Garmin nuvi 680

The Garmin nüvi 680 is not reviewed as often as the Garmin nüvi 660, but since the two models are virtually identical, nearly everything said in reviews of the nüvi 660 also applies to the nüvi 680. GPSMagazine.com has by far the best review. The Travel Insider website also has a comprehensive review. Most of the other reviews we found are primarily addenda to previous nüvi 660 reviews. This model also receives more than 140 owner-written reviews at Amazon.com.

The Garmin nüvi 680 typically sells for about $50 more than the similar nüvi 660 (*est. $345). While the two units are essentially the same device, the nüvi 680 is bundled with a one-year subscription to MSN Direct service, a real-time traffic alert service that helps route you around accidents and traffic jams. (The nüvi 660 comes with a receiver for a less extensive service, FM TMC.) MSN Direct currently serves 130 metropolitan areas in the U.S. and Canada, providing traffic information, gas prices and other up-to-date information. According to reviews, both the Garmin nüvi 680 or nüvi 660 are bargains, depending on your interest in MSN Direct. However, experts are more likely to recommend the newer Garmin nüvi 760 (*est. $425) or nüvi 780 (*est. $520) with MSN Direct, both of which add the ability to include multiple destinations in one route.