Garmin Nuvi 205, 205W, 255, 255W
Garmin announced four new Nuvi models in the 200 series this morning, dubbing them the “2×5″ series. The biggest news is that now traffic, by way of MSN Direct, will be offered in these devices. These devices will also come with a new “shaded elevation mapping display” which we can only imagine is similar to that found on the HP iPAQ 310. They get a few more welcome updates as well.
A faster 333MHz processor is said to speed up map drawing and route calculation time. Garmin is also releasing a new “HotFix” feature which will likely be similar to TomTom’s QuickFix system of acquiring satellite signals faster.
Like the 200 versus 250, the Nuvi 205 and Nuvi 205W will have maps of the contiguous United States (hey, they actually got it right) while the Nuvi 255 and Nuvi 255W will offer the United States and Canada.
The new Nuvi 2×5 series will have the ability to connect to traffic services through the purchase of an optional traffic cable. Other Nuvi 200 series models were not compatible with those traffic receivers.
Expect to be able to get one of these in your car in the next couple of months.
205 – $213.32
205w – $266.66
255 – $319.99
255w – $373.32
This is getting absolutely ridiculous imo how many Nuvi models there are now. Imagine someone who knows nothing about GPS technology trying to choose between all of these…
My son is 20 in the Marines and stationed at Quantico, VA. Driving is crazy out there (DC area) and we would like to get him a GPS. As someone said if you know nothing about GPS it will be hard to choose. Here is what we want: basic, voice directions with street names, updating options….that’s it! Our want list is simple. Any suggestions??? Thanks…
I live in NOVA not far from Quantico and I just got a Garmin 255W. This is my first GPS and it has been great. The spoken street names are great and contrary to what some have said I find them easy to understand. Ths GPS recalculates the route very quickly. It seems to work well in the confusing streets around here although it won’t always take to the same route you normally use. Buit it does get you where you want to go.
I would recommend it.
Yes, taking a quick count it looks like there are now 30 Nuvi models just in the USA right now… not even counting the “pink” edition.
Good day Tim.
I’m interested in the Garmin 255W. Unfortunately I donlt know much about GPS’s yet. Would you happen to know if this model has the option of selecting major roads, shortest, fastest way, etc…. My borther has a Nextar GPS and has many options I like. It displays the current time, speed you are traveling, beeps if you’re going over speed limit etc… If you know the options Garmin 255w has, can I trouble you to list some of the most favorites… thanks in advance.
The 255w does have routing options for shortest and fastest. It will show the current time (but not on the map display. It will show speed limits on roads where the limit is known.
Must say I like that they’ve added a turn arrow display to the UI now… might have to look at the 255W actually.
You could always go back to the OLD MAP dude!!!!!!
Ryan, I couldn’t agree more!
Looks like the industry wide movement may be towards base units with value-added additions at users discretion.
RxNetworks will be supplying the Hotfix, optimized for STMicroelectronics chipset.
Ryan – that’s me. Trying to get a new gps, looking at garmin, want tts and bt, don’t have any idea which one to buy.
beeze – for a Nuvi with TTS and Bluetooth, review this chart of those four devices.
Do you think this will lead to Garmin discontinueing and retailers dumping Nuvi 200 series soon? I can’t imagione both in production for such close pricing.
I don’t think the other models in the 200 series will be discontinued soon. The original 300 series and 600 series models haven’t even been discontinued yet.
Do any of these have golf yardage capabilities?
Mike – no.
Is there a unit out there that does do both?
Not that I’m aware of.
Is there software that can be installed thru SD for golf course info?
Not that I know of.
Anyone know the chipset (s?) used in these? Thanks!
whats the difference between 260w to 255w?
Erin – See comment #107 over here.
Do these have the new 2009 Map preloaded?! Thanks!
Britain – Yes, they should. I can’t image that they wouldn’t, but if they didn’t you should be able to get an update anyway.
I am debating between the Nuvi 255w for [snip, see comment policy] or the nuvi 750 [snip] . I was leaning towards the 255w until I read the comments on the sound quality. I am concerned about the 750 and the time it takes to find a signal. Any suggestions or opinions. This is my first GPS so I am looking for all the help I can get.
I’d go for the 750. It doesn’t take any longer to find satellites than most any other GPS.
Thank you Tim for your quick response.
Would your answer be the same if I also wanted to use the GPS on an upcoming trip to Italy ? I kow I will need to purchase the Europe map .
Then you might want to check out purchasing the Garmin Nuvi 770 instead as it includes the European maps. That might be cheaper (and more convenient) than adding them to the 750.
The 750 plus purchasing a map separately is considerably cheaper at the prices I have available. That being said would you recommend the 750 ? Also the prices of the 750 and the 255w are very close .
If the 750 meets your feature needs– it is a good buy.
may i ask which of the 200w & 205w is better option to buy
lol Ryan your comment made me laugh I am that person that knows nothing about GPS systems and I’m trying to buy one I’m looking at Garmin and its to the point they all look the same..any advice?
Lindsy – I’d checkout this and then we can help narrow down the list for you.
well I am from HK and now staying in Malaysia, I have just got my driving lienence, my car is a latest Toyota model. Since I am a brand new citizen and newly ride on road. Just as Ryan & Lindsy comments, & my last comment/query, I have got 2 models in my hand for me to choose..pls advise @_@
The 2×5 series devices gain the option to connect a traffic receiver, shaded terrain in some areas, and a graphical turn arrow instead of text. However the voices don’t appear to be quite as clear as the older models, and the newer models are at a higher price since they are so new.
I just bought Garmin 255W. It has 2009 Maps. But I wonder if it has a Sirf Star III receiver. I checked the “About” info on my unit and it did not display anything about the receiver chipset. It does not find a signal when I am indoors. It took 30-35 seconds to find a signal outdoors. I have used Magellan 3250 and Tom Tom One XLS. They aquired the satellite more quickly than 255W (also when I was indoors). But I got rid of them as I did not like their navigation instructions and Tom Tom’s screen glare and suction mount were awful. I have used Garmin in the past and preferred to go back to Garmin especially for Garmin’s keep left/right instructions and it’s ability to tell whether the destination is on right side or left side of the road.
Nuvi 255W’s route recalculation is faster. Overall I felt it is faster than Nuvi 750, which I found little sluggish when I tried it in the shop.
I bought a Garmin 255W and am getting an error message “system software missing”. Can you please help me…customer support is closed for the weekend.
Tks
What is this new “shaded elevation mapping display” on the 255W?
It just uses variations of shaded colors to help depict terrain like mountains and valleys.
Do you recommend the nuvi 205 for a first time buyer? If not, which model? Help!!! Thanks for replies.
Mike, if it meets your feature needs, it is a fine pick.
I purchased this Nuvi255 unit because it was able to get traffic updates, gas station prices, movies etc. and found out afterwords that the “optional” receiver has not yet even been manufactured. Now I am out $299 for a unit that will not function as advertised. I called Garmin and they said there was nothing they could do, that they were not sure when the Garmin GDB 55 MSN Direct Receiver would be available, the customer service rep said they had received a Memo,stating it was due to technical problems and it would be Aug 24th at the earliest, more likely September and posibly October, before the receiver “should” be ready for distibution. What a mess, this is likely my last Garmin Product, they have really gone down hill, and there stock value is taking a nosedive also.
The above comment is listed on Amazon and other GPS sites with other names as the author. It’s the same complaint, word for word. Garmin showed a shipping date of “End of July” for the traffic receiver and it’s started shipping the second week of August. If you needed traffic so badly, you should have bought a unit with that feature readily available. Complaining about the stock price makes this post suspicious looking. Garmin has a good part of the GPS market. Their stock took a hit due to people spending less on luxuries and more on gas and the cost of living. Also, Garmin announced that the Nuvi Phone would be postponed so the stock went down. If Apple postponed the iPhone, Apple’s stock price would take a small hit as well.
Deal with it or return it.
Well you must have difficulty reading and are probably a Garmin Employee. Like I said When I purchased the Unit there were no references to the fact that the MSN would not be available until July, August or whenever. I bought trusting what they advertised. When I went to Order the receiver it was not available. In fairness I called Garmin on 2 seperate occasions as well as 3 seperate emails. I received conflicting information and was told by Garmin then were unsure of the date of release but “projected it to be August 24th” so don’t be so defensive I’m simply stating fact. That Garmin is not the company it used to be, and if it is to survive it better get back to treated its customers like the life blood they are.
Looking to buy my first gps. Kinda lost… I don’t need the traffic service so I guess that the 260w would be fine? What about the 205w? I read reviews comparing the performance between Garmin, Magella and TomTom and Garmin was the winner for picking up the best and fastest routes. What do you think? Is the Magella Maestro 4210 a good option vs Garmin 255w, 260w or 205w?
Thanks a lot to look at all my questions.
This site is incredible!!! Thanks Tim!
Comparing route quality is tricky business. “Best” according to what conditions? Just because one device says it will take 40 minutes to cover a route and another device finds a route that it thinks will take 43 minutes doesn’t make the first one “better”. It could have an unrealistic estimate for how long it takes to cover the route.
People will disagree about the “best” route, as we all have our own different tastes and driving styles. So I think it is impossible to declare any of the top GPS companies has having significantly better routing than another. I use GPS devices from all of the top manufacturers pretty much every day. They all produce reasonable routes the vast majority of the time. There will always be routes I agree with, and some I don’t. But when I don’t agree with a particular route, someone else might think that route is just fine. So I don’t consider route quality something that can really be determined “this one is better”. Too many variables. (See this for an example.)
Of the 205w and 260w, I’d go for the 260w since it has text to speech which makes it easier to follow the directions with fewer distractions. Another good consideration might be the TomTom XL 330s which offers a few more bells and whistles– although they might not be a big deal in your application.
The Magellan Maestro series is an okay pick, but their customer service is notoriously poor and they are a little bulkier than competitive devices.
Thanks Tim.
I am considering traffic option after all, the 255w and 260w are the same price right now [snip]. What is the difference between FM traffic, TMC traffic and XM Navtraffic?
XM NavTraffic is rare and not available on the devices you mentioned. FM traffic and TMC traffic are essentially the same thing, although they differ from the MSN Traffic available on some of the devices you mentioned. You can learn more about all of it on our GPS Traffic page.
hi there! I just bought the nuvi 205 here in Canada for work. This may be a silly question but i cant seem to input numerical addresses. I have the city, house number, but then if i want to put in say 200th street i try 200 and it says no match found. what am i doing wrong?
Janina, if you know where the street is, you might browsing and panning around the map to see how the street is named. Otherwise you might check to see if the street is also known as a different name. I’m assuming you are just typing “200″ as the street number.
I am considering purchasing a Nuvi 255W. I read a review where the owner of this same unit said he could not download updated maps with this unit. First of all I would assume that the unit ships with updated maps and secondly if not with the use of a usb cable why wouldn’t you be able to download to the unit?
Depending on the production time, shipping time, shelf life, then shipping time to you, etc– the device may or may not come with the latest maps. But more than likely, since it has been a few months since the last map release, it will come with the latest maps.
The USB port is used (among other things) to load map updates and the 255w is capable of installing updated maps.
