Garmin Nuvi 250 Reviews & Cheapest Price

Thinking about buying a Garmin Nuvi GPS system but all the available models have you confused? I thought a little chart and brief description and comparisons to the Nuvi 250 may help those of you first time shoppers looking for the best priced unit that matches what you need out of travel assistant.

200 series - This is the entry level series from garmin, with the nuvi 200/250/270 systems being slightly less featured mimics of their cousins. You skip out on advanced utilities and features such as MP3 Playback and the like, but the series is intended to be a very cost effective set with the core navigation features intact for budget shoppers.

300 series - The more common ‘middle range’ units, these represent a good mix of low pricing and high end capability for the frequent traveller not necessarily interested in the larger widescreen and some of the new market features found on the 700 series and newer units.

600 series - With the exception of a few minor differences on the 680, the nuvi 600 series is almost identical in feature sets to the 300 series except for the fact they sport the 4.3″ widesceen whereas the 200/300 series have the 3.5″ touchscreen

700 series - The newest units, these are the ‘premier’ units with the newest and largest viewing screen, features not found on the older series, and a bunch of new and advanced goodies for frequent or wealthy customers.

Introduction

For the user interested in transatlantic unit, which functions in both North America and Europe, that also functions just as well as the Nuvi 200 counterpart, the Garmin Nuvi 250 is that choice to make. Featuring everything any user would want from their navigation device, the 250 will make a strong impression whether you are in Europe or North America, both locations will be no problem for the 250 to handle.

Figure 1: The Nuvi 250 is small yet power travel assistant.

Design

As expected, the Nuvi 250 GPS is very sleek and compact, designed to be portable for the consumer that is on the go. The small dimensions (3.8″W x 2.8″H x .8″D) makes the unit very easy to pocket and to bring along with you, whether in your purse, pocket, or bag. Especially when it weighs in at 5 ounces, this makes it incredibly simple to take out the car and recharge as needed. The 5 hour battery life is also quite sufficient for the most lengthy of trips on the road, though it could use a few more hours to improve. The Nuvi 250 also features an attractive touch screen that does work very responsively, as well as appear to be bright and easy to see even in a bit of sunlight. It’s also found to be quite easy to mount, whether by dash or utilizing the suction mount, both has its advantages, though the suction mount is much more preferable as it allows a higher mounter position that suits the head level of the user better.

The cheapest model in the value 200 series range, stepping down to the nuvi 200 from the nuvi 250 you will save a fair bit of change but also will loose your ability to travel through all us states (49 continental US states only) and Cnanada… you will also be missing x,x, etc…

The Nuvi 270 is a basic transatlantic unit (usable both in Europe or North America) with all your GPS and travel tools needs right at your hands. The Nuvi 250 is a step down from its transatlantic cousin, that navigates just as well but is not compatible across continents. Both features are practically identical in all aspects, except the Nuvi 270 is a transatlantic. Both models do not feature any entertainment functions such as mp3 playback.

The Nuvi 350 model is in the range of being a well rounded GPS assistant. On top of performing simple traffic navigating like the Nuvi 250 does, the 350 is also capable of FM traffic receiving services which greater enhances your navigating power. The 350 also includes mp3 playback, audio book playback, as well as the basic travel tools the 250 has.

The Nuvi 360 model is a highly well equipped and rounded navigator. This model contains an incredible wealth of features that not only make travel easier, but also more enjoyable. The prime features the 350 has over the 250 are the Bluetooth compatibility, the mp3 playback, the audio book playback, and the FM traffic receiver option. The 250 is a relatively basic model that primarily only does navigating. With the 350, you have the power of traffic report capability to enhance your travel efficiency, as well as the other various playbacks and bluetooth to make your trips more pleasurable.

The Nuvi 370 is one of the most feature packed models, as well as being able to serve the user from North America, to Europe, and back. The Nuvi 250 is a barebone navigator that is simple in features and basic in navigation. The 370 contains features such as Bluetooth compatibility, integrated traffic receiver, mp3 playback, audio book playback, all which the 250 lack. It is one of the highest feature packed model for its price.

The Nuvi 650 has a lot more to offer than the basic Nuvi 250 model, which is quite bare compared to the the 650. The Garmin Nuvi 650 is a widescreen navigator, which is very easy to see, that has the option to add a traffic receiving service to enhance your trips. This model also contains the features that make that trip extra enjoyable with mp3 playback, as well as audio book playback. The pricing is exceptionally higher than the basic Nuvi 250.

The Nuvi 660 is an exceptionally well equipped GPS unit. The widescreen on this model is quite an improvement of the 250’s smaller screen. The 650 can potentially get you to your destinations faster than the 250 with the use of the integrated traffic receiver. Other features such as Bluetooth compatibility, mp3 playback, and audio book playback are not available on the Nuvi 250.

The Nuvi 670 is a widescreen GPS unit, that has the features any user would need, including Bluetooth, mp3 playback, audio book playback, and integrated traffic receiving, which is all usable between North America and Europe. The 250 is simply outclassed in all aspects by the Garmin Nuvi 670 in terms of feature and performance, as well as location flexibility.