Garmin nüvi 755/755T 4.3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Garmin nüvi 755/755T 4.3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
- Bright 4.3-inch diagonal color WQVGA TFT touchscreen with 480 x 272 pixels and white backlight
- Preloaded with City Navigator North America NT
- High-sensitivity GPS receiver for improved performance and reception
- POI Loader program allows user to set up proximity alerts for school zones, safety cameras, and custom POIs
- NOTE: Model number is 755T; however, the model number on the product itself is 755
Garmin continues to build up its nüvi 7xx series portableGPS navigators with its nüvi 755T, which adds a number of handy routing and communication features to an already impressive list of specs, including a 4.3-inch widescreen display, text-to-speech capabilities, media player, and FM transmitter for transmitting audio–including directions and MP3 music and audiobooks–from the device to your car radio.New to the nüvi 7×5 lineup is Garmin’s HotFix satellite prediction (which locates your position quickly and precisely), Lane Assist (which provides lane guidance and junction views when possible), automatic time zone transitioning, and 3D Building views as well as Garmin Connect Photos to help you visually ascertain your position. Additi
Rating: 
(out of 301 reviews)
List Price: $ 549.99
Price: $ 176.98
Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
- 4.3-inch widescreen touch display lets you view map detail, driving directions, photos, and more in bright, brilliant color
- Preloaded with detailed 2D and 3D City Navigator NT street maps, with over 6 million points of interest
- Voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions with spoken street names and HotFix satellite prediction
- Features Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker for hands-free calling
- NOTE: Model number on the box is 285WT because the traffic receiver is included; however, the model number on the device itself is 285W as the “T” in 285WT refers to the additional component
This sleek widescreen navigator takes you there with preloaded maps and turn-by-turn directions that call out streets by name. It delivers real-time local weather, traffic, movie times, stock information, gas prices, news and local events as you navigate. The 285WT provides complete maps for North America and the handy Text-to-Speech feature, so you get turn-by-turn spoken directions with the real names of streets (e.g. “turn left in 50 feet at Nebraska Way”, rather than merely “turn left in 50 feet”). Like the rest of the nüvi 205-series, this portable navigator is priced right and ultra-easy to use.
Stay Connected
The nüvi 285WT offers MSN Direct Service and is compatible with Garmin’s lifetime traffic update receiver. E
Rating: 
(out of 461 reviews)
List Price: $ 249.99
Price: $ 167.87
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6:32 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by Dan L. Nichols for Garmin nüvi 755/755T 4.3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
I’ll address what was my biggest apprehension in going for an ad based, free traffic program. No issue! The ads are small and not at all intrusive. My eyes never were pulled in a way that was a distraction. I can even envision the few occasions that it might even benefit both the advertiser and the user. If you think about it … newspaper, radio, internet, TV … advertising is very much a part of our culture and in this case very tastefully done.
Before further review, good grief … now I sound like a sports caster; I should say that I’ve owned GPS units forever. Started with laptop programs then I started buying all of my vehicles with factory GPS. Acura, Toyota’s (two of em) over the years have all been GPS equipped. I travel a lot for work and it was just more convenient to own stand alone portable units when I rent auto’s. Magellan and Garmin were my last two portable units. I’m not a nerd or engineer so I’ll give this my best shot and hope the average Jill and Joe will get something out of this.
Next, I’ll talk about routing and traffic. Garmin (in my opinion) has always been rock solid in terms of routing. With this unit they have taken the art to a new level. I looked at the new TomTom with its smart routing and almost pulled the trigger on that unit but, with what happened today I am not one bit sorry with my choice. This morning I had to make deliveries to a number of Lowe’s Home Improvement stores in the Metro Phoenix, AZ market. I went to the “Points of interest” icon typed in Lowe’s and after a short wait was rewarded with all of the Lowes stores in the area. I touch on each one and saved it to a sub category I made (Lowes Metro Phoenix), gave each their appropriate store number (the search came complete with address and phone) and then scheduled my day. From home to the factory first, then to four stores, then back to the factory. During the day I had to insert another unscheduled stop. Fantastic! If I could have asked for any improvement here it would have been that each way point was somehow shown as I progressed. It did announce my arrival at each location complete with what side of the street it would be on; in the long run I am so happy with the result that I couldn’t bring myself to diminish the 5 star rating. Also, at each stop when I turned the car off the unit powered down. When I got back in the car I needed to go to the “custom routes” icon, where I built my route, and touch the button to activate my named route. Garmin, if that could be automatic I would love it … and maybe down the road I’ll learn something that I don’t yet know and this unit is capable. Honestly, it was so quick and easy and the routing picked up right where it left off so not a big deal to me. Traffic probably should have its own paragraph except it ties into the routing. I understand that this is dependent on how your town is covered. Even here in Phoenix only the major highways are covered. I submit that if you need to travel inner belts and outer belts as well as the highways in and out of your towns you will be very pleased. I watched the traffic icon turn from green to yellow to red and back again as road conditions changed. The icon showed how long the delay would be and if you touch it, it shows where and how far away! Garmin gave me the option to bypass each delay but when I answered yes with the touch of the button it reminded me that my route had been optimized including all other options … with the delay it still had me on the quickest route. Because I had multiple destinations it kept me posted to the delays even in the opposite directions when my routing would require back tracking.
There was slow downs along the way and one accident and I was notified well in advance. With the accident, I passed the location about 15 minutes after notification. It was minor and had already been moved to the side of the highway yet I could see the remnants of broken head-lights in the lane it happened. I was prepared to be disappointed with the traffic because not all the traffic reviews are complimentary. Again, I tend to feel where you live and the roads you travel could affect your opinion. For me, I would add extra stars here if I could. It amazed me when it routed me a different way from the factory to my house (different from the one I took in the morning) because the road conditions were different. It was right on based on years of living and driving these roads.
