Garmin nüvi 265/265T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic Review. Packed with features at a price that fits any budget, nüvi 265T takes you there with preloaded maps and turn-by-turn directions that call out streets by name. It adds lifetime traffic and hands-free calling to the popular nüvi 255, simplifying life on the go. Like the rest of the nüvi 205-series, this portable navigator is priced right and ultra-easy to use.Get Turn-by-Turn Directionsnüvi 265T'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 265T accepts custom points of interest (POI...
"Outstanding Unit!!" 2008-11-08
By J. Johnson (Columbia, SC)
This is my 4th Garmin GPS and I love it! The other writer mentioned the extra "tumor" for about 3 inches. If that bothers you, well I am NOT that anal and it is hardly even obvious. Who cares about the power cable any way? The unit's screen is clear, bright, easy to read. Lot's of improvements. Considered the 265WT but frankly just prefer the smaller screen for walking or riding a bike, just fits in pockets better and still large enough to see easily in an automobile. I agree that the start-up is FAST-FAST. A great improvement over several previous Garmin models. I highly recommend this one!
**I have now used this for a few weeks. The screen is actually brighter and the colors much more vivid than previous models I have owned. Up-to-date locations and the voice is an improvement over prior models as well, much easier to understand street names and names of saved people\locations. For the money-you can't go wrong. When I go to Europe again in the future I am getting the 275 model which is the same as this but has maps for Europe as well. Again, I do prefer the 3.5" vs. the 4.3" screen size. It's very easy to see in the car and so compact for walking, hiking etc. Garmin keeps making improvements and this little unit is a GREAT value, highly-highly recommend it.
***OK, I have used this for months now and it has NEVER gotten me lost, never. Previous models at least got me lost once. I am more than pleased I made the investment in this little puppy. Fast, easy to see (even in bright conditions, better than prior Garmins I had). It's worth the extra bucks to get this vs. others, well worth it and I could not be more pleased now.
"Best bang for your buck Garmin - 265T" 2009-05-02
By Rocketwidget
I had a Garmin c320 for a few years that I was mostly happy with, but I was ready to upgrade after hearing about some of the new features. Here are the highlights that, in my opinion, make this GPS the best bang for your buck.
* Like all Garmins, the interface is designed for ease of use. My grandparents use a Garmin. However, if you are looking for customization, you might want to consider a TomTom.
* The routing engine is very good. Caveat: Be wary that the points of interest (POI) addresses may be inaccurate. If you have a specific address, enter it!
* The 265T is much quicker at getting a satellite lock when turning on than my c320. Starting from power on, usually about 10-15 seconds vs. 1-2 minutes before.
* The traffic service is free (ad-supported). Other makes and models require a subscription, which I'm not a big fan of. The ads are unobtrusive and appear only on startup and on arriving at your destination.
* Text to speech
* The new interface is much more helpful, specifically, the upcoming turn direction indicator.
The higher end Garmin features, such as lane assist, 3-D building view, mp3 player, etc. seem superfluous to me. Voice recognition would be cool, but the 855 and 885T models are very expensive. If you want a widescreen model, the 265WT is exactly the same except for a bigger screen. Still, I don't have any problem reading the 265T's screen and its approx. $50 cheaper.
P.S. I would highly recommend getting the Garmin Friction Mount as well. This will prevent suction cup rings on your windshield, to reduce your profile for theft.
"an excellent GPS navigator" 2009-06-24
By Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service)
This portable GPS navigator by Garmin really comes in handy when you're trying to find your way around in unfamiliar territory. It used to be, of course, that you had to read a map--or try to find someone who would take the time to give you street directions. I remember so many times as a kid the frustration my parents felt when they had taken us on a long road trip to visit relatives and by accident they got lost after making a wrong turn onto the wrong highway. No more of this aggravation! Once it's juiced up and attached to your windshield you'll be ready to go!
