Tom Tom vs Garmin

[Dave Lehnert]

Still have my Tom Tom GPS. Purchased it 6 or 7 years ago???? when GPS were the big item for Christmas. Works great and like it a lot. But the maps are out dated and the price of new maps is close to a new GPS with free lifetime updates My first thought is to get new Tom Tom but reviews are not as good as I would like to see. I know Garmin is very well liked.
My question is for owners who has used Garmin AND Tom Tom. What difference (if any) will I see being a long time Tom Tom user going to a new Garmin?

[Lee Schierer]

Your new Garmin will be much more user friendly than the Tom Tom and most new Nuvi models can be programmed from your computer with routes and waypoints.

[Brian Deakin]

I live in the UK. and have a Tom Tom 1005 version 2 I have used it for 2 moths and been very happy If you decide to purchase this model you need to exercise care because there are 2 versions and the version 2 has a larger memory card

regards Brian

[Don Morris]

A little over 2 years ago I bought a top-of-the-line Garmin. Used it until I bought my first car with GPS. I was pretty happy with it. It wasn't perfect, but I understand that none of them are. My research at the time led me to Garmin. I take Consumer Reports and their test labs also came up with Garmin as the better GPS. When you look at the top GPS buys, CR rates about 6 or 7 before they even get to TOM TOM.

[Don Morris]

Forgot to add, that Consumer Report test was 2012

[Brian Libby]

I have used both and it is all about small differences. Bigger screen, different graphics, how you are notified for the next turn etc. In the end they both will get you there. The free map updates are worth extra cost

[John Coloccia]

Well, maybe I'm biased because I've been using Garmin for many years, including aviation GPS products. I really dislike Tom Tom. I think Garmin is just a more professional and grown-up system. We have the Tom Tom app on the iPhone, and the interface is sooooo bad that we never use it. The Garmin interface is clean and simple.

[Myk Rian]

Our daughter bought Tom Tom and Garmin the same day to compare them.
Neither one of us cared for the Tom Tom. Just wasn't as fluid to use as the Garmin.
She took Tommy back to the store.

[Ole Anderson]

I have had the Garmin Nuvi for several years and I love it. Just bought a GMC Denali with a navigation screen and I really dislike that, would much rather use the Garmin even with it's smaller screen. Now I rode in a F-150 with Sync, that had really cool navigation graphics, way beyond Garmin or GMC navigation. A co-rider said he has a Chrysler and it's navigation is patterned after Garmin. A friend had Tom-Tom, and it is So-So.

[charlie knighton]

i am on my second Garmin nuvi, gave my 1st one to brother, had to buy new cord. we tried to update the old garmin but would have to put new memory card in it because there was not enough space to downlode the new maps, was disappointed in that reguard , but did not consider other makers, like the garmin, and the new cheaper model has a larger screen with bigger lettering than the old model, plan to take it out west this spring, airplane then rent a car, taking atlas but love the garmin for actually getting around

[Lee Schierer]

we tried to update the old garmin but would have to put new memory card in it because there was not enough space to downlode the new maps,

If you plug it into your computer you can search through the directories and delete the 47 languages and extra vehicle icons you never use and you should have enough memory for the new maps.

[Robert LaPlaca]

I really like the Garmin, have never used the Tom Tom. The wife's German car has a built in GPS, I think it's sourced from Siemens or Bosch and it's a joke compared to the interface on the Garmin...

[David Weaver]

I really like the Garmin, have never used the Tom Tom. The wife's German car has a built in GPS, I think it's sourced from Siemens or Bosch and it's a joke compared to the interface on the Garmin...

I can't think of a worse place to put money in a car than in the navigation system. It's effectively about 10x as expensive as a garmin GPS. At least the last time I looked it was a $2000 upcharge on a new accord to get the navigation. I can only think people even bite on that stuff because they're looking at payment amounts instead of price and in the back of their head is either a twisted perception of the usefulness of a small-market large dollar GPS vs. a large market (meaning more money for R&D and thoughts about efficiency) small dollar GPS.

A car loaded with stuff like that depreciates so much faster than one that doesn't. I learned that lesson (without the GPS being involved, even when I had money to burn it still made no sense to me) the hard way.

[Robert LaPlaca]

I can't think of a worse place to put money in a car than in the navigation system. It's effectively about 10x as expensive as a garmin GPS. At least the last time I looked it was a $2000 upcharge on a new accord to get the navigation. I can only think people even bite on that stuff because they're looking at payment amounts instead of price and in the back of their head is either a twisted perception of the usefulness of a small-market large dollar GPS vs. a large market (meaning more money for R&D and thoughts about efficiency) small dollar GPS.

A car loaded with stuff like that depreciates so much faster than one that doesn't. I learned that lesson (without the GPS being involved, even when I had money to burn it still made no sense to me) the hard way.

Trust me you are preaching to the choir here... The car in question only came with the GPS installed, I personally would much rather have the Garmin.. Plus one can move it from car to car, cannot do that with the factory GPS..

