Garmin nüvi 205 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Piano Black)
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nüvi 205 is your personal travel assistant for life on the go. This navigator leads the way with turn-by-turn directions and optional MSN Direct services to get you there on time and keep you informed. It’s packed with millions of destinations and maps for the contiguous U.S. or regional sections of Europe. Like the rest of the compact nüvi 2×5-series, the 205 is priced right and ultra-easy to use.
Features
- 3.5-inch Touch Screen Navigation with Turn by Turn spoken Directions
- Pre-loaded Maps for continental U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico with 6.5 million searchable points of interest
- FM Traffic or MSN Direct Traffic/Content compatible (with optional GDB 55 receiver)
- Easy to Use Interface; slim, pocket-sized form factor; 4-hour rechargeable battery
- 3D terrain views, navigate to photo, and automatic time zone adjustment
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 4 x 3 x 1 inches
- Weight: 1 pounds
DEAD IN 8 MONTHS – WARRANTY ??? MAYBE …
Bottom line: You have to pay the freight back to Garmin with an RMA # before they will perform under the warranty. It may take you a couple hours or more to get them to issue the RMA #.
First Garmin Nuvi worked well so bot identical one for my wife last January. Inspite of being kept in her car and only used a couple times it failed to function after 7 or 8 months. No problem, as warranty is one year, until you try to get Garmin to perform.
It took several calls to Garmin fighting thru their menus BEFORE the line of callers was short enough to even let us wait in it. (Sorry, we have to many customers waiting for service so we are dropping your call …)
Once in line it took at least an hour. The tech seemed unwilling to accept that the unit simply does not work. (Even suggested plugging it into the car while on home phone with the tech.) I imagine many users give-up instead of receiving the warranty service they paid for.
Toss away device
Unit’s power switch stopped working after a couple of months. It has to be plugged into the car or PC charger in order for it to turn on and then reset to turn it off. Other devices have lasted me years without fault.
Garmin nuvi 205
I used this when I received it. It is very easy to use, and the maps are easy to read. It will really make traveling much easier and less stressful.
super simple
I hate getting lost and wasting time going the wrong way. This GPS has eliminated that problem! Very easy to use. Great basic GPS. It doesn’t have all the bells & whistles of the more expensive ones, but thats not what I was looking for. It hasn’t steered me wrong yet!Love it.
Good Price Great Gear
This garmin has an easy user interface and loads quickly. I might have like the voice giving streets names, but the price on this make it the best buy. I recommend it.
Great value: Low cost with great features.
The Garmin Nuvi 205 is a great value for the price and product features. This is a new unit to the original I used for over a year…until I lost it. Though the first replacement had sporadic problems with the audio after just two long trips, I replaced it while still under warranty via Amazon’s pain-free, hassle-free return policy. Overall, I’ve been very happy with this model and frankly have no need for the additional features and much higher priced Garmin Nuvi units.
Nice for first time user
The product is easy to operate.
My problem with it was that it does not have a current traffic function built in.
Other than that there is almost no problems
Reliable and recalculates super fast !!
I like everything about my new Garmin Nuvi 205. After reading lots of comments about the TomToms and Magellans, I chose Garmin because people seem to think it “recalculates”(changes the route for you automatically, if you go off the route they’ve given you) quickly. It does ! That is an important feature for me, esp in busy traffic, and when I’m somewhere completely unfamiliar to me. It really helped me out with the Census work I was doing.
Good Buy
earlier i used nuvi 255w .. but i like this one compared to the buggy 205w .. good buy for its price .. i am able to use this worldwide with different maps copied on to the device…
great deal
I have owned a Garmin previously. It was less expensive to buy a new one then update old unit. Glad I did as the new unit seems to lock on sattelite quicker and stays connected in metro area’s better.
nice machine
this is a nice machine, easy to use, works very well, only the start time is a little bit too slow
Cheap price at a cost to performance.
I tried this out in my neighborhood. I pulled up the local grocery store using the points of interest feature. It incorrectly identified “arriving at location on right” when it was on the left. It also had me on the major street to the North of the actual street I was on.
