Garmin - Nuvi 200W GPS System Review

I asked for a GPS unit for Christmas.  I received the Garmin Nuvi 200 and have been very happy with it thus far.  It is easy to figure out, easy to program, and has gotten me to several different destinations successfully.

This unit is a basic, lower-end GPS that my fiance bought for $250 at Target.  (I have since found them online for between $179 and $199.)  You can program an address into the Garmin Nuvi 200 and it will take you right to your destination.  The screen shows you a map with your desired direction shown in hot pink.  It also tells you what your next turn, exit, etc. will be and onto which road across the top of the screen.  As you drive along, a woman's voice will tell you what you need to do, for example "in point eight (0.8) miles, turn right" or "stay right, then take ramp ahead".  It is very easy to follow the directions, but if you are confused, you can just take a look at the pink path on the screen to make sure you are going the right way.

If you do not follow the directions that the GPS tells you, it will immediately say "recalculating" and will adjust the directions to get you back on to the correct route as quickly as possible.  This is very helpful because it is easy to get confused when you are going through an area for the first time.  If you make a wrong turn, you don't have to panic because the Garmin Nuvi 200 will get you back on track in no time. 

This unit has a built-in database that allows you to search for a specific location or browse through various categories (food, lodging, entertainment, hospitals, etc).  This is helpful if you don't know a specific location to enter or if you are in a new area and looking for a place to eat, sleep, or whatever.  There are also a few other features like photo viewer, currency converter, and calculator.  I don't anticipate using any of them in the near or distant future but they are there. 

I've used the Garmin Nuvi 200 this week to go to the Philadelphia Airport (never been before), the Renault Winery from the airport, and to a point 2 hours away to pick up rescue puppies.  It has gotten me to all of my destinations easily...  I just had to sit back, drive, and follow the lovely lady's directions.  My days of trying to drive and read MapQuest directions are over! I love my Garmin Nuvi 200!!!