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Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Model number: NUVI 255WT | SKU: 9252854

Navigate the United States and Canada with ease with this GPS that features free lifetime traffic updates, up to 1,000 waypoints and customizable points of interest for easy route planning. The "Where Am I?" emergency locator and travel assistant tools provide additional support.

Average Customer Rating:

4.5 out of 5 (503 Reviews)

463 of 503 (92%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.

Customer Reviews for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Review 21 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

4.0 5

Nice overall, but slow to find POI's 01/25/2010
By seeya from Boston

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

4.0 5

Ease of Use

4.0 5

Features

2.0 5

What's great about it: Pretty good UI, fast acquisition time, up to date maps, traffic
What's not so great: Sometimes slow to find points of interest, not as configurable as older Garmin units

"I bought this on sale for $130 and am very happy with the performance for the price. The traffic is not perfect, but it still helps. The user interface could use some flexibility (e.g., I like to have distance to destination on the main screen).

Overall a good value and a good product."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 22 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

3.0 5

Garmin 255W 01/25/2010
By GG0770 from Elyria, Ohio

Value for Price

3.0 5

Durability

3.0 5

Ease of Use

3.0 5

Features

3.0 5

What's great about it: I like that it says the street names.
What's not so great: It wants me to go routes that I know aren't always the easiest/quickest. Don't trust it.

"I like that the Gramin speaks the street names, but sometimes will take me out of the way rather than the easiest routes."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No

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Review 23 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Excellent GPS for family use and work 01/24/2010
By Anonymous from Michigan

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

5.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: Easy to use, many added features like mileage reports, economy ratings, favorites, find points of interest
What's not so great: I lost it shortly after I received it as a gift and I am so so sad

"I just received my Garmin 255WT for Christmas from my husband and really loved using it. Especially when visiting a large city like Detroit. It helped us find our way around and was great at giving specific directions. My sister in law received a Tom Tom the same day and she was disapointed in hers as she really liked all the cool features that my Garmin had. The best feature is "Samantha" tells you when and where to turn and uses the name of the road or Highway including Exit number and City coming up. I love the mileage reports which show miles traveled, time traveled, how much gas used and cost of fuel, as well as the carbon footprint. The main screen gives you an ETA so you can contact people waiting or know how long it takes to get somewhere. Cool tool!
A fun feature we enjoyed using was in areas we know our way around and had a car full of people, I downloaded some of the funny voices like Elfred (The Christmas Elf) and the Yeti (who grunts the directions) Lots of laughs especially when they surprise you after it's really quiet driving down the road.

We live in a rural area of northern lower Michigan and used it to navigate a shorter route when traveling across the state and it was amazing. Would loved to have been able to use it this summer when we go camping and exploring of the little towns and cities of Michigan and beyond. It would have been fun to explore the many other little towns and not get lost. I am so sad I lost it. I will try to buy another one as soon as I can afford it. I would definietely recomend the Garmin 255WT"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 24 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

GPS 01/24/2010
By geno45 from san diego

What's great about it: easy to use

"Everything is great with this product, however 2 weeks later it was advertised for 10.00 less than I paid."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 25 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

4.0 5

Good budget GPS 01/24/2010
By Cubel7 from Virginia Beach, VA

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

4.0 5

Ease of Use

3.0 5

Features

4.0 5

What's great about it: Overall use and functionality
What's not so great: Customer Support

"I really like this unit, unfortunately I have not been able to experience the primary reason why I purchased this unit. Even though it says that traffic updates are free, it keeps asking me for a subscription number. When I go to the site displayed on the GPS unit, there is no such site. I submitted a customer service request for assistance two weeks ago and have not heard back from Garmin yet."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 26 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Great GPS, Far superior to TomTom XLS 01/24/2010
By Josh23 from Dayton, OH

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

5.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: Accurate directions, Format map is displayed in when driving, good windshield mount, sleek appearance
What's not so great: Just like any GPS, it can still freak out in a parking lot or when your not on a road.

"I had a TomTom One XLS for a year before finally picking up a Garmin. I wanted to throw the TomTom out the window on multiple occasions. So far, the Garmin seems far better at giving accurate directions and far less annoying. One big plus for Garmin over TomTom is that Garmins actually tell you which side of the road to look on or for your destination.

Over a year ago when I shopped for GPSs I looked and thought reviews were similar for both TomTom units and Garmin units, so I figured they were on par with each other. Not true. TomToms are garbage compared to Garmins.

