Had the Navigon 7100 for about 3-4 weeks of extensive use. Your review is about as spot-on as I can say. Nice job. Your "3-fatal problems" in your conclusion would be my exact same trio of faults I would list. I nodded my head in agreement the whole time. My Nuvi 680 is working out real nice so far.

It would be nice if your RSS feeds contained just a summary of the review instead of the whole thing...

Fletch,

Good review overall, but based on my experience with a Navigon 2100T (which includes lifetime traffic like the more expensive models and only cost me $99) there are a few points I noticed you missed that play IN FAVOR of the Navigon.

1. You complain about the clutter on the screen, and while I agree with you that Navigon could improve in the areas you mentioned, you neglected to tell readers that unlike most other GPS companies the Navigon units let YOU decide how much to display or not display. While this doesn't help the small font size, it dramatically improved the viewability of the map screen when I removed displays I didn't need, such as speed limit, my actual speed, etc.

2. You gave the routing engine of the Nuvi 660 the "edge" in several comparisons where the Navigon clearly displayed a more accurate choice. The problem is twofold. First, Garmin units almost always underestimate the actual time you will travel, so a shorter projection on a Garmin doesn't mean a better route - it only means the Garmin THINKS you'll get there sooner. I base this on personal experience with a Nuvi 660 versus several Magellan units, where the Magellans' time estimates were much more accurate. Also, you mention that the Garmin displays which side of the street your destination will be on. While the Navigon doesn't display it in the text, it DOES announce it every time. Even my Navigon 2100T does this reliably 99% of the time (so far it has made one minor mistake). Magellan units also announce side of the street even though it's not listed in the text. I would agree with what I believe would be your assumption that both manufacturers (Navigon and Magellan) ought to correct their listing engine so it includes this information as the Garmins do.

3. The speech engine in the Navigon was VERY impressive - on the 2100T (and presumably on the better units) it gives MUCH better verbal direction than either the Nuvi 660 or the Magellans I've used, and this makes up in part for the problems with the small screen fonts.

4. You criticized the number of traffic alerts that come up, but you neglected to mention that you can customize the settings so that it ONLY reports traffic alerts along the route you've chosen. I don't know if this makes the unit more effective in dealing with problems that arise (I suspect it doesn't) but at least the user isn't bombarded with irrelevant warnings.

Also, you mentioned the "countdown" bar next to the turn indicator, but actually that bar counts UP as you get close to the turn - the bright yellow dots filling the bar are a VERY nice touch especially when you're about to turn at an intersection with several confusing choices.

I agree that the software needs to be streamlined so that it performs quicker - it is VERY sluggish when entering data. However, the entry method is growing on me as I get accustomed to it - if I make a mistake in entry I find it's actually easier to backtrack on the Navigon system than with either the Garmin or Magellan products.

I was VERY impressed with how quickly the Navigon 2100T performs re-routes - much faster than the Nuvi 660 and on par or faster than the Magellans I've used.

Overall a competent and very customizable GPS line with great potential for further development!

By the way, the Navigon 2100T came the TMC reciever integrated into the power adapter (no external antenna) and it seems to work well. It also came with a standard windshield mount that works nicely - not as sleek as the more expensive unit, but probably easier to deal with and without the complicated hidden mounting system on the back of the GPS.

Now, on a COMPLETELY different note, I have tried to contact you from my forum account but I'm not sure you're getting my messages. The account (Planecrazy) seems to have been mistakenly banned although I haven't posted in some time and certainly didn't violate any forum rules. I am hoping you can get it unbanned asap so I can continue to participate in the forum using my original account. I never received any warning that there was a problem and was totally surprised when the "banned" message popped up a week or two ago. I would be grateful for your help with this!

Thanks in advance, and keep up the good work!

Steve

as a limo driver, here are my complaints re: the navigon 7100...volume is too low even when set at high...it does not display the next street name ahead as a garmin does...it does not allow you to enter intersections....long delay getting sattelite..all of this in addition to your comments which were accurate. after 2 days I returned the navigon for a nuvi680

I've been using the 5100 since Black Friday. I thought the review was very good however you really need to include Steve's comments as well to get the 'big picture'. I love the Reality View...It would have come in handy earlier this year when traveling to CT for a wedding and there were multiple exits off the highway and I took the wrong one. The maps are recent and includes all of the "Big Dig" changes that have happened in Boston. The biggest factor against the 5100 thus far is the poor volume. I basically need to shut off the volume to my radio to listen to it. The POIs are second factor against it....if you leave the Zagat Restaurants on and drive to the North End in Boston the screen will be covered in Icons. I turn off all POIs, unless there is a need to travel to one, so no big deal. I love the mount. Wish the power cord was longer so I can hide the power cord behind the dash and have it come up by the window, like I did with my Magellan Roadmate 700