I purchased a Nuvi 205 last night but haven’t yet opened the box. Please help me decide if this is the right unit for me. I will use it mostly driving in my hometown. A few times each year I will use it on trips. I want traffic information. My eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be, so I’d like the device to tell me how to get from A to B. It would be nice to tell the device where I’m going rather than typing that info into the system. I find TV remotes challenging, so the device needs to be user friendly and intuitive. Should I keep the 205? Is there a different unit that better suits my needs? Thanks!!
I am considering purchasing the NUVI 255W. I live in Canada, and plan to use it in North America, but would like to know if it can be programmed to display maps for the UK as well?
Thanks!
Jill, you won’t be able to tell the device verbally– only the Nuvi 800 series currently has voice recognition.
Todd, you can purchase UK maps on SD card.
Jill, the 205 will do all you ask of it except for voice input as Tim notes. Unless your eyesight is very poor I think the screen itself is fine. There’s always the ‘w’ model optoin for a 4.3″ widescreen. The other consideration is the 255 model for slightly more $. That will give you specific street names for the next turn vs. ‘turn right in 200 feet’. Good luck.
Tim and Mike – Thanks for your input on the Nuvi 205. I took it out of the box and had it set up in minutes. It’s very easy to use and it mounted quickly in my car with no tools. I really like it a lot. I want to buy the MSN traffic receiver for it, but unfortunately I couldn’t find it locally, so I’ll have to order it.
Mike and Tim – Thanks for your input on the Nuvi 205. I decided to keep it. I had it set up in minutes with no trouble. It’s very easy to use, plus it mounted in my car with no tools. I love it! I want the traffic receiver, but unfortunately I can’t find it locally so I’ll have to order it.
Jill, the only place I’ve seen that is reporting stock of the GDB 55 receiver can be found here: Garmin GDB 55.
Tim,
In keeping with policy, a local “club” has the 750 for about 40 dollars more than the 255w online. If I understand correctly the usb cable is required to download map updates to either unit. A usb cable is ~15 bucks or so making the net difference only 25 more for the 750 after the cable purchase for use with the 255w. The 255w has all the bells I need and some reviews state that the 255w DOES update faster than the 750 which has been described as somewhat sluggish. With the above information, does it make sense to buy the 255w and the usb cable or the 750? I know, an impossible question but I value your input. Thank you.
The 750 has a number of feature advantages over the 255w…. an FM transmitter, the ability to save routes, multi-destination routing, the ability to plan routes on MapQuest and send them over, a little bit longer of a battery life, included USB cable, and an MP3 player. The advantage of the 255w is the newly designed interface with the turn arrow, and a slightly faster redraw rate.
Personally, the perceived sluggishness of the 750 isn’t a big deal for me personally, and I could get my $40 worth from the other features the 750 offers.
I was looking over the Garmin website tonight after I got home with my new 255W, which so far is everything I hoped it would be!
The sales person at the store said that Garmin was discontinuing some models, and as I search the Garmin website, I find the 255W nowhere. Maybe I’m not looking in the right place, or maybe it is being discontinued. Will this affect my ability to update maps and do add-ons as time goes by? I don’t want to be left with a model that Garmin forgets about and I’m stuck with outdated goods.
The 255w is on Garmin’s website and has not been discontinued. You can read here about what Garmin’s Discontinued Status means.
I recently purchased a nuvi 205W and I was very happy with the purchase, but as I have used it more, I am finding the unit not to be quite as great. Two issues I have with the unit: First, it seems everytime I want to go to a specific place (entertainment, park, recreation, etc.) the specific place I want to go is not in the pre-loaded points of interest. Last night we wanted to go to a specific movie theatre (we were out of town) and the movie theatre was not listed. I ended up having to ask for directions. The movie theatre did not appear to be so new that it shouldn’t have been included, and other locations of this theatre chain were listed. My second issue is with the download of a points of interest file. After registering my nuvi 205W, I went to the list of companies offering free downloads for the Garmin and I downloaded a file that was suppose to have the location of all the lighthouses in the United States. I downloaded the software POILoader first and then the file. I then transferred the file to the Garmin, but it doesn’t seem to show up in the points of interest. Are there any know issues with file downloads with the nuvi 205W? My operating system is Windows XP. After asking the friend who recommended the Garmin, they said they were issues with Vista and to check online for issues with XP.
Thanks.
Unlike the road database, GPS companies don’t try to put every known POI into GPS devices. They typically include only about 5-25% of all known POIs.
Overall the Nuvi 255W is a great GPS unit. The unit takes very quickly locks on to satellite signals, tracks very well and when you miss a turn or do something unexpected, recalculates a new route very quickly. I recently took it on a trip from Michigan to Washington, DC and it proved to be extremely useful. There are some quirks that I elaborate on below.
Good points: Hotfix (TM) to lock on to satellite signals works well. Tracking is excellent and without noticable lag. Likewise, it quickly notices that you’re off track and recalculates a route quickly. Display is excellent – the layout of information on the screen is very good showing upcoming turns at the top, your speed, the local speed limit and the estimated time of arrival at the bottom. The automatic zoom in and out of the map works well too. I never came across a situation where I felt that the map showed too little (zoomed in too close). On I-76 in PA, I travelled through a mile long tunnel and it tracked me perfectly even though it obviously could not get satellite signals inside the tunnel. There is a sharp turn left just out of the tunnel (going east) and it had no trouble locating me at the turn so soon after I got out. Very commendable.
Not so good points: The quality of the voice (for announcing street names) leaves a bit to be desired. It is robotic as many people have commented and the pronunciation isn’t great. It took me a while to recognize the word “ramp”. I first assumed it was some Australian term! (I used the Aussie gal to do the announcements – I found her voice the least annoying). But as I got used to it, it ceased to bother me and I could recognize all she said.
I noticed several mistakes in the POI list – for example it did not list the Mobil station nearest my house but listed a party store as being a gas station (about 1/2 mile from the Mobil). I could not locate any of the Smithsonian Institution Museums in the list – a very glaring omission. In fact when I tried to locate museums near Washington, DC, it would not identify Washington, DC at all. It listed several Washingtons all around the country but not in the District of Columbia. I could not even locate the District of Columbia when doing this. It was annoying. Strangely it found a Smithsonian Institution somewhere in Virginia (No, not the Udvar- Hazy center though it located that as well) – I did not follow up.
It would not let me locate a commuter store in Herndon/Reston, Virginia that was closest to my hotel. When I tried to use the street adress it would not accept the Building # (12530 Sunrise Valley Drive, Herndon, VA 20171 ). It was listed in the POI database but at the wrong address.
When I tried to go to Safeway located at 413 Elden Street, Herndon from the Vienna station parking lot, it chose a route that while direct had me make a U-turn to get into the store parking lot. That would have been OK except that the road did not have a left-turn lane at that point and so making a U-turn would have been dangerous. Even stranger, when it asked me to make a U-turn, the symbol indicated a U-turn to the right! but the store was on the left side (as it knew). That confused the heck out of me the first time. I traveled the route again the next day just to make sure that I wasn’t reading it wrong and it did it again. However on other occasions, it did correctly show a U-turn as being a turn to the left (all those were legal U-turns). All of this was a little disconcerting.
This model does not feature a compass. So it you’re into Geocacheing as I am, other models might be more suitable. I find the lack of a compass very annoying – should’nt it be a basic feature of a navigation device? Particularly one that features “off road” and “Pedestrian” modes?
Prashant, unlike the road database, GPS manufacturers don’t try to fit every known POI on the device. Typically only about 5-25% of all known POIs will be included.
I first tried the model 205w that a friend purchased and liked it for my job as a delivery driver. It did the job reasonably well enough. However, my luck with newly purchased 205w’s stinks! The first unit I bought lasted 3 days and wouldn’t turn on. Thankfully I kept the receipt so I took the 205w back to the store and was given another new one. Unit #2 worked for about 5 minutes through the setup process. You go to turn it on and it’ll “almost” turn on…and shuts down. I’m not sure if it’s a charging problem or internal but I would bet on internal problem. Garmin evidently has quality control issues. Hopefully I will have unit #3 sometime in the next week. Third time is the charm??? Let’s hope so!
A correction: The 255w does feature a compass – but not a good one. In the map view, if you touch the display button to the left of the “Menu” button (bottom center), it brings up a display that features some stats about your trip and includes a compass of sorts. It gives your heading not in terms of degres but only in terms of one of eight directions (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW). This is not as useful as the heading in degrees but will do.
Tim – The one missing POI I complained about was the Smithsonian museums – and those MUST be on any POI list that contains museums – they are among the most important museums in the country and the world. As far as the missing Mobil station goes, I was pointing out that a nearby party store was listed as a fuel station which it was not, the implication being that the party store was somehow mistaken for the gas station. Perhaps it wasn’t clear from my statements. Ditto (almost) for the commuter store, it was listed but at the wrong address.
I just bought at nuvi 205w yesterday, I am happy with the system but when I am on the frontage road, the device still thinks I am on the freeway. Also, I was sitting at a light to turn “Right” like it said, but the device thought I had driven past the light and was trying to tell me another way to go. Overall, I am happy with the system. I think there should be a way to download the TTS program. Because it would be a lot easier if the garmin read the names of the streets instead of saying “turn right”.
Also, why does it say to turn right, when I should be turning left? or vice versa
I bought a 205W unit and have been happy with it except that the symbols for stores, restaurants etc, only show up when you touch the screen, not when you are riving down the road.
I could have sworn it showed them when I first bought it.
1) on the D.C. area and lack of Smithsonian museum listings. I agree this is glaring but I think some are listed without the word ‘Smithsonian’. e.g. ‘National Museum of xxxx’
2) To Kristen, this is simple model differentiation. If you wanted TTS you should have purchased the 255w. You’ll never be able to ‘download’ those features onto a lower priced unit. Simple as that.
Chuck, it will only show POI icons at higher zoom levels.
Buying a GPS for my husband – getting mixed reviews from different people – main question is Tom Tom vs Garmin. (specifically Garmin 255w or 260w vs. Tom Tom 360 I believe it is) From what I gather, the Garmin 255w and Tom Tom 360(s) are fairly new. What are the main differences and which would be a better unit? Thanks for any help.
The reason you see mixed views is that they are the two top GPS companies. So the debate quickly becomes subjective and more like a “pepsi versus coke” or “mac versus pc” type debate. In short I’d look at it like this. For simplicity and something that “just plain works”– go with the Garmin. For more advanced features and the ability to customize, go with TomTom. Anyone who says that one “just sucks” is likely biased.
Thanks, Tim – So, in your opinion, is the Garmin nuvi 255w a good choice? I have heard that with Tom Tom, you can update maps free online but with Garmin, there doesn’t exist such a thing (unless you pay yearly). Basically, I want to get it for my husband so we no longer have to spend hours getting lost in new cities (haha). Would the Garmin nuvi 260 be just as good or should I stick with something more current like the 255w?
I’m not Tim but IMO if you can get the 260 with current ‘2009′ maps I’d go for that. Otherwise get the 255. I’ve had both. Either way you are set!
How would I know if it has the 2009 maps? and if the 255 is the same price, wouldn’t it be the better deal? Just wondering before I make my final decision…. thanks again for any input.
Tracy – TomTom offers users the ability to make map corrections, and share those changes with other users. That is free provided you have a fairly recent map, and is something Garmin doesn’t offer. However TomTom’s official map updates come with a charge, just like Garmin’s do.
You won’t know ahead of time which map version the device comes with, although most (but not all) in the supply chain now likely have the new maps.
