203 of 207 people found the following review helpful:
Great tool when traveling abroad
I purchased this device a few weeks ago in anticipation of a trip to the UK. I've driven there before, navigating with the excellent AA road atlases, but being an American driving a right hand drive car with a manual transmission, sometimes in bad weather, I would often get task-saturated. I thought a GPS or "Sat Nav" as they call them, would make the job a little...
133 of 139 people found the following review helpful:
Capable Device, But Expensive Maps and Updates
First the good: The Nuvi 275T is a capable navigator that gives precise spoken instructions and seems to find good routes to specified locations. The display is nice and even readable in adverse lighting situations. The battery life could be a bit longer that one could use it on a bike or for hiking. It runs less than 4 hours, and the batteries cannot be exchanged (this...
This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
I purchased this device a few weeks ago in anticipation of a trip to the UK. I've driven there before, navigating with the excellent AA road atlases, but being an American driving a right hand drive car with a manual transmission, sometimes in bad weather, I would often get task-saturated. I thought a GPS or "Sat Nav" as they call them, would make the job a little easier.
The only features that I really needed in a GPS unit were the U.S and European maps and text-to-speech, ("turn left on High street"), beyond that, additional whistles and bells didn't matter to me.
Initially I looked at both Garmin and TomTom and decided to go with Garmin since it was less expensive to find a unit that had North American and European maps. I paid about $270 for my 275T, it was the least expensive unit that had European maps pre-installed. Buying the European map separately would cost you approximately $150 and the UK-only map runs about $99.
The 275T operation is fairly straight forward. It has all of the normal features that one would expect to find on a modern GPS unit to include a fairly robust POI (Point Of Interest) database loaded with gas stations, restaurants, airports etc... The touch screen works well and although the size is smaller, (3.5" vs 4.3" on some larger units), it was more than adequate to display all of the necessary information. The voice directions are very helpful, especially when driving in heavy traffic. Traffic updates in the US arrive via an FM transmitter in the charger cord, (in Europe you have to plug in an antenna wire which comes with the unit). You can also easily preload lots of destinations to your "favorites" on the device by using the Google map or Panoramio photo websites.
In the UK the 275T proved to be invaluable; you feel much freer to stray from the beaten path and do a bit of exploring knowing that your GPS will always get you to your appointed destination. The time to destination estimates were accurate and the routes were efficient. When initially turned on, the unit located satellites quickly and never lost the connection except when in parking garages, or tunnels. Sometimes when surrounded by lots of tall buildings, like in downtown London, the unit would appear to get confused about the direction in which it was pointing. Moving the car just a few dozen feet or so normally corrected this. The included Europe maps were very accurate with the exception of a new stretch of highway between Falkirk and Edinburgh which was not included on the map database. Road names, one-way streets, and parking areas were all up to date. I found the inclusion of "safety camera" locations, (read: "speed trap cameras"), to be very helpful; it even flashed a red warning when you exceed the speed limit in an area with a camera.
The only feature that I sometimes wish was included was a compass heading. If you just turn on the unit, but don't program in a destination, your directional heading, (North, East etc...), is displayed in the lower right hand corner. However when it's giving you directions, your estimated time to arrival takes up that area of the screen. Overall however, I thought the unit was great and I would recommend the 275T if your travels take you between North America and Europe on occasion. Renting a GPS with your car in the UK will typically add about $15 per day; use your 275T for a couple weeks and it's practically paid for itself.
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This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
First the good: The Nuvi 275T is a capable navigator that gives precise spoken instructions and seems to find good routes to specified locations. The display is nice and even readable in adverse lighting situations. The battery life could be a bit longer that one could use it on a bike or for hiking. It runs less than 4 hours, and the batteries cannot be exchanged (this also means it will die an ipod-style death in a couple of years). A great feature is that it can directly be fed with locations through Google maps, so one does not have to use the silly Garmin software anymore for this task. I summary, this is a pretty useful device.
Now the bad: It says on the box that the maps are guaranteed for 60 days after purchase to make sure one has the newest data in there at the time of purchase. Logging on to Garmin however yields a mechanism that only allows to update either the US or the Europe maps, but not both. If you want both you have to pay for the other one...I would call this procedure misleading. Also: 'Lifetime updates' (of course, typically Garmin, only for the lifetime of the device, i.e. for about two years) cost $149, which, considering the current price of the device of <$220, can only be considered a joke. In summary, on the map side, this is a typical Garmin Nickeling and Diming scheme! I really hope for the moment when the iPod Touch will have a GPS receiver, and one can download Google maps on it for free. It needs to be kept in mind that map data are generally made available for free by the US and other governments, i.e. downloading the stuff onto a proprietary device should be cheaper.
