Garmin nuvi 760 review

The Garmin nuvi 760 is one of the new high-end 700 series of this popular product line, adding the following to an already outstanding feature set:

• Multi-destination routing
• Automatic sorting of multiple destinations to provide an efficient route
• Tracklog recording
• Speed limit display for many interstates and highways
• The newer internal antenna found on the nuvi 200 series
• Automatic marking of your last position when the unit is turned off (to help you find your car in mega-mall parking lots)
• A "Where am I" safety feature that gives your current location, nearest address, nearest intersection, along with quick access to POIs for the nearest hospitals, police stations and gas stations

The nuvi 760 adds all those features to the ones found on the nuvi 660. Stepping up to the nuvi 780 adds MSN Direct (available as an add on option for the 760). Going the other direction, the nuvi 750 loses the 760's Bluetooth feature and included traffic receiver.

Compare prices on the Garmin nuvi 760

The ever-expanding nuvi line can be quite confusing. Check out our Garmin nuvi comparison chart for help determining which model best suits your needs.

More Garmin nuvi 760 reviews

• Owner-written Garmin nuvi 760 reviews have also been posted at Amazon.
• Consumer-authored Garmin nuvi 760 reviews have been posted at GPSNow.
• GPS Review has posted a hands-on Garmin nuvi 760 review.
• GPS Magazine has posted a typically thorough Garmin nuvi 760 review, giving it an Editor's Choice award.
• GPS Lodge reviews the Garmin nuvi 760.
• About.com has posted a Garmin nuvi 760 review, giving it a 4 out of 5 star rating.
• PC Magazine gives 4-1/2 out of 5 stars and their Editor's Choice award in their Garmin nuvi 760 review.
• Trusted Reviews gives an 8 out of 10 rating in their Garmin nuvi 760 review.
• XtremeCPU reviews the Garmin nuvi 760.
• And consumer-authored Garmin nuvi 760 reviews are also being posted at CNet.
• The Washington Post reviews the nuvi 760.
• Fecious also reviews the nuvi 760.
• ComputerWorld has posted a Garmin nuvi 760 review.
• Here's a short, personal Garmin nuvi 760 review.
• And another brief user review of the nuvi 760.
• From Down Under, Good Gear Guide reviews the nuvi 760.
• Bits from Bill has also posted a Garmin nuvi 760 review.
• This review compares the nuvi 760 with three other GPS receivers.
• Even though the title says it's a nuvi 710 review, it's really a nuvi 760 review.
• A comparison of the nuvi 760 and nuvi 660.
• Comparing the nuvi 760 to the newer 765T.
• I'll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some...

Other Garmin nuvi 760 resources

• A nuvi 700 series message forum
• There is also a Garmin nuvi message forum at GpsPasSion, which includes a nuvi 750 / nuvi 760 review thread.
• Want to see how the nuvi 760 stacks up against other models? Check out this Garmin auto GPS comparison tool or my own Garmin nuvi comparison chart.
• A PDF version of the Garmin nuvi 760 owners manual.
• GPS Information.org has a nice comparison of the nuvi 760 vs. nuvi 660, with lots of screen shots and a good description of the new 700 series features.

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• Check the current Garmin nuvi 760 price at Amazon.
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• Get the Garmin nuvi 760 Portable Bluetooth Automotive GPS System at TigerGPS, where you get free shipping on orders above $250.
• Get the Garmin nuvi 760 for an amazing price on eBay.
• Scroll down for more live price comparisons.

From the official Garmin nuvi 760 web page:

Loaded and wide, nüvi 760 has it all — advanced navigation features, a widescreen display, preloaded maps, an FM transmitter, hands-free calling, traffic alerts and more. Like the rest of the wide nüvi 700-series, its premium navigation capabilities, like route planning and an emergency locator, give you peace of mind on the go.

See More

With nüvi 760's widescreen display, you'll always get the big picture. View map detail, driving directions, photos and more in bright, brilliant color. Its sunlight-readable, 4.3-inch display is easy to read — from any direction.

Navigate With Ease

nüvi 760 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps and millions of points of interest (POIs) such as hotels, restaurants, fuel stations, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2-D or 3-D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, nüvi 760 accepts custom points of interest, such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. The European version even includes a preloaded safety camera database containing locations of cameras for parts of Europe.

Where Am I?

Keep track of yourself and your car with nüvi 760. Just tap "Where Am I?" to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates. nüvi 760 even remembers where you parked. It automatically marks your position when you remove it from the windshield mount, so you can navigate with nüvi on foot and find your way back to your vehicle. Perfect for unfamiliar spots and crowded lots such as amusement parks, stadiums and malls.

Plan Ahead

nüvi 760 includes advanced navigational features to take the worry out of traveling. With route planning you can save 10 routes, specify via points and preview simulated turns on the 760's wide screen. In addition, nüvi 760 automatically sorts multiple destinations to provide an efficient route for errands, deliveries or sales calls. It also displays speed limits for highways and Interstates. A trip log provides an electronic bread crumb trail of up to 10,000 points, so you can see where you've been on the map.

