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Garmin nuvi 250 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Pink) | 
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| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $299.99
Buy New: $199.86
You Save: $100.13 (33%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  74 reviews
Color: Pink
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Native Resolution: 320 x 240
Display Size: 3.5
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 3.8 x 0.8 x 2.8
MPN: NUVI 250 PINK
Model: NUVI 250 PINK
UPC: 753759079321
EAN: 0753759079321
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 3.5-Inch QVGA display | | • | Sleek, pocketable form factor | | • | No flip-up antenna | | • | Full US and Canada coverage | | • | Map data of internal flash memory |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
For life on the go, nvi 250 packs maps and millions of destinations in a sleek, stylish navigator.nvi 250 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. In addition, nvi 250 accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.The nvi 250 sports a sleek, slim design and fits comfortably in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot.nvi 250: It's a whole n way to travel.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 69 more reviews...
 Best value for the money in my opinion August 24, 2007
59 out of 59 found this review helpful
I have used Garmin products before and like the reliability and performance. This unit works very well and in addition a great value price wise. The touch screen works perfectly - no more hassling with non-user friendly buttons. Very easy to navigate the GUI and always seems to find a signal quickly. Routes seem to work well for me (have had it for 2 weeks so not fully tested on routing). Voice prompts are functional and options exist for different languages - I like using the English accent voice. Another great benefit is the size - no external antenna and a small thin unit with a big screen (big enough for me)very well packaged. You could carry it around for hikes or biking as it has that mode and can easily fit into a pocket. All in all I'm very satisfied and use it every day for business because it saves me time and money.
 This is a tough one for me. If you can spend more, upgrade to a pricier model. May 2, 2008
35 out of 35 found this review helpful
First off, I bought this as a convenience, not a necessity. I used to use those book type detailed maps and when it was time to replace it for around fifty bucks, I decided to pay about ninety more and get all of the convenience GPS units offer. I hated trying to follow roads from page to page on those book maps. Plus, I only got one metro area for my money.
For the money I can't complain too much. The June, 2008 Consumer Reports came out two weeks after my purchase and I would refer you to that issue for a detailed review of all the top brands on the market.
What I don't like about this unit is that roughly half the time I think there are better routes to take. I was hoping it would take into account peak commute times when calculating Fastest Route. I mean it's not the fastest route if it takes you through bottle necks during traffic times. I'm not saying it should have built in traffic alerts. That is a subscription service, but it should at least be smart enough to identify bottle necks and calculate speed as a combination of time and speed limits. It calculates everything as if you are the only one on the road. And in Atlanta you cannot drive like that. There are so many times that navigating to a freeway is not the best option. So, you could tell it to do the Shortest Route, but that is the other extreme. It may have you do some crazy maneuvering just to save a few feet in distance.
Secondly, when I know I don't like the route it has chosen I tell it to detour. It gives me another route and that is it. If I tell it to detour again, it only goes back to its original route. Very frustrating. Now if I was in unfamiliar territory I suppose it would get me to my destination without getting lost and I would be none the wiser for taking a stupid route. But in my testing of my area, the problem is that I have not built a great deal of confidence in this thing.
CR rated this one with less than average routing, but if you were to get one of the upgraded models, the routing is above average. So, I can't justify the extra money, but it may be worth it to you.
ONE LAST THING.....IMPORTANT. I just called Garmin support, which was very fast and helpful btw, and they let me know that a new 2009 North America map was available for my unit that I just bought. It came with 2008 maps, which I assumed was current, but I am eligible for a free download until June 1, 2008. When you register your product online with Garmin, it asks you for the units serial number and then tells you what updates are available. I'm in the process of upgrading and am very pleased to get the most current maps for free. After June 1st you will have to pay for the same map.
 Its a good entry level GPS system August 31, 2007
28 out of 30 found this review helpful
I had a TomTom Go Classic that went kaput. I paid about $600 for it. This Nuvi 250 was about half that but, it has some shortcomings when compared to the old TomTom. For one, the voice is unnatural and tinny by comparison. I miss having the compass and the turning arrow on the screen. The maps and POIs seem a few years out of date but that was also a problem with the TomTom. There do not seem to be any free map updates available. It came with no case, A/C charger or a wire for connecting to the computer. The TomTom Go classic came with everything including maps on CD. All maps on the Nuvi are pre-loaded and aside from storing photos, I cannot figure out what the SD card slot is for. The manual does not explain much. The windshield mount is solid but short, and places the this device farther away from the driver than the old TomTom mount did. It takes 2 hands to remove the device from the holder unles you want to risk breaking the suction.
Took a while to acquire satellites October 28, 2007
26 out of 28 found this review helpful
I had this for a few months now, used in MA, DC and around Dallas. Before this I was using my LG 8500's (Chocolate cell phone) GPS feature and loved it, except that I had to pay monthly fee and it used up my air time. The major difference I found between the two was the time it took to acquire the satellites; especially when used in a new location. It has been a few times the Nuvi 250 took more than 5 minutes to lock on; the weather was good and I was not in the woods or blocked by buildings; I wasn't patient enough to wait so I just start driving, and eventually it came back to life. The Nuvi 250 usually won't take more than 30 secs to find the satellites but it was very annoying when it got lost.
Another thing I found is that the Points of Interest search was slow and the database does not seem as complete as my cell's. I was just searching for Staples around Concord, MA and it missed the closest one found by my cell. Obviously the data was downloaded to my cell on the fly so it has the advantage of being more up-to-dated and can potentially be more complete.
Other than those I found the Nuvi 250 to be useful; just need to turn it on ahead of time.
Good Deal on a Basic GPS November 23, 2007
23 out of 24 found this review helpful
I bought my 250 just before we left on a month long trip through the southern US. It performed well. I loved the small size and portability. It was amazingly sensitive and able to pick up satellites even on the ground floor of a two story house. We were able to find a Thai restaurant close to where we were staying in Forth Worth using the POI. DFW freeways are confusing but the 250 did its job. There is a learning curve on using it. If you are in an off map location like a parking lot, be sure to drive a short distance so that the GPS can determine where you are before you make any turns. I ended up spending 5 minutes getting back on route. I turned before the GPS knew what direction I was headed and I got off track. Also, you should know that roads change all the time. In the month we were on the road we used it every day. 3 or 4 times we drove through new construction and the GPS showed us driving through the fields. When we got through the construction the GPS had us back on the map. I looked at the fancier Garmins and decided that I really did not need all the bells and whistles that they offered. My former navigator, my wife, says that the 250 has paid for itself are ready by lowering her stress level. We never argue about directions anymore.
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