The Voice and the timeliness of prompts were strong. I tried all the voices and ended up with Australian Karen. She is very understandable in “text to speech” and very pleasant. Even my wife likes her … I’d like to meet Australian Karen someday but she wouldn’t give me her phone number … like my wife would like her if she did! With my Magellan I liked the way it would ding just before the turn. This Garmin announces the turn and the timing was very comparable to the Magellan and that is a good thing. Some of the previous Garmin models had problems in this area if you read the posts. Also, loudness with the unit on external speaker was OK to Good, I’d like to see it a touch louder for times when road noise or blasting AC is an issue. I have not tried piping it with FM to my radio and probably won’t.
On my wish list to Garmin (you think they read these?), I’d like to see a little more information around the edges of the screen. You can program the “arrival time” button for things like altitude, time of day, direction of travel and many more, but you can’t program the “speed button” for anything. I’d like to see my altitude … just for giggles, and my ETA. Who needs the time with clocks in the car & on every cell phone? Who needs to know how fast you are going with a speedometer in every car? I would also like to know the street I’m currently on. Sometimes you can see it depending on how you are zoomed to the map but sometimes not. I’d also like to know what direction I’m traveling in without hitting another button or giving up my ETA or 3d view. The speed limit of each street is a fantastic thing to have especially when your in areas you don’t know or rural roads that go for miles without a sign. I can tell you that when the speed limit changed as I entered different zones the changes were very accurate in their timing.
The last thing for today’s review is lane guidance. I went thru some pretty major interchanges today and not once did I see the Navagon style or Garmin advertised type of full screen preview. Again, I’ll see if there is a setting I missed or I will just have to live with what I’ve got for awhile. I understand that Garmin will be adding to their data base as they go along. What I did see though was plenty good. The “distance to turn” indicator in the upper left corner of the screen listed with arrows how many lanes to the interchange and which lanes you should be in. It also listed the lanes not to be in as you transitioned from one highway ramp onto another highway. It was good to have advance notice that the right lane would not continue and you needed to move left before it got crowded.
I’d say buy this unit and help me find Karen!
I have had no reset issues and use the unit 6 to 8 hours per day. This is not to say it hasn’t been an issue with others though.
10/18/08
I found the neatest thing on this unit today. I tapped the car on the screen while I was driving and noticed every few seconds the screen updated with the exact address I was located. I could see the street I was on, the numerical location, and I could see the addresses going up or down as I traveled. Also it showed the elevation changing up or down. I have used this exact screen many times when stopped to mark locations I wanted to save to favorites but never on the go. I’m not sure exactly how one would use this information but I thought it interesting.
I have had much more experience with the traffic option now. I have found it very useful during rush hour. Only once… so far, has a delay been so severe that it changed my routing automatically. But, during that occasion I felt gratified in that I was guided off the freeway before other drivers. from my detour route I ended up with a view of a bumper to bumper full stop on the highway that was backed up for miles. To be honest, after a while you take the traffic icon for granted until it turns yellow or red. Even the yellow icon doesn’t change things in terms of routing, just information about how many minutes the delay will be.
I can say that sometimes the information is not exactly timely. A yellow indicator may show and when I reach the location the traffic may be moving more normal or a little slower than indicated. The minutes of delay indicated seems not too far off though and arrival times are pretty accurate.
Other that no Junction view’s in the Phoenix area at this time I’m still thrilled with the 755t. Garmin support is working on a free update (I spoke with them) for the Junction view.
Additional questions have been ask and answered in the comments section if you would like to read more.
7:01 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by Young Professional for Garmin nüvi 755/755T 4.3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
Background: I had always rented vehicles with a GPS until recently my frequency of travel to unfamiliar cities had reached a point where it made sense to purchase my own. I was not looking for a GPS to play MP3s, make phone calls, take photos, or fill out my taxes. I simply care about its ability to navigate from point A to B and to get around an unfamiliar place, and so I’ll limit this review to those features. I tried two devices: the Garmin nuvi 755T (same as the 765T minus the Bluetooth) and the much cheaper Navigon 2100 max with the bundle that included lifetime traffic.
Garmin Nuvi 755T
Pros:
-Could use all the features right out of the box
-Always got me from Point A to Point B
-Map very pleasing to my eyes
-The lane guidance is useful, but not as useful as I thought it would be (I find that keep right/left voice commands can stand alone).
-Considerable more Points of Interest than Navigon 2100 Max. Also many more Points of Interest categories and the ability to simply enter a category if it’s not listed and still get good results (e.g., Salons or Dance Studios were not categories, but I entered them and the device retrieved many nearby options [you can also search in a different city]).
-Really good recalculation, it doesn’t waste time just trying to get you back to the original route if a different route from your current location is better. It also recalculates at blazing speeds (I had a new route before I made it to the end of a 800 foot block).
-Text to Voice is really good (far more useful than I would have guessed). This really allows you to keep your eyes on the road and gives you peace of mind that you’re turning in the right place.
-Very useful visual layout indicating direction of the turn and the street onto which you should turn (but the voice prompts, especially with Text to Voice, are so good you never need to look at the display).
-Local speed limit always posted with your current speed nearby (more useful than I imagined)
-Good volume and easy to change volume while in use.
-Easy to turn on or off with an external power switch.
-The traffic feature was extremely useful and the information was easy to access during use. The much discussed ads will not be an issue for you, trust me.
-The 3D navigation created a nice view, but honestly, even in strange areas with tall buildings, I didn’t find this feature to be of any additional value.
Okay, But Could Be Better:
-The screen could be more sensitive, but it’s a lot better than the Navigon 2100 Max.
-The device did not always properly locate me (this can be avoided by turning it on and setting the route about 45 seconds before actually leaving).
-The power source plugs directly into the mounting cradle, but it’s still such a chore to remove the device from the cradle (pressing a button on the bottom on the cradle, which is mounted on a moving ball, while tilting the device forward) that the time advantage of a direct cradle plug in is lost.
Cons:
-The turn warning distance is way too short (only 0.2 miles)
-There’s no ability to exclude particular streets from a route (you can set it to avoid highways, tolls, etc. though).
-Initial estimate of arrival time was a complete farce in every single test. It estimated a standard 45 minute trip to be only 25 minutes and pushed back the estimated arrival time nearly every minute never reflecting the accurate arrival time until I was at the final destination. Easily bested in this category by the much cheaper Navigon 2100 Max.
