UPDATE: The nuvi 2×5 series has been officially discontinued. For current recommendations, see our auto GPS buyers guide.
The Garmin nüvi 255W
The 255W sports a 4.3″ wide touch screen (hence the “W”) and includes pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada. It also has text-to-speech, so you’ll hear “drive one-half mile, then turn left on Oak Street.” instead of just “drive one-half mile, then turn left.”
Related units
- Step up to the Garmin nuvi 265W to add Bluetooth for hands free calling
- Or choose the nuvi 255WT to add lifetime traffic
- Going the other direction, drop down to the nuvi 255 and you’ll get the 255W’s feature set on a smaller, 3.5″ screen
- Meanwhile, the nuvi 205W is identical to the 255W, except that you lose text-to-speech and maps of Alaska
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I’ve been very impressed with the nuvi 2×5 series. The 255W is the nicest model in the series, which I dubbed the best entry-level GPS on the market in my hands-on review of the nuvi 205W. The next portion of this review is adapted from there.
Advanced features found on the Garmin nuvi 255W
None of the features below are found on this unit’s predecessor, the Garmin nuvi 250W.
Redesigned map screen
New to the map screen are the direction of and distance to next turn indicator in the upper left corner of the screen, which when pressed brings up a detailed turn preview as the unit speaks the next turn instructions. Moving this to the upper left freed up the bottom left data field which now shows your current speed. You can see all this in the screen shot below.
Speed limit
Speed limit icons display the speed limit for many roads, as shown above. I really like the proximity of this to the current speed display.
Trip log display
Trip log, or as I prefer to call it 
, tracklog display, can show where you’ve been and can be downloaded to your computer (tracklogs can be cleared and the feature disabled for those of you with something to hide!). The tracklog is the thin blue line trailing behind the car / current position icon, in the screen shot above.
Recent cities and streets
This feature was first seen on the nuvi 700 series. Tap the folder icon, as shown below, and a list of recent entries comes up.
Where am I?
This emergency location feature provides your exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and fuel stations.
Photo navigation
Though it’s not a feature that I find useful, you can download Google™ Panoramio™ pictures via Garmin Connect™ Photos and navigate to them.
Terrain modeling
The nuvi 2×5 series includes a built-in digital elevation model, allowing you to visualize the surrounding terrain, as shown below. Unfortunately, this only works in 2–D mode when zoomed out to at least 8 miles. The result is a nice piece of eye-candy, as shown below, but one that you are unlikely to really use.
MSN Direct or FM/TMC traffic option
You can buy an MSN Direct or FM/TMC traffic receiver as an add-on. This is often a better deal than buying a unit with MSN or FM/TMC, since the add-ons come with a full year subscription, rather than the 3 month trial included with a high-end nuvi. Physically, you end up with the same receiver.
Garmin nuvi 255W pros
- High-end features (see above) at an entry-level price
- Fast startup and satellite lock
- The speaker is quite loud; I had no trouble hearing it under any circumstances
- The ability to delete individual Favorites using the “My Data” feature
- In addition to the above, you get a quality product and intuitive interface, as we’ve come to expect from Garmin
Garmin nuvi 255W cons
- The power cord is not integrated into the mount, so you have to attach the power cord each time you mount the device
Recommendation
The Garmin nuvi 255W is a joy to use. I recommend it, or any other member of the nuvi 2×5 series, without hesitation. Garmin has set a new standard with this product line; the nuvi 2×5 series is the best entry level GPS on the market.
More Garmin nuvi 255W reviews
- More user-written Garmin nuvi 255w reviews
have been posted at Amazon
- GPS Lodge has posted their own nuvi 255W review
- TidBITS has posted a full Garmin nuvi 255W review
- And here’s another consumer review of the nuvi 255W
- PCMech.com reviews the nuvi 255W
- Test Freaks include lots of photos in their Garmin nuvi 255W review
- GPS Elite has also posted a nuvi 255W review
- Fabulously Broke reviews the nuvi 255W
- CNet gives a3-1/2 out of 5 star rating in their Garmin nuvi 255W review
- Goozer Nation reviews the nuvi 255W
I’ll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some…
Other Garmin nuvi 255W resources
- A PDF version of the Garmin nuvi 255W owners manual.
- Confused about so many models and choices? Use this Garmin nuvi comparison tool or check out my own Garmin nuvi comparison chart.
- There is a dedicated Garmin nuvi message forum at GpsPasSion.
- And another nuvi forum at GPS Review
- The official Garmin nuvi 255W web page.
- Five tips for nuvi newbies
Compare prices on the Garmin nuvi 255W at these merchants:
- Check the current Garmin nüvi 255W
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- Buy the Garmin nuvi 255W Wide-Screen Automotive GPS System with North American Maps
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- Get the Garmin nuvi 255W
for an amazing price on eBay.
