GPS Outlet & Clearance Review • Best Price

I received this GPS system about a week ago, and I haven’t found one thing to complain about yet. The features are great, and all entirely user friendly. No need to read the manual, just plug it in and go! The Garmin Nuvi 255W connects to satellites extremely fast–So when I get in my car and turn it on, we’re pretty much ready to go immediately. The new display posts speed limit signs of major roads flush left on the screen, which is a new feature that is also really helpful, if you’re driving in an unfamiliar area. The widescreen display makes it possible to view the names of roads that you are passing on the screen–which makes it much easier to differentiate between which road to turn on when there are two streets on your right (not clearly labeled) that are only one house apart…which has happened to me twice… Also, the fact that the Garmin Nuvi 255W speaks street names is also helpful in times like these. In addition, another feature I find to be immensely helpful is how fast the Nuvi 255W recalculates your position if you do miss a turn. I love the detour feature, it saved me a ton of time when I heard there was an accident on the highway and took back roads that I would have never known existed! I would recommend the Garmin Nuvi 255W to anyone looking for a fast, reliable, and easy to use GPS system.

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #194 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Garmin
• Model: 010-N0718-20
• Dimensions: 3.30″ h x 6.60″ w x 6.60″ l, 1.30 pounds

Features

• Refurbished
• 4.3-inch auto navigator with an anti theft feature
• HotFix calculates your position faster to get you there quicker
• Compatible with optional enhanced MSN Direct content
• JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock, currency converter, calculator and more

Customer Reviews

Great widescreen, street naming unit at a budget price
Was exactly what I was looking for. Widescreen unit that spoke the actual street name at a budget price. Was originally shopping on auction websites but Garmin’s 1 year warranty doesn’t support refurbished units sold on auction websites. Was also scared about it being a refurbished unit, but so far no issues. I’ve updated the software and downloaded the latest maps, all without issue. Doesn’t come in a fancy retail box, but does include the mount and suction cup. Based on my experience, I would recommend the unit to a friend.

Works great
Arrived as advertised. refurbished unit like new with new unit warranty. Unit had old firmware and maps, but Garmin provided downloadable updates at no charge. Works great and great Garmin Customer Service

This gave me more that I was expecting…
I expected this unit to be able to help me find the best routes, points of interest, etc. It’s relatively intuitive to use, and, unlike a competing brand (which I sent back) was able to find it’s initial location immediately, with great ease. I’m having a lot of fun with it as I’m learning how to use it. Some of the reviews I had read thought the voice on the text-speech feature irritating. I LIKE it. The tone and pitch are right on for my ears. Also, it’s able to pronounce what I consider to be difficult street names with ease and precision. The nicest surprise about it is that this little navigator is able to tell you the speed limit for EVERY street or highway you’re on, as well as show you how fast you are going relative to the speed limit. That’s more valuable to me than a radar detector would be. It also tells you your anticipated arrival time, which it adjusts for traffic slow downs. The 255W has a 4.3 inch screen, which is quite easy to see from my dashboard as I’m driving. Don’t try to change menus or find points of interest while you are driving!! This is more distracting than texting while driving. You will need to pull over to find these things, unless you have a passenger who can help you with this. This limitation would disappear if it could accept voice commands. All things considered, this unit is perfect for my needs at this time. It’s also portable and can slip into my purse with ease when I am walking in an unfamiliar area. My only wish would be that it had bluetooth connectivity, but that’s an easy work-around with a bluetooth earpiece.