Garmin nuvi 265T, 265WT, 275T, 285WT Vehicle GPS: REVIEW

Garmin’s popular 2×5 series, building on the success of the 200 series, designed as a budget-friendly GPS, continues to blur the lines between "entry level" and mid-level with the 265T, 265W, 275T and 285WT models which sit at the upper end of this category. (These models are not fundamentally different from the other models in the 2×5 series but include richer feature sets, maps and other included options.) As we pointed out in our review of Garmin’s first models released in the 2×5 series (the 205, 205W, 255 and 255W), the result is a product that is marketed as an entry-level system but in fact has a solid mid-level feature set under the hood. Not surprisingly, the 265, 275 and 285 have won accolades from editorial reviewers and owners alike, the latter especially pleased at the perfomance per price. In its review of the 265T, PC World notes this, indicating, "…a reasonable price for a full-featured GPS–especially when you factor in the lifetime traffic service."

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Garmin nüvi 1300 Series – REVIEW (1300, 1350, 1350T, 1370, 1370T, 1390, 1390T)

FIRST LOOK: Garmin remains at the top of its game with constant innovation that is keeping the manufacturer solidly on top in sales and customer satisfaction for vehicle GPS units in the U.S. What we’re especially intrigued by is how the pace of innovation continues to accelerate and just how quickly yesterday’s luxury feature becomes today’s essential "must-have." With prices remaining competitive, the number of features per dollar gives you, the consumer, the best value ever, and those features are fitting into more and more compact units. Garmin’s nuvi 1200, 1300 and 1400 series introduce the thinnest, most pocketable units yet as the new CityXplorer feature brings a wealth of new GPS features to the pedestrian, navigating an unfamilar city by foot or mass transit. CNET says, "Even if you don’t opt for the CityXplorer route, the new GPS offer plenty of other navigation features and for reasonable prices." Garmin has also added ecoRoute™ to its nuvi line, allowing you to select the most fuel-efficient route to your destination.

 

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Garmin nuvi 500, 550 Crossover GPS: REVIEW

We get many questions about finding a single GPS that does it all, taking you from car to trail to the lake or offshore. Oh, and geocaching would be nice, too. And, of course, it needs to be waterproof and have great battery life…oh and how about a removable battery to boot? Well, Garmin’s been busy on your behalf and the nüvi 500 series may be the ideal solution in the emerging "crossover" class of GPS systems. Like its nuvi relatives, the 500 and 550 models are sleek and easily fit into your pocket or pack as well as your hand for comfortable handheld operation with an impressive battery life of 8 hours.

 

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Garmin nuvi 205, 205W, 255, 255W Vehicle GPS: REVIEW

If you’re a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices — really good choices — in the top-rated nuvi line, Garmin’s not about to make your decision any easier. The 2×5 series, including the 205, 205W, 255 and 255W adds so many features to the 200 series that the term "entry level" just might not cut it any more. In fact, the 205/205W and 255/255W incorporate both higher-end features as well as features not even seen in some of their higher-end siblings. The result is a product that is marketed as an entry-level system, but in fact has a solid mid-level feature set, earning the 2×5 series even stronger marks than the popular 200 series.

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Garmin nuvi 350: REVIEW

Garmin’s StreetPilot c-Series introduced us to a welcome marriage of strong technical features with unprecedented ease of use. Just a few months later, with the nüvi 350, Garmin has taken its blending of form and function to a new level, offering an elegant yet essential travel tool to the traveler. Already receiving accolades in Europe (“It’s just brilliant,” says Global Positioning Systems in the U.K.) where its release has preceded that in North America, the slim 5-ounce nüvi 350 is sure to find its niche among frequent travelers who may find themselves finding their way through heavy traffic in Chicago on Tuesday and navigating the narrow sidewalks of Rome on Wednesday, with access to a spoken Italian Language Guide to boot (along with 8 other languages) along your stroll.

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Garmin StreetPilot c330 Vehicle GPS: REVIEW

Garmin has an answer to Magellan’s highly rated RoadMate 700 and its name is the StreetPilot c330, which immediately got the attention of no less than Time Magazine (Gadget of the Week), Forbes Magazine, and CNET. Owners rave that at last there’s a GPS that works right out of the box. It’s small, portable, completely touch-screen controlled, and takes simplicity to a new level for Garmin, which has always held a stellar reputation for producing powerful GPS units.

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Garmin StreetPilot c550: REVIEW

The second generation of Garmin’s popular StreetPilot c-series brings key upgrades to already top-rated products, leading Time Magazine to say, “The new Garmin StreetPilot c550 is the best portable navigation product on the market.” PC Magazine states, ” …the bevy of new features make the price premium a no-brainer.” We agree. We credit 2005’s Garmin StreetPilot c330 with ushering in a new era in consumer in-vehicle GPS systems. Why? The StreetPilot c-series brought what the GPS world at the time lacked the most — ease of use.

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Garmin eTrex Vista HCx: REVIEW

Garmin’s eTrex series continues to be among the most popular and top-rated handheld GPS units available. The eTrex Vista HCx is well-positioned as a mid-range unit with brilliant color mapping, next-generation GPS chipset, a map card slot, a rugged waterproof casing, tremendous battery life, and built-in geocaching features. Owners from a wide range of outdoor sports, including hiking, cycling, geocaching, skiing and hunting, praise this unit as a proven and trustworthy backcountry companion.

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Garmin eTrex Venture HC: REVIEW

Garmin’s eTrex series continues to be among the most popular and top-rated handheld GPS units available. The eTrex Venture HC is among the best values in entry-level handheld GPS units today, bringing color mapping, next-generation GPS chipset, rugged waterproof casing,long battery life, and built-in geocaching features. What does entry-level mean? A limited amount of memory for maps transferred from your computer (no card slot), no electronic compass or altimeter. But judging from the satisfaction of its owners, these limitations have not kept this from becoming one of the top-selling and top-rated handheld units.

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Garmin StreetPilot c340 Vehicle GPS: REVIEW

Garmin’s StreetPilot c340 is the successor to the very popular and 4.5 star rated StreetPilot c330. The c340 keeps everything users raved about the c330 (including Garmin’s welcomed new user interface for its c-Series which we consider the simplest to use of all in-vehicle GPS navigation systems) and adds “text-to-speech” capability which tells you not only when to turn but also pronounces the street name (i.e., “Turn right on Main St” instead of “Turn right in 500 feet.”)

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