Traffic-Capable for Either FM Traffic or Enhanced MSN Direct ContentFM Traffic
Widescreen -- See More of What's Around
Where Am I?On any nüvi (including this one), you can just tap "Where Am I?" to find the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations, nearest address and intersection. Also see your exact latitude and longitude coordinates.First-Rate Map Data
Garmin LockGarmin's patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location
Beyond Navigation
Trick Your GPS Ride
Notes
Which nüvi is Best for You?Note: All nüvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.
Customer Reviews: | Showing reviews 1-5 of 979 Garmin Nuvi 255w July 1, 2008Schultzie (Northeast PA) 1695 out of 1699 found this review helpful I actually could not decide between the Garmin Nuvi 255w or the 750 model, so I decided to buy them both for comparison. I mounted them both to my car windshield and gave them various addresses to find together. I found that both models took the same routes and announced upcoming turns and street names at practically the same time. One thing I noticed about the 255w was that it was updating my position on the road more often, I'd say about 3 times as often as the 750. This made for smoother graphics on the 255w of the vehicle moving along displayed roads, where the 750's display was more of a "jerky" movement. I also found that the display on the 255w was a bit brighter, clearer, and more vivid than on the 750 in both daylight and at night. Another feature I like on the 255w is the graphic turn indicator in the upper left corner, which the 750 lacks. This is a small arrow which shows upcoming turns and the distance to that turn. It also show things like a fork in the road, (ie: a Y intersection), and which fork you will be taking. The 750 just displays text on the top line for upcoming turns without the arrow. It's just a little extra feature on the 255w which I happened to really like. The 255 also automatically adjusts the font size of displayed text so that even lengthy text will fit. Another feature on the 255w is a display of the posted speed limit on the road which you are currently on right above your current displayed speed. I found myself not even looking at my car speedometer as I could easily see my current speed and the speed limit of my route at a glance. The 750 doesn't have this feature. I also like how they moved the zoom in (+) and zoom out (-) buttons on the 255w to the same side of the screen which makes it a bit easier. On the 750 the zoom buttons are on opposite sides of the screen. Now there are some features on the 750 that the 255w does not have. The 750 can broadcast it's sound over your FM radio with the supplied cigarette lighter cable, and it has a headphone jack, which I found to be nice features. The 750 also has an MP3 player and an Audio-book player, which the 255w does not. Another really nice feature of the 750 is the car locater. This is a great feature if you are parking in a really big lot, such as at an amusement park or a fair. The 750 marks your location when you remove it from the car, then you take it with you and it remembers where you parked and takes you right back to your car. The 255w doesn't have the car locater. I also thought the the voice prompts of the 750 where more pleasant sounding than the 255w's. The 750 sounds more like a real female voice, where the 255w sounds more robotic. Another thing to consider was that I paid $50 less for the 750 and it came with the FM transmitter cable and a USB cord to connect it to your computer for updates and downloads. My final decision was to keep the 255w and return the 750 because I really liked the graphic turn indicator and the posted speed limit and current speed indicators. I didn't find a need for the 750's MP3 player and Audio book player, but that is up to personal preference. Since the USB cable was not included with the 255w, I purchased it on this site for $10. I also intend to purchase the MSN direct cable when it is available in August 2008. Best In Its Class - Great For Traveling August 7, 2008EmbeddedFlyer (Seattle, WA United States) 299 out of 305 found this review helpful If you spend much time driving in unfamiliar territory, especially if you rent cars in big cities, a good portable GPS makes an amazing difference. And the Garmin 255W is the best one I could find in the $250 - $350 range. First this thing just plain works. I haven't had any issues with mine. It was easy to set up and figure out right out of the box, and it's easy to use. It never has had trouble getting sufficient signal unlike earlier and cheaper models. I chose the 255W for several reasons: It uses some of the newest and best maps available. It has one of the more usable touch screens for entering destinations. It's fast to acquire satellites. And Garmin almost always comes out on top in reviews--especially in routing. Ultimately, you buy a car GPS to get you from Point A to Point B as easily and efficiently as possible. And that's what the 255W does best. If you've ever had a "Brand X" GPS take you on some strange route that adds 20 minutes to your trip, has you turn the wrong way down a one way road, tell you to turn AFTER you've passed the street, frequently loses the satellite signal, or has old maps missing streets, you know how important this stuff is. The 255W has a really clear display that's easy to see in any light. It's small enough to use on foot. The windshield mount works great and it's easy to toss in the glovebox when you park. It even tells you the speed limit on most roads. The "points of interest" feature works very well to find places to eat by type of cuisine, gas stations, etc. The difference between the 255W and 205W is the 255 speaks street names and includes Alaska and Canada. The 205 and 205W will tell you to "turn right in 500 feet" which isn't as helpful or obvious as "turn right on Ivy Street in 500 feet". The "W" models are widescreen which makes entering destinations easier due to having a bigger "keyboard" and also lets you see more map area while driving. All in all this isn't the cheapest GPS in its class but it's one of the best. My only gripe is you need an expensive add-on to get live traffic data--something that's included with the Magellan Roadmate 1430 which is close to the same price. But the Garmin 255W is a better GPS in every other way. LOVE the Garmin Nuvi 255W June 29, 2008L. Smith (CT) 