There are many bells and whistles that come with this device, but first and foremost this is a fine device that tells you which roads to take to get from point A to point B. You get your choice of a man's voice or a woman's voice and there's a volume control, too. Other options actually include a British version of English and that's great. (It's not hard; for example, the British version will say "straight on" when they mean just go straight through an intersection). It's also remarkably easy to find directions once you merely type in the street address of your destination. You can zoom in on a map and zoom out with ease, too. If you have any concerns; don't worry--reading the manual for actually using this in your car is scarcely even necessary. Much like classic Windows software (excepting maybe the first few times you use Office 2007) it's all very intuitive and you won't be wasting time figuring out how to work this. I learned many of its main features simply fiddling with it rather briefly.
One thing that is absolutely wonderful is that you can easily save several addresses so that you can just scroll through the menu until you find the desired destination--and then just press one button to get the GPS up to par almost instantly, telling you which roads to take! It's an incredible little device that really does so much considering how small it is.
The extra special bells and whistles include notices about traffic jams up ahead. There are shaded terrain abilities; movie schedules and even weather reports included amongst the extras!
Overall, this GPS navigator by Garmin is excellent. In addition to all the plusses I mentioned above, the colors on the display are crisp and the display is extremely easy to read. It's all very intuitive. I highly recommend this product!
"Great features for the price" 2009-08-10
By Wyxgsjm (California)
I have only used my first GPS for 3 days, but I already enjoy the great features
(1) Free traffic - It works surprisingly well for me in east SF bay area, it accurately and promptly reports conditions of 680 and 880. Even though I use 680 and 880 every day for commuting, I am often hit by traffics on 680 and 880, but today, 265T guided me correctly. This saves me time and money - I think those global warming guys should provide rebate for FM equipped GPS!
(2) Bluetooth - Works well with my Samsung Beat. It supports address book as well. The only problem is that the Beat always ask for accepting GPS or not even though security is off. I am still trying to find a way so that Beat accepts GPS without asking for confirmation(It always works if the phone tries to connect GPS, no question asked)
(3) GPS - Response time is very good. Speaker is loud enough for me.
The only problem I had with this unit is that there is a pixel always stays as dark blue at lower left corner. But Amazon staffs have been really helpful on resolving this issue. All in all, I am very happy with this unit and Amazon service.
Update: Overall still very good GPS. But now I have two minor issues:
(1)Like other reviewers mentioned, local travel time is off because it does not take traffic light delays into account. In the case of slight traffic on highway, it often results in wrong judgment(insisting to use local roads)
(2) GPS lock time had been very good, but somehow it became slower and slower. I had to perform firmware reinstall and it locks very quick again(within 10 seconds)
Update 2:
I did not see other reviewer mentioned often, but this device supports custom POI - The most useful one for me is Red light and Speed camera - It gives a warning when your car approaches these cameras!(You can select how far to alert) I found Trapster POI file very accurate and it is free! The CSV files can be easily modified. I would purchase GPS sooner if I knew today's GPS can support so many fancy features - Some are money saving features(It is particular useful for east bay area traveler, lots of cameras!)
Update 3: 12/10/2009
Up to 2 block inaccuracy around San Francisco Moscone center. I went to this area serveral times for meetings, this GPS never lost signals in this tough area, but it may show me on neighbour street. I suspect other GPS will have same problem because this is signal quality issue due to surrounded by tall buildings. I simply follow two rules in this situation:
A. Follow voice prompt for next turn - when it says keep left/right after turn, do keep left/right after the turn
B. The default 3D normal view shows about 3 blocks, if 2nd turn is 2 block within next turn, it will show up in the map. So after next turn, if GPS put you on wrong street or does not update map, do not panic, drive calmly, the GPS will catch up within 2 blocks. So you either know where is 2nd turn or GPS will tell you in time.
Following these two simple rules, I have not missed any turn yet.
Another suggestion is to use simple prompt for warnings. I used "Attention, Red light camera ahead" before, my colleague said it was cool the first time, but it soon became very annoying around Moscone center because there are so many camera.