Navigon 2100 Max
Pros :
-Always got me from Point A to Point B without deep confusion
-Always correctly located me
-As in the Garmin Nuvi 755T, the lane guidance is useful, but not as useful as I thought it would be (I find that keep right/left voice commands can stand alone).
-Good turn warning distance (0.5 miles)
-The recalculating is quick, but not as quick as the Garmin Nuvi 755T
-Ability to exclude particular streets from route (a hidden feature: after the route is initially calculated, open the turn by turn and simply x out the streets you don’t want to use).
- As in the Garmin Nuvi 755T, the Text to Voice is really good (far more useful than I would have guessed). This really allows you to keep your eyes on the road and gives you peace of mind that you’re turning in the right place.
-Very useful visual layout indicating direction of the turn and the street onto which you should turn (but the voice prompts, especially with Text to Voice, are so good you never need to look at the display).
-Warnings when speeding (And the ability to set how far above the speed limit [separately for city streets and highways] triggers the warning)
-Ability to have local speed limit either shown constantly or when a speed warning is triggered
-Good volume and easy to change volume while in use
-Initial estimate of arrival time very reliable. Estimated a standard 45 minute trip to within 1 minute and pushed back estimated arrival time only once (adding a minute).
-Easy to turn on or off with an external power switch.
-The traffic feature was extremely useful and the information was easy to access during use.
Okay, But Could Be Better:
-Screen sensitivity
-It sometimes took a couple of minutes to initially locate me, but was always spot on when it did.
-The power supply is plugged into the device which is mounted on a cradle, but the cradle provides such limited range of motion that it’s difficult to get the device in the most desired position and I was forced to accept it slanting slightly during every use.
Cons:
-Thin Points of Interests (more important than I thought) and no ability to search categories not already listed (a real problem). You also must select a city each time you search; it doesn’t just automatically pull up nearby locations like the Garmin Nuvi 755T.
-It’s hard to see ALL of the display icons including information on speed and your current speed
-The dull, mostly gray, maps with an orange route indicator are hard on eyes.
-The keyboard takes up only half the screen making it chore to type in anything. This is especially problematic when trying to switch states or from letters to numbers (or vice versa) as these display buttons are extremely narrow and it was difficult to select them without long fingernails.
-The recalculation kept trying to send me back to the original route even if it was no longer the best. For example, it took the device 15 minutes to stop trying to reroute me to 16th St. (in DC) after I had purposely driven up Connecticut Ave. Had I taken its recommended rerouting (thus backtracking), my trip would have taken 20 minutes longer.
-You can’t use all the features out of the box. I was forced to register the device and thus provide an email address in order to use lifetime traffic and fresh maps features (but, in all fairness, you can opt out of spam, and I’ve yet to receive an unwanted email).
Conclusion:
The Garmin Nuvi 755T was about $350 versus the $160 for the Navigon 2100 Max with lifetime traffic included. I think both devices performed solidly, but the edge can only be given on personal preference. All said, the Navigon 2100 Max is probably the better value for the buck, but such a statement is relative to what’s important to you. I personally went with the Garmin Nuvi 755T because: 1) the map coloring and icon size was easy on the eyes, 2) it was much easier to type on the Garmin Nuvi 755T, 3) the number of Points of Interest, and the ability to type in your own category, are of particular importance to me, and 4) I personally find not losing time on rerouting to be worth the additional costs. Hope this helps.
7:40 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by Traveler for Garmin nüvi 755/755T 4.3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
The graphics and interface on the 755T are some of the best I’ve seen on the few GPS units I’ve tried. I wasn’t exactly thrilled by the interface to be honest, but it’s better than others in terms of being intuitive.
The colors are crisp, the directions I received were accurate, the voice was clear. The unit was excellent on the highway alerting me to each exit before I reached it – loved that feature.
I didn’t try the traffic function as I didn’t enter a major city so I can’t comment. Ditto on lane assist.
I generally drive 30,000 mils a year and I’ve done quite well without a GPS unit. Maps and getting print outs from Google have been mostly sufficient when I don’t know exactly where I’m going. A GPS would be better, of course, and I wanted to go with the best brand I could. Source after source pointed to the Garmin and specifically the new 7×5 series.
Another person who’s in the same line of business as me told me how he receives proximity alerts for specific points of interest (POIs). He didn’t say which brand he used and I assumed that was a basic feature. It’s not. These POIs are already programmed in the Garmin. Everything I need is right there. However, I cannot program the unit to link proximity alerts with those preexisting POIs. I received this from Garmin customer service:
“This can only be done with Custom POI’s. You can set
a distance for the POI within the CSV file. You would just need to find
a database of xxxxx in a CSV format. I am sorry it is not possible
to do this with the POI’s currently in the unit.”
I’ve looked and looked, I could not find another source of these POIs. But why should I have to find them or pay for them? They already exist on this unit! It is baffling to me that a proximity alert preference is not built in. This is extremely user unfriendly.
It took me all of 3 minutes to discover that TomTom has proximity alert preferences built right into their units. I’ve tested several and I can already see they have their own flaws. The maps are not as easy to read and the interface is not as good. TomToms also have a major flaw of their own that’s a deal breaker for others – when entering an address you must know the town. As one TomTom reviewer pointed out, this can be difficult when boundary lines change quickly within a metro area (like Boston). Me, that doesn’t matter so much.
I generally know where I am. What I frequently don’t know are these specific POIs that I might not be even aware exist. This is an important additional asset to my business.
I realize others might not need this function. So again, a lot of people will find the 755T more than acceptable. It’s a great unit to operate. But it just doesn’t have the function I need – a function that I think is pretty basic. It was basic enough that TomTom puts it on their GPS units.
So I got rid of my 755T and will buy either a TomTom 730T or 930T and put up with their flaws that are more tolerable for me.
EDIT:
After using both the Garmin 755T and the Tomtom 730T for several days it gave me some new perspective on both strengths and weaknesses.
