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Garmin Nuvi 255W

The Garmin Nuvi 255W is the 4.3" widescreen version of the Garmin Nuvi 255 released in March, 2008 with retail price of $299.99. The 255W is the successor to the Garmin Nuvi 250W released in 2005. The 255W features several minor software updates over the predecessor including a QWERTY keyboard interface, detour routing, text-to-speech reading of street name, and updated 2009 North American maps. It also features compatibility the MSN Direct service.

Where to Buy

Garmin Nuvi 255W
MSRP $300.00
Release date March, 2008
Brand Garmin
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Pros & Cons26
Reviews15
Details
Buy It3
Competitors5
Comments3
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
14 reviews
49
negative
mixed
positive
5 positive
5 mixed
4 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
Option to change voices
+10agreedisagree

•
Easy to read display while driving
+9agreedisagree

•
Text-to-speech system for reading street names
+9agreedisagree

•
Excellent USB connectivity with your computer
+7agreedisagree

•
Turns on and off automatically with car using cigarrette adapter
+7agreedisagree

•
affordable price
+5agreedisagree

•
Has the latest 2009 maps out of the box
+4agreedisagree

•
Reroutes missed turns very quickly
+4agreedisagree

•
intuitive, easy to use user interface
+3agreedisagree

•
nice screen
+3agreedisagree

•
widescreen display makes it easier to input data
+2agreedisagree

•
compatible with msn direct services with the purchase of an adaptor (live traffic, weather, gas prices etc...)
+2agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
Typing is laggy; if you don't type carefully, it's easy to miss a letter or two.
+10agreedisagree

•
Doesn't include lifetime map updates
+8agreedisagree

•
Can't adjust road preferences that much. Doesn't learn from your habits in any way
+7agreedisagree

•
You can only set one waypoint for a trip
+6agreedisagree

•
Doesn't include USB cable or external AC power adapter
+6agreedisagree

•
Buggy for some street names: "Dr." gets read as "doctor" not "drive", "South Shore Rd." will get read/displayed as "Shore Rd."
+6agreedisagree

•
Somewhat "tinny" sound out of the speaker
+5agreedisagree

•
Tough to select a particular point on the map using touch screen
+5agreedisagree

•
No line/headphone output
+4agreedisagree

•
American voices are extremely annoying
+4agreedisagree

•
Can have trouble saying a few common words: "North", "Boulevard"
+4agreedisagree

•
Direction gets overriden if you put a via point at an intersection where you need to make a turn (bug)
+3agreedisagree

•
If you're driving too fast, it may not display the current road you're driving on, because it will zoom to far out
+2agreedisagree

•
Very poor sound out of the speaker even on high.
-2agreedisagree


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Details

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This report was started October 18, 2008 at 12:17 pm by Erik
with the last edit occurring Yesterday, 6:25 PM by Lefty10
This page has been viewed 11196 times, with 214 edits by 16 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Garmin Nuvi 255W

• Garmin n?vi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

UPC: 314979353570

EAN: 753759083588

MPN: Nuvi 255W

Competitors

TomTom Go 630

TomTom Go 630

MSRP  $299.95    Released  August, 2008
Pros
  • affordable price
  • limited extra features
  • fast and responsive interface
Cons
  • no full voice control
  • no full TomTom LIVE support
  • annoying to create detours
ProSCORE
2 reviews
62
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Garmin Nuvi 255W   vs. vote TomTom Go 630  
TomTom XL 330/330S

TomTom XL 330/330S

MSRP  $299.95    Released  April, 2008

The TomTom XL 330 and 330S are part of the XL series of automotive GPS receivers. Both units come equipped with a 4.3-inch high-resolution widescreen, TomTom's MapShare technology for personalization and updated information, traffic information and voice instruction. They both feature Plug-and-Go installation and EasyPort mounting for quick set-up and multi-vehicle use. The XL...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Garmin Nuvi 255W   vs. vote TomTom XL 330/330S  
Sony NV-U84