"Great product!" 2009-01-06
By Nantes A. Barnard (Atlanta, GA USA)
This GPS is much more than just a GPS, I also use it as a bluetooth handsfree carkit for my BlackBerry and now my iPhone.
It's a smaller GPS than my earlier Garmen's with the most features.
This model comes with lifetime traffic and the only "price" is the small ads.
I also find the speed limit and my actual speed useful as this helps me to drive in the speed limit all the time.
By J. Johnson (Columbia, SC)
This is my 4th Garmin GPS and I love it! The other writer mentioned the extra "tumor" for about 3 inches. If that bothers you, well I am NOT that anal and it is hardly even obvious. Who cares about the power cable any way? The unit's screen is clear, bright, easy to read. Lot's of improvements. Considered the 265WT but frankly just prefer the smaller screen for walking or riding a bike, just fits in pockets better and still large enough to see easily in an automobile. I agree that the start-up is FAST-FAST. A great improvement over several previous Garmin models. I highly recommend this one!
**I have now used this for a few weeks. The screen is actually brighter and the colors much more vivid than previous models I have owned. Up-to-date locations and the voice is an improvement over prior models as well, much easier to understand street names and names of saved people\locations. For the money-you can't go wrong. When I go to Europe again in the future I am getting the 275 model which is the same as this but has maps for Europe as well. Again, I do prefer the 3.5" vs. the 4.3" screen size. It's very easy to see in the car and so compact for walking, hiking etc. Garmin keeps making improvements and this little unit is a GREAT value, highly-highly recommend it.
***OK, I have used this for months now and it has NEVER gotten me lost, never. Previous models at least got me lost once. I am more than pleased I made the investment in this little puppy. Fast, easy to see (even in bright conditions, better than prior Garmins I had). It's worth the extra bucks to get this vs. others, well worth it and I could not be more pleased now.
By Rocketwidget
I had a Garmin c320 for a few years that I was mostly happy with, but I was ready to upgrade after hearing about some of the new features. Here are the highlights that, in my opinion, make this GPS the best bang for your buck.
* Like all Garmins, the interface is designed for ease of use. My grandparents use a Garmin. However, if you are looking for customization, you might want to consider a TomTom.
* The routing engine is very good. Caveat: Be wary that the points of interest (POI) addresses may be inaccurate. If you have a specific address, enter it!
* The 265T is much quicker at getting a satellite lock when turning on than my c320. Starting from power on, usually about 10-15 seconds vs. 1-2 minutes before.
* The traffic service is free (ad-supported). Other makes and models require a subscription, which I'm not a big fan of. The ads are unobtrusive and appear only on startup and on arriving at your destination.
* Text to speech
* The new interface is much more helpful, specifically, the upcoming turn direction indicator.
The higher end Garmin features, such as lane assist, 3-D building view, mp3 player, etc. seem superfluous to me. Voice recognition would be cool, but the 855 and 885T models are very expensive. If you want a widescreen model, the 265WT is exactly the same except for a bigger screen. Still, I don't have any problem reading the 265T's screen and its approx. $50 cheaper.
P.S. I would highly recommend getting the Garmin Friction Mount as well. This will prevent suction cup rings on your windshield, to reduce your profile for theft.
By Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service)
This portable GPS navigator by Garmin really comes in handy when you're trying to find your way around in unfamiliar territory. It used to be, of course, that you had to read a map--or try to find someone who would take the time to give you street directions. I remember so many times as a kid the frustration my parents felt when they had taken us on a long road trip to visit relatives and by accident they got lost after making a wrong turn onto the wrong highway. No more of this aggravation! Once it's juiced up and attached to your windshield you'll be ready to go!
There are many bells and whistles that come with this device, but first and foremost this is a fine device that tells you which roads to take to get from point A to point B. You get your choice of a man's voice or a woman's voice and there's a volume control, too. Other options actually include a British version of English and that's great. (It's not hard; for example, the British version will say "straight on" when they mean just go straight through an intersection). It's also remarkably easy to find directions once you merely type in the street address of your destination. You can zoom in on a map and zoom out with ease, too. If you have any concerns; don't worry--reading the manual for actually using this in your car is scarcely even necessary. Much like classic Windows software (excepting maybe the first few times you use Office 2007) it's all very intuitive and you won't be wasting time figuring out how to work this. I learned many of its main features simply fiddling with it rather briefly.
