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Garmin Nuvi 255W Traffic Widescreen Satellite Navigation System with Full EU Mapping
Garmin
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Released: 2008-05-16 Rating:  More Details: Garmin Nuvi 255W Traffic Widescreen Satellite Navigation System with Full EU Mapping Garmin Nuvi 255W Traffic Widescreen Satellite Navigation System with Full EU Mapping @Amazon Garmin Nuvi 255W Traffic Widescreen Satellite Navigation System with Full EU Mapping @aStore |
Customer Reviews:
Good value, sturdy, and reliable
I've been using this systme for about a month now to travel mostly around South East England. I can say that it is very accurate and has always gotten me to the where I wanted to go.
Pros:
- Well built & sturdy
- Large screen & easily readable maps
- Clear instructions
- Fast route processing
- In built speed camera database & POIs are comprehensive & good
- Great value
Cons:
- Does not work well on Post Code recognition alone, will need the house number, and in some cases the road to find the location
- Traffic updates are OK but I find a little innacurate, and are not worth paying extra for
- Does not always take the quickest route. It has on many occasions taken me through town roads where alongside them there are much faster A roads
Summary:
If you learn to use it properly it will always take you to where you need to go, is solid, reliable, and good value. However if you are a seasoned driver and really need a device for taking the fastest route and avoiding traffic, then maybe the Tomtom Live service might suit better.
Not perfect, but wouldn't be without it on an unfamiliar journey
I was looking for a satnav to take on a family holiday to a cottage in the middle of Exmoor, so we could avoid the usual stress of map reading, wrong directions, getting lost, arguments over whose fault it was, etc. I started with the reviews in Which?, where the Nuvi 205W was rated highly but was quite a lot cheaper than other models with similar point scores. I also wanted something that was compatible with a Macintosh, which I use at home (TomTom and Garmin are both suitable). In the end I plumped for the Nuvi 255WT because I wanted European maps (so I can go abroad with it) and a wide screen, since I use reading glasses and a bigger screen can only help. The traffic option didn't add much to the cost, so I plumped for that, too.
I'm pleased to say that the Nuvi got us straight from London to the cottage, leading us along darkening country lanes that we never would have navigated without it. Over the next week we used it everywhere we went and never got lost. What a stress-saver.
It's not perfect, though. I wanted a post office in Lynmouth, and it told me there was one in the middle of the river. The satellite link also dropped out on the way home for about 20 minutes, during which time I wandered cluelessly through a couple of small West Country towns until I hit a pot hole and the machine started working again.
Other drawbacks? There's no volume control and the loud bipping noises it keeps making to warn of speed cameras can get irritating. The traffic avoidance function can also lead you on such a long detour that it would have been quicker to stick with the queues.
Other than that I think it's fabulous. It normally holds the satellite signal constantly, the screen is bright and clear, it's easy to use and it gets you there without fuss.
Accurate and easy to use 
Looked and other satnav options before purchasing and consulted consumer guides that indicated all of the three market leaders were good. Decided on the Garmin for ease of use, quality of build and the performance information from testing. I was not disappointed. It is a super little unit, very easy to set up and to use, recovering and re-setting routes when choosing to detour from a prescribed journey. Very clear voice directions and very well timed. Also excellent to use as a pedestrian in a strange town or city - the locationing is very accurate. Only one negative, the location of speed limits and cameras is not always 100% but majority are picked up and warnings given. I assume changes are too numerous for data to be always fully up to date.
Overall a strong recommendation.
Garmin Nuvi 255W
The garmin GPS must have saved our marriage at least three times during our vacation to Europe. Worked as advertised piloting us into and out of all the little streets in big cities and all points in between. Also very helpful in locating accomodations and fuel. Only criticism is that we could not buy the unit in the US and it could no be shipped to the US. What's up with that??
Does what it says on the box.
Having spent much time deciding even whether to buy a SatNav I took the plunge and bought the Garmin. One of the main reasons was the full European map so that I could use it in Bulgaria. Even though it hasn't got full mapping for Bulgaria, it filled my needs fine when I was there last week, especially in Sofia. Otherwise, the camera warnings work well, as does the traffic warning. Start up is quick and recalculation of routes when you divert is quick and accurate - this is how these things should be used; you don't have to follow them blindly! The wide screen is a bonus, giving a clearer picture. Even the woman's voice isn't too obtrusive! It's not the cheapest unit around but it does what it says. All in all, I think it's a good buy.
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