Garmin Nuvi 860 (GPS)

Garmin's n-vi 860 sat-nav isn't cheap but its voice-activated navigation is the best we've used so far.

Garmin's nuvi 860 sat-nav isn't cheap but its voice-activated navigation is the best we've used so far.

After the excitement of TomTom LIVE, other sat-navs just don't get the blood racing so much anymore. But that would be a little unfair on the Garmin nüvi 860, which is an extremely competent device. If you don't drive enough to make the monthly...

We found the menus of the Garmin Nüvi 860T easy to navigate, with large finger-friendly buttons

Great display ; Useful range of features ; Easy to use menus ; Voice control is an interesting idea

Not as stylish as some rivals

Although it's not the most desirable device, the Garmin Nüvi 860T is packed with features, and its comprehensive mapping, lifetime traffic updates and voice activation is sure to appeal.

TomTom and Garmin are like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Every time the chasing pack thinks they've caught up, TomTom and Garmin unleash a smarter model that makes the others look like Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski put together. The Garmin nuvi 860T,...

Innovative new features. Speedy mapping

Voice control can be a bit laborious. Pricey

With innovative features such as voice control, the Garmin nuvi 860T is breaking new ground. It doesn't forget its routes, though. Arf.

Speech recognition that's something to talk about with nuvi 860. This advanced navigator features speech recognition (SR), a widescreen display, preloaded maps, hands-free calling, traffic alerts, an FM transmitter and more. Like the rest of the wide...

Touted as the 'first (satnav) with full menu voice activation', you can control the 860T completely by speech. Perfect (and potentially life saving), for situations where you can't remove your hands from the wheel. Garmin’s packed the 860T with...

While clever, controlling the 860T by voice isn’t overly convenient. As well as strapping a small remote control to the steering wheel, inputting commands by voice takes far longer than simply tapping the screen, so it’s best used in emergencies. We're...

Breaking new ground with features such as voice activation, the Garmin 860T is an exceptionally advanced satnav. It is expensive, but you get a lot for your money.

Contrary to Garmin's entry level, here you can choose the type of tactile keyboard you prefer: ABCDE or QWERTY. Those that are used to computer keyboards can easily type their addresses.

Voice commands and remote when you are at the wheel ; Simple and intuitive interface ; Very little info displayed on the map

Speech recognition can be arbitrary ; Several identical addresses displayed with searches ; No FM transmitter ; Voice synthesis sounds robot-like ; The proprietary cigarette lighter adaptor has to be used

With several interesting functions, this GPS is much too expensive compared to its competitors which are better equipped.

Garmin announced the new Nuvi 860 in Europe today, adding another sibling to the 850 and 800 which were previously available. In fact, the new 860 is exactly like the 850 except the 860 adds Bluetooth hands free calling. Want one? Available only in...

The Garmin nuvi 860 has exactly the same specification as the recently reviewed Garmin nuvi 880 except for the preloaded City Navigator NT maps which are for Europe (full coverage) rather than the US. The premium feature of both the Garmin nuvi 860 and...