older garmin gps navigators that go vertical

While the DriveSmart 66 and 76 are nice (I own both), neither of them can be set to a vertical display or portrait view. To get that new, the DriveSmart 86 is what you want...

...if it fits in your car, which it may not, because it's huge. The physical dimensions of the 86 are 7.6" (19.2cm) wide by 4.7" (11.9cm) tall.

Fortunately, there are a few older models of the 5" and 6" screen variety.

I own a bunch of Garmins, and if it were required for me to use one vertically in my car, my choice would either be the 5-inch Garmin nuvi 2589 or the 6-inch Garmin nuvi 2689. Both have bright capacitive screens and voice control. The 2589's physical dimensions are 5.5" (13.8cm) wide by 3.3" (8.4cm) tall, and the 2689 is 6.6" (16.8cm) wide by 3.7" (9.4cm) tall.

The only thing needed to add would be a 32GB microSD memory card to store maps. After that, all it takes is a download of the free Garmin Express software to update it.

Yes, it's true there is also the DriveSmart 50 and 60. Those are slightly newer, but I don't like either of those for a very specific reason, and that's the highway exit number font. Tiny. Everything else is fine except that. On the 2589 and 2689, a highway exit number when displayed is larger and in a bold font, which I very much appreciate.

If you decide to get one of these older models, make sure it comes with the mounting clip (the circle thing that clicks in the back), power cord and suction mount.

I should also note that if you find the stock suction mount to be terrible, just about any Arkon replacement will be much better. Arkon model GN079WD in particular is quite good (I have two of those).

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Published 2025 Sep 25