Great price on a nifty step-up from navigator basics. Pros include pretty good menu navigation, fairly good voice recognition (depending on the noise level in your vehicle) and very nice trip planning features. Cons include fair to poor battery life and a non-intuitive detour feature.
I got this GPS for my wife since she doesn’t know her way around much. She loves this thing and won’t go out of town without it. It’s easy to use and nice large screen is perfect for her. It has so many features and we haven’t used all of them but man we love it. There is so much you can do with this it blows your mind.
This is my first ever review of any product, but I love my new Garmin. I have never owned a GPS unit before, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but for what I need this unit goes above and beyond.
I am please with the cost that it was. Very worth it.
There are lots of reviews here about the unit, and it is a very good unit. The majority of my thoughts that I’d like to share with other potential customers have less to do with the unit itself, and more to do with the software for the PC that comes with it, and the process of updating the maps.
Garmin has a long way to go to simplify and make easier the process of updating maps. First you install the software, then plug in the unit, then find out that the website you go to wants you to install about 3 other things, then the map downloads, then you have to manually find the downloaded files & apply them, etc. etc. etc.
I’m used to very technical things on computers, but that being said I found the map updating process unusually cumbersome, and it doesn’t need to be that way. The unit gets a good rating, but if you’re not a very technical person and think you’ll want to update your maps, be ready for some work.
This is my second Nuvi, so just plugging it in and going was no problem. The graphics are clearer, and without checking I’d bet the monitor displays more colors. Being able to give voice commands is new and a feature I regularly use. It works surprisingly well considering the road noise the device has to deal with.
I’m really glad they kept the Audible player in this version. I’ve noticed some of the newer Nuvis don’t have Audible. That would be a deal-breaker for me. I drive an hour to work, and I’ve got to have a book to listen to else the boredom would drive me insane.
The female American voice (whom I refer to as ‘Hilary’) is the same voice as the previous Nuvi. I enjoyed it when she used to say, “Recalculating” when you didn’t follow her directions. Her tone of voice seemed to add: You puny, flawed human. But a recent update has jolified her voice.
On the down side, I’ve had it lock up three or four times. Restart solves the problem. The batteries drain quickly. I imagine this Nuvi uses a lot more electricity than my old one did.
This is a wonderful little machine. It is the basic 800 series which means it has the same engine as the most expensive units without some of the bells and whistles, and yet has all that is convenient and important.
It is highly accurate, and fast. I love the feature where it remembers where I left the car when I take it out of its cradle and will guide me right to my car if I need to. When I go to a site in a mall or a large complex like a hospital I can save the exact location of where I am and use that instead of an address which at times can be vague.
For example when I visit a large hospital here with several entrances it will guide me right to the parking place I chose to make into a favorite.
The voice recognition works very well. I never have to touch the unit to perform any and all of the many options available to me. For example while I am driving I can direct it via voice activated command to take me to the nearest Burger King, of Hampton Inn, either as detour or as a new destination.
I find the volume from the unit sufficient, but I prefer to hear directions through my car stereo system. Since my FM antenna is located at the back of the car the FM from the GPS unit does not work too well. I bought one of those little cigarette lighter FM transmitters, and connected it to the GPS audio output and it works just fine. If you have an audio input to your car stereo you don’t need the FM transmitter; just connect your GPS directly through that.
All in all I am very satisfied with this unit, and I am happy to recommend it to any person who is interested in adding a GPS system to their car, or replacing an older unit as I did.
I got this gps for my husband’s birthday b/c he is a contractor and is always going to a new house every other day. He didn’t think he would like it or even need it, but the first day he used it he absolutely loved it. He said it is perfect for him and that he uses it everyday. He says the voice commands are the best part b/c he doesn’t have to stop and play around with the gps.
I owned an older Garmin GPS before I bought this one and loved it. But it was a little older and didn’t have some of the features that are now available. The 850 is great, it does everything you want it to as far as helping you navigate, but it has 2 problems. One (and the biggest pain in the butt), is you have to take the battery all the way out in order to turn it completely off. So if you aren’t planning on using it for a while, like until your next trip, you can’t just turn it off with a switch. The power switch just puts it in standby and continually drains the battery. Now this is nice if you are going to use it again in a couple hours since it will boot up quicker, but it sucks if you don’t plan on using it for a day or two since your battery will be at 0% power by then if you haven’t actually taken it out of the unit. Secondly, I can’t get it loud enough that I can hear it on the highway with the radio on. So I have to turn down the radio completely to hear the directions.
We were in downtown Pittsburgh and this unit was more confused than we were. Was informing us that we were on streets that we weren’t on.
