest flaw so far in the 660 is the failure to give you the heads up on when to exit on a highway before you are a few hundred feet from the exit. I only tested it once and it was way off. It spoke of a left exit, without name or number, and there has never been a left exit within miles of it. The mileage to exit was calculated to the exit just before mine the same road in the opposite direction, I knew to pass it, then it told me to exit and gave me the name and exit number waaaay too late. It could be a killer in NYC if you do not know and commit to the far left lane. I did read about this flaw but on only old reviews with 2.0 firmware, and hoped that it was fixed.

Here are my thoughts:

4250 Pros screen and quality
overall look and feel
pois show up all the time
easy volume adjustment
easier fast/shortest route selection
superior next turn info

660 Pros real time traffic map
upgradeability and ease
better history of support / engineering
frequent upgrades
company integrity
poi options

In conclusion: My trip to NY went well, I will keep the 660. The rt traffic had another disappointment, I rarely had any signal on 99% of route 287. Another blow was that it takes quite while to load the traffic map while driving, although around me in PA is it OK. The next exit alert actually worked OK, seems like it gets confused on some routes…

I will roll the dice here that I will receive the 2009 update free since I bought the unit @ 4/15 and the updated maps with speed limits will help the routing. It’s hard to knock errors in the mapping data, since this stuff is still in its infancy…

My youngest will be driving in a couple of years, hopefully I can give him my old unit and buy a far superior rt traffic unit.

I just received my 660 today that I bought off of ebay from an online Garmin dealer. I paid $289.00 for it, It is a refurbished unit from Garmin and it looks like it is brand new and it came with all of the accessories that a new one would come with. The first thing that I did was registered it on line with Garmin. After the registration it notified me that I was eligible for the 2009 map upgrade for free. So I down loaded it and installed it on the GPS. I just sold my Tomtom 720 on Thursday as I did not like it one bit. The maps are not as good as they are on the Garmin. The Tomtom had me turning left at the end of my street onto the main street when you can only turn right because of a island that divides the road. the Garmin new this and had me turn right then make a u-turn at the end of the island. The Tomtom does not tell you what side of the road your destination is on but the Garmin does, makes it easier to find what your looking for. The 660 is so much more user friendly than the Tomtom. I am really happy with it. The menus are a lot easier to use. I would recommend this GPS to anyone.

Garmin 660 to 680 Scam

What the hell is going on ? When Garmin decided to not offer the update free on my 660, doing the math I figured that I should take the restocking hit of $59, buy a 680 for the listed $300. I needed to pay the (worthless) traffic subscription of $60 – but with the 680 I would have better coverage here in the Philly area and break even – or so I thought…

While I admit that the real-time traffic has been totally worthless, I travel for a living and hoped that it could save me eventually. With the 680 it relies on sensors and (hopefully) takes the hour lag time out, excluding human involvement.

I bought one online last week from 86th Street Photo & Video, a few days later they send me an email saying that there is a problem with my order. The sales person alerted me to the fact that I did not add any necessary accessories. Trying to interrupt him, I already have a 1 gig simm, but did not even need or use it. He told blatant lies – that you could not upgrade the maps or firmware or even store poi’s with the 680. WOW. He then mentioned that without their simm card, you would need to send your unit to Garmin to update and it would take months to get back. I could not believe what I was hearing. Finally I just said just the unit – he then went on and on about the extended warranty. No – just the dam unit. He then was going to hook me up with an awesome deal – a 2 gig simm for only $99. WOW I told him that I only wanted the unit – he said OK – a minute later I check my email and they backordered the unit… Too late – I check their reviews and of course mostly bad…. Stupid me….

I then order from Techon good reviews – SAME Thing – well not as bad but very close.

86th just lowered their price to $285 and they claim to have the unit in stock – I guess that they hook some unknowledgeable buyers and rape em. Very sad…

Now I am not sure what I can get a 680 for ?

J robin:
Thank you so much for that in depth review. It proved to be deal breaker for me and I bought the Garmin Nuvi for under 300.00 bucks Thank you. I currently own a Magellan Roadmate 2200. No updates are available for this item. The POIs are lousy I have never put up the bracket to view the map while driving. I listen to the text to speech and the prompts. I can never play music or turn on the radio because I am listening for directions! The only really good thing about it is that it is water resistance. I can't wait to receive My new Garmin 660! Blue tooth and it transmits through the radio!
The photo slide show is a great feature also. I am going to look for my first audio book right now. Thanks again. I will update you on how it performs. I know that this item is more than two years old as is your review but finding it for under 300.00 dollars plus your excellent review won me over. Thanks JR

Bought the 660 Asian version so my spouse could use it in her native language - voice and menus. Both work well. Unit does not seems to have many of the problems listed, it notifies me well ahead of time when on highways (2 mi., 1 mi. ...). FM transciever is poor, I use it with my MP3 input and it does work well. Only other issue would be lack of turn direction display which would be good to know.

