More than 87 percent of customer reviewers give the Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator at least a 4 out of 5 rating. A full 59 percent of those were 5-star ratings, with comments like “I’d buy another in a heartbeat.” And right now, you can find the best deals on the Garmin nüvi 255W GPS navigation system at Amazon.com.

Why Choose the Garmin nuvi 255W GPS?

Reviewers rated the Garmin nuvi 255W on 23 attributes. In order, those receiving the highest ranking were (1) accuracy, (2) ease of use, (3) features, (4) maps, (5) voice directions, and (6) customer service. When was the last time you saw a company ranked highly for its customer support? Let’s look more closely at the most commonly noted pros and cons of the 255W navigation system by its owners.


255W Car GPS Pros: Why Owners Raved

Accuracy – “Nothing beats the accuracy of a Garmin!” one customer raved. The observation that owners made most often was that the 255W gets you from point A to point B directly and quickly – no out-of-the-way strange routes. One wrote that his 255W GPS unit taught him something new. For years, he had always traveled the same route to get home, but his 255W routed him a different, and he soon learned, shorter way! One of the features of the 255W is that it tells the driver what time he or she will arrive at the destination. Reviewers raved that the estimated arrival time was usually “spot on.”

Ease of use - “Just plug it in and go.” One reviewer noted that he had used his 255W car GPS for more than 2000 miles and still had not needed to read the instructions. Another wrote that she had her new unit up and running within 2 minutes. Reviewer after reviewer raved about being able to take their new unit out of the box and have it running in no time, including one who described herself as a “technological idiot.”

The 255 GPS incorporates the new Garmin HotFix system, which enables it locate a satellite signal and begin transmitting almost immediately. Your car’s GPS system needs to lock signals with 3 satellites before it can identify your vehicle’s location. The GPS system is made up of a 31-satellite constellation and ground stations. The HotFix technology speeds up this process by decreasing the time needed to get that three-satellite lock.

When you turn off the 255W, HotFix remembers the position of all the satellites it is tracking, calculates their movements, and predicts where they are when you next turn on the unit. This speeds up the time needed to locate 3 satellites. HotFix can retain its data for up to 3 days. The result: Most reviewers reported that it took 10-30 seconds to acquire a satellite lock, as opposed to up to 15 minutes with some other GPS car units.

Beneficial features – The 255W is a feature-rich GPS navigator unit. Those that impressed owners the most include the following:

• Widescreen – The W in 255W stands for “widescreen.” The redesigned screen gives drivers much more useful information. For example, the screen tells the distance to and direction of the next turn, the name of the road you’ll be turning onto, your driving speed vs. the speed limit, and the time you’ll arrive at your destination. That’s some helpmate!
• Touchscreen display – The display is bright, clear, and vivid. The touchscreen is responsive, increasing safety for drivers.
• 6.5 million preloaded points of interest - Parks, hotels, restaurants, movie theatres, Starbucks, gas stations, ATMs, and more are all preloaded along with the maps of all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada. In addition, you can load your own points of interest (POIs) into the system. With the 255W, you can even send addresses from Google maps and MapQuest to your unit and have it route you to these destinations.
• 2D/3D mapping perspective - Another safety feature that makes it very easy to see elements on the screen. The 2D function brings the preloaded terrain maps to life, letting you know when you will encounter mountains, hills, and other important changes in the topography during your drive.
• Voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions - This was a favorite, with many noting that they appreciated how specific the directions were. Most, but not all, reviewers found the speech and directions clear. One reviewer noted that even with his hearing loss, he found the directions clear. The unit offers multiple dialects and the opportunity to download others if none of the included ones are to your liking.
• Text-to-speech -The voice feature speaks street names. It doesn’t just tell you to turn at the next street. It tells you the name of the street. “In .2 miles, turn left on Sherman Street [or the street name].” Right before arriving at Sherman Street, it again announces, “Turn left on Sherman Street.” The unit also announces changes in the road – for example, when a fork in the road is up ahead, it tells you which way to go before the road splits.
• Detour – People loved this feature because it saved them time when accidents or unexpected road closures necessitated a change in the route. With the 255W, you simply touch the Detour feature, and it re-routes you. Also, if you stray from the route the unit has set for you, it “recalculates” a new route to your destination.
• Photo navigation – This new feature allows you to upload geocoded photos from a phone or your camera and then navigate to them using the 255W.
• PIN-protected anti-theft design – In case your car or unit is stolen, the Garmin lock system ensures thieves won’t get to use your nuvi 255W GPS. To unlock the unit, you must either input the PIN code or drive to a predetermined safe destination, such as your home.
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery – Most found the battery life, rated as up to 4 hours, lived up to its rating.
• Where Am I? – This feature can be used in an emergency to either get you to help or get help to you. One reviewer wrote that she used the feature to get emergency help to herself following a car accident after rescuers failed to pick up an accurate signal from her cell phone.
• QWERTY keyboard – An on-screen QWERTY keyboard lets you type in the name of your destination. This provides still more flexibility in getting routed to your destination.
• Free map update – If you register your Garmin nuvi 255W GPS navigator online within 60 days of first acquiring a satellite, you are entitled to one free map update.

