Garmin nüvi 765T

Pros: Well constructed unit and cradle, Well structured and refined user interface, Garmin customer support

Cons: Lot's of software bugs, bluetooth not stable

Summary: I have been using the StreetPilot c550 for the past year and just bought the Nuvi 765T. My main interest is the multi-point routing, which the c550 does not have. I have been using the two units next to each other on my daily commute, and this is what I have found:

The 765T is completely up-to-date using the webupdater as of 12/6/2008.

The free NAVTEC traffic is not even close to what I get for my paid subscription from Clear Channel on the c550. The paid Clear Channel is MUCH better. I find that the free NAVTEC traffic coverage is horrible, and not as accurate. There have been many times that the 765 is showing 2 min delay on my route and the c550 is showing 14 mins, etc. I discovered I can upgrade to Clear Channel on the 765T. Clear Channel now offers a lifetime subscription for the renewal price and will eliminate the pop-up ad's.

The 765 does not draw as fast as the c550. I notice the 765 going blank and redrawing the screen every couple of minutes on certain routes.

The 765 gives delayed navigation prompts telling you to turn when you are already into the turn. The c550 gives more time to react.

Bluetooth connection to my treo is horrible, always disconnecting my phone.

I have yet to see the lane assist feature. I traveled many highways in NJ, PA and NY. I even traveled to Newark Airport which is a maze, no lane assist. Very disappointing.

The speaker is not even close to the loudness or clarity of the c550. I can hear it okay, but is certainly a step down.

The 3D buildings along the steets are not at all accurate, and do not add anything to the navigation experience. I saw it while driving in NYC. It does show landmark buildings in 3D, and they are accurate.

The speed limit sign in the lower left is nice, but I have noticed it is sometimes wrong. I have seen it show 50 while I am looking out the window at a 45 MPH sign.

As with my c550, the arrival time on the 765 is usually at least 15 minutes off during my daily commute, regardless of which route I take. This unit was supposed to learn and become more accurate. It does not.

The screen color is better on the c550 than on the 765. The black is blacker, red is deeper, etc.

The 765 has shut-off a few times on me when navigating and using my phone. It takes hours to come back on. I have called Garmin and they continue to tell me to do a hard and soft reset then let it charge for 4 hours. If it happens again, it is going back to the store. BTW, this is my second unit, I returned the first one because it was doing the same thing.

The touch screen is a bit more difficult to use than the c550. Options are closer together making it easier to hit the wrong option.

With all of that said, I do really like the unit. I like the cradle design as it allows me to more easily take it with me when I am out of the car. It has a more refined look and feel to it than the c550. There are many interface improvements over the c550. I just need to decide if I beleive that all of these bugs will be fixed by Garmin with updates. I also know that many of these differences would not be very noticable if I were not using the two side-by-side.

I have a couple weeks to decide if I am going to keep it. This is going to be a tough decision.