Tom Tom or Garmin????

timus · 23-08-2007, 9:43 AM

Was thinking about a Sat Nav for my car and have come across these two that i have severtised on TV and am unsure as to what one is the better buy. I only need one for UK at the moment but having a feature to put EU maps on it would be good. So its either the TOMTOM ONE GB GPS or the Garmin Nuvi 200 Sat Nav System what is the better one?

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/stor...1&tm=undefined

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...dkey=ClickInfo

Thanks for the help

ronlizpatsimon · 23-08-2007, 5:47 PM

I have the "Garmin nuvi". I can tell you its generally very good and is supposed to be the most reliable make. It does however have a fondness for the minor roads - despite telling it to take the quickest route. Perhaps all satnavs have this problem. You will find it difficult to get a forum member to give you a true comparison between the 2 you have specified because it would be unusual for any one person to have both these makes. Try googling for reviews done by gadget magazines

mikeossy · 23-08-2007, 6:18 PM

Having used both of these at this level and being in this industry I can safely say for me its the Garmin, its got a far superior build quality to it, but at the higher levels then the Tom Tom seem to have the edge for features and price.
Buy the Garmin i think its a little more basic than a tomtom but thats not always a bad thing.

timus · 23-08-2007, 8:48 PM

The Garmin has better battery life compared to the Tom Tom which wold be useful. Im not sure at the moment will have to give it some thought. Thanks for the advice

Sluggster · 19-09-2007, 7:25 PM

I've just been to France with my brother. I had a TomTom XL and my brother had a Garmin Nuvi 660.

I just returned my TomTom and ordered a 660.

The PC based software for the TomTom was painful to use and locked my XL every time I used it.

In action (when I could get it to work) it could not find our guest house or hotel in France - the 660 found both.

Personally I think the map screen is better on the Garmin too.

Anything good to say about the TomTom - no.

Even the website locked up when I tried to send a mail to customer support!

Running a few searches on the net most posts seem to start 'press reset and.......

simon100 · 20-09-2007, 3:54 PM

My Nuvi 350 also has a penchant for minor roads, which has led to some arguments in the car as I go up a single track road which my wife does not appreciate!
However it has found me all sorts of out of the way places in the UK and France.

KiwiBud · 25-09-2007, 12:43 PM

Thanks guys for all of this....I too, probably like most sat nav buyers, was pondering over the Garmin vs TomTom question......I now have a Nuvi 250 on order...happy days...

hot-fuzz · 28-09-2007, 11:10 AM

The difference between the Nuvi 660 and the XL is £100.

XL RRP new is £179 and the 660 is £279 !!!!

motr · 26-10-2007, 9:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KiwiBud

Thanks guys for all of this....I too, probably like most sat nav buyers, was pondering over the Garmin vs TomTom question......I now have a Nuvi 250 on order...happy days...

Any thoughts on the 250? This is what I am thinking of getting, Any insight would be most welcome as we are off to France early next year.

KMR855 · 27-10-2007, 8:35 AM

I have the 250W and it does what I need. It also has the Euro Maps and they appear to be fine. I used it in Rome in pedestrian mode and it was ok.

27-10-2007, 8:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronlizpatsimon

I have the "Garmin nuvi". I can tell you its generally very good and is supposed to be the most reliable make. It does however have a fondness for the minor roads - despite telling it to take the quickest route.

I've got the Nuvi300T and find exactly the same. Guess it's going for the most direct route and assuming it will be quicker. Doesn't make any allowance for tractors or Sunday drivers

etaf · 28-10-2007, 11:00 AM

i have the Nuvi 310 (which also has traffic info) used all across UK and Northern France - and found it to be excellent, I have just updated the maps to version 9 - so i will see if it still has the main road issue ( I have a main road near me, where it trys to go off the sideroad which runs parrallel for a few hundred yards.

In fact two weeks ago I purchased a Saab 9-3 convertable with In built touch screen Sat Nav and traffic info (£2000 option if purchased, mine was include as part of the package) and I was expecting to give my other half the garmin, well I still have the garmin in the Saab, the Saab does not do Postcode Entry and to find anywhere is difficult.

TarMoo · 28-10-2007, 1:37 PM

I have just bought a TomTom 520 (their latest model), which has all the features I need including: turn by turn instructions, bluetooth hands free phone. I was previously considering the Garmin 360.

When looking for review I was under the impression that TomTom had slightly better maps and some people said that Gamin speaker was too quiet.

DodgeTheViper · 02-11-2007, 9:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rasputin

I have just bought a TomTom 520 (their latest model), which has all the features I need including: turn by turn instructions, bluetooth hands free phone. I was previously considering the Garmin 360.

When looking for review I was under the impression that TomTom had slightly better maps and some people said that Gamin speaker was too quiet.

Your not actually saying which you prefer and why !

timus · 02-11-2007, 10:10 PM

I eventually got myself a Tom Tom One GB simple but it does everything i need. Its basic but i don't need some of these other features. I am very pleased with it so far.