Best Buy GPS

nüvi 885TNOH, MFG# 010-N057730, preloaded city navigator, North America NT, remote for voice activation w/battery, vehicle suction cup mount, MSN Direct receiver/vehicle pwr cbl, Bluetooth, lithium-ion battery, USB cble, dashboard disc, quick start manual

User Reviews about Garmin nüvi 885T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with MSN Direct Service (Factory Refurbished)

I recently bought my Garmin 885t GPS. I am very satisfied with it over-all. It is very easy to use, setup and the voice control really makes this GPS unique above all others. Garmin is bringing out the replacement for this model, 3750T due out later this summer for way more than I paid on Amazon for my 885T GPS. The 3750T will have the voice control and bluetooth. As with everthing, you have to shop around to find the best price and deal. Even on Amazon, check often as price points change for the same product are common. I did this and found a superior price at the time I ordered (checked the next the day, the price point increased $90.00 dollars).

Garmin will honor warranties if you purchase your GPS on/from Amazon. EBAY purchases; warranties are NOT honored.

I have just returned from a long driving trip, I discovered more features and controls while using this GPS. Having business addresses and phone numbers in towns I visited was very useful. The ability to look up a business phone number and use voice control to directly call the location was extremely helpful (via blue tooth with my cell phone). Of course the GPS aspect really was helpfull even on Forest roads to know where your going.

I traveled on Interstate Hwys, State Hwys, County Roads, and finally Forest Roads (dirt) and the GPS always knew the road 99.99 % and all of the side roads with superior accuracy. I did update the maps (one free from Garmin) before my trip to get the very latest maps. Speed limit posting on the GPS was accurate and useful.
Overall accuracy in all respects is superior.

The only weak point for this GPS is the FM transmitter which allows you to tune your GPS and Car radio to the same FM freq. to hear the spoken voice, phone calls etc, thru you car sound system. I tested this feature, found the signal between the GPS and my car radio had noise levels which were unacceptable. Will test again.

Finally, the MSN service will end 1/1/2012, but Garmin has a replacement car adaptor you can purchase for the 885T which brings in the new service (free) Garmin is providing for traffic and services similar to the MSN service. So it is up-ward compatable with the new Garmin service. This adaptor replaces the car adaptor and sell for around $50.00ish dollars. I will decide on this option later.

I would recommend this "flag ship" GPS to anyone, obviously voice control is expensive, but I believe it make this unit more safe to use on the road. Enjoy!! BTW, Garmin is a leader in GPS products, I also have a hand held GPS I've had for years, again same experience wt the Etrex Legend unit. -- Garmin 885t comments

Fun Fun Fun. Love this GPS. Refurbished and good as new. I have bought a number of refurbished items and have not had any bad experiences with a single one. Try it, you'll like it. -- Garmin GPS

I reviewed many GPS units to become my first GPS. Within my price range, the 885T was the best. I bought a refurbished unit from Amazon. I see the price went back up, too. I got a bargain! Although, I saw right after I bought it that Garmin discontinued it. Oh, well. They included the 2010 maps and nine months of the MSN, which isn't in my area anyway.

The unit has performed many functions perfectly:

1. As a GPS, it senses and locks to satellites quickly. The 2010 maps are not completely perfect, on back country roads, and new intersections, but I was able to run the length of the New Jersey Turnpike and it directed me to the best route, with images of upcoming lane changes. That was cool.

2. As a bluetooth device, it said my LG phone was not certified for use, but it connected anyway. It reads the contacts, dials and answers calls. Once in while it will forget to connect to the phone, and I will have to delete it and try to reconnect, with minor irritation. When it is connected, all phone calls come through the 885T, hands-free. Very cool.

3. As a music player, I can load music and books and listen through the FM radio. It worked, but I would rather use my iPod. Technology is always advancing.

4. Games? It has them, but I am not sure why. Should I be playing solitaire while I drive??

5. Walking: I used it on the streets of New York, and it found a clothing store I wanted to see. And a restaurant we wanted to find. It is a great little database to carry around. But, so is an iPhone, if you have one. The 885T is cheaper.

6. The remote button that attaches to the steering was not mentioned in the description. It came as a pleasant surprise that I can press the button and talk to the 885T. The other surprise was, it did not require "training". If I speak clearly, simple words on the screen, or the pre-programmed shortcuts, it knows what I am saying. It even can interpret spoken names of stores or restaurants. That is cool.

I love it. The English female voice is the easiest to understand. And the most charming.

In a year or two, I may need to next generation of GPS, but until then, this is the best.

Note: the feature of reading Google Maps and loading the location into the unit is awesome. However, you need to be careful that the address is correct on the map. Often, I found, the place I found and loaded was not exactly where it really was. That was the fault of Google maps interpretation of data, rather than the 885T. The 885T took me to within feet of where Google told me to go, but it was at times a quarter of a mile off. The solution was to use the satellite view in Google maps to make absolutely sure I was finding the right location.

-- Garmin 885T Still lives

This is my first GPS. No surface indication the product has been refurbished. I purposely searched for a Voice Command GPS. Does not come with a full user guide but I downloaded one from the Garmin web site. The full user guide still does not have all the voice commands (Music Player options for example). You have to yell commands for the voice command to work, but it works. I've tried changing songs with voice command, while viewing the map at the same time, but I believe it doesn't let you. It tends to lose satellite around where I live and work (Detroit and Southfield, Michigan), which is very unfortunate. Sometimes, while searching for a Point of Interest, it sometimes freezes. I shutdown the GPS and turn it back on to get it work again. Garmin stopped making this particular model (885T), so maybe there was too many problems. -- Sometimes freezes, but still works

From the MSN Direct web site ([...]): "MSN Direct service will be available only until January 1, 2012. "

This has been mentioned in other reviews. Unfortunately, there is no way to "sticky" a note so I'm dedicating a review to just this point.

I gave the product a neutral rating (3 stars). I don't want my rating to either help or hurt. I do not own this device and have not used it.

This comment is intended to provide potential buyers with an important decision criterion which is not mentioned in the description. -- IMPORTANT NOTE: MSNDirect Service stops 1/1/2012