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This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
I am amazed! We got this device to use on our vacation driving though France and it made the trip. No stress about getting lost, or running out of gas. If we saw a cute country road, we took it, when we wanted to find our way back, the 275 would tell us in easy to follow instructions on how to get back on track. We went on roads without names, signs, or map instructions fearlessly. When we needed gas in rural nowhere, it took us right to it. Highway interchanges in the city, no problem, it tells you in advance if you are going to be splitting left or right. It also will take you right to your hotel, so don't worry about directions, or if you need, it will find you a nearby hotel like the gas station.
I have only used it for the 2 weeks in France, but it far surpassed our expectations. Indeed I just gave up trying to follow where we were on the map and just relaxed. It even gives a rather accurate ETA, which it updates continuously.
Now we did try using it to navigate on foot in Spain with somewhat spotty results. It seems to work much better when you are in a car. It trys to navigate like you are in a car and has difficulty at street corners trying to tell which direction you are going...but it did find us nearby Chinese food in Madrid when we got a craving.
Really this gadget saved us so much stress, time, and fuel. The included car charger worked great in Europe, so don't bother with the travel pack.
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This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
I bought the Nuvi to guide me around Spain on a recent trip. I had my doubts whether the unit would perform as advertised, but overall it did well. Initially it took some time to find the satellites, and then afterwards it found them relatively quickly.
There were a few operational issues that I have come to learn are problems most GPS' experience. For example, the voice would say turn left and the screen would show us having to make a right turn; the screen was usually correct. While driving, that uncertainty can instill serious doubt, and when you are in unknown territory, with road signs in a language other than your native tongue, doubt can quickly turn to panic. It also makes for intense conversation between the driver and passenger, whether to continue trusting a device that points you in two directions at once. Another instance of doubt: Even though I updated the map just before embarking on the trip, Nuvi insisted we were driving on a dirt road, haranguing us to get back on track, while we were driving on a new four lane superhighway that was obviously the correct route. What concerned me is that while the highway was new and it connected two major cities (Salamanca and Avila), I had updated the map a week before, so this should not have been too much of a surprise. While using the unit back in the States, it had me making a turn the wrong way down a one way street in Manhattan, which could have had disastrous consequences. I will advise Garmin on that one.
The amazing side was the technology, accurately keeping track of our speed, distance from and time remaining until we reached our destination. It was reassuring to have the double check against a printed map while en route. The unit is extremely well made, and accessories such as the window clamp, adapter and hard pillow that sits on the dashboard to hold the unit (rather than the window clamp) are sturdy and top rate. The unit is small and the screen size is perfectly adequate to read and guide you (I don't really see the need for a widescreen one). It fit easily in my fanny pack or shirt pocket for security, so as not to leave it in the car.
One major downside that I would grade Garmin one star for is their map update policy. You pay a premium to get a unit like this that has both US and European maps. The flexibility is terrific, but if you want to update the maps you have to choose which set of maps to update. You want to update the other set too? That will set you back $70!! That is petty nonsense. As I understand, this unit is new to the market. Amazon claims their turnover is high, so you always get a current map. Yet, when I checked the Garmin website, there was an update available for the maps on my Nuvi. And by updating it, I used the one and only free update offered. Again, petty nonsense.
Using the menu system requires some getting used to, and if you are in a hurry to input something on the fly, you will not be happy; it takes multiple steps and tapping to spell out the cities and street names, or scroll the Points of Interest lists.
Still in all, the unit provided a peace of mind that I have rarely had while driving overseas. The accuracy to literally bring you to a doorstep in a foreign country is remarkable. Like all things technical, perfection is not possible. This is a useful tool.
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This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
I purchased the nuvi 275T for a trip to France this past spring. After downloading the US and European map updates (it takes awhile) I practiced with the unit on a few local trips. Everything worked as expected, even the FM traffic updates (you won't get these in Europe unless you subscribe to the service for that area -- unnecessary, in my opinion). I was surprised how useful the info provided by the Garmin was compared to the two nav units (Nissan & Honda) in my automobiles. No more high priced OEM navigators for me! In France unit worked very well for walking around Paris in the pedestrian mode -- just don't expect to get more than four hours useful time if you leave it on continuously. The real "proof in the pudding" came in our rental car. Simply put, the nuvi 275T lived up to my every expectation. Of particular usefulness was the speed limit indicator and speed camera alert. On several occasions while driving in small towns with very narrow winding streets I missed a turn or two (well, maybe three), the Garmin always found a quick re-route to get us back on track -- trust me in this -- it knows better than you which streets are one way and which are not! I have read on a couple of travel sites that implied the Garmin was better in the US but the Tom Tom was better in Europe -- I find it hard to believe that the Tom Tom could be better than perfect -- because that's what the Garmin was.
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This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
after an extensive search for the "perfect" gps, i gambled on the nuvi 275t. my main requirement is NA/EU maps and to my surprise nuvi 275T was one of the only few fits the bill. Lets cut to the chase after 2 months of daily usage.
PROS:
*SIZE: Nuvi275's form factor was perfect for me, weather in the car, or on foot around the city. It's small enough to be mounted on my instrument panel, and just perfect in the pocket of my jacket or shirt.
