I bought this thinking it was top of the line and would have all the features of the less expensive models in addition to the cool new features (like voice recognition). Wrong.
A few things to note:
1) it does not automatically jump to the possible match for street names when you start typing the street. You have to type in as many letters as you want, then hit “done” and it will give you a list of possible options. (I called Garmin on this. They said they took away that feature to make room for the voice recognition. UH-HUH…)
2) sometimes there is a great LAG from when i touch a button to when it registers. (i would say 4-5 seconds)
3) If you change your route (reorder or add/delete points) in the middle of driving and it has to reclaculate for some reason (like you pulled into a parking lot to turn around), it will erase all the changes you made and you have to start over.
4) The “automatically optimize route” is horrible. I purposely put in the ATL airport as #1 stop, then #2 stop was a gas station that IS ON THE WAY to the airport. I clicked “rearrange points to optize route” and it said “already optimized.” STUPID!
5) the FM transmitter MUST be on the “perfect” station setting. It doesnt matter how “unused” the station is for your area. It just varies station by station setting. Try it until you dont get static…good luck.
6) The voice recognition works. But really, how often do you plan on using it? It takes so much longer to speak it b/c of all the delays in it hearing you and analyzing what you said. I wanted to use this feature all the time b/c i was so excited about it. I hardly touch it. The remote just makes my steering wheel awkward when turning.
OK, so it sounds like i hate the thing. Partially true. However, it does the job of a GPS and gets you where you need to go very well. If your route isnt too complicated and you dont have a ton of waypoints that might need changing/updating, then you’ll be ok. It’s very accurate and the maps are superb. The “Detour” button is awesome when struck in traffic or you heard about an accident up ahead. That feature is great.
Another feature that is nice is Lane Assist. Very handy. I’ve also found that having the street speed limit displayed is AWESOME. If i’m going along with traffic and happen to think “i wonder what the speed limit is on this road”, i just look at the GPS. I have found it’s 99% accurate. It’s very cool, i see the speed limit signs go from 45 to 35 outside the car, and as soon as I pass by that 35 MPH sign, the GPS also changes 2 seconds later. Handy when traveling in unknown areas where you may be talking or not paying enough attention to the exact speed limits (or speed traps).
Bascially, dont buy this one because its the 855 and it’s a “higher model” than the others. The voice thing is cool to first use, but isnt that great in reality. It’s a standard GPS with features that dont really matter. So if you’re going to buy it, dont buy it for the features. Buy it for being a GPS that works well getting you where you need to go.