- Check out our GPS deals site for current specials and rebates on a wide range of GPS receivers.
About Rich Owings
I’ve been considering the Garmin Nuvi 250 – anyone know if this is any good for the UK?
If you want one for both sides of the pond, go with a nuvi x70 or x75.
The comment is made in the review that the tracklog can be downloaded to a PC. I have just bough a 255W on this basis but I can’t find out how to do this. There is nothing that looks like a track file (no GPX, csv, xml, etc.) when the unit is viewed as a mass storage device.
Please help.
Aha! Just worked it out.
The current.gpx file holds the track log and can be converted using GPSbabel.
Thanks.
There should be a GPX folder in the “Garmin” directory, with a current .gpx file in it. Or if you have a copy of Garmin MapSource you should be able to import it.
Hey, you beat me to it!
I just bought the 255W and really like it. I travel to Mexico and would like to purchase the map software for the unit. I believe you can download the maps or buy the SD card. Besides the obvious of having the card, is there any other benefit?
Thanks in advance for your responses.
The card can be used in any compatible Garmin unit, letting you move it from one device to another, or take it with you should you get a new Garmin unit.
The download would probably be locked to one unit, as is the CD. You can use the CD for trip planning on your computer too, and you may be able to get a discounted upgrade with the CD, should you choose to do so in the future.
There are other Mexican maps options too…
http://gpstracklog.com/2007/12/international-m.html
(scroll down to the Mexico maps section)
I’m looking for a nice GPS for my girlfriend for x-mas. Nothing too fancy as she really wouldn’t utilize all the bells & whistles. I was thinking that the 255W would be nice because of the text-to-speak feature, but Costco also has the 750 for $199.
What would you recommend?
thanks
If she’s got a lead foot, I’d go for the 255W, which shows current speed on the screen. It also shows the direction of the next turn in the upper left corner. It shows the next turn direction on the 750 too, but only on the map. Unless one of those features is real important, I’d go for the 750.
Thanks for the info. Would you recommend any other model(s) priced around $200-$250 (or less) that would be a better option for her? or would these 2 be the best bang for my buck?
I think the 255W is the best thing going without bells and whistles. Amazon has the nuvi 265WT, which has live traffic for major cities, for $234 right now. Could be worth considering, although traffic reports can often be wrong. If it were me, I’d go with one of those two.
Thanks again. So you like both these 200 series over the 750 then, right? And if the traffic is something she might want to go with the 265WT, correct?
Yes, I like the 2×5 series models more than the 750. I can’t say whether she’d like the traffic feature or not, but it can be helpful. Here’s the coverage info…
http://www.navteq.com/rdstraffic/
I have the Nuvi 360, does the 255W also have the button for nearby restaurants? This is a nice feature when traveling.
Yes, all nuvis have this.
Here is an easy way to get the tracklog out of the 255W:
As mentioned, copy the current.gpx in the GPS folder to your PC. Open it in the free program G7toWin. This file has your tracklog and favorite waypoints. When you open the file you will see the favorites listed. Strip them out by: File>Clear>Waypoints. Then click Track>List and you will see a spreadsheet with all the track points. You will see the segments which are at every time the unit goes on and off.
Save as a GPX file and you can view your track in Google Earth. Run this file through GPSVisualizer online, and you can create a KML file for G.E. with the track colorized for elevation (the tracklog records altitude.)
If you took photos on your trip, combine them with your tracklog file in a program such as GPicSync and you can geotag your photos in bulk. (Note: the tracklog file records time in UTC.) You can now create a G.E. KMZ file which will have your track and photo thumbnails at location taken. Click on the thumbnails for larger photo.
And we haven’t gotten into the things you can do with photos in the unit…
Ah, another GPS addict!
hi~ i want to buy a gps – mostly for local travel in NE US. i have been unable to find a comparison btw Nuvi 255W and 265W. can anyone point out the major differences? there was some mention of ads popping up on the 265w – anyone have experience of how and when these pop up? and how distracting they are?
Thanks so much!
The 265WT adds Bluetooth and lifetime traffic. The ads aren’t too bad. You can read about them in this review…
http://gpstracklog.com/2008/10/garmin-nuvi-265.html
I am looking at purchasing a GPS and trying to understand the differences between Garmin 750 and the Garmin 255W. Can anyone provide some insight?
http://gpstracklog.com/2008/09/garmin-nuvi-255.html
I’ve had a nuvi 360 for over a year now and love it. i was thinking about the 255w. does the 255w show the satellite screen with the altitude ? (i can access this on the 360 via the main screen by touching the signal strength)
thanks… I enjoy your reviews an find them very helpful
Yes, it does. Glad you like the site!
I have a nuvi 255 Please could so tell me if i can upgrade to have TMC traffic updates and if so how do I do this.
Many Thanks in advance