TomTom or Garmin

[shires999]

OK I'm a long time user of TomTom sat navs (never used any other brands) I have also regualry used the PGPSW camera alerts.
I currently have a 1005 with the Caravan/Camper maps and those maps are due for renewal and at the end of the year live services are as well so looking at circa £130 out lay whcih will only be for 12months. I notice that they have now released a new Caravan/Camper model which does look very nice. However, I understand you can't use the database on the newer models.

Garmin do a Caravan version and looking at that as a possible replacement for my trusty tomtom. That can use the PGPSW database can't it ?
So looking for good and bad points between tomtom and garmin. Is one device better at certain things than the other
I really do like the traffic service on Tomtom and has got me home quicker on more than one occasion.
Cheers

[pcaouolte]

Having moved from TomTom to Garmin in order to retain the PGPSW camera warnings the big difference that I notice is the routing. TomTom's routing seems to be based on using small local roads to get you to the nearest A road, using the A road to get you to the motorway and then reversing that process at the end of the journey. I found this to be a sensible strategy.

The Garmins seem to have a liking for small local roads. They sometines take you off an A road onto small roads and then back onto the same A road further along. I find this very irritating. It is particularly a problem in counties like Cornwall and Cumbria where there are many small roads to choose from.

Garmin traffic seems very similar to TomTom traffic. Both very good most of the time in my experience.

The latest TomTom devices don't support the speed cameras from here, the Garmin devices do. The Garmin device does not queue the speed camera warnings as effectively as the old TomToms which can result in part of the warning sound being muted by a direction instruction. The Garmin can announce something like "Warning speed ... in 200 yards turn left", the old TomTom's never did this. This is made worse by the Garmin giving more unnecessary instructions than the TomTom, things like "Continue on the road".

Another noticeable difference is when leaving a major road and entering a roundabout. TomTom says something like "Take the slip road, then at the roundabout take the second exit". Garmin Just says "Take the slip road". If the slip road has more than one lane the TomTom has given you enough information to select the appropriate lane but the Garmin has not.

I have tried hard to like the Garmin but after owning one for two years I wish I had never bought it. My current strategy would be to buy another TomTom and use the Cameralert app on my phone for PGPSW speed camera warnings.
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Paul

[dales]

I like my Garmin.

I usually check my route beforehand, so that I know where I'm going (and to spot aberrations - if any).

Using my Silent Voice I can turn off the direction instructions and just leave the verbal camera warnings.

Dales.
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nuvi 2599LMT-D, oregon 700, basecamp, memory-map.

[sussamb]

Like dales I like my Garmin.

I can't comment on all roundabouts after slip roads but personally have never had an issue getting into the correct lane for a roundabout off a slip road using Garmins, which I've done for many years.

I agree there are a number of folks here who have issues with Garmin routing taking them off and then on again to main roads. I've experienced it occasionally and have found in the vast majority of cases that it is actually quicker. I guess it depends whether you prefer main roads or are happy on more minor routes. I and my wife quite like getting away from major routes so it's not a problem but I accept some prefer major roads no matter if it's longer both in distance and time.
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Where there's a will ... there's a way.

[walkerx]

if you want a single unit with PGPSW cameras then you have two options

1) Garmin
2) Smartphone

The premium garmins are excellent build quality and you can tell this when you look at them compared to the equivalent premium tomtom device.

Due to how the interface is on the garmin's when driving along a route, it seems too overcrowded compared to tomtom. You have decent size screen but you loose quite a bit for the information and traffic alerts, it just looks more polished on the TomTom devices and you see more of the route.

Garmin's routing can be hit and miss, I've had it take me of A-roads to come back on a couple of 100 yards further down for no reason. Traffic is good but not as good as TomTom, but they both have issues. Unlike TomTom, Garmin doesn't rely on 2G networks.

You could use a smartphone, which gives you more choice for navigation software to use, but you'll always have CamerAlert available.

On smartphone the paid choices would be TomTom (monthly/yearly subscription), Sygic (One-Off Payment) or could use Google, Waze or any other free application. If you have a vehicle with android-auto then would recomment you use the smartphone.

[dales]

Where there is a choice of lanes on a slip road, the Garmin will often show you which lane(s) to use.

The direction icon (top left of screen) shows arrows for this lane guidance, as does the Junction View photo (provided for major junctions).

Dales
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nuvi 2599LMT-D, oregon 700, basecamp, memory-map.

[topref]

[Allan_whoops]

Second hand tablet and Co-Pilot. They have a caravan/camper van version, you can add your own POIs and customise route preference.

[Kremmen]

Apart from the last few miles I never follow any SatNav route religiously. Yes they will sometimes do silly things like single track and slip roads but just ignore them.

If I'm going somewhere unfamiliar I always scan the calculated route before I set off.
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DashCam:
Viofo A119 V3

[sussamb]

[shires999]

Thansk for the response guys. I have found that I can use teh Cameralert app and it warns me through my car bluetooth system so that gets around lack of alerts on a new Tomtom.
Looking at Garmin it does seem that teh traffic isn't as good as Tomtom and tbh I do use that a lot.
So question to myself is do I keep existing Tomtom and just pay for new maps and live servcies until it breaks or isn't supported anymore or shell out on a new Tomtom and use cameralert.

[Privateer]

Hi shires999,

If you're used to TomTom, especially TomTom's Traffic then I would suggest that you look at staying with TomTom. If the old TomTom camper/caravan model worked well for you then hopefully the new version will too.

[marksfish]

I was a TT user until they stopped supporting (properly) 3rd party POI's. You can now load POI's to Tom Tom, but with no image, you just get white dots on screen. I like them showing on my screen for work, so that if I am passing a customer nearby, I can see the icon on screen and pop in for some good old fashioned customer service

Routing is generally okay, but I have found (even though do not use unmarked roads is checked) I have been routed down single track roads in areas I don't know, for the sake of not taking the next exit and staying on a A road.

I have found the traffic to be much better and more reliable now I don't have windscreen heating. There must have been some interference, even thogh I was reassured there would be no issue.
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Garmin Drivesmart 51 LMT-D Europe

[cottonsocks]

I ditched my Garmin because I didn't like the lack of information about road numbers at major traffic roundabouts and the sometimes bizarre routing. Also, with my TomTom device, I can add my destinations and routes on any internet-enabled PC and they automatically download to my GO 6200 when I switch it on, whether that be at home or in the car. I also prefer TomTom's live traffic - I find it to be much more reliable than with Garmin devices. Speed cameras alerts are OK for fixed cameras, but totally unreliable for mobile traps. So, I have purchased a Cheetah 550 from Amazon and that seems to be working really well, plus it gives me a nice clear digital readout of my current speed and direction of travel.[/url]

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