[David Weaver]

Yeah, sorry Robert, I quoted that but I intended only to reply as I wasn't trying to single out your car or your post. Just a general thought on the NAV. The disparity between the car navs and the handhelds was a lot greater when they were all brand new (15 years ago?) and the cars has huge screens and the portable navs had tiny tiny screens.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Yeah, sorry Robert, I quoted that but I intended only to reply as I wasn't trying to single out your car or your post. Just a general thought on the NAV. The disparity between the car navs and the handhelds was a lot greater when they were all brand new (15 years ago?) and the cars has huge screens and the portable navs had tiny tiny screens.

No problem David..

[Myk Rian]

I don't know how Tom-Tom does it, although I suspect it's similar, but as I'm typing this, the new version of maps is downloading and getting installed on our Nuvi.
Garmin makes it really easy to update the maps. This is the 4th update since we bought it a couple years ago. The maps are very current that way.

It is also easy to install POI files. (Points of Interest)
I have files of all lighthouses, rest areas, and Nascar tracks w/radio stations. There are a multitude of places people have cataloged and uploaded. I get them at http://www.poi-factory.com/forum

[Dave Lehnert]

My Tom Tom gives an E.T.A. right on the main screen as I m driving. I like that feature the most because I can plan my stops as I am traveling.
Does the Garmin keep an updated ETA when traveling and how accurate have you found it to be?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

On our Garmin it does and it's fairly accurate. I was surprised that it also gave indications of traffic jams and construction delays. Don't see many of those here where I live in Idaho but when we got around Kansas City, St. Louis and Denver last fall on a driving trip, that feature came in handy!

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

I did used both - Garmin Nuvi and Tom Tom. Garmin much better and much user friendlier. Easy upload or download maps. I even travel in Europe with my Nuvi, just download a maps for Italy and France.
Stop using both as soon as I got iPhone ( Android the same). Always with me, easy to use, connecting to BT in the car is easy and convenient. One minus - small screen. But some Samsung smartphones now has a big screen.
My point - if you have a smartphone - you don't need a separate GPS unit.

Ed.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I can't think of a worse place to put money in a car than in the navigation system. It's effectively about 10x as expensive as a garmin GPS. At least the last time I looked it was a $2000 upcharge on a new accord to get the navigation. I can only think people even bite on that stuff because they're looking at payment amounts instead of price and in the back of their head is either a twisted perception of the usefulness of a small-market large dollar GPS vs. a large market (meaning more money for R&D and thoughts about efficiency) small dollar GPS.

A car loaded with stuff like that depreciates so much faster than one that doesn't. I learned that lesson (without the GPS being involved, even when I had money to burn it still made no sense to me) the hard way.

David, I'm not disagreeing that a GPS in a car will be a poor investment, heck any new car is about the worst thing you could invest in. I have a different take in the car gps though. I buy cars for my wife with them factory installed, because I don't want to deal with another thing plugged into accessory ports, cluttering up dashes and generally giving me another job I don't need. The new ones are nicely integrated with entertainment systems. I am forced to buy GM or Ford, as they are the only dealerships within 150 miles. She drives almost 40,000 miles a year, so we trade often. Because it is a two hour drive to anything here, higher cost of transportation is simply part of the cost of living. My approach though, is buy her any car she wants, and just be happy that they will take it for trade in anything in 18 months.

We have owned three generations of GM's guidance system, and I certainly agree that the interface has been a bit clunky. I just bought her a new car in December again though, and it has the newest version, which is a nice system. I deal with integrated gps systems costing $50,000 and up every day though, and comparing any of the consumer grade systems out there to what the companies can actually do, is a pretty quick way to get disgusted with the cheapening up to hit a price point.

[Brian Ashton]

Stop using both as soon as I got iPhone ( Android the same). Always with me, easy to use, connecting to BT in the car is easy and convenient. One minus - small screen. But some Samsung smartphones now has a big screen.
My point - if you have a smartphone - you don't need a separate GPS unit.

Ed.

I don't know what it's like in North America any more, been gone nearly 10 years, but learned the hard way in Australia that you can't rely on a smart phone for GPS. There are so many dead zones outside of populated areas and lots even within populated areas that you need something that doesn't rely on cell towers for positioning. Had a job interview not long ago and the cell phone lost it's signal and I had no idea what direction to go so I had to pull over and pull the GPS out. Up to then I was going to give it away cause I thought I wouldn't need it anymore. Now I put the phone away when I want reliable GPS.

[Myk Rian]

I don't know what it's like in North America any more, been gone nearly 10 years, but learned the hard way in Australia that you can't rely on a smart phone for GPS. There are so many dead zones outside of populated areas and lots even within populated areas that you need something that doesn't rely on cell towers for positioning.
My Samsung GS3 has a built in GPS receiver. I don't need cell towers to navigate. There is a free program (NavFree) that has the maps already installed, so I don't need cell towers for map updates as I drive.
It has turn by turn navigation, and is as accurate as my Garmin Nuvi.