Garmin Nuvi 265WT
Manufacturer: Garmin Part number: 010-00575-10
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Despite some minor performance issues, the Garmin Nuvi 265WT is a good value GPS, offering a number of high-end features for an affordable price.
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CNET editors' review
Garmin Nuvi 265WT price range: $149.99 - $299.97
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 10/09/2008
The good: The Garmin Nuvi 265WT offers integrated Bluetooth and a lifetime of free traffic alerts. The portable GPS also has a spacious touch screen and text-to-speech functionality.
The bad: We wish the audible traffic alerts and route recalculations were a little faster. Call quality was mixed.
The bottom line: Despite some minor performance issues, the Garmin Nuvi 265WT is a good value GPS, offering a number of high-end features for an affordable price.
The Garmin Nuvi family of portable navigation devices (PNDs) is growing constantly, and the GPS manufacturer has added a new line called the Nuvi 2x5 series that focuses on providing high-end features for an affordable price. The flagship model of this line is the Garmin Nuvi 265WT, and it offers text-to-speech functionality, integrated Bluetooth, and free traffic service for life--all for a reasonable $349.99. On the road, the PND offers accurate driving directions and clear audible prompts, but there were some minor performance issues. Still, there are very few, if any, other GPS that provide such a value. If you want the most bang for your buck, the Garmin Nuvi 265WT fits the bill.
Design
The Garmin Nuvi 265WT looks like the latest Nuvi models, which is a good thing since we like its slim and simple design. The unit measures 4.8 inches wide by 2.9 inches high by 0.8 inch deep and weighs 6.1 ounces. In addition to a compact size, the PND has a nice solid construction that makes it a nice travel companion and easy for multivehicle use.
The main attraction of the Nuvi 265WT is the spacious 4.3-inch WQVGA touch screen. It has a 480x272 pixel resolution, so maps and text look vibrant and clear. You can adjust the screen's brightness through the Settings menu and as with all the latest GPS, maps can switch automatically from day to night colors so you get the best viewing experience.
We've always liked Garmin devices for their easy-to-use interfaces, and the 265WT is no different. The main menu screen presents you with two clear choices: "Where to?" and "View Map." It also features large icons with clear identifications, so even when you get deeper into the menus and various functions, everything's pretty intuitive.
The touch screen was responsive to our commands, and the onscreen keyboard is available in QWERTY or ABC format. The keyboard is a bit on the smaller side, so users with larger fingers might have some problems. The good news is that it has predictive text, so it will automatically pull up possible search results as soon as you start inputting a couple of letters. We also like that the number keys are included all on the same keyboard, and you don't have to switch over a separate number screen.
As we mentioned earlier, the Nuvi 265WT is pretty simple and doesn't have many external controls. There's a single power/hold switch located on top of the system. The left spine holds an SD card slot, and a mini USB port is located on the back where you can connect the car charger. The only thing we'd like to see are some external volume controls. Though you can adjust the volume onscreen, some buttons on the outside for easy access would be nice.
The Garmin Nuvi 265WT comes packaged with a car charger with an integrated traffic receiver, a USB cable, a vehicle mount (windshield and dash), and reference material.
Features
The Garmin Nuvi 265WT offers quite a number of features for the price. First, there's a new HotFix functionality that automatically calculates and stores important satellite information for faster satellite acquisition. The system comes preloaded with City Navigator NT street-level maps of North America and more than 6 million points of interest.
The POI database contains all the major categories (gas stations, lodging, ATMs, restaurants by cuisine type, and so forth) and more specialized interests, including golf courses, gyms, and nightclubs. On top of the preloaded entries, you can add custom POIs, such as safety cameras and school zones, and it's compatible with MSN Direct services. The latter allows you to get more location-specific information, such as movie times and weather, but it requires an additional receiver and subscription fee.
To start planning a trip, you can enter a specific address, choose a POI, or select a location from the Recently Found or Favorites list. The Nuvi 265WT supports multidestination trips, and you can add waypoints on the fly. You have your choice of three route preferences (faster time, shorter distance, or off-road) and three usage modes (automobile, bicycle, or pedestrian). You can avoid certain road types if you choose, such as toll roads and highways.