Voice recognition has a difficult time, expecially with road noise. It works well when road noise and other ambient noise is low. When it’s not, it is relatively useless.
What I like: The voice activation works great! It has been extremely useful while driving. A+++
I like the games you can download to your Garmin; the ability to find business phone numbers along with their addresses and also choosing whether the business should be near your destination or en route; the “time you’ll arrive” feature and the visible “posted speed limit” feature. I also like the Garmin garage where you can download different avatars for your vehicle or voices for navigation.
What I DON’T like: The maps are a tad outdated (even though they are brand new 2010 maps) ~ I hate being taken down dark alleys or told to make a U-turn constantly; the long delay to locate satellites after being turned off for a few hours; And the worst issue: THE FREEZING UP OF THE DEVICE. Ever since I downloaded new maps, it freezes up often and you have to reboot the GPS which it tough to do while driving.
I have been trying for several weeks to get some help in using this device or getting someone to respond with some answers. The mechinism that Amazon has in place is literally useless for a non computer literate person like myself to navigate through. Each attempt at finding help leads me to a system that is difficult to understand. For this reason I am instructing VISA to cancel my cash payment. This is in the works now.
It appears to me that there is no way to call someone or to request someone from the “Company” to return a call to me so I can personally voice my concerns.
I find this unit hard to use and very user unfriendly. I would like to return the unit and have it replaced with a Garmin 680 device which I have had osccasion to use and can navigate with. The 680 I used worked for me each and every time. The Garmin 850 continually comes back with “no matches found”. I have had experts try the unit and they have the same result.
Is there any way that someone can help me resolve this issue?
I won’t add much to what already has been said about Nuvi 850. However, there are a couple of things that no other reviewer mentioned – the unit LAGS in comparioson to the other Nuvis I owned (680 and 760). Both of my former units had the the menus switch nearly instantly, whereas the 850 has a 1-2 second lag. I don’t know whether it’s the extra features or what… but the Garmin tech assured all of 800 series have this lag which is pretty annoying when you have to enter information on the fly. Another problem is that the GPS works poorly with MSNDirect receiver – for some reason, I only get traffic updates 1/2 the time.
I have used a Garmin marine device (GPSmap276c) for years, and after I sold my boat, I tried it as an automobile device. Pretty heavy and hard to mount. So I started looking for an automotive model. I researched for a couple of weeks and made several searches on Amazon. Because of these searches, they notified me of an amazing sale of this device when one occurred. It was 76% off the list price. I believe the 850 might be discontinued, last years model. But it has all the features I need. I have taken several trips using it. It works very well, find roads that often are not on printed road maps.
I do not think it is worth the price Garmin set on it, about $800, I think. But if you can find one on a good sale, jump on it.
The first unit I received, something was wrong with the audio, so I sent it back for a replacement. Although, the audio of the replacement unit was still a little garbled, it was clear enough to understand. A few days after I was using the unit, the touch screen would not work because it said it was locked. The switch also would not work. I am sending this one back, too, for a refund. Even though this model has some cool features, like the voice command, the games, and all the neat downloads, I think I will try a different model.
I’ll start by explaining that I am not an experienced GPS user. Most others likely know that it will get confused in tight places or when a mountain road sends you looping back and some of the local roads it chooses aren’t the best.
Be careful as the speed limits often are not what the unit is showing.
The voice commands do work. I put the button down on my gearshift and it works fine from there. I had a problem saying Find WalMart clearly enough but got it after a couple of trys.
I still have a learning curve with it, but am so glad I purchased it before my trip.
I bought this GPS because it was an excellent price and I was going on a trip to an unfamiliar city. The trip went well – at one point when I was just sure I knew where I was going and didn’t turn it on – it got me back to my hotel when I was indeed lost. I downloaded an autobook to the GPS that finished just as I arrived back in my own city. Loved it. I’ve also used it here at home more than I would have thought.
Was looking at GPS’s for a while, ended up purchasing this one because of an email from Amazon stating they had a special sale on this model. Upon receiving the GPS I went to the Garmin web site to update the maps and was quickly told the unit wa discontinued. I wish amazon had told me this at some point in time prior to my purchase.
Good deal!
Great price on a nifty step-up from navigator basics. Pros include pretty good menu navigation, fairly good voice recognition (depending on the noise level in your vehicle) and very nice trip planning features. Cons include fair to poor battery life and a non-intuitive detour feature.
Love Garmin
I got this GPS for my wife since she doesn’t know her way around much. She loves this thing and won’t go out of town without it. It’s easy to use and nice large screen is perfect for her. It has so many features and we haven’t used all of them but man we love it. There is so much you can do with this it blows your mind.
