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Garmin nuvi 205W

*Est. $165

Reviewed November 2009

pros
  • High-end features at a budget price
  • Fast routing and satellite lock
  • More intuitive to use than older Garmin nuvis
  • Widescreen display
cons
  • Doesn't speak street names
  • Traffic alerts cost extra
 
 
Where to Buy
 
 
 

Average Customer Review

(197 customer reviews)

Search Reviews

simple and effective GPS, February 9, 2010

Got this for a X-mas present and used it on a recent trip to Vermont. Mounting is simple with a locking suction window mount and ball joint for adjustability. Very good simple navigator, with places of interest like nearest gas station. Recalculates route at decent speed if you don't want to take a certain road. Doesn't have features like real time traffic alerts and others. But for a simple bare bones GPS this does the job in a very simple to use package

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amazon requested review, February 6, 2010

as happens a lot with amazon anymore it appears....products says in stock... then you order it and a day or so later they come back and say NOT in stock... then you have to wait to get your money back... very inconvenient - dont really use amazon that much anymore... sometimes just to compare prices to buy elsewhere because of things like this.. convenience and price are not what it use to be.... also dont like at all having to go through the whole thing to see what final pricing is including shipping tax etc... thanks

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Did not expect how easy and simple this product would be to use, February 5, 2010
Loved it ,easy to use if you can follow simple direction, did not have the blue tooth function that I wanted but for a bsic gps it is awesome. Typed in name of business and instantly got a search result.
Decent product, terrible software & customer support, February 5, 2010

This GPS was a gift that I received in October. While it wasn't a top-of-line unit and lacked some of the functionality/features I wanted (e.g., Blue Tooth), it met my general needs for navigating and finding new places/locations. However, the problem began with an all too familiar problem with Garmin units - the unit would turn on but unfortunately the software would crash when it tried to bring up the actual route after typing in directions. This is now the 2nd Garmin device I have had in less than 2 years that has had the exact same issue. In fact after reading online a bit I found that the reliability of the Garmin software in general with their car navigation products is nowhere near Six Sigma or other commercially-available software product standards. In fact, it falls far short of that metric with several common errors including the issue of bringing up maps. Support from Garmin remains a major issue too. Even though the product comes with a 1-year warranty you are responsible for sending it back to Garmin directly in Kansas. It cost me $20+ dollars after buying a suitable box, bubble wrap, certifying it, insuring it, and shipping it. They state it take 10 to 14 business days to service after they receive it. Basically, I got the unit back nearly 5 weeks after I shipped it. Needless to say this is one of the poorer customer service experiences I have received in a while. I will continue to use this Garmin device until it inevitably breaks. It will also be the last Garmin device I purchase until they improve the poor performance of the software in their units.

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Well pleased for price vs. performance., February 5, 2010
Easy to use, convenient and practical. Recommended for the price -- a good bang for the buck.
Where To Buy
 
 

Garmin nüvi 205W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

 (197 customer reviews)
Buy new: $249.99 $111.98   83 Used from $111.98

In Stock. Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

 
 
 

Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.org

ConsumerReports.org tests the Garmin nuvi 205W in nine different areas, ranking it against many other GPS models. A chart presents details of the unbiased tests, but only subscribers can read the report.

Review: Garmin Nuvi 205W, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

2. GPSLodge.com

This thorough, well-illustrated review covers both the Garmin nuvi 205W and the similar Garmin nuvi 255W. Although the nuvi 205W performs well in Scott Martin's tests, he recommends stepping up to the nuvi 255W for spoken street names.

Review: Garmin Nuvi 205W/255W Full Review, Scott Martin, Oct. 26, 2008

3. GPS Tracklog

Rich Owings tests all major aspects of the Garmin nuvi 205W and boils down the results into this concise report. The entire nuvi 2x5 series "has set a new standard," Owings concludes.

Review: Garmin Nuvi 205W Review, Rich Owings, July 30, 2008

4. Which? magazine

Which? is a U.K. publication similar to Consumer Reports. It thoroughly tests 97 GPS units (including several popular U.S. models) in London, picking 23 Best Buys.

Review: Garmin Nuvi 205W, Editors of Which? magazine

5. Amazon.com

The Garmin nuvi 205W had earned a 4.5-star rating out of five at Amazon.com when we checked, with more than 150 reviews posted. Nearly all of the reviews award the unit four or five stars, although criticism is included.

Review: Garmin Nuvi 205W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator, Contributors to Amazon.com

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