Sony NV-U84

MSRP  $349.95    Released  October, 2008

The Sony NV-U84 is an advanced automotive GPS navigation system designed to relate specific directions to drivers over a hands-free text-to-voice interface. It has a 4.8" widescreen (16:10) 480 x 272 pixel touch screen with anti-glare and a high brightness feature. The specially designed Si-TFT Active Matrix touch screen offers a simple command interface...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Garmin Nuvi 255W   vs. vote Sony NV-U84  
Nextar K4

Nextar K4

MSRP  $325.00    Released  July, 2008

The Nextar K4 is a GPS navigator that provides voice prompted directions and an MP3/Movie player. 1.6 million points of interest along with maps of 50 US states are included in the built-in 2GB memory. An SD card slot is available for adding more memory and maps can be viewed in either 2D or...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Garmin Nuvi 255W   vs. vote Nextar K4  
Sony NV-U73T

Sony NV-U73T

MSRP  $300.00    Released  February, 2008

The Sony NV-U73T is a touchscreen GPS navigator that comes preloaded with maps of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and uses street name accurate speech commands via built-in speaker. Dual View map view can display important information on one half of the screen while displaying a 3-D map on the other...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Garmin Nuvi 255W   vs. vote Sony NV-U73T  

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Comments

1.  avatar Erik said:

There's a common comparison between the 255W and the 260W. I say go for the 255W since it has the newer interface, and updated maps right out of the box. You'll see them price similarly in stores.
Oct 18, 2008 12:35pm
2.  avatar Erik said:

I've been driving around with this unit for a while, and I am very pleased. It's easy to read, the directions are simple to follow, and the overall experience is pleasant. I set my voice to British Serena speaking American English because I found the American female or male voice obnoxious (it's kill-oh-mee-ters, not kill-aw-meh-ters). That and it sounds cooler. I think it's my love affair with the original Knight Rider kicking in.

My main gripe with the unit, and pretty much all automotive GPS units is that they don't learn from my driving habits. They make approximations of road speeds based of speed limits and things, and there suggested routes are thus not often the fastest in reality. I'd love to see a GPS that keeps track of how fast each road "really" is based on my (and others if connected via Web) actual driving on those roads. That way, the unit could always tell me the true fastest way to get to my location based on historical data. And, yes, I speed.
Oct 20, 2008 4:54pm
3.  avatar dakalvia said:

Just got this unit as a bday gift, but have used similar one before. I agree that the american voices are totally annoying: "RECALCULATING....RECALCULATING--IF PAH-SAW-BAL MAKE A U-TURN." It is somewhat amusing at first to hear a robo-voice with a Chicago accent...but turns into an annoyance after a hour or two. Overall this is a sweet GPS unit to have on the road though.
Oct 23, 2008 3:10pm
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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Erik

avatar
March 20, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
35
negative
mixed
positive
7 pros
13 cons
trustedtrusted
have ithave it
love itlove it
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Option to change voices
  • Easy to read display while driving
  • Text-to-speech system for reading street names
  • Excellent USB connectivity with your computer
  • Turns on and off automatically with car using cigarrette adapter
  • Has the latest 2009 maps out of the box
  • Reroutes missed turns very quickly

Cons

  • Typing is laggy; if you don't type carefully, it's easy to miss a letter or two.
  • Doesn't include lifetime map updates
  • Can't adjust road preferences that much. Doesn't learn from your habits in any way
  • You can only set one waypoint for a trip
  • Doesn't include USB cable or external AC power adapter
  • Buggy for some street names: "Dr." gets read as "doctor" not "drive", "South Shore Rd." will get read/displayed as "Shore Rd."
  • Somewhat "tinny" sound out of the speaker
  • Tough to select a particular point on the map using touch screen
  • No line/headphone output
  • American voices are extremely annoying
  • Can have trouble saying a few common words: "North", "Boulevard"
  • Direction gets overriden if you put a via point at an intersection where you need to make a turn (bug)
  • If you're driving too fast, it may not display the current road you're driving on, because it will zoom to far out