The Nuvi 265WT has a detour function for avoiding certain portions of your prescribed route, but the system also now comes with an FM traffic receiver that's integrated into the body car charger. Even better, you get free traffic alerts for life. Traffic information is provided by Navteq Traffic Network and can alert you to any upcoming congestion or road construction. The system will give you audible prompts when there's upcoming traffic. You can also tap on the traffic icon (green button with two cars) on the map screen to see color-coded traffic along your route or see specific incidents.
There is a slight catch about the complementary traffic subscription, though. In order to keep it free for you, the service is supported by advertisements. The advertisements won't appear while you're driving a route, but if you're stopped for more than 10 seconds, they (usually the company name and icon) will appear onscreen. We noticed it a few times, and it caught us off guard and annoyed us at first. However, the ads are pretty small and unobtrusive, and in our opinion, a small price to pay for free, lifetime service.
Maps are available in 2D and 3D view, and you can change it so either north is always at the top of your screen or the direction in which you are driving is. A plus and minus icon on the map screen lets you zoom in and out, and there's a trip information page that displays your speed, direction, trip time, and so forth. If you'd like, there's also a trip log where you can view data, such as distance traveled and total trip time. In addition to the visual aids, you, of course, get voice-guided turn-by-turn directions with text-to-speech functionality.
For some peace of mind, the Garmin Nuvi 265WT has the "Where am I?" feature, which gives you the coordinates of your location, the nearest address, and intersection, and lists the closest hospitals, police stations, and gas stations to your position. You'll be able to call any of these services or other businesses or POI directly from the unit since it has integrated Bluetooth. We're happy to report that your phone's address book and call history will automatically synchronize with the GPS for easy data transfer.
Finally, the Nuvi 265WT comes with a number of extras, including the Garmin Lock antitheft feature, a world clock, currency and measurement converters, and a calculator. There's also a picture viewer as well as something called Garmin Connect Photos. With this feature, you can log onto the http://connect.garmin.com, choose from a selection of millions of geolocated photos, download them to your Nuvi 265WT, and then navigate to them.
Performance
We tested the Garmin Nuvi 265WT in San Francisco, and from a cold start, it took the unit about 3 minutes to get a fix on our location, while the subsequent starts took less than a minute--perhaps the handiwork of the HotFix feature. The Nuvi 265WT did a good job of tracking our position as we drove around the city. It managed to keep its lock while driving through the Financial District, even though skyscrapers tend to block a clear view of the sky in that part of town. As expected, the Nuvi 265WT did momentarily lose the connection when we drove through the Broadway tunnel.
As our standard road test, we plotted a course from the Marina District to CNET's downtown headquarters. The system calculated a route quickly and we checked the list of text directions and found them to be accurate. On the road, voice-guided directions were loud and clear, and the text-to-speech pronunciations were pretty spot on. We missed several turns to test the route recalculation rate, which was mostly on target. There were a couple of occasions where we would have liked quicker notice, but in the end, the Nuvi 265WT was able to get us back on track and to our destination.
The traffic alerts were somewhat helpful, but along a route the audible alerts are somewhat slow. On the way to San Francisco International Airport, we ran into some congestion as a San Francisco 49ers game let out, and we were already bumper-to-bumper when the Nuvi 265WT alerted us to "Traffic ahead." I had to laugh as my passenger said, "Traffic ahead? Try traffic now." The feature was definitely more beneficial for preplanned trips, since you can check for incidents before heading out.
We were able to pair the Nuvi 265WT with the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310 for AT&T, although it took a couple of attempts. Once connected, our phone's address book was automatically synchronized with the Nuvi, and we were able to make calls right away. Call quality on our end sounded pretty good. There was plenty of volume, but we could hear a slight background hiss. Unfortunately, the results weren't so good on the other end. Our friends said they could hear us, but one reported distracting background noise, while another said we sounded just plain horrible.
User reviews
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Great bang for the buck.
by cnastro on October 29, 2008
Pros: Widescreen; Free traffic for life; Bluetooth Speaker; Sleek and slim
Cons: FM Traffic Transmitter wire is a bit thick making it too big to be hidden underneath your dashboard
Summary: I love the nuvi 265wt. I have used the GPS on my iPhone for awhile but it isn't reliable or practical to use on long car trips.
This is ...Summary: I love the nuvi 265wt. I have used the GPS on my iPhone for awhile but it isn't reliable or practical to use on long car trips.