Overall, if you’re looking for a straight out of the box user experience with no fuss or muss and little need to tweak the system the Garmin 755T is probably the better model. If you’re already familiar with how to tweak a Garmin (and there are many who are) then you’ll probably also find this a more than fine model.
To use a computer metaphor, I found overall that the Garmin has the initial user interface of what you’d expect from a Mac, but has the user adaptability of a Windows system. The programs you have to download and the tweaking necessary to go beyond Garmin’s presentation is complicated for those who don’t already know how to do it.
The Tomtom on the other hand has the initial feel of a Windows computer, but the user friendly adaptability of a Mac. I hate the Tomtom’s interface and colors, but WOW, is it far easier to change to my needs than the Garmin!
It all comes down to knowing your own needs and abilities. Test the 755T before you buy if you can. If it’s all you need, then I would recommend it. If you know you’re going to have adapt to your needs (like the POIs) and you just want your GPS to do the job without having to go through a steep learning curve, then stay away from the Garmin.
7:52 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by AA for Garmin nüvi 755/755T 4.3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
After much research I purchased the Garmin Nuvi 755T portable car GPS device. It has lived up to my expectations in every way after using it for a week. It was extensively used during a 250 mile day trip to Milwaukee from suburban Chicago. I felt extremely confident driving around in unfamiliar territory.
*Sattelite load is quick- nearly instant except for (1) instance where it took about a minute.
*Traffic alert and map showed congestion and offered the option to go around.
*The selected routed for areas I am familiar with were nearly identical to the ones I have driven over the years.
*The dislay is bright, clear and updates quickly. I did not experience any sluggishness.
*The lane assist works on several exits in the Chicago area- not any in the Milwaukee area. These snapshots appeared at just the right time to illustrate the proper exit lane based on the highlighted road sign. I imagine this will become available for many more highways as maps are updated.
*Mounting and connecting were first rate- the windshield suction worked very well as did the unit power adapter and cable.
*I did not use FM transmitter- I see no need to do this.
*The street names and voice commands were loud, clear and in plenty of time to navigate properly.
I am not displeased about any attribute of this device. I highly recommend it.
8:50 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by Thorgils for Garmin nüvi 755/755T 4.3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
After two months’ use in the Boston, Washington DC, and Portland (OR) metropolitan areas, and also on O’ahu, I now feel qualified to review this product. I’m both delighted and disappointed by the nüvi 755T. I chose this model because it combined the set of functions in which I was interested, and I’ll discuss its different functions in turn.
Basic navigation functions
I’ve not had much first-hand experience with auto GPS units since the first generation Hertz “NeverLost” model, so I’m not able to compare the nüvi with current competitors. However, I’m very impressed with the speed and spatial precision of this unit. Even long and complicated routings are typically computed in less than ten seconds. Adaptations because of route variations are detected quickly and a revised route is computed speedily. I will pass a speed limit sign and within no more than one or two seconds the changed speed limit will usually appear on the screen. And I’m impressed, too, with how the unit automatically scales the map to a level appropriate for current navigation purposes.
Problems with basic navigation are few. The most serious one encountered so far happened only in Portland (OR), and so it may relate to the quality of the mapping there. The unit pinpoints the vehicle’s starting position within a rectangular grid of streets absolutely correctly, but when I then request a routing the unit sometimes tells me to “drive to the highlighted route” starting several blocks away from my current position (sometimes even off the current map). Yet it has no difficulty navigating me back correctly through the same grid all the way to the starting point.
I have also experienced some variability between cities in what are regarded as network decision point nodes meriting the provision of route guidance there. On the Washington DC highway system, for example, merges and splits that in Boston would have been treated as decision points are not identified in the same way.
One other improvement to “basic navigation” would be valuable. At the highest levels of map magnification, it would be very useful to have arrows showing the directions of one-way streets.
Street name pronunciation
The unit comes with a wide array of voices, languages, and national shades of English. I’m impressed with the capabilities of the name pronunciation feature; it works pretty well most of the time, and given the idiosyncrasies of the English language that’s quite an achievement. It struggles, of course, with unfamiliar word structures (such as Hawai’ian names) or non-standard pronunciations (e.g., “Van-cow-ver”), but there are a few more mundane peculiarities. In Washington DC, where a compass quadrant designation follows many street names, the “St.” is invariably taken to mean “Saint.” “Rt.” for “route” gets pronounced as “artee.” The most amusing and ingenious muddle so far has been “Ames St.,” which the unit interpreted as “American English Street.”
Lane assist
I live in a state (Massachusetts) where the highway department’s motto appears to be “Never give a sucker any advance notification of the lane he needs to be in,” so Garmin’s “Lane assist” feature was a strong attraction to choosing this model. But as of now, it is the most disappointing feature. First, only certain areas currently have this capability, and (unlike the real-time traffic information) I have been unable to find on the Garmin website any indications of just where it is available. It appears to be available in the Boston and Portland areas, for example, but I saw no evidence of it in the Washington DC and Honolulu areas. Secondly, it appears to be currently primarily available on the Interstate system (where the standards of highway signage are relatively good), whereas it would be of much greater value to drivers in dense urban core areas (e.g., lane guidance for Dupont and Washington Circles and the Potomac bridges in Washington DC). But it isn’t clear to me whether the Navteq maps used by Garmin even have the basic lane detail to allow such guidance to be feasible eventually, even with a significant expansion of the geographical coverage for “Lane assist.”
Free real-time traffic information
This was another strong attraction to me of this model. I concur with other reviewers who have opined that the advertising that allows the information to be accessed without a subscription charge is not at all a distraction (it’s small, and appears only at the end of a trip or when the vehicle is stationary). But I haven’t experienced congested conditions often enough yet to form strong opinions about its efficacy. In the Boston area I’ve experienced slow moving highway traffic a number of times (an amber traffic symbol on the screen, along with an estimate of the traffic delay minutes) and have occasionally noted that the system’s information was not very current, but up to now I haven’t experienced a high enough congestion level for the system to generate an alternate routing.
