By Dan Maudsley on Sunday, 30 September 2007
 The list of additions to even standard sat-nav devices is dizzying. MP3 players, video ability, Bluetooth hands-free, FM transmitters — even cameras. Garmin’s nuvi 250W cuts through all that and delivers just the basics — a large 4.3” widescreen device, with European mapping and Garmin’s navigation software.
The nuvi range has consistently impressed us with its ease-of use, but with the 250W it’s surpassed itself. The main menu, for example, has just two large icons marked ‘Where to?’ and ‘View Map’. Two smaller tabs take you to the volume controls and an equally slick settings menu. Oh and there’s the digital clock in the top-right corner — just tap it to adjust the time.
The mapping is just as clear. There are three visible buttons — two for the zoom and one to return to the main menu. In the bottom corners, two boxes show speed and direction during normal driving, and ETA and distance till the next turn when navigating. Tap the first and it’ll bring up a page of journey stats, such as distance travelled and average speed. Hit the other and it’ll show the next turn in detail and let you scroll through upcoming junctions.
The mapping is exceptionally clear and at junctions, as well as giving the direction to go in, the top of the screen also lists the town names that should be signposted. The voice instructions are loud, but the speaker tends to distort at top-volume.
The 250W is the first nuvi not to feature a pull-out GPS antenna. It seems to have suffered slightly as a result and takes longer to get a lock, but once locked-on the signal remains strong. The case is still as thin as its pricier sibling, but made from an dull, if sturdy, grey plastic.
There are no traffic services available for the 250W, but if you do hit a snarl up or blocked road then there’s a ‘Detour’ option for quickly finding an alternative route. If you stray off course during a journey, the nuvi is a little slow to realise this, but again, is quick to reroute once it does — and can be configured to do so without the dreaded ‘now make a U-turn’ in the navigation settings menu.
One qualm is the lack of support for multiple stops. If you’re already headed to a final destination, it’s simple enough to add a single ‘via point’. Tap the menu button, hit ‘Where to?’ and it lets you input a destination to stop-off at along the way, but only one at a time. Try and enter another via point and without warning, it’ll overwrite the previous one. It’s still handy for a quick detour for petrol or food, but less so for people planning complex journeys.
There are a few added extras on-board, such as a photo viewer that’ll display snaps from an SD card on its large screen. A conversion tool, world clock and calculator are also thrown in. Given the high price though, there are a few features that we’d liked to have seen thrown in, such as an option to add a TMC receiver and get traffic updates.
But while the 250W may lack the features of others, it maxes out on sheer simplicity and user-friendliness. If you’re looking for a no-frills and easy to use sat-nav device, then this is the one.
| Price |
£195 |
| Rating |
5 out of 6 |
| Good |
Ease of use; clear map screen; fuss free
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| Bad |
Price; no TMC; only one ‘via point’ allowed
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Buy from
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Inkino |
Specifications
SiRF GPS III, SD card slot, 4.3” widescreen (480 x 272), speed camera alerts, photo viewer, Garmin Lock anti-theft, dash mount, car adapter Size 122 x 20 x 74mm Weight 173g
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