Giving "Entry Level" a Good Name

Author's Rating:

Pros: Crisp graphics, price, easy to use

Cons: None, really... maybe mounting, but that's because I was spoiled by the nuvi 760.

The Bottom Line: 
With the new minor tweaks to their interface, the Garmin nuvi 255WT is actually better than the "higher end" nuvi 760.

Author's Review
I've used Garmin GPSes for a while now, and had great experience with my first one, the StreetPilot III.  Then it was a mediocre experience when I decided to upgrade and stick with Garmin with the nuvi 760 a year and a half ago.  That was a huge generation gap, though.

A smaller generation jump between a "high end" nuvi 760 and this generation's entry level nuvi 255WT (just a year and a half difference) proves that GPS devices are still constantly improving.  The 255WT removes most of the non-essentials of the nuvi 760, but retains the basic slim formfactor that made the nuvi series popular.

The numbers tell the story:"7" in 7xx means it is a high end model.  Today, it's been replaced by the 800 series, and I do believe the 900 series are coming out very soon.  The "2" in the 2xx is the entry level models.  Becareful though, because there is two other models out there that has a similar model number, but are completely different.  For starters, this (nuvi 255WT) is wide-screen model, while the other (nuvi 255) is not.  The nuvi 255 has uglier graphics as well.

What's the other model?  The nuvi 255W.  The difference?  Well glad you asked.  The nuvi 255W does not have FM traffic updates, while this model (255WT) does.  Confused yet?  Appearently so was the salesperson at Best Buy who constantly picked up the wrong model to ring us out.  We didn't know any better either...we only found out when the price was wrong after he scaned it.  It was suppose to be $129.99 (sale price - regularly $219.99).

So we got the right one finally, and couldnt wait to open it.  It was for my brother, and it's his first GPS unit.  He asked me for advice on which one to get.  I didn't give him any hard recomendations because I wasn't exactly hot with the nuvi 760.  However, the sale price was hard to resist, so I didn't stop him from buying it.

Garmin nuvi 255WT
The box is actually wrapped in a sealed plastic.  I hate these, since they are so hard to open.  We were going to use it in the car right after he bought it, so we had the security guy open it for us (the one standing next to the door that doubles as a greeter - though if you ask me, I'm not sure how I'd feel being greeted by someone with a night stick).  He, too, had a hard time with it.  After some time had past (and maybe few shoplifters as well, since we kept him busy), we got the box freed and was on our merry way.

The box was surprisingly small, but just like the nuvi 760, there wasn't much in the box.  A few literature here and there, mostly ads, really.  The only hardware were the GPS, the power cord, and the suction cup mounting bits.

The nuvi 255WT looked and felt like my own 760!  My brother was happy about that since he liked the form factor of my GPS.  He didn't like the fact that he needed to connect the power cord to the GPS evertime he mounts it, however.  You see, the 760's power cord connects to the mounting bracket itself.  When you mount the 760, it automatically powers up as well as starts charging.  The nuvi 255WT, on the other hand, will need you to find the jack to plug in first.

Asthetically, the 255WT is completely black, while the 760 has a silver plastic trim.  This makes the 760 look more upscale.  Really, it's just looks.

The 255WT does have a SD card slot on the left side, and the power/hold switch at the top, just like the 760.  However, it does not have a 3.5mm audio out jack like the 760, so you cannot output the audio to your car stereo.

However, on first glance, the 255WT has slightly better graphics than the 760.  The map screen is better arranged to show more of the map.  It even has more on-screen aids than the 760 during navigation.  This makes the 255WT's shorter list of features (compared to the 760 anyways) a non-issue, and made me secretly like the 255WT more than my own GPS.

In Use
If you've used any recent Garmin nuvis, you'll be right at home witht he 255WT.  Garmin tweaked their interface and map screen a bit, but they are so similar, you wouldn't even notice the difference unless you had last year's models along with a newer one next to it.  We've traded GPSes just so I can review it, and I must say, we both felt the 255WT was better.

For example, inputting information is easier with an on-screen QWERTY keyboard.  The 760 has an on-screen keyboard that's arranged alphabetically!  How stupid is that?  That simple change made such a huge difference in usability.

Also, the map screen, as mentioned earlier, was better.  How?  Again, such a small thing: they have a small arrow icon showing you the direction of the next turn!  The 760 didn't have that.  Both shows you the distance before the next exit or turn, but only the 255WT shows you the direction of the next turn during the whole navigation process.

The 255WT has a very good list of POIs (points of interests), such as fuel station, restaurants, hotels, shopping centers, etc.  This hasn't changed from the 760, as it, too, shared the same POI list.

The menus are easier to navigate.  Not that it's much different from the 760, but because it's list of features is shorter than the 760!  Less is more, so to say.  There is no Bluetooth, music player, language converter, currency converter, etc.  It's just a no-nonsense GPS!  It does, however, let you view photos through the SD Card.

The SD Card slot also severs as a way for Garmin to sell extended map data, such as maps for South America or other countries you don't want to drive in.  Well, there is Europe, too - that's a popular one.  The built-in map data is for all of North America, which includes our friendly neighbor to the north - Canada, and our party animal pals - Mexico.  So that means the nuvi 255WT is all you really need, unless you plan to drive to China.

Routing
Routing is the same as the 760.  It still gave me a round-about route to my work place, as well as taking the longer routes consisting of 55 MPH freeways rather than a shorter route via Lake Shore Drive, which is a slower 45 MPH road.  The complaints I had with the nuvi 760 is the same complaints applied to the 255WT.

Calculating the route is slightly faster than the nuvi 760, but only by a second or so.  After doing some one-on-one competition, the nuvi 255WT usually wins out on calculation times.  It's the same for recalculating the route, when you go off course.

Of course, just like the 760, the 255WT takes a while to realize that you're off course, espeically when the road or exit you should be on is running parrallel to your current road.  So while recalculations are quicker, you still might miss the next exit it calculated for you when in the city where the blocks and exits are so close together.

The 255WT does show you where traffic is as well as tell you your estimated delay.  It's free, and it's a lifetime subscription.  However, Garmin needs to get paid, and the service is ad supported.  It's not as bad as it seems.  It's usually a small banner when you look for POIs.  For example, when looking for a hotel, you may get a small text banner at the top advertising for Motel 6.  You will never see any ads on the map screen or in the menus, which is a relief.

Battery Life
The Garmin nuvi 255WT lasts much longer than the nuvi 760.  When new, the 760 lasted only 1 hour during navigation, while the nuvi 255WT lasted twice that!  After a year and a half later, the nuvi 760 barely lasts 5 minutes on battery.  Since the 255WT is brand new, I can't say how long it will last as it ages.  Here's to hoping that Garmin used a better battery for the 255WT - for my brother's sake.

The Upshot
With my on-the-fence feeling with the nuvi 760, I was ready to tell my brother to look into a Tom Tom, especially since they do advanced lane guidance.  However, even without this feature, the nuvi 255WT was pretty good.  Funny how a little tweaking to the interface helps so much.

The sales price for this unit made it a no-brainer, but if you had to contend with the $220 price tag, a Tom Tom is what I will steer you to.  The nuvi 760 used to cost $500 at the time I bought it.  Now, it costs about $230, similar to the new nuvi 255WT.  While the 760 has a larger feature list, most of them aren't used.  I feel the better map screen and QWERTY keyboard arrangement is worth trading the extras for.

The Garmin nuvi 255WT has, once again, restored my faith in Garmin.