In overview, I’m very pleased with this model and glad that I bought it (particularly at a Thanksgiving weekend 43% discount from MSRP), but I would caution purchasers not to expect too much from either “Lane assist” or Navteq FM traffic at this stage of their development.
*** UPDATE, February 2010 ***
Here’s a second take after 13 months of use. I now have a stronger appreciation for both “Lane assist” (after using it in heavy traffic on the relatively unfamiliar Los Angeles and San Francisco freeway systems) and the real-time traffic information service (after being given good advance warning of serious incident-caused back-ups on the Providence road network, and diverted onto local streets to avoid those serious delays).
On the other hand, the problem of computed routes starting several blocks away from one’s current location turns out to be more pervasive than I thought back last March; it’s not limited to just some cities. The nature of and reasons for the problem are difficult to understand, given that the unit (i) knows exactly where the vehicle is, and (ii) has an accurate map of the local network at that point. As well as being told to “Drive to the highlighted route” (which may be outside the limits of the then visible map), the unit also displays a street name . . . but in unfamiliar surroundings that isn’t much help either!
Finally, two other issues have emerged. First, the touch screen detection is not very precise, so mis-entries can be annoyingly frequent. Secondly, the internal battery (which, remember, is not replaceable) seems to have a short life. After about nine months of use I started getting frequent messages of a low battery level when not connected to my car’s battery, and when I do a full recharge from my computer it quickly depletes. Since I rarely if ever use the unit off-vehicle, that hasn’t been a problem for me . . . but someone anticipating a lot of off-vehicle use (or considering purchasing Garmin’s “lifetime” map updates) should certainly bear it in mind.
Notwithstanding those concerns, overall I’m still pleased with the 755t.
9:41 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by S. Harrison for Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
The Garmin nuvi 285WT is a winner.
The case for the Garmin 285WT is sleek shiny black plastic. The case seems very sturdy – in fact all the pieces appear to be made of quality plastic. It comes with the power adapter for the car, and a USB cable to hook up to your computer. (Some of the less expensive Garmins do not come with the USB cable, which is a problem because you need a USB cable to register the unit.)
Pros:
The unit was extremely easy to set up. Upon first use, it guides you through set-up, which is simple. The icons on the screen are simple and intuitive. I started using it without even reading the directions.
After the initial settings are entered, it sets about finding the local satellites. I told it to skip that step, since I was just hooking it up to a wall charger (sold separately) to charge the batteries. Not only did it go ahead and find the satellites, it found them while sitting on my kitchen table. I don’t know how it did that, but it did. There are green bars in the corner of the display showing you how many satellites have been acquired. There it was, displaying all four green bars after just a few minutes. That was impressive.
In the car, it locks onto the satellites extremely fast. It is much faster to find the signals than my friend’s TomTom 910. To be fair, the TomTom is an older unit, but it was a much more expensive unit than the Garmin 285WT to begin with.
I am using the default voice. It is extremely clear and easy to understand. It has only messed up on one street name, as it assumed that N Street was the same as North Street. I am not in an area where there are street names in Spanish or other languages, so I have not had the chance to find out how well it deals with those. The voice is much more understandable than the voice in the TomTom 910 (I hope my friend doesn’t read this…). (The TomTom also consistently mangled Spanish street names when we took a road trip to San Jose.)
If one drives past a turn that it has selected, the device instantly says “Recalculating,” and immediately updates the directions. I missed a turn at night in a very dark area, (I would have had a hard time finding the alternative route) and it didn’t miss a beat.
The display is extremely legible both in bright sunlight and at night. I had to turn the brightness down to the minimum because it was a bit too bright at night for my taste.
The plastic suction cup holds extremely well. Be sure to take the transparent protective film off of it before using. I have it mounted on a Gilsson UBM Portable Car Non-Skid Friction Beanbag Dashboard Mount for Garmin, TomTom, Magellan and more that has worked out quite well.
The 285WT comes with a feature that I really like called “Where Am I?” It’s an emergency location feature – you can tap the screen to get your latitude and longitude. So if you get a flat tire out in the middle of the Mohave Desert, the tow truck from Trona will be able to find you. Assuming, of course, that tow trucks from Trona also have GPS devices.
Cons:
It gave me bad directions one time. It was a good thing I knew the area. Since I just got this unit, I don’t know how often this sort of thing will happen. I am willing to forgive in this instance, because it seems to perform so well overall. (I don’t know how forgiving I’d be if I had driven miles out of my way…)
Neutral:
This model is Bluetooth. I don’t have a Bluetooth phone (I know, I know, I am using archaic technology…) so I couldn’t test that feature.
The device also comes the MSN Direct (9 months free) which I found to be of very limited usefulness because I live in a rural area. I mean, c’mon, around here the 4H Club pancake breakfast at the volunteer fire department is a Big Deal, and MSN Direct is hardly going to tell me about things like that. I also don’t have traffic concerns of the type that one would have in Los Angeles or San Francisco, for example. I also don’t know why one needs a Doppler weather display on one’s GPS, unless one is driving through Oklahoma in a thunderstorm during tornado season. It might be great for that, who knows?
If you live in an urban area, don’t get too excited about MSN Direct, because Microsoft has already announced that they are killing it in 2012. It was originally developed for a device called a Smart Watch, which obviously hit the market with a big belly flop, or we’d all have one. More information can be found on MSN Direct and the planned demise thereof in an October 28, 2009 article at the PC World website.
All in all, I am extremely happy with this device, and recommend it without reservation. In fact, I am buying one for my son for Christmas.
10:28 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by Timothy B. Riley for Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R33QA95VFJHMJ7 Over the years I have purchased over a dozen GPS receivers for myself and even more as gifts for family and friends. When I got a chance to use this new Garmin nuvi I jumped at it. Garmin is known for their ease of use and the 285WT is no exception. With the addition of MSN Direct, traffic and BlueTooth this is a real value in an entry to mid-level GPS.
