Sat Nav - Garmin vs. TomTom?
Discussion
My Mum is thinking of getting a Sat Nav. I've just taken her for a look in Halfords and PC World but we've not come away that much wiser because of course you can't get a signal so whilst you can use them, you don't get a full flavour of what the thing can do.
I'm a techie and I walked away scratching my head because you're confronted with a wall full of the things which all look identical except screen size, only some cost £99 and some cost £350.
Truthfully, I don't think it will get an awful lot of use and we only care about UK maps. It's more a confidence thing rather than because she'll be driving up to Scotland any time soon, and she needs one that is simple to use even if it's at the cost of not being the most up to date or accurate.
As I understand it, Tom Tom are the market leader, but from the quick look that we had, we both walked away thinking that the interface of the Garmin seemed better.
Poor in-store demo modes or is it just a case of personal preference?
I'll let the mods choose where this belongs, I just want as many opinons from non-techies (i.e. folks like my Mum) as possible hence thought I'd start here.
I'm a techie and I walked away scratching my head because you're confronted with a wall full of the things which all look identical except screen size, only some cost £99 and some cost £350.
Truthfully, I don't think it will get an awful lot of use and we only care about UK maps. It's more a confidence thing rather than because she'll be driving up to Scotland any time soon, and she needs one that is simple to use even if it's at the cost of not being the most up to date or accurate.
As I understand it, Tom Tom are the market leader, but from the quick look that we had, we both walked away thinking that the interface of the Garmin seemed better.
Poor in-store demo modes or is it just a case of personal preference?
I'll let the mods choose where this belongs, I just want as many opinons from non-techies (i.e. folks like my Mum) as possible hence thought I'd start here.
I bought a Garmin Nudey or whatever it was called, and it was s
t. So I took it back to where I bought it, paid an extra £10 and bought a TomTom, which is better in every way imaginable (except the mount on the Garmin was ever-so-slightly better, but how often must you adjust it anyway?).
t. So I took it back to where I bought it, paid an extra £10 and bought a TomTom, which is better in every way imaginable (except the mount on the Garmin was ever-so-slightly better, but how often must you adjust it anyway?).Well, against the grain somewhat but my 5 year old Garmin Nudey is intuitive to use and does exactly what it needs to do.
I've had use of various Tomtom systems and found them fiddly and annoying to use.
Horses for courses, try some out and see what you like. There's nothing wrong with Garmin systems, there's nothing wrong with Tomtom.
I've had use of various Tomtom systems and found them fiddly and annoying to use.
Horses for courses, try some out and see what you like. There's nothing wrong with Garmin systems, there's nothing wrong with Tomtom.
Seems to be a matter of personal preference - mine is for Garmin. I doubt there's much between the various brands technically as they seem to use the same chipsets.
For the most part, high end models seem to add functionality like bluetooth so you can use your phone hands free, bigger screens and sometimes lifetime map updates. The maps do need updating fairly regularly; it's surprising the number of remodelled junctions and realigned roads that you come across when driving around with an outdated mapset. However, it's not something I'll pay for because with a tiny bit of effort you can download perfectly good free open source maps and use those instead of paying for updates.
A traffic receiver is certainly worth having so you can avoid congestion; the Garmin receiver is subscription free and uses data piggy backed on Classic FM. Also worth checking that the satnav comes with speed camera locations preloaded. Apart from that, I wouldn't spend any more than you have to.
For the most part, high end models seem to add functionality like bluetooth so you can use your phone hands free, bigger screens and sometimes lifetime map updates. The maps do need updating fairly regularly; it's surprising the number of remodelled junctions and realigned roads that you come across when driving around with an outdated mapset. However, it's not something I'll pay for because with a tiny bit of effort you can download perfectly good free open source maps and use those instead of paying for updates.
A traffic receiver is certainly worth having so you can avoid congestion; the Garmin receiver is subscription free and uses data piggy backed on Classic FM. Also worth checking that the satnav comes with speed camera locations preloaded. Apart from that, I wouldn't spend any more than you have to.
obob said:
TomTom, Garmin is st, and I mean fking st compared to Tomtom, and if she's not using it much just get the basic one, they all do the same thing.
Complete garbage. Garmin have been in the satnav industry far longer than Tom tom. They have supplied the military for years and have a far superior product.t, and I mean fking st compared to Tomtom, and if she's not using it much just get the basic one, they all do the same thing.When we were trying the Garmin, the interface seemed very quick and simple, but when we tried simply entering a town as a destination, it seemed to want to be told a road or some specific destination - it didn't seem you could just say "Lincoln" for example, and be taken to Lincoln town centre, it seemed to just give a list of every single road in Lincoln?
I have used both Garmin and TomTom, and I find the TomToms much more usable and friendly. As a poster above said, you can be as specific or as vague as you like with your destination whereas the Garmin wanted to force me to pick a road name from a massive list. The hardware feels chunkier and less rattly too.
FWIW, my mum uses a basic TomTom fine and she can't use a computer and can barely use her mobile phone! (she is a fine driver though!)
