Budget car GPS Garmin nuvi 1350T *Est. $155
Big-screen GPS Garmin nuvi 1490T *Est. $195
Best overall GPS learns traffic patterns Garmin nuvi 3790T *Est. $250
Internet-connected GPS device Garmin nuLink 1695 *Est. $320

See All Auto GPS

Garmin nuvi 260W

Discontinued

Reviewed

November 2008

Pros

Speaks street names
Widescreen display
Typically excellent Garmin navigation

Cons

Not as advanced as newer Garmin nuvis

Where to Buy

for $189.00

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The Garmin nuvi 260W is one of the least expensive auto GPS units you can buy with both a widescreen display and spoken street names (e.g., "Turn right on Elm Street in 100 feet" instead of just "Turn right in 100 feet.") Experts say these are the two extra features that matter most on an auto GPS. However, critics have turned away from the nuvi 260W in favor of the newer Garmin nuvi models, which offer more features, including traffic compatibility and Garmin's new faster routing and satellite lock.

ConsumerReports.org's unbiased testing is by far the best source of information about the Garmin nuvi 260W. A detailed results table shows how the unit measures up against dozens of other GPS units, but only subscribers can read the reports. Kiplinger.com and GPSTracklog.com don't conduct their own road tests of the nuvi 260W, but the reviews do offer expert insight. User reviews posted at Amazon.com and Epinions.com are valuable indicators of how the nuvi 260W performs in the real world.

Where To Buy

Garmin nüvi 260W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

(1,050 reviews)
Buy new: $229.99 $189.00 21 Used & new from $60.99

In Stock.

Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

The Garmin nuvi 260W is one of many auto GPS units subjected to ConsumerReports.org's rigorous testing. Editors rate the units on nine different criteria and rank them from best to worst. Each model also gets its own brief write-up, and user reviews and ratings are posted.

Review: Garmin Nuvi 260W, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

2. Kiplinger.com Details/Subscribe

If you're buying a basic GPS unit, two extras are worth the money, Kiplinger.com senior editor Bob Frick writes: a widescreen display and spoken street names. The Garmin nuvi 260W has both, and it is one of the step-up GPS units recommended in this roundup.

Review: The Best GPS for $300 or Less, Bob Frick, June 2008

3. GPS Tracklog

Reviewer Rich Owings does not conduct a full review of the Garmin nuvi 260W, instead simply explaining how it differs from the Garmin nuvi 260 and providing links to reviews from other sources. This page also includes a video demo of the nuvi 260W.

Review: Garmin Nuvi 260W Review, Rich Owings, Feb. 23, 2008

4. Amazon.com

More than 380 users post reviews of the Garmin nuvi 260 at Amazon.com. Criticism is posted, but most users like this model, awarding it an average of 4.5 stars (out of five).

Review: Garmin Nuvi 260W, Contributors to Amazon.com

5. Epinions.com

User reviews here are usually more in-depth than those at Amazon.com, although this site doesn't attract nearly as many reviews. The Garmin nuvi 260's average rating of four stars (out of five) is based on 52 reviews, but some of these are actually for other Garmin nuvi models, including the 260W.

Review: Garmin Nuvi 260 Car GPS Receiver, Contributors to Epinions.com

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