Up-to-Date Ratings for GPS: TomTom and Garmin

Author: Bobby vaizZ // Category:
One more time, 'tis the season to test GPS devices, and ratings on several new units have just posted from Garmin and TomTom. This group includes the latest and best flagship models from the sales leaders, as well as retests of recent TomTom devices that have received noteworthy updates to its software.

TomTom Go 2405 TM: Now about the TomTom XL 350, XL 350T, XXL 550, and XXL 550T. As you may recall from previous tests, they weren't impressive at all. In fact, they initially scored unusually low for TomTom devices due to an over-simplification of the menu, making common functions difficult to access and eliminating some frequently used routing options and other controls typically found on higher-scoring TomTom devices, such as multi-destination routing and directions list. Shortly after the ratings posted, TomTom announced a software update was made available. Owners are able to use TomTom Home (free download) to install and update the operating system. TomTom advises that updated devices have been on retail shelves since mid-October 2010.


These devices have improved. Updates to the route summary screen, change route feature, brightness settings option, display preferences option, and updated volume control menu are all welcomed. One thing not changed, of course, is that the displays wash out in bright sunlight. Overall, this range of products provides many of the common features that drivers want in affordable packages, but they rank just midpack.

The story is a little different for the new TomTom Go 2405TM and Go 2505TM. These are the slickest navigators that TomTom has. Large, clear displays with glass capacitive touchscreen wrapped in a slender car impress before even hitting the road. Best of all, they use a new click-and-lock magnetic mount that allows the device to be removed with one hand. It is about the simplest mount on the market to use and it holds on better than the frustrating folding circle-clip on recent TomToms.

These new Go navigators have voice recognition for hands-free control and Bluetooth connectivity that invites hands-free calling. Traditional TomTom features such as spoken street names, reality view, lane guidance, and Help Me! are included.

In TomTom parlance, the "TM" in the product names denotes lifetime traffic and map updates. The real-time traffic data supplements historic traffic data to enable informed route planning, then continuous routing to adjust for changing conditions. The included maps cover the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with quarterly updates available. The devices are preloaded with seven million points of interest, spread across 60 categories.

Garmin Nuvi 3700 Series: As for the Garmin Nuvi 3700 series, it features a sleek, iPhone-inspired design with a metal bezel, glass capacitive display, portrait or landscape display modes, and touch-screen shortcuts. The device itself is slender at just 9 millimeters thick, making it very pocket-friendly for a widescreen unit. Like the available Magellan and TomTom mounts for the iPhone, the Nuvi 3700 mount includes a second speaker to improve sound.

According to the experts, the Nuvi 3750, Nuvi 3760T, and Nuvi 3790T have core features built on established Garmin offerings, with reality view, lane assist, "Where am I?", speed limit indicator, pedestrian mode, and ecoRoute to provide the most fuel-efficient route. The premium Nuvi 3790T boasts voice recognition, lifetime traffic, and three-dimensional buildings. This is an impressive product range, with simple controls, ultra-crisp display, and modern packaging.

These new devices are remarkable but beware, they will take a bite out of your budget. Whether shopping for yourself, or for a gift, this holiday season, be sure to check the ratings and features. There are many GPS navigators available, with a wide range of prices. The dynamic GPS Selector enables online subscribers to sort and filter our ratings of over 100 devices by the factors that matter most to create custom lists of the best-suited models, or you can dive in to review our GPS Team's recommendations by category.

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