Greg

Greg,

I think I forgot to mention that the volume is also an issue (not loud enough)on the 2100T, so good pickup on that one. I DID find a solution that actually works pretty well with the 2100T - by placing the unit to the left of the dash (rather than in the center) I found that MUCH more sound was reflected back at me and it was MUCH easier to hear. I also turned off the speed sensitive volume adjustment (another nice feature if the volume was loud enough to begin with) because otherwise it lowers the volume from "full," even if you set that as the default "starting point." So mine is now always on FULL volume and that helps a little.

Unfortunately, placing the unit on the left side makes running the power cord to the unit a real pain! For somebody to permanently use it on that side of the dash you'd almost have to consider adding another power port under the dash on that side ... not terribly difficult, but then again not something the average user would do.

An easier solution would be to go to a Radio Shack or perhaps a truck stop or full service auto parts store and pick up a "lighter socket extension cord." That would give you the extra length necessary to allow plugging in a GPS on the left side of the dash without having to mount a new power port. Of course one would want to be VERY careful to use plastic ties to keep the extension cord secured, so it doesn't get tangled in the steering wheel or the driver's legs or arms.

One might also try picking up a replacement power cord with a longer cord, but in the case of the 2100T you'd lose the TMC feature, since the traffic receiver is built into the power plug on my model.

Oh, by the way, thanks for the "thumbs up" on my previous comments. I really think the Navigons have the potential to be a big player in the US based on their first attempts. The units themselves would seem to be upgradeable, so I hope the company proves to be responsive in addressing and improving them as time goes by.

Regards,

I want to respectfully question your rating of routing engines.

You seem to base your judgment primarily on the calculated time. From what I can tell, this is roughly generated by using the speed limit and the distance. This has two difficulties. First, It does not have anyway to account for lights, typical congestion and a host of real conditions. Second it is easy to beat the system.

In the example I am familiar with starting from Frys in San Jose, the route Garmin chooses is circuitous and involves some difficult, dangerous, unsignaled intersections on the south bound 880 to north bound 101. I do not know anyone familiar with the area who would drive that way, yet you rate it as a better route because it tells you that it is faster. I think you can see the point.

The criteria is also susceptible to manipulation. If I believe that I will be judged on this basis, I can simply add 10 mph to the travel speeds and suddenly my route will be better and my routing engine will be judged superior.

My suggestion would be that you evaluate based on places that you know that are difficult to navigate, and see that problem areas like bad lights, difficult merge and lane changes, or frequent congestion are avoided. This will encourage better routing engines that account for real world conditions and increase safety and performance instead of manipulating artificial and incorrect criteria.

Anyway, thats my two cents worth. Don't get me wrong, I really value the work that you do and used your site heavily in selecting my GPS. My intent is only to suggest an improvement.

At least one of your routing tests was flawed. You started at "1200 Beacon Street Boston, MA". That is a fictitious address. Addresses on Beacon St. in Boston only go up to just under 1000. That may have confused the Navigon, which gave you directions that would be roughly valid for (approximately) 990 Beacon St. in Boston.

The other two gave you directions from "1200 Beacon St. Brookline, MA". It's no wonder that the routing for the Navigon was different.

Of course, that's another issue with the Navigon - it couldn't correct the problem with an nonexistent address. However, it's also an issue with the other two, for not informing you that they were substituting a Brookline address for your Boston address.

All in all, I'd give failing marks to all three on this one, since they should be able both to diagnose the problem and to alert you to it.

Anyone have a suggestion for keeping the 2100 windshield mount on the windshield? Or maybe suggest an 3rd-party car mount for it? Mine falls off most times than not. Thanks.

John J,

I'd contact Navigon and have them send you a replacement. I have had absolutely no trouble at all with my 2100 mount, even in subzero weather where suction cups often have problems sticking to the icy cold windows. Either your suction cup is defective, there's something on your window preventing a good seal, or you're just not pressing firmly enough while mounting it. Only you can judge for sure which of the three is your issue, but so far I haven't heard of any other 2100 users (on the other forum I frequent) mention suction cup problems...

Good luck with it!

