Garmin nuvi 285WT Review

Garmin usually makes announcements when they reveal a new product. But last December 2008, Garmin released the Garmin nuvi 285WT initially to Best Buy outlets. They can now be readily purchased online from most stores. The nuvi 285WT is part of the long running 2x5T series.

It appears to be identical to the nuvi 265WT, except that that it doesn't offer NAVTEQ lifetime traffic. Instead, it comes with a three month trial subscription to MSN Direct. The advantages are that traffic coverage is offered for more cities, and you get extras like gas prices and weather, as well as the "Send to GPS" feature.

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Garmin nuvi 285WT GPS Navigator

Design

The Garmin nuvi 285WT's screen size measures 4.3 inches diagonally which is good for viewing wide 3-D maps. The device is not the slimmest design ever built, but the overall construction emphasizes style just like the other Garmin devices and is quite durable. Fitting it in a pocket or purse is still possible so the device is quite portable.

Interface

Turning on the unit brings up the same familiar interface used by present Garmin nuvi units which is the two big icons labeled "Where to?" and "View map" respectfully. The three smaller icons allow phone connectivity, volume control, and access to the extra tools including the settings. Planning a basic route is easy through this interface because pressing the "Where to?" icon presents another menu where the user can enter an address, intersection, any point of interest, or go back home. User-added Favorite places are accessible there as well as recently found locations. For advanced planning or checking the current location, the "View map" icon brings up the display. Some map interface features include switchable 2-D and 3-D views to get a better idea of the surroundings. People new to Garmin nuvi devices should have no trouble in using the interface.

Navigation

As a budget model, the Garmin nuvi 285WT is complete with all of the basic navigation features. By default, the preloaded maps are sprinkled with over 6 million points of interest. Custom points of interests can be added anywhere in the map making it possible to add special points that highlight safety cameras or school zones. A unique navigation feature is the ability to set proximity alerts so the device warns the driver when a set POI is in range.

There is a new feature called ecoRoute. If you activate the "Vehicle Profile" within this feature, the unit will calculate your fuel costs and approximate gas mileage.

Scrolling the map is convenient as the map has quick redraw rates when new areas come to view thanks to the speedy processor. To further boost performance, nuvi 285WT has the HotFix satellite prediction technology so the position relative to the driver's location is calculated and updated much faster. The maps are quite detailed as well especially when zoomed to higher levels as elevation statistics show through shaded contours better terrain visibility.

When on the road, the nuvi 285WT brings convenience to the navigation experience by adding Text-to-Speech cues in addition to the colorful graphics to follow the destination. Turns are voiced out including the street names for safer driving. On the road this unit locks on to satellites very quickly. Much faster than the other units in the 2x5T series.

Actual user review:
• "The Garmin nuvi line of GPS systems is consistently one of the top performers. The nuvi 285WT is no exception and boasts some of the best featuers in the entire line.

The main advance in GPS systems over the last three years has been price reduction. The garmin 285WT is fairly similar to the out of production nüvi 680, my first GPS which originally sold for over $700 less than 3 years ago. The improvements are a slightly more feature-rich version of MSN Direct, faster and more accurate position tracking, faster lookup of POI's, and faster computing of routes. Both have a 4.3" widescreen touchscreen, bluetooth and a host of software tools that probably won't see much use. For those with cars that don't track mpg, there is a mode on the 285WT that will help you track your fuel usage and compute mpg to help you curb your bad driving habits.

The routes are generally the fastest among other GPS units I've tried. All of the processing and database searching is fast and the tracking is very accurate. The only complaint I have is that the nuvi 680 had slightly better display contrast and touchscreen response. The 285wt display always looks a few shades too blue. The housing is a nice glossy black, sleek and streamlined. " - J.Finkel (NJ,USA)

Extras

Although the device doesn't sport any advanced navigation features, the Garmin nuvi 285WT still offers plenty of nifty extras to make it worth the sub-$200 price tag. The unit is part of the 'T' family so it has exclusive connectivity features. Unlike the 265WT model, NAVTEQ lifetime traffic isn't included and is replaced with a free three month trial access to MSN Direct*. With this service, traffic inconveniences can be evaded ahead of time and other real-time information can be accessed including flight schedules, more detailed weather information, local gas price comparisons, local news, movie listings, stock market statistics, and other current events. It can also interact with the computer taking advantage of the Windows Live Local service so new locations can be sent wirelessly from the computer.
* Latest Update: MSN Direct Service will be discontinued on Jan 1, 2012

The "Tools" icon leads to other useful travel tools including a photo viewer that can display JPEG files on the widescreen when SD cards are plugged in, some useful converters that can convert currency and other basic units, as well as a calculator. Using the Garmin Connect Photos service, photo navigation is easy by acquiring the photos online using them as navigation points. Finally, hands free calls are made possible via Bluetooth when linked to any Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone.

A noteworthy improvement is the virtual keyboard. You have your choice of a QWERTY keyboard or the one ABCDE featured on the older Garmins. It also features numbers as well as letters thereby making it unnecessary to go to another screen to enter numbers. All in all, we found this a welcome improvement and makes typing in addresses much more convenient.

Conclusion

The Garmin nuvi 285WT doesn't isn't very feature-rich, but the basic package is there with an added touch of online features and remains to be one of the more affordable widescreen GPS devices.

Product Features

4.3-inch widescreen touch display lets you view map detail, driving directions, photos, and more in bright, brilliant color
Preloaded with detailed 2D and 3D City Navigator NT street maps, with over 6 million points of interest
Voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions with spoken street names and HotFix satellite prediction
Features Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker for hands-free calling
NOTE: Model number on the box is 285WT because the traffic receiver is included; however, the model number on the device itself is 285W as the "T" in 285WT refers to the additional component

Technical Details

Dimensions: 4.8"(W) x 2.9"(H) x 0.8"(D) inches
Display size: 3.81"(W) x 2.25"(H)
Display resolution: 480 x 272 pixels
Display type: WQVGA color TFT with white backlight
Weight: 6.1 ounces (172.93 g)
Battery: rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life: Up to 4 hours
Waterproof: No
High-sensitivity receiver: Yes
RoHS version available: Yes
Maps & Memory:
Basemap: Yes
Preloaded maps: Yes
Ability to add maps: Yes
Built-in memory: Internal solid state
Accepts data cards: SD card (not included)
Waypoints/favorites/locations: 1000

Actual user review :
• "I've Garmin C330, nuvi360, Sony unit and this one. I hate sony, and for me Garmin units are the only ones worthy of consideration. I have tested my new nuvi 285WT extensively and just all the previous models works great, picks up satelite signals very quickly after being turned on and keep them solid. I know already i can depend on it just like on all of my garmin. " - G.Topor (NY,USA)

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