Jensen NVX225
Manufacturer: Audiovox Corporation. Part number: NVX225
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- As an entry-level GPS device, the Jensen NVX225 offers all the basics at an affordable price tag, but you can get a better user experience and more from the Mio C230 or Garmin Nuvi 200.
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CNET editors' review
Jensen NVX225 price range: $108.74 - $149.99
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 10/03/2007
The good: The Jensen NVX225 in-car GPS device is affordably priced and offers text- and voice-guided directions and other basic navigation tools.
The bad: The NVX225's interface and overall user experience isn't as smooth as competing products, and it lacks text-to-speech functionality. The points-of-interest database is also out of date.
The bottom line: As an entry-level GPS device, the Jensen NVX225 offers all the basics at an affordable price tag, but you can get a better user experience and more from the Mio C230 or Garmin Nuvi 200.
Jensen is no stranger to aftermarket car tech, but we've mostly looked at its in-car stereo units rather than the company's portable navigation systems, so we were pretty anxious to take the Jensen NVX225 out for a test drive when it arrived at our office. On the upside, the NVX225 has a pretty affordable price tag of $299.99 and offers all the navigation basics for getting from point A to point B. However, we found that it couldn't compete with other similarly priced and featured GPS devices, so we'd have to recommend the Mio DigiWalker C230 and Garmin Nuvi 200 instead. Both of these systems have more user-friendly interfaces, better-looking maps, and even better, the Mio C230 offers text-to-speech functionality and costs less.
Design
The Jensen NVX225's design isn't anything to write home about--not that we're saying it's ugly, just a bit ordinary. With a squarish shape and black-and-silver color scheme, it's simple but lacks the attractiveness of a Mio C230 or Garmin Nuvi 200. Still, it's light and compact at 3.6 inches wide by 3.1 inches tall by 0.8 inch deep and 6.8 ounces for easy portability between cars.
The NVX225 is equipped with a 3.5-inch diagonal TFT touch screen. The QVGA display is decent for viewing maps, but we felt colors were slightly washed out, making it difficult to see in bright sunlight, and text wasn't quite as crisp as other systems. You can change the map colors under the Settings menu, and the system can automatically switch maps to night colors if you choose that option. The NVX225's lackluster interface leaves much to be desired and it isn't the most user-friendly, especially once you get deeper into the menus. For example, there were a couple of instances where we didn't know how to get back to the previous screen. As such, we recommend giving the user manual a quick read before setting off on your first trip with the Jensen NVX225.
You will find the power button on top of the unit, as well as a shortcut to the Main Menu page. The left spine has an SD expansion slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a reset hole, and a mini USB port, while there's an external antenna jack, a volume rocker, a master power on/off switch, and a power connector on the right side. The speaker is located on the back along with a stylus on the lower left side for easier text input, which is a good thing since the onscreen keyboard is pretty small.
The Jensen NVX225 comes packaged with an AC adapter, a car charger, a vehicle mount (windshield and dash), a USB cable, a soft carrying pouch, a companion CD with Canadian maps, and reference material.
Features
The Jensen NVX225 is a basic, entry-level navigation system that comes equipped with a SiRFStarIII GPS chip and preloaded with TeleNav maps of the United States. Jensen includes a companion CD with Canadian maps if you need them, but it'll require that you transfer them from your PC to the device or an SD card. To start planning a trip, tap Find & Go to enter an address, input coordinates, and select from your home and work addresses or a recently visited location. The NVX225 can calculate directions by fastest, shortest, or most economical route and with or without toll roads, ferry ways, U-turns, and so forth. There are also different settings for different modes of transport, including car, bus, bicycle, and pedestrian mode. Alternatively, if you don't need guidance to a specific destination, there's a Follow tool that will simply track you as you drive around.
The system supports multistop trips, and contains a 3.75 million points-of-interest (POI) database. All the major categories are represented, including gas stations, lodging, and ATMs. You can search for restaurants by cuisine type, and there are more specialized interests, such as concert halls, amusement parks, and nightlife. We found the entries to be slightly out of date, as we searched for POI around San Francisco, and discovered several establishments that we knew to be out of business.
The Jensen NVX225 offers turn-by-turn, text-, and voice-guided directions but unfortunately, unlike the Mio C230, it does not support text-to-speech functionality. This means the system won't speak actual street names; instead, you'll get more generic directions like "Turn right in 100 feet." For audible prompts, you can choose six different voices supports automatic route recalculation in three different languages (English, Spanish, or French). There's a Fly Over option to get a running demo of your journey or you can view an itinerary of text-based directions. If you don't like a particular part of the route, there's an Avoid button where you can maneuver around a point by a predetermined distance. The system also supports automatic route recalculation if you get off course, whether by accident or on purpose.