Extremely satisfied!!!
Hello all,
This is my first ever review of any product, but I love my new Garmin. I have never owned a GPS unit before, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but for what I need this unit goes above and beyond.
I am please with the cost that it was. Very worth it.
Great unit!!!!
Great device, Garmin PC software leaves something to be desired
There are lots of reviews here about the unit, and it is a very good unit. The majority of my thoughts that I’d like to share with other potential customers have less to do with the unit itself, and more to do with the software for the PC that comes with it, and the process of updating the maps.
Garmin has a long way to go to simplify and make easier the process of updating maps. First you install the software, then plug in the unit, then find out that the website you go to wants you to install about 3 other things, then the map downloads, then you have to manually find the downloaded files & apply them, etc. etc. etc.
I’m used to very technical things on computers, but that being said I found the map updating process unusually cumbersome, and it doesn’t need to be that way. The unit gets a good rating, but if you’re not a very technical person and think you’ll want to update your maps, be ready for some work.
A good bargain
This is my second Nuvi, so just plugging it in and going was no problem. The graphics are clearer, and without checking I’d bet the monitor displays more colors. Being able to give voice commands is new and a feature I regularly use. It works surprisingly well considering the road noise the device has to deal with.
I’m really glad they kept the Audible player in this version. I’ve noticed some of the newer Nuvis don’t have Audible. That would be a deal-breaker for me. I drive an hour to work, and I’ve got to have a book to listen to else the boredom would drive me insane.
The female American voice (whom I refer to as ‘Hilary’) is the same voice as the previous Nuvi. I enjoyed it when she used to say, “Recalculating” when you didn’t follow her directions. Her tone of voice seemed to add: You puny, flawed human. But a recent update has jolified her voice.
On the down side, I’ve had it lock up three or four times. Restart solves the problem. The batteries drain quickly. I imagine this Nuvi uses a lot more electricity than my old one did.
Garmin knows how to make a great GPS.
Garmin nuvi 850
This is a wonderful little machine. It is the basic 800 series which means it has the same engine as the most expensive units without some of the bells and whistles, and yet has all that is convenient and important.
It is highly accurate, and fast. I love the feature where it remembers where I left the car when I take it out of its cradle and will guide me right to my car if I need to. When I go to a site in a mall or a large complex like a hospital I can save the exact location of where I am and use that instead of an address which at times can be vague.
For example when I visit a large hospital here with several entrances it will guide me right to the parking place I chose to make into a favorite.
The voice recognition works very well. I never have to touch the unit to perform any and all of the many options available to me. For example while I am driving I can direct it via voice activated command to take me to the nearest Burger King, of Hampton Inn, either as detour or as a new destination.
I find the volume from the unit sufficient, but I prefer to hear directions through my car stereo system. Since my FM antenna is located at the back of the car the FM from the GPS unit does not work too well. I bought one of those little cigarette lighter FM transmitters, and connected it to the GPS audio output and it works just fine. If you have an audio input to your car stereo you don’t need the FM transmitter; just connect your GPS directly through that.
All in all I am very satisfied with this unit, and I am happy to recommend it to any person who is interested in adding a GPS system to their car, or replacing an older unit as I did.
My husband loved this gift!
I got this gps for my husband’s birthday b/c he is a contractor and is always going to a new house every other day. He didn’t think he would like it or even need it, but the first day he used it he absolutely loved it. He said it is perfect for him and that he uses it everyday. He says the voice commands are the best part b/c he doesn’t have to stop and play around with the gps.
All I cah say is THANK YOU GARMIN
I used to rely on mapquest paper map but got lost any way, because I would have to look at the paper map.
Good GPS – Bad Battery System
I owned an older Garmin GPS before I bought this one and loved it. But it was a little older and didn’t have some of the features that are now available. The 850 is great, it does everything you want it to as far as helping you navigate, but it has 2 problems. One (and the biggest pain in the butt), is you have to take the battery all the way out in order to turn it completely off. So if you aren’t planning on using it for a while, like until your next trip, you can’t just turn it off with a switch. The power switch just puts it in standby and continually drains the battery. Now this is nice if you are going to use it again in a couple hours since it will boot up quicker, but it sucks if you don’t plan on using it for a day or two since your battery will be at 0% power by then if you haven’t actually taken it out of the unit. Secondly, I can’t get it loud enough that I can hear it on the highway with the radio on. So I have to turn down the radio completely to hear the directions.
voice recognition is useless
We were in downtown Pittsburgh and this unit was more confused than we were. Was informing us that we were on streets that we weren’t on.
