Garmin Nuvi 650 Review
Garmin navigational equipment has led countless drivers through unfamiliar territory with an unwavering reliability and performance rarely seen in other models. The premier Garmin GPS unit line is the nuvi, currently with over a dozen models to choose from. Today, we reviewed the nuvi 650, a device for the value-minded consumer eager to participate in a share of the bells and whistles.
What a View!
The Garmin nuvi 650 has a 4.3-inch display for easy viewing of maps, photos, and directions in brilliant color. The touchscreen is also easy to view in the sunlight, great for summer driving. Always committed to design, the device is enrobed in a sleek silver exterior that fits well in most cars.
Tough Enough for You?
The nuvi 650 was a supremely durable device in our tests. Rarely will the unit suffer from a lock-up or wild miscalculation, but it can happen on occasion. During normal use, the unit will sync up with the satellites very rapidly, but will occasionally slow down and take a minute or two to complete the process. This is due to the SiRF StarIII chipset, the gold standard among GPS units.
Routing is performed expertly on this device, able to avoid certain routes (such as highways or toll bridges) and rerouting is performed on-the-fly in the event of a missed turn.
Power in the Palm of Your Hand
The battery life on the nuvi 650 is exceptional, with a maximum of 7 hours. However, this could get drained fairly quickly with the built-in media player and varying brightness settings. Even still, the included car adaptor renders the battery unnecessary.
Smooth as Silk
The nuvi 650 comes with an easy-to-use interface that clearly illustrates any upcoming turns, while the arrival timer is highlighted in bold in the bottom-left corner and the distance notifications in the bottom-right. Don’t like getting confused by ambiguous icons? When on the main map menu, the nuvi 650 allows users to set a customized car icon to better identify their vehicle on the screen.
Look at All the Features!
While the nuvi 650 is a fit for even the discerning budget, the feature selection is comparable to a high-end unit. For starters, the 650 is preloaded with City Navigator NT street maps with over six million points of interest. Users can also load the device with custom points, including red-light cameras and school zones. In addition to custom POI settings, the device also features Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature to provide that extra layer of security. For the connected individual, the nuvi 650 comes with optional real-time traffic updates via FM transmission. This will provide immediate data for upcoming construction as well.
Media buff? The nuvi 650 comes with a host of media playback options. Indulge with the MP3 player, Audible player, and JPEG viewer. Travel internationally? The unit even has a built-in currency converter.
Expansion: It’s Getting Bigger!
The Garmin nuvi 650 can be updated routinely with the latest maps from the Garmin website for a small fee. In addition, users can purchase add-on SD cards, known as “Garmin Travel Guides” to provide detailed information on attractions and specific locations.
Pros
- Expansion capability via SD cards
- Six million point of interest (POI) database
- Ability to add custom points of interest
- Media player
- SiRF StarIII chipset
- Currency converter
- On-the-fly rerouting
- Big 4.3-inch screen
- Customized car icons for easy screen navigation
Cons
- Battery life can be impacted by media player usage
- Occasional lockups or freezes
- Occasional slow down in satellite synchronization
Want to compare this model to other Nuvi models? Click here to download the spreadsheet.
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Garmin Nuvi 600 610 650 660 670 680 Cradle GPS OEM Holder Sale Price: $19.00 Used From: $11.99  |
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This site contains the personal opinions of various authors and contributors to this website. The opinions in these articles and reviews are offered in good faith, but also come with no guarantees or warranties.
you people who complain about such trivial things as “defining fastest time” , charging requirements etc. need to get a life. this product is a good one and does what it is supposed to do.
if you want it to help you lose weight then you will sadly be mistaken. stop being so picky and appreciate the product for what it is, it helps you get to destinations in places you would be very confused at finding. maps are a pain and these devices make life much easier.
god i get a kick out of such negative people!!
I Can Now Go Where Angels Fear To Tread – From A Senior
So easy to use my 8 yo grandson can operate it. I used it for the first time to navigate a trip into Ann Arbor MI, a city well known for having been laid out by following the trails of numerous fox hunts as there are few streets without many twists and turns, complicated by the fact that the same street changes names every mile or so. The Garmin got me exactly where I needed to go into the city and places within the city over a two day trip, and then onto Detroit where the speed limit is just about as fast as a car can go without running the state troopers off the road. I would not even have attempted to drive myself without the Garmin!!!
