Customer Ratings & Reviews

Couldn't be easier to use. Bluetooth, voice command, wifi to make everything easier. This thing is HUGE. You'd have to be blind to miss a turn with this GPS. Gives voice directions, multiple customization options, etc. Wish they would've made this sooner.

I have been a Garmin GPS user for 14 years and I'm very impressed with the DriveSmart 61. It is lightweight, easy to see, and easy to use. The touchscreen is very sensitive and it doesn't have the extra "fun" features (photo album, large "icon" selection, etc.) compared to the previous models. The addition of foursquare and trip advisor are helpful. If you don't want to tie up your smart phone as a GPS, the DriveSmart is a good alternative .

I was very excited about my new GPS but unfortunately I'm really disappointed today after using my device first time. I bought this device mainly for live traffic information as my previous garmin GPS did not have that feature. I prefer not using my cell phone and network data for navigation which drains phone battery as well especially on long routes. The reason I am very hurt today is that the only way I can get live traffic information in my new GPS is by using smartlink app through my phone.... then what is the meaning of publicizing that garmin can also provide live traffic updates and we have HD traffic receivers etc etc etc. When I tried to get live traffic information the following window popped up as shown in the image. My device says LMT which according to some reviewers mean that I don't need an extra reciever or special cable to get traffic information but contrary my device is found to be unable to get ang kind of traffic information without traffic receiver. Whats the point of having traffic enabled gps device if it actually extracts traffic information from your cellphone and display on its screen, Interesting fact??? I looked everywhere on you tube, best buy and garmin website but could not find any specific answers. Perhaps I also did not search well enough as well. But I believe it is also unfair that a product is being sold with the tag of live traffic information but in reality it might need an extra 70$ -100$ to serve that purpose in buying traffic reciever. I read in multiple reviews before buying, that LMT device means that it has internal traffic reciever so it doesn't need an extra reciever or cable. Perhaps my research was not good enough. But I hope my review will help other buyers to know this before purchasing this product as I couldn't find this information before buying and garmin product description and information is very vague about this feature.... On one page GPS 61 is enlisted in the device list of HD traffic capable devices but there is no clear information in product details that you have to buy extra cable or receiver to get that feature which means spending of 70-100$ extra after spending 300$, otherwise be ready to use your phone. What's the point of spending 300$ for dedicated new gps device with live traffic tag while it actually depends on your phone for navigation????

I purchased this for my dad but I used it for several weeks and while traveling over 500 miles. The features are easy to use. I prefer it over my cell phone GPS. If I traveled more often I would definitely buy myself one. The photo I uploaded is the view when traveling on interstates. Seeing the exact images are extremely helpful.

Is nice to not use my phone for at gps any more i love the way tell me if I go over the speed limit

Don't like that I can't use my icons or voices from previous Garmins I've owned. Also I purchased diagnostic hardware that doesn't work with the new model. I would have preferred having the old one fixed than using the new one. It was way more versatile!

I use this item on a daily basis to a possible 100+ destinations and it works great

After considerable research and having to buy a new used car , figured time for a new GPS. When I went to make my purchase a police officer was buying the same one ! It takes it awhile to get tuned to your voice , when it does it just keeps getting better , it's a great aid in night driving on 4 lane , it lights up and tracks the highway very well ! no need to get nervous !!

This is the best of the "budget" large format GPS units from Garmin. It has a gorgeous 7" display readable in all kinds of light, fast processor with no lag time for calculations and, best of all, software and firmware updates via wifi. Just pull your car near the house and update it. It's fast and simple. I love it!!!

link Bluetooth to it get traffic updated and DOT interstate cameras live photos great picture slim bezels

I have had and enjoyed Garmin units in cars, boats and hand held on trails for many years. This is the first I do not like, the voice command seldom works and when it does it often reports address' do not exists, Then as I give up trying Siri gets it right away. Took back to see if a geek member could sort it out to find others with the same prob, Also now marked way down but a week to late to credit back my account. I hope in time they fix the prob, but until then I have given it away and am using data on my phone, Sorry for my first neg review but this may be my last Best Buy purchase for a long time. Glenn, Maitland Florida

This is my third Garmin gps. I really like it. It gets me where I want to go with its maps and voice prompts. It has lifetime maps and traffic. The traffic is paired with your smartphone via Bluetooth. A traffic receiver cord is available separately if you don’t want to use your phone. The 6.95 inch screen is very easy to see and the volume is good. The voice command works great. It’s easy to update the maps with wi-fi.