Voice recognition has a difficult time, expecially with road noise. It works well when road noise and other ambient noise is low. When it’s not, it is relatively useless.
The good and the bad
What I like: The voice activation works great! It has been extremely useful while driving. A+++
I like the games you can download to your Garmin; the ability to find business phone numbers along with their addresses and also choosing whether the business should be near your destination or en route; the “time you’ll arrive” feature and the visible “posted speed limit” feature. I also like the Garmin garage where you can download different avatars for your vehicle or voices for navigation.
What I DON’T like: The maps are a tad outdated (even though they are brand new 2010 maps) ~ I hate being taken down dark alleys or told to make a U-turn constantly; the long delay to locate satellites after being turned off for a few hours; And the worst issue: THE FREEZING UP OF THE DEVICE. Ever since I downloaded new maps, it freezes up often and you have to reboot the GPS which it tough to do while driving.
Faulty Gps Unit
I have been trying for several weeks to get some help in using this device or getting someone to respond with some answers. The mechinism that Amazon has in place is literally useless for a non computer literate person like myself to navigate through. Each attempt at finding help leads me to a system that is difficult to understand. For this reason I am instructing VISA to cancel my cash payment. This is in the works now.
It appears to me that there is no way to call someone or to request someone from the “Company” to return a call to me so I can personally voice my concerns.
I find this unit hard to use and very user unfriendly. I would like to return the unit and have it replaced with a Garmin 680 device which I have had osccasion to use and can navigate with. The 680 I used worked for me each and every time. The Garmin 850 continually comes back with “no matches found”. I have had experts try the unit and they have the same result.
Is there any way that someone can help me resolve this issue?
Don Peterson
One laggy GPS
I won’t add much to what already has been said about Nuvi 850. However, there are a couple of things that no other reviewer mentioned – the unit LAGS in comparioson to the other Nuvis I owned (680 and 760). Both of my former units had the the menus switch nearly instantly, whereas the 850 has a 1-2 second lag. I don’t know whether it’s the extra features or what… but the Garmin tech assured all of 800 series have this lag which is pretty annoying when you have to enter information on the fly. Another problem is that the GPS works poorly with MSNDirect receiver – for some reason, I only get traffic updates 1/2 the time.
great little navigator
This is a great little navigator. Easy to use and easy to read and understand.
Garmin nüvi 850
Excellent product! Use for traveling while out of town and it has saved me several times!
Garmin nuvi 850 excellent
I have used a Garmin marine device (GPSmap276c) for years, and after I sold my boat, I tried it as an automobile device. Pretty heavy and hard to mount. So I started looking for an automotive model. I researched for a couple of weeks and made several searches on Amazon. Because of these searches, they notified me of an amazing sale of this device when one occurred. It was 76% off the list price. I believe the 850 might be discontinued, last years model. But it has all the features I need. I have taken several trips using it. It works very well, find roads that often are not on printed road maps.
I do not think it is worth the price Garmin set on it, about $800, I think. But if you can find one on a good sale, jump on it.
Units were defective
The first unit I received, something was wrong with the audio, so I sent it back for a replacement. Although, the audio of the replacement unit was still a little garbled, it was clear enough to understand. A few days after I was using the unit, the touch screen would not work because it said it was locked. The switch also would not work. I am sending this one back, too, for a refund. Even though this model has some cool features, like the voice command, the games, and all the neat downloads, I think I will try a different model.
First trip
I’ll start by explaining that I am not an experienced GPS user. Most others likely know that it will get confused in tight places or when a mountain road sends you looping back and some of the local roads it chooses aren’t the best.
Be careful as the speed limits often are not what the unit is showing.
The voice commands do work. I put the button down on my gearshift and it works fine from there. I had a problem saying Find WalMart clearly enough but got it after a couple of trys.
I still have a learning curve with it, but am so glad I purchased it before my trip.
Easy and accurate
I bought this GPS because it was an excellent price and I was going on a trip to an unfamiliar city. The trip went well – at one point when I was just sure I knew where I was going and didn’t turn it on – it got me back to my hotel when I was indeed lost. I downloaded an autobook to the GPS that finished just as I arrived back in my own city. Loved it. I’ve also used it here at home more than I would have thought.
Garmin Nuvi 850
Was looking at GPS’s for a while, ended up purchasing this one because of an email from Amazon stating they had a special sale on this model. Upon receiving the GPS I went to the Garmin web site to update the maps and was quickly told the unit wa discontinued. I wish amazon had told me this at some point in time prior to my purchase.