Garmin calls its nuvi series of global positioning systems “Personal Travel Assistants,” which sounds like a concierge. And who doesn’t want a concierge — especially one you don’t have to tip?

The nuvi 760 GPS, which is fairly equivalently priced to the HP iPAQ 310, also includes a lot of the same functionality: pre-loaded maps, text-to-voice, an MP3 music player, Bluetooth and route planning. The screen is 4.3 inches diagonally, the same as with the HP model. It has a backlit display, a compass, speedometer, an odometer, a 3D map view, and a touchscreen.

It also has a few unique features that users really love or kinda hate.

The 760 lets you make hands-free calls through a built-in mic and speaker by pairing it with your compatible Bluetooth phone. You dial the number on the nuvi touchscreen keypad (always a tricky business while maneuvering through city traffic). To answer calls, you tap the screen and speak directly into the GPS unit.

An integrated FM TMC traffic receiver sends alerts about traffic delays and road construction to keep you nimble during commute. (Yes, this requires a separate subscription, but compared to the price of gas and the probable value of your time, it’s a bargain.)

You can buy optional SD cards to plug in that include language translations and additional travel guides.

Let’s find out what reviewers say.

stathis finds the software “fast and the touch-screen responsive. Very easy to configure. The display is bright and very visible. The Bluetooth works perfectly and instantly saw my cellphone.” But, the traffic report is slow to download — 10-plus minutes in Los Angeles. As this customer explains, “There are only two traffic colors: red and yellow. There is no green, hence you do not really know if no color means no data or no traffic. Still, some times you have no color, and think traffic must be OK, only to realize in a few miles that the color is now yellow.” That, says stathis, makes the traffic service sub-par.

fchange777 from CA bought the device for his wife and gives it five stars. But he also says that he’s experienced an echo trying to speak to somebody else through the GPS. For that reason, he’s also picked up an external mic from Garmin, which has addressed that problem.

login4k from VA wishes the map update included with the unit lasted more than two months. login advises patience when downloading and installing a new map, which was about two gigabytes in size. He or she also suggests buying a Garmin portable friction mount, which will be easier to remove than the windshield or fixed dash mounts, which are included in the package.

Gman757 from TX would prefer that the GPS made it easier to find places, such as restaurants. As he writes, “You can search by name or by category, but not both. For instance, if you want to find a restaurant, you can specify the type of restaurant only. It will list the restaurants of the specified type, in distance order. If you want to find a specific restaurant, you have to search by name, but it will list every single thing (gas station, restaurant, store, etc.) with that name.”

On the other hand, Gman likes how his GPS remembers where he parked.