UPDATE: by the way none of the people I've called through the Bluetooth speaker have reported any problems hearing me and I can hear them just fine. I haven't experienced any of the problems that cnet and other reviewers have.
This is my first GPS. After researching for awhile I decided on the 265wt. I really didn't want to spend more than $200 on a GPS but after seeing that traffic is included free for life, normally $60, and that a Bluetooth speaker is included, which I was looking to purchase as well and normally cost $70-100, I decided on the nuvi 265wt. I purchased it from a reputable buyer on eBay for $300 plus s&h.
I love the widescreen. The fact that it says the street names is great (the voice is a little robot-like but you get over it quick). The frame rate is pretty good. It's a good beginner GPS because it's very easy to use. Everything is self explanatory.
I do have a gripe with Garmin's customer service. I called up because I thought the traffic wasn't working (it was working fine...it was just my own stupidity that made me not realize it) and a person answered. I thought "wow! a person right away!" She asked me how she can direct my call and I told her I thought I was having a technical issue and she put me on hold and connected me to a computer with a series of voice prompts. Press 1 to purchase...press 2 for technical support. After I went through the prompts my call was answered quickly but still...why ask me how you can direct my call if you're just going to make me go through a bunch of computer options anyway? Not a big deal but it just irked me.
In conclusion the Garmin nuvi 265wt is a GREAT GPS system. Especially for first time buyers that want a lot of features without taking a big chunk out of their wallet.
Updated on Oct 29, 200823 out of 23 users found this user opinion helpful.
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nice options for the price
by Achevelle on March 18, 2009
Pros: nice big screen and turns called out by street name very helpful
Cons: speaker for the blue tooth is not to clear when you turn the volume up
Summary: if you purchase this for the nav then it is a good deal but do not get your hopes up if you plan on using it as a hands free ...
Summary: if you purchase this for the nav then it is a good deal but do not get your hopes up if you plan on using it as a hands free device for your phone
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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GReat product for the price
by philnat1 on November 12, 2008
Pros: Clear pictures. Friendly user buttons
Cons: Traffic not effective yet in Montreal Canada
Summary: This is my first GPS ever. Was going to buy the 360 but the sales rep said it was discontinued and suggested the 265T series. The wider screen was more ...
Summary: This is my first GPS ever. Was going to buy the 360 but the sales rep said it was discontinued and suggested the 265T series. The wider screen was more appealing to me. Found it on Ebay and the seller was in my living town. What a coincidance. I was able to save on S and H fees. SP bought it for 300$ an excellent price. I loved this product right away. Easy to use. The text to speech feature is unbelievable. When you go off track, it quickly recalculates your new route. On the off side, the traffic component is stll not available in Montreal (should be available in 2009). Also when using phone through the unnit, the caller finds that the voice does not look so clear.
So great buy for the price. Do not hesitate to buy this unit.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great traveling companion for an iPhone
by lb311 on July 4, 2009
Pros: Handsfree Bluetooth phone integration--awesome with an iPhone; Easy to use; Can import custom POI files
Cons: Not as easy to manage multiple waypoints in a route, or see various upcoming POIs (such as all POIs at the next highway exit)-- unless I haven't figured it out yet (the user manual is a bit lacking too).
Summary: With an iPhone's built-in GPS, one wouldn't think a dedicated GPS device would still be necessary, but this little Garmin is an excellent companion device for providing voice-aided ...
Summary: With an iPhone's built-in GPS, one wouldn't think a dedicated GPS device would still be necessary, but this little Garmin is an excellent companion device for providing voice-aided turn-by-turn navigation, as well as being an excellent hands-free calling device. On a recent trip, I had my iPhone playing music through my car stereo and connected to the Garmin via bluetooth. When a call came in, I was able to see my iPhone's caller ID directly on the Garmin, answer & talk hands-free. During the time I was on the phone, the iPhone was smart enough to pause & resume the music automatically-- how cool is that?!! Another nice feature is being able to search for a POI and call the business directly from the Garmin. It also displays my iPhone's full contact list, battery status, and cell signal strength-- all with a nice-sized screen that's easier to read while driving than fumbling around to look at the phone itself.
