Best Value TomTom vs Garmin

mrnemo · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 20, 2010 Posts: 13

It is time for a new Sat Nav and am wondering what would be best for me. I am not a professional driver and only make a few long journeys a year when I found my old Sat Nav invaluable although its lack of many features. For local trips where I know the roads and where I am going I don’t bother. I did rent a car in Jersey last year and may drive in Europe sometime in the future.

Things such as full postcode entry, lane guidance and traffic alerts would be very useful. Been able to check the route the Sat Nav chooses and alter it would also be useful. Choosing the most economical route for petrol could be a massive cost saver as petrol prices over time can only go in one direction. Not so worried about speed cameras but been given a warning would be nice.

I am looking at the Garmin vs TomTom systems.

More Garmin models seem to offer European maps as standard. Some models such as the Garmin Nuvi 1490 comes with a premium lifetime traffic subscription for the UK and other European countries plus traffic receiver. But is it any good? You can also get life time maps from Amazon for around £60 which if you were keeping it 4-5 years could be seen as reasonable.

The TomTom IQ system seems powerful but how much does it cost a year? Maps at around £20 a year mean that it is equivalent to keeping the Garmin system for just three years.

I suspect many buyers in my situation get something on offer in the summer sales and think about upgrading the map on it or get a new one after about three to four years.

(I have posted this in the Garmin section to get input from garmin users)

mikealder · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 6:09 pm Post subject:

Have a look at the TomTom Go-750 Live from Amazon, these come with latest Map Guarantee and 12 months Live services (incl HD Traffic) after the 12 months are up its up to you whether you continue to use the subscription based service or simply let it expire and use te nav unit without the connected services.
The Go-750 Live is supplied with European maps, to get the full Europe map for your first update will require a 4GB MicroSDHC (Class 6 type) memory card as the new map is too large to fit on the installed memory, the alternate to the full map is to install a zonal map which will fit the internal strorage albeit with reduced area coverage.

More modern TomTom devices tend to require the use of the "MyTomTom" web based interface which still doesn't work fully, I would avoid models based around the MyTomTom interface until they get it fully working - Mike

Daggers · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 7:10 pm Post subject:

mikealder · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 7:24 pm Post subject:

The simple FACT you can't back up the device to the PC or re-install a back up is enough for me not to want to go anywhere near one to be honest - Mike

Daggers · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 8:30 pm Post subject:

Thanks Mike, I'd almost decided to go trade up, but I hadn't realised that backups & restores were still to be sorted out. I'll hang on!
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Garmin DriveSmart 50 LMT-D

mrnemo · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 20, 2010 Posts: 13

Thanks Mike

That has got the debate going for TomTom with an admission their PC software is not as good as it could be.

mikealder · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 8:57 pm Post subject:

If its any help having used TomTom products for quite a number of years the release of the newer Nav3 devices from TomTom (the units that use the MyTomTom interface) I decided to purchase a Garmin, ok the unit I got is top of the range and connects to the cars OBD-II diagnostic socket but it wasn't cheap, the Garmin isn't 100% but in use I rather like the display and navigation options - Mike

Daggers · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 11:32 pm Post subject:

The trouble is, the main reason I was considering upgrading - and remaining with TomTom - was the HD Traffic facility. I'm currently driving the same route every day (Solihull-Milton Keynes) and while I wouldn't need to use a device for navigation, it is really helpful for advising of traffic delays and alternative routes.

I know that the x50 series would offer me this improvement, I have a nagging feeling that it's old technology, and won't be supported in full for much longer - just like my existing 520.

I'll stick where I am until I see a model that is fully supported in terms of POIs, backups and HD Traffic, along with a feeling that it will also benefit from future software updates.
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Garmin DriveSmart 50 LMT-D

DennisN · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:54 am Post subject:

x50 vs 520.
I run a 550 Live and a 520T side by side.

550 Live traffic is far superior to 520 RDS-TMC traffic, with one let-down - the HD traffic only shows to a radius of about 50-60 miles so you don't see the full journey at the start of a longer one. It does update as you travel though.

I keep the 520 because it is so much faster to get a route and to recalculate a route on the fly. By comparison, the 550 is like paint drying. I'm told it's because it is checking traffic all over again - fine, but in the meantime I'm drumming my fingers either waiting for Christmas or panicking desperately because I'm in a slow moving traffic jam needing to know where my next turn is.

As for support, I think you'll still be able to get updated maps for a long time.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

M8TJT · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:31 am Post subject:

Daggers · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:12 am Post subject:

The speed of calculation on the x50 was another of the reasons for not going for one of those. I realise that map updates would still be available - it was software changes that I was thinking of; they have stopped releasing new versions for the 520, and I suspect that the x50 will go the same way now that they seem to be concentrating on Nav3.
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Garmin DriveSmart 50 LMT-D

Andy_P · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:40 am Post subject:

Posts moved from mrnemo's other thread in the Garmin section....

Andy_P · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:41 am Post subject:

Posts moved from mrnemo's other thread in the Garmin section....

Andy_P · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:42 am Post subject:

Posts moved from mrnemo's other thread in the Garmin section....

Andy_P · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:43 am Post subject:

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