Garmin nüvi 265W/265WT 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Integrated Traffic Receiver (Factory Refurbished)
| Overall rating: |
|
Subscribe
Subscribe to be alerted of new reviews.
| Overall rating: |
|
Subscribe to be alerted of new reviews.
Sparse Instructions
This is an excellent device, but I’m dissapointed that it only comes with minimal instructions. For more detailed info, you must download from their web site.
Not too shabby
Great for the price. Even when updated to 4/10/10 it still left out some old country roads in my area. no big deal bc i dont use the GPS in my area, only when I travel. So far no glitches and no errors. The voice could be louder so make sure your radio is off and your windows are up. If not you will not hear the voice prompting. I love this GPS unit so far.
POI sucks
Overall this model is an average gps. The best part of this gps is ease of use. But it has lot of problems which needs to be fixed in their next verisons
Improvements needed 1> POI Search takes way tooooo long. They should have POI data base in the gps itself and one should be able to synch it offline when need be, since now a days memory is so cheap. Also google can be a option not directly connected to POI.
Improvements needed 2>The suction cup which comes with gps is not good. it keeps falling. They should come up with a mechanism which is better.
Garmin Nuvi 265WT GPS Unit
This unit is a replacement for Garmin nuvi 750W model that got saturated in someone’s soda that they left in the center well of a Hertz Rental. So when I placed my Garmin in there to store (never thought to look to make sure there wasn’t liquid in there) while rushing into a meeting it was saturated by the time I got out of the meeting. Tried drying it out but the display and the voice module were ruined. Hertz took care of the problem and refunded the unit cost.
With that pro-log, I can compare the two units, the 265WT works much quicker usually in accessing the satellite positions. The unit seems to have a slightly brighter display and so far I have had only one problem where the route map took me one way and then re-calibrated and found the correct spot. This is pretty normal for all the GPS units and since I work in the electronics industry, not everything is 100% bullet-proof. The touch screen is excellent as are several of the features like the next turn ahead and the voice quality. I do not use the blue tooth since I have a Plantronics unit and my car has bluetooth in it so I can not vouch for that feature. I have used the unit several times in Vancouver Canada, various parts of Nothern & Southern California, AZ, TX areas in and around Dallas/Addisson and Austin, Nevada and Oregon with no problems.
Very good GPS / lousy bluetooth
This is a great device for its primary purpose as a GPS. Maps are great and location input and navigation are intuitive. The speed limit display is a great addition. I haven’t used the traffic feature, but my son in Chicago says it is great.
My only complaint is the bluetooth connection to my phone. It works great when it actually connects, but is very quirky and usually will not connect for inexplicable reasons.
Still, the product is a winner for the purpose I purchased it.
Must read before you buy!
Ownership: 3 months
Tech level: Medium/High
This is a very good unit that has some minor flaws (in my opinion) which keeps it from being a great unit. The screen size, brightness level, color and auto level feature are excellent, even in bright light. The volume is pretty good, but could be a little better. I keep the volume at 100% to help compensate with the radio and road noise. While driving the sound is good enough, even if you don’t hear it speak clearly, you hear enough to look at the screen. To stay on the sound quality, the Bluetooth feature is just OK. Connecting your phone is fast and easy to set up. Once it is set up the unit auto connects when you power the unit on. As I stated before about the units capability in dealing with road noise, I could only use this feature when moving at 40 mph or less without having to move closer to the unit. Within 1 1/2′. My unit is mounted on the middle of the dash right next to the steering wheel. Closer than most other units I see mounted while driving. If you are parked, the Bluetooth works great! But then you really do not need a Bluetooth then. If the speaker and microphone were on the front of the unit it would help out allot. Now the Software. Maps are really good. If you have never been there before trust the unit and you will not be disappointed. If you know where you are sometimes the route is a little confusing. Like, why is it taking me this way. After some testing at home with my normal routes the “new” routes usually were a little longer but actually shorter in time. The Off Road feature is a nice touch. With the right maps you can take it on the boat or go hiking. I have used it to go fishing at a pond in the woods. I was really impressed with the detail of my route traveled. IE. I walked in a 1′ circle and it display it on the screen of me standing there just turning around. The traffic feature is a nice feature, but it is only as accurate as the information it receives. It has a “bypass” button which takes you around the traffic jam. But, I would recommend seeing how long it would take to go around or just go thru it. Navigation thru the screens is fairly simple. I really like the layout. I am disappointed though when you go thru 4 screens and you want to get back to you map you have to go thru the same 4 screens to get there. I would like to see a “map” or “done” button to instantly go back to the map save all lot of steps. I would also like to see the trip log not only show you your route traveled but include the distance and total time. I would have given 4 stars if it wasn’t for the Bluetooth and the navigation thru the screens to get back to the map. I have had no problems with the refurbished unit and the price was really good. Definitely would recommend.
