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- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 135 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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17 out of 17 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"My friends are all trading in their own GPS units for this one after seeing mine in action."
Pros: Great unit, compact, user-friendly, useful outside of the car, good screen.
Cons: It's expensive.
Summary: After having tried the Magellan 3050T, I returned it for this model. My primary reason for returning the Magellan was because of a design flaw with the buttons (as I documented in another review), however once I discovered the importance of ?size?, I wouldn?t purchase another GPS larger than the Nuvi 660. After having experienced the joys of riding with me and seeing how small this unit is in the dash or window compared to their bulkier models, several of my friends have resorted to selling their own units to purchase either a 660 or the even smaller 350 or 360 models. I think the greatest rating of all a product could receive is when all your friends start trading in their own models for yours after seeing it in action. I would have preferred the size of the 360, but I have large fingers and was worried about trying to press the tinier interface screen buttons on the smaller model.
The 660 is extremely easy to use, has a perfect screen, and catches the satellites in seconds after turn on. The voice commands are a bit robotic, but it uses text to speech conversion (announces street names on guidance instead of feet/miles), so I doubt at this point there is anything better on the market. I tried a GPS that did not use the text to speech conversion, and was occasionally missing turns when two turn offs were so close together that the GPS announcement was worthless. This isn?t an issue with the 660 because the street names are announced.
I haven?t had a great deal of luck with the FM transmitter, but I believe this is because I have a rear mount antenna on my car. I?ve read other reviews that the FM transmitter wasn?t worth using, and yet other reviews that claim perfect reception. I think it is an issue of antenna proximity and the availability of clear frequencies.
The 660 comes with both a 110 adapter and a 12V vehicle adapter, however the 12V vehicle power adapter does not plug directly into the unit, but rather the suction cup vehicle mount. The mount has a small power interface connector that links to the 660 when the unit is placed into the mount. This might be ideal for certain situations, such as when the power and mount are permanently affixed in the vehicle, but I find it to be a bit of a nuisance because I have to stick the GPS in the mount even when I am just trying to charge it on the passenger seat. It?s a very small issue. I wouldn?t image leaving the mount in view even if the 660 was not in the car, because thieves could assume a gps unit is hidden in the glove compartment or under the seat when noticing the mount, and might break your window to find out.
Battery life could be a little better, but 3 hours is fair considering it charges quickly, and comes with a 110 adapter for use at home. One thing I really like about the unit is that the GPS automatically turns off when the antenna is folded back, so you can play with the unit (add addresses, browse maps, etc) while at home. I?ve tried other models that wouldn?t quit prompting for gps coverage, which made them useless for indoor use. The Points of Interest menu is very comprehensive, and includes phone numbers with addresses. While traveling, twice now I have chosen to search ?closest?, and ?Pizza?, to grab a phone number to the closest pizza delivery guys from my hotel room, which makes the 660 a bit of a virtual yellow pages as well. I think Garmin hit it on the mark by calling this a travel assistant, because it is small enough to take with you while walking or riding public transportation, and this model fits comfortably in a jacket pocket. I?ve been able to use it to find bus routes and predict the closest stops in unfamiliar areas to tourist spots while on vacation.
You can purchase this unit for $750.00 or less as of 17Oct06 at several online vendors. You pay for quality, but this one has it.
- 1 reply to this review
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I had the same problem with the FM Transmitter when I first tried it. The trick is that the cord between the power unit and the Nuvi must be fully extended, not bundled up. As soon as I extended it to its full length, bingo, it worked perfectly.
Where to buy
Garmin Nuvi 660:
$153.00 - $499.95
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$499.95 | Yes |
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MemorySuppliers
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$229.00 | No |
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Flash-Memory-Store.com
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$406.08 | No |
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Buy.com
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$153.00 | Yes |
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$179.95 | Yes |
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