Steve :-)

By the way, I want to update you folks on some of the interesting things going on at GPSPassion.com, which is another GPS site that deals with modifications to a variety of models.

I haven't been over there in several weeks, but there are a number of active threads dedicated to improving the look and performance of all the Navigon models, and so far they have managed to dramatically improve both the map display (including larger fonts) as well as the routing engine performance on all the models! They've even figured out how to add custom icons that you can use to replace the standard "arrow" representing your vehicle! So, for example, you could take digital pictures of your car or truck and turn them into icons that will show up on your GPS! VERY cool stuff going on over there!!

One person even found a way to compress some of the databases so that the sluggishness of the Navigons is reduced and overall performance is improved! Many of Fletch's legitimate complaints about this product have already been solved by users!

Just thought you'd like to know!

Regards,
Steve :-)

I HAD OBTAINED A NAVIGON 7100 A FEW DAYS AGO.(IN STORE IMPULSE) USED IT A LOT BUT ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY THE TOMTOM BRAND,BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD THAT ITS ONE OF THE BEST.EXCHANGED THE NAVIGON FOR THE TOMTOM LAST NIGHT AND HATED IT SO MUCH THAT EXCHANGED IT FOR MY NAVIGON AGAIN TODAY.LESSON LEARNED,LOVE MY NAVIGON!:-)

I am using a Car AC Vent mount for both my Garmin 660 and Navigon 7100 for under $10.00. Work great.

I own a 2100 and have noticed a few glitches while navigating (assuming the 7100 has the same problems). I entered a destination that I frequently travel to as a test. When set on either the 'fast or optimum' setting, I was routed in a way no one would take, several blocks out of my way. When I chose the 'shortest' option I was routed correctly. But on other occasions the shortest route took me on secondary roads, thus giving me a longer arrival time. I called Navigon tech support (positive experience) and was told that 'fastest' always factored higher speed limits while 'optimum' is supposed to consider many factors while calculating the route. This doesn't always happen and can be frustrating.

Another minor error that has surfaced numerous times is incorrect placement if POIs. They are occasionally on the wrong side of the road or in a different block. Although this has not prevented me from finding the POI I was seeking.

The text to speech is fantastic and is always very clear.

Besides these issues I like the 2100 a lot. It takes a little practice to use it comfortably but once you get used to it, no problem, especially at the low price of $150 at Tiger.com

As for the windshield mount, it is crucial to open the suction lever all the way until it clicks before mounting on the windshield. Before I realized this the unit fell off the windshield several times.

Hi - I tried to give the Navigon 7100 a rating at your site, and didn't realize that the rating graphic was actually the input for the rating (I thought it would link me to the rating). I've been using several GPS units for about 5 years, and I love this one. I wanted to rate it a '5', but when I clicked what I thought was a rating link, it took the click as a '3' rating. I wonder if that's why the average rating is a '3.'

You don't have a lot of female perspective in this particular forum, so I'll just shout out that I love my Navigon. I bought my 7100 the week it became available, and have not had one moment's trouble with it. Perhaps the downside I'm going to mention is only relevant to me or maybe it's a woman thing; hopefully, though, some of you guys will relate!

The three flaws mentioned in the original review I fixed easily with customization of the interface and a few database changes.....and my hands are perfect for the display--you guys must have bigger hands than me ;-)

There is one terrible downside to the Navigon...
FEAR!!!

I was going on a short trip a while back and realized I had unplugged the charger and had my laptop plugged in instead;...I always leave the cable like a comfort cord next to the driver's seat of my other "new" love...my brand-spanking new Jeep Liberty..(what's your maneuverability quotient?-another tangent/forum mayhaps??)...anyway by the time i realized I had no power, I was almost to Lufkin....and I was terrified. I didn't know how to drive without my Navigon...so I tried to find another charger. I asked at a few stores available on the route that I thought might be helpful (i hate to shop in real stores); and as I was on a limited time frame, I had to call friends to get to my destination and back home. NEVER AGAIN!

The fear of being without my 7100 is terrifying for me!! I have become very dependent on it!

Thanks for listening, guys! Yes, I know I write like I talk...I go on and on.

Happy traveling! Annie

I want to add some experiences I have with Navigon 7100. I don't want to repeat what have already been said by others.

I replaced the Navigon SD card with a fast speed (SanDisk Extreme) and the slowness of the unit improved.

Someone mentioned that intersection cannot be used when setting route. Yes, you can. Don't enter the street number, instead go to next line and enter another intersecting street name. This is in the manual, by the way.