I am a senior driver now who over many decades has driven coast to coast seven times and either lived in or visited every major city in the U.S. Nowadays, I find it is easy for me to get lost and streets seem to be poorly marked or so wide that I don’t see the cross road signs until I am passing them. The Garmin gives me directions far enough ahead of the turns for me to switch several lanes of traffic through the use of a pleasant computer voice and with typed directions across the top of the screen as well as the map layout.
I read many, many reviews before I selected this relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated unit as I did not want all the bells and whistles, like having a book read to me or for use to download music – I have a radio and CD player for that. I can’t think of how they could make the unit more user friendly.
I noted there were complaints about the sound not being loud enough, well duh! Turn the music down there is only room for so many soundwaves in a given space!!! If you can’t hear the output of a Garmin your music is above 85 dba and you are damaging your hearing!!!
You can buy this unit with confidence that you are getting a good deal that everyone will be able to use with ease.
Doc
As God is my witness I’ll never be lost again.
The Garmin itself worked great, as I knew it would. My problem is with the description the seller gave. I purchased a new Garmin but they failed to say in the description of the product that the map was an 2007. Before I even used it I got a message “your map is over a year old, it’s time to a update your”. That’s a disappointing statement to read for a new product. I went in to update the map as instructed, well, now that going to cost me an additional $70.00. Please let the purchaser know what year the map is on the product and I’m sure they wont be as disappointed as I was.
Awesome for the price.
This was gift. I’m not a techie and don’t like to be bothered with trying to figure things out, but this was easy to use, right out of the box. What I like most is the wide screen. I work in construction and have big calloused hands – this screen allowed me plenty of room to type. The first time I tried it out, I punched in a route I usually travel and was quite amazed that it took me another way that was shorter and less traffic!
Very reliable
I love it!
It recalculates really really quick (in a fraction of a sec.) if you miss your turn/exit. Just takes a bit to find the satellite first I turn it on.
Love it!
As a former Magellan owner, I didn’t know what to expect when we got our Nuvi 650. The unit is small, and doesn’t obstruct from the windshield view (a problem the Magellan had due to its bulk). The package we got included the suction cup windshield mount, a leather case and the various cords and whatnot.
You can use it without plugging it in (provided the battery is charged, of course!) and to date it’s not steered me wrong yet. We sometimes change the voice (it comes with a bunch of them to choose from, both male and female of various accents). It offers TTS on most of the voices which is important to me. My daughter dances competitively and so I am constantly driving her to competitions out of state, not once has the Garmin let us down.
When we first got it, I ran both units side by side for a couple trips and the Garmin does not always give the same directions as the Magellan — but the Garmin’s directions were usually quicker. Another thing I noticed was that the Garmin does not get lost in downtown areas (the Magellan could never seem to acquire satellite signals in any big downtown area).
Well worth the cost and when I eventually need to replace it, I’m going with another Garmin!
Garmin 650
We’ve had our Garmin 650 for a couple of months and enjoy the female voice telling us where to go. This is a discontinued model and I called to check on the status of something that wasn’t being made anymore. The man assured me it was an excellent unit, discontinued to make room for units with more bells and whistles. He assured me I would not be disappointed and he was right. This model has all the bells and whistles we need. Besides, we saved over $400! The voice tells us her best straight line route, which we sometimes overrule simply because we don’t want to go that way. She quickly says “recalculating,” and gives us the next best route. I like the trip information picture that gives you the direction you’re driving, how much time has elapsed, when you are expected to arrive and your speed. (This is a wonderful feature when you’re traveling by train or bus.) Uncanny! It’s within one mile per hour of our speedometer. We plan a trip to Branson soon with a dash into NW Arkansas and back home through St. Louis. I have all the addresses we need loaded into the unit and expect to have no wrong turns on our trip. I’m guilty of wrong turns! Now my wife will not be chuckling up her sleeve. We’re pleased with this Garmin and expect to enjoy it for a long time.
gps
A perfect addition to other travel aids. Havn’t had any problems getting around new cities and return to home. Can’t say enough for it. Uncanny.
