Home > Consumer Reviews > Garmin nüvi 200W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

I wont bore you with what everybody else says about the 200W. It's a great unit and very easy to learn. I also own a Mio C220 GPS and as both GPS systems are similar, I would like to compare them.
Ease of use... Nuvi by far the best.
Picking up and holding satellites... Mio by far the best.
Sound volume... Nuvi by far the best.
Screen brightness... Nuvi by far the best.
Routing... Both get you there but the Nuvi has better routing (Navtec) versus Mio (TeleAtlas).
Although the Nuvi has a bigger screen it lacks two features the Mio has and I miss them very much. The Mio has an arrow that always points to North, the Nuvi does not. The Mio shows the next turn on the screen, the Nuvi does not, and you have to touch the bottom right part of the Nuvi screen to see the next turn in advance. You do see the turn coming as you get to that turn on the Nuvi but it's nice to know more in advance then the Nuvi lets you know. With such a large screen it's hard to justify not having these two items on screen as I find them important. The POI's are much harder to program in on the Mio but the Mio lets you categorize your POI's, the Nuvi lumps them all into one category. Via points are basically unlimited in the Mio but not easily programed in, the Nuvi allows only one via point but is easily programed into the trip. The Mio offers a "QWERTY" key board to input information while the Nuvi has an "ABC" keyboard. This isn't a big deal but why not a QWERTY keyboard as everybody uses on on their own computers, and finding letters is much faster. Both are great GPS systems, the Mio is "meat and potatoes" while the Nuvi is "pheasant under glass". My advice is that although the Nuvi 200W is about $100 more than the Mio C220, its the one to get due to the sound volume and screen brightness, routing and ease of use.

This is entry-level automotive GPS from Garmin. That means it lacks "advanced" functions as FM transmitter, bluetooth connectivity or MP3 player. However, in my opinion, a stand-alone GPS unit doesn't need any of that, and certainly not at a $200+ cost.

Widescreen makes 200W/250W so much better than other 200 series models. Getting directions from the unit is the same, regardless of the screen size, but you will be able to see a lot more of what is around you as you drive with these units - places off a highway, gas stations, restaurants. It's also easier to use the touch screen, as icons are quite larger.

Comparing 200W/250W with new the 700 series clearly shows these units as entry level, but again, the price gap is huge and I believe it's simply not worth it. One might consider 770 which includes European maps over 200/250, as buying them separately is quite expensive.

This little guy has everything most more expensive Garmins do but for a lot, lot cheaper. The primary difference between this model and more expensive ones are that you don't get Alaska, Hawaii, or Canada maps. If these are important, look elsewhere. The much more expensive ($500+) models say the street names, this one does not. However, if those features mean little to you, pick this one up. The list of locations is staggeringly large and current, the maps (on the one I purchased) were dated 2008... I couldn't be happier.

Just got my Nuvi 200W via Amazon (darn those prices - keep coming down so now I have buyer's remorse! Ah well..). Great little unit. Does have the 2008 maps but even they are at least 18 months out of date. (2008 probably doesn't mean the year 2008, I'll bet...). I don't miss the spoken street names like my son's Nuvi 350, but then I didn't pay $499 for that, mp3, and photo storage. Just the basic gps stuff with a wider screen is what I wanted. Nice display, easy functions. Only takes a few minutes of searching the menus to figure it out. Windshield attachment is superbly crafted.(I tried a Jensen NVX200 on sale at HHG for $99 and it's windshield attachment is basically a rigid pipe and will not work on the typical windshield tilted out. Old maps and NO upgrade capability. Took it back right away). Nuvi 200W has an Auto charger but no AC charger (darn..). My digital camera USB PC connector works just fine for the out of auto charging experience.. No slip case to protect it, but I'll use my Palm PDA case and it'll do just fine for traveling (without my Palm PDA, of course). Aside from some of these minor deficiencies, it does what I intended so I'm happy. Now, if the price drops another $50 I'll really have a bad case of buyer's remorse!! The market is being flooded with all types of gps this season. Must be some major upgrade or capabilities being introduced after January 2008 so inventories have to be cleared.Oh, one thing more, if you really want a lot of helpful information, go to GPSinformation.com and check out the forums. You will be directed to very helpful websites to complement your GPS. Want to get a fix on all the Starbucks, Costco, RadioShack's around the country, just go to the indicated website for a reasonably comprehensive list to add to your POI's. Ray

Just received and very happy with my purchase. Set up is quick and very intuitive.

As others have said, if you don't want the extra bells and whistles of a MP3 player, bluetooth, and live traffic updates, I think this is the best product out there. Don't worry about the lack of text to speech, you won't even miss it. Voice clearly announces the upconing turns by distance, and the banner at the top list the street name of the upcoming turn anyway.

Widescreen is great with the touchscreen very easy to use and navigate. Except for initial startup, satellite acquisition seems fast, and accuracy seems excellent with turns as indicated within 5 to 10 yards at most.

I initially got interested in the Nuvi after a trip with a friend using the Nuvi 660. Looked at the Tom Tom I 3rd edition, and the Mio C220 in depth reading lots of reviews, and decided to go with Garmin Nuvi. I could not be happier with this selection, and heartily recommend the Garmin Nuvi 200W.