Maps are available in 2D and 3D view with day and night colors, and you can change it so north is always at the top of your screen or the direction in which you are traveling. There's a cockpit view for when you're driving that shows you the name of the current street, direction and distance to next turn, the time, and so forth. Finally, there are several safety tools, such as speed warnings, icons to alert you to unpaved roads, tolls roads, and more.
Performance
We tested the Jensen NVX225 in San Francisco, and from a cold start, it took the unit about five minutes to get a fix on our position. Subsequent starts were faster but not immediate as it still took a couple of minutes. The system did a decent job of tracking our position as we drove around the city, but did lose its lock when we drove through the Broadway Tunnel and just briefly in the Financial District, where tall buildings block a clear view of the sky. This is typical of GPS devices, though, and the NVX225 was able to pick up a signal again almost immediately. We entered our standard trip from the Marina District to CNET's downtown headquarters, and the NVX225 was able to promptly return with accurate directions. Voice prompts sounded loud and clear, which was good since we had some difficulties viewing maps and street names on the display because of small font and washed out colors. We also missed several turns along the way to test the route recalculation rate, and the unit was able to get us back on track in a timely manner.
User reviews
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Bad bad product
by eric_c85 on April 15, 2009
Pros: nothing is good about this product the nvx225
Cons: no update and won't do anything whhile driveing
Summary: i hate that product nvx225
Summary: i hate that product nvx225
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Maps out of date, customer service gets a ZERO
by mikeb121 on August 18, 2008
Pros: Snappy interface, small and convenient.
Cons: Maps out of date, poor battery life, no support
Summary: I was given this as a gift for christmas and was very excited. It did well but I began to find alot of areas that the maps didn't exist ...
Summary: I was given this as a gift for christmas and was very excited. It did well but I began to find alot of areas that the maps didn't exist or were inaccurate. Then I found that it's not possible to even update the maps. Lastly, my battery started only lasting a few hours and upon requesting warranty service, was denied because I didn't have a recept (unit was a gift). I have seen many similar people experience one or more of the exact same problems so I strongly advise going with a unit with updatable maps and strong customer service and not with a unit such as this. It just isn't worth the money when you could invest a little more in a better product.
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great, until you open the package
by rsfd539 on July 19, 2008
Pros: fairly easy to get started
Cons: highly outdated and undependable
Summary: thought i was getting a great deal from Autozone, and it worked decent for a while. had it about 5 months and the speaker quit. the program that comes with ...
Summary: thought i was getting a great deal from Autozone, and it worked decent for a while. had it about 5 months and the speaker quit. the program that comes with it will not upload on my computer and therefore cannot update. overall I am disappointed with Jensen, they've never done me wrong before
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Poor Quality
by ennajean on April 19, 2008
Pros: nothing good to say about it
Cons: poor quality product
Summary: After using the Jensen GPS for three days got a FATAL ERROR. Are now looking to buy a Tom Tom or Garmin.
Summary: After using the Jensen GPS for three days got a FATAL ERROR. Are now looking to buy a Tom Tom or Garmin.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Audiovox Corporation.
- Part number: NVX225
- Description: The NVX225 Navigator is a navigation system that helps you find your way to your selected destination. It will determine your exact location with the help of an attached GPS device. The position information obtained from the GPS receiver will not be transmitted anywhere, so others will not be able to track you. If you are the driver of the vehicle, it is recommend that you operate the NVX225 Navigator before beginning your journey. The driver's attention should be on the road. Plan your route before departure and pull over if you need to change route parameters. The NVX225 Navigator has a built-in (optional) Safety Mode that will prevent you from using the screen functions if your car is in motion.
GPS System
- Recommended Use Automotive
- Connectivity USB
- GPS Functions / Services Speed, Distance, ETE (Estimated Time Enroute), ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)
- Voice Navigation instructions
- Antenna Built-in
- Features Built-in speaker, Preinstalled POIs, Speed limit warning, 2D / 3D map perspective, Optional external GPS antenna connection
- Built-in Memory 1 GB
- Supported Memory Cards SD Memory Card
- Maps Included USA, Canada
Navigation
- Trip computer Avoid ferrys, Avoid U-turns, Avoid toll roads, Fast/short route, Least use of motorways
Built-in Display
- Type LCD
- Diagonal Size 3.5 in
- Color Support Color
- Features Touch screen
Connections
- Connector Type Headphones - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, USB
Battery
- Battery Enclosure Type Integrated
- Battery technology Lithium polymer
Miscellaneous
- GPS design features Touch screen, Speaker, Keyboard, 3D map view, Stylus
- Included GPS accessories Carrying case, AC power adapter, Car power adapter, Windshield holder
Manufacturer info
- Audiovox Corporation.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Audiovox Corporation. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.audiovox.com/
- Address:
150 Marcus Blvd.
Hauppauge, NY 11788 - Phone: 1-631-231-7750
- Email: ACC_CustomerService@audiovox.com
- Fax: 1-631-434-3995








