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| Garmin DriveSmart 86, 8-inch Car GPS Navigator with Bright on Amazon.com |
In an era where precision, safety, and efficiency define every successful journey, the Garmin DriveSmart 86 stands out as a premium in-car navigation solution engineered for confident drivers. Designed with a commanding 8-inch high-resolution display and powered by Garmin’s advanced navigation technology, this GPS navigator delivers clarity, intelligence, and reliability in every mile. Whether navigating busy urban streets, embarking on long-distance road trips, or exploring scenic routes across North America, the DriveSmart 86 transforms the driving experience into one that is informed, intuitive, and remarkably stress-free.
Garmin is globally recognized for its uncompromising standards in navigation and automotive technology, and the DriveSmart 86 reflects that legacy in full. This device is not merely a GPS; it is a comprehensive driving assistant that integrates real-time information, voice-controlled navigation, and smart connectivity to support safer and smarter decisions behind the wheel. For drivers who value accuracy, convenience, and a refined user experience, the Garmin DriveSmart 86 represents a decisive upgrade.
A Large, High-Resolution Display Built for Clarity
The Garmin DriveSmart 86 features an expansive 8-inch touchscreen with a bright, crisp, high-resolution display that remains clearly visible in both daylight and low-light conditions. Its dual-orientation capability allows for both landscape and portrait viewing, ensuring optimal map readability regardless of driving preference. Detailed North America maps come preloaded and are supported by convenient over-the-air updates, keeping routes accurate and current without the need for a computer.
This large display significantly reduces visual strain, enabling drivers to process directions quickly and maintain focus on the road ahead. Every turn, lane guidance, and point of interest is presented with exceptional clarity.
Voice-Controlled Navigation and Hands-Free Convenience
With Garmin Voice Assist, drivers can request directions, search for destinations, or find nearby services using natural voice commands. When paired with a compatible smartphone via Bluetooth, the DriveSmart 86 also supports hands-free calling, allowing users to stay connected without compromising safety.
Alexa Built-in further enhances the experience by enabling access to music, audiobooks, news updates, and more—provided it is used responsibly and only when safe to do so. This seamless voice integration minimizes distractions and reinforces safe driving habits.
Intelligent Driver Alerts for Enhanced Safety
Safety is a defining priority of the Garmin DriveSmart 86. The device provides driver alerts for school zones, sharp curves, speed limit changes, and other potential hazards. These timely notifications promote situational awareness and help drivers make informed decisions in real time.
By anticipating road conditions and highlighting areas that require extra attention, the DriveSmart 86 serves as a proactive co-pilot, especially valuable during unfamiliar routes or long-distance travel.
Road Trip–Ready Features and Rich Travel Content
For drivers who see travel as more than just reaching a destination, the Garmin DriveSmart 86 delivers exceptional value. It includes the HISTORY® database of notable sites, a comprehensive U.S. National Parks Directory, Tripadvisor® traveler ratings, and millions of Foursquare points of interest. These features transform routine drives into memorable journeys by highlighting attractions, dining options, and landmarks along the way.
This depth of content makes the DriveSmart 86 particularly appealing to families, frequent travelers, and adventure-minded drivers.
Real-Time Data with Smart Connectivity
When paired with the Garmin Drive™ app, the navigator provides on-screen access to live traffic updates, fuel prices, weather forecasts, parking availability, traffic cameras, and smart notifications. This real-time information empowers drivers to avoid delays, adjust routes efficiently, and maintain control of their schedules.
Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity simplifies map and software updates, ensuring the device remains current with minimal effort.
Complete Package for Everyday Reliability
The Garmin DriveSmart 86 includes everything needed for immediate use: a secure vehicle suction cup mount, traffic receiver and power cable, USB cable, and clear documentation. A dual USB charger is also included, offering an additional charging port for smartphones, tablets, or other essential devices.
The Garmin DriveSmart 86 is a refined, feature-rich GPS navigator crafted for drivers who demand clarity, safety, and intelligent guidance in every journey. With its large high-resolution display, advanced voice control, real-time connectivity, and travel-focused enhancements, it delivers far more than basic navigation—it provides confidence on the road.