GPS portable
We really like this GPS system. The only bad thing is you have to update the system once you get it with the latest maps. Once that is done it is great! It is easy to operate and very accurate. This is our second one (the first one was stolen) and we like it a lot.
GARMIN NUVI 650
A really fine unit. Allows you to navigate from point to point with all the information you need, turns, distances, times and speeds. Voice prompts are well in advance of direction changes. I have found that the actual GPS is usually accurate to within 30 feet. The screen is easily seen on the brightest day. The only negative that I’ve found is that the screen tends to be to bright at night, so you may choose to adjust the intensity. The unit is a snap to program and an overall excellent choice.
Improvement over cell phone GPS
I didn’t really need traffic updates. My Samsung Epix GPS only received traffic updates in larger cities and you have to pay for internet access as well as ATT GPS. I also didn’t mind the usb to pc connection so the extra cost for bluetooth was unnecessary. Works like a charm and although I only have the cell phone as a comparison it seems to work quickly and accurately. Worth every penny to me. There is no required service charge to access GPS through Garmin. Optionally purchased the updated national map, however. Comes with the usb cable and car charger. It will charge slowly with usb but it would have been nice to have the optional 110 charger-adapter.
Not Ready for Prime Time
I have used this GPS for over a year with varying results. I suspect the problems with it occurs across the entire Garmin product line.
Pros: A good user interface.
Cons: When you set it up to navigate by Faster Time, it does not result in the shortest time. Fastest time means it will route on roads that have a higher speed limit such as Interstate Highways. Often that results in a route that is longer in both distance and time.
Driving on highways that existed for a very long time, often it suddenly gets lost and keeps repeating, “Recomputing.” All of this while continuing to drive on a highway out in the country. Then it tries to tell you to make turns don’t exist. After a few minutes of this insanity, it comes to its senses.
The data is quite out of date. Driving on any road that was built in the last five years results in it getting lost.
The out-of-date map data coupled with the lousing routing software means I no longer trust what the GPS is telling me to do. I almost always go to MapQuest before going anywhere to see the route I should take. This is the second Garmin road navigation GPS that I have owned and I would not buy another without seeing if the competition makes a better GPS.
good product but…
i’ve used this just a couple of times. in the city it works great, got me where i needed to go. I went camping this past weekend and it didn’t know the campground i went to in the mountains, of course i didn’t have a cell phone signal either. so just have a back up map just in case
A satisfied customer.
Prior to purchasing my Garmin nuvi 650 I read product reviews for most of the nuvi units. I felt the 650 was a good product for the price and had all of the features I wanted. Now that I have used the nuvi 650 I am completely satisfied. I don’t leave home without it.
Garmin nuvi 650 Navigator
Excellent product use it all the time . Have had it only 2 months but definetly would recommend getting one .
Anxious User
We received our Garmin GPS promptly and we are anxious to use it on our next trip this summer.The screen is clear and very visable. I’m hoping this will alleviate some aggrevation we have experienced on the road and maybe I can let my wife get in a few little naps while I drive.
product service
After receiving my Garmin 650 GPS I could not get it to lock on to the satellites, so I sent a E_MAIL to Gramin and within a few hours I received instructions on how to program the GPS. I did as I was instructed and still no lock on. I sent another e-mail to Garmin and was instructed to send the unit back.I did, and received a new unit within a few days. This one works great. This is a Great company that puts the customer first,and stands behind their products. A great company to work with and the Garmin 650 GPS is working just fine.
Very happy with this item
My girlfriend got this for me for Christmas and I use it every day, so far I have been very happy with this product.
Very nicwe GPS
I got this for my wife for Christmas. Very easy to use right out of the box. She has been using for a month and no problems at all. I highly recommend this product.
good quality and fast delivery
this navigation which i bought for my boyrfriend birthday made him really happy. with the wide screen but not too big size, it is a good deal for anybody wants to travel.So convinience!!!!I recomend you buy this one.not too expensive.I feel so pleased when i bought this.
Works for me
I got this after reading a number of reviews on different GPSs and it seemed to best meet my needs. I needed a GPS for work because I go to different homes in my city 1-2 times per week. Before I’d look up maps on Google map and print them out. Sometimes I’d find out en route that I actually need to go somewhere else which could be tricky. My thoughts about this one (which is the only one I’ve ever owned):
Pros:
–Easy to use and set up (and I’m not very savvy for non-computer based tech devices).