Just checked out the the 255 voice – it is indeed really robotic!! Not sure if I should be disappointed – how does it compare to the 350 for example or any Tom Tom’ text to speech? Thanks!
Many of the newer models are using a different TTS system which doesn’t sound as good. My opinion is that they are still intelligible, but not as clear as the older Nuvi models or competitive models like TomTom.
Thanks Tim – would that sway you in terms of getting a 350 despite it being discontinued?
For me no, the voice isn’t as good, but it isn’t so bad you can’t understand what it is saying. People who haven’t heard the “good” voice are typically not complaining about the “new” voice… But if you’ve heard them both you will notice the difference.
I was looking at purchasing a Garmin for my husband to help when he plows but not sure which is better the 255 or 260. Any advice?
See my response in #73 above. Good luck.
I’d go for the 255 over the 260.
Thanks so much for all your responses – they’ve really helped – although there are so many to choose from – I think I’ll go with the Garmin 255w seeing as how it’s newer and has some great features.
I just saw an ad for Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS which said it was “Brand New”. Is this the newest version? I’m confused. Would the 600 series be newer than the 200 series? This will be my first GPS. I don’t need all the bells and whistles. Is the voice on Text to Speech going to improved anytime soon?
The 600 series was one of the earliest. The 2×0 series came later, and the 2×5 series are newer.
Thanks for your previous response. The Garmin Nuvi 205W is advertised as a 4.3-in. touchscreen and sleek ultra-thin design. Have you heard of any specific problems with this model?
The speech quality isn’t quite as good as previous models, but I wouldn’t consider it a big issue.
Judy – The first 205w I purchased died 2 days after I started using it. It wouldn’t turn on at all. I took it back and was given another one which would not accept a charge. Unit #3 has been in my possession for 2 days and so far it’s working like a champion. It’s basic but does a good job. I wouldn’t be afraid to buy one for the price but hang on to the receipt in case of problems!!
I was trying to decide between the 255 and 260 models. The 260 was cheaper because it had the older version of the maps. The 255 has the updated version
Tim,
I considering the Nuvi 255w or the 255. I know the 255w has a wider screen and a qwerty keyboard. The 255 doesn’t. These are the only two differences that I can find between the two. The 255w costs about $40 more.
Questions:
1. Are there any other differences?
2. Would you give me some examples of why I would need a Qwerty keypad? Is it worth the extra cost (besides the bigger screen) ?
3. Neither model comes w/ a USB cord to plug into laptop, but if I already have a similar cord for my digital camera – it will work, right?
Melissa – (1) the only other difference is the 255 can use optional MicroSD cards and the 255w can use optional standard SD cards. But that will not make any difference to most people. (2) Some people are just faster on a keyboard style layout versus one where the letters are in alpha order. (3) It should, yes.
Any comments on the Garmin 750? Is that newer and better than Garmin 255w?
The 255w is “newer” than the 750, but the 750 will offer a few more features such as multi-destination routing.
Hi I just bought the Garmin 255w GPS. I know nothing about GPS its my first one. but I noticed a slight problem, it gave me 2 “fake addresses” for pizza hut today lol just wondering if that has happened to anyone else. because these 2 address it gave me NEVER EVER existed (although the phone number was correct the location was not), im thinking about returning it. do the 255w really come with2009 maps?
Of course it isn’t 2009 yet so it is only a name rather than a publication date. The “2009″ map was released by their mapping supplier in the second half of 2007.
Hello Tim
I was deciding on the 260w or the 255w.. I was leaning toward the 255w because its newer. I was wondering if you have any ideas why the 255w is cheaper. This will be my first GPS.
Hello again.. I have a few more questions.
Do you think it’s worth waiting for the 265WT? How long does it usually take for the price to drop? I’m really thinking about getting the 255w =(
Jeff, I don’t know why it is cheaper other than product availability. I’d lean to the 255w for the same reasons. I wouldn’t wait for the 265w… it would probably take 4-6 weeks before there was much of a price drop from retail.
I am considering the Garmin 255W or the Magellan 1430 as my first car GPS. Both seem new and have similar abilities at the same pricepoint. I have tried the Mag 1412 and I like the multiroute and fast satelite acquisition due to the Centrality Atlas III chipset. It is missing the ability to adhoc add to the route once enroute. I have a few questions about the 255:
1. What chipset does it use. I can’t find this anywhere at garmin.com.
2. Does the 255w have the QuickSpell feature like the Magellan for easier text entry? I recall using a 200W and it had it, but when I tried a 255w in the store and it wasn’t working that way.
3. Any other comments about the difference between the 1430 and 255w?
Thanks in advance!
Garmin doesn’t disclose which chipset they use on a particular device… it can also change mid-production. They do not use QuickSpell.
Hi, I am considering the Garmin 360 or 200 or 205. Without considering the bluetooth of 360, are the features of this better than the new ones 200 and 205 ? which one do you choose, considering that the prices now are very similar ?
Thanks in advance
I’d go with one of the newer models like the 205.
I got the 255w and I am torn about it.
It is fast, it comes with 2009 navtq maps and the interface is very intuitive.
But it has alot of problems imo.
- Voices are not very good. I am using British voice because all the others sound so horrible.
- Not geocache friendly. Sure Garmin offers on its website access to geocaching and allows to download caches directly into the unit. But thats the problem, they go into the favourites section and all the info that the unit will provide is the codename of the cache. Thats it. Completely useless. It should at least provide the coordinates to make easier to pinpoint to the exact location. Trying to find a cache using that big chest icon on the screen is the same as looking for a needle in a haystack.
- It is very slow realizing that it veered off course and a recalculation is necessary. Many times I drove more than one hundred meters off track before the unit decided to recalculate.
- Routing is very poor in the Canadian Maritimes. I blame it on the map provider. In this part of the world there are alot of unpaved roads and tracks and the unit thinks they are paved roads.
I cannot use the Home function from my work because everytime it will calculate the route thru an unpaved road that cars cannot use at all, its impossible.
Also the map is not very accurate. Nearby city Saint John has alot of one way streets that the Nuvi does not know and it makes planning a route very problematic.
The Nuvi 255w is a nice unit and if it would provide a bit more info for geocaching and had better maps it would be a great unit.
As it is right now it is an average unit imo.
I forgot to add that this unit is supposed to show the speed limit. Not sure if it is true or not as I havent seen it.
I assume that the map would at least have that info for the TransCanada Highway #1 which I use all the time.
Louis, The Nuvi 255w is not intended for geocaching.
Does the Nuvi 255 diaplay latitude, longitude and elevation?
I believe if you touch the car icon from the map it will show you the lat/lon and elevation, but I don’t have one with me now to confirm.
Hey Guy and Gals,
I have questions reference the 255w
1) When y’all said the device didn’t have quick spell, does that mean it won’t display names of streets/cities as you are getting close? – I have to type out the entire street name?
2) Does the device have an auto diming feature for night time driving?
Thanks guys
Eric
Eric,
The answer is yes to both your questions.
The unit is smart enough that if as you type there is only match it will give you the option to choose it.
Otherwise you can enter just a couple letters and click done and the unit will show you all the entries that match those letters.
As for auto diming, the nuvi has a day and night feature that changes automatically, which is basically just a black background at night, but its very effective.
Its mu first GPS purchase. I woould like to have GPS saying street names. Its available in Garmin 255 but not in 205. But price differene is appoximately USD 100. any suggestion?
Sandeep – You can read about the Text To Speech feature to see if it is for you. You might also consider the Garmin Nuvi 260 which you may find cheaper than the 255.
Eric and Luis,
Actually, the Garmin 255 does NOT have Quickspell. It will give you a list of options after you type 3-4 characters. It will not highlight the only possible keys as you type. The Magellan 1400 will do this.
What is the ‘Sim Card’ used for on the 255w??
Hi Paul, I’m not sure what you are referring to. The Nuvi 255w (and similar models) doesn’t use a SIM card. There is an SD card slot for adding things like additional map coverage not already included– but it isn’t necessary to operate the device.
I think I have the 255 or the 255w not sure which one but can either be used to hook up to your computer and use wifi mapping on it?? Thanks.
I don’t know what wifi mapping is.
Thanks Tim……I guess it is a SD card…..could I update my Garmin with it in the future??
Paul
Steve, you will update the device through USB, not through the SD card.
200 VS. the 205? what would you recommend. what’s the difference? I do basic local travel. Any views would be appreciated.
The 205 has a slightly shorter battery life, but can store more favorites, and is compatible with optional traffic services. Those are the major differences in addition to price.
Thanks for the response. I dont see myself buying the optional traffic services. (Don’t travel that much.) Looks like the 200 will suit me just fine. Thanks for the chart, it was helpful.
I have a Garmin 350 on order and just noticed the Garmin 205W was going on sale. Should I blow off the 350 and go for the 205W? What would the differences be?
Julie, I’d take the 205w so long as you don’t need maps of Canada. The 350 is in Discontinued Status, the 205w has a Widescreen display, an updated user interface, and an integrated antenna among a few other small goodies.
Tim thanks for the quick response. I think I will go with the 205W.
After more research I see I can get a Garmin Nuvi 205W for the same price as a 260C. Any recommendations?
Anyone know how to enter a zipcode into the Garmins? I played with a 255W in the store and could not figure it out. Alternatively, how do you find a city near one that is not in the database?
This is useful in case the city (like Cobb, CA) is not in the database. You can enter the zipcode and find cities close by and create a route to one of them.
TJ, I’m not sure I understand what it is you are trying to do. Where exactly are you trying to go? GPS devices don’t really work with vague places, they want to take you exactly somewhere. In the example you listed, Cobb, CA– my understanding is that Cobb isn’t really a city or town, but is a CDP. So the place you are looking for would likely be in Clearlake or Lakeport, the actual town names.
How many way points (points where you want to stop on the way from A to B) can be put on nuvi 255W? Does it remember the way points? I noticed the nuvi 255W does not speak all the road names. Specially when I was driving in downtown of a state capital it will only say “turn right on NC 21″ instead of saying the actual road/street name. Will it be the same in more expensive models of garmin line? Thanks.
Only one waypoint can be added to a route with the Nuvi 255w. Text-to-speech will be the same on more expensive models.
Tim, thanks for the response. I was trying to get to Boggs Mt and the directions are to go past Cobb. I was unable to find Cobb on my Magellan but I was able to enter the zipcode from the Cobb Mt map and find a nearby zipcode. Looking this up, I could find the location on Hwy 75 to the turn off.
I go to out of the way places so this is my test for GPS units. How do you locate the area of CA where Cobb is near to easily zoom to that place on the map?
When I was there, Cobb has a post office and there is a restaurant in the “town”. FYI, when I tried this on the Tom Tom 330s, they have Cobb in the database. Unfortunately, I don’t like the Tom Tom UI.
Tim,
Roy
Garmin Nuvi 205w or
Magellan Masetro 5310
for a gift purchase?
Ease of operation and least amount of technical know how to operate?
Thanks for your guidance and knowledge
Roy, either would probably work, but I’d probably lean to the Nuvi.
Roy, I find the Magellans are easier to use for most people. For example, they highlight the keys as you type. I also find the vocals easier to understand. Stop by a store that has them on display and try them out.
How do you update the 204W…my son got one and there was no computer interface cable included
Byron – the cable is a USB to mini USB cable. Many digital cameras and other electronics devices use the same cable, so you might already have one that works. Otherwise you can pick one up at places like Circuit City, Best Buy, or Target.
