Though traffic has always been billed as a premium, subscription-based feature on navigation systems, the latter half of 2008 went a long way in demolishing that reputation. Garmin and Navigon both announced affordable GPS systems with free lifetime traffic, and even the budget outfit Mio got in the game by offering a solid year of free traffic with its units. At $299, Garmin’s Nuvi 265WT is among the cheapest in its line of free-traffic-equipped navigation systems, below the entire 7-series, which has more features, yet above the ordinary Nuvi 265T, which has a smaller 3.5-inch screen (the “W” in the 265WT model number denotes a 4.3-inch widescreen).
What does $299 buy you? The Nuvi 265WT includes a number of features above and beyond your basic run-of-the-mill navigator. For starters, it has text-to-speech capabilities for reading off street names as you drive rather than ambiguous directions (“Turn left on Powell Avenue,” rather than “Turn left,” for instance). It will also link up your cell phone to act as a Bluetooth speakerphone, display photos loaded onto it with an included USB cable, and of course, deliver real-time traffic updates. The box includes the unit itself, a standard charger with an exceptionally thick cable that doubles as the traffic antenna, a suction cup mount, USB cable, adhesive disc for dash mounting, and a manual.
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