Garmin Nuvi 265WT

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $219.99

Amazon Price: $119.54

Product Reviews
Refurbished GPS Guide	68 out of 100
ZDnet	8 out of 10
Amazon.com	4.05 out of 5
CNet	3.7 out of 5
alaTest	out of 100

The refurbished Garmin nuvi 265WT is an improvement on previous GPSs from the nuvi 200 series. The most notable improvements in terms of both features and usability are free lifetime traffic updates, Bluetooth integration for hand’s free calling and GPS tracking addons, GPS HotFix which speeds up the units ability to find a signal, terrain maps, and a better map screen that is brighter, clearer, and sharper. While this GPS is still a part of the budget friendly 200 series, it is still a powerful and useful navigation GPS with the features that most people want and use.

Like all refurbished Garmin GPS, the nuvi 265WT is very easy to use. The map is simple to read, being brightly lit and crystal clear. The menus are also very easy to get around and make a lot of sense to first time users. Even finding traffic alerts is simple, easy and efficient. Also, Garmin did a great job of making sure that this feature rich 200 series isn’t cluttered with icons on the screen. For example, the cell phone controls only appear when you actually have a cell phone connected to the device via Bluetooth.

Another strength of Garmin navigation GPS that is passed on to the refurbished nuvi 265WT is the routing engine. The routes selected by this unit are sensible and efficient. As good as a seasons driver in the area – probably not – but no computer is going to be better than a person who knows the area. The device also handles missed turns promptly, adjusting to a new course in a matter of seconds. When turns are imminent, you will hear the name of the street through the text-to-speech capability on the device as well as see an upcoming turn indicator on the screen you are looking at. You even have speed limit information displayed for you as well.

The refurbished Garmin nuvi 265WT also offers free traffic alerts for the life of the device. This used to run $40-$60 a year, so this represents a significant lifetime savings for this device. The free feature is supported by contextual adds, meaning if you search for hotels you might get an add for a Marriott Hotel in the area. If you are particularly hostile toward ads you might find this feature outrageous, but the ads do display in a very non-intrusive manner. If you don’t want to be distracted by them you will not be.

The Bluetooth connectivity seems to work just fine and we found no reports of problems with this feature. If you want to turn your Nuvi 256WT into a real-time GPS tracking device by installing some free GPS tracking software into your phone then that should be very easy to do with this model. The real issue with the Bluetooth is that the speakers on the 265WT are pretty weak and the absence of an FM transmitter makes the use off this GPS to actually make calls dubious. But that is a general problem of Bluetooth enable navigation GPS units in general and is not a statement against the nuvi 265WT.

When compared to the more expensive models, the nuvi 265WT has all the appearances of these top of the line Garmin GPS devices. It has a slim black case, with a wide 4.3 inch display. It differs from the more expensive nuvi units in that when you mount the GPS you have to plug the power cord into the back of it instead of having the mount itself powered. This can be an inconvenience at first, but once you get the hang of it you shouldn’t have any problems.

In summary, this is a good, solid refurbished GPS that provides an awesome feature in the free traffic alerts. The wide screen and ease of use makes its very easy for first time and experienced users alike. For the dollar, this is a great GPS.

Product Features

• Bright 4.3-inch diagonal color touchscreen; 480×272 pixels, WQVGA TFT display with white backlight
• Sleek, ultra-thin design fits easily in pocket
• Preloaded with City Navigator North America NT
• Supports Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling when paired with Bluetooth-enabled cell phones
• NOTE: Model number is 265WT; however, the model number on the product itself is 265W

Technical Details

• Condition: Refurbished
• Type: Automotive
• Waypoints: 1000
• Display: Color
• Display: TFT
• Display: Backlight
• Screen Size: 4.3″
• Touch Screen: Yes
• Voice: Yes
• Battery Type: Rechargeable lithium-ion
• Battery Life: 4 hours
• Special Features: Bluetooth
• Special Features: Traffic Ready
• Special Features: Spoken Street Names
• Maps Included: United States
• Maps Included: Canada