Home > Consumer Reviews > Garmin nüvi 765/765T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished)

Garmin with NavTeq maps is the way to go. Nearly perfect routing. Reliable maps. Very solid combination generally. This particular unit is an excellent combination of features and, as a refub, a stunning value.

The features that allow this device to stand out from most other Garmins are these: (1) Instant on and instant navigation when turned back on where it was turned off. (2) Lane assist in major cities in some intersections. (3) Multiple stops (Via Points) from your starting point to your destination (many Garmins don't do this). (4) Lifetime traffic. You have to put up with small, rather inconspicuous ads now and again, but it's really no big deal. (5) There is no antenna to extend. It's built into the base unit. (6) It's really, really sensitive. Really. Sensitive. Works great. (7) There are transparent images of large buildings and structures that aid somewhat in navigation but even more, are entertaining and interesting.

You really can't go wrong.

What does it lack? (1) Most notably, voice recognition. (2) MSN services, but that is scheduled to be shut off for lack of interest anyway.* (3) A way to turn off the navigation to carry it around listening to the MP3 player when you're out of the car. It's constantly finding GPS signals in the grocery store and announcing when it's lost the signal in the store. I certainly don't need that and certainly don't need the battery being drained trying to GPS while I'm in Barne & Noble. It would be nice to be able to turn the GPS off while using other features, like the MP3 player and Audio Book player. (5) The FM transmitter that assists using the GPS and MP3 player with the car stereo is apparently as strong as the FCC permits, but it's still not strong enough to overcome competing stations in the city. It's just not a good connection. Too much noise. Some FM transmitters do better, and I've actually plugged my Garmin GPS's audio output into Belkin FM transmitters that seem to do a better (but still not great) job. (6) It doesn't have Europe on it. Just all of North America.

These really are niggling complaints. It's a great unit. I'm loving the instant on. didn't realize how much I'd like that until I got it.
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Selected this GPS after reading lots of reviews and comparing features we wanted compared to our old one, the Garmin 200w. Not techno-savvy, I set it up by myself and had no trouble registering or setting up the bluetooth with my phone. Took it out for a "spin" right away and found many features to really appreciate. The bluetooth worked fine, sounded a little like speaker phone but that is to be expected. Haven't had occasion to see how the traffic feature works yet, or the MP3, but overall am quite satisfied with this GPS.

After having used the 760/780 for a year I picked up this unit for my wife to use.
I had it on order for a 4 days and it didn't ship even though it was in stock. Had the option to cancel that order and I reordered when it hit $189 and chose two day shipping and it shipped right away, annoying, but I digress.
The unit arrived in perfect condition except for a few fingerprints which easily wiped off, and included all accessories. I was able to register the unit on the Garmin website, and was offered a free map upgrade.

Things that differ from the 760:
- bar along the top - instead of displaying the upcoming crossroad, the 765 displays the street you are driving on. Pretty useless. I would much rather have it display the upcoming crossroad.
- Upcoming turn arrows in the top left are a nice addition.
- The 765 still displays your current speed on the lefthand tag when navigating a route. On the 760 - that vanished and was replace with something else when on a route.
- The righthand tag can be customized to display the ETA, current time, or elevation.
- Zoom in / out buttons are now both located on the righthand side, as is the shortcut button for the mp3 player. The mp3 button is quite small.
- Lifetime traffic works well and was timely on my commute home last night. Unit correctly anticipated traffic and routed me around it.
- Bluetooth does not work as well as the 760. Had great difficulty pairing with a Motorola W385. I eventually did after several tries, but will not download the contacts. I need to "connect" every time I turn on the nuvi. My old 760 had no problem and connected automatically once the phone was in range.
- FM transmitter was initially very weak (as is the one on the 760) but I discovered that if you go into the service screens (Press and hold the battery icon) - you can set the transmitter to "High Power" and it works much better. It is now quite acceptable.
- Battery does not last long at all on the 765. Low battery comes on in about 20 minutes with the screen set to full brightness. You can gain run time by setting the screen dimmer.
-Screen smoothness / refresh rate and icons are much nicer than on the 760. Screen also seems easier to see in sunlight.
- The 765 acquires satellites much quicker.
- speaker is louder on the 765. I could barely hear the 760.
- 3D building view is pretty cool.
- Have not seen the junction view yet, though I have only used it for a few days.
- Both units support multi point routing which is a major consideration if you want to force the route to be where you want. I use the Nuvis on my motorcycle and seldom want to take the most direct way but rater specify which scenic or twisty roads I want to ride to get there. Either the 760 or 765 will do that for you.

Overall the 765 is a nice improvement, though the weak bluetooth, short battery life, and lack of upcoming crossroads are the major drawbacks.

Pluses are a nicer looking screen / graphics, fast acquisition time, and better FM transmitter (once set to "High Power)

After doing extensive web research, this was the best GPS at a great price. My only CON is that I can not get my Treo 650 to work properly on it through the Bluetooth. Otherwise is great.

I already own a Garmin Zumo 550 that I move between my motorcycle and my car. Then my wife told me that she would like to have one so I started looking for another one. The Zumo 550 has been great but I didn't need the water proof and other features that add to the price of that one. After a lot of looking and comparing, I found that the 765T had all the features that most people really need at a very affordable price. Bluetooth capability, FM Modulator, MP3 and a great screen that is very easy to read. My wife is thrilled with it. Don't let the "re-manufactured" thing bother you. They are like brand new at a much lower price.