I am considering purchasing the 255w. What is the comparable TomTom model? Is one better than the other and why?
The most similar model is the TomTom XL 330s. Debating the two comes down to personal preference most of the time rather than big feature differences. TomTom’s are generally more customizable offer more control over routing, and have user-editable maps. The Garmin devices tend to be a little more streamlined in their operation, and sometimes considered a little bit easier to use.
Pls help me out. I purchased a 260 and have called Garmin and the retailer, however they can’t answer my question.
Problems:
1. Acquiring satelittes can take awhile
2. If I’m on the 401 (I’m in Toronto) and I don’t have to exit for a long time, the Garmin tells me every 30 seconds to stay on 401. This is annoying. Do I need a more expensive model, or is this standard? I can turn off the volume, but that would be pointless.
Hope someone can answer my question by Oct 20th!
What is the difference between the 255 and 260?
Ruby, see our Acquiring Satellites page for tips on that issue. As to the voice issue, if your device is running the latest application version there isn’t anything you can change. A more expensive device will not likely behave any different.
Henry – The 255 has a little bit shorter battery life, can store a few more favorites, uses microSD cards instead of SD cards for expansion, is compatible with optional live traffic services, and has a redesigned interface with a few small helpful features.
Tim,
The 255w has a SD card slot not MicroSD.
I just wanted to add that I am not happy with the map even thou it is the 2009 version.
I dont think Garmin is to blame here as they dont make the maps, but I sure wish they will offer an upgrade soon, because in my part of the world theres alot of roads with no name, that should be unpaved roads, or that simply should not exist, or roads that are not on the map yet (being new).
- I am also not happy with the offroute detection of the device.
Frequently I drive off the calculated route and the unit does not pick it up and recalculates a new one.
Sometimes I drive over 300 feet before it decides to recalculate. Not good at all.
I want it to pick up that if I am on different road than the one that I was supposed to be then recalculate a new one.
- The detour function can be quite handy but I found out that the unit will calculate a new route based on the nearest exit not the best route.
IE theres two exits ahead the first to the left and the second to the right.
Clicking detour, the unit will calculate a new route by turning left, even if turning right would’ve been a better option.
- The timezone detection is flakey at best.
I drove from New Brunswick to Maine just on the other side of the border.
The unit still calculated the arrival time using the New Brunswick Timezone.
And while I was on the Maine side (true close to the border) the unit would have New Brunwick timezone, but would not display an arrival time.
The unit knew that I was in MAINE because when doing a search for a city it would show that I was the State of Maine.
I had to drive farther from the border for it to change to the Maine Timezone.
I dont know exactly how far it kicked in, but it was least 5km’s (3miles) from the geographical border. Thats right, driving a road along side the border will not change the timezone it doesnt matter how far it is from the crossing point.
Very annoying.
I’ve reported these problems to Garmin, and I hope more people will too, so they will issue a fix for them soon.
Louis wrote:
Yes, the 255w does have an SD card slot. But the question was about the 255 (not w) which has a MicroSD slot.
Tim – re: satellite signal problems: thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated. Well, this isn’t the 1st time I’ve used it, so next time, are you saying that once I lock onto a signal, I should stay there and not move the car for 30 minutes, so in the future, it won’t have as many problems acquiring satelite signals?
Tim – my battery life for 260 says 5 hours, why am I getting way lower than that? Do I need to fully charge it? I’ve been just using it now and then with the charger, so maybe it never charged fully? Secondly, I have been reading that quite a few other uses are not getting 5 hours either
Ruby – Re:satellites – Yes.
The battery life of five hours is a “up to 5 hours” rating. That is with optimal conditions… low brightness setting on display, little processor usage, etc. I’d suspect “real world” use is probably more like 3.5 – 4.5 hours.
Thanks Tim – would you say the 260 is a better buy than the 255?
No, I would say the 255 is a better buy than the 260.
Hi Tim – just one more question, even with a longer battery life, the 255 is a better buy than the 260?
I would say the 255 is a better buy than the 260.
I always feel confused when buying electronics. Salespeople always try to talk you into buying extended warranty. Is it really necessary for a Garmin GPS (255 or other)?
Tim – a question if you don’t mind. Are you the moderator of this particular discussion? I’m just not sure who you are? You have some very great info btw, thank you for such an informative and easy Q&A!
I generally don’t purchase extended warranties, but that is just me. I don’t tend to hang on to consumer electronics devices very long.
I run this website, yes.
I bought a Nuvi 350 over 2 years ago, and I love it. Driving through large cities on expressways with 6 lanes, I know when the next turn is coming, and I am in the correct lane. When a large truck prevents me from seeing the overhead road signs,I still know when my exit is coming, which is a big safety feature in my mind. Finding your way around in a strange city at night is a breeze; you feel somtimes as if you have lived there all your life.
However, you need to remember to remain in control and not let the GPS do the thinking for you. Example: Entering an intersection, nuvi might say turn left; however, you have to be aware of the red light and not blindly obey by turning left through a red light–HELLO!
Which is the better buy for a new GPS user. I have priced the Tom Ton 130 S at [snip] and the Garmin Nuvi 255W at [snip]. I am interested in ease of use and many POIs.
Hi Tim, I have the opportunity to buy either the 255W or the 750. I’ve never owned one before. Traffic is not important to me. I’ve haven’t been able to find a 3rd party comparison online. Can you tell me the main differences between the two and which model you prefer. Thanks.
Ellen, we have a comparison tool near the top left corner of our homepage. Although with the numerous Nuvi models we don’t list all of the subtle differences between them. If you need Multi Destination Routing then the Nuvi 750 is the way to go. Otherwise the Nuvi 255w offers great value.
I have recently given my StreetPilot c330 to my son. Overall I have been pleased with the unit and with Garmins customer service. I like the larger screen size of the Nuvi 255w, does it compare well to the c330?
I have recently purchased the 255W. Im not sure if my expectations are to great but maybe someone can help me if the below is normal function or a fault.
1 When Iam driving along, only side roads show up as named streets and some side roads wont be named at all. If I approach a major intersection that road/st wont be named at all.
2. The unit only ever tells me on the top the road/st Iam currently driving on, should it tell me a major road/st Iam approaching?
3.I have been told if your moving to fast this will effect what it can process, but its the same standing totally still, major roads are not named and only some streets around me are named.
4.I have noticed if I get off the road, and into a car park/ shopping centre, where the device wont know what road Im on, the unit will say at the top (ready to navigate), when in ready to navigate mode it starts to show a lot more road/st names around me, still not major roads though, but definatly a lot more street names apprear when in this mode. Why do I seem to get more steet names when the unit is in (ready to navigate) mode? This seems like a better option to always be in if I could keep that setting.
4. School zone speed alerts? It does warn me but kind of to late, if there was a camera I still think I would be caught as Iam right on them before it tells me.
Note: all of the above is based on driving in map view and not being specifically guided to a destination. I have all the latest firmware etc.
Todd, I won’t respond to each of those, but the GPS is designed to help you get to places with a destination entered and will behave differently when you are navigating to a destination. Not all of your points above will change, but some will.
I have a nuvi 205W. It does not indicate Interstate highway rest areas, at least in my local area. Is that normal? Is there some add-on to get those?
It is normal in the sense that your device isn’t defective. Not all known POI locations get included in the database. Some areas will be better covered than others.
Is there a difference in the quality of the voices between the 205/205W and the 255/255W?
Hi there
Been cking out GPS for days,rding reviews and checking on Consumer Reort, buying my first GPS and which would you buy or better unit Garmin 255w or Garmin 755t both new model and not a lot of history on them or is there a better Tomtom out there which does more than above Garmin units.
Thanks
Murry, I’m not sure I can help you determine which is better for your needs when I don’t know what your needs are. You might try our GPS Recommendations forum.
Hey Tim, I am having trouble with my 205w, used it twice and both times it gave bad info. First it told me I was driving in an alley when I was on a main street,it then told me to turn left when I needed to go right and stopped me 400 yrds from my dest. Is this a device issue or map issue? Thx!
Tom- Probably map.
I travel by RV 5 months of the year to various locations throughout the US, and have used my laptop with a popular mapping program GPS. I would like to do away with the bulk near the driver cockpit and switch to a dashtop 255W. Does this GPS have camping and RV parks among the POI? Is there a specific download for these POIs?
I just got Garmmin nuvi 205w and wonder if it has 2008 or 2009 maps. How can i determine what maps it has loaded?
Tools -> Settings -> Map -> Map Info. (Just going from memory.) It likely has 2009 maps, which are based on data from the second half of 2007.
hi, I have a 2 year street pilot dash top that has worked well for me. i am looking at the nuvi 255w for my other car. however i have seen some really good prices on nuvi 680. I know its older, but seems to have a lot of capabilities. need opinion making decision. major differences ??
thanks
The 680 does have some advanced features, but it is an older design. The question comes down to if you really need any of those extra features. Most people will not and then IMHO the 255w becomes the better deal.
I just purchased a 255W and when it came, the instruction booklet was for 205 series. Is the manual the same for the 255W?
Yes, same manual.
Hi, I purchased a Garmin 205W for my 26 year old daughter for a Christmas present. Now I see at the same store the 750 is selling for just about the same price. I have never purchased a GPS before and don’t know if I should return the 205W and get the 750 instead. What would you recommend? It would mainly be used to get around within the state of Washington.
Hey Tim, I am looking to get my first GPS system and i cant choose between the Garmin nuvi 255w or the Magellan Maestro 4250. I would like to know what system do you think is better for there first system or which one has less issues with it. I hear the Magellan has some freezing issues and at times it can be slow. Is this true? Are there any problems like that with the Garmin? Thanks
Hi! I was looking to purchase either the Nuvi 255W or the 205 for my fiance… I have NO idea which one is better or which one would work…I dont think he really needs a bunch of high tech stuff just basic directions and what have you…Please help!!!
oops i meant the 255w or the 250 not 205! sorry!
OH MY GOODNESS!!!Im losing it ok I meant the 205W or the 250!!!! Im so sorry! I just get confused with all these numbers!!
Karen, the 750 offers maps of Canada plus multi destination routing. If you don’t need either of those the 205w is still great.
Chris – The Garmin has a higher customer satisfaction rating.
Nicole – The 250 includes maps of Canada, if you don’t need those then go with the 205w that has a widescreen.
I’m looking into bying a gps for my mom but I’m stuck between the 205w and the 250w. She just needs something that will get her from place to place…..any suggestions?
Shannon, if you need maps of Canada go with the 250w. Otherwise the 205w.
can european or canadian maps be added to a garmin 205 or 255 and at what price?
what can the sd card slots be used for?
Tim,
I’ve tried the 255 and was disappointed. The dealbreaker was the sound quality AND clarity – or lack thereof. I specifically upgraded from the 200 to the 255 because of A) the ‘newer’ software interface/functionality and B) TextToSpeech (TTS). I’ve tried the software updates but no joy. I find the TTS voices to be unclear, garbled and ‘tinny’. The non-TTS voice is ‘OK’ but not exactly good. I suspect some of this is the physical speaker itself (lack of fidelity) and some of this is the software (garbled enunciation). Upgrading for TTS then craning my neck to hear and looking at the screen to confirm doesn’t really gain anything for me. Shame too because this is otherwise a very good GPS for the price. I borrowed an older 600 series some time ago which as I recall had relatively clear and understandable TTS so certainly it’s been done in the past.