Worthless
This is the third Garmin unit I’ve brought to Europe and they all leave a great deal to be desired. The poi tables are useless showing restaurants in different cities and not showing main restaurants right in the middle of town. Exits on highways are indicated that do not exist, one way streets are indicated incorrectly and the units are cumbersome to use and poorly thought out.
This year I travelled with an unlocked iPhone. Wow, in a few words, get an iPhone and dump all these Garmin units. They are a joy to use, far more accurate and finding anyplace is infinitely easier.
I have wasted about $700 on Garmin units and for $10 bucks for software I have a gps unit that beats the pants off all the Garmins I own. Its even worth it to buy an iPhone. Maps by the way are free downloads! Yes, free. That includes marine charts with more accurate depth information than the Garmin I use on a boat.
this gps was perfect for me
This is a great gps for the price. The audio could be more clear but other than that, it’s great.
Hands down the best and cheapest Garmin out!!!!!
I do a lot of research before I purchase anything on Amazon, and I am rarely disappointed. I did my research on this model: Garmin Nuvi 265WT, and it exceeds my expectations.
Pros:
1. Extremely affordable compared to other “more elite Garmins” which in my opinion have more problems than their less complex counterparts.
2. Extremely easy to use. Touch and go.
3. Extremely audible (loud with crisp enunciation) for all, including my husband who is hearing impaired.
4. Includes traffic for life. This really comes in handy when there is an accident, bridge opening, or construction.
5. It also has lane assist (prepares you for what lane to get into before you turn).
6. Shows you what speed you are going, and what the speed limit is for the particular road that you are on.
7. Shows street names before you even approach them. Announces street names when indicating turns.
8. Highly accurate directions. So sensitive it shows when the car reverses.
9. It also takes the speed you are going and the distance you are traveling in order give you a precise time that you will arrive at your destination. I love this feature.
10. This is a biggy. The Bluetooth works amazingly well. My husband calls me from it all the time and I can’t tell if he is calling me from his phone or through the Bluetooth on the GPS. My husband’s friend has a Garmin Nuvi 265WT as well, and his Bluetooth does not work as well as ours. I am not quite sure why…maybe his particular GPS is defective or it could be the fact that his unit is several years old.
Cons:
none
BUY THIS MODEL OF GARMIN NUVI!!!!! (Garmin Nuvi 265WT). It is not only the best GPS with most useable features; it is also the most affordable. I am actually going to buy one for my mother-in-law tomorrow.
Don’t buy Garmin
Unit quit working immediately after the 1 year warranty expired. The unit had only been used on a 2 week vacation and 1-2 times per month during that year. Trying to get in touch with Garmin is impossible, even to get an RMA number in which you have to pay to have it repaired. An exercise in complete frustration.
Garmin Traffic GPS is great!
I’ve had the Garmin Traffic GPS for over 6 months now and it has taken me where I want to go across the US, from Connecticut to Kansas, to Arizona. I have avoided traffic jams and been able to tell whether I should avoid it or just tough it out, depending on the delay ratings.
I like it so much that I bought one for my daughter and she now loves it too. It is pretty easy to program, directions are clear, you can look ahead on your route if you need to get an idea of what’s coming up, and hasn’t steered us wrong yet.
