Garmin 750 and 650 upgrade to the Xi Versions.

[Little Dipper]

Don't mean to brag but I'm pretty excited.   Flying down to Florida this Tuesday to get my Garmin 650 & 750 upgraded to the Xi versions along with having the Smart Glide button installed on Wednesday.   It's going to be interesting to see if the upgrade was worth it and how well the Smart Glide works.

[Marc_B]

@Little Dipper How long ago did you place order?  Curious what the backlog for the GTNs are running lately.

[StevenL757]

According to my dealer and my Garmin contact last week, there is a 6+ month wait on the 750Xi and 650Xi.  Broadly, anything from Garmin with a built-in COM is coming with a similar lead time.

[Marc_B]

2 minutes ago, StevenL757 said:

According to my dealer and my Garmin contact last week, there is a 6+ month wait on the 750Xi and 650Xi.  Broadly, anything from Garmin with a built-in COM is coming with a similar lead time.

I've heard similar and expecting July for my update (order placed Dec).  Just wondering when OP placed his order...

[Ethan]

How much does this upgrade cost? Are they updating your physical navigators or simply replacing them with new?

[ArtVandelay]

I put an order in at end of July, still waiting…

[carusoam]

Common answers to the is it worth it for the txi update…

They have all been positive…

After the payment has been paid…

Kind of like the yaw damper…

Kind of expensive technically…

But they work, and people use them…

 

You probably get side benefits with that as well…. Faster computer chips I think…

buttons and knobs are so Y2K!  
 

Good luck with the install…

Best regards,

-a-

[StevenL757]

On 3/13/2022 at 7:01 PM, Ethan said:

How much does this upgrade cost? Are they updating your physical navigators or simply replacing them with new?

They are replaced with new through your dealer and Garmin.  When I did the 750 --> 750Xi upgrade on my previous Ovation in 2018/2019, the upgrade was $5,000.  I didn't have a 650 at the time, so I ended up buying the 650Xi outright and retiring my KX165.

[dfurst]

Is it worth it?  I understand the Xi is faster and the new warranty is attractive, but functionally, is it any better? 

 

Edited January 25, 2024 by dfurst

[ArtVandelay]

Is it worth it?  I understand the Xi is faster and the new warranty is attractive, but functionally, is it any better? 

Smart glide is only available on the Xi.

[1980Mooney]

On 3/13/2022 at 6:01 PM, Ethan said:

How much does this upgrade cost? Are they updating your physical navigators or simply replacing them with new?

 

On 3/15/2022 at 7:37 AM, StevenL757 said:

They are replaced with new through your dealer and Garmin.  When I did the 750 --> 750Xi upgrade on my previous Ovation in 2018/2019, the upgrade was $5,000.  I didn't have a 650 at the time, so I ended up buying the 650Xi outright and retiring my KX165.

 

2 hours ago, dfurst said:

Is it worth it?  I understand the Xi is faster and the new warranty is attractive, but functionally, is it any better? 

Sarasota Avionics is now advertising that cost to upgrade the GTN750 is about $6,100. I would not be surprised if there are some additional or hidden costs when it is actually installed.  And probably about another $400 in sales tax.  I wouldn't be surprised if the total cost starts with a "7".

 

[ArtVandelay]

Sarasota Avionics is now advertising that cost to upgrade the GTN750 is about $6,100. I would not be surprised if there are some additional or hidden costs when it is actually installed.  And probably about another $400 in sales tax.  I wouldn't be surprised if the total cost starts with a "7".
 

No sales tax and no hidden fees.

[Little Dipper]

3 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Smart glide is only available on the Xi.

Smart glide, much faster boot up time, better display, NO hidden costs from Sarasota Avionics.  Could I do without it?  Yes.   Would I do it again?  Yes.

[RoundTwo]

4 minutes ago, Little Dipper said:

Smart glide, much faster boot up time, better display, NO hidden costs from Sarasota Avionics.  Could I do without it?  Yes.   Would I do it again?  Yes.

I was dead set on getting this done as soon as I got the plane home but having never flown behind a plain 750, I’m still amazed with how great it is. I can only imagine the Xi is even better. Maybe once I get over the initial assault on my wallet, I’ll look into it again. 

[jetdriven]

its basically 5-7K more for a brighter, faster, slightly improved 750. But the stock base GTN750 is a whole leap forward from the 430/530 navigators, its pretty compelling, especially at 12-13K used plus install.

[Pinecone]

On 4/4/2023 at 2:07 PM, 1980Mooney said:

Sarasota Avionics is now advertising that cost to upgrade the GTN750 is about $6,100. I would not be surprised if there are some additional or hidden costs when it is actually installed.  And probably about another $400 in sales tax.  I wouldn't be surprised if the total cost starts with a "7".

Nope.  I updated my 650 to 650Xi in Oct at Sarasota.  The price on the site is the price I paid.  No sales tax on aircraft parts in Floida.

No extra fees.  They even changed over my Garmin subscription to the new navigator.  And updated my G5 for free.