255 Pluses: Latest 2×5 software GUI, size, lack of flip-up antenna
255 Minuses: Voice (this is the dealbreaker) and multiple waypoints (a nice to have)
Q1: What are my options in the Nuvi line that would give the latest GUI functions (like 2×5 series) but definitely give me CLEAR voice with good volume (like the older models used to have)? More waypoints would be nice. (I do not care about bells & whistles like MP3, FM, etc…)
Q2: I presume any 2×5 series w/ TTS (265T, …) is going to have similar audio clarity problems?
Q3: What Nuvi competitors might I also consider? I saw in reviews the XL 330s also suffers from volume problems!
Thanks!
Tom -
Just bought the 255w and have not any problems at all with sound or speech quality. This unit is quick to acquire satellite, load maps, and recalc. routes. The only issue I had with speech (TTS) was a female Brit voice having trouble with Spanish pronunciations of street names here in Tucson . . . more humorous than a problem. Just go back to American voice. To anyone on the fence about this unit – GO BUY IT!
Thinking about purchasing a Gar Nuvi 255 for husband, my only question is do this GPS unit give you the lat/long if you wish to know it?
sarina – Yes. You can tap on the car icon to view your location.
I am stuck between the 750 or the 255w any suggestions? I hear the 750 is a bit sluggish.
I just purchased a Garmin Nuvi 255 on line. I have no experience at all with any GPS system and am wondering if I made a mistake not going to a regular store to get checked out on how to use it. As soon as I opened the box, I noticed the directions were for a Garmin Nuvi 205. From the illustrations, I can see my unit doesn’t “match up” with the 205. Was I given the wrong direction booklet? Is it Garmin’s polcy to give 205 direction books for the 255W? What can I do to get the correct direction booklet? I’m afraid to try to use the GPS without at least an accurate book of instructions. Is there a Garmin customer service that I can call or at least an e-mail address? Thanks for any help you can give me.
Dolores, Garmin uses the same manual across the 2×5 product line.
do any of the Garmin units have low clearance (bridge) warnings?
Hi Tim,
I’m debating a purchase between the 265w and the 750. I have a general idea about the pros and cons for both.
265w: newer, faster, less features
750: older, slower(?), more features (mp3, traffic, usb cable)
Same price. Which would you get?
I’ve been reeding for hours about gps devices. I am thinking of buying the Gramin 265 wt for my son. What do you think of this unit?
Hi all,
My family is thinking of a GPS unit and we are deciding between the Garmin nuvi 255W & 205. Can some kind soul pls tell me the main differences between these 2 devices?
we are basically using it drive round locally and when we travel to other states.
thanks!
Anna, the 255w has a Widescreen and Text To Speech.
Hi, I am torn between purchasing the nuvi 255 and nuvi 260. Is the 260 better (Garmin site has retail pricing of $299 while the 255 is retailed at $229)? What are the differences between the two? And is the voice quality different between the two? I also am wondering if the Garmin has the optional of alternative route selection. We had the opportunity to use a Tomtom in Europe last summer and really enjoyed that feature. Wonderful site! Thank you, Joanna
Is the Garmin nuvi 255 as good as the 255W? I know the (W)screen is bigger, but is it necessary to have a bigger screen? This is my first purchase of a GPS. Thanks!
Vickie, see the link in comments #123 & #196 re:widescreen.
This is a bit late, but Prashant’s post #62 raises some points about unrealitic expectations. As a desktop GIS user and having done a lot of geocodeing, my guess is the GPS devices use a similar address interpolation routine. The database knows that one side of the block has an address range of, lets say, 201 to 249 Main St. It you input 225 it estimates the location at the middle of the block. The problem is that reality is not so neatly spaced and vanity address often are used (A big building in the middle of a block surrounded by landscaping that uses 100 Main street which is really in the middle of the block). Also, GPS doesn’t recognize that address are often skipped. If I am 1234 Oak St and my next door neighbor is 1238, GPS will still locate the theoretical but non-existant 1236. In essense, GPS is operating on a spatial-mathmatics it does not envision your input in human terms, as if you were looking on Google earth. Addresses etc. are too complex and idiosyncratic for the GPS to be perfect. I suspect, but don’t know for sure, that some POI may be referenced by specific lat/long, as exception to these geospatial interpolation.
How can I find the POI in a future location? When I go to the new location on the map, I need to go back to the main menu to get to POI. When I do, it will not look at where I want the POI from, but, looks at where I am now.
Where to -> Points of Interest -> Near.
Will this also work for food, lodging , etc?
Also, I have not tried this yet….but….if I take this and am lost in lets say a forest where there are no roads except on the outside of the forest and I am in the middle, does it pick me up in the middle of forest?…or will it show me to the nearest road where if I am in he middle will be pot luck? I guess I can make my car HOME and then fool around with longitude and latitude to make sure going right direction. Thanks
Joanna, the 255 is superior to the 260 in every way. It picks up satellites faster and has a much more informative display. The 255 has the option of adding traffic. The voices are a teeny bit different. I think people will prefer the voices they are used to. I moved from a 260 to a 255. I can’t imagine moving the other way.
Keep your eyes open for holiday sales. A 755t for under $300 would be best of all.
Thanks Jerry, I appreciated the information…. I ended up purchasing the nuvi 255, Joanna
Joanna,
Excellent choice, if only because I use one myself. I upgraded my wife’s 260w to a 755T because she prefers the wider screen and because it comes with free lifetime traffic. I got the traffic receiver for my 255, but that will require a subscription renewal in a year whereas the 755T’s traffic is free. The cost of the 255 plus traffic is about the same as the 755T if you spot a good sale. Today’s Wall Street Journal says to expect sales this weekend to rival Black Friday’s, so you might keep your eyes open if traffic info would be useful and you’ve got return privileges on the 255. But, not to worry if you don’t. As I say, the 255 is my current GPS of choice.
Is there any way for ALL of the streets you are near to have their names displayed on the 255? Hardly any of the streets display a name at all. Even if I zoom all the way in, many, if not most, streets do not have a name.
I am *guessing* that the degree of resolution depends on where you live. Failure to identify streets hasn’t been an issue for me. If it were, I’d go to a local seller like Staples or Best Buy or Radio Shack here in the US and compare different models on their ability to hone in on particular local streets of interest.
Jerry, thanks for the quick reply! It’s simply a matter of the street names not showing. The streets are there, but no names. If I turn onto the street, the name shows up in the top green bar. But I have no idea of what cross street or paralel streets are around me 95% of the time. It’s not an issue if I am driving a programmed route, but if I am just driving around and am trying to figure out what intersection I am coming up to, then it is an issue. Maybe I am just being too picky!
I’ll have to pay closer attention to mine tomorrow. Right now, I’m watching the snow come down at 1 to 2 inches per hour…indoors…and there’s no direct entry from the house to the garage!
I am watching it snow here as well!! I just tried to update my 255 with 4.60 software via the Garmin Webupdater and ended up with the unit saying there was no software installed and it refused to turn off!!??! I started franticaly searching the internet for a fix and have it working now. It took a little guesswork and luck. I have no clue what happened, but thank goodness for GPS enthusiast forums!
Hi there–
Sorry if this has been addressed somewhere else, but I was just wondering about the suction cup mount vs. the friction dashboard mount for the nuvi series GPS. Any preferences out there? Does the dashboard mount stay fairly well in place? Waiting on delivery of my 255W which comes with the suction cup mount, and I’m wondering if the dash mount would be better.
Thanks in advance, and thanks for this very informative site. Helped me make my decision on which GPS to get.
Best regards.
Also, when driving, shouldn’t the name of the upcoming intersecting street, not the street you are currently on, show up on the top of the screen?
Fred, my experience is that the 260 showed the street I was on, the 255 shows the next turn.
Bill, I’ve never used the dashboard mount if only because Garmin claims it’s not easy to move. The suction mount usually works well. When I press the mount firmly against the windshield before pressing the lever the 255 usually stays in place but every once in a while it does fall. I’d recommend starting with the suction cup and using the dash if suction doesn’t work for you.
Hi–thinking of buying the nuvi 265– is it a good unit and am I going be able to understand the voice? Hearing a lot of bad feedback on voice quality. I like the bluetooth feature as well as free traffic! Thanks in advance. Lorri
Bill – Most everyone that gets a friction mount are thrilled with them.
Fred – No, Garmin didn’t set it up that way.
Lori – It isn’t quite as good as a few other models, but for most people it is acceptable.
Lori,
When I moved from the 260 to the 255, I missed the 260s voices. They weren’t worse, just different. Now, when I hear the 755T voices on my wife’s GPS (same as the 260’s; she let me borrow it to play), I prefer the 255! Go figure. I think it’s like a hit song. Once you’re used to hearing it, it’s hard to hear it performed by another artist.
Almost everyone finds s/he has a favorite voice, but it’s not the same voice for everyone. Some prefer males; others females. I like the British females (Serena/Emily). My wife likes Jill. It’s always possible you won’t like a particular unit’s voices, but I’d bet that there will be at least one that is acceptable.
If you are particularly anxious, there are sellers who take returns without restocking fees. I’d be surprised if there isn’t at least one 265 voice that appeals, tho’.
Tim,
Thanks for correcting my comment to Bill. I was thinking of the stick on disk that comes with the unit, not the add on friction mount.
On a different topic, my 255 tells me the name of the next turn at the top of the screen, not the “continuing on” the way the 260 did, so I’m not sure about the “Garmin didn’t set it up that way” comment to Fred.
i just got a garmin 255w which came with only a
car charger. i have cell phone wall and car charger that has the same plug in the back.would it hurt the garmin to use them to charge?
Thanks for the replies, folks. I had read that some might find the dash mount easier to stow away and conceal when parked and I was just wondering. I had also heard that the suction cup mount can leave a tell-tale ring on the windshield, hinting to potential thieves that a GPS might be on board. May try the friction mount just for the heck of it and see how it works out.
Thanks again.
jerry,
I don’t know and would not chance it until I was sure BUT you hava a computer and can charge your 255 by plugging it into your computer’s USB port.
Bill,
My brother-in-law made the mistake of leaving his GPS and cell phone (!) on the front seat of his car but I’d hope that with some GPS models dropping below $99 in price and some model even being sold in drug stores that we’ve seen the end of people breaking into cars because of tell-tale windshield marks. It’s like the early days of CD players. Eventually we got to the point where there are no break-ins for car CD units except for high end units. FWIW, when I park and the weather isn’t so hot that I have to take my GPS with me, I leave mine in a paper bag. If anyone looked into my car, it would look like I forgot my lunch! LOL
Thanks Jerry and Tim for your replies. I just wanted to make sure I could understand what the voice was saying on the 265 as I get lost very easily—minimal sense of direction. It sounds like I’ll get used to it. Thanks again, Lorri
Another quick question—Is the Garmin 265 the cheapest model that says street names, has bluetooth capabilities and free traffic updates?? Thanks
I have a Garmin 205w and I cannot seem to get it to avoid the interstate. Is there anyway to fix that or change that?
Seth. Forgive me for asking the obvious, but did you try…it’s something like
Menu / Settings / Navigation / Avoidances and checking the box labeled Highways? (My unit is in the garage, it’s snowing, and I have to leave the house to get to the garage.)