123 out of 126 found this review helpful I received this GPS system about a week ago, and I haven't found one thing to complain about yet. The features are great, and all entirely user friendly. No need to read the manual, just plug it in and go! The Garmin Nuvi 255W connects to satellites extremely fast--So when I get in my car and turn it on, we're pretty much ready to go immediately. The new display posts speed limit signs of major roads flush left on the screen, which is a new feature that is also really helpful, if you're driving in an unfamiliar area. The widescreen display makes it possible to view the names of roads that you are passing on the screen--which makes it much easier to differentiate between which road to turn on when there are two streets on your right (not clearly labeled) that are only one house apart...which has happened to me twice... Also, the fact that the Garmin Nuvi 255W speaks street names is also helpful in times like these. In addition, another feature I find to be immensely helpful is how fast the Nuvi 255W recalculates your position if you do miss a turn. I love the detour feature, it saved me a ton of time when I heard there was an accident on the highway and took back roads that I would have never known existed! I would recommend the Garmin Nuvi 255W to anyone looking for a fast, reliable, and easy to use GPS system. Great product- very happy July 27, 2008Chuck T. Moser (Bend, Oregon) 91 out of 93 found this review helpful I've never owned a GPS personally, but have had the occasional opportunity to use friends and family's GPS that comes with the cars, most notably the ones in Honda's CRV's... and have wanted one ever since. After picking up the Nuvi 255w, I gotta say, this comes pretty darn close to the experience with the expensive factory-installed units... only smaller. In short, I can't think of much I don't like about it. It picks up the satellites quickly (I've never noticed a lag), routes fast, has good animation (maybe 6-8 frames a second?), and is very, very accurate. The preloaded maps don't include some of the roads that have been built in our town in the last year (which is to be expected), but does include our street, which isn't even available on Google Maps yet. (Go figure) It's light, looks good and comes with everything you need EXCEPT the USB cable to hook it to the computer. If you don't have this, the only way to charge it is to use the cigarette lighter adapter that comes in the box. I just used the one that came with my digital camera, and it works fine. The screen is easily readable in the sun, and I love how it automatically dims to 20% at night. One purpose this can be used for, which I never thought of before, is a portable yellow pages. Not only does it give you the address of the business, it also gives the phone number. Pretty cool. I didn't have the problems with the sounds of the voices like others have. They sound good to me... a little mechanical, but good. The interface is a seller for me. Keep in mind that I don't really have much experience to compare it to, but it's obvious they've put some thought into it. The icons are a bit garish and cartoony, though... it's no iPhone. The cons: The documentation sucks. Not that you really need it... the directions didn't tell me anything I didn't already know after fiddling with it for 10 minutes. It doesn't ALWAYS speak the street names... most of the time, though. Some of the voices are annoying. The British accent seems to talk in slow motion, but I think it's the easiest to understand. I think they could work a little harder on the interface from a design standpoint. Nothing major, just a few tweaks here and there could really make it shine. The Mac support is little lacking. All in all, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. It truly is a great value, and I have no regrets. My only advice to Garmin is to reduce the number of different models by more than half. It's a nightmare to try and make a confident decision with the sheer amount of choices and features that seem to make little sense as to why some are more expensive than others. No longer 500 miles from nowhere.... June 23, 2009C. Coleman (Atlanta) 38 out of 39 found this review helpful Garmin's nuvi 255W (widescreen) is a handy little device that provides excellent value, but more importantly spot on directions. First thing's first: Why the widescreen over the standard size? Well, for starters, it is larger and perhaps a bit easier to see. But let me expand just a bit...when it comes to gadgets and technology, I'm a design freak. For example, I don't want the smallest, most compact mobile telephone on the market becase they simply aren't user friendly. I have no need for a cute phone. I have a need for a phone that I can locate in my pocket with buttons large enough to accomodate my fingers and an ear piece and microphone that are spaced in a way that makes me feel like I'm on a telephone, not talking to air through a straw. We've become a society that seems to prefer the widescreen format for lots of things, mainly televisions and computer monitors. Well then, the Widescreen of the Garmin255 seems to fit the bill, so to speak. It just seems to make sense to have widescreen technology on a mapping device. It's a more comfortable view. And after all, think about this: is your rearview mirror not the original "widescreen" accessory in the automotive world? Windshield mounting is easy, although I note that lots of cars now have these interestingly angled windshields that are further away from the driver than is sometimes comfortable for GPS operation. While I recommend that you refrain from entering a directions request while driving your car, I note that some of the more impressive features of this GPS are literally one touch away, and so mounting the device close enough to you to activite a one touch feature would seem to be relatively important. No one has perfected a system for what to do with the cords hanging from everywhere, but it's not really that much of a bother. Garmin's have batteries that charge, but I prefer to operate mine on corded power. With it's text to speech delivery, mounting is unnecessary. But leaving it on the seat next to you is likely to cause a few double takes because as comfortable as you think you're going to be just listening for directions, the fact remains that the graphics will attract your eyeballs like a moth to a