I had high hopes for this navigation unit, but i am really disappointed, I spent $269 on this unit and it is certainly not worth it, When i got it, I updated it as soon as possible and it took 3.5 hours to download the update. I had really hope that it would have updated maps but, I did not notice any updates to maps but, maybe it added a couple of software updates, I do not know how Garmin their maps but, unless they have a car out here like Google does to drive around and constantly update maps then it is pretty much useless for me, I drove out to West Texas and outside the major freeways the car, which is shows most of the time in an open field and these are on roads that have been in existence for a long time. NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION SHOWING ABOUT ROADS AHEAD. If you are driving down the freeway and are curious about the roads coming up, forget about seeing it on this Garmin, All itg does is show the freeway and if you zoom in, there is not much difference. If you search for an address and start to navigate, it seems to be that Garmin would remember that address when you start typing it in again. It does not remember what you typed before and to me this is useless. Sometimes after you search for an address and then stop navigating, if you go back and search for the address again, Garmin cannot find the address again,. When trying to navigate to a city, you have to go into the categories and scroll down through all of the bs before finally getting to the intersections and cities., This should be at the top not at the bottom. ALSO, YOU WILL BE CAUGHT SPEEDING IF YOU RELY ON THIS GARMIN FOR CORRECT SPEED LIMITS, SPEED LIMIT IS WRONG MOST OF THE TIME. GARMIN DOES NOT RECOGNIZE CONSTRUCTION ZONES ON INTERSTATES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME. Sure there is a nice big screen but, unless it can navigate and recognize where you are instead of not knowing at all as to where you are then it is pretty much worthless as a navigation unit. I would think that it would be adaptive and learn new routes. It does not seem to do this., I believe it says that there is a 2 hour battery life, THIS IS A COMPLETE MISREPRESENTATION , as soon as you unplug the unit, it immediately within 10 seconds powers down. I WILL RETURN THIS UNIT AND I MAY AS WELL USE MY OLD MAGELLAN THAT IS 5 OR 6 YEARS OLD BECAUSE THIS UNIT IS NOT MUCH BETTER. VERY DISAPPOINTED AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW IN THE WORLD THAT THIS UNIT HAS SUCH HIGH REVIEWS ON BEST BUY UNLESS MAYBE THE BEST BUY EMPLOYEES ARE THE ONES WRITING THE REVIEWS

I bought this for my wife who has wanted a Garmin for years. The large screen and ease of use is great for her. Plus Bluetooth options and voice option are wonderful for her.

The gps bought arrived with issues. Turns off when searching for parking, then does that randomly on route on some days. Voice Command has improved and so has the size of the display, but the battery also dies in 45 minutes when not plugged in AND even sometime when plugged in FREE traffic detector was never good, now it doesn't work at all. Still likes hellhill road, and 2-3 other useless re-routes. LOST voice selections, Car customizations and all the other FREE add-ons I rated it average because its still near %100 functional getting you on route - until of course it decides to turn off by itself. Light Blue on Orange text for finding places!.. Are you are kidding ... very impossible to read.

I love this GPS, it has a great looking big screen, nice features, my wife likes it that she can see her text and make phone calls without picking up her phone, The GPS is very accurate and very detailed. It tells you when a winding road is coming up, it tells you when a stop light is coming and traffic(though you have to use the Garmin app to see these features and connect it to your phone via Bluetooth) I definitely recommend this.

I bought this gps to replace one i had for 6 or 7 years now. Wow, what a difference a few years and much better technology makes. I love this gps because of the built in bluetooth, large screen size and the lifetime traffic and map updates. Touchscreen works easily and it even has add on features like backup camera. I would highly reccomend this gps if you are in the market or your car just doesn't have one.

This is my fourth Garmin unit. Because of my familiarity with using a Garmin, there was only a small learning curve, as many operations were familiar to me. It does all of the things that I expected a GPS to do. I will tell you about the items that were new to me. Updates: I have owned several GPS units in the past. I have struggled with my laptop computer attempting to do a valid update. To update this unit, I just simply put in the house Wi-Fi password, and told it to update. It updated both the programming and the maps, and when finished, it simply re-booted and was ready to use. Easy! It included lifetime updates. Big screen: Over 6 inches wide, and easy to see while driving. Voice Command: Accepts most common commands verbally. I just get in the car, (my cigarette lighter turns on when I open the door, thus turning on the GPS), I sit in the seat and say the words “voice command”, then “go home”. I am then guided to my home. If I say the word “address”, I can verbally put in most addresses, and it will find them. It accepts several other commands, that I have not tried yet. Camera: My 2015 Ford C-Max has no room for a standard radio with it’s large display screen. I have the optional Garmin back up camera that automatically uses the GPS display screen when I put the car into reverse. The picture is darker than my back up cameras that I had on three previous cars, but it is acceptable. This is a great solution when you do not really have space to put another screen in the car for the back up camera. Bluetooth: It will Bluetooth to your smart phone, and I understand that you can get traffic updates by using the data on your smart phone. I have not done this yet. This was totally worth the money I paid for it.

I've been riding with the Garmin nuvi 1450 LMT on my handle bars for many years and decided it was time for an upgrade... here's my comparison: Pros: Lots: Great screen, very bright, easy to see. Lots of features, super touch screen, easy programming, Bluetooth, low cost weather and traffic add-on's, plus it works great with Base Camp. Cons: There's no solid way to attach the GPS on a handlebar. The mounting system built onto the rear panel is pretty light weight and Garmin does not recommend using it on a motorcycle or ATV. Ram doesn't make a good solid mount for this model yet like they have for other models. They do make an X-brace that will work but the center hub covers up the USB connection port when it's centered-up. The Ram Mount sales person I spoke with said he thought they'd make a solid mount some day but no firm plans at this time. I wound up modifying a When I powered it up from a USB port like my 1450, it worked but the screen was limited to 40% brightness level which isn't bright enough for me in direct sunlight. Garmin told me they don't want the DriveSmart61 powered from USB port... it uses too much power, and wouldn't properly charge the GPS battery. It has to be powered from a 12V source with the included cigarette lighter plug and power supply. When I did that, the brightness was allowed to be set at 100%. I couldn't get my unit to work using any other 12V to USB cables. Not a pro or con really, but my unit would not accept larger than a 32GB SD card. Overall I like the unit a lot but I would say it's probably not the best choice if you're going to use it on a bike, ATV or other higher vibration application. I hope this helps!

This unit was purchased to replace my navigation system in my 2018 Camry. The Toyota system was horrible to use. The Garmin is wonderful! It performs perfectly and is very easy to see and navigate. The voice command is a great feature.