Comments

"There's a common comparison between the 255W and the 260W. I say go for the 255W since it has the newer interface, and updated maps right out of the box. You'll see them price similarly in stores."
"I've been driving around with this unit for a while, and I am very pleased. It's easy to read, the directions are simple to follow, and the overall experience is pleasant. I set my voice to British Serena speaking American English because I found the American female or male voice obnoxious (it's kill-oh-mee-ters, not kill-aw-meh-ters). That and it sounds cooler. I think it's my love affair with the original Knight Rider kicking in.

My main gripe with the unit, and pretty much all automotive GPS units is that they don't learn from my driving habits. They make approximations of road speeds based of speed limits and things, and there suggested routes are thus not often the fastest in reality. I'd love to see a GPS that keeps track of how fast each road "really" is based on my (and others if connected via Web) actual driving on those roads. That way, the unit could always tell me the true fastest way to get to my location based on historical data. And, yes, I speed."
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

dakalvia

avatar
October 29, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
55
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
5 cons
trustedtrusted
love itlove it
have ithave it
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Option to change voices
  • Easy to read display while driving
  • Text-to-speech system for reading street names
  • Excellent USB connectivity with your computer
  • Turns on and off automatically with car using cigarrette adapter
  • Has the latest 2009 maps out of the box

Cons

  • Doesn't include lifetime map updates
  • You can only set one waypoint for a trip
  • Doesn't include USB cable or external AC power adapter
  • Somewhat "tinny" sound out of the speaker
  • American voices are extremely annoying

Comments

"Just got this unit as a bday gift, but have used similar one before. I agree that the american voices are totally annoying: "RECALCULATING....RECALCULATING--IF PAH-SAW-BAL MAKE A U-TURN." It is somewhat amusing at first to hear a robo-voice with a Chicago accent...but turns into an annoyance after a hour or two. Overall this is a sweet GPS unit to have on the road though."
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

legacyb4

avatar
January 12, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
43
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
4 cons
trustedtrusted
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Excellent USB connectivity with your computer
  • Has the latest 2009 maps out of the box
  • Reroutes missed turns very quickly

Cons

  • Typing is laggy; if you don't type carefully, it's easy to miss a letter or two.
  • Can't adjust road preferences that much. Doesn't learn from your habits in any way
  • You can only set one waypoint for a trip
  • Somewhat "tinny" sound out of the speaker

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Amanie

avatar
December 30, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
38
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
8 cons
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Option to change voices
  • Easy to read display while driving
  • Text-to-speech system for reading street names
  • Excellent USB connectivity with your computer
  • Turns on and off automatically with car using cigarrette adapter

Cons

  • Doesn't include lifetime map updates
  • Can't adjust road preferences that much. Doesn't learn from your habits in any way
  • You can only set one waypoint for a trip
  • Doesn't include USB cable or external AC power adapter
  • Somewhat "tinny" sound out of the speaker
  • Tough to select a particular point on the map using touch screen
  • No line/headphone output
  • Can have trouble saying a few common words: "North", "Boulevard"

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

John Jackson

avatar
June 30, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
48
negative
mixed
positive
12 pros
13 cons
love itlove it
have ithave it

Pros

  • Option to change voices
  • Easy to read display while driving
  • Text-to-speech system for reading street names
  • Excellent USB connectivity with your computer
  • Turns on and off automatically with car using cigarrette adapter
  • affordable price
  • Has the latest 2009 maps out of the box
  • Reroutes missed turns very quickly
  • intuitive, easy to use user interface
  • nice screen
  • widescreen display makes it easier to input data
  • compatible with msn direct services with the purchase of an adaptor (live traffic, weather, gas prices etc...)