Garmin makes a lot of different nuvi models and understanding the difference between them can be quite daunting. Essentially the nuvi 285WT and the 265WT are the same unit. They are both MSN compatible and NAVTEQ FM Traffic compatible. The difference is that the 285WT comes with the MSN receiver (with some free months, then a monthly charge util Jan. 2012 when the service will be discontinued) and the 265WT comes with the NAVTEQ receiver and free lifetime traffic (complete with pop-up ads when you use it). You can buy the NAVTEQ receiver for your 285WT at any time as well as buying the MSN receiver for a 265WT.
If you are a professional driver (limo, taxi, truck, delivery or route salesman) you might be better off with a higher end unit such as the Garmin 1690 (it will auto-sort multiple destinations and then provides the most direct route, lane guidance with junction view, the nuLink service and more) or the TomTom version, the 740 Live. If this is your first GPS, a gift for a new user or if you are upgrading from an older model, I think that this is an excellent choice.
No GPS is perfect and even the best is dependent on third party maps which are bound to contain some errors. Also, businesses open and close frequently so you need to use your own common sense (and even your sense of humor) at times. Having said this I find that having and using one is much better than not. I seldom get lost don’t need to print out directions.
The only negatives that I found for the 285 WT is that I wish that the screen was bigger and that the body was thinner. Magellen has these features at this price point (and even lower). Also, I think that Lane Assist should be standard on all newer GPS receivers. All in all though most users would not miss these features and I recommend it for new users and up-graders. I hope that this short video review is helpful to you.
Garmin 010-11280-00 Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for nüvi Portable GPS
11:04 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by Lawrence H. Bulk for Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
I recently (November 28, 2009) received this excellent Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic courtesy of Amazon Vine and, after using it as much as possible to familiarize myself with it, I can report that, overall, I am very pleased with this unit.
This is my second Garmin GPS; the first one was the GARMIN 010-00656-00 Nuvi 250W Widescreen Travel Assistant which I have been using since December 2007. Should anyone reading this review be interested, I refer that person to my review of the older unit.
This particular one, recently introduced, is really an incremental update of the 250W in that it too is a “basic” unit, though it does have more features – many of which may be useful to most people but also a few which hold no particular interest, at least to me. Naturally, having additional features makes operation more complex but, fortunately, some of these can be ignored and/or disabled should the owner so desire.
I must mention that I definitely prefer simpler units to more complicated ones, especially when I am driving at 65MPH on a crowded highway! I do not think that GPS units (or ANYTHING meant for use in a moving car) should have all sorts of unneeded “bells and whistles” which can make operation difficult, if not downright dangerous. I think a cell phone should be a cell phone, a camera should be a camera, a radio should be a radio — and a GPS should be a GPS. Period. Obviously many, many people will disagree with my preferences but, if you are one of the few who do agree with me (and even if you don’t), then I hope that this review will be of use to you. At least you know my perspective.
I have noticed that, when adding new features to newer models, Garmin attempts to keep the interface similar to past ones. Unfortunately, though well intentioned, this sometimes makes the interfaces somewhat awkward in use as anyone who uses this new instrument will quickly discover. I mention below the necessity of deleting data in several separate locations (screens); this is one disadvantage of trying to keep the older interfaces.
Now for my review: I shall first discuss some of the new features that the 285WT has that the 250W did not which I do not like and/or do not use.
For example, there is a new feature called ecoRoute. If you activate the “Vehicle Profile” within this feature, the unit will calculate your fuel costs and approximate gas mileage. Frankly, this is of little, if any, use, in my opinion, as the data will only be a general approximation. But when you wish to delete this data for each trip as well as general trip data, you must do so separately within each screen in which the data is stored (as many as three separate screens). To delete such data in the 250W, you need delete the data – maximum speed and mileage data – from the same screen and this is relatively simple. Not so with the 285WT. Of course you need not activate a “Vehicle Profile” and I recommend that, in the interest of simplicity, that you ignore this feature. After all, of what real use is it?
This unit also features Bluetooth. If you are one of the many people who enjoy this feature for use with your cell phone, this will be of value to you. But, as I do not use a Bluetooth cell phone, I have disabled it.
I also have no interest at all in the Microsoft Network; I see no need to have stock market reports on my GPS. Nor do I need their traffic reports, for which you must pay $50.00 per year after the trial period (I cannot accurately determine how long the trial period is: the instruction manual states “3 months” but Amazon, and at least one other review, states “9 months.”) But, whatever the trial period is, I have no interest in activating MSN Direct and I’m sure you have read in other reviews that it is to be discontinued in 2012. And it is certainly easy enough to get such information as it offers from a local radio news station.
In order to use the MSN Direct, you must use the power cable which Garmin supplies with the unit. This contains the MSN receiver. If you use an older power cable, such as this one Garmin nüvi Vehicle Power Cable the GPS itself will function normally but there will be no MSN. That’s fine with me – I have three of these older cables. I keep one in each of our two cars and one in the house. (I keep the actual GPS units in the house too when they are not in use.) I will not be using the supplied power cable with MSN receiver with my 285WT. (I recommend that everyone buy at least one spare cable, of whatever type, “just in case.”)
The case on my older 250W is a flat gray color. The new 285WT has a glossy black finished case. While the glossy black is somewhat more attractive (but really – who cares?), it shows all of your fingerprints. The flat gray case does not do this. Thus I much prefer the older case.
You’ll certainly want to have a case for your Garmin; I recommend this one: Garmin 4.3-Inch Carrying Case [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]. You’ll also want a Garmin Portable Friction Mount [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]; this is a FAR better mount than the supplied windshield-mounted suction-cup mount and, in any case, in certain states the suction cup mount is banned by law.
I had hoped that Garmin would have improved the “Detour” function but they have not. When driving and desiring a detour, you must touch the Menu option at the bottom of the screen and then click on the Detour function in the next screen. This is the same as on the 250W. I wish that Garmin would place the Detour function button on the main screen. That’s where it belongs, in my opinion.
Okay, those are the “bad” parts. If you’re still with me, I shall now discuss the “good” parts, the improvements (and they are many and considerable) over the 250W.