My brother wanted to buy my TomTom off of me and I told him I couldn't do that in good conscience because it would infuriate him just like it infuriated me. I sold it on ebay... still feel a little guilty. Not that the TomTom was broken, it still worked as good as new. But new or used that TomTom was junk.

Garmin all the way."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 27 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

4.0 5

Pretty good unit overall from Garmin 01/23/2010
By ValueMinded from Amherst, NY

Value for Price

3.0 5

Durability

4.0 5

Ease of Use

4.0 5

Features

4.0 5

What's great about it: Comes with lifetime traffic
What's not so great: Very basic GPS, could use more features

"For 129.99, this was a good deal, though prices keep dropping and features keep adding on for less money. Lifetime traffic is a nice feature to have but things like lane change warnings and recommended routes are a really nice to haves. If you can get this for around $100 as newer models come out it is certainly worth the price."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 28 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Excellent performance1 01/23/2010
By Saxxster from Crete, IL

Value for Price

4.0 5

Durability

4.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: Easy, great design, does what it should do.
What's not so great: Screens could always be bigger, but not in a car, so it's actually fine.

"I have already recommended this GPS to a friend. I bought this as a gift for my mom. There were already a lot of good user reviews on this product so I went ahead and got this one. I wasn't aware just how feature rich this little system is.

It's so easy to use, all the menus cascade in a very nice order of importance to let you get your input done quickly. Don't know the address? Type the name of the destination(such as Best Buy) into the points of interest submenu and it will give you a list categorized by distance of all the Best Buys near you! I wasn't sure if it had a feature that told you the speed limit of the road youre on(which my ma wanted) and behold, while i was testing it out, a noticed a little speed limit sign on the side indicating the correct speed limits.

It updates the position smoothly, it declutters the screen when a route is entered, and if you just want to cruise around it leaves all the streets up and has a nice angle to keep you oriented on your surroundings.

I would buy this product again in a heartbeat."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 29 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Very nice GPS - but you need to know... 01/23/2010
By xspook from Palm Bay, FL

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

5.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: Easy to use, ability to customize
What's not so great: Suction cup won't stick on textured dash boards, must use extra mounting disc that is nearly impossible to remove.

"This is a very nice GPS. It works well and is easy to use. I recommend it to anyone who asks me about GPS's.

Things you need to know:
1. This is a "wierd" model from Garmin. You won't find the 255WT on their website. The box is labeled 255WT, but it's marked 255W on the unit itself. It's basically a 255W with the traffic option built in.

2. If you buy from an auction site, Garmin will not warranty it. (It can be registered, though.)

3. You need to register it. The problem is, it does not come with a USB cable to connect it to your computer. The cable can be picked up any where like Best Buy, Radio Shack, possibly Wal-Mart, etc. Once you've got the cable and the unit connected to your computer, go to http:my.garmin.com. Once registered, click the My Dashboard tab, this will tell you what's available to update. This will enable you to install the latest software update and map updates.

4. One of the biggest advantages of this unit vs. the 255W is the free lifetime traffic. A lot of GPS's offer traffic information, but charge quite a bit more for that option. This unit comes with FM Traffic Message Channel (TMC) which it uses to get information broadcast over FM radio frequencies.

Important things to know about the traffic feature on this GPS:

You must have the GPS connected to your car charger for it to receive the traffic information. The power cord doubles as the traffic receiver. While a bit annoying, at least it doesn't require an additional antenna. I have a Sony GPS that requires the power cord, plus an additional antenna to get traffic, so there's cords dangling all over the place.

You do not have to "activate" the traffic; it's automatic. You'll know you're receiving traffic information if you see a little car icon in the upper left portion of the screen. There is MSN Direct traffic available for this unit as well. It costs extra, but has more features. But, according to their website, MSN Direct will cease operations on Jan 1, 2012.

5. Once registered you can go to Garmins website and download customizations like different vehicle icons, voices, etc. Most custom voices don't speak street names, though. They simply say, turn left in 200 feet. Look for the ones labled TTS if you want the street names spoken.

You can also download a free program from Garmin that allows you to record your own voice.