Lori, the Garmin StreetPilot c550 is cheaper, but much older as well.
thanks Jerry, I figured it was somewhere but I couldn’t find it
We currently live overseas in the UK and are looking for an easy to use GPS that can be changed from the UK to the US so we can take the unit with us when we travel. Will the Garmin 255w allow us to do this or is there another model you would recommend? Thanks.
Meg, you can purchase and load additional maps in the 255w, however you may find it cheaper to pickup a model that has all of the maps you need built in such as the 270, 770, etc.
I also have the same question as Eric’s but I didnt see a response. I am unsure about getting the Garmin 255W for [deleted] or the Garmin 750 for [deleted], which is a better buy given features, etc.?
Hello. I am looking to purchase a simple GPS system. Currently I am most interested in the Garmin 255w as it is text to speech and seems to be a very good basic model. One question I have though is whether or not this gps recalculates your route automatically if you should take a turn/road not offered by the gps.
Barb – Yes, it will automatically recalculate a route.
To add to what Tim said…
You can do this on purpose by pressing the Detour button if you find yourself in traffic.
Speaking of traffic, please consider the 265wt. With the holiday price drops, it’s not much more than the 255wt and gives free traffic reports. If you want to add traffic to the 255, you’ll have to buy a receiver AND pay for a subscription after 1 year.
Hi. thanks so much. I am currently comparing the 265wt to the Garmin Nuvi 750. the price differential is not much but I am uncertain of any major benefits of either model. Which would you recommend and why? Thanks for all your help.
I got a garmin nuvi 205w for christmas and i love it. my brother-in-law has the 200 and it doesn’t do s much as mine. Big wide screen and bold colorful roads. it talks and it will land you right in the front door of where you are going. It even recalculates if you stop off somewhere unexpectly. you can change vehicles, voices, volume,brightness
Janet,
The 205 is a fine unit. I think of it as a 200 with an improved interface and, of course, the ‘w’ gives you a larger display. However, most of the things you listed things that CAN be done on a 200. That is, the *200* as well as the 205 “talks and it will land you right in the front door of where you are going. It even recalculates if you stop off somewhere unexpect[ed]ly. you can change vehicles, voices, volume, brightness” If your brother-in-law doesn’t know how to do these things, he can learn by exploring setup options on the 200, reading help on the 200, or by reading the full manual at the Garmin site.
Barb,
I’m afraid I don’t know anything more about these units than you do, that is, what I can find by looking at comparison tables on the web. I’d go with the 265wt because of the improved interface, free traffic, and a whole bunch of other features that come with the 265wt. I don’t see any advantage that the 750 might hold.
The advantage of the 750 is that it offers Multi Destination Routing which is important to some people.
I feel overwhelmed looking for a new GPS. I am currently looking at the following four models: nuvi 250w, nuvi 255w, nuvi 260w, nuvi 265wt. I do like the text to speech option. will drive into a large city once or twice a month and I am not sure if the traffic delay option would be beneficial at this time. Most of my driving will be rural areas with towns under 25,000. Two or three times a year, I might drive on a family trip covering many states or into Canada. I am looking for some input on which of these models people prefer and what might be best for me. I plan to stay in these models price range.
They are each quite similar with subtle feature differences between them. The ones that end in 5 are slightly newer models. The 265wt offers Bluetooth which it sounds like you won’t need. So I’d probably look to the Garmin Nuvi 255w as it is a newer release that doesn’t have additional features you won’t need. It does have text-to-speech and should you decide you want traffic it can be upgraded to use it.
In rereading Tim’s reply and my response just below, I realize I should have added something about the on-screen information. I find the new display xx5 to be so much more informative than the xx0 that I wouldn’t consider an xx0 as a new unit. The xx5 display is much better letting you know quickly about the direction of the next turn in a small graphic in the upper right hand corner. Once you’re used to it, you immediately miss it on the xx0. You can easily find screen shots on the Web if you look.
I was just about to press send when my email told me Tim beat me to it!
I would recommend the 265wt ONLY because the price of the two units (255wt and 265wt) has gotten so close (one large site shows a $35 difference, although you might be able to widen the gap by judicious shopping) that I’d rather spend the few extra dollars for features I might not need than find out later that I did indeed have a use for them. This is, of course, a personal choice and YMMV.
Which of these four (and unfortunately,only these four)would you choose? Nuvi 5000, Nuvi 660, Nuvi 780 or the Nuvi 850.
Thanks very much.
I bought a 255 for my wife and now can’t register it or load any thing with the usb. The computer simply isn’t finding it. My brother, using my cable and computer, registered his 255w earlier in the day and it worked. Defective devise or operator?
Well, we know it’s not the cable!
Try disconnecting the GPS. Reboot the computer. Plug GPS in again. Wait at least 30 seconds. If there’s no response after 2 minutes, I might guess cable.
HOWEVER, are you sure the computer is not finding the 255? Have you looked in “My Computer”? I realize one is a 255 and the other a 255w, but I’m not sure that the 255 would show up as unknown hardware once the 255w had been recognized. Perhaps it simply appears in My Computer without any New Hardware notice..
I wrote, “If there’s no response after 2 minutes, I might guess cable” but meant “If there’s no response after 2 minutes, I might guess device”.
Did the screen on the GPS show that it was in USB (computer) mode, or did it go to the main menu?
The 255 would turn on like it was plugged into a power source with the usb. I have gone through every usb cable i’ve got. The only one that worked came from my 4 yr old’s fisher price camera!!!!!
Hi, I just received the 205W GPS as a Christmas gift from my daughter and family. It is just wonderful. Came in very handy as we had to go to Tn. to a funeral just before Christmas. Never traveled that far before but it performed just beautifully for us!! There is one thing that I cannot work out, I didn’t receive a manual, and that is, does anyone know if one can delete an address that one puts there in error? I’ve tried but it only seems to give the option to delete all of them and I prefer leaving some of them listed since I will going to the same address again.
Thank you for your reply.
Sorry! I made a new post rather than a reply. See #244.
It is a one or all type of thing– you delete them all or none of them.
Bring up the correct address and press Save. This will place it in Favorites, which is where favorites and places you are likely to revisit should be. Go through Places Found Recently and Do this for all of your favorites. Favorites can be deleted one at a time. With Places Found Recently, it’s all or nothing.
I stuck between the tomtom xl 330s or the Garmin nuvi 255w, this will be my first GPS but I am tech savvy enough to figure them both out after a little toying around. The tomtom is on sale for [deleted] and the cheapest I can find the Garmin 255w is [deleted]. The price difference does not really bother me but I would like to save some extra money if its worth, but after reading both reviews I’m leaning towards the Garmin. I will be using it to drive cross country and eventually in Los Angeles. Which should I purchase?
Mike & Mick – If you want “simple elegance” go with the Garmin. If you want customization and control, go with the TomTom.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the great work, very informative in the GPS jungle.
I am in the same situation as Mike # 245, so please help asap ! Thanks.
I have a 255W. Does anyone know if it will accept an Does anyone know if it will accept the newer SDHC card or only an SD card?
Hi,
I got a Garmin nuvi 255w as a gift. It came with the US maps, but I would like to also have Canada. I’ve been looking around, it seems that I’ll need to buy the map that comes on an SD card, is that correct? And.. If so, anyone know where the best place to buy one is? They seem to be rather pricy on Garmin.com.
Thanks!
Tim, who owns the website, generally does not allow the discussion of prices, in part to keep dealers from spamming, but also, I think, because price information changes so rapidly. He’s also very nice about it. For example, if someone like yourself were to mention prices, he usually allows the post to go through with only the price deleted.
However, I think it’s safe to say that, as in most instances of locating price information, Google is your friend. If you enter the appropriate search terms, Google will generate a host of links with information for you to explore.
The Nuvi 255w sold in the USA does come with maps of the USA & Canada.
I have a Garmin nuvi-205 I don’t know to say. I bought my nuvi in Oct, and in the month of Jan the whole system blew out! The outside temp was 7″degrees, I’m kind of upset because I am out $175 and I don’t have the receipt. I thought the companys product would last longer then 4 months? And I was looking on line and one site says no receipt then you pay $125 plus shipping. Man I might as well buy anotherr GPS, from anotherr company of coarse any ideas?
Who can I complain to about the latest Middle East SD Map? I plugged it into my 255W, and when I got the rental car at the Kuwait airport Miss Nuvi said the Hilton was in the old part of town, 45kM north of where the real Hilton exists….. It took me 2 hours of dodging around strange traffic until I got to my destination that should only be 15 min from the airport……???
You sure miss having a route-building capability with the 255W. Every time I need to return to the hotel, I have to manually enter it first, and then enter in a series of mid-destinations so I wont get suckered into camel-traffic.
Definitely worth the money….except for that first runaround after traveling 24 hours
ken
I got my second nuvi, a nuvi 205 in November and after using it three times it stopped working. The front of the 12 volt plug fell off and I wasn’t able to find the parts. Comparing the plug of my nuvi 200 purchased last year with the 205’s plug, the poor design of the 205 plug is apparent.
Eric
I can understand your frustration. However, if something were built to last forever, no one could ever afford it, and often overbuilding is an unnecessary expense. The problem isn’t that the 205’s plug was less sturdy than the 200’s, but that it wasn’t sturdy enough to do its job for you.
The real measure of what to make of your experience will be how often this is reported and what Garmin does to “make it right” for you.
On a whim I bought a Nuvi 250 at [deleted]. This is my first GPS. Now I’m doing research and think I could do better with the 255. I just need a basic GPS. Thoughts?
Hi! Want to buy my daughter a GPS unit for her 20th birthday, but am having a hard time figuring out which one to buy. She mainly wants one for driving directions, but also to do a “little” geocaching.
Thanks for any info!
Does the nuvi 255 or 255w have the capibility to input lat and lon coordinates
I just bought the nuvi 255w and i am trying to install the map updates(europe).I managed to register and download the file garmin_rmu_cneunt2009_1.exe but when i open it will not let me extract the files.
Q1. Do i need the sd card to install the updates?
Q2. i need a porogram or i am doing something wrong?
Q3. Can i restore or make a copy of the original maps?
Thanks in advance
hi Jesmond,
I have the same problem with files now. The files cant be extracted…..can u tell me what did u further do to update the maps? I am in real problem because the 255 w I have has taken me to one-way streets at three different occasions.
Hi,
I’ve just purchased the NUVI 255. I’m in Canada. Tried it in the city and on highways. It sometimes happens that I lose the signal for a minute or two. Is this a defect or can this happen regularly because it’s an entry-level model? My parents have an older Garmin, but higher-end, it takes a longer time to acquire signal, but they never lose it. Is there maybe a firmware update that can help?
Thanks!
I bought a 205W at Christmas, and found out completely by accident, three days before the expiry of the offer, that I was entitled to update the maps free of charge. It was not an easy procedure. I had to register first then leave the satnav connected to the computer all night last night to download the 3GB file, then go through a rigmarole to install the maps on the satnav. I think I’ve done it (according to the maps info on the device anyway!) But now the file garmin_rmu_cneunt2009_1.exe won’t leave me alone. It appears and wants to “extract” files at about ten-minute intervals and won’t take no for an answer (I’m Vista). I won’t need all this on my laptop any more, will I? Should I just delete it all? Steve (computer thickie – be gentle!)
