Garmin nuvi 255W

In real-life use, owners say the Garmin nuvi 255W is a reliably fast, efficient navigator -- more so than newer, fancier Garmin models. Experts say the nuvi 255W offers the two most important extra features, too: an easy-to-see widescreen and spoken street names (e.g. "Turn left on Elm street in 200 feet" rather than just "Turn left in 200 feet," making voice prompts easier to follow). These days, experts are more likely to recommend fancier Garmin models such as the Internet-connected Garmin nuvi 1690 (*Est. $320) or the sleek Garmin nuvi 3790T (*Est. $250) that looks like a smartphone and can "learn" local traffic patterns. But owners give these high-end Garmins mixed reviews when it comes to basic satellite lock and picking the best routes, while the budget nuvi 255W gets great reviews for these fundamental functions.

ConsumerReports.org's unbiased testing of the Garmin nuvi 255W is the best we've found, but only subscribers can read the reports. GPSLodge.com doesn't rank the nuvi 255W against other GPS units as ConsumerReports.org does, but its test results are presented in just as much detail. GPSTracklog.com has an extensive review, but it is based on a test drive of the similar Garmin nuvi 205W (Discontinued). Consumer reviews at Amazon.com indicate how owners like the nuvi 255W.