Garmin or TomTom?

Tom Tom is the way to go

I have a Garmin and think it is terrible when compared to others I have used. It is inaccurate (shows my house about a block away from where it really is) and not very user friendly. The Garmin has several unlocking codes that you need to get the software going, if you loose one you are screwed. The Quest (the model I have) has very little memory and you have to load segments of map from your computer when you want to go on a trip. Finally,expect to waste hours dealing with Garmin's customer service people, they will get you going in circles faster than their GPS devices will. Next time I will buy anything but a Garmin.

By a Pioneer. I is very good.

I have the Tom Tom. Only complaint is that maps of Canada are not as detailed as the US. Often gets confused with street names and some numbers are not recognized as valid even though the place has been there for years. Not sure if any others are better for Canada, so maybe that's a common limitation. Oh yeah, one more thing, it doesn't do cross border route planning seamlessly. You have to plan from your starting location to the border, then from the border to the US address.

ed_v said:

I have the Tom Tom. Only complaint is that maps of Canada are not as detailed as the US. Often gets confused with street names and some numbers are not recognized as valid even though the place has been there for years. Not sure if any others are better for Canada, so maybe that's a common limitation. Oh yeah, one more thing, it doesn't do cross border route planning seamlessly. You have to plan from your starting location to the border, then from the border to the US address.

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TomTom just came out with a series of upgrades that you could have purchased for about $50. I think sometimes the problem may be the sensitivity of the GPS reciever could also be a problem.

Mio - great price, easy to use, Canada friendly

I've been using Garmin for over 2 years now. I've had no accuracy problems like others have stated.

Nothing beats my compass + map.

Meister said:

What do you recommend for North America and Europe?

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GPS manufacturers license mapping data from either Navteq or Tele Atlas. Navteq's maps are generally reviewed as being more accurate and up to date (but the license is more expensive for the GPS manufacturer). Navteq is also based in the US, so you probably want a device that uses Navteq maps if you are mostly in the US.

The converse is true of Tele Atlas, based in Europe, but you should check for specific city coverage.

Garmin licenses mostly Navteq, TomTom licenses mostly Tele Atlas (though there are some exceptions, depends on the device), so, if you are mostly in North America, you'll probably be happier with a Garmin, and if you are mostly in Europe, you'll probably be happier with a TomTom.

TomTom's interface is a little nicer, but Garmin's is fine (esp if you move up to a Garmin Nuvi).

Meister said:

How does it work for adding/buying maps?

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Depends on the device, not all devices can use all maps.

Meister said:

What about updating maps in 5 years?

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Garmin has updates, some cost money:

http://www8.garmin.com/unlock/update.jsp

TomToms would be similar.

You should note though that GPS devices and chipsets are undergoing rapid evolution right now... in 5 years, any GPS you buy now will probably be sadly obsolete.

For instance, there are new GPS chipsets that lock on satellites faster, or will be able to do dead-reckoning using accelerometers (more accurate positioning), 5hz operation (most current GPSs are 1Hz) etc.

But don't let that stop you, GPS is pretty useful if you spend a significant amount of time driving to new addresses. It's always nice to see side-streets to take shortcuts, or just to help home in on an address.


If you have a Blackberry like an 8700 or newer, you can just get a Bluetooth GPS dongle like a Holux 236 or Globalsat 338 for about $100, and use Blackberry Maps (free). Works fine. Uses data though (it downloads your current map location dynamically) so hopefully your office is paying for your data plan! It works great, and it's surprisingly useful to have a GPS in your pocket all the time.

(Older blackberries with bluetooth are supposed to work, but I heard the processors are too slow)

There's a couple of GPS discussion forums:
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/default.asp
http://forums.gpscity.com/

It seems that name brand units are OK because they get periodic map updates.

Stay away from no name brand units, it doesn't matter how good the GPS is if the maps are always 2 years out of date.

Joey Jeremiah said:

Nothing beats my compass + map.

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Amen, brother!

Meister said:

Hey thanks for the feedback. Smiley, are you an insider? you are a bundle of info. are u saying my gps won't work in 5 years anymore?

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Sorry, I didn't mean 'obsolete' as in 'non-functional'! Your GPS will still work fine in 5 years unless the US somehow loses their whole constellation of gps satellites (not impossible, but not likely...because if they did, there's probably a world war going on and getting GPS updates would be low on the list of priorities!).

What I meant was that if it turns out that you find GPS useful, in five years you'll probably want a new one. So don't sweat the updates TOO much...heck, in 5 years, map updates might cost more than a new GPS!

Just think, do you use a 5 year old cell phone??

Not that there's anything wrong with that

I have the Garmin Nuvi 350. Love it! Have used it all around Toronto and it took me to Key West and back flawlessly. It is very user friendly. Even the not so technologically capable Really Cool Wife is able to use it. I love the small size. It slides into a small leather case and into my shirt pocket or wifes purse. About the size of a deck of cards. At first I was concerned about the scree size (3 x 2.5 in). This however has not been a problem at all. I'm so glad that I opted for this small one over ones with larger screens. I took this model over the next one up that has Bluetooth cell phone connectivity. Useless feature for about $100 more. Planning on a Europe trip in the future, and will install Europe maps when I go. An expensive upgrade, but seems worth the $$. This unit has a memory slot that allows more storage.