Portability – Your 255W navigator is designed to go with you. It will route you whether you’re in a vehicle or on foot. The 4.3-inch unit fits comfortably you’re your pocket or purse. The long-life battery also makes portability easier.

Customer support – Owners were very happy with the level of customer support they received. Garmin support responded quickly, were helpful, and spoke English.

Designed to be economical – The new “ecoRoute™” feature lets you select the most fuel-efficient route to your destination.. The feature lets you see your vehicle’s fuel economy, carbon footprint, and the cost of traveling to your destination. You can also get fuel reports from the 255W unit.

See many of these features demonstrated in the video.

Important: The Garmin Nuvi 255W ships only within the United States.

Click here to purchase and start enjoying your Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator.

255W Car GPS Cons: Why Owners Complained

Owners’ complaints centered on a few basic areas:

Voice direction quality – Some owners just didn’t like the voices available. They felt they were tinny, uninteresting, or, in a few cases, not clear enough.

No multi-point routing – You can’t route several destinations at once, but you can enter them individually, save them in a Favorites file, and recall them one by one later as you need them.

Not including a USB cable in the package – Most owners felt that one should have been included, but most also noted that they already owned one. Garmin 255W registration over the Internet is recommended. In fact, it’s the only way to quality for a free update of the maps. A USB cable is needed to make this connection and download updates. If you don’t already own one, this is an extra purchase.

No carrying case included – Many reviewers felt that a carrying case was needed to protect the sensitive touchscreen in the 255W. Garmin does not provide one with the 255W GPS unit, but you can purchase a carrying case accessory.

Custom POI – Some reviewers felt it should be easier to organize the points of interest that they added.

Traffic update plug-in is extra – Some felt this should have been included as standard equipment. The plug-in can be purchased on the Garmin website.

Mac support needs improvement – Some Mac owners felt they didn’t have as many options available as PC owners.

Overall, most customers’ comments were along the lines of this one: “It meets and exceeds my expectations. I’d recommend it to anyone. Simple but powerful.”

Inside the Garmin 255W GPS Box

Here’s what’s included in your 255W box:

• Garmin nuvi 255W unit
• Preloaded navigation software that covers all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada
• Vehicle suction cup mount
• Cigarette lighter adapter cable
• Dashboard disk
• Quick start guide (Complete Garmin nuvi 255W manual available online)

Click here to purchase and start enjoying your Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator. While there, check out the Garmin nuvi 255W accessories.

Have Fun with Geocaching and Your 255W

One of the invaluable features of the Garmin nuvi 255 GPS system is its portability. It’s designed to guide you whether you’re driving or out on foot soaking up Mother Nature. So why not have some fun with your new Garmin nuvi navigator? GPS technology is central to the new sport of geocaching. What is geocaching? It’s a modern take on hide and seek and treasure hunts that has you using your GPS navigator to find geocoded hidden treasures. Caches waiting to be uncovered in your scavenger hunt now exist in more than 180 countries.

GPS technology has come a long way since someone figured out how to bottle all that power inside of consumer products. The same technology once used to fight Operation Desert Storm today guides our cars, makes our fishing trips a lot less frustrating, tracks down our lost pets, and let’s us play a technology-enhanced scavenger hunt.

How can you join in the fun? Set your Garmin unit to Pedestrian mode, read a great tutorial on geocaching with your Garmin nuvi navigation system, get your membership and clues to play the game, and you’re ready to begin the fun.

Happy Adventures Travelers,

Sher