If you have a DVD burner you might want to make a backup copy of that file before deleting it, but you should be safe to delete it provided you are confident your device is now fully updated with the new map.
Thanks, Tim. Oddly, after restarting my computer, the file has now decided to leave me alone! There was nothing to make me aware of this opportunity to update the maps for free when I bought the unit. Moral: go on to Garmin’s site and register your device to check on what goodies you may be entitled to!
Tim,
I have just finished reading through your latest list of, 257 comments, current and future GPS users.
I had a question myself which has been resolved after a little tinkering. I spoke with a tech at Garmin regarding utilizing Google Earth to create a photograph to include with the address. They were unable to resolve this question on three occasions. So, I took it upon myself to resolve this issue and thought a few of your readers might be interested.
First, find the area from which you would like to take a photo.
Second, attach your Garmin 255W to your computer through the USB cable.
Third, go to “My Computer” and locate the Garmin software and double click on JPEG.
Fourth, go to the File pull down list and select Save Photo.
Fifth, a screen should pop up with a list of photos already in the Photos portion of the software by number.
Sixth, create a name for your photo and press enter. It should be listed.
Seventh, disconnect the Garmin and go to the Photo Album to see if it is there.
Eighth, go to the address you want the photo to represent and enter Edit.
Ninth, touch Add Photo, which will take you to the Photo Album to make your selection. The photo you selected should appear.
I have just bought the 205W and it’s my first Sat-Nav.
Is it possible to create a route with google maps and transfer it to the Nuvi?
Some of the routes the Nuvi is calculating i would not normally go that way and i would like to be able to edit and save them if possible.
Would i be right in saying that if a save a route in “favourites”, the route still gets re-calculated every time you run it?
Carl – “Favorites” are not routes, it is just a single location that is saved for quick access. Your device doesn’t support saved routes, you would need the 700 series for that.
Hi. Our background info…We are in Canada, our friend has a similar oilfield service job as us, and recommended we buy a Garmin 255 with an Oil Tracker chip. This will be our first GPS.
We have been using County Maps (DLS or farmer-style addressing on paper maps. We use land locations and LSD numbers). We do not use GPS coordinates.
1. If we buy the 255 in Canada (not the 255w, I read on this site that the 255w has Cndn. info) does it automatically have all the normal Canadian maps and info?
2. Does the 255 allow us to enter either GPS coordinates OR land locations/LSD’s? (We don’t need street & city addresses, all the driving is in the country…but we will benefit from normal GPS use if we’re ever on a holiday!)
3. What is the SD card or Micro SD card used for?? (assuming the USB cord is used for downloading additional info/maps etc.)
4. The 255 comes with Micro SD right? Is there a problem or difference with the Micro SD versus the SD?
5. The store said the only difference between the 255 and 255w is basically the wider screen. Is this right? Is the Micro SD card a problem or big difference? Is one model newer/better?
6. Does the 255 come with text to speech?
7. Should all models come with a manual when you buy them? or is it an accessory you have to pay extra?
8. Does anyone use the Oil Tracker chip? Will it let me switch between using oilfield LSD/land location numbers and farmer-style land location numbers?
I’ve asked a lot, but hope that someone won’t mind answering my long list of questions. LOL
Thanks, Joanne
I live in Boise, Idaho. I think a GPS device would help a lot with navigating in some of the off-the-beaten-track areas where there are plenty of forest service roads but few road signs. As much as I’d like to go hiking, I don’t really see that happening. We primarily need something that will help with in-car navigation. Would love to find what I’m looking for for less than $300. Your help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Dan
Can you hook up the garmin to an apple computer?
Yes.
I currently have a TomTom One, my 1st gps which I liked, but now looking at the 255W as a replacement. TomTom customer service is not very service orientated when it came to ordering new maps online. I had issues with them and my ‘registration’ so I’m looking to switch.
Can you tell me when new maps are stored/loaded in Garmin? ie V10=2009, but when are they actually loaded?
In my area there is and has been a lot of new developement including new streets etc etc, hense the need for the newest maps.
My friend has a 255W and some ‘newer’ streets dont appear, like my TT.
I asked a seller if his NIB (new in box) 255W has the V10 maps and he isnt sure. I guess it doesnt say so on the package. Is there any notation/Mfr date or info on the packaging that might indicate what maps are loaded.???
Thomas, when I bought a 205W at Christmas it came with a 60-day offer to update the map database for free to the latest version (I’m in the UK and have just the UK/Ireland maps). I have no idea whether this is a standard, universal offer, but I was very glad to take advantage and I now have the latest maps for no extra charge. I suggest that all prospective Garmin purchasers check this out before parting with the wad!
Steve
Tim,
In reading through all the great questions and answers concerning GPS Units I’d like to pass on a little word of advice for those readers considering buying a friction mount (which is a bean bag like unit you set on your dash).(See 212,216,218,220) First of all, they work great! They make it very easy to put hide your GPS on the floor when parking in a public area (we also pull the plug out of the cigarette lighter). You can also move your GPS around your dash wherever you want it, including your passenger’s lap for easy reprograming or POI searching (like rest stops!!!). My one word of caution if you buy one is: NEVER EVER Armor All your dash. I guarantee your friction mount will never be the same.
Tim:
I have a friend who has had to go back to work as an over the road ‘Long Haul’ fleet driver with an 18 wheeler. I have offered to buy him a GPS unit to make life easier for him. The fist unit that he has come up with in his search is the Garmin 255W. He has talked to a couple of truckers who have it and had good reports. In your opinion is the 255W a suitable device for a \Big Rig\ environment? Is it the best choice for basic driver requirements? No frills. Thanks, Dick
Dick, the Nuvi 255w doesn’t offer any features that are specific for truckers. Check out the Garmin Nuvi 465T instead.
Hi,
I am new to the GPS world and am looking to buy. I feel the most important feature I would need is a voice that tells me I’m off course. I borrowed a friends Tom Tom One and it did not tell me anything when I made a wrong turn. I am also hoping to find one that can caluclate with traffic and I can also update. Hoping to stay under $200.00. I am at a loss and overwhelmed with all the options. Any advice on which models may have what I’m looking for? None I of the units I have looked at mention on the box if the voice tells you that you are off course.
Amber, why do you need it to tell you that it is recalculating? As soon as you miss the turn it will generate a new route and continue guiding you (with voice prompts) to your destination.
Tim,
what’s the best way to go – a nuvi 750, 760 or 255w. it will be the first one, and I need some advice. Thanx. Stan
Does the Garmin Nuvi 255 have a “where am I” button?
Meir, yes it does.
I bought the 255W. I live in the U.S. and have been using it here. If I bring it to Europe, will I be able to use it there? I can’t remember if, when I initially configured it, I made some irrevocable choice between using U.S. maps and European maps. (If it makes any difference, I already used my free download when I connected to the Garmin website; again, I can’t remember if I made some choice between U.S. and European maps.) Thanks!
You can use it in Europe, but to get much use out of it you would need to purchase the maps for the area you will be going to.
I purchased the 205W a few weeks ago, it does everything I need and then some. Still playing with it and I heard that there are “adult” version voices available for some GPS’s, are there any available for the 205W?
Thanks in advance.
On Sat, I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 205. I live in Florida and no matter what I do to fix the fact that the unit seems to think I am in Kansas, nothing works. How do I fix this?
I have been trying for 2 days now to talk to Garmin support via phone and have given up. No matter what time of day, it’s impossible to speak w/anyone and I don’t really want to stay on the phone for 30-45 minutes waiting. Then I went to the website to ask my question and that too seems to be a waste of time!
Right now, i am very disappointed and annoyed.
Oh one more thing, I put in an address on Sat knowing the directions but I wanted to play with it. I ignored the fact that it gave me something like a 17 hour arrival time (FROM KANSAS!!!)and the address was in the City I was in…it gave me the WRONG turns! How is this helping me?
If anyone can help, please email me or else I am returning this and returning to my crappy Verizon phone navigation. (elizabedevl@cs.com)
Thanks
See our tips on Acquiring Satellites. Since it is new, make sure it is outside with an unobstructed sky view for at least 30 minutes while waiting for a signal.
I’m a first-time GPS buyer who’s currently torn between the Garmin nuvi 255w and the TomTom One XL-S. The only thing I prefer about the nuvi is the Navteq maps, which (I’m told) are far better than the TeleAtlas maps used by TomTom. I love all the information provided in the TomTom map screen (current time, ETA, time left, miles left, etc), as well as the ability to customize it. I’m bummed about the prospect of sacrificing those perks in order to get the more reliable maps provided by Garmin.
I know that Tim suggested to another buyer that it’s a toss-up, in which case I’d just go with the TomTom (which also happens to be a lot cheaper). I just don’t want to sacrifice reliable accuracy for a better interface.
I guess my question is this: are the TeleAtlas maps REALLY so inferior to Navteq?
Jamie, see our article on NAVTEQ VS Tele Atlas. It will ultimately come down to your individual location. But no, at a big picture perspective the Tele Atlas maps are not inferior. In some neighborhoods one might be better than another, but overall map quality is comparable. I’ve got about 50 devices to choose from when I take a trip and map vendor is never a criteria in my decision of which device to take. You will find errors in each of them.
Tim, thank you so much for your quick reply and that extensive independent study. It’s definitely helped to relieve my concerns about the maps.
Out of curiosity, do you have any strong opinions about the quality of either of these devices (ONE XL-S versus nuvi 255w)?
No, I don’t have any strong opinions– they are both great devices.
Thanks again!
Hello i bought a 205 w recently and when i downloaded the 2010 map my nuvi does not work any more, it says no map found can not navigate with out map, i emailed garmin they told me i had to select a region before the map update but ithe download did not offer an option to select the region. Any ways if I had not backed up the files of my nuvi before the down load it would be useless. any tips and please do not tell me to call garmin i do not have time to wait on the phone, and they have not answeres any more of my emails.
Hi Tim
I will buy my first GPS for my car. Please tell me Garmin Nuvi 255 or 260 which GPS should i go for ? what is the main difference and whichone is better and latest.
thanks
I am considering buying the Garmin 255W. My question is regarding the photo viewing and the SD slot. I would like to be able to take the SD card from my camera and view pictures on my GPS that I take while away from home. The screen is so small on the camera it would be nice if I could view the pictures over the larger GPS screen. Is this possible on this GPS unit? If so, is it easy to do?
I am leaning toward the 255W though I have once concern. A salesperson told me the 255w calculates distance to destination but not from the point that you are but rather “the heart area of the city”. That sounded odd to me and maybe a deal breaker. Is it true or not true?
Darlyn, not true.
I know absolutely nothing about any of the GPS units. I have been looking at the Garmin 205 and the Garmin 255w. My son in law has the 255w and told me to spend about 20 extra dollars and get one like his. He said it listed the street names. Does the 205? I can get a great deal on the 205, less than half the price of the 255w. Is it worth the extra cost difference?
Basic difference between 205w and 255w is map coverage and Text-to-speech feature. 205 does not include Alaska/Canada and will not call out street names as they come up. Remember, street names are displayed on screen and these 2×5 series models all come with upcoming turn indicators – a real plus in my opinion. I personally am a no frills kind of guy so I can live without the fancier features.
Irecently purchased a Garmin 255W Nuvi. I live in Virginia – about 20 miles fron Washington, DC. However, when I try to input Washington, DC, I get Washington, VA. It will not notate Washington, DC or the District of Columbia. Can this problem be solved or is there something that I’m not during correctly. Thank you – frank.
