Garmin nüvi 265/265T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic

• Bright, 3.5-inch diagonal color QVGA TFT touchscreen with 320 x 240 pixels and white backlight
• Preloaded with City Navigator North America NT
• Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling
• High-sensitivity GPS receiver for improved performance and reception
• NOTE: Model number on the box is 265T because the traffic receiver is included; however, the model number on the device itself is 265 as the "T" in 265T refers to the additional component

This is a review of my first stand alone GPS unit. I have used iGuidance on my PPC with a bluetooth receiver in the past. The reason I purchased the 265t is for the "integrated FM traffic receiver" with the lifetime subscription. The integrated FM traffic receiver is one of my main gripes because it's not actually integrated into the unit itself. It's integrated into the power cable by an unsightly tumor that runs long about 3 inches along the length of the cable. So if you're in between cars and need the traffic capability, you can't forget the power cable. Other than the power cable, it's a nice simple looking unit.

The screen is clear and visible except for the most extreme angles of glare in which you might need to adjust it just a touch. The screen is very responsive when panning around the screen and even has a fairly accurate mouse pointer function if you want to get to a particular place on the map. The icons are clear and the tracking is smooth. The only improvements I could wish for is if the displaying information was able to be configured. Sometimes I just like to be ignorant of the speed limit and would rather like to know the distance to my destination rather than the ETA without having to keep tapping at the screen. A little arrow pointing north would also be nice.

Compared to my old iBlue receiver and iGuidance software the 265t locks onto satellites eons faster to get you going on the road ASAP. The FM receiver does warn you of upcoming traffic with a little icon in the upper left corner with an expected delay time but I can't comment on it's diverting capabilities yet, even with a recent traffic heavy trip from NY to Toronto. Some areas just don't have the traffic information when you need it which isn't the fault of the unit, but the lack of coverage of the traffic reporting area.

One difference I would like to point out where iGuidance may have better function over this nuvi is that you can detour around specific roads in the route list, whereas detouring with nuvi is perhaps oversimplified. Once you hit detour, you're at the mercy of the unit.

Overall, it's a fun little gps. It's pocketable, functional, not too gimmicky, and has more POI than I imagined. There might be a few more menus you wish you didn't have to go through, but for the most part it's organized and has outstanding search capability.

Buy Garmin nüvi 265/265T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic Now

This is my 4th Garmin GPS and I love it! The other writer mentioned the extra "tumor" for about 3 inches. If that bothers you, well I am NOT that anal and it is hardly even obvious. Who cares about the power cable any way? The unit's screen is clear, bright, easy to read. Lot's of improvements. Considered the 265WT but frankly just prefer the smaller screen for walking or riding a bike, just fits in pockets better and still large enough to see easily in an automobile. I agree that the start-up is FAST-FAST. A great improvement over several previous Garmin models. I highly recommend this one!

**I have now used this for a few weeks. The screen is actually brighter and the colors much more vivid than previous models I have owned. Up-to-date locations and the voice is an improvement over prior models as well, much easier to understand street names and names of saved people\locations. For the money-you can't go wrong. When I go to Europe again in the future I am getting the 275 model which is the same as this but has maps for Europe as well. Again, I do prefer the 3.5" vs. the 4.3" screen size. It's very easy to see in the car and so compact for walking, hiking etc. Garmin keeps making improvements and this little unit is a GREAT value, highly-highly recommend it.

***OK, I have used this for months now and it has NEVER gotten me lost, never. Previous models at least got me lost once. I am more than pleased I made the investment in this little puppy. Fast, easy to see (even in bright conditions, better than prior Garmins I had). It's worth the extra bucks to get this vs. others, well worth it and I could not be more pleased now.

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I live in San Jose CA and drive in the bay area of San Francisco.

I have had the unit about 2 weeks now.

Any gps unit that you buy today should lock on in seconds, give accurate directions, have a display that is not confusing and have a simple menu navigation system. It does all of these things well except give accurate directions.

My other gps the Tom Tom 130 does everything mentioned above well, but lacks the traffic feature so I will return it. But it always gives very good directions 100% of the time. I just wish it had the traffic capability and I would keep it.

The directions that the Nuvi 265 gives are accurate most of the time, but occasionally gives strange non optimized directions. I don't know if it is because of the traffic component or not. The directions that are not the best only lose about 5-10 minutes at the most.

The unit's philosophy is to have a minimalist view of everything. It only displays what you need to know based on the route you are taking.

