Garmin Nuvi 2557LMT, 2577LT, 2597LMT Motorcycle and Car Mounts

Garmin introduced this series of GPS devices about one year ago.  This series is among the most popular introduced in quite awhile.  Reminds of the Nuvi 200 series introduced several years ago as far as popularity goes.  These have enhanced displays with a 3-D view.  Certain models add bluetooth, lifetime traffic and lifetime map updates:

Nuvi 2557LMT – This is the lowest priced model of the trio.  This includes lifetime maps and a traffic subscription.  There is no Bluetooth or voice-activated navigation.

Nuvi 2577LT – No lifetime maps but it comes with a traffic subscription.  Voice-activated navigation, Bluetooth and Smartphone Link compatible.

Nuvi 2597LMT – The premium model which includes lifetime traffic and maps.  Voice-activated navigation, Bluetooth and Smartphone Link compatible.

Personally, I don’t see myself using voice-activated navigation, so prefer the lower priced Nuvi 2557LMT.  It’s a real bargain considering it comes with the lifetime subscriptions to both traffic and maps.

We’ll review mounting options in a bit.  First I wanted to be sure that if you have one of these models with the traffic subscription, don’t lose the cable.  Your traffic subscription is actually tied to the actual cable.  If you lose your cable, you will need to replace with a very expensive (about $60) traffic charger.  A plain car charger will not provide you with traffic, you need to buy the model with traffic incorporated into it.

Now for the mounts.  Since Day 1, Garmin has used a design with the Nuvi series which incorporates a custom cradle with a socket on the back.  This cradle fits over a 17mm ball which is part of the mount.  Starting in 2013, the cradle was modified from one that fits the top and bottom to one which snaps into a round groove on the back of the GPS.  It’s a good solid hold as long as you have it snapped in properly.  Garmin must have liked this design as they carried it over to the majority of the 2014 and 2015 line of GPS units.  That’s the mount in the photo that accompanies this article.

The default mount that is provided with the GPS is of the suction cup variety.  This is the same mounting base that Garmin has used for roughly the past ten years (they changed the cradle, not the base mount).  Garmin also includes an adhesive disk for those that wish to use it on the dashboard.  If you would rather not put adhesive on your dash, you could use this cradle with Garmin’s highly regarded bean bag mount which we discussed in a prior article.

How about some alternative locations and mounts?  Vent mounts have been available for many years but Garmin completely missed the parade on these until 2013.  Finally coming out with a vent mount of their own, Garmin’s 010-11952-00 mount is a very well made mount.  Unlike many of their competitors, Garmin saw the need for a vent mount with a clamp on the back if it.  This means these mounts will fit horizontal and vertical vents.

RAM Mounts has a large array of mounts that feature their custom cradle for this series called the RAM-HOL-GA57U.  Your GPS will snap directly into this custom cradle and there are accommodations for the power cable built in.  This makes the ideal basis for motorcycle use and RAM offers a nice bundle for this series which includes the custom cradle and the mount.   The mount is constructed of metal and includes the options for both a handlebar to 1.25″ diameter as well as the clutch.  The clutch options work well on Honda Goldwings as well as most Harley models.  The mount comes with a lifetime manufacturer warranty.