Tom Tom or Garmin? Your Comments Please...

[SV-net]

Ok Im about to buy a SatNav and want a decent one. I have £300 and have it down to these two:-
Tom Tom GO720 Traffic £279 here http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_37 6811_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varien t__categoryId_80865_crumb_84370_parentcategoryrn_8 0865

or

Garmin Nuvi 660 FM £299 here
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_26 3701_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varien t__categoryId_80865_crumb_84370_parentcategoryrn_8 0865

Both have speed camera data
Both have FREE traffic updates and re-routing
Both have an FM transmitter
Both do MP3 and Bluetooth

The Tom Tom has the ability to update the map software daily whereas the Garmin does not (I think!!)

So Im poised ready to go for it just wondering if there is any feedback here.

Cheers:mad:

[wheelnut]

Im just looking at one, Ive never used one, dont really know why I want one but it is for the truck not the bike.

Has anyone any experience of the new Panasonic Stradas? It works on Navteq maps and is comparable to a TT 700 apparently

[hlaf_lyfe]

i have the garmin and it is very good. It re calculates faster than the tom tom. Never had a problem with it.

[Manguish]

Tom Tom all the way if it was my choice

[tigersaw]

I have a tomtom and a garmin. They argue all the time. The garmin is too picky, it will want to get off a motorway just to get back on again further on, wheras the tomtom is never that daft, even when told to use the shortest route.

[Alpinestarhero]

Maria brought a Tom Tom One, version 3 just the other day. Its very very very good, we are both very impressed! It recalculates routes very wuickly, and dosnt speak more than it needs to. Based on Maria's tomtom, I guess the one you want will also be very good :)

It was brought on the advice of this very forum :D

Matt

[TEC]

Assuming for the cage :confused: if not then you need to look again, don't think either are suitable for the bike

[600+]

Have been using a tomtom for 3 years on the mobile phone and have just bought a garmin 550 traffic for the bike (and the car).

The garmin recalculates a lot faster than the tomtom. The guiding is a lot clearer and the 550 will do a million more things than the tomtom. Especially if you wanna use it for the bike you will be very impressed. It is waterproof, you can use it with gloves, you can load mp3s, you can go for a ride and then come home and record the route you took and go for it again at a later date. The screen is much better and it comes with 2 cradles - 1 for the car and 1 for the bike.

good forum for the zumo is www.zumoforums.com

cheapest I have found the zumo with traffic is 389 from mncgroup (use google)

[gettin2dizzy]

the new Navmans are rated highly

[SV-net]

Thanks for all your comments, yes its for the cage and Im into the Garmin cos I know them from navigation on the sea. But I also know that the Tom Tom is very up to date and with the daily map updates is attractive. Im not sure if the Garmin has maps that can be updated.
Thanks again

[600+]

Garmin has maps that can be updated BUT not on a daily basis. It's whenever GARMIN brings out an update.

tbh with you I seriously doubt it that a daily map update will have that many updates to do unless it is that crap......which again it's not

[SV-net]

I asked the muppet on the sales desk in Halfords and he did not know if Garmin could update its maps. Or if I had to pay for the updates if it could.
Crikey whatever happened to staff training???

[ooger]

Before this totally derails, I've got a tomtom ONE GB V2 in the car, and its perfect.

That much so that I'd not look for a Garmin or any other brand if I needed a replacement.

If you know how to use the internet carefully, theres some freebies to be had too. Like...US/EUR maps and stuff, so i hear ;)

Right, back onto the derail.

The best thing I have to say about Halfords is that when you've got a flat battery outside of their store, the people behind the car parts section will lend you one of those mega-battery jump starters to get going again. Just don't ask them anything too complex, like about stuff they sell, or when they're open.

[wheelnut]

My Panasonic Strada was out of stock so I bought a TomTom One XL Europe. It works fine in the pub, but I havent been anywhere yet:p

Im going to let it take me to France tomorrow. I know where Im going, lets see if Doris does.

[600+]

I asked the muppet on the sales desk in Halfords and he did not know if Garmin could update its maps. Or if I had to pay for the updates if it could.
Crikey whatever happened to staff training???

No you don't need to pay for updates with the garmin. They come out -> download them and that's it.

Since you are spending the cash I'd go for something you can use on the bike as well i.e. zumo 550

[Ceri JC]

I asked the muppet on the sales desk in Halfords and he did not know if Garmin could update its maps. Or if I had to pay for the updates if it could.
Crikey whatever happened to staff training???

Halfwits informed me that they don't make a bike Tomtom any more. Till I pointed out the Rider 2 had only been out a couple of months. He then changed his story to they never carried them. I pointed out I bought my Rider there. He then said they used to carry them, but didn't any more.