One thing that is absolutely wonderful is that you can easily save several addresses so that you can just scroll through the menu until you find the desired destination--and then just press one button to get the GPS up to par almost instantly, telling you which roads to take! It's an incredible little device that really does so much considering how small it is.
The extra special bells and whistles include notices about traffic jams up ahead. There are shaded terrain abilities; movie schedules and even weather reports included amongst the extras!
Overall, this GPS navigator by Garmin is excellent. In addition to all the plusses I mentioned above, the colors on the display are crisp and the display is extremely easy to read. It's all very intuitive. I highly recommend this product!
By Wyxgsjm (California)
I have only used my first GPS for 3 days, but I already enjoy the great features
(1) Free traffic - It works surprisingly well for me in east SF bay area, it accurately and promptly reports conditions of 680 and 880. Even though I use 680 and 880 every day for commuting, I am often hit by traffics on 680 and 880, but today, 265T guided me correctly. This saves me time and money - I think those global warming guys should provide rebate for FM equipped GPS!
(2) Bluetooth - Works well with my Samsung Beat. It supports address book as well. The only problem is that the Beat always ask for accepting GPS or not even though security is off. I am still trying to find a way so that Beat accepts GPS without asking for confirmation(It always works if the phone tries to connect GPS, no question asked)
(3) GPS - Response time is very good. Speaker is loud enough for me.
The only problem I had with this unit is that there is a pixel always stays as dark blue at lower left corner. But Amazon staffs have been really helpful on resolving this issue. All in all, I am very happy with this unit and Amazon service.
Update: Overall still very good GPS. But now I have two minor issues:
(1)Like other reviewers mentioned, local travel time is off because it does not take traffic light delays into account. In the case of slight traffic on highway, it often results in wrong judgment(insisting to use local roads)
(2) GPS lock time had been very good, but somehow it became slower and slower. I had to perform firmware reinstall and it locks very quick again(within 10 seconds)
Update 2:
I did not see other reviewer mentioned often, but this device supports custom POI - The most useful one for me is Red light and Speed camera - It gives a warning when your car approaches these cameras!(You can select how far to alert) I found Trapster POI file very accurate and it is free! The CSV files can be easily modified. I would purchase GPS sooner if I knew today's GPS can support so many fancy features - Some are money saving features(It is particular useful for east bay area traveler, lots of cameras!)
Update 3: 12/10/2009
Up to 2 block inaccuracy around San Francisco Moscone center. I went to this area serveral times for meetings, this GPS never lost signals in this tough area, but it may show me on neighbour street. I suspect other GPS will have same problem because this is signal quality issue due to surrounded by tall buildings. I simply follow two rules in this situation:
A. Follow voice prompt for next turn - when it says keep left/right after turn, do keep left/right after the turn
B. The default 3D normal view shows about 3 blocks, if 2nd turn is 2 block within next turn, it will show up in the map. So after next turn, if GPS put you on wrong street or does not update map, do not panic, drive calmly, the GPS will catch up within 2 blocks. So you either know where is 2nd turn or GPS will tell you in time.
Following these two simple rules, I have not missed any turn yet.
Another suggestion is to use simple prompt for warnings. I used "Attention, Red light camera ahead" before, my colleague said it was cool the first time, but it soon became very annoying around Moscone center because there are so many camera.
By Nantes A. Barnard (Atlanta, GA USA)
This GPS is much more than just a GPS, I also use it as a bluetooth handsfree carkit for my BlackBerry and now my iPhone.
It's a smaller GPS than my earlier Garmen's with the most features.
This model comes with lifetime traffic and the only "price" is the small ads.
I also find the speed limit and my actual speed useful as this helps me to drive in the speed limit all the time.
