Review on 🗺️ Garmin Nuvi 205W - 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Widescreen by Robert Ryokan

Good: good routes, clear voice, lots of volume and accurate maps. The colors of the map seem a bit childish. Conclusion: The Garmin Nuvi 205w is a solid entry-level device for basic navigation needs. If you are looking for extras this is not the place to find them. Below is my detailed review based on usage. ADJUSTMENT: Your overall level of comfort with technology and electronics really determines how important this aspect of the device is as you should rarely, albeit more than once, perform it. Luckily for the Nuvi 205w, there's not much to do there. With the exception of product registration and charging, the device is ready to use right out of the box. While some can change some settings, most have no problem with the default settings. AD: This is an area where published information does not reflect the correct story. The difference between W and non-W models is over 3.5 inches (Nuvi 205) versus 4.3 inches (Nuvi 205w). The Nuvi 205 has the correct QVGA resolution (320x240). However, the Nuvi 205w is incorrectly labeled as WQVGA, which means (480 x 240). If this were the case, the only difference you would notice would be that you would be rendering a larger area at the same resolution. The Nuvi 205w actually has a resolution (480x272) which is actually the sixteenth HD1080. So why do you care? These additional 32 pixels ensure a sharper picture on w. When choosing a device to buy, I went to a local store to compare devices. I ran the same simulations on the Nuvi 205 and 255w. I have already described the difference in the display above. Comparing the audio, I was disappointed that the 255w's text-to-speech capability lacked the clarity of the 205's basic instructions. I opted for a clearer but simpler manual. I have used both types in other GPS units and have found that the clarity of verbal cues is more helpful than spoken street names. On the 205w, the next turn is displayed at the top of the device and you can follow it throughout the route. This is also an area of cost consideration, as the base price difference between the 205w and 255w is $70. I just didn't think it was worth it. The only feature I would like to see is an external volume control on the device. If you want to adjust the volume, you need to press the menu button and select the volume icon on the main screen. However, once you get a good volume level, you probably won't need to tweak a lot as this device doesn't have an MP3 player or Bluetooth capabilities. NAVIGATION: Sound and display don't matter if the device doesn't understand instructions. To the right. I've tested my 205w in areas I ride frequently to see how it performs when creating routes. Of the five different rides I tested, each was at least 10 miles long. The routes generated by the 205w were essentially the ones I took and had directional cues before I could place the unit in the windshield mount. I intentionally missed a few turns or turned too early to force a recalculation of the route. I found the process quick and he was able to get me back on track quickly. The only area where the device didn't perform well was distinguishing between highway and driveway. I had more sensitive devices that would initiate a recalculation of the route before I got to the traffic light at the end of the ramp. The 205w didn't realize I had gone off track until I turned onto the road at the bottom of the ramp. This is a fairly contrived test so you can decide if it's important for your use case. EASE OF USE: This is one area where the Nuvi 205w scores highly. The user interface is very easy to use. Another reason to choose the W model is the QWERTY keyboard layout. For some reason, units other than w only have an alphabetical order, which I find very counterintuitive. Menu navigation and data entry are very easy. The only thing I would change is the color coding on the cards. You seem to have tried using all the colors from the crayon box with all the street color coding. This makes the cards look like something out of a children's coloring book. I have to admit it's pretty minor, but I'd like something more mature, like the Navigon color schemes. OPTIONAL: Not much to comment on here. The 205w has a photo viewer and you can navigate to the image labeled with coordinates. To be honest, I'd rather skip this feature and save a few bucks more on the base cost. Cards only take up about half of the internal storage, so without the photo function, an SD card reader would not be necessary. It's purely new, but I liked the ability to add additional cars and voices from the Garmin website. I added some vehicles and a Halloween voice. I thought the voice was funny but my wife got on her nerves. If you connect the 205w to your computer, the website can install them directly onto the device. The 205w doesn't come with a USB cable, but most people already have more than they know what to do with. If you have a digital camera or any MP3 player other than an iPod, you may already have everything you need. The car charger cable that came with the unit is very stiff and I had to maneuver it more than I would like to get it from the unit to the outlet without obstructing my tools and the view of the windshield. .