Great new product
This is our second Garmin and we primarily liked the larger screen. However, the bell and whistles like traffic conditions in real time, lat. and longitude capability and present highway posted speed limit vs. your current speed was an added bonus. A great value for the money.
My only gripe was that the volume control was not easily accessible to adjust while in motion. (you had to enter the tools section)
Wayne, Arlington, VA
very handy
This is an upgrade from a previous model. It’s easy to use. The screen size is very nice. The little graphic that shows the distance to and direction of your next turn is great. There is a little glitch in some of the voices – the letter “R” gets slurred and extended. We use the female Australian voice, which is pretty good. The maps in Western NC often have the odd and even sides of the street reversed in small towns, so be wary of that.
Mostly pleased-good unit
I purchased this unit to take advantage of the bluetooth feature in addition to the live traffic feature. The unit is as good as described and easy to use. The live traffic feature however, has been disappointing so far. I have only had the unit a short time and I will need to check out the NAVTEQ site to see if I am using it incorrectly. In addition, while writing this review within 30 days of purchase, I discovered that Amazon has lowered the price and they do not offer price protection.
Garmin Short comings
This is a compact,very good unit.It has some shortcomings,(slow to respond,on some things,not a big deal).
I have an older c530 street pilot and some times the c530 does a better job.
Guess my main gripe is the instruction manual.4 small pages,4.5x”x4″ and for the wrong model,a Nuvi 205W. Don’t tell you much and if one never had a GPS, you would be lost trying to figure out any thing.
Great GPS
If you want a great GPS and don’t want to spend a lot of money, This one is for you. It is one of the best I have ever owned and I went through a lot of GPS devises in 3 years trying to find a good one. Well this one is it. Love the traffic updates.
FRUSTRATING GPS DEVICE!
This Garmin takes WAY TOO LONG to find the satellite signal. You end up having to wait often over five minutes and sometimes it doesn’t find it at all, even on clear days!! This is a hugely frustrating inconvenience, as you end up wasting so much time. When it does work, it works only OKAY. It often lagged and it would have me at a different location or road I wasn’t on, or tell me to turn at the very last second. So it works decently, no where near 100% reliable. Traffic is a good feature, however I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND this product.
Best kept secret around
Got the refurbished Garmin because of the much lower price. I am extremely happy with it. Everything works correctly and it’s incredibly simple to operate. I’ve used Garmin GPS on offshore fishing boats before, so I was familiar with their quality. The only thing I noticed was the speed limit that shows on the screen didn’t sync with a couple of speed zones I went through. But the on-screen speed limit is right over 90% of the time. Great deal. Why pay full price when you can save a lot of money and get the same thing? Recommending to all my friends.
crazy routing
This unit has taken me off the direct route and on a detour of 10 miles then back to the direct route.
One trip listed on Google maps as 1 1/2 hours took 4 1/2 hours because it diverted me from the interstate to these country roads where the top speed was 35.
Now I use it only to show me what the highway looks like. I cannot rely on it to take me to my destination.
Nice GPS, easy to use, no way to program multi-waypoint routes
I was really excited to get the Garmin 265w, and when it came I was pleased with the ease of use, the clear text-to-speech, and reasonable performance. I am a Mac user, and played around with their RoadTrip software. First, I had to download the 1.8 GB US Map so that I could search for addresses (the only way to do this is as part of a map upgrade from the garmin site, and it takes probably 45 minutes to install the full US & Canada map onto the unit, a little annoying, but not terrible for a once-in-a-blue-moon thing). I spent about half an hour setting up a route for my wife to get from our house to a mall about 20 miles away, saved it, and then discovered that the nuvi 265w *isn’t compatible with generated routes*. This is *incredibly* frustrating.
I don’t know about you, but when I give someone directions, especially in an area that I know well, I tend to come up with a different route than the GPS. The ability to put this route into the unit is really important to me, and I’m very disappointed that this unit doesn’t allow you to do that. I’m most likely going to exchange it for one that does. I just wish that they’d made that fact *obvious* when I was reading the specs and reviews about this model.