I have had the NUVI 660 for 3 months now. I find the traffic receiver useless. Not once did it every alert me to traffic!
The FM transmitter is spotty (I live in NYC) but when combined with a separate FM transmitter it kicked in. The Auto search for a FM frequency is useless. It just doesn't work. Now I love, love the Bluetooth feature. Handsfree dialing clear reception from both sides. Love it! Hate the keyboard. I would really prefer a qwerty keyboard. Putting info in is time consuming. I have to have an exact address or intersection with my Magellan it will give a list of address to choose from narrowing my search to a general area. I love the wider screen. I carry it in my Pocket book. I bought the beanbag mount which is so much better than the window mount. easier to put away and hide. I live in Staten Island and NJ keeps popping up as my base state. I have to type in NY every time!
Garmin upgraded my maps for free and when I called for some support I was amazed at how much help I got! Magellan support is so lackluster it might as well be non-existent.
I have been getting good signals where ever I go although the prompts are lacking. I would like more forewarning when a turn approaches. Magellan tells me way ahead of time! The Nuvi doesn't give me that comfort zone. I am almost at the intersection when it announces turn left on Smith Street! Or if I am on the Highway far less than a quarter mile before it announces the exit. I would like to know far ahead so I can get in the proper lane instead of making a fast maneuver to get to the exit. But most of the time I review the directions before I get started so I know what to expect. I like that I can also upload directions from Mapquest. I love the my photo slide show the the pictures are crisp and almost 3D. Love it! I love that I can listen to my MP3s and and audio Books over the FM transmitter. The prompts stop the music and then resume them when finished. A great feature! I play with the translator sometimes. Love the POIs. The pedestrian mode helped me a lot over the holiday. I was in Hyannis port and needed to walk to a hotel it directed me and when I needed to cab it the POIs listed all the cabs and the phone numbers. COOL! I like My Nuvi 660 and don't regret my purchase would just like to see some minor improvements.

I have had the NUVI 660 for 3 months now. I find the traffic receiver useless. Not once did it every alert me to traffic!
The FM transmitter is spotty (I live in NYC) but when combined with a separate FM transmitter it kicked in. The Auto search for a FM frequency is useless. It just doesn't work. Now I love, love the Bluetooth feature. Handsfree dialing clear reception from both sides. Love it! Hate the keyboard. I would really prefer a qwerty keyboard. Putting info in is time consuming. I have to have an exact address or intersection with my Magellan it will give a list of address to choose from narrowing my search to a general area. I love the wider screen. I carry it in my Pocket book. I bought the beanbag mount which is so much better than the window mount. easier to put away and hide. I live in Staten Island and NJ keeps popping up as my base state. I have to type in NY every time!
Garmin upgraded my maps for free and when I called for some support I was amazed at how much help I got! Magellan support is so lackluster it might as well be non-existent.
I have been getting good signals where ever I go although the prompts are lacking. I would like more forewarning when a turn approaches. Magellan tells me way ahead of time! The Nuvi doesn't give me that comfort zone. I am almost at the intersection when it announces turn left on Smith Street! Or if I am on the Highway far less than a quarter mile before it announces the exit. I would like to know far ahead so I can get in the proper lane instead of making a fast maneuver to get to the exit. But most of the time I review the directions before I get started so I know what to expect. I like that I can also upload directions from Mapquest. I love the my photo slide show the the pictures are crisp and almost 3D. Love it! I love that I can listen to my MP3s and and audio Books over the FM transmitter. The prompts stop the music and then resume them when finished. A great feature! I play with the translator sometimes. Love the POIs. The pedestrian mode helped me a lot over the holiday. I was in Hyannis port and needed to walk to a hotel it directed me and when I needed to cab it the POIs listed all the cabs and the phone numbers. COOL! I like My Nuvi 660 and don't regret my purchase would just like to see some minor improvements.

I am buying my wife a GPS for her bday. Am considering the Nuvi 670 (same as 660 but with Europe maps I think). A few questions though if some one can answer for me.

1) Does it have a Pedestrian mode for walking around?
2) The 660 (and 670) have been removed from Garmin's active model list. I noticed on hte Garmin website thaey are rolling out a free map update feature on Oct 15 for any units initialized a certain number of days before this date. Does this mean Garmin will still support the 660/670 free map updates?
3) Since you cannot be tuned into the a radio station AND use the FM transmittter feature how good is the internal speaker system. Thanks Tom.

I just bought a new Motorola W755 phone, the bluetooth is version 2.0. I want to buy a refurbished Garmin NUVI 660, but I cannot find out the version of bluetooth phone required to communicate with it. I called Garmin tech support and they tell me that they do not know. They said the the Motorola W755 was not listed on their comppatability listing, but that did not mean it would not work. Can anyone tell me what the bluetooth version of the NUVI 660 is? Is it usable with the Motorola W755? Thanks Harvey low-n-slow@comcast.net

I just bought a Garmin 660 and I also have the Motorola W755 c-phone and the two connect just fine. Follow the directions in the owners manual of the Garmin and it will tell you when they are connected. You can dial and talk through the Garmin and access your phone book and never touch the phone except to turn it on.

I have a verizon LG phone that is about 2 yrs. old. I only see newer ones listed.'
Will the older LGs work with the Garmin 660? Thanks for any help or info you can provide.

This was the best review of any item I have ever seen. Loved the comments and feedback. I feel as if I have just taken a crash course on GPS units.
Thank You so much!!!!!

I have a nuvi 660 for about 1 1/2 yrs. Occasionally the screen goes blank. It began doing that about 2 weeks ago while on a trip. Sometimes it continues with the directions, but lately it may do nothing. I can press the screen and it will flash on for a second.
Any ideas.....
Thank you