Garmin 265WT - Anybody got one?

Rennie Heuer

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,607
Location
Constantine, MI
Pursuant to my heading off on a 7,500 mile road trip I thought I might give some thought to a GPS device to help guide me in some of the areas I'm less familiar with. Also, as I get to areas I've never been through, I thought it might be nice to have one should I choose to depart from the planned route.:rolleyes:

So, question. Who has experience with these devices and what recommendations - brand, model, or features - would you say are best buys/ must haves?:dunno:
 
Last edited:
I bought a Garmin nuvi 260 a few months ago and it does everything I wanted it to do. My decision was based on price/value -- it was on sale at the time -- paid about $140 for it against a list of about $400. I Google a destination, then send the data to it via a USB cable. I haven't been disappointed in any way.
 
I have the Garmine 2620. LOML got it for me several years ago and it is fantastic. The prices on them has dropped since mine came out. I think she paid over a grand for mine. I prefer the Garmine to the megelon. I used one of those in a rental car and the garmine was quite a bit better IMHO.
 
I bought my mom a magellion (sp?) and it is very easy to use and very accurate. If my mom can use, since she can hardly turn a computer on :p, it must be easy. $199.00 for it.
 
I have a Garmin Nuvi 760 and like Bill, it does everything I want it to do. Set up a destination, tell it "Go" and it figures out how to get you there. You can set it to avoid highways if you want and it's really pretty neat. I don't have the "live traffic" capabilities but I'm never really in traffic anyway.

It's a handy little device. Try'n get the map upgrades if you can - updating your maps on some of these can be a little expensive (though I haven't needed to in a couple years, now) :)
 
I love my TomTom. My son got one after I got mine (and he road along with me on a vacation trip to Canada and all about. My s-i-l got one after he went with me to Florida and other side trips. My friends got one as well (3 at least) after going on various fishing trips and adventure trips with mine. One has a Denali with a built in GPS but liked the TomTom better. My sister did as well after using it to find a long lost family cemetary using the coordinates and my TomTom.

Is it better? I don't know, but I do know it is very good... IMHO
 
I got my wife a Garmin (don't recall the model) a couple years ago and she's been real happy with it. It has a more up-to-date database than the nav system in my Lexus, so we take hers with us when we travel. It's especaially handy for finding motels, food and gas stations. About a year after she got the Garmin, she bought a Tom Tom that had a few extra features, but she ended up returning it because she liked the simpler interface on the Garmin.

Garmin is good, Magellen is good, Tom Tom is good, and I think any of the other major player will have good units. Bottom line...after you get one, you'll wonder how you got along without one all these years.
 
Got a 260W for my b-day before taking a trip the long way across California. I held off registering it thinking I may like another model and would trade up. This one is fine. Other features seem to be things like storing routes, address books and such. Unimportant to me in my use.
 
another vote for garmin, rennie i have used to it the last two years to get me from one spot to the other and even found chuck ellis and chuck thiots from address:D ..go to best buy if yu have one and play with the choices.. i was in canada last week and we used a nuvi from garmine to get there and back it has some more features than mine but nothing that yu cant live without.. remeber the KISS threory:rofl::thumb:
 
7500 miles! Thats a huge road trip!

I haven't gone through all the posts in the thread, but yes, you should get a gps. I'm a garmin fan and have been for quite a while.

The big question is how do you plan on accessing maps and routing your trip on the road. The handhelds I've always gotten are pretty good at multiple tasks. I.e. Hiking, GeoCaching, traveling. If all you want is something to get you from point a to point b, well, I'm not much good there. But the GPS thing seems to have been getting much bigger screens and better navigation since I got my GPS 76xs from Garming a little while ago.

If you go through Reno, let me know!
 
And I guess a visit from a FWW member would make me get out there and clean up the shop and actually make something... :thumb:
 
We bought a 255w before our trip. Worked out great for us. I really liked having it and knowing when we were going to get somewhere and to see what was coming up.
 
I have the Garmin 780, I use it daily for work. Comes pre loaded with maps from US and Canada. Garmin support is top notch. I got a replacement 780 last week from amazon for $199. I paid 799 for the first one. The 780 allows you to plan routes, which some of the lower numbered units do not.
 
I have a Magellan but If I were to get a new one I think the Tom Tom is the best buy for the money. I driven all over the country and it works great. Sure take the stress out of wondering if you made the right turn or not. I've put 117.000 mile on my van in the past 4 years and the GPS has been there for all of them.
 
Top