For anyone seeking a dependable, future-ready navigation system that elevates both daily commutes and extended road trips, the Garmin DriveSmart 86 is a compelling investment. Choose smarter navigation, drive with assurance, and let Garmin guide every mile with precision and trust.
Worth the money.
I use this Garmin daily and is a great product. I enjoy the combination of dash cam and gps map all in one. The size makes it easy to see. It has an alarm for forward collision and lane drift. I have used this Garmin on a 6 state vacation road trip and it's accuracy was spot on. It also had a speed display of my vehicle and a posted speed for that section of road and the speed display turns red when I go faster than posted speed limit. The mount to window surface is secure and much better than earlier models. This Garmin is user friendly. Originally I had both a dash cam, and also a GPS which took up 2 locations on my windshield. The video from the dash cam part is great. This combination brings 2 items into 1 and keep my windshield view open and unobstructed. It is worth the price.
Best GPS for car but I also use on motorcycle.
Okay so I bought this cause it was on sale and it works awesome in the car...no complaints. Then I 3D printed a mount for my motorcycle. Yes I know it's not meant for this but I'm not paying over $800 for a bike gps.
I use this Garmin every trip. Bluetooth to my helmet and phone with Google drive so I get up to date traffic. 10,000kms and still amazing. When it rains I eather put it away or put a zip lock bag on it.
If you need a GPS for whatever this one is fantastic.
Nice bright display, responsive touch screen, fast routing
I got this to upgrade my very old Nuvi model. On those old GPS displays, the touch screen is SO frustrating and you have to really press and wait for it to recognize each tap. The old one was also frustratingly slow to recalculate the route if I detoured for something like a rest area or exit to get gas. The voice saying "Recalculating" becomes a running joke on long road trips.
So, enough about the old one... the new Garmin models have a much more responsive touch screen just like cell phones. The processor in there is a lot faster to recalculate if you're doing a detour (and without the annoying voice telling you about it). It also supports extra nav systems besides GPS which seems to help it be even more accurate (with 10 feet is usually what I got). The old one would sometimes lose signals in valleys or downtown between buildings and might show me a hundred feet away, but this model does a great job of showing where I really am.
The voice navigation is amazing. It was so cumbersome to type in addresses on the old one but with the nice touchscreen, that's a breeze, but what I really loved was being able to say "Okay Garmin, go to Walgreens" or something and then pick which one I wanted to go to from the list. I don't know how thorough the database of locations is, but on my recent 3500 mile road trip, I rarely asked it for something it couldn't look up. Fast food and gas stations are just fine, I even asked it to go to a Verizon store when we needed a new phone and it pulled up the nearby locations.
My one gripe is probably about the connectivity to my Android phone. The Garmin Drive app works, but the GPS keeps wanting to change the volume of my phone on its own. I also connect to my car radio over bluetooth to play music, and I've setup the Drive app and GPS appropriately for that case, but it seems like when the GPS connects it wants to lower the volume of my phone (and thus how loud it plays music to the car stereo). I can turn it back up, but that only lasts until the next time I get going again. Very weird.
I also had problems where the GPS would keep showing "Galaxy S8+ disconnected" over and over. I think that was the power savings on my old phone putting the Drive app to sleep... maybe? I disabled it from being able to sleep, but I haven't driven long enough after that to see if it helped, and then I updated to a newer phone anyway so the jury is still out on whether that's still an issue. That doesn't concern me too much because when I'm driving, I don't really need the GPS linked to my phone although, if I understand correctly, it can get data through that phone connection for even minor things like weather updates or road conditions that maybe the traffic data doesn't get? Or using that tether for software updates too if I'm not within range of my wifi (which really only happens when it's parked in the garage anyway).
Overall I'm very happy I splurged for the update. I miss my old Nuvi 1390's ability to connect to the ecoroute module plugged into the OBDII port so I could see the real time gauges right there on the GPS, but I do have a bluetooth dongle for OBD that I can use to see that on my phone. It was just handy because I'd use that whole ecoroute stuff on the GPS to keep track of my gas usage between fillups and it would show my MPG. I got an app for that now, it just means manually putting in my mileage instead of having the GPS already know that. It'd be cool if Garmin added a gas tracker app directly on the GPS... shouldn't be that hard?



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