Unbiased Garmin nuvi 255 Portable GPS Review
Garmin’s nuvi 255 offers the same features as its widescreen counterpart, the nuvi 255W, but it has a smaller and lower resolution display and a cheaper price point. This makes it a viable option for those on a budget, commanding an RRP of under $300.
The Garmin nuvi 255 follows a similar format in terms of design and user interface as most of the other Garmin Car GPS units. This is good news for consumers, as the ease of use and simple map display will please most. A power slide key is the only button on the unit, with operation focusing entirely on the touch screen. A microSD card slot allows extra maps or other data to be uploaded, and a regular mini-USB connection handles charging and synchronising. Interestingly, microSD slots are normally reserved for mobile phones; this is only the second GPS units we’ve seen that uses microSD rather than regular SD cards.
The display of the nuvi 255 is simple, bright and effective. Menu items are accompanied by either large boxes with text or clearly labelled graphic icons. Unfortunately, the display isn’t great; it does a reasonable job but if you can afford the extra cash for the widescreen model then we recommend getting it instead. Not only will you get a larger display, you’ll also get a better resolution, resulting in crisper images and a better overall navigational experience.
The main menu is very simple to understand, with large icons for Where To and View Map, in addition to smaller icons for volume and tools. The unit can navigate to a specific address, a Point of Interest (POI), a recent location, a specific junction or your favourites. Like most of the Garmin range, it also allows you to directly input a specific GPS coordinate and features Where Am I — a convenient menu that shows your exact latitude and longitude as well as the nearest junction. You can also quickly find the closest hospitals, police stations and petrol stations in case of emergency.
Navigating to an address is simple enough, though Garmin still uses an unorthodox search order. Searches must be made in order of suburb, street number and then street name, but logically you should enter the street number after selecting the street and not before.
Despite its entry-level price point, the Garmin 255 includes text-to-speech technology, meaning it reads street names aloud. Like other Garmin units in this range the nuvi 255’s speaker lacks punch. Because there is no built-in FM transmitter, there is no real way around this issue.
Speed and red light cameras are preloaded onto the unit, but school zones and other safety alerts have to be downloaded from the Garmin website and then uploaded onto the unit. As it is a basic unit, it does not offer the Bluetooth feature.
Thankfully, the unit’s GPS performance is solid and rerouting times are in line with most other units. Our main complaint is reserved for the sluggish start-up time when you turn on the unit, an issue common with recent Garmin models.
Finally this unit offers a number of extras, including a picture viewer, calculator, world clock and unit converter. There is however, no MP3 or video player.