Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth GPS with Traffic $99.99 Shipped @ Amazon Gold Box

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Technical Details
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

Good deal, is it worth it to just go with the 265T if you need traffic for metro areas? They are about $20 more refurbished and the traffic component is handy. Not sure you can add traffic to this one either, you can get the MSN add on, but supposedly it is ending Jan 2012. Not sure if this unit will take the FM traffic and it is expensive anyway. If you don't need traffic, great deal!

This is a nice unit. I bought one after Christmas, so it hasn't been given a full workout yet. The MSN service ends at the end of 2011. I have no need for it where I live.

One feature I wish were available - ability to see the entire map of a trip. You more or less follow directions blindly. The route optimization may not give the best route, either by time or distance criteria, which a full map view might show. E.g., the unit may send you along a frontage road instead of the main highway because it is shorter distance.

I did a lot of searching/researching and reading in the last hour. Was going with the 265WT until I saw this. I need the traffic service and use it on Google maps very frequently. I figured 285WT was better than the 265WT simply b/c of the higher number.

Well folks, it appears not to be in terms of traffic service as mentioned above. 265WT has lifetime ad supported Navtec traffic and this one has the limited MSN traffic, which requires subscription after 9 months, as I see by reading reviews, and ends regardless in 22 months on 31DEC11.

I sooooo hope I am wrong b/c this is a great price for a new unit 4.3 inch. If one needs "no additional cost" traffic service for the life of the unit, then sadly this is not the one to buy.

good deal! if i didnt get the one for $61.99 from best buy i would def jump on this one.

ljderm said: I did a lot of searching/researching and reading in the last hour. Was going with the 265WT until I saw this. I need the traffic service and use it on Google maps very frequently. I figured 285WT was better than the 265WT simply b/c of the higher number.

Well folks, it appears not to be in terms of traffic service as mentioned above. 265WT has lifetime ad supported Navtec traffic and this one has the limited MSN traffic, which requires subscription after 9 months, as I see by reading reviews, and ends regardless in 22 months on 31DEC11.

I sooooo hope I am wrong b/c this is a great price for a new unit 4.3 inch. If one needs "no additional cost" traffic service for the life of the unit, then sadly this is not the one to buy.

Like you, I was aiming for the 265WT until I found this deal. I would like to have the lifetime traffic too. There is a charger GTM 25 which would act as a NAVTEQ Traffic FM receiver. Amazon is selling it for $86, but you can find it on eBay for around $40.

So the total for me is $140. And I believe this is lower than the price of 265WT

Purely for what it's worth:

I drive a lot in the New York and San Francisco metro areas, and have found the traffic to be highly inaccurate. And when it does accurately predict a traffic jam, there doesn't seem to be anything nuvi can do to get me out of it. Ends up feeling like more of a novelty than anything else. I certainly wouldn't base my GPS purchase on it.

(Nuvi's maps/routing are top notch otherwise!)

kobeMVP said: umm i dont think traffic is connected to msn direct. correct me if i am wrong.

OK, you are wrong .

In the included MSN Direct receiver with this GPS does the traffic and the other stuff (weather, movie times, gas prices, etc). Once they stop in 2012 you will have no traffic and will have to replace the GPS or buy the FM Traffic receiver (currently about $87), or just do without traffic.

Note that price for MSN Direct is now "Service until January 1st, 2012 for $29.95". So it really does not matter if you get 3 or 6 or 9 months free, to get to end of life will be $30 plus tax.

pkny said: clearanceman said: Good deal, is it worth it to just go with the 265T if you need traffic for metro areas? They are about $20 more refurbished and the traffic component is handy. Not sure you can add traffic to this one either, you can get the MSN add on, but supposedly it is ending Jan 2012. Not sure if this unit will take the FM traffic and it is expensive anyway. If you don't need traffic, great deal!

Where is the 265T for $20 more?

eBay. Overstock had the 265WT for $20 more, MAYBE Newegg has it too? Anyway, the eBay one is refurbished, so was the Newegg one. One year warranty on refurbished, free map upgrades for 60 days, SAME AS NEW.

Dwynne said: clearanceman said: This unit for $99 doesn't come with traffic at all. Please buy accordingly.

You are wrong.

"Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth GPS with Traffic"

"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 "

"Stay Connected
The nüvi 285WT offers MSN Direct Service and is compatible with Garmin's lifetime traffic update receiver. Enjoy 9 months of free MSN Direct Service (included) or purchase the GTM 25 and get real-time traffic updates for the life of your nüvi. Choose what's best for you"

Yes, I changed my post, you are right. But after the nine months, it will cost you $30 to go through the end of 2011, after that you won't have any traffic unless you buy an $87 FM traffic power cord.

rally? cuz i have unlimited traffic on one of the garmin device but it doesnt have msn or any of those option. So that will also stop in 2012? oh man i heard we are all dying in 2012 lol i guess there is a reason why it says life time traffic j/k well thanks for the heads up

No FM traffic, right?

