Customer Ratings & Reviews

Bought this for work great gps its a good size for where it is mounted easy to see easy to use voice commands and blue tooth are great, great value

It works in places where my mobile phone’s map app might not, like if I had to take a detour in an area with poor cellular data access. The display size and clarity are good. There seem to be a great number of features, if only I had the time to learn how to access them, or if they didn’t require that a Garmin app be running on my phone to make them work. The complexity, and lack of obvious paths to activating features, cost the device one star. Poorly designed power management cost it another star. It seems that there are at least two “Off” states, maybe more. Apparently just turning off the vehicle’s ignition and walking away leaves the GPS dark but still draining its internal battery. The explanation is that this soft shutdown results in faster GPS signal acquisition on restart. There should be a better way to program that. In a 1,300 mile first trip, I ran Apple Maps in parallel. I found significant differences in how the two devices indicate turns, something that would take getting used to, not a flaw. Garmin doesn’t mark traffic signal locations on the map. In congested areas I like to see the signal locations mapped so I can count signals to my turn. On this trip I had two occasions when I had to fuss with the device for a minute or two to get the screen to light up after a short rest stop. In short, more frustration than smiles during the first week of operation. Too much time spent wondering if I should return it. Talking with friends who have this Garmin or a similar one, the ones who are most satisfied are those who ignore the feature list and just use the basic functionality. I will join them.

I purchased the DriveSmart 65 after wanting a standalone GPS instead of using my cellphone. I had used a very old Garmin Nuvi and this is night and day different. A cellphone navigation is great for emergencies, but can sometimes be more difficult to use; 1) Cannot see the navigation apps when using the phone for a phone call and 2) Lack of navigation when no cellular coverage. Additionally, downloading the offline maps don't provide the latest in traffic, accidents, and road construction. You also have to constantly update them to make sure you have the latest maps. A standalone GPS just gives you an larger size screen which is much easier to use while driving thus keeping your eyes on the road better. I chose the Garmin DriveSmart 65 because it was currently the best one on the market and Garmin is the leader in GPS. I had a Garmin Nuvi from 12 years ago and never had a problem with it. Garmin now comes with lifetime maps and traffic on most of their devices. The larger screen was also a huge benefit. The device delivers great speed and performance as expected from Garmin. Accurate navigation and very good route planning. Screen is excellent, bright and high resolution for a navigator. Price is a lot more than the lower end Garmins, but if you drive a lot, it is well worth the price. Especially if you factor the annual cost over it's estimated life of 5-10 years.

The screen size is very nice. Works as well as the previous model did. Some of the new features like road closures & Traffic Updates are a very nice addition. Also nice to see that the traffic charger has return being standard, unlike the previous model which had a normal charger and if you wanted to have traffic updates you needed to buy a new charger for about 90 more bucks. Cons: - Makes the same mistakes the previous model did getting to the end of your destination, sending you an exit or two farther than needed or asking you to turn farther than you should. - The audio quality is worse then the previous model. - The augmented functionality provided via the android app doesn't work as the app itself is pretty bad and I was unable to connect to my Garmin account with it.

A good purchase for me. Relatively straight-forward to drill down the menus; documentation could be a little clearer. Voice interpretation about 70% accurate. Have not traveled during peak times, so unsure how well the Traffic feature functions. Good sized display for my truck space, a bit too big for the RAV4, and the images presented are easy to see. Difficult to smoothly detach unit (and adapter) from the mount ball, but less so by removing just the GPS unit (leaving the mount adapter on the ball). Am looking at other mounting options, as the provided suction cup mount holds inadequately, and weighted friction bases cannot conform acceptably to my dashes.

I've had another Garmin and was pleased so decided to get another with a larger screen. This is really great. I like the fact it displays the next 3 towns with miles and services also, the Live traffic situations and if I am on the quickest route. I'm not techy and this is very easy to operate.

Garmin is loaded with features that are easy to find, relevant and useful. The display is crisp and clear and use is intuitive. I cannot believe you can pack this many features in a device this small. But the size is just right. We are long-time Garmin fans and love our new product which was simple to use from day one and gives a great heads up display that makes sense, unlike many built in vehicle navigation systems.

Bought this to use for working out of town. Bluetooth function is great in that it allows to be connected to my phone for hands-free calls. If you connect it to the app, it will give you real time updates in traffic conditions up ahead. Overall a great product.