I found the traffic report is not reliable. I don't think it's not Navigon's fault, it's the FM broadcast stations. Sometimes it's frustrated to see the accident (already cleared) reported. I hope this will get better.

I wish the text-to-speech improved when annoucing street name. I wish there were more voices to choose from.

I wish the traffic icon only displays the traffic profile I chose. Most of the time I choose 'on route' traffic report and the icon dipslays traffic on 'all routes'.

Overall, I like my Navigon even though it's not perfect.

Please can some one post me the Navigon 7100 software from the SD card to www.rapidshare.com

Thanks a lot

It's a good review. However for people who are looking for a new GPS might have an impression that Navigon is not worth a try. I do agree with your points to some extent.

I have tried Garmin, Navigon and TomTom on my iPaq before. Recently I bought the Navigon 7100 because of a price drop but I'm not regret for it.

Cons for Garmin
- doesn't have street-city search option (at least the one I was using).
- prompt for the turn is too short that cause me to miss the turn occasionally
- no icon display for next turn

Cons for TomTom
- complicated interface.
- expensive maps etc..

Cons for Navigon
- battery life seems too short and charging cause the unit to go to pc link mode so navigation is impossible (big minus). Note. I haven't tried the original cable. End up shorting out pin 4 and 5 on plug enable me to charge the unit AND navigate.
- would be nice if TMC antenna is integrated in the power cord.
- No coordinate input to search address.
- No FM transmitter.

The lastest 1.2 firmware for Navigon 7100 makes the unit more responsive. It does prompt you are arriving at left/right also.

I got a vent mount so that I can place the unit much closer to me. Voice and small letters on screen are not problems to me anymore.

Overall, the life time traffic, reality view and voice input, cheaper maps update etc. make it a nice unit to have.

Regarding the review, one of the "Cons" ...
"NO way to search for POIs near a specific address (you can choose a city, but that's it)."

So this was one of my major gripes too, till I actually read the manual and found that with the map in "Destination Search Mode" (pg 64), you can tap the green checkmark box and get a list of functions including "Search Nearby" which "Opens the POI Nearby window...".

So for example, to look for restaurants near an address, I would do this:

1- New Destination / Enter an Address /

2- on the same address screen, hit "Options" (which is just below the "Start Navigation" button

3- pick "Show on Map", which displays the address under crosshairs and the location bar (beneath the map) with the location name and a green check mark.

4- pick the green check mark box to get to the next screen

5- pick "Search Nearby", which brings up the POI search window

6- pick restaurant ... etc.

... so the key is that any screen dialog that leads to a map (which can be toggled to "Destination Search Mode" via the magnifying glass on the lower right), can be used to target a point for doing a "nearby" POI search.

Unfortunately, unlike the Garmin, all this good stuff only applies to POI's and doesn't apply to "destinations" (aka Garmin's user waypoints).

I should add, since it's not obvious from the on-screen prompts, that like the Garmins you can actually do finds not only on addresses and POIs, but also on intersections and cities ... hence you can also do "nearby" searches for POIs on those as well.

What are they selling the Navigon 7100 for now? Someone mentioned a reduction in price? what store? Has anyone seen any information on the 8100?

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the touchscreen stylus that comes with the 7100. I'll bet you didn't even know it was there. Take a look at the back of the unit and pull out that protruding plastic clip to the left. Voila!!! A stylus to enter all the data.

Next point... Use optimal routing instead of fastest for better routes.

Next point... Tuck your TMS antenna wire under the plastic windshield pillar. You won't even know it is there.

Next point... Set the TMS to automatically route around traffic jams instead of trying to figure it out manually. It has been very reliable for me and I am in Fairfield county also.

I have written to Navigon to add the following features - we'll see if they use them.... 1) Make the 7100 continuously scan for the bluetooth phone. 2) Make the unit go into standby mode after the car is turned off and 3) add voice command to the Bluetooth