Make Hands-free Calls

Talk about worry-free driving. nüvi 760 integrates Bluetooth® wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker for hands-free calling. Just pair it with your compatible Bluetooth phone and talk hands-free through the 760 while staying focused on the road. Simply dial numbers with nüvi's touchscreen keypad to make a call. To answer calls, just tap the screen and speak directly into its built-in microphone.

Avoid Traffic Tie-ups

Steer clear of traffic with nüvi 760's integrated FM TMC traffic receiver. Receive alerts about traffic delays and road construction that lie ahead on your route. Next, simply touch nüvi's screen to view traffic details or detour around the problem area.

Take It With You

nüvi 760's high-sensitivity internal (non flip-up) antenna gives it a sleeker, thinner design than the nüvi 600-series, making it easy to slip in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or on foot.

Go Beyond Navigation

Navigation is just the beginning. nüvi 760 includes many “must have” entertainment and travel tools including MP3 player, audio book player (subscription to Audible.com required), JPEG picture viewer, currency converters and more. With nüvi 760's wireless FM transmitter¹ you can hear audio, including voice prompts, MP3s and audio books, through your vehicle's stereo. It's compatible with optional MSN® Direct content and our free Garmin Garage where you can download custom vehicles that show your location on the map. It also comes with Garmin Lock™, an anti-theft feature. Optional plug-in SD cards let you add additional features to enhance your travel experience including language translation and detailed travel guides. Our SaversGuide® provides information on nearby merchants offering discounts to customize your nüvi whether you’re traveling or close to home.

Related posts:

• Our GPS reviews
• Auto GPS buyers guide
• Top ten auto GPS

Comments

[mark]

I have the NUVI 760. I like it a lot. My only criticism is with the very weak and flimsy power connection into the cradle. The 12 volt power source does not "clip" in firmly and the hanging weight of the unused coiled power cord actually strains the connection.

The 12v connection on the cradle of my unit has now worn out and no longer charges/runs the NUVI 760 after less than 3 months of use.

I was really ticked off on a recent road trip when driving through a large metropolitan city relying on NUVI to get me to the hotel to have the unit run out of power because the 12v cradle connection had failed and the battery exhausted itself.

With no hardcopy Mapquest directions, the only solution was to use the cell phone to call the hotel and write the directions down on a piece of paper.

Later, a quick visit to Staples, and I had in my hand what I was sure was going to be the solution to the lame cradle 12v power supply, a 12v USB connector.

This USB connector provides a very snug and tight fit for powering the unit. Much more robust than the flimsy and wobbly 12v cradle supply. I was very pleased with this!

However, what I discovered after setting the unit up in the car with its new USB 12v power supply left me dumbstruck.

Most annoyingly, once the 12v USB power source is connected the NUVI wont navigate when the USB port is occupied - NUVI simply shows a fuzzy image of a computer on the screen!!!

GADZOOKS!

[Rich Owings]

I haven't heard of this one before. Call Garmin, you may have gotten a faulty cradle.

The power supply you bought is sending the unit into USB mass storage mode for some reason.

[Gerry Tamakloe]

I've used a 12v USB cigarette lighter adaptor on my 760. The trick is to insert the mini usb, let the nuvi go to mass storage mode, then remove the mini usb for about 10 seconds until the nuvi says 'Loading Maps' again the re-insert the USB. The unit should now now show the 'Where To' screen and also be on charge - this can be checked by moving the on off slider - the nuvi will show 'Charging Battery, Slide the Power Key to turn on' very faintly for a few seconds, when you turn it back on it will return to the 'Where To Screen'
Note this also works for an AC adaptor and the PC adaptor (will not show as mass storage).

[JackSlade]

Nice site, thank you.

Question, I have SEVERAL Garmin units, mostly handhelds. I want something more auto oriented and I'm considering the 760.

I do a fair amount of back road driving and saving and up/downloading tracks is very important to me.

I've read all the spec's downloaded the manuals etc, but I'm still clueless as to if this unit (or ANY of the Nuvi units) will allow this.

Anyone know the answer to this?

Thank you

[Rich Owings]

I'm 99% sure that the 700 series, the first nuvis with the tracklog feature, will allow downloads. I know that the newer models (200, 2x5 and 7x5 series) will.

[Theresa]

I just purchased a 760, and can't seem to get it to show as mass storage on my PC. (XP Prof. SP3) Checking windows, it shows the device as working properly. Any ideas?

[Rich Owings]

You can't see it on My Computer / Windows Explorer?

Are you connecting the nuvi with the power off? If not, give it a try.

Otherwise, I would (1) exchange it or (2) call Garmin support. They are pretty responsive.

[Richard]

The 710 does save the track, and you can just copy it yourself to your computer.

When you connect the GPS, it shows up as a drive in your computer. Just copy the file:
\Garmin\GPX\current.gpx

I don't know how far back it saves the track, but it save a point in the track every 1 to 20 seconds (depending on how straight you are moving).
Works pretty flawless.

There is also website doing track download and analyzing services (some for free) at www.motionbased.com
I think it has been bought by Garmin (or maybe it always was), because they seem to be planing to integrate it more in their services.

[Gary]

I have the 760, while I generally love the unit, I have one issue, driving on the Long Island Expressway, it often takes me down an off ramp and back on the next to avoid a 1 or 2 minute traffic delay. Is there a way of overriding this setting?

[Rich Owings]

I don't believe so.