I purchased my nuvi 265wt at Wal-Mart online and a beanbag-type friction mount came with it for free-- works great for using the Garmin in multiple vehicles and rental cars!3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Amazingly quick location tracking and route calculation
by senajafi on May 31, 2009
Pros: HotFix Feature works well; near-instant route recalculation; traffic info well displayed
Cons: Bluetooth Speakerphone could be much better
Summary: I just purchased this unit from my local costco and have found it to be one of the best GPS units I have ever used. Out of the box, from ...
Summary: I just purchased this unit from my local costco and have found it to be one of the best GPS units I have ever used. Out of the box, from a full cold start, it found its location accurately within 20 seconds or so (most units I have seen before take a few minutes). Garmin's new HotFix feature actually works as advertised. Whenever I emerge from a signal dead zone (like a parking garage) the unit finds itself almost immediately. My old Magellan would take at least a minute, if not several to do so.
Also this unit has amazingly fast route recalculation response time. I purposefully drove against its directions and it realized and had a new route with a new direction within 5 seconds or less. Again my old Magellan would take about 30 seconds to a minute to recalculate (taking about 10 seconds just to realize I had gone the wrong way).
The user interface is also very intuitive and easy to navigate. The features are great. EcoRoute actually gives me usual information, providing estimates of my fuel consumption and and even costs incurred, all based on my vehicle type, fuel type, gas mileage, and its tracking data.
The only issue I have had so far is that the Bluetooth Speakerphone on this unit has so far been only satisfactory. Most calls have been intelligible, but I often get told that I can just barely be understood. I am working on finding a better placement in my car to mitigate this issue.
For the money, this is probably one of your best bets for GPS at the moment.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Loaded with features for the price, one drawback
by twelveup on January 5, 2009
Pros: Ease of use - intuitive layout and operation. "Where am I" feature. Traffic feature. Voice prompts timely and accurate. Bluetooth connection easy to set up and easy to use. Detour feature.
Cons: Sound quality of speaker limits usefulness of the bluetooth feature - hard to hear at highway speeds. Dash mounting pad won't stay stuck (maybe because I was trying to stick it in 10 degree weather).
Summary: Have had the product for about two weeks. I love it thus far. Have taken on two road trips and it has operated flawlessly with the minor gripe of the ...
Summary: Have had the product for about two weeks. I love it thus far. Have taken on two road trips and it has operated flawlessly with the minor gripe of the speaker quality for bluetooth use. A lot of features for the $, especially when compared to the nuvi 650 I bought a year ago for more money. I have now give one to each of my two driving kids.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Newbie GPS user thinks it's a good buy
by bmn_1213 on December 30, 2008
Pros: Easy to use right out of the box, clear GPS directions, traffic feature is nice
Cons: bluetooh feature is cumbersome
Summary: Pulled it right out of the box, turned it on and started using it immediately. Very intuitive, just the way I like gadgets. Probably the most usefule feature for me ...
Summary: Pulled it right out of the box, turned it on and started using it immediately. Very intuitive, just the way I like gadgets. Probably the most usefule feature for me is the 'points of interest'. You can find just about any store in any city. It's great, I use it even in my hometown! On the negative side, I wish there was a volume dial on the unit. It's annoying to have to push two or three buttons to adjust the volume, esp during a bluetooth call. The whole point of bluetooth is handsfree, right? If I have to fiddle with my hands to adjust volume, what's the point? Also, it's a pain to disconnect the bluetooth. That's about 5 button presses... That, and the fact that car phones never sound great anyway... I just don't use the bluetooth feature unless I have to. Other than that, I really like the unit and am very happy with the purchase.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good, simple and user's friendly basic unit.
by jogousa on December 3, 2008
Pros: User friendly, simple to use, various languages available.
Cons: Day/night - bright/low light feature not as good as Nuvi 260W owned previously.
Marginal voice/microphone quality when bluetooth feature used in conjuction with cell phone.Summary: Upgraded from 260W for unit with bluetooth but disappointed with quality of sound and microphone. Volume adjustment should be mounted on the outside of the unit rather than on touch ...
Summary: Upgraded from 260W for unit with bluetooth but disappointed with quality of sound and microphone. Volume adjustment should be mounted on the outside of the unit rather than on touch screen. HotFix keeps shutting off the unit here and there unexpectidly although it automatically turns back on. Good selection of foreign languages with option to download more. Excellent Garmin factory support, as always. POIs and addresss can easily be downloaded from Google Maps. Overall good value for the money spent.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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slow slow slow
by nick762 on February 22, 2009
Pros: easy menu, looks good.