FWIW, my mum uses a basic TomTom fine and she can't use a computer and can barely use her mobile phone! (she is a fine driver though!)
When I changed from Garmin to Tomtom, I did not find much to choose in terms of ease of use. I found the routeing and time to destination were better on TT. What I particularly like about higher end Tomtoms is the HD Traffic service (part of Tomtom Live) - the unit has an internal sim card, and picks up much more detailed and frequent traffic updates than the generally cheaper TMC (radio reception) based service, which I used to find not good enough to be worth using. Units with this also have Google Local Search, which is a fabulous way to find any business premises. Most units come with a year's free subscription.
I understand you are not likely to be looking at the top end units, but you did not mention one feature of the top price units - Capacitive screens, giving much more sensitive input, pinch zooming and brighter displays.
Personally, I would not buy one of the newer high end Tomtoms in spite of their benefits because they have eliminated itinerary planning, a feature from earlier units which I find essential. This will not be relevant for the OP. More recent TT's are also fairly awkward to update - annoying but probably not a deal breaker.
I understand you are not likely to be looking at the top end units, but you did not mention one feature of the top price units - Capacitive screens, giving much more sensitive input, pinch zooming and brighter displays.
Personally, I would not buy one of the newer high end Tomtoms in spite of their benefits because they have eliminated itinerary planning, a feature from earlier units which I find essential. This will not be relevant for the OP. More recent TT's are also fairly awkward to update - annoying but probably not a deal breaker.
I always used to have Tomtoms, but when I purchased a satnav at Halfords last year I got talked into a Garmin.
It was st. Really really st. One of the things I wanted it for was to help avoid traffic jams, but it just took me on really stupid routes to avoid phantom jams which made my kids sick and made me mad. It also had a tendency to try to get me to come off on one side of a junction, only to get back on the same road after the roundabout (A4 elevated section was one example).
Of course when I tried to take it back they said I couldn't, because it's exempt from their return policy because of the software licence! Well fortunately I was able to argue it was faulty because it was so st, so I changed it for a Tomtom, which I've been delighted with. I wouldn't have another Garmin if you paid me.
It was s
t. Really really st. One of the things I wanted it for was to help avoid traffic jams, but it just took me on really stupid routes to avoid phantom jams which made my kids sick and made me mad. It also had a tendency to try to get me to come off on one side of a junction, only to get back on the same road after the roundabout (A4 elevated section was one example).Of course when I tried to take it back they said I couldn't, because it's exempt from their return policy because of the software licence! Well fortunately I was able to argue it was faulty because it was so s
t, so I changed it for a Tomtom, which I've been delighted with. I wouldn't have another Garmin if you paid me.paddyhasneeds said:
When we were trying the Garmin, the interface seemed very quick and simple, but when we tried simply entering a town as a destination, it seemed to want to be told a road or some specific destination - it didn't seem you could just say "Lincoln" for example, and be taken to Lincoln town centre, it seemed to just give a list of every single road in Lincoln?
After selecting "Lincoln" you simply press "GO", it is very easy.Earlier Garmins (e.g. nüvi 660) don't have such a simple option.
To go to Lincoln (Lincs) without requiring a specific address:
Where to > Address
Spell Country > EN(gland)
Spell City/Post Code > LINC(oln, LINCS)
Enter House Number > Done (no need to enter anything)
Enter Street > Done (no need to enter anything)
It then lists the main roads into Lincoln; however, you have to select one (e.g. A15). That will cause a whole list of A15 associated post codes to be displayed - you will need to select one (e.g. A15 Lincoln, LINCS, LN4 2). Then select 'Show Map' to check you've selected something suitable. Then press 'GO'.
The nüvi 660 isn't a mindreader, so expects to be told whither you actually wish to navigate.
To get the best out of a SatNav, I find it best to decide my preferred route using Autoroute, then check whether the nüvi intends to use the same route. If not, I choose as few intermediate waypoints as necessary in order to force it into doing so. Those can be saved in the 'recently found' category if you use a little thought. There's no 'itinerary' option with the nüvi 660, so you have to leap frog your intermediate waypoints as 'via' points. The only problem with that is that you might not have a particularly accurate ETA until you're using the final few waypoints.
Garmin do seem to have made some strange decisions regarding their later SatNavs. For example, vehicle power connected directly to the SatNav rather than to the mount? That's a very inconvenient method; frequent connecting and disconnecting of a fiddly little connector will ultimately weaken it. The Garmin combined power lead, TMC receiver and TMC antenna has always been a wretchedly clumsy thing - why on earth they cannot design something which allows a car radio antenna lead to loop through a hidden receiver/power supply leaving just a single combined power and TMC cable to the mount, I do not know. Perhaps some whining ambulance-chasing lawyer decided that such convenience might be a 'risk' if incompetently installed?
To go to Lincoln (Lincs) without requiring a specific address:
Where to > Address
Spell Country > EN(gland)
Spell City/Post Code > LINC(oln, LINCS)
Enter House Number > Done (no need to enter anything)
Enter Street > Done (no need to enter anything)
It then lists the main roads into Lincoln; however, you have to select one (e.g. A15). That will cause a whole list of A15 associated post codes to be displayed - you will need to select one (e.g. A15 Lincoln, LINCS, LN4 2). Then select 'Show Map' to check you've selected something suitable. Then press 'GO'.
