The Nuvi 660 - GPS auto routing device

Well, if you've been wanting a GPS device in your car since you last saw it in a Hertz rental.... or you simply want to gift it to your hubby because he's such a darling and a gadget lover... you are in luck. This is the golden age of affordable, but really intelligent portable GPS auto navigation devices. What used to be clunky, slow and $2000 about 2 years ago, are now smart, pocket-size and about $500 today.

The Nuvi 660 belongs to a new breed of portable GPS devices that excel in routing features and screen clarity. Today it costs around $800 . Ouch, a bit expensive you say ? Well, no worries, you get pretty much the same thing if you go for the Nuvi 360 (about $540) and pretty much the same thing with a few less bells if you go for the Nuvi 350 (about $500).

But let's talk about the Nuvi 660 and as we go about it, I'll tell you what the other two don't have when compared to the 660. As you will see, the 350 and 360 are excellent routing devices with about 99% same capabilities of the 660. But there are some conveniences that may tip you in favor of the 360 over the 350, or to 660 over the 360.

Main features of the Nuvi 660:
It's an auto routing device. You enter the address on the touch sensitive screen... most of the time you don't have to type in the full street name... it guesses the street name after a few keystrokes. Pressing "Go" will then start guiding you to the destination. As simple as that. The unit will "speak out" instructions to you. It will even speak out the street names. ("Turn right on Talladega St") If you get hungry on your way to D.C from New York, you can simply tap on the GPS device for a restaurant (Chinese, Mexican... whatever) and it will show you the restaurants that are closest. Same with gas stations, ATMs and other points of interest.

The Nuvi 660 also has a built-in Traffic data receiver, which is really useful if you are in a busy metro area. When it detects traffic slowdowns, the unit automatically suggests detours. This is a great feature for daily travelers in busy Metro areas such as Washington, D.C. or San Jose, CA.

Among other things, it shows useful statistics such as : Time to destination, Distance to destination, etc.

It can take an SD card... so take your photos and mp3 songs with you! It is Bluetooth enabled and the biggest advantage with this is, you can easily sync up your cell phone - and as you drive, if you get a call, you can just simply speak handsfree through the GPS unit.

It has a built in FM transmitter - you can configure it to transmit to your car's FM receiver so the audio instructions from the Nuvi can be heard through your car's speaker system.

Here's how the Nuvi 360 and the Nuvi 350 differ from the 660:
The Nuvi 360 does not have the built-in FM transmitter.
The Nuvi 350 does not have the built-in FM transmitter. It does not have the bluetooth functionality either.

If all you want is a great auto navigation system, the Nuvi 350 will suffice.
If you'd like the additional convenience of handsfree cell phone communication, then the Nuvi 360 is the way to go.
If traffic alerts are important to you, in addition to the above, then Nuvi 660 fits the bill for about $200 more.

For most users, the Nuvi 360 is a good balance. Go for it!

For other views and reviews, you can visit the neat gadget search site at: eZigs.com .

To buy the Nuvi 360 from Amazon, you can click here: Nuvi 360

Here are the Amazon links for the 350 and 660:

Nuvi 350

Nuvi 660

Enjoy and happy driving!