Cons: sooo slow to react to imput, when typing it takes a second to register the letter... reminds me of an old Motorola phone I had 5 years ago.
Summary: i'm amzed this got such a good rating by cnet, it's horrible to use ... takes for ever to find an address or "point of interest" ... the real time ...
Summary: i'm amzed this got such a good rating by cnet, it's horrible to use ... takes for ever to find an address or "point of interest" ... the real time traffic alert system is a joke feature... it comes inc but does little to nothing in updates on traffic & I live in Silicon Valley.
very very disspointed ... will not by from this manufacturer again.
not being a tech guy, i'm assuming the chip is too slow to operate this gps ?2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great GPS with good feature set
by Greg Shea on January 26, 2009
Pros: Blue Tooth works well. FM Traffic is spot on. I have downloaded all of the updates and my unit works fine. Used it yesterday and the recaculating function worked flawlessly and within seconds of deviating from the GPS plotted course.
Cons: The power cable could be longer. I would like to put the wire in such a way as to mostly hide it from view.
Summary: I've recommended this GPS to several friends and and colleagues and they have experienced the same results I have.
Summary: I've recommended this GPS to several friends and and colleagues and they have experienced the same results I have.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Garmin
- Part number: 010-00575-10
- Description: Get the big picture and big features for a small price with nüvi 265WT. This widescreen navigator takes you there with preloaded maps and turn-by-turn directions that call out streets by name. It adds a crisp, widescreen display to the nüvi 265T and comes with lifetime traffic and hands-free calling to simplify life on the go. Like the rest of the nüvi 205-series, this portable navigator is priced right and ultra-easy to use. With nüvi 265WT's widescreen display, you'll always get the big picture. View map detail, driving directions, photos and more in bright, brilliant color. Its sunlight-readable, 4.3-inch display is easy to read - from any direction. nüvi 265WT's intuitive interface greets you with two simple questions: "Where to? " and "View Map." Touch the color screen to easily look up addresses and services and get voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions that speak street names to your destination. It comes preloaded with detailed City Navigator NT street maps, over 6 million points of interest (POIs), 2-D or 3-D maps and smooth map updates as you navigate. Its digital elevation maps show you shaded contours at higher zoom levels, giving you a big picture of the surrounding terrain. In addition, nüvi 265WT accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. With HotFix satellite prediction, nüvi calculates your position faster to get you there quicker.
General
- Width 4.8 in
- Depth 0.8 in
- Height 2.9 in
- Weight 6.1 oz
GPS System
- Recommended Use Automotive
- Connectivity USB
- GPS Functions / Services Auto re-route, Route avoidance, Photo navigation, Picture viewer, Garmin garage, Garmin lock
- Traffic Services TMC (Traffic Message Channel)
- Voice Navigation instructions, Street name announcement
- Antenna Built-in
- Features Clock, Calculator, Custom POIs, Garmin Lock, Photo viewer, Garmin Garage, Built-in speaker, Automatic routing, Currency converter, 2D / 3D map perspective, Hands-free calling via Bluetooth
- Supported Memory Cards SD Memory Card
- Maps Included North America
- Software Included MapSource City Navigator North America NT
Navigation
- Waypoints 1000
- Trip computer Trip timer, Trip distance, Avoid highways, Avoid toll roads, Fast/short route
Built-in Display
- Type TFT - Widescreen
- Resolution 480 x 272
- Diagonal Size 4.3 in
- Display Illumination Yes
- Color Support Color
- Features Anti-glare, Touch screen
Connections
- Connector Type USB
Battery
- Battery Enclosure Type Internal
- Battery technology Lithium ion
- Mfr estimated battery life 4 hour(s)
Miscellaneous
- GPS design features Clock, Currency converter, Unit converter, Calculator, Touchscreen, Qwerty or ABC keyboard
- Included GPS accessories USB cable, TMC reciever, Vehicle mount, Car power adapter
Manufacturer info
- Garmin
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Garmin products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.garmin.com
- Address:
1200 E. 151st St, Olathe, KS - Phone: 913-397-8200
- Fax: 913-397-8282
