Garmin NÜVI 255WT

...The reason why I picked Garmin was first that the internet and my friends made me believe this is one of the best choices available. Second, that it came with a proprietary set of maps, so I wouldn't have to chase them later. And third, because I liked the minimalistic design of both the unit and the software.

Now, having using it intensively for 3 days, this is what I like and dislike about Nuvi 255W.

It's a beauty, ...
...and it actually helped me get home on streets that I never knew existed.

One particular feature that is useful is the ability to recalculate your route. If you missed your turn, the unit recognizes your new direction and in a matter of seconds it tells you what direction to take to get back on track. I did this on purpose the other night, I took all the wrong turns, and Nuvi kept recalculating relentlessly till we finally got where ... more

I will start by saying that I never used a navigation device before, so for me, there is no term of comparison. I nevertheless had to buy one, considering that I usually travel across the country and I plan a sightseeing vacation in the south of France on my own.

The reason why I picked Garmin was first that the internet and my friends made me believe this is one of the best choices available. Second, that it came with a proprietary set of maps, so I wouldn't have to chase them later. And third, because I liked the minimalistic design of both the unit and the software.

Now, having using it intensively for 3 days, this is what I like and dislike about Nuvi 255W.

It's a beauty, to begin with. It does help find your way around, and it actually helped me get home on streets that I never knew existed.

One particular feature that is useful is the ability to recalculate your route. If you missed your turn, the unit recognizes your new direction and in a matter of seconds it tells you what direction to take to get back on track. I did this on purpose the other night, I took all the wrong turns, and Nuvi kept recalculating relentlessly till we finally got where we were supposed to.

The other nice thing about this Nuvi is that is very accurate in terms of locating. It is fast in receiving satellite signals and pointing where you are also in a matter of seconds. And thanks to the preloaded maps, it knew practically every street and alley I went down to, including exact addresses.

Then, the software is very friendly and simple to use. It is touchscreen-based, it carries big, easily recognizable icons, and lets you customize a lot of things. For instance, you can save your points of interests yourself and just point to them on the list of favorites without having to type the address again. It also shows many preinstalled points of interest and other useful hints, like traffic surveillance cameras. The directions are clear, told in advance and repeated on both the screen and by voice. You can also zoom in and out the map very easily, via the two icons placed on the right of the screen.

I was also pleased with the customer support I got from Garmin, both the website and the hotline. The staff were friendly, patient and quickly responsive, which to me, being a beginner in the field, was important.

Last but not least, the maps are pretty up-to-date and detailed, as mentioned above, with a few exceptions (see below). And the good thing is that you don't need to install them, or pay attention that they match with the operating system etc.

Mind you it doesn't have mp3 playing capability, bluetooth and other multiuse features, but I won't miss that. After all, you buy it for navigation, doing this is what it's good at. It does however carry an USB port and a SD card slot, for updates and uploading photos.

On the negative side, there are bugs in the maps - the Nuvi did not recognize all the one-way streets, for instance, and in some occasions prompted me to take U turns where this was illegal. There also was a funny occasion when the arrow on the display indicated a left turn, while the voice insisted I would turn right :)

It also doesn't recognize crowded routes, as the producer stated, and when taking the back alleys, it kept trying to get me back on the usually jammed streets. Mind you there is an option where you can select the fastest route or the shortest one, but neither seemed to give the most effective way to get to a point by avoiding jams.

One last thing I would complain about is that the touch screen is not highly responsive. On occassions, I had to press the same icon several times to activate it. Also, the software allows you to scroll through he maps, but that takes a bit of patience, too. Or maybe the screen is not so sensitive for a purpose, so you don't hit commands accidentally, who knows?

Basically, Nuvi 255W is a great help in navigating, it is simple, friendly and has a nice design. Of course, you can spend more on extra features on the more sophisticated models, but this one is just good enough for its purpose. I would definitely recommend it as one of the top 3 options if you decided to buy a navigator. 

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