Cons

  • Typing is laggy; if you don't type carefully, it's easy to miss a letter or two.
  • Doesn't include lifetime map updates
  • Can't adjust road preferences that much. Doesn't learn from your habits in any way
  • You can only set one waypoint for a trip
  • Doesn't include USB cable or external AC power adapter
  • Buggy for some street names: "Dr." gets read as "doctor" not "drive", "South Shore Rd." will get read/displayed as "Shore Rd."
  • Somewhat "tinny" sound out of the speaker
  • Tough to select a particular point on the map using touch screen
  • No line/headphone output
  • American voices are extremely annoying
  • Direction gets overriden if you put a via point at an intersection where you need to make a turn (bug)
  • If you're driving too fast, it may not display the current road you're driving on, because it will zoom to far out
  • Very poor sound out of the speaker even on high.

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Linda Shadrick

avatar
May 25, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
31
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
9 cons
have ithave it

Pros

  • Option to change voices
  • Easy to read display while driving
  • Text-to-speech system for reading street names
  • nice screen

Cons

  • Typing is laggy; if you don't type carefully, it's easy to miss a letter or two.
  • Doesn't include lifetime map updates
  • Can't adjust road preferences that much. Doesn't learn from your habits in any way
  • Doesn't include USB cable or external AC power adapter
  • Buggy for some street names: "Dr." gets read as "doctor" not "drive", "South Shore Rd." will get read/displayed as "Shore Rd."
  • No line/headphone output
  • American voices are extremely annoying
  • Can have trouble saying a few common words: "North", "Boulevard"
  • If you're driving too fast, it may not display the current road you're driving on, because it will zoom to far out

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

anneha

avatar
Thursday, 10:06 PM
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
55
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
5 cons

Pros

  • Option to change voices
  • Easy to read display while driving
  • Text-to-speech system for reading street names
  • Turns on and off automatically with car using cigarrette adapter
  • affordable price
  • nice screen

Cons

  • Typing is laggy; if you don't type carefully, it's easy to miss a letter or two.
  • Doesn't include lifetime map updates
  • Buggy for some street names: "Dr." gets read as "doctor" not "drive", "South Shore Rd." will get read/displayed as "Shore Rd."
  • Tough to select a particular point on the map using touch screen
  • Can have trouble saying a few common words: "North", "Boulevard"

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Martin Culjak

avatar
June 26, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
50
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
5 cons
have ithave it

Pros

  • Option to change voices
  • Text-to-speech system for reading street names
  • Excellent USB connectivity with your computer
  • Turns on and off automatically with car using cigarrette adapter
  • affordable price

Cons

  • Typing is laggy; if you don't type carefully, it's easy to miss a letter or two.
  • Doesn't include lifetime map updates
  • Can't adjust road preferences that much. Doesn't learn from your habits in any way
  • You can only set one waypoint for a trip
  • American voices are extremely annoying

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

simplistic

avatar
April 22, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
70
negative
mixed
positive
7 pros
3 cons
love itlove it
have ithave it
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Option to change voices
  • Easy to read display while driving
  • Text-to-speech system for reading street names
  • Excellent USB connectivity with your computer
  • Turns on and off automatically with car using cigarrette adapter
  • Has the latest 2009 maps out of the box
  • Reroutes missed turns very quickly

Cons

  • Typing is laggy; if you don't type carefully, it's easy to miss a letter or two.
  • Buggy for some street names: "Dr." gets read as "doctor" not "drive", "South Shore Rd." will get read/displayed as "Shore Rd."
  • Tough to select a particular point on the map using touch screen

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Yale

avatar
May 1, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
86
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
1 con
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Option to change voices
  • Text-to-speech system for reading street names
  • affordable price
  • intuitive, easy to use user interface
  • widescreen display makes it easier to input data
  • compatible with msn direct services with the purchase of an adaptor (live traffic, weather, gas prices etc...)

Cons

  • Doesn't include USB cable or external AC power adapter

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No
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This product is also known as:

255, W, 255W