FYI, Overstock had the 265T brand new for $129.99 a few weeks ago. I picked one up when after seeing the FW thread. They are completely out of stock now.

Am using 265T with the traffic in Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex.

It generally has some traffic listed, but has not been accurate at all for me thus far. I have actually been surprised -- I expected the information to be delayed, and to show no traffic when there was traffic. It has actually been delayed in the other direction -- traffic marked as being there when it isn't (or they are too quick to mark traffic in an area to try to give a reason for their existence).

Every single time I've been told there is traffic, there has been none. Granted, the traffic feed indicates the expected delay is on average about 3-5 minutes, so this would seem to indicate minor traffic. But that comes back to the question -- if the delay is expected to be a whopping 2 minutes, why bother in the first place, and why mark it "red" (severe), rather than yellow ("minor")?

I am torn here. I used a 10% coupon to get the 265T and I have to decide if I think the traffic feed is even worth it vs. the wide-screen for a lower price (obviously getting rid of the MSN direct GPS units while there's still at least 9 months of service left!).

If I run into traffic, I can always just hit the "detour" button to find the best alternate route, and of course traffic is only available in major metroplexes.

I would definitely say if I hadn't gotten the traffic receiving power cable with the 265T, it would be a total rip-off to buy the cable separately -- $85 new or even at $40 on eBay.

Bluetooth -- has anyone ever actually used a bluetooth device that didn't give the person on the other end a migraine? I've used everything from cheap headsets to the Jawbone II. Everyone of them was lousy.

Calling my wife at home with VOIP phone line which includes active noise cancellation and echo-cancellation resulted in decent performance, but with me "sounding like I was far away" or "in a cave". My wife said she wouldn't be able to tolerate it for more than a couple minutes compared to a normal phone call.

Called another person right after that on a mobile phone, and he could barely understand me at all, was horrible.

So, in my opinion, the bluetooth was right on par with typical BT usage (lousy).

It would pair with my HTC touch running Windows Mobile and was able to access my contacts. It would not pair with my HTC touch running Android, or my wife's Samsung flip phone.

I find mp3 player built into Garmin extremely useful. It usually works as my portable mp3 player with built in speaker. I cant buy another GPS device without mp3 player in it

skavoovie5 said: FYI, Overstock had the 265T brand new for $129.99 a few weeks ago. I picked one up when after seeing the FW thread. They are completely out of stock now.

Buy w/ confidence @ costco.com = $129.99

Note, 265T is 3.5" screen.

Link

You get a free map update with all garmin products, if there is a newer map out at the time of your purchase. They've become pretty great about that. When you register it, it will download the latest maps if they aren't already on the device.

MontyBurnsFW said: You get a free map update with all garmin products, if there is a newer map out at the time of your purchase. They've become pretty great about that. When you register it, it will download the latest maps if they aren't already on the device.

If the maps in the unit are decent enough, wait a while to register it and you might get even newer maps. Last time I bought one in 2007 it came with 2006 maps and I waited about a year and got 2009 maps when they had just come out.

sklar said: MontyBurnsFW said: You get a free map update with all garmin products, if there is a newer map out at the time of your purchase. They've become pretty great about that. When you register it, it will download the latest maps if they aren't already on the device.

If the maps in the unit are decent enough, wait a while to register it and you might get even newer maps. Last time I bought one in 2007 it came with 2006 maps and I waited about a year and got 2009 maps when they had just come out.

That does not work any more. They now have "date sats first acquired" built into the GPS. So when you get it and it gets sat lock that date is set. Try waiting to register and you will find that you have to hook up the GPS to your PC and download some Garmin software to do so - this will read the first lock date and set your warranty and free map expiration date.

If for some reason the date is hosed (like on a refurb or returned GPS), you can send them a dated receipt and they will set the warranty and free map expiration update dates manually.

Since Garmin now has quarterly updates and the free map period is just 60 days from first use, you are far better off to register it as soon as you know it works and get updated maps if available. Try waiting and you will get no free map updates at all.

There is some "timing" involved, though. They just released a new map set last month so it is POSSIBLE that if you got a new GPS now that before your 60 days is up there could be a new map come out. So I would wait as long as possible before accepting the map update, just in case. Don't wait too long, though...

Does anyone know how this compares with the Nuvi 350?

Man, the Garmin/tomtom/Magellan GPS business model is doomed. Having Google maps with traffic, street view, sat view, phone numbers, etc, all on a cell phone beats any info from a standalone, hands down.

kapper said: wfay said: Is this deal still available? I'm late to the party...

YES, but you must find Doc Brown and fit him with a bullet proof vest before the Libyan Nationalists arrive.

That's very good. Cruel, but good.