I ordered my Navigon 7100 at the end of August and received it on September 7th. In the last few weeks, I have been all over .... New York City, Washington, Northern Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, San Francisco/Oakland, California, etc. For most of those journeys I have had my Nuvi 660 next to the Navigon 7100. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Overall, my personal conclusion is that the Navigon 7100 is for me the way to go. I will be packing up my Nuvi 660 in a few days and sending it off to one of my kids.

Below I will list some Pros and Cons of the 7100. The 7100 has not by any means been flawless. But its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. And most of my complaints are easy software fixes. I feel that Navigon has gotten the message from those of us in the USA and is attempting to address our issues. They won't be here long if they don't. They may believe that they have the superior product but they may go the way of Beta in the Beta / VHS competition, if you remember that from years and years ago.

I have spoken to higher ups at Navigon and they could have brushed me off. Instead, once I got that far, I found someone willing to listen, acknowledge their shortcomings and say they will fix things. So far they have done so with the 4 GB fiasco. The rest remains to be seen. I am hopeful. I believe that they will now do what it takes. The people I have dealt with struck me as sincere and willing to do what it takes.

By the way, while I adjusted the route profile based on recommendations on forums and even from Navigon to the Optimum setting, I have found the Fast profile setting works best for me.

I also have turned off the Menu animation setting which seems to work better for me.

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Pros of 7100

Excellent screen and info. I like info and I get all I need with the 7100. I especially like the upcoming turn arrow showing up if it is a close turn to the next turn you are taking.

The 7100 adjusts for your time zone automatically. You need to do this manually on the Nuvi 660. In California my 7100 showed the correct time while my Nuvi was on Eastern time. I was only there a day and didn't bother to change it.

The 7100 makes it easy to engage the night/day mode, as well as 2D/3D mode. Though an auto setting for day/night would be a nice add-on, it is too easy to do manually to make a difference for ME. And I like the color scheme of the night view. Very cool.

Ability to block portions of route and have trip recalculated. Makes life easier if I want to avoid certain roads.

Seems to lock onto 1 or 2 more satellites than 660 when I was able to check, not always though, but a lot of the time which may help explain my next observation.

Its position in relation to the road in my observations was a bit more accurate than the 660. I would be just about passed the exit ramp when the 660 would show me just entering it.

I found the refresh rate to be a bit more frequent than the 660. While it may be an optical illusion, it seemed to be moving more often than the 660. Again, this is my personal observation and might help explain the above observation.

Reality View is excellent. It has helped me on countless highways. Once though it showed one more lane than the highway had. But it helped me navigate the right way anyway. This is probably the number one feature for me.

Lane Assist is not visible when Reality View is on, but if you hit the screen to disable Reality View (quick feature and easy to do) I often see the Lane Assist present there. Helped me getting to Oakland, Ca. airport as I exited and needed to turn left by showing me both lanes were left turn lanes way ahead of the pavement markings showing me that. Helped me to decide what lane to use for the upcoming turn.

Speed warning (caution) has helped me keep my speed where I want it to be. Though I got used to it and needed to remind myself that it isn't always there, especially on the local streets.

Time of arrival is more accurate for ME than 660. The 7100 would on short trips show 5 to 10 minutes longer to get there but ended up being closer to the actual time of arrival than the 660. On a 5 hour trip the 7100 showed arrival to be 35 minutes longer than 660 at the start. Ended up being closer to actual arrival time than 660. Nuvi kept adding time, even though trip was going smoothly. Much prefer a more conservative approach. Again this is what I experienced in my journeys.

Fairly fast recalculation of route when turn not taken (I did that intentionally at times to test it out). Though once it seemed to take forever.

Traffic info reception is excellent. External antenna not needed in major cities, but helps in outlying areas.

Windshield mount is easy to put on and take off. Stable and secure. Wobbles on occasion but not noticeably an issue for ME. Brings the 7100 closer to you than any other system I have used that I mounted on the windshield. And I found it has lots of adjustment options to get the view I wanted. Had my doubts at first, but love how it just floats near you. My Nuvi mount would fall off until I started using water on the rubber mount before attaching. Even then once or twice it came off.