Or, you can use this to edit the Text to Speech (TTS) file in the unit. This allows you to keep the factory spoken street names but still change what the unit says:

http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/TTSVoiceEditor

6. You can create/download your own POI's. This allows you to create a list of custom business, etc, that you want to search on. An example would be BBQ restaurants, WalGreens, etc. There's a very nice site where people build these files and you can download for free:

http://www.poi-factory.com/

This is a very handy feature. The only thing I don't like about it is that the custom POI's are not "imbedded" into the factory POI's, so searching for them requires a few more "clicks", but no big deal."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

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Review 30 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Great additionall features 01/23/2010
By thirteenjc from Brooklyn, NY

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

5.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: Traffic detours
What's not so great: So far evrythings great

"Easy to use, clear maps, vocal prompts understood and giving at appropriate times. Best feature is the rerouting during traffic. I was heading to a conference and hit traffic on the highway. Before I can panic, thinking I'm not going to make it on time, the Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS immediately told me to take the next exit and directed me through a different route off the highway, making the conference with time to spare. Truly a piece of equipment to have if you travel to places you are not familiar with."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 31 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

4.0 5

GPS IS A GOOD DEAL! 01/22/2010
By PG1211 from OHIO

Value for Price

4.0 5

Durability

4.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: NICE SIZE TOUCH SCREEN, TRAFFIC UPDATES, EASY TO USE, FAIR PRICE
What's not so great: NOT 100% ACCURATE BUT CLOSE

"I USE THIS ITEM ALL THE TIME! I USE IT WHEN I GOT 2 MILES DOWN THE ROAD TO A FRIENDS, OR OUT OF TOWN FOR SOMETHING. IT IS A VERY GOOD GPS. THE SPEED IS A FEW MPHs OFF BUT ITS A GOOD GPS. MY FAVORITE FEATURE IS THE TRAFFIC UPDATES. I WENT TO A CAVS GAME AND IT TOLD ME WHERE TRAFFIC IS SLOW AND WAYS AROUND IT. THAT IS A VERY HELPFUL FEATURE. ALSO I LIKE THE ECOROUTE FEATURES WHERE IS TELLS ME WHAT GAS MILAGE I GET AND HOW MUCH IT COST. VERY HELPFUL. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS GPS TO ANYONE!"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 32 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Great GPS 01/21/2010
By Judge614 from Claremont, CA

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

5.0 5

Ease of Use

4.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: Has all the great features other gps has but the widescreen and traffic update are great features to this product.
What's not so great: Bought it as a gift so havent gotten to play with it too much, but seems pretty flawless so far from what i hear.

"Overall it seems to have been a great gift for my gf. She no longer gets lost and feels secure being in new areas. With the wide screen and voice navigation she can easily get around without getting lost and having to call me anymore :) No complains so far; she has had it about a month now."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 33 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Love the Garmin 01/21/2010
By shalene from Idaho Falls, ID

Value for Price

4.0 5

Durability

3.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: Works even better than I expected. it's exact
What's not so great: nothing yet

"We had thought about a GPS system before, but just didn't know. We love the unit. We can't beleive the exactness of it. not only knowing exact location but also, showing landmarks on the system as well."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 34 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Love it! 01/20/2010
By Anonymous from Indianapolis, IN

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

4.0 5

Ease of Use

4.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: Very easy to use, nice large writing, clearly spoken words
What's not so great: I have searched a few places and had no results when I know the place exists. Luckily I already knew where I was going.

"Drastically improved my driving experience! I like the talking feature of this model so I don't have to watch the screen when I'm driving (as with some of the other models). One thing I don't like is, every time I turn on the unit, I have accept an "agreement" not to enter information while driving. I think you should be able to agree once and not have to agree every time it turns on."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 35 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

4.0 5

Great GPS 01/20/2010
By meltyblood913 from Stratford,NJ

Value for Price

4.0 5

Durability

5.0 5

Ease of Use

4.0 5

Features

4.0 5

What's great about it: Fast Calculations,Good Gps Signal,Trafic Updates on busy highways,Big screen
What's not so great: Pricey and should have more features

"Good above avarage gps for the money
Trafic updates are very useful in busy areas.
tells the speed limits and has very fast recalculating.
The screen is nice and bright and is pretty easy to see.
This GPS is pretty accurate."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 36 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

A great device for low price 01/20/2010
By gvnreis from SP, Brasil

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

5.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

4.0 5

What's great about it: Cheap,Easy to use
What's not so great: No external Volume control and Bluetooth conection

"Does what it needs to do for a very good price.
This is a great little device.
Re-routes quickly and gives turn by turn directions."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 37 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