flame. So be careful about such operation. SECURITY: I recommend that each and every time you get out of your car, you disconnect not JUST the Garmin BUT ALSO the mounting device. GPS are one of the most stolen items on the planet. A thief passing by is more likely to smash and grab if he can see the GPS still hanging there on your windshield, or suspects that it's right there on the seat or under that jacket because you left the mounting bracket up there. Yes, this is a pain, but with a little carrying case, this Garmin will fit in your purse, a backpack, briefcase, coat pocket, etc. It's a little big for the back pocket a la the George Costanza wallet (for your Seinfeld fans). But the name of the game for thieves is speed. If they don't see it readily available, they tend to just move on to the next car. Accuracy: I've found the directions in major metropolitan areas to be excellent. We've had a few issues in more remote locations. I'm not sure I understand exactly how to correct such things as Garmin is not Wikipedia, per se... but for the most part, we find that the Garmin software provides accurate directions, whereever we intend to go. I also find that the Garmin gives more than ample warning about upcoming turns. Likewise the top navigation bar indicates whether the next move will be right or left, and this helps you determine whether you might need to switch lanes. I do want to point out that Garmins, like Tom Toms and every other GPS sometimes have the propensity to announce something obvious to you.... for instance, in Florida, we were told of an upcoming "turn" on I-4. There was no "turn" on I-4, it just stays I-4... but there was a major exit and the Garmin appeared to want to make sure we didn't drift off the interstate onto a road to goodness knows where. This isn't really a flaw, but something you may experience with the Garmin, or frankly any other GPS. I like have multiple speaker dialect options. I frequently use Australian female because she sounds somewhat like Nicole Kidman, and what better way to be told where to go than by a pleasant looking Academy Award winning actress. But to each his or her own. I note that a competitor is coming out with a Homer Simpson version of the GPS voices. This, folks, is where we're headed. While I doubt Homer will read every street name, etc... it's going to lead to multiple versions of these things.... Looney Tunes, Disney, etc. I, for one, would love to see additional dialects, perhaps even regional ones for the GPS, just for the entertainment value. Can you imagine being told to turn left down yonder by a Larry the Cable Guy GPS accent? At the risk of offending - I see a world of opportunity for more fun dialects. But, then again, I enjoy the slapstick aspects of life. I'm certain that eventually, my wife would insist I put it on something normal. But, a man can dream. One of my favorite features on the Garmin 255W is the odometer screen that will allow you to track all sorts of data about your long car trip. With a reset button, you can track your max speed, moving time, stopped time, average speed total for the trip, average moving speed, etc. It tells you on the main screen your estimated time of arrival which will change depending upon your stops and speed. This function is not accurate if you don't leave it in battery mode say, when you stop at the Cracker Barrell for lunch and to play one of those trangle games with the tees. We have found the estimated arrival function to be absolutely spot on. Additionally, I find the data in the odometer screen to be fasscinating. Remember when your dad used to announce upon arrival at your grandmother's house at Thanksgiving that you all made it in 7 hours and 21 minutes? Well, you can one up him now by not only announcing the time, but the average speed as well, and you have documented proof of the reason you were delayed for precisely 7.3 minutes (because you know how had to stop AGAIN to use the restroom). Another screen at the touch of the button will show you the turn by turn directions coming up so that you can plan even better, especially in areas that you have just enough familiarity to be considered dangerous. I like how the Garmin 255W doesn't make you type in complete directions when it isn't necessary. If you know the house number is 455 and you start typing Peachtree.... it knows that there is only a 455 on Peachtree Way, and it automatically rules out Road, Street, Boulevard, etc. Or, it gives you a touchscreen choice of the only possibilities that there are. I wish that the GPS had a remote control that allowed you to change screens without having to lean forward while driving, or better yet, responded to voice commands. Until then, the single touch works fine, but be careful. The only other annoyance of any time is that if you deviate from your route and don't indicate that you are detouring, you get to hear the Garmin repeatedly chastize you because it has to recalulate your directions. On the positive side, once you tell it where you want to go, it's tries it's darndest to make sure you get there and it doesn't really want you to get off the beaten path. Nevertheless, it can be annoying to need gas and be told 16 times, "RECALCULATING." Some dialects sound more harsh than others. My only solace is that I doubt I'll tire of Nicole Kidman telling me she's recalculating. On second thought, even that would be annoying. So, why get a GPS at all? I know, I know, I too used to tell people that with Mapquest and Google Maps, I didn't need a GPS. And truth be told, I can't think of too many people that NEED GPS. But... 1. It saves time. No more firing up the computer, going to the site, printing the directions. 2. It saves paper. 3. It provides immediate alternatives if the route from the online map program was inaccurate or blocked by an obstacle. 4. It speaks the directions so that you don't have to keep looking down at a piece of paper. 5. It allows for detours with directions on how to get back. 6. You can save favorites in it so that you can immediately navigate to places you frequent, no matter what direction you're coming from. 7. Saves mobile phone minutes, because you don't have to call and ask for directions. At a more reasonable $179.00 the Garmin 255W offers excellent value and truly makes driving around a little bit easier. I highly recommend. Showing reviews 1-5 of 979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||