Easy to spot a McDonald's on your route and by turning in its direction get to it fairly easily rather than search the POI database.

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Cons of 7100

No feature to avoid HOV roads/lanes. I have an entrance ramp near me to a major highway that is open only during morning rush hours and is only for HOV use. The 7100 always wants to take me to that highway that way. I can never use it since it is only me in the car. And the times it tells me to go that way it is closed anyway.

I enabled the feature to avoid U-Turns, but the 7100 tells me to make them anyway, even if I could easily go around the block. I could understand it doing so if I am at a dead end but that hasn't been the case. There has been a clear view of the sky and good reception at the time.

My saved destinations do not show up on the map. It would be nice to see them as I go near them. The Nuvi shows all my destinations on the map as I go by them.

Text to speech needs improvement. While I have found that most streets are named, the pronunciation is awkward. If not spelled in a conventional way it is mispronounced. Centre becomes Cen-tray. Marble is Mar-blay. Stonefield becomes Stoney-field.

Toll roads are labeled as TOL for some reason. Even though there is plenty of space for it to be TOLL. As a result the text to speech says, turn onto xx "tall"... for TOL.

Battery life is not as good as I expected. It has a nice warning though to tell you that the battery is almost gone. Maybe Navigon should check with Apple and its iPhone for a better approach.

Finding a Point of Interest if you don't know the city it is in is difficult. The Nuvi will tell you all the POIs close to you, though you have a long wait as it loads them to get to the next screen. If I want a gas station nearby it doesn't tell me if it is ahead of me or behind me. The Nuvi would give me arrows to help me see where it was. Not knowing could mean circling back to get to it rather than hit something along the way. Its POIs on the route don't give you a lot of options. I would much prefer getting a list to choose from than the ones the unit selects to position on the route I am taking.

Long start up time. Though it is a breeze when I stop for gas and get going again. It took seconds for the 7100 to crank up the times I bought gas or had a quick lunch. My Nuvi was still loading as I headed on my way. Blocks away it joined the 7100. Most of the time though (other than the quick stop routine), the Nuvi was the winner here.

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Again, these are all MY PERSONAL observations. I know others have had different experiences on many of these observations.

All in all I find the Navigon 7100 to be an excellent GPS for MY needs. And even though I paid a higher price for it when I bought it than it sells for today, I think I got my money's worth.

Is it perfect? Not at all. It has many things that could be better. Is it the best GPS I have come across and owned? Yes, I can honestly say that it is FOR ME. I have owned the Tom Tom GO, the StreetPilot III, the Nuvi 350, 360 and 660. For now, this is the one for me. I change GPS units often. Buying the newer maps was not worth it for me since if I added to that price what I could sell my GPS on ebay for it would come close or fairly close to buying a newer model. And I need the latest maps, which are outdated when they are released.

All in all, I am sold on the Navigon 7100. For ME it is a clear winner!

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10-18-07

In the last few days I have been to Memphis and Boston. I must say I am happy to report that the start up time when I get into my rental car seems to be quicker. Also, while I didn't expect to get traffic info in Memphis and almost didn't hook up the external antenna to pull in traffic, when I did I got an alert quickly about a 2 mile congestion spot on a highway on my route. I hit avoid and got diverted to side streets which got me to the hotel fairly quickly. I passed over the highway I was to go on and sure enough it was stop and go traffic. Really saved me time and aggravation.

In Boston I noticed a few things.... one is that in the underground tunnels the 7100 kept moving along the route even though the speed i was traveling showed up as 0 (zero). As some may know Boston had a major construction project (The Big Dig) that put major roadways underground. I doubt I was getting any satellite coverage as I was under water for a time as well. I liked this feature. Reminded me of my old Tom Tom that kept moving as well. My Garmin would just shut down and tell me I had lost satellite coverage. And I had no idea what my next turn or exit would be. Not so with the 7100 (at least that experience the other night). One drawback though, when I got out into open space the 7100 told me to turn right.....there was no exit ramp, nothing but barriers on the highway. After a few seconds it must have gotten its fix and all was well.