First and foremost – this new unit locks onto the satellites FAR faster than does the older one. This is VERY noticeable and very welcome. Three days ago, we visited some friends who live about 35 miles away; traveling to their house is my Garmin “test-bed” to see how well it functions (the trip is convoluted). Both units take us there flawlessly but, when restarting the 250W when we wish to “Go Home,” for some reason the 250W will not pick up the satellites until we have driven almost one mile from their house. This is strange (because it “knew” where we were when I turned it off) and annoying. (Of course we know how to get home; we do not really need the Garmin – but this is a “test.”) This happens consistently, each and every time we visit these friends.
Not so with the 285WT – as soon as I turned it on at their house, it instantly locked onto the satellites. We were very pleased with this performance.
I have also noticed that the 285WT consistently locks onto satellites in my house, even with all the blinds drawn. Obviously there is no “line-of-sight” here so this performance improvement is quite amazing and is much improved over the 250W which rarely, if ever, locks onto the satellites in my house (and is much slower in locking to them even outdoors, although this is not a major disadvantage in MOST cases).
So far, no matter where we have gone, or for how long the unit was turned off, or where we were when we turned it back on (we were not always at the same location as we were when we turned it off), it almost instantly locked on to the satellites. Frankly, this is remarkable.
I should also mention that the boot-up time on the 285WT is much quicker than on the 250W.
The next improvement I note is the virtual keyboard. You have your choice of a QWERTY keyboard or the one ABCDE featured on the older Garmins. The QWERTY is a vast improvement. It also features numbers as well as letters thereby making it unnecessary to go to another screen to enter numbers. In addition, to get to the symbols (@#$%^), you need only go to one other screen (as opposed to two on the 250W); this is indicated at the bottom of the Garmin’s keyboard screen.
In addition to the backspace control found on the 250W (which deletes each letter/number as you backspace), there are cursor controls as well on the 285WT which allow you to move the cursor to whichever point you desire and then use the backspace control to delete only the one undesired letter and replace it with the correct one – just like on a computer.
All in all, this is a major and welcome improvement and makes typing in addresses, etc., much more convenient.
The screen information has been somewhat improved on the 285T and is slightly easier to read and comprehend quickly. But, while the new unit shows the next turn (and there is a pictogram showing the turn), the green “line” at the top no longer shows the road on which you are traveling as it does on the 250W. It shows the next turn you must make – even when that turn is many miles away. This is a step backwards, in my opinion. You can see the road you’re on if you wish – but you must touch the magenta line (which shows the correct route to your destination). I feel that the green line should show the actual road on which you are driving until about four or five miles from your next turn (you would be able to preview the next turn, if you wished, by merely touching the green line which will then show you all the steps subsequent to get to your destination); the pictogram could constantly show the next turn (as it does now).
The 285WT shows the speed limit on the road you are using if such data is available to Garmin. Unfortunately, it is not always accurate – so you better read the road signs and not depend solely on this feature. (There is a local road which, for years, has had a section of about a half-mile in which the limit is 35MPH. When I first got the 285WT and drove on this section, it showed the limit to be 40MPH. When I registered my unit over the internet, I was “forced” to update the firmware and I took advantage of their free one-time map upgrade. After doing so, I noticed that now the speed limit listed on that section was 45MPH, the same as the rest of the road! This is not good! The upgrade made the error worse! I have seen many people pulled over on that section of the road, the number depending, I suppose, upon just how strapped for cash the township is. In any event, I do not think anyone should rely on the speed limit shown on your Garmin even though most of the time it DOES seem to be accurate.)
There is a particularly welcome new feature on the 285WT within the Tools section; you click on the Tools icon at the bottom of the screen (which, for reasons best known to Garmin, is now to the right of the Volume setting instead of to the left of it, as previously). You click on that Tools icon and, directly in the center of the following screen, is a “Where Am I?” icon. Click on that and you will see the actual coordinates of your location (including elevation), the nearest address, and the nearest intersection. In addition, and most important, there are buttons for the nearest Hospitals, Police Stations, and Fuel.
If, while driving, you touch the Vehicle icon on your screen, the same location information is shown. (It’s best to have your “co-pilot” do this however as it is with most of the options the Garmin has.)
All in all, this is very easy to use and very welcome even if the nearest address shown is not always “spot-on” accurate (it’s close though).
There is also, within the Tools screen, a My Data section which features a particularly easy means of setting or changing your Home location. This is quite useful when traveling, for instance, or, when using the Pedestrian setting, for changing your Home to the location of your car in a crowded shopping center. Do that and you’ll never have trouble finding your car again! (You can do that with the 250W as well but it is quicker and easier with the 285WT.)
I have the screen brightness set to 50% (you’ll find the settings within the Display option under Color Mode), both for Daytime and for Nighttime. Of course, after the adjustments, I set the Garmin’s Color Mode back to Auto; this changes the screen as the sun goes down. My wife and I have found that 50% in both options works for us; your preferences may differ.
I noticed that I had to set the Volume to 90% on my 285WT to achieve a comfortable sound level which is easy for us to hear; the corresponding setting on my 250W is 70%. However I am sure that this is a sample to sample variance and you will have to experiment to find your own desired volume level.
You have read about Text-to-Speech in which the GPS says the street names rather than just “turn right” or “turn left” as on the 250W.
Well, at least on this unit. this feature is a bit of a mixed bag. First, not all of the available “voice” choices feature text-to-speech (TTS). Only some of them do – and the voices which do so may not please you. For example, American English does not feature TTS; American English-Samantha (TTS) does and this is what we’re now using. On our 250W, we use British English, which we prefer. British English is also an option on the 285WT but “she” doesn’t feature TTS. For that, if you want a female British voice, you must use British English-Serena (TTS) – and “she’s” awful, in both my and my wife’s opinion. She speaks too fast and none too clearly, in our opinion, especially in her pronunciation of road names, and she sounds more “Irish” than “British” (not that that matters much). But, for us, “she” is unpleasant sounding and, therefore, essentially unusable. The male voices, in our limited – thus far – experiences, are more difficult for us to understand in a moving vehicle so, for the moment, we are staying with our American English-Samantha (TTS) “companion.” (We haven’t tried any of the other languages offered as we speak only English.)
