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Looking for advice on a car GPS (Garmin vs. TomTom)

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  • 09-02-2010 9:26am
    #1
    undir
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭


    Hi all,

    I'm currently looking to buy a car GPS, but am somewhat stuck in deciding for either a Garmin (Nuvi 265WT) or a TomTom (930T), price and specs wise they are quite identical, and according to reviews/comments I've read what one has better the other has worse and vice-versa.


    Since most of the reviews/comments I read were from US and not European, I was just wondering if I could get some input from people here in Ireland, or that have driven in Europe, with either a Garmin or a TomTom.

    What performs the best of these two makers (routing, map update, device/software performance/reliability) ?


    Does the Garmin have an excelent door-to-door service like TomTom (with their huge street and house number database) ?


    Thanks in advance :)
    Tagged:


Comments

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    #2
    CJhaughey
    Registered Users Posts: 14,907 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    This is probably better suited to the GPS forum, but the general tone is that Garmin beats Tomtom in the navigation stakes.


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    #3
    undir
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭undir


    Thanks CJhaughey, could you point me in the direction of the GPS forum, is not that I'm being lazy, it's just I couldn't find it, maybe it's too early in the morning and my eyes are not colaborating :rolleyes:


    @Mod, can this thread be moved to the GPS forum if possible or closed ? Thanks.


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    #4
    CJhaughey
    Registered Users Posts: 14,907 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    Tech>Consumer Electronics>GPS


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    #5
    mrmac
    Registered Users Posts: 2,967 ✭✭✭mrmac


    Welcome to the GPS Forum!

    You really won't go wrong with either the TomTom or the Garmin. I'd stay away from any other manufacturer, as I have found that it can be hard to get proper support for maps. (It can be hard enough from the big two as well!)

    Some things to consider:
    Garmin 265WT, costs £150stg approx.
    TomTom 930T, costs £200stg approx.

    The "T" bit of the name refers to a Traffic receiver, that allows the unit to recieve traffic updates. Nice feature, but it's not available in Ireland, yet - so I wouldn't pay extra for it.

    The 265WT has 1gb of internal memory, so you're going to need to buy an extra SD card to hold all of the current European map data, which is currently about 3.5gb. As the unit comes with European maps, it's possible that it already comes with a card. I don't have a 265WT, so no harm in asking the supplier about this.

    The TomTom 930T has 4gb of internal memory, plus an SD card slot, so it should be fine.
    It also has Lane Assist, which I think is very handy.

    Another thing to consider, is Map Updates.
    TomTom have a two-year Map Update for £65stg approx.
    Garmin have a Lifetime Map Update for £85stg approx.

    Like you said, both units offer different things. TomTom tend to offer better features, like Lane Assist, on their cheaper models, whereas this is only on the more expensive Garmins. However, IMO, I find the maps, and the "ease of use" to be slightly better on the Garmin.


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    #6
    KoolKid
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 24,789 Mod ✭✭✭✭KoolKid


    Generally Garmin maps are more upto date than TomTom.
    However if are going to be covering the same areas over & over TomTom has the benefit of the ability to make instant corrections on your own device.


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    #7
    101sean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,884 ✭✭✭101sean


    Garmin's Navteq mapping is reckoned to be better in Ireland than Tomtom's TeleAtlas.


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    #8
    gebbel
    Registered Users Posts: 1,354 ✭✭✭gebbel


    I have used both extensively and prefer the TomTom. Although the Garmin has better maps in rural parts of Ireland, I find no difference (or very little) between them in the cities. TomTom also has MapShare built in which allows users to report map inaccuracies etc.


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    #9
    tommurphy73
    Registered Users Posts: 34 ✭tommurphy73


    I have used both Garmin and TomTom in both Europe and Ireland and I find that they perform equally well. The only issue I have with Garmin is when searching for small towns in Ireland. One example is Ovens in Cork. It just might be the way I am using it but I cannot get it to work properly. We are getting both TomTom and Garmin together tomorrow at work to see if we can figure this out. Will post the results.

    Tom


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    #10
    fresca
    Registered Users Posts: 488 ✭✭fresca


    tommurphy73 wrote: »
    I have used both Garmin and TomTom in both Europe and Ireland and I find that they perform equally well. The only issue I have with Garmin is when searching for small towns in Ireland. One example is Ovens in Cork. It just might be the way I am using it but I cannot get it to work properly. We are getting both TomTom and Garmin together tomorrow at work to see if we can figure this out. Will post the results.

    Tom
    Tom,
    What did you find....

    Thanks.


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    #11
    tommurphy73
    Registered Users Posts: 34 ✭tommurphy73


    So far we were able to search and find Ovens in Cork using the TomTom and could not search using the Garmin. On Garmin if it was not a city address or a post code it seems that it will not find the address. If anyone has and other experience with this I would like to hear from them

    Tom


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