# Sat Nav: Garmin or TomTom?



## Cuppa (25 Jun 2008)

I'm Lost!!! I would like opinions from anyone on which Sat Nav. Garmin or TomTom seem to be the most popular can anyone advise on aftersales service and map updates or best product? Thinking of buying a TomTom 520 or Garmin 250. 
Thanks


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## briancbyrne (25 Jun 2008)

Id go with garmin, if for no other reason that they signed an exclusive deal to list the fixed speed cameras when they are put in place


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## Dearg Doom (25 Jun 2008)

And some Garmin models have support for one proposed implementation of [broken link removed].


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## Farger (25 Jun 2008)

Also in Garmins favour is that they use Navteq maps instead of the Tele Atlas ones that Tom Tom use, Navteq have a better mapping done on rural areas in Ireland.


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## Guest117 (25 Jun 2008)

Defo go with Garmin because of the proposed postcodes thing - it will roll out for all garmin models if it is a success ( pilot - beta test stage right now )

Also I think Farger is correct abt the mapping

We have been using various Garmin gps products fro years and find them v relaible

No connection to Garmin - just use the products


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## Betsy Og (26 Jun 2008)

On rented cars used Magellan and Tom Tom. Tom Tom definitely better.

Had the Tom Tom for a day back home in rural Ireland and it worked well so I wouldnt be too fearful of its rural mapping capability.


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## tosullivan (26 Jun 2008)

another for TomTom here


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## Cuppa (26 Jun 2008)

Thanks for the comments 
I think I will go with TomTom 520 for €249 although I think it is an old model. I am not sure about the map updating but I like the fact it has Bluetooth and voice recognition, the equivalent in Garmin is much more expensive,   any thoughts on that?


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## Pee (26 Jun 2008)

You should also take into consideration the cost of updating the maps in the future, do either Tom Tom or Garmin have better update offers or extending maps to Europe or further afield.


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## jasconius (26 Jun 2008)

Bought Garmin 250 recently for €169.99 - all of Europe maps - great signal - excellent value


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## gebbel (27 Jun 2008)

I have a TomTom that I only last week updated with the latest map of GB & Ireland. I put it up on the windscreen and drove around the town of Drogheda to see how accurate the map is here. Result: very disappointing street level info and incorrect road directions. If you obeyed the instructions on the device without checking first, simply you would be involved in an accident. Some streets in the town are one way but I found the device trying to send me down the opposite direction! A good feature, however, is that you can report recent changes to roads and submit this to TomTom...they then pass the info to their map provider.
Don't know much about Garmin but from what I have heard they are not much better. Ireland is miles behind the UK in terms of the accuracy of the digital map of the country. They have absoulte 100% street level detail, we have not yet. For sure the absence of post codes here makes it harder to map us out as accurately.


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## dave28 (27 Jun 2008)

Dearg Doom said:


> And some Garmin models have support for one proposed implementation of [broken link removed].



Will these proposed Post Codes be recognised by An Post, Govt. Depts etc etc ? Or is it possible that a National Post Code System will be introcuced eventually bt Government ?


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## NOAH (27 Jun 2008)

go garmin  get the 760t, plays through radio speakers,  but dont buy it ireland, buy it from here

handtec, do a google

noa-


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## kfk (28 Jun 2008)

I just bought a Garmin NUVI 760T from komplett. Cost 301 euro incl postage. Very happy with it. Very accurate rural mapping. I did a lot of research into the Garmins and Tom Toms and came to the conclusion that the Garmin units were better than the Toms on Irish roads and the Toms were better for English roads. Also, if you go for the Tom Tom, make sure that its bluetooth is compatible with your phone. AFAIK some Tom Tom models are only compatible with a limited number of phones.


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## Dearg Doom (30 Jun 2008)

dave28 said:


> Will these proposed Post Codes be recognised by An Post, Govt. Depts etc etc ? Or is it possible that a National Post Code System will be introcuced eventually bt Government ?



Haven't a clue. There is more than one proposal. This one proposed by GPS Ireland (which can be determined by anyone by using on line mapping system, maps post codes directly to lat/long coordinates and hence very easy to integrate with other mapping technologies/applications) and a government proposed system that functions the same as the UK post code system (where codes are assigned by a central agency and needs a database to convert from postcode to lat/long coordinate). I know which one I'd choose, but I'm not expecting any government agency to be nearly as clever as I am... ;-)


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## NavanMan1 (1 Jul 2008)

Have a Garmin Nuvi250W that I bought in Feb this year. A bit disappointed with it. A lot of recent new roads, bridges, by-passes etc, some as old as three years are not mapped. Also it can take a good 5min to get a Sat signal after turning it on. Another thing I found with it was that when I was driving in Vienna, with a lot of high buildings around, it lost the signal, so back to the old hard copy map........

No option on the Garmin website to alert them of mistakes on the map, such as new bridge in Navan over the Boyne that's open 3 years but a no show on Garmin, also by-pass of Roosky, Co. Leitrim, again a no show on Garmin.

Have no experience of TomTom, but my sister in England says her one has a lot more features than my Garmin.

Only advise I can offer is to ask friends if you can borrow their GPS for a road test to see which is most suitable for you.


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## Luckycharm (1 Jul 2008)

NavanMan1 said:


> Have a Garmin Nuvi250W that I bought in Feb this year. A bit disappointed with it. A lot of recent new roads, bridges, by-passes etc, some as old as three years are not mapped. Also it can take a good 5min to get a Sat signal after turning it on. Another thing I found with it was that when I was driving in Vienna, with a lot of high buildings around, it lost the signal, so back to the old hard copy map........
> 
> No option on the Garmin website to alert them of mistakes on the map, such as new bridge in Navan over the Boyne that's open 3 years but a no show on Garmin, also by-pass of Roosky, Co. Leitrim, again a no show on Garmin.
> 
> ...


 
My dad has this one and agree the map is not very up to date where I live for example is not on the map and it is there 5 years. Is there any way to get updated maps?


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## NOAH (1 Jul 2008)

i have the 760t, the way to get maps is to register online, then you tick a box that will notify you by email when new maps are available, mine are 2008.  By the way when you plug the sat nav into pc while on garmin site it will check for new software updates as well.  And when you register an account you can click on maps, this will tell you whether new maps are available for your product.  I think first set are free but rest you pay for.

noah


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## garydubh (14 Oct 2008)

NOAH said:


> i have the 760t, the way to get maps is to register online, then you tick a box that will notify you by email when new maps are available, mine are 2008. By the way when you plug the sat nav into pc while on garmin site it will check for new software updates as well. And when you register an account you can click on maps, this will tell you whether new maps are available for your product. I think first set are free but rest you pay for.
> 
> noah


 
You can download firmware for the Nuvi 760 to use PON Codes - the new Post Coding System for Ireland - here: [broken link removed]


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