A slight disadvantage to TTS is that, if the road name is a long one, you could conceivably pass the turn before “she” could get it all out! (I think that this would be a rare occurrence however.) I still rely on reading the street names on the top green line.
Personally, I think it would be better for Garmin to offer various voices and languages and offer the option, for ALL of them, to have TTS on or off, as the user chooses. Perhaps some day they will be able to implement that.
Of course all the features in the world are of absolutely no use if the GPS doesn’t take you where you want to go! In this respect, I believe that this Garmin nüvi 285WT is as good as any on the road, regardless of price. Is it perfect? Certainly not! As I stated in my review of the 250W, sometimes you still have to ask! But it is as accurate a unit as you’re going to find. Thus far, in our limited usage, we have not noticed any differences in the routes chosen by our 285WT from those chosen by our 250W. But I have a Garmin nüMaps Lifetime North America Map Updates for our 250W and I do keep it updated so it has the same maps as the 285WT. (I recommend this “lifetime” option for most people though, as I have it for my 250W, I shall not be buying it for my 285WT, at least at this time.)
I think I have covered most of the incremental changes that Garmin has made from its 2007 model, the 250W, to its 2009 model, the 285WT. I should think, though I do not know, that the same changes will have been made to other new models within the 200 series. I think that, for the most part, the operational changes are improvements.
I should like to sum up this review by repeating that I am very pleased with the new 285WT and its performance. I have mentioned a number of things I do not like – but do not let that dissuade anyone from buying this GPS. The advantages GREATLY outweigh any disadvantages and the changes from the 250W to the 285WT are, for the most part, significant and good. And after all, NO product is “perfect” – and no product ever will be!
And though it doesn’t “run rings” around the 2-year-old 250W (except in its much improved satellite reception), for the most part, it has been greatly improved over its predecessor, especially in its general ease of use (when certain “features” are disabled), and these improvements will be especially noticeable to anyone with Garmin experience. Within its class, this GPS represents excellent value for money. (It’s a constant source of amazement to me that Garmin can offer such an excellent product at such a low price. And, by the way, if you are as interested in GPS pricing as I am, you will find that the ABSOLUTE best place to buy one of these things is right here – from Amazon!)
I want to thank everyone who has read my review and I hope that it has been of some help.
I highly recommend this Garmin nüvi 285WT to anyone interested in a “basic” Global Positioning System device.
11:14 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by Nathan Beauchamp for Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
I have owned 4 GPS units in the last 4 years. The first was a Garmin and was stolen from my car, the 2nd a Tom Tom that never worked right, and the most recent a Magelin. I’ve come full circle and gone back to Garmin and let me tell you, it’s good to be back! I could go into detail about all the things that that 285WT does better than my old Magelin and Tom Tom but suffice it to say that everything this GPS should do, it does very well. The touch screen is easy to use and very responsive. Positioning is quick and highly accurate. The device is very well constructed and battery life is really good.
When I first powered up the unit it was never able to identify my location even after HOURS of waiting. I thought the unit was defective until after doing some reading online I realized that I probably needed to re-set the GPS unit. I did that, but was still unable to find my location (I live in Chicago, so this should be pretty simple). Finally I tried updating the firmware using Garmin’s web updater. After upgrading to Firmware 6.10, the unit found my location after about 2 minutes. Since then it’s worked flawlessly. If your unit hasn’t been updated, I’d highly recommend taking 5 minutes to do so. Garmin’s made it very easy with one of the simplest and quickest firmware updaters I’ve ever seen.
Navigation is flawless. I used this on a trip from Chicago to several locations in MI and it routed us correctly each and every time. One of the primary reasons I get a GPS is to make it easy to locate stores, restaurants, etc., while out of town. The Tom Toma and Magelin both suffered from the same problem: you could search by category, but not a specific name! If you wanted to find a Culvers for example, you could search restaurants, and then sort by name, but there was no way to make the search simple by typing in “Culvers.” Garmin allows for this sort of search, which is very, very useful.
I can’t say enough about the touch screen. It’s vastly superior to any other I’ve used. It’s a matte finish which doesn’t collect nearly as many finger prints, as well as making typing in addresses easier. It is also nice and bright and visible even in direct sunlight. Night mode is great as well and automatically turns on once the sun has set.
Menus and the GUI are both intuitive and easy to navigate. I was able to do everything I wanted to without reading a manual (although I’m fairly familiar with GPS units, so YMMV). I also LOVE that the unit can be removed from the mounting arm very easily. This makes it much simpler for your co-pilot to take the unit down and type in addresses or do searches. My personal co-pilot my lovely wife really appreciates this feature!
The battery life is excellent. I tested it out and got over 2.5hrs on a charge.
Overall this is a great GPS. Aside from some initial frustration in getting the unit to find our location it’s been a flawless user experience. I’d recommend this GPS to anyone if you want a simple to use but feature rich unit.
11:30 pm on June 19th, 2010
Review by Floating Weed for Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Rating:
From [...]:
Question: I am looking at the 285wt and was wondering if it will act like the 265wt. There are so many 2×5′s it’s hard to keep it all straight. Garmins website doesn’t offer any information regarding the 285wt since it appears to be a BestBuy only unit. Anyone own one, how does it compare?
Answer: Normally a model with an 8 in the number would indicate that it comes with an MSN Direct adapter cable and support MSN Direct traffic. This would be the only difference between it and a model with a 6 number. So normally a 285 would be a 265 with MSN Direct in place of the normal TMC or Navteq traffic.
In this case it looks like it is actually a device that was specifically made for Best Buy. I found this user review on their website which appears to explain the difference between the 2 models:
“This is a great product that was expressly made for Best Buy. It has several features over and above the 265WT, however a big word of caution. While all the other Garmin 2xxWT units come with free lifetime traffic, this unit requires a subscription (annual or lifetime) to MSN Direct. The added cost far outstrips the cost of the 265WT. Get the 265WT – it’s worth it.”
So it does appear that the Garmin “naming convention” holds here as well. The 285 is a 265 with MSN Direct.