Garmin vs TomTom GPS
 

I have had a TomTom GPS for several years and it recently died. I have heard such good things about Garmin that I decided to replace it with a Garmin.

I took the Garmin for a couple of practice runs. Street names were mispronounced -- I mean they were way off. Today the name of the street on the Garmin was totally different than the actual street. This was a major street in Lansing, Michigan and not in the boonies.

Am I missing something? Which company do you think has the best GPS system? I am seriously thinking about sending it back for a TomTom.

Do they even make stand alone GPS units anymore? I thought they went out with the CD Player. I would look into upgrading to an Android powered smartphone and use Google Navagation. Far superior with beautiful satellite imaging and real time traffic ;-)

Try updating your Garmin. They come with lifetime updates. Go to Garmin.com

Of course they do. Not everyone has a smartphone. And who says CD players are gone?

Tom-Tom was purchased by Garmin. They are now the same company.

Are you sure about that?

Bill :)

I do have an Android smart phone. But, my contract is up and I am seriously thinking about changing to an iPhone. Could I use my iPad or an iPhone with Google Navigation?

If I am alone on a trip I find using the smartphone awkward. The GPS is also easier for my 89 year old mother if she is with me. She is good with her computer but, not with my smart phone or iPad. And, she likes maps! Go figure?!?

When I am traveling alone, I like the info the TomTom gives me on the main screen. It gives you total miles and time to go, arrival time and the same info on what you have already traveled. And, more. It was easy to see with a quick glance.

It looks like I have to switch screens to see most of that same info on the Garmin. It was awkward.

I agree with you. I find the gps on my smart phone to be helpful only when I'm using it as a passenger, not as a driver. Too small, for one thing, and too hard to push buttons to change screens, etc. Not enough info easily viewed.

Our Garmins, both built into the car and portable, mispronounce street names all the time, and frequently get confused in TV even though they are both updated. a lot of times they will say a residential address location is on one side of the street when in fact it's on the other. In Tampa it wanted us to make an immediate right turn when we were on a bridge over the water.

Maybe someone who owns a Tom Tom can give you a review on how it works in FL. There is a lot of road construction in FL, and I think "they" just don't keep up with it.

I just got the Garmin so I haven't even tried it in Florida yet. The street it messed up on yesterday in Lansing was probably one of the oldest streets in town. It gave a totally different name for the street.

I just read an article in Consumer Reports dated April 2013. They said Garmin was founded in Olathe, Kansas in 1989 and TomTom was founded in Amsterdam in 1991. The article didn't say anything about Garmin buying TomTom.

I've always had great experiences with Magellan GPS's..

And BTW, some people find the idea of their visual navigation being interrupted by an untimely phone call a bit of a hassle.. I can't tell you how many times I get a call just moments before I'm supposed to make a turn, and totally miss it as a result! LoL

A dash mounted GPS is still a very handy thing to have around. Good luck!

#Eddie

I have a Garmin Nuvi 2555. I love it because it has a 5" screen, lifetime map updates and traffic updates. It does get a little quirky here in TV and gets confused. We laugh because it says Street Charles Place instead of St. Charles Place. Love the traffic updates when we travel down. It will re-route if traffic is real bad and/or the highway is stopped.

Around here, the American English voice "Jill" mispronounces many street names. I have switched to the Australian English voice "Karen", who does better at American streets. Also a more pleasant sounding voice. Oddly, she says Saint Charles instead of Street Charles.

I've got a Garmin and I love it. I also use google and apple maps with my iPhone 5 and broadcast it over my car stereo. Very Cool. I find that if I am going to use my iPhone as a GPS it needs to be plugged in as it drains the battery quite a bit but otherwise great directions with good voices and pronunciations. Personally, I prefer apple maps but I am kind of an apple nut

I have a Tom Tom portable GPS which is about five years old. I update the maps regularly and have had good luck with it most of the time. As for the mispronunciation of street name etc. I almost never use the voice commands as I find them annoying. I just follow the on screen directions and find that works best for me. I sometimes use the Australian voice because everyone gets a kick out of her telling me to go right on the rotary. My buddy has an on board gps and his is not nearly as accurate as mine.