The nüvi 660 isn't a mindreader, so expects to be told whither you actually wish to navigate.
To get the best out of a SatNav, I find it best to decide my preferred route using Autoroute, then check whether the nüvi intends to use the same route. If not, I choose as few intermediate waypoints as necessary in order to force it into doing so. Those can be saved in the 'recently found' category if you use a little thought. There's no 'itinerary' option with the nüvi 660, so you have to leap frog your intermediate waypoints as 'via' points. The only problem with that is that you might not have a particularly accurate ETA until you're using the final few waypoints.
Garmin do seem to have made some strange decisions regarding their later SatNavs. For example, vehicle power connected directly to the SatNav rather than to the mount? That's a very inconvenient method; frequent connecting and disconnecting of a fiddly little connector will ultimately weaken it. The Garmin combined power lead, TMC receiver and TMC antenna has always been a wretchedly clumsy thing - why on earth they cannot design something which allows a car radio antenna lead to loop through a hidden receiver/power supply leaving just a single combined power and TMC cable to the mount, I do not know. Perhaps some whining ambulance-chasing lawyer decided that such convenience might be a 'risk' if incompetently installed?
Anything from those two companies should be easy enough to use, do decent enough routing and I think they allow you to plug it in to a computer once and get the maps up to date (so that it'll have "current" maps from when you bought it, not 6 months ago when it was made).
Moving up the Tomtom line, you get IQ Routes (so it knows how slow certain roads are at certain times of day based on historic data and makes decisions accordingly), and lane guidance (tells you which lane to be in with a nice illustration as you approach a complex junction) - although those features are coming through to the lower-end ones now too. Some also do bluetooth hands-free calling too. Keep going up and you get the LIVE services including HD Traffic - the thing has a mobile data modem and SIM card inside so it can get traffic data over the air. Tomtom's HD traffic looks at mobile phones moving about to determine where jams are and is meant to be much better than TMC (my last car's built-in satnav used it - it rarely did anything worthwhile). You pay for LIVE services though, after the 12 month free trial it's about £47 a year to keep up.
Tomtom vs Garmin is a personal thing but generally more people prefer Tomtom. I've been borrowing a friend's Garmin 255W though and it's fine. The beanbag mount for Garmins (so you avoid the sucker cup ring on the windscreen) is much better than the Tomtom one too. You may want to consider size too - the less technical tend to like the bigger-screened ones (up to 5" these days) as it's easier to tap in an address and see the directions.
A Tomtom Start 20 UK & Ireland should be ideal though - and for £105 via Amazon
Moving up the Tomtom line, you get IQ Routes (so it knows how slow certain roads are at certain times of day based on historic data and makes decisions accordingly), and lane guidance (tells you which lane to be in with a nice illustration as you approach a complex junction) - although those features are coming through to the lower-end ones now too. Some also do bluetooth hands-free calling too. Keep going up and you get the LIVE services including HD Traffic - the thing has a mobile data modem and SIM card inside so it can get traffic data over the air. Tomtom's HD traffic looks at mobile phones moving about to determine where jams are and is meant to be much better than TMC (my last car's built-in satnav used it - it rarely did anything worthwhile). You pay for LIVE services though, after the 12 month free trial it's about £47 a year to keep up.
Tomtom vs Garmin is a personal thing but generally more people prefer Tomtom. I've been borrowing a friend's Garmin 255W though and it's fine. The beanbag mount for Garmins (so you avoid the sucker cup ring on the windscreen) is much better than the Tomtom one too. You may want to consider size too - the less technical tend to like the bigger-screened ones (up to 5" these days) as it's easier to tap in an address and see the directions.
A Tomtom Start 20 UK & Ireland should be ideal though - and for £105 via Amazon
nickwilcock said:
Garmin do seem to have made some strange decisions regarding their later SatNavs. For example, vehicle power connected directly to the SatNav rather than to the mount? That's a very inconvenient method; frequent connecting and disconnecting of a fiddly little connector will ultimately weaken it. The Garmin combined power lead, TMC receiver and TMC antenna has always been a wretchedly clumsy thing - why on earth they cannot design something which allows a car radio antenna lead to loop through a hidden receiver/power supply leaving just a single combined power and TMC cable to the mount, I do not know. Perhaps some whining ambulance-chasing lawyer decided that such convenience might be a 'risk' if incompetently installed?
I have a 660 with a missing mount, annoyingly you can't power it through the usb socket on the side and the internal battery lasts minutes. The combined lead was a mess of wires over the screen but it did work. Looping it through the car's own aerial would be a big job on some cars, I could probably do it easily on mine but more modern stuff has the radio integrated so the dash would probably have to come out in some way. Also you lose the ability to use it in other cars.I never found much use for the traffic thing anyway, usually it just told me a delay and any alternative took longer anyway. I am looking for a tomtom now though as it had too many faults to list.
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