*BLUETOOTH: extremely easy to setup, good volume, and the microphone is loud and clear.
*FREE TRAFFIC: fairly accurate traffic report and reroute feature.
*EU MAPs: Are upto date, i had zero issues using this unit in southern France, Italy, and Spain.
CONS:
*FREE traffic adapter, the set up is messy, you have to plug in the FM receiver wire into a proprietary power adapter wire, which is not a USB based power source.
*POI: could use an update, often misses a closer location. Not able to search for a poi near your destination, TOMTOM has this very useful feature.
*GPS: signal is weak in cities with tall buildings like NYC.
*BLUEBOOTH: does not save dialed numbers, or ability to recall dialed numbers.
*Address: Can not enter address by zip code.
NUVI 275t is a great unit for those who need EU/NA maps, free traffic and portability. It would be good if it has reality view for exit, and qwerty keyboard, however I would recommend this unit to others.
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This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
We bought this particular model because of the pre-loaded European maps, the bluetooth capability and because of the no-subscription traffic info. It is true to Garmin's high quality standards. The screen is easy to see and the spoken directions with street names are very clear. It's easy to learn to use, and has options for walking and biking modes as well as automobile. The box includes a car charger cord but not an AC cord, as well as a windshield mounting bracket. The fact that the car adapter is listed under the "those who bought the Garmin nuvi 275T also bought the car adapter" is misleading. I suspect that statement is true only because there were many like me who thought this was a necessary addition to the order--not an unnecessary duplication. We also opted for the dashboard "beanbag" mount because we thought there was no mounting fixture included. Wrong again, although in this case I think the dash mount is a much better option. The AC adapter comes with UK and European adapter plugs. Buy the Garmin, but wait to see what you really need before adding accessories that you may end up having to send back. We haven't tried the FM traffic info, but it appears the service has some coverage limitations. Check the Garmin website for coverage areas before buying if this is a deal breaker for you.
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This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
From my recent forum post-
I posted a question 6 weeks ago as to "which GPS to get for a trip to Europe." I ended up buying the Garmin NUVI 275T after alot of confusion reading the on-line discussions for various options. My reasoning for buying the 275T was simple- it was relatively inexpensive ($230 from Amazon), it came pre-loaded with both Europe and USA, and there weren't many other options that met these criteria.
I just came back from a 3 week trip to France and Northern Italy. The NUVI 275T worked just great. It met all my expectations particularly given the mixed reviews I got from the web. We drove all over the wine country in France (from Paris), over the French Alps, all over Northern Italy. The 275T never missed a beat. It located every ( I mean every) tiny town in the wine country that we road through and every address we put in. I pre-loaded the addresses of the various hotels we stayed in which was very convenient since all I had to do was go to "favorites" and off we went.
Yes some of the critiques on the web were valid- the keyboard is not in typewriter format, the pedestrian walking mode is not that sensitive so you have to walk a few steps to find your direction. But my goal for this product was to easily navigate Europe which I did quite well.
I wouldn't buy the 275T for every day use in the USA given some of the little quiks that the on-line reviews site, but for occasional trips to Europe it worked wonderful.
One other point- the online reviews noted correctly that the 275T comes with one free update for the maps but the unit has two map programs- USA and Europe so potentially you could be outdated on one of the maps and have to pay extra to update for that one map. As it turns out the Europe map in the unit I bought was the latest vesion so I used my one free update to update the USA maps. The concept of only one free update is a bit of a "rip off" but practically, not much is changing in Europe from the point of view of a vacationer.
I hope this helps.
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This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
This unit replaced a stolen nuvi 270 and the improvements made in the last two years are fantastic. We like this size Garmin because it's compact and can be used when walking around a vacation city (in the "walk" mode). For the car the updates with the full spoken names of streets, the new next turn graphic and the new traffic service are awesome. Also the ability to download addresses from Google Maps makes vacation planning even easier. This is a great all-around unit!
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This review is from: Garmin nüvi 275/275T 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
I love my GPS. It works great. It's not absolutely perfect but then no GPS could possibly be perfect when the roads are being reconstructed. But Garmin has promised a free map upgrade when it becomes available. I've found every address I've plugged in and I got there easily. You can divert to Points of Interest and then continue on...the other day I had to find a grocery store...no problem...it took me right there and back onto my final destination. This thing is cool in bluetooth. It actually has most of the phone numbers of the points of interest and you can call ahead using the GPS (via your cellphone of course). Once you slave your cell to the GPS just remember that your GPS is where you talk and not the cell phone. I got this particular model because it has European maps. I like the 3.5 inch screen, it's fully functional and super easy to see and use. It's easy to carry and put away. I use the bean bag dashboard mount because it's quicker than sticking it on the windshield. Changes voices. I have mine set to British English. You can walk with this little gem too. All in all, it's a great little unit at the very best price. Does a lot more than I've described here. Currency conversion, upload photos, and more.
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