I must say the Navigon 7100 is the worst product I have ever purchased. I returned this unit after only one day and one trip; I will detail it a little for you now.
First off I took this on a known route just to check the performance and the features that attracted me to the unit. It took 15 minutes to acquire the GPS signal, I felt this was a bit excessive but figured it would be faster the next time, didn’t happen, every time you turn the unit off expect to wait 10 to 15 minutes to acquire a signal.
I was not impressed at all with the touch screen sensitivity, even after I calibrated it it still required a very hard push so I found that the stylus had to be used or you could use a fingernail. Since the keyboard and all the buttons were so small my fingers just wouldn’t do the trick.
After finding the POI I was traveling to; this wasn’t as easy as other units I have used in the past, it could only be accessed by searching through the city listing instead of under it’s category.
There are two routes to this destination and it automatically took me to the longest and slowest route. I tried rerouting with all the available route parameters and no matter what it would not recognize the shorter route. I decided to just use the fastest route option and headed out. When I came to a rest area the 7100 would try to route me through the rest area and then back on the freeway, I had to laugh at this maneuver. Then when I came to an overpass it wanted me to exit, go across and back onto the highway, I couldn’t believe what this unit was telling me to do, I found it hard to believe that these maneuvers could possibly make my trip faster. It did this on every overpass so decided to recalculate using the shortest distance. This took away the silly maneuvers and I proceeded to the exit I knew I needed to take even though the unit wanted to route me into Wyoming and then back into Montana. By the way the short route is 140 miles while the route the 7100 calculated is 175 miles and 25 minutes longer.
After I turned on my known exit I figured the unit would recalculate and find this shorter route, it didn’t, it kept trying to either turn me around or telling me to turn on the next road. This is where it gets really funny, there are no other roads, every road it said to turn on didn’t exist, it was either a farmer’s field, a pasture of just sagebrush and hills with no paths whatsoever. I was laughing so hard at this point because it would not recognize the route I was on even though it is a major highway.
This went on until I was 27 miles from my destination and it finally decided I knew where I was going. Up until this point it was still trying to take me back to the original route and had me traveling an extra 67 miles.
By the way, it did the same thing on the return trip and every time it had to recalculate it took anywhere between 2 and 5 minutes to reroute, I was not impressed to say the least.
I did get exactly two hours and thirty-five minutes of battery life, this too was totally unacceptable.
I took the unit back that day and got my money back.
If you are looking for a unit that can only get you to your destination from one direction or are looking for something to make you laugh at all the silly maneuvers it comes with, this is the unit you want.
However if you want to get to your destination in a timely manner I suggest you look elsewhere. Myself, I am going with Garmin, I have a Magellan and am not impressed with that unit or the 2006 map update I purchased this year as their newest update.

Thankfully I have not experienced most of the problems listed here. The 7100 has great features once you get used to it. However I have had a whole slew of software issues. They have replaced the unit twice and SD card twice.

I'm on my third unit. The previous problems have not resurfaced in the past month, however it has a serious software issue. It hangs up when calculating/recalculating a route. It's an occasional thing, but sure causes trouble when in city traffic.

I have over 50 hrs. into troubleshooting. They don't have a fix and they are firm about refusing to refund my money. I'm stuck with a GPS that is unreliable.

The features are great. If it were reliable, I would be thrilled with it.

I bought my Navigon 7100 to use on a holiday trip. It was in the first 5 days when I discovered the local Wal-Mart wasn't in the system. The road that the store was on or any other store on the street was missing. Wal-Mart had been here for 3 years that told me the map in my new navigon 7100 was at least 3 years old. I phoned navigon and the nice man told me I had to purchase the map updates for $79.95 I said I couldn’t understand why, the machine is only 6 days old. He insisted that I had to buy the new updates but I refused. Since then I have found many errors in the system. Navigon can't find its way around New Brunswick very well. Navigon doesn't know where The Trance Canada Highway is in that province. Navigon had me going the wrong way on a one-way street in St John. We visited friends in Woodstock that lived in a house that had been built about 30 years ago navigon didn’t know that the street was even there. I would not recommend this GPS to anyone. You would be better of with a map and a compose. I paid $329.00 for a guessing game piece of junk. If Navigon can't stand behind there product I'll slam them every chance I get Eldon
booth.e@netzero.net

i just bought the navigon 7100, The manual tells me to charge it for 6 hours before using, but i don't see anything enclosed for charging inside my house .. A device that looks like an AC adapter with 2 little clips .. is that a charger.. and how do i use it? they can't fit in the regular electrical socket

Just ordered mine. $233.00 I'll give ya my two cents when I get it.

ps.....Clean your friggin' car! (see fig 24) LOL

I like the 7100. I used it to get to a park in an area of my city that I am not familiar with. I keyed in the address and off we went. The only negative that I could see during navigation is that the unit responds somewhat slow and that's why I took 2 wrong turns and it immediately re-calculated the route. The 7100 got me there and got me home too.