Researched my GPS purchase for 2 weeks and couldn't find a better deal than this one! The 265T has lifetime traffic (the ads are super small so they don't distract), bluetooth that works great with my cell phone, text-to-speech for all streets AND has a voice dial feature I didn't even know about! Received promptly and Garmin support was excellent when I called to get my free map update. You can get 1 free update, but you must provide them with Amazon proof of purchase because it's factory refurbished. Garmin nüvi 265/265T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Factory Refurbished)
I bought the refurbished unit from Newegg and have used it for about 1 month. It replaces my Garmin Nuvi 350 due to getting several new features for little more than the cost of upgrading the maps. Mine came with the newest map set so no upgrade was needed. It boots up very quickly (especially compared to my old 350 and is usually ready to go in seconds instead of minutes.The free lifetime subscription for Nav-Tech FM traffic worked right out of the box, no fuss, no muss, no bother. I even use it every day for my 50 mile round trip to and from work simply to get current traffic for the rush hour trip once I get about 5 miles from the house (I live in the hinterlands of metro Atlanta). If you want to check it on a map, it has been consistently and accurately reporting traffic slow downs and stoppages from Atlanta GA to beyond Lawrenceville on HWY 316, covering a far larger area than I ever expected.
On The downside,I miss the truck and bus option for routing that I had with my old Nuvi 350 and the voices aren't as refined/clear as they were on my 350.
Bear in mind that all maps are outdated, including the ones you pick up at the welcome center/rest area when you enter a state on a major route. That said, the 265T maps were more current than I expected
Pros
Updated maps
Free lifetime FM traffic subscription
In spite of being free, the FM traffic works well in the larger metropolitan areas that I have used it.
Maps include US, Canada, & Puerto Rico (I travel all three). Maps on other systems are often for the 48 states and maybe a few miles into Canada.
Compact, easily fits into your pocket.
The windshield mount is less bulky than my old 350.
Cons
I miss my old truck/bus route option when towing my travel trailer.
Alternative voices are not as clear as they were on the 350.
The unit did not include a case/holster to protect it when in your pocket or purse. I bought a small camera case at Wally world for it.
Future map updates are expensive but I can't complain since I know that going in. For the difference in price, I'll probably continue to buy a new/refurbished unit every 2-3 years innstead of paying for updates.
I ordered a refurbished model and cannot tell it from a new one. I debated getting the wide version but went with the cost savings of the 3.5 inch refurbished model. I have found it very intuitive to figure out; love the touch screen; I ordered a carrying case and AC charger which are great as well. I got one map update for free within 60 days so I have an alarm set in my phone to remind me a week before. Shipped on time and arrived as expected.
If you need a stand-alone GPS, this one is great. I've now used similarly specced TomToms and Magellans as well as an older Nuvi 350. This one's a great value, works as well as (and in some ways better than) the 350, and I found Garmin to be much more reliable and easy to follow than the other two manufacturers. That said, it seems as though the future of gps navigation is moving towards dashboard and phone integration, and I suspect we'll be seeing some substantial improvements in gps technology as those markets continue to grow.
If you can hold out till your next cell phone or car purchase, it's probably worth the wait. If you need a gps now I'd say get the best deal you can on a 2XX series garmin (like this one), but don't fret over the features - there's very little difference in functionality between the $600 units and those you can find for under $200. If you really want/need your GPS not to be an integrated unit, I'd say the 2XX are still a great deal across the board, but the traffic service may be worth a bit extra if you live somewhere that the FM traffic band is reliable - from my use I can say the traffic features don't help much if all your driving is around Philly, DC, NYC, or Baltimore.
I found the nuvi easy to use and accurate in helping me find my way in urban areas unfamiliar to me. I was a bit concerned about purchasing a factory refurbished product, but it has been updated and works perfectly. I would recommend this to anyone.
I would say that everything worked perfectly out of the box...no problem registering gps and downloading latest map from Garmin. It appeared to be a brand new unit, at a refurbished price. One problem that came up after several weeks was the bluetooth connection to my Razr V3 phone failed....emailed customer support about the problem...got a responce back shortly and it was a VERY well written reply explaining what I need to do to fix problem and it worked as stated. I didn't think at first that the bluetooth would be something I would use. But after playing with it and finding that the speaker was clear and loud enough to hear, I found it better than the speaker on Razr. Great customer service at least for this problem. Just had to do an update after deleting the problem folder to repair the bluetooth problem.
the 265T will fit in your pants pockets very well if your planning on using the pedestrian mode. - Garmin Nuvi 265t - Garmin Nuvi - 255w - Gps'
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