Figure 14: Included Leather Carrying Case

The Nuvi 660 ships with a basic leather carrying case. The case is perfect for protecting the large screen when traveling. It's nice that Garmin includes the case with the unit, instead of making you pay extra for it. You're definitely going to want a case of some sort if you plan on traveling with the nuvi, and this one does the job sufficiently.

My only complaint was that if you slide the unit into the case with the power button at the exposed end, you always end up pressing the power button inadvertently when removing the nuvi from the case. Not a big deal, since you can put the unit in the case the other way round, but still something that could be annoying if you're not careful.

Figure 15: Garmin Nuvi 660 vs Nuvi 360

The Nuvi 660 is Garmin's newest and top-of-the-line Nuvi. The nuvi product line has been hugely successful for Garmin. Consumers have responded to the small, thin form factor of the Nuvi, and extensive feature list. Side-by-side you can see how similar the Nuvi 660 and 360 really are. Just about the only noticeable physical difference is the wide screen format.

Figure 16: Garmin Nuvi 660 vs Nuvi 360

It may not look like much, but that extra inch of screen makes a big difference. I found the larger screen made the maps larger and easier to read, and overall made the GPS easier to use.

Figure 17: Garmin Nuvi 660 vs Nuvi 360

Both the Nuvi 660 and 360 have the same flip-up patch antenna and the same SiRF III chipset.

Figure 18: Garmin Nuvi 660 vs Nuvi 360

Looking at the rear of the Nuvi 360 and 660, you can see that the mount connector on the 660 (left) has twice as many connectors as the 360. This is due to the additional features on the 660, such as the integrated FM transmitter.

Both the 360 and 660 have the reset button located underneath the patch antenna.

3. Mounting the Nuvi 660 in the Car

Figure 19: Garmin Nuvi 660 Mounted in Car

Mounting the Nuvi 660 in the car is simple and straight forward:

• Connect the 12V power cable to the bottom of the mount, and connect the other end into the cigarette lighter plug in your car.
• Garmin suggests cleaning and drying the windshield and the suction cup prior to mounting it, although I did neither and everything still held solidly in place.
• Flip the lever back, toward the windshield.
• Flip up the GPS antenna on the Nuvi 660, and fit the bottom of the Nuvi into the cradle.
• Tilt the Nuvi back until it snaps into place.
• The Nuvi can now be docked and undocked by pressing the small tab on the bottom of the cradle and tilting the Nuvi forward (towards you).

Figure 20: Integrated 12v adapter / FM Traffic Receiver

The combined 12v Adapter and FM Traffic receiver is a little longer than you might expect, but then again it's also got the traffic receiver built into it.

Figure 21: 12V Power Adapter connected to the Mount

Once the 12V power adapter is connected to the mount, the mount can be snapped onto the windshield suction cup.

Figure 22: Windshield suction and Mount

The suction cup and mount connect via a ball and socket style connector. It works well, holding the mount securely in place while still allowing the unit to be tilted to almost any angle.

Figure 23: Garmin Nuvi 660 Mounted on the Windshield

According to Garmin, this is the correct position for the antenna. The patch antenna should be parallel with the surface of the earth.

Figure 24: Garmin Nuvi 660 Mounted on the Windshield

I found the nuvi 660 looked pretty good in the car. My only wish was that there was some way to conceal the unsightly 12V power cord.