–Seems to have up to date maps, at least for my area. Yesterday a client told me that their street had just recently been named and it was on the map.
Cons:
–Does not usually choose most efficient cross-town directions. I usually ignore these, make up my own route to get the general area and then use the GPS for getting around the neighborhood and finding a specific house.
–Does not seem to factor in stop lights at all and always underestimates time of arrival for in-town driving. (I’m told it overestimates for highway driving but I haven’t done that yet.) This is a pretty significant consideration for me… Google maps has been amazingly accurate at timing. Since I’m fitting in this driving to try to arrive at a certain time between other scheduled appointments it is helpful to have a fairly accurate time estimate. Now I know to add 5-10 mins to all time estimates on the GPS. I think this might be why it messes up the cross-town routes, too, since it doesn’t seem to know that it takes longer to go on surface streets than to take the highway. Not a big deal now that I know, but I do still use Google maps for planning my day when I’m going to an unfamiliar area. Now I no longer need to print out maps, though, which is nice.
Overall, this GPS meets my needs for providing mostly accurate (street numbers are occasionally off by one house but street location and general area of street numbers are correct) and easy-to-use directions within neighborhoods in my town. It’s been wonderful for the times when there’s a change in location when I’m already on the road.
Perfect Gift for Hubby | Reliable, Sleek Design & Durable
This Christmas I bought this Garmin nuvi 650 and gave it to my hubby who really wants to own a GPS but would not spend on one. He was so surprised that I got him a GPS. He liked it a lot. The silver color matches well with our car color.
After trying the gadget a couple of times, we realized that there are lots of shorter routes to places we normally visits. This meant lesser gas to consume and time spent inside the car.
One time I input a wrong address, got lost and couldn’t find the restaurant we were going to. The lodging, restaurant and entertainment directory came in handy. As I was able to lookup the correct address and finally got to our destination.
Overall, I will recommend the Garmin-brand GPS to my friends and family.
Very disappointed
I returned this Garmin 650 back to Amazon. (your service is always great by the way; no questions asked). I took a trip to Arkansas & my first indicator of something wrong should have been that it would not take the address I was going to. This was in city limits in an old subdivision. It sent me off the main highway down a one-lane clay road that ended at a cemetery. Next it sent me on a U-turn that ended at exactly where I started. So needless to say I didn’t really trust it after that.
Every time I went to Travel Kit, it told me to go online at [..], where you pay for updates. This was a Brand-New GPS.
When I arrived back home (using a real map) it changed the name of one of my local streets then tried to make me turn into my neighborhood by crossing through an apartment complex & a canal where there is no bridge.
Some of my friends have Garmins & they’ve never had this problem. I will do a LOT more research before I buy another one. Thank God I had my map. This was a really scary trip.
Best GPS Made
This is the best GPS that I’ve owned, and I’ve I’ve tried them all. The MP3 player is nice too, especially on long trips!
Satellite Signal Difficulties
My wife and I bought the device about 6 months ago and worked perfectly the first two months. We used it maybe 12 times before we started to experience problems with the GPS device. The satellite signal does not reach the device even though we move the antenna. We can turn the device off and on with no positive results: the maps are frozen and tells you that is trying to acquire satellite signal. We even tried to reset it from the back. The result was the same, no signal.
We left it on for 25 minutes until we noticed that the GPS acquired the signal. It worked for a couple of minutes and then lost the signal again. We are very frustrated. If you are planning to travel and want a device that shows you the way, you are better off buying a paper map.
Great reception
I got this GPS navigator for my wife, and I’m glad I did. She prefers to have the unit sit down below the dash, out of the line of sight, and rely on the audio directions. Unfortunately, though, that can make it difficult to get good reception. After reading several reviews, I settled on this unit because it sounded like it would have better reception than most. I guess maybe the angled antenna does the trick, because right out of the box it synched up with the satellites much faster than my other navigator. So far, we’ve not found anywhere that took more than about a minute to lock on to the satellites.
My only criticism is that in order to power or charge the unit, it must be connected to the mounting cradle, with its rather large and awkward connector arrangement. Fortunately, we were able to find an alternative location that works for her, and still has space for the connector and antenna.