Garmin vs. Tom Tom

[MAlby7]

I'm really new to the whole portable GPS world so I was hoping you people (the experts) could help me out between the differences. I'm assuming this is like the PC vs. MAC battle. Can anyone shed some light on what they think is better. Most of the time I won't using this GPS in my Audi but rather in my work van.

Features I would find useful:
- Bluetooth
- Large touchscreen
- Voice direction
- Battery life

[Mike@Startup]

Best bet, go & play with them in the store, buy the one you like the best.

[[email protected]]

I use the TomTom software with my Treo and a bluetooth GPS unit and it works great.

My brother just bought the Garmin Nuvi 360 and I find the TomTom software a bit more intuitive to use and to navigate around.

Since I drive a lot I just leave the GPS unit in the car and fire up the software on the Treo at any time. In terms of battery life I've used both units for about 3 days before I have to recharge either one of them or plug them into the cigarette lighter socket.

[German Driver]

TomTom [up][up]

[A62TURBO]

Who wants a GPS unit hanging from there windshield, when for a few more dollars you can go with the factory clean look of an RNS-E. I had the same problem, which GPS unit should I buy???? and then all of my fellow AZiners pointed me in the right direction, but thats just my opinion :-)

p.s. before you buy one of those units, check out navplus.us, your questions might be answered better there.

[dascsh]

I use a tomtom one when i travel and it is great. it allows me to use my computer and build out multiple days and synch it up. great easy yo use unit.

[kingo486]

GArmin hands down, theres a reason their sales are 50% of the market. I bought the Garmin Nuvi 660 and its amazing!

[Silver Arrow]

I bought my wife a garmin Streetpilot550 which was stolen after a month, she did like that though. I recently replaced that with a Nuvi 660 We both find the larger screen much nicer plus it has a battery so you can take it out of the car and used it that way as well. She does remove it fromn the car whenever she parks now by the way. Just my two cents

[streetsoffire]

Any thoughts on the Magellan Maestro 4040?

[b00st]

garmin all the way [up]

[aeon]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kxrj3OQcXJY

;)

[killahb36]

i have a garmin nuvi350 and love it, great gps, very accurate, pretty darn good battery life

[NyteEscape]

i have a garmin nuvi 660 and i love it.

it has bluetooth, a decent size touchscreen, voice directions and the battery life is about 2 hours. there is a SD slot on the side where i put a 4gb card in. it also has a built in fm transmitter so both the bluetooth and mp3 player work through the radio. i usually put songs on the sd card and play them through the radio while im using the navi.

it also has a bunch of other features like the usual speed, direction, max speed, average speed and whatnot. sometimes it's useful, esp. to see how fast other people drive when they take ur car.

[ringmaster2.0]

just picked up the garmin maestro 4050 and it is awesome

[Jesse S.]

I bought a TomTom at Walmart in TX. Drove all the way to Washington St. It worked very well..

[07-Aythree]

we have the TomTom and its amazing. We used it in Europe too...always was correct, never messed up and has a hard drive for MP3's and you can get bluetooth and so forth. really cool feature. Actually the best feature was that fact that it told you ahead of time where the speed camera's were located. So speed all you want, slow down when the navi tells you!

[cit1991]

I started out renting Garmins with rental cars. I like the Garmin interface, but probably since I'm used to it. They're real easy to update. The Nuvi I have has US, Canada, and western Europe. There's also aa SD slot if I need to add more.

The map data everyone uses is basically the same. Any of them can do POI's including speed cameras.

The Garmin software is perfect at alerting turns. Not too much talking, and the timing is perfect..relative to where you are on the road. I've used others, and some always seem to tell you to turn after you needed to start turning.

Best part about the Garmin (Nuvi anyway) is the GPS receiver. I've never seen one this sensitive. I can sit in my living room, and it'll get a full lock...through the ceiling, insulation, and roof.

[Vreihenmotor6]

get the tom tom and get the fancy proclip hardwire mount for it (makes using it so much better)

[drevil2k2]

First had the Garmin Streetpilot C340 that served my everyday driving needs. Easy to upload POI - potential laser traps. Then switched to the RNS-E. I miss the touch screen feature of the Garmin which allows for quicker access.

Since you are in Woodbridge, check out Radioworld over on Steeles west, by the 400. They have a good knowledge base and carry both Tom Tom and Garmin actual functioning units for you to try.

[fahrenheit955]

Garmin all the way, I work at best buy in the gps section. We get a lot of tomtom's returned because people hate them. I have a garmin c330 and i love it. Garmin has a better software and will be more reliable than the tomtom.