This is my fourth Garmin auto GPS. This unit is very nice, big screen, feature packed, and above all, NO MORE HOOKING UP TO A COMPUTER FOR MAP UPDATES!!! To not have to hook up to the computer for updates is a HUGE feature to me! In the past (no matter how good your computer and internet speed is), it was always a pain in the butt! This is definitely a direction toward new age technology. Simple put, the unit works flawless and if you get lost using the 65 you prolly are one of those folks that should be riding on the bus.

I bought a Garmin GPS 5 years ago. I loved it for its screen size, accuracy, voice activiation, and color screen for both day and night. When I recently dropped it on the concrete and it broke, I was devastated. I was so happy to find the next generation of this Garmin gps. I bought it, and it has all the features I loved in the first one, and now has added features. True, the cell phone is a gps as well, but I just love the 7 inch vibrant color screen of the Garmin. Its portability makes it a must for any type of vehicle.

This Garmin has been a great GPS. Perfect size and tons of options. Every destination has pretty much been spot on. Traffic updates have saved me several times already.

Took a while for initial setup as I needed to download the newest updates out of the box but once it was completed, it is a nice addition for me. My older Garmin Nuvi began to freeze so I needed to get a new one. Got this one. I like the addition of live traffic though I have not really driven through major traffic locations - I think once it was showing congestion at a redlight as traffic. I do not really like the way it picks up and displays my text messages. I am sure there is a way to turn off that option, but I have not looked into it as of yet. It also will connect to my phone for hands free calling, but I really do not need that since I have my car connected through Bluetooth for that. Certainly, has several features for hands-free usage.

I purchased this unit for my dad. He isn't a cell phone fan and wears glasses. The display is clear and big enough for him to see everything! The map updates will keep him from getting lost so I'm glad that it is available. The directions are very clear and loud when navigating so he can either look at the screen or just listen. Garmin is the best, I've used their GPS products in the military so i know it will be accuare!

I bought this for a road trip from Quebec, Canada to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I used the trip planner feature to shape the route I wanted to travel. It was very easy to customize your route if you wish to take a different route than what the GPS suggests. The trip is then saved and ready for your departure day. I programmed 2 hotel stays along the way. The device worked flawlessly. The live traffic saved us over 2 and 1/2 hours by bypassing very slow traffic east of Washington DC. The weather feature was great. It alerted us of a tornado watch. I could also see live weather radar image for our route ahead. The screen is large with super definition. The voice command feature worked very well. Changing the volume or screen brightness with my voice was very handy. The lane assist feature always allowed me to be in the proper lane. It can be very confusing in busy freeway interchanges, but with this Garmin we never missed a single exit or turn. Juat very impressed with all that this GPS can do. Highly recommend!!!

Easy to use. Accurate. Many features. Posts the speed limit on the screen of most streets.

I bought this model to replace an older Garmin unit. Once I got everything set up, I wanted to access the voice command function for this unit. It did not work. Garmin customer service was great but could not correct this problem. I replaced this defective unit through Best Buy with another as they requested. Same problem. I had to send the unit to Garmin to be replaced again. It now works great. Good screen size and clarity. Overall works great. The problem I had with the voice command function is probably a computer chip problem. Although it was replaced with no cost, it did take about a week to get this straighten out. Test the "OK Garmin" voice command right away.

This gps is absolutely the best I’ve ever used. I love the features latest and greatest. I would highly recommend this GPS. It does run warm and sitting on the dash in the sun can be an issue. I’ve moved it down out of the sun using a CD mount holder.

What an improvement! This Garmin is larger than the one we had from 10 years ago. It's great when you have the app on your cell phone to have the latest updates on traffic and re-routing to avoid it. The visual display is much crisper and better detail. When you approach a turn, it gives you a very good detail view over on the right side that is enlarged to see how it looks and where you are supposed to turn. Both my wife and I agree that this is quite the improvement over another app that's free and very popular with most people.

Love the extra features this model has. The drive app is great, and being able to talk/call hands-free from the unit when paired with your phone is great, especially when you use if for business. Traffic updates along the route are a great help and one of my favorite features. The only issue I encountered was with route accuracy at the destination arrival point. This only happened twice so far, and both times the address was near an intersection. The unit wanted to route me just around the corner on the adjacent street, like maybe there was a side entrance. Other than that issue, I've used it non-stop daily and am happy with it.

I moved up from a 9 year old 5 inch unit that lived a good life. What a upgrade this is. Easy to use, Garmin voice is still a little sensitive, everything else so far is on point