My other complaint is that it takes about 5-10 minutes to access the traffic information. There is also no direct way to look at the traffic map. For example if your destination does not involve using the traffic feature, it won't display the traffic map. I wish I could just go to the traffic map directly.

What I like about the traffic is that it does route around problems and it gives warnings about slowdowns ahead, which is nice. So the traffic feature is nice to have and I wouldn't want a unit without it.

So my dilemma is that can I live with less than accurate directions some of the time in exchange for the free traffic that does work well when I am going through an area with traffic jams.

I am also considering the Dash Express and the Navigon 2200T which I may try out.

------------

UPDATE Nov 21 2008

I am upgrading my rating to 4.9 stars

For in depth review see this site.

http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2008/11/garmin_nuvi_265wt_review.php

The reason is that while it gives inaccurate directions some of the time, it is only because I know a more direct route or I know that even though it gives a more direct route, those streets are slower, than a slightly longer way that I know through experience. So you buy a gps for when you DON'T KNOW where your going, not where you do know where your going.

The traffic functionality does pop up right away during rush hour, (within a few minutes). If shows you problems and how far they are away. You can see a traffic map by going through a few screens and unzooming. It also shows a yellow or red colored line next to the road if you are in a traffic jam and when it will end. So overall it works really well. I also read that Navteq traffic (the free FM) works better than MSN paid service according to this site.

http://www.gpsreview.net/traffic/

I read here that Dash is no longer selling new units, although on their site it shows that they do, they cut 50% of their staff and want to focus on selling their traffic software to other companies. See this page and scroll down.

http://www.gpsmagazine.com/

I am getting the Navigon 2200T to try out but consumer reports rates it very low, compared to the 265WT. In fact the only other serious competitor to the 265, on consumer reports, for the price is the Garmin Nuvi 760, its an older model, which costs about the same as the 265, but you have to pay for traffic at $10 a month and it has some other extra features, none of which I would use.

My only real complaint is the non qwerty keyboard, which bugs me. The only reason that they don't have it is to get you to buy the 265WT which does have it. So the trade of might be to get the 265WT just for qwerty keyboard. I also like the fact that you can transfer addresses directly from Mapquest or Google maps through the computer cable, which is nice.

Sure if it was perfect it could have reality view lane selector, 3-D maps, voice recognition, historical traffic info, directions to which side of the street, instant Dash Express like traffic interface, ipod connection, fm to car radio input, better cell phone integration(I don't use this), XM satellite reception and everything else you can think of.

But for now it does have very good traffic options, good directions, very fast response time, nice responsive touch screen, and a very affordable price which is now $40 less than I paid only 2 weeks ago $239.

So someone show me how you can get something better for the price or close to it.

Want Garmin nüvi 265/265T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic Discount?

I purchased this for my mother. Fortunately, I was able to get it working for her. The traffic receiver didn't work out of the box. The included instructions didn't include registering on-line or downloading the required updates. My mother would not have known how to do this on her own.

I succesfully registered the device with Garmin.com and downloaded the firmware and software updates. After a couple restarts of the device, it recognized the FM traffic receiver and worked flawlessly.

Overall, it's a great GPS. However, I'm disappointed that Garmin doesn't provide decent instructions about downloading updates.

I had a Garmin c320 for a few years that I was mostly happy with, but I was ready to upgrade after hearing about some of the new features. Here are the highlights that, in my opinion, make this GPS the best bang for your buck.

* Like all Garmins, the interface is designed for ease of use. My grandparents use a Garmin. However, if you are looking for customization, you might want to consider a TomTom.

* The routing engine is very good. Caveat: Be wary that the points of interest (POI) addresses may be inaccurate. If you have a specific address, enter it!

* The 265T is much quicker at getting a satellite lock when turning on than my c320. Starting from power on, usually about 10-15 seconds vs. 1-2 minutes before.

* The traffic service is free (ad-supported). Other makes and models require a subscription, which I'm not a big fan of. The ads are unobtrusive and appear only on startup and on arriving at your destination.

* Text to speech

* The new interface is much more helpful, specifically, the upcoming turn direction indicator.

The higher end Garmin features, such as lane assist, 3-D building view, mp3 player, etc. seem superfluous to me. Voice recognition would be cool, but the 855 and 885T models are very expensive. If you want a widescreen model, the 265WT is exactly the same except for a bigger screen. Still, I don't have any problem reading the 265T's screen and its approx. $50 cheaper.

P.S. I would highly recommend getting the Garmin Friction Mount as well. This will prevent suction cup rings on your windshield, to reduce your profile for theft.