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| Garmin Nuvi 255W 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator | 
 enlarge | Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $373.32
Buy New: $310.99
You Save: $62.33 (17%)
New (11)
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 512
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: Yes
Native Resolution: 480 x 272
Display Size: 4.3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0
Dimensions (in): 4.8 x 2.8 x 0.8
MPN: Nuvi 255W
Model: Nuvi 255W
UPC: 753759077600
EAN: 0753759077600
ASIN: B0015EWMX8
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 8 | | NEXT » |
 Best In Its Class - Great For Traveling August 7, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
If you spend much time driving in unfamiliar territory, especially if you rent cars in big cities, a good portable GPS makes an amazing difference. And the Garmin 255W is the best one I could find in the $250 - $350 range.
First this thing just plain works. I haven't had any issues with mine. It was easy to set up and figure out right out of the box, and it's easy to use. It never has had trouble getting sufficient signal unlike earlier and cheaper models.
I chose the 255W for several reasons: It uses some of the newest and best maps available. It has one of the more usable touch screens for entering destinations. It's fast to acquire satellites. And Garmin almost always comes out on top in reviews--especially in routing.
Ultimately, you buy a car GPS to get you from Point A to Point B as easily and efficiently as possible. And that's what the 255W does best. If you've ever had a "Brand X" GPS take you on some strange route that adds 20 minutes to your trip, has you turn the wrong way down a one way road, tell you to turn AFTER you've passed the street, frequently loses the satellite signal, or has old maps missing streets, you know how important this stuff is.
The 255W has a really clear display that's easy to see in any light. It's small enough to use on foot. The windshield mount works great and it's easy to toss in the glovebox when you park. It even tells you the speed limit on most roads. The "points of interest" feature works very well to find places to eat by type of cuisine, gas stations, etc.
The difference between the 255W and 205W is the 255 speaks street names and includes Alaska and Canada. The 205 and 205W will tell you to "turn right in 500 feet" which isn't as helpful or obvious as "turn right on Ivy Street in 500 feet". The "W" models are widescreen which makes entering destinations easier due to having a bigger "keyboard" and also lets you see more map area while driving.
All in all this isn't the cheapest GPS in its class but it's one of the best. My only gripe is you need an expensive add-on to get live traffic data--something that's included with the Magellan Roadmate 1430 which is close to the same price. But the Garmin 255W is a better GPS in every other way.
 POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE August 4, 2008
2 out of 18 found this review helpful
I ordered two of them and only received one even though the packing slip said two. I called and at first got resistance but explained that there was no way two would have fit in the box. The product then shipped ground again delaying the delivery for a week.
Great product- very happy July 27, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I've never owned a GPS personally, but have had the occasional opportunity to use friends and family's GPS that comes with the cars, most notably the ones in Honda's CRV's... and have wanted one ever since.
After picking up the Nuvi 255w, I gotta say, this comes pretty darn close to the experience with the expensive factory-installed units... only smaller. In short, I can't think of much I don't like about it.
It picks up the satellites quickly (I've never noticed a lag), routes fast, has good animation (maybe 6-8 frames a second?), and is very, very accurate. The preloaded maps don't include some of the roads that have been built in our town in the last year (which is to be expected), but does include our street, which isn't even available on Google Maps yet. (Go figure) It's light, looks good and comes with everything you need EXCEPT the USB cable to hook it to the computer. If you don't have this, the only way to charge it is to use the cigarette lighter adapter that comes in the box. I just used the one that came with my digital camera, and it works fine. The screen is easily readable in the sun, and I love how it automatically dims to 20% at night.
One purpose this can be used for, which I never thought of before, is a portable yellow pages. Not only does it give you the address of the business, it also gives the phone number. Pretty cool. I didn't have the problems with the sounds of the voices like others have. They sound good to me... a little mechanical, but good.
The interface is a seller for me. Keep in mind that I don't really have much experience to compare it to, but it's obvious they've put some thought into it. The icons are a bit garish and cartoony, though... it's no iPhone.
The cons: The documentation sucks. Not that you really need it... the directions didn't tell me anything I didn't already know after fiddling with it for 10 minutes.
It doesn't ALWAYS speak the street names... most of the time, though.
Some of the voices are annoying. The British accent seems to talk in slow motion, but I think it's the easiest to understand.
I think they could work a little harder on the interface from a design standpoint. Nothing major, just a few tweaks here and there could really make it shine.
The Mac support is little lacking.
All in all, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. It truly is a great value, and I have no regrets. My only advice to Garmin is to reduce the number of different models by more than half. It's a nightmare to try and make a confident decision with the sheer amount of choices and features that seem to make little sense as to why some are more expensive than others.
awesome GPS!!-little pricy July 8, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
So now is my turn to share my thoughts with you guys.
I upgraded from a Garmin C320 so this is a huge leap for me, I did some intensive research before purchasing this unit, [...] are two great websites...
First I want to address the "potential problem" on 255w which is the robotic sound, I personally think it is absolutely understandable, the female sound is a little vauge at some point, however the man's (Jack) voice is very clear to me, so this is not a problem for me.
And it is very fast locating satellites, the new interface needs some time to get used to, it is very cool now you can drag the map with your fingers!
Definitely better POIs, it has 1000 POI which is the highest among all models, use this to find AMC cinemas, state parks and restaruants is absolustely a blast! (my previous C320 sucks...) It also has multiple language support (however only english voice has the TTS function, other languages will simply say "turn left at 200ft").
Also you can view your pictures on this unit which I think is fine but almost useless, (other useless functions in my opinions are bluetooth and MP3 which this 255w doesn't have).
I haven't tested the battery life so I don't know about that yet, other cons is this unit is a little pricy I paid $[...]...(sold my C320 for 80).
All in all this is a very nice GPS and I highly recommend it!
Great 1st GPS July 7, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
First time GPS owner.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Fast satellite pickup. Hotfix works.
- Included POI list is great.
- Speed of map updates is awesome. Very smooth.
- Search for POI and streets are fast.
- Fast recalculation of routes.
Cons
- No easy way to delete images.
- No easy way to organize custom POI's. You have to use POI-Loader.
- Documentation is poor.
Bottom Line: I would recommend this GPS to anyone. Simple yet powerful.
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