I had other Garmins that announced the street names. So you get instructions like: “turn right then right”. The map doesn’t show the upcoming second right so it gets confusing where you are suppose to turn. I big disadvantage if you are not familiar with the area. Annouces upcoming turns in too short of time and you have to keep your eyes on the map instead of the road.
Doesn’t come with A/C charger like some of the other models. Would be nice to charge at home or hotel room if using pedestrian mode. In summary, you get what you pay for.
This is a Great Machine!!!
I bought this to use on business trips which take me to locales with which I am totally unfamiliar
On a recent trip through southern Ohio, in a very rural area, the road I was on ended and there were no detour signs.
I made a right turn and followed the voice for about 15-20 minutes. It brought me right back to the road, to a point at which I could continue to my destination. The screen is easy to see, the voice is easy to hear, addresses are easy to program and I am completely satisfied with this device which cost under $100. I have never used GPS before so I am unfamiliar with the various features that may be available on higher priced boxes. If you want to get from point “A” to point “B” and even see what attractions there are along the way (food, fuel,etc.) I highly recommend this little device. It is wonderful!
Nice for the Price!
Just got this refurb unit from Amazon. Looks new, includes mount, dc power cord. This is probably the 8th GPS receiver I have owned.
So far, so good! The smaller diameter suction mount means you have more placement options. The icon for your current location shows direction of travel (or last travel) instead of just a circle.
Very intuitive operation. Voice directions are not quite as crisp as some others I’ve owned. Screen is bright and clear, accuracy and directions seem fine. Keyboard screen is much better than average.
JUST WONDEFUL!!!
I GAVE THIS TO MY GIRLFRIEND AND SHE IS HAVING A BLAST. NOW WE GO EVERYWHERE WITH GARMIN. MAPS ARE GREAT AND INFO TOO. WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH IT!!! EVEN HERE IN SOUTH AMERICA IT WORKS LIKE A SWISS CLOCK !!!!
Excellent Basic Navigator
This was a replacement for my Garmin 200 that I purchased three years ago. This is a very low cost and high quality navigator … all I need for travel.
Garmin Nuvi Love it
Exactly what we wanted, even with the smaller screen it is easy to see & use. Large enough print for ease of viewing. No bells or whistles, just straight with directions, no additional features to confuse you. Just enter info of where you are going & there you go! Easy to switch from car to car, saves all previous addresses & locations past visited to use over & over again.
Great Deal..
I got the GpS For A Vacation I took to Arizona. The reason I got the GPS? easy to Play with.Works great,fast. Why rent one when you can Keep one. So fare Great Deal.
Best GPS for the money, period!
I’ve been using the 205 for a couple of months now. It really is an invaluable tool. The price was so good, we bought 2.
Pros:
- Has voice directions, point of interest, and all the other base GPS features that all Garmin Nuvi’s come with. For this base model, they only left out the “nice-to-have” features such as Bluetooth, street names by voice, etc. You’ll never feel like you’re missing something when using it.
- Syncing with PC’s could not be easier. Uses a standard mini USB plug, which I have plenty of. Shows up as a normal drive on Ubuntu 10.04. Updating POI’s, voices, etc. is just a drag-and-drop affair. There is also a POI loader utility you can download that even works in Linux under WINE!
- Auto shut-off and turn on with the car when charging.
- Has a battery in case you don’t want wires in your way and can charge later.
Cons:
- No audio output jack. Would be nice to have, but definitely not a deal-breaker.
- Looking for a business name and turning on is a little slow but at times, especially when you’re trying to find a destination while on the road.
- Not having a QWERTY keyboard layout is a little annoying, but it’s certainly usable. Next time I’ll spend a few bucks more for the next model up.
Garmin definitely knows how to make products that are cross-platform and easy to use. It’s hard to believe this price can last forever considering all the features it has for their “low-end” GPS. Definitely the best bang for the buck!
My family loves the nuvi
I have an older model nuvi that is very dependable. I did not hesitate to purchase this one for my daughter who is now living away at college. She loves it because it is very easy to use by entering address or a place of interest. It gives me great peace of mind that she can navigate in a new city.Garmin nüvi 205 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator