Reviews4,313 Reviews

All Reviews > Hardware > GPS/Satnav

May 11, 2009

Garmin nüvi 865T review

Product Code: 010-00577-32

The Garmin nüvi 865T is top of the Garmin satnav range.

At £399 the Garmin nüvi 865T is not cheap but it comes with loads of features including a traffic antenna and support for voice-dialling and navigation via its Bluetooth integration.

We found the Garmin nüvi 865T easy to set up and its touchscreen sensitive to even the lightest of touches. Garmin must have fitted it with a fast processor as it quickly found addresses we entered. We were able to search by postcode, city or street name.

Numbers and letters of the alphabet are presented on the same screen, so you don't need to switch between them. Route calculation on the Garmin nüvi 865T is swift, as was recalculation when we deviated from its directions.

With the Garmin nüvi 865T you get around 30 seconds of visual and audible warning of an impending junction, along with clear onscreen information about which lane you need to be in.

Locations and routes you frequently travel can be stored in the Garmin nüvi 865T's favourites menu and we liked being able to switch between the fastest or shortest option and to add a ‘detour'.

Garmin also lets you customise the Garmin nüvi 865T's display, from the style of map and the marker that identifies your vehicle, to the brightness of the screen.

Phones and PDAs news and reviews

Any points of interest can also be switched on or off and it's possible to search by POIs nearby - ideal if you need to find local shops, restaurants or recreation options. A Where am I function' displays the co-ordinates of your current exact location along with nearest hospitals, petrol stations and the nearest junction .

One of the biggest draws of the Garmin nüvi 865T over other Garmin models is voice control. To use it you must attach a special module to the steering wheel. Press the big button on the module and a green icon on the satnav unit indicates that voice is active. To switch back to standard mode you press the small button on the module.

By saying "Where to" and a place name we were able to specify a destination - the device understood our voice easily and displayed a number of options for Bexley in Kent: Bexley, Bexley Village and Bexleyheath. We then just had to specify the number located next to it.

Note, however, that the voice-control function isn't sensitive enough to work when you have the radio or music playing.

Other features on the Garmin nüvi 865T include a music player that allowed us to transfer MP3s the device and listen to them, as well as games, a calculator, currency convertor and an alarm clock.

Buy it now: click here

VERDICT >
1 | 2 | NEXT >

Independent customer reviews from

Garmin n�vi 865T scored:
8.6 out of 10 100% real reviews

The 2 most helpful reviews based on 8 reviews:

22 Apr 2009 Anonymous verified purchaser

10

Good Points

I have not used a SATNAV before I bought this product and I can say that I am completely satisfied with it. It's very easy to use. The graphics and the voice commands are excellent. When driving at speed and lose direction or take the wrong route it responds very quickly for alternative routes so you don't waste time. It's very light and easy to fix on the windscreen. The screen is big enough even for the rear passangers to read why you are headed.

Bad Points

I have not experiecened any bad points about it yet.

28 May 2009 John, Norwich NR12

10

Good Points

excellent clear view screen ,on route up to date traffic reports with alternative routes,hands free operation and phone call handling.

Bad Points

Great difficulty down loading initial free update as broadband is very very slow in the area I live. a disc would have served much better.

See more Garmin n�vi 865T reviews on Reevoo.com

Best Prices

£290
Go»
£344
Go»
Prices, delivery and availability at 2 retailers
Go»

Keep up to date by adding PC Advisor Reviews to your iGoogle home page or Google Reader

What is this?

Subscribe to PC Advisor now and claim your FREE gift

Question of the day!

Does your smartphone replace your need for a laptop when on the move?

Question of the day!

Does your smartphone replace your need for a laptop when on the move?

% of PC Advisor readers agree with you

Yes
TBC
No
TBC

What tasks can your smartphone do that would have traditionally been done on a laptop?

119 characters remaining

Follow the conversation at @SmartphoneFocus

web browsing, search facilities, voip, email, word processing everything RT @Graham_D_C

Mainly email but getting better at spreadsheets etc, RT @IDGdan

Total reviews: 4,313

Click here to buy now

See product specs

expert rating

Build quality

4.5/5

Features

4/5

Value for money

3.5/5

Overall

4/5

expert rating

Garmin nüvi 865T

READER REVIEWS


Google


Recent reviews

Reviews index


Latest reader reviews

Latest reader reviews


Top news

News index


Latest blog entries

Blogs index


Sponsored Content

  • Take the internet to new places with the Nokia N800
    Communicate how you want to, where you want to with instant messaging, email and internet calling. View movies, browse the internet wirelessly and watch TV on the high-resolution screen and listen through high-quality stereo speakers with headphone jack.
    Buy now