Garmin DriveCam 76 Review: Finally, A GPS Device With A Built-In Dash Camera

For some of us, this has been a long wait. I’ve been using GPS devices (besides my smartphone) for well over a decade and have watched as they have gotten better, lighter, thinner, more accurate and less expensive. Mounted right next to it on my windshield? A dash cam. Two devices, two power cords, often two apps to operate, lots of wires to tuck away and connect. Frustrating. And sorta ugly.

Given the almost impossibly small size and extremely high quality of the cameras in most every dashcam, why has it taken this long to meld the two devices into one workable GPS/Dashcam unit? I’m not an engineer so I’m sure it was no easy task but at long last, mobile electronics maker Garmin has answered the wishes of countless truckers, delivery drivers, rideshare grinders and regular folks like myself who drive a ton, want to simplify their windshields and get where they need to go, all while recording the antics of what seems like an ever-increasing number of yahoos driving on our streets and highways. Other companies offer similar devices and I’ve tried them, only to find disappointment and often outright failure. Can Garmin’s new DriveCam device finally get it right?

Garmin loaned me a $449 DriveCam 76 model, which features a sharp 7-inch touchscreen display and the usual wide suite of Garmin GPS features. But on the back side of the device is a small, pointable 1080P HD camera that records to 16gb of internal memory and/or a removable SD card. An internal battery also provides 30 minutes of run time, otherwise the DriveCam runs off a vehicle’s 12-volt powerlet, or it can be hardwired to the vehicle’s electrical system. A second remote camera, such as the wireless $199 BC-50, can also be used with the DriveCam 76 to give a second 720P HD view from up to as far as 50 feet away. I already had that camera installed.

Like any good dashcam, the DriveCam 76 features endless loop recording, collision detection and automatic locking of video clips after an impact. When paired with a smartphone using the Garmin Drive app, clips can be uploaded to secure cloud storage through the Garmin Vault system for $5 per month. Clips can also be downloaded on the spot from the DriveCam 76 to a smartphone via the DriveCam’s built-in wifi. Clips can also be played back instantly on the large LCD screen.

Garmin also baked a lot of safety tech into the DriveCam 76, including lane departure warnings, forward collision warning and reminders about school zone speed limits, upcoming sharp curves, red light cameras, weather alerts and speed limit cameras. Notification preferences are all customizable in the unit’s setting menu. It can also work as a hands-free speaker for your phone via Bluetooth, and shows caller/contact information when connected, as well as working as a music controller. The device also recognizes voice commands, more on that in a minute.

I installed the DriveCam 76 in my crew-cab long-bed pickup truck. I had previously installed the BC-50 on the back of the truck to go with my Garmin DriveSmart 66 GPS device that I specifically chose as it worked as both GPS and back-up camera on my very long and screenless, camera-less old pickup. At the same time, I was using a Vantrue Element 1 dash cam for forward observation and recording. My truck’s windshield was… complicated. The DriveCam 76 now provides both front and rearward views and negates the need for the dashcam – a major tech and simplicity upgrade. However, the dashcam was 2.5K UHD while the DriveCam 76 is 2K HD, but I find the DriveCam’s video quality to be very good.

After setup, operation of the DriveCam is forget-about-it simple; start the truck and the GPS boots up and the camera begins recording. Turn the ignition off and the device goes into “parking mode” and will wake up and record video if my truck is jostled. If it’s near a home wifi network while parked (and it is), I also get notifications of any disturbances on my phone through the Garmin app. However, it will not stream video from the DriveCam. Garmin, please add that feature!

Fortunately, I didn’t have to try out any of the collision detection features during my time with the DriveCam 76, but it was a joy to use. Garmin’s UI is simple and quick, and adds a camera button to the main home screen. Playing back clips on the device is a breeze, just hit the floppy disc icon and choose which one to play. Because it also works on battery power, you can review clips on the device outside the vehicle if need be. Plus, having the rear wireless camera is a godsend when backing up my truck, especially when I have a motorcycles or cargo in the bed blocking my rear view, which is often.

Garmin added speech recognition to many of its products years ago, and when I first tried it out after it debuted, it was almost comically inept. Now, it’s much better, but can still get confused about some requests. The list of commands is short, but useful, including “find by address, go home, stop route” and about a dozen others, but it’s no Siri or Alexa. On balance, it worked pretty well and helps keep my hands on the wheel instead of poking at the screen – most of the time. The speech tech is supplemented by Alexa compatibility, which I don’t use, but Alexa fans should find it significantly broadens what the DriveCam will do via voice.

Overall, I love the Garmin DriveCam 76 and I thank Garmin for forging ahead to make this mashup of tech work smoothly and intuitively. For $449, it would be nice if the front camera were 4K, but the ability to use the rear camera wirelessly largely of makes up for that. The touchscreen is larger than what I’m used to, but also more legible. GPS functionality is first rate as it should be from Garmin, and the device includes free map updates over wifi. It also incorporates Parkopedia which I often use to find a spot to park my XL truck. It’s a GPS of many talents. But mostly, I love having just one device stuck to my windshield that takes care of everything neatly, quickly and simply.

I advise every driver to use a dash camera of some sort, as they can provide you with legal leverage in a crash (providing it’s not your fault). Because there is no shortage of inattentive, aggressive and just plain rotten drivers out there.

Highly recommended.