I ****ing hate liars. :smt013

[gettin2dizzy]

I think the Navman range are meant to be the best traffic wise . Pretty good value

[skint]

TomTom all the way. :cool:

All my surveyors have them and all think they are great. So easy to use and mostly reliable - but note - they are not a substitute for planning a journey!

Mrs Skint Aka Kamakazy also uses TomTom (as do all her colleagues across UK) - again considered top stuff. Uses hers everyday travelling South/southeast and Wales.

I have the 520 similar to 720 - excellent. The price you have is very good.

Never used Garmin to be fair but did have NavMan originally (5 years ago)which I hated.

[skint]

On the derail issue - hear what you all say about Halfords. great shop if you know what you're about!

Only prob with TomTom, their customer service is pants! They were showing Rider on website. Their site even had a link to buy from their online shop but it didn't work so I asked how I could get one, two answers; it wasn't available and didn't know foolow links to stores! When I contacted stores including curry's they said they never stocked it! - Wots that all about? :mad:

[SV-net]

Yeh tell me about it.
I went to a different store and asked tomtom or garmin to the dudes on the desk and they practically had a full scale barny over it.

I hear the Garmin is not clear to understand but the tomtom is very clear. This is quite an important point.
Also I hear that the garmins FM transmitter is not too great. But no feedback on the tomtom yet....................

[tigersaw]

I bought a tomtom one xl from ****y world yesterday, I have to say its really nice. Connect to the pc and it downloads updates without a fuss, nice big clear screen, loud as you like, and smooth opeartion, no jerkyness. Looking on the net, there is plenty of third party software for it too - I've downloaded a background utility that records all your journeys for later perusal.

[embee]

I've only ever used the Garmin Zumo 550 in anger. It's not without a few issues to be aware of but it really is a great tool, and the Zumo users site mentioned earlier is excellent, don't know if there's an equivalent for TomToms.

The screen is pretty good even in bright sunshine, and use with bike gloves on is a breeze. Mp3 player is nice. Bluetooth isn't stereo. Use it as a photo slideshow player etc.

I've only had the split rubber flap problem and some crackly audio. The Garmin customer service is pretty darned good by most measures, I had a replacement bike cradle in 3 days which has since been 100%.

Directions are excellent, they change in detail as you approach roundabouts etc. You can set all sorts of stuff to customise (distance for warnings, download database so it tells you what type of speed camera is ahead etc.)
Prices are now getting sensible (£100 less than I paid a year ago :().

[wheelnut]

Well, Im home, although it wasnt the brains of the TomTom. I went to France with the sat nav covered up like you would a homing pigeon.

When I turned it on in Le Havre and gave it a destination, it screamed and squawked and told me to go back to England and try again. Actually it worked out a route through some dubious country lanes and totally refused to recognise the Tankerville bridge. Eventually it picked up the motorway to Rouen and than tried to take me past the docks and through the City, It did find the address I was loading at but tried to send me through narrow lanes, a school field and even across a cemetery footpath.

Sat Nav is only any good if you know where you are going. Just the same as a map, if you cant follow one, stay at home.

The TomTom probably added about 50 kilometers to my journey:compcrash:

[magsk1]

My better half (he who must be obeyed) :smt058 has just bought a GARMIN ZUMO 550 & whilst i hav'nt had much chance to play with it, it sure looks like the "bees knees", hell, he even managed to get all the way to Bishop Auckland & back using it the other day! (its all of 8 miles away yer know!).:rolleyes::grin: The Zumo came with all UK, IRELAND,EAST EUROPE & WEST EUROPE already loaded along with thousands of points of interest, also in the deal he got a Bluetooth headset to fit into his helmet...ooo-er :p with which he can use his mobile phone via the Zumo to make & accept calls, voice activated.:cool:. All this for £410 delivered.:smt023

[Laverda 3ce]

Been using the Garmin Zumo 550 since July. No problems so far, and a great piece of kit to use. Toured Europe for 3wks in Aug. and only mistakes were made by me, The more you use it the easier it becomes. Really easy to use and secure mountings, also using a telferizer top yoke nut, ball mount. I do not use the bluetooth facility as bike fitted with intaride comm. system. Volume on both are turned up to max as I ride with earplugs in and no problems up to 70/80. The great thing with Garmin software is you can sit at home in comfort and preplan your routes, picking out any points of interest you want to take in on way. Routes can be downloaded from unit, and any deviations can be saved. I have a 1gb card installed and have more than enough storage for 3 wk trip. Have some routes planned for next year already and ferry booked for Spain in Aug. Unit is easily transfered to car and all mountings are supplied, with audio built in to screen mount. Have also had use of a Tom Tom in car, and found it equally easy to use. The choice is yours, the more you spend the better the mapping, but no sense paying for something you dont need.

[gettin2dizzy]

I see the same cars everyday on my commute to work all using their satnav....
They must be pretty simple creatures.