4.0 5

Decent GPS but traffic is only sometimes accurate 01/19/2010
By PhilEE from Newtown Square

Value for Price

4.0 5

Durability

2.0 5

Ease of Use

4.0 5

Features

4.0 5

What's great about it: Teaches me the back roads to avoid traffic spots
What's not so great: Traffic option Is not so accurate

"I bought this GPS during black Friday and still think it was a good buy. It helped me learn the backroads durig traffic hours and saved me time getting home several times. I found out the traffic option wasn't always accurate. It would tell me there is traffic ahead only to find that the roads were clear. I would say it is correct about 50% of the time, so I just ignore that function now. The suction cup lost suction after a few days and it dropped to my center console...now the voice navigation sometimes skips and cuts out, so I recommend reseating every couple days."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 38 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

If your thinkin about it just get it 01/19/2010
By Anonymous from Portland, Or

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

5.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

5.0 5

What's great about it: Cheap,Easy to use
What's not so great: Nothing

"Its super easy to use.does what it needs to do for a very good price"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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Review 39 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

2.0 5

Not impressive at all 01/19/2010
By Shankopotamus from Chicago, IL

Value for Price

2.0 5

Durability

3.0 5

Ease of Use

3.0 5

Features

1.0 5

What's great about it: It’s a dedicated GPS device. It speaks street names.
What's not so great: IT’S AD SUPPORTED!!! POI search is terrible. Customization is limited.

"Having owned and used 8 Garmin GPS products since the 90’s, I had high expectations for this device despite it’s diminutive price. I have an iPhone, and have been using its built-in maps for my navigation system for quite a while. I wanted a stand-alone device which would free up my phone so I could use it in the car, if necessary, without affecting my navigational capabilities.

The first thing that surprised me about the device was that it is ad supported. Nowhere on the description of the device can I find any indication that this is the case. I would not have purchased this product had I known that. I find the ads irritating. There is no way to easily dismiss them. They won’t pop up while you’re navigating somewhere, but that they’re there at all irks me—especially since it came as a gigantic surprise to me that they’re there at all.

Second, the point of interest search is just plain awful. It’s slow as molasses and doesn’t find what I’m looking for. I recently tested it by entering the name of a local ice arena. I literally drove the entire way there without receiving the results of the point of interest search—5 − 10 minutes. I saw a twirling hourglass the entire tiime. It has zero tolerance of spelling mis-matches. I’ve often searched for local restaurants or businesses and been shown ones that are many miles distant but not the one only a couple miles away. This is another gigantic disappointment. Fortunately, I almost always have my phone available & I can use it to find the address of where I want to go, but I find it inexcusable that Garmin’s implementation of this is so lousy. Again, had I known how bad this was, I would not have purchased this.

The traffic service has proved to be worthless. I get far more accurate & timely information on my phone.

The navigation itself is fine. Nothing exceptional, but nothing to complain about. I like that it tells me the name of the street I’m supposed to turn on.

A nit-picky gripe is that the navigation system will sometimes act as if I’m supposed to do something when no action on my part is required. For example, between home & work I drive on an interstate highway for about 5 − 10 miles. A couple miles into my trip on the interstate, the Garmin will tell me to go straight on the interstate, acting like there’s a turn coming up on a mile. There is none. The freeway is straight as an arrow, requiring no exit or turning on my part whatsoever. It’s just one of those little things that I find irritating.

Also, having had a number of other Garmin GPS solutions, I was expecting to be able to customize the screen and the information displayed on it to a greater degree. Not so. Customization is very limited.

So, all in all, I’m disappointed with Garmin and the Nuvi 255WT. If you’re considering it, beware of its serious limitations."

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: No

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Review 40 for Garmin nüvi 255WT GPS

Customer Rating

5.0 5

Great GPS Device 01/19/2010
By LoveJesus from Greensboro, NC

Value for Price

5.0 5

Durability

3.0 5

Ease of Use

5.0 5

Features

4.0 5

What's great about it: Great price, huge screen, ease of use
What's not so great: Durability

"This is a great little device. We have used it weekly. Re-routes quickly and gives turn by turn directions. My wife is not very technical but she has no problem with this unit. We serve as pastor in a very small town with lots of small towns close by. It has been very helping finding streets in the types of places you don't want to be last. Great buy"

Would you recommend this product to a friend?: Yes

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