Note: Some sections of this review are taken directly from the Garmin nuvi 250W review as in most respects the GPS units are functionally identical (except that the 260W has text to speech, and the 250W does not).

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Conclusion / recommendation / ratings are based on the opinion of the author. I recommend that you read the entire review before making any decision.

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Table of Contents

1. Specifications
2. What's In The Box
3. nuvi 260W's New, Internal Antenna
4. Mounting the nuvi 250 in the Car
5. The Map Page
6. Finding an Address
7. Garmin's Automatic Map Scaling Feature
8. Finding a Restaurant
9. Expanding the Search Scope
10. Setting the Home Address
11. Navigating to A Set of Coordinates
12. Adding a Stop, or Via, to the Route
13. Canceling the Route
14. Saving Your Current Location
15. Custom Vehicle Icons
16. Routing Engine Performance
17. Configuring Preferences
18. Pros
19. Cons
20. Conclusion

1. Specifications

Features

• Upload custom POIs, including alerts for speed zones and safety cameras with POI Loader
• Built in Travel Kit includes picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters, calculator and more
• Garmin Garage vehicles compatible (download car-shaped icons to your device)
• Garmin Garage voices compatible (download custom voices to your device)
• Garmin Lock (anti-theft feature)

2. What's In The Box

The nuvi 260W includes the following items in the box:

• nuvi 260W
• Vehicle suction cup mount to mount the GPS to the windshield
• 12v cigarette lighter power adapter for charging / powering the GPS
• Dashboard disk for mounting the suction cup mount on your dashboard instead of the windshield (some states prohibit the mounting of anything in the windshield, so Garmin includes the Dashboard disk for alternate mounting on the dashboard).
• Set up and go guide

Figure 1: Garmin nuvi 260W, Front

Except for the power switch on the top of the case, there are no visible controls on the nuvi 260W. All operations are performed via the 4.3" color touch screen.

Figure 2: nuvi 260W's Updated Design

One of the first things you notice about the nuvi 260W is that it's the first nuvi hardware re-design in almost 2 years. The 300 and 600 series nuvi's all share the same light gray, squared plastic case design, as shown on the right side in the figure above. The 200-seris nuvi's sport a two-tone look, and have a more streamlined case that narrows at the edges.

The nuvi 260W uses the same high quality 4.3" display used in the more expensive nuvi 660 and 680.

The second thing you notice about the nuvi 260W is that unlike the fold-out patch antenna used on the older nuvi 300 and 600-series devices, the nuvi 260W has an internal antenna that isn't visible.

The nuvi 260W feels solid and relatively rugged.

Figure 3: Garmin nuvi 260W, Top

The nuvi 260W is the same thickness as the non-widescreen nuvi 260, and is just slightly thinner than the older nuvi 300 and 600-series units.

Figure 4: Garmin nuvi 260W, Left Side

An SD card slot is located on the left side of the nuvi 260W (used for storing photos or additional maps).

Figure 5: Garmin nuvi 260W, Rear

A single speaker is located at the rear of the nuvi 260W, as is the mini-USB connector, used for both power and connecting the nuvi to your PC/Mac. The nuvi 260W has an internal GPS antenna instead of the fold-out style patch antenna used on the 300 and 600-series nuvis.

Initially I was worried the integrated antenna might not perform as well as the fold-out style antenna. However, throughout my testing the nuvi 260W's integrated antenna performed just as well as the nuvi 680's fold-out style antenna. An antenna means there are fewer moving parts to break, and makes it easier to dock and undock the nuvi 260W from the windshield mount.

The reset button is tucked away in the bottom-right corner (just to the right of the white barcode sticker).

Figure 6: nuvi 260W Suction Cup Windshield Mount

The nuvi 260W uses a similar suction cup mount as the rest of the nuvi product line. The mounting hardware consist of two pieces: the suction cup mount and the cradle

Figure 7: nuvi 260W's Windshield Cradle

The cradle fits onto the ball at the end of the windshield mount, creating a ball-and-socket type connection that is both highly effective and easy to attach/remove. To attach the cradle to the mount, simply press the cradle's socket onto the mount's ball, applying pressure until you hear it click into position. From there, the cradle can be articulated into the desired position.

To remove the cradle from the mount, simply twist the cradle all the way to the right or left until it snaps off the tip of the windshield suction mount. Another benefit of this design is that it doesn't degrade or wear out over time. TomTom's GO x10 series, for example, uses a mount design that is prone to wear and tear, and frequently breaks with normal usage.

Figure 8: nuvi 260W Connected to the Windshield Mount

Connecting the nuvi 260W to the cradle/mount is simple and easy to do with one hand: press the bottom of the nuvi into the cradle, and snap the top of the nuvi into place.

Throughout my testing I found Garmin's mounting hardware outstanding; the windshield mount held the nuvi firmly in place without any visible vibration while driving. The ball-and-socket style connector holds the unit just firmly enough to hold it in place, while still making it easy to adjust the nuvi's position if needed. Another advantage of this type of mount is that there are no screws to tighten/loosen when you want to adjust the position, making one-handed adjustments easy.

Good mounting hardware seems to elude most GPS manufacturers, so Garmin deserves high praise for consistently making excellent windshield mounting hardware.

However, I did take issue with the fact that the 12v power adapter connects directly to the nuvi rather than the mount/cradle. It's annoying having to plug in the power cable each time you want to use the GPS.

Figure 9: Included 12v Cigarette Lighter Power Adapter

Figure 10: 12v Power Adapter's mini-USB Connector

The mini-USB connector on the nuvi 260W both provides power / charging, and also allows the unit to be connected to a PC/MAC for updating the firmware or transferring data to an SD memory card.