I must say it really, really proved its worth when I exited the Mass. Turnpike for my hotel. The ramps and roads were so convoluted I would have never found my way at night. In fact, I just listened to the voice guide me and for the most part kept my eyes on the road. It was great!

I did have to turn off all the POIs since there were so many in the Boston area. I wish there were a simple way to do that rather than having to uncheck all 30 or so of them one at a time. Once I did, the screen was uncluttered and easy to view.

Regarding traffic, I got an alert for a Route 9 ramp being closed. I didn't expect that one since Route 9 is not a highway though it is a major roadway, but with lights all along it.

By the way, the Hertz gate agent noticed it on the windshield and said, "That is a nice unit. What is it?" I didn't expect that and was surprised to hear him say it.

All in all I continue to be extremely pleased with my experiences.

Good:
1. Free traffic report with option to take alternate route
2. Bright and sharp lcd display
3. Lane-assist feature
4. Voice-recognition
5. Nice map display, you can see route few miles ahead

Bad:
1. 50-60% of the time it gives very long routes compared to other gps units. One time it instructed us to take an exit from the freeway and after few miles it pointed us back to the same freeway.
2. Sometimes the voice assist doesn't match with what is shown in the map. The map shows straight line and yet it instructed us to take a right turn and an immediate left turn.
3. Failed to find some well known POIs if do a search from your current location, but it did find it when you do a search by city.
4. The user interface is not very intuitive and a bit sluggish. The scroll bar for turn-by-turn is very close to the route list and you can easily hit one of them when you scroll up/down.
5. No auto Night mode.
6. The circular swivel is too loose.

When I tried to contact Navigon's customer support they wanted me to contact Navteq for the route problem. I mean c'mon why do I have to deal with multiple companies for a single product. Overall, I'm not happy with the unit. I will be returning this product. I might reconsider purchasing it again once they fixed all these issues.

I've enjoyed this new car navigation system for a week and decided to return it. As you may expected this unit has very good graphical interface. In 2D and 3D mode, the displayed map is always beautiful. In the view of performance, this unit has a kind of reasonable performance. Recalculation of route is fast enough. At least the speed is same as that of its competitors. GPS reception is also good, I think it has the newest SiRF III chipset and it guarantees superb reception performance. Free traffic monitoring is one of the best features of this unit. I think lots of people (including myself) buy this because of the free TMC. It works pretty well. 3D view of freeway interchange point is also helpful.

But, in spite of these superiorities, I decided to give up using Navigon 7100 because,

1) Well known (?) memory issue. Mine has 2GB legacy SD card, instead of 4GB faster SD card. I've never tested the performance difference between the two SD's. But I think they will show difference. Even though I can assume the difference is very small, 2GB memory has too small free space for upgrading or user data. Simply, I don't want to buy 2GB with 4GB price.

2) Although the GPS reception is good, it takes too much time for it to initialize the system. It takes 3~5 minute to get the GPS signal after turning on the device. Even you are in the opened area. (If it gets signal once, it can keep the signal pretty well. That's why I think the reception is good.) This is too painful. I have to spend such a long time to start the navigation. You know, I can drive fair amounts of distance in 3 min. If I drive to wrong direction in this dead time, I have to spend more time to get back. This is very annoying.

3) The awkward routing algorithm. Sometimes, it makes me lot of turns even though there is a straight road connection. If there are several parallel roads, it always designates a specific road to drive, in spite of the efficiency. Because there is no traffic information for the local road, occasionally, it guided me to the most jammed road. if I drive away from the jammed road and take another parallel road, it always keep saying "go back to the jammed road" (even though there's no difference in efficiency between two paths and two paths are parallel) sometimes, it picked up a very weird route regardless of the routing option. It will make your travel time doubled.