I just recently purchased the Garmin Nuvin 255w. I was just wondering on this model – is there something you can press to see the directions/route it is planning to take you? I know I had to travel somewhere yesterday and it took me different routes then I would normally use to get there, that were definitely not much easier…so I used routes I would normally use to get there, and it did recalcuate. I know on my friends Garmin (which was an older model) she can hit \Menu\ and it will give you a list of the directions where it is taking you and where you can expect to go…Just wondering if you could tell me if the Nuvi 255w does this. Thanks so much!
Bailey, tap on the green bar at the top of the drviing view, then click ‘Show Map’.
im debating between the 255 and 260. They arent to much different which is whats making it so hard. Does anyone have any suggestions!!?
Stefanie, I’d go with the 255.
do you know what the main difference is? or what any big problems there have been
I just went through THREE Nuvi 255W (Canadian) units that I had to quickly exchange because of their dim screen. The third time a opted for the 255 (non-wide screen) and it’s nice, bright and sharp. Do you think this is a bad batch of 255W or the smaller screens are better than the wide ones?
Mario, I haven’t heard anything about bad batches, but it is possible. It is also possible they just started using a different screen– they have done that before.
I tried to post this earlier but something happened. It looked like I got disconnected and the first message never made it. So here goes again. I have a Nuvi 205 and received the map update on DVD but I am unable to unlock it. When I run it, it gets to the same point of checking for software updates, then after a minute or so tells me an error in communications has occured. At that point, my only option is to exit. I have contacted Garmin through a few phone calls and emails and they suggested a few things to try but they did not work. Their last suggestion was to get broadband. Does anyone know of a way I can bypass that part of the program and get directly to transferring over the maps to my Garmin? I have already downloaded the latest version of the software and it has been installed, as fas as I can tell. What I cannot do is transfer the maps over. Robert Toscani
Well, I see no one had any ideas as to how to upgrade. I have managed to get the files transfered by going to my auto mechanic who let me use his work computer. But I have to wonder. If you cannot upgrade via the Internet if you don’t have broadband and have to get disks, what is the point if the disks cannot function if you do not have broadband? Robert
Since I can’t download routes from mapquest & can only use waypoints, how do i create a routine using waypoints? Do I add my destination first and then add the furthest waypoints one at a time working my way back towards home or do you start with the closest waypoints and work your way up to your final destination? appreciate any help.
I have the Garman Nuvi 205W, and since owning it the saftey camera beep doesn’t work, regardless how many times I download the updates for the police cameras.
I had a previous model which had to go back due to refresh screen problems and that beeped a good 10 seconds even before the camera was in eye distance on the road.
Can anyone please help or advise, thank you.
Hi Tim,
Just bought a Nuvi 205 and want to know about charging it.
I haven’t started using it yet so it’s the 1st charge. Do you have to charge it initially for at least a set period of time like we used to do on cellphones or can you just get going irrespective?
Hi,
A quick question: for atlantic canada which is better? TomTom or Garmin?
Thanks
Speaking of the Green Bar at the top…. Older software loads for the 205W and 255W showed up coming cross streets in the \green bar\ area when traveling. (Not in route mode).
The newest software only names the street that you are driving on. Is there anyway to get the feature back on a Garmin with the new software?
Hi, I recently purchased a garmen 255W. It works great but once while driving I couldnt go the way it directed as it was blocked but it refused to show a detour and kept re-routing me to that lane..how can i get an alternative route or multiple route choices in that GPS?
so i got the garmin nuvi 205w for christmas and it worked well untill today when all of a sudden it started giving me, “no detailed maps that supportrouting. the nuvi cannot be used with out them”. Everything i read involed people updating before they began getting the message but all i did was turn it on it asked me to focus the screen by touching sertain points on the screen, it then went into select your region an such like it erased the memory. It loaded with a new map with none of my favorites, it then restarted an started saying “no detailed maps that supportrouting. the nuvi cannot be used with out them”. WHAT HAPPEND AND HOW DO I FIX IT? … I dont even think i can update the map to fix it because i belive u need the preloaded map in order to update… grrr
Hi- I am new to GPS and am considering either TomTom XL340S or Garmin Nuvi 255w. Current prices on the two are comparable. Looking for ease of use, portability. Any recommendations or other factors I should be considering? Thanks.
1. I have bought this product from a Romanian shop, in Bucharest, called MediaGalaxy. I have paid ~300 USD (900 lei) for a “full Europe” product. Yes, 300, and this was the lowest price I managed to found.
2. The thing that infuriates me most is the [Tools | Settings | Map | Map Info] command. It says: [1] Ro.A.D.2009 BETA. I am a software-developer. I have never had the nerve to sell a BETA version to our clients.
3. I bought this product in the eve of a trip to Thasos, Greece. I took the decision based on Amazon’s review. Bad idea. The first thing I did, before leaving Bucharest, was to look for updates. There were none.
4. I encountered the first problem in Bulgaria. For some reason the device froze to “99%” every time it tried to compute the route to Thasos Town, Thasos, Greece. The only way to get out of this was to ask for many shorter routes. Yes, I have reset the device. Several times.
5. The second problem was the “Drawing…” problem. It frozen again.
6. The third problem was the refresh problem. Sometimes it forgets to draw when it scrolls. You drag the map to the right and the left side remains white. Other times it paints garbage.
7. There is one thing to have an incomplete map, and a completely different thing to have an erroneous map. Garmin sold me a faulty Bulgaria map. Instead of taking me to Dimitrovgrad, a fairly large town, it took me to Gorsky-Izvor. Imagine how puzzled I was when Garmin’s map said “Dimitrovgrad” and the road sign said “Gorsky-Izvor”. Garmin wasted my time, my neurons, and my money. But I didn’t know that. I was so dazzled by the previously described problems I didn’t notice that Dimitrovgrad is Gorsky-Izvor. I have notice this problem when I made the same mistake, the second time, on the way back from Thassos. Needless to say there was a much shorter way to Dimitrovgrad.
8. Once I reached Greece Garmin took the decision to take me to Thassos by mountains, not by highway. Nice scenery, but I was too tired for this, there were no gas stations and my tank was almost dry. I finally found a gas station but it was so questionable I didn’t dare to fill more than two gallons. I finally reached the highway and a gas station. Garmin took again a curious decision and drove us away from highway and then again on the highway.
9. After 14 hour I have finally reached Thasos, a route a “trained” driver would make it in about 10 hours.
10. In Thasos I have discovered that we can drive through sea. Clear sky, open space, satellites signal, asphalt road, yet the blue “trail” said we are in the water or off-road.
11. We have tried to reach a monastery located in the mountains. Garmin drove us on dirt roads in a very chaotic way. So chaotic we had do abort the trip at the advice of two kind German excursionists: “The road is getting worst. You will need a pick-up or a jeep.” The next day we have discovered there is an asphalt road to that monastery. We were guided by villagers.
12. I have asked the way back from Thasos to Bucharest. “Great” surprise: Garmin was unable to compute it. I have tried several times.
13. The way back from Thassos took us 10:30 hours of effective driving. The hotel owner explained us which roads and towns to follow: “Forget about Garmin”. Yet I still wanted so much to see it work… so I drove again to “Dimitrovgrad” and realize I am stupid.
14. “3D Terrain Maps” Don’t be fooled by this. You won’t get anything near to GoogleEarth. It works only for small zooms (-) and it does not offer any additional information. It is just a “we have it, too”.
15. The next year I would like to go to Croatia. Therefore I have entered Porec as destination. Garmin is set to “Shorter distance”, yet it tells me that from Bucharest I should drive 250 km east to Constanta , then back to Bucharest and then, finally to Croatia.
16. There are more “minor” bugs, like:
a. The Romanian translation. The most obvious is the translation of “spell” which is translated as “rostiti” (“say” )
b. The odd spelling of towns.
c. The language spelling mixing.
d. The lack of zoom cache.
e. No blending.
f. The car icon is not scaled.
g. The width of roads.
h. In pedestrian or bike mode the icon is still a car.
i. The speed warning repeatedly pops-up even if you are managing your settings.
j. The interface.
k. The map accuracy touch requires a stylus, yet you do not receive one.
l. The log memory is too short.
m. Non null speed when standing still.
n. Etc., etc., etc.
I would like to return this device. Unfortunately there is a 24 hours return policy. I received a free map of Bulgaria from a gas station, a simple road map, which was more accurate and had more detail than Garmin.
ZDF, going from what the Map Info menu says, that sounds like a fake/black market, rip-off device and not a genuine Garmin. I don’t recall ever seeing a Garmin device say anything similar to that.
Tim, it is not, unfortunately. It is a third party map
Even in that case, a third party map could have caused many (but obviously not all) of the issues you reported.
The SW is, obviously, buggy. Some bugs are so evident! It is not a new product and they shoud have been fixed by now. I also beleive the SW does not know how to handle faulty maps, hence the “99%” and the inability to compute the reversed route. I will post some clips on Youtube as soon as possible.
Most of the problems you mention do not happen with Garmin maps.
I have posted three, unedited, clips on Youtube. Search for user TheFailureByDesign.
I have the Garmin 255 and it’s working great. I was using it on a long drive when I got the low battery message I plugged in the auto charger but the device went into charging mode and would not go back to the map. It only would show the picture for charging. we I disconnected the charger. I would have to waite a couple minutes and turn it back on. will this not work while plugged into the car charger?
Ricky, it should continue to work when plugged into the car charger. See Help! My GPS is in USB Mode! for troubleshooting steps.
I am curious to know if there is any difference in the degree of touch sensitivity between 255W and 265WT?
I tried the 260W from Costco but returned it because either the unit was defective or not touch sensitive enough (I had to press hard to get the interface to respond/react).
I tried the 265WT in a store (they did not have 255W in stock so could not compare that) and it was quite responsive only with a better than slight touch of a finger.
LOOKING TO BUY A GPS FOR MY HUSBAND. HE WANTS TO PLAN ROUTES FROM START TO FINISH, SEE WHAT SPEED HE’S GOING AND HAVE THE LITTLE VOICE. I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT GPS’S. I’VE BEEN LOOKING BETWEEN THE GARMIN NUVI 205 AND THE TOM TOM ONE 130. CAN ANYONE HELP ME DECIDE, PLEASE!
Have had your street pilot s330 well over 4 yrs. It’s great , but I bought a 205wt had troubletook it back and bought a nuvi 255wt having the same trouble with it. I keep losing the signal in brod day lite Never have I lost signal with the st. pilot c330, only when I’am parked in a building. I’ve had it with your new garmin’S I HAD A TOM TOMNOT THAT I WANT TO ,BUT I WANT SOMETHING I CAN DEPEND ON. ST. PILOT C330 still working well thank you, john
There is nothing in those videos that doesn’t point to anything other than a bad third party map.
It also says “CN Europe NT 2010.10?, so only the map of Romania is made by a third-party. Anyway this is not important since it is approved by Garmin and the device is carrying the Garmin logo.
The behavior cannot be fully explained by a faulty map.
Yes, the behavior in your videos can be fully explained by a faulty map. And no– the map you originally described… the one even YOU initially called into question, is NOT supported by Garmin. Garmin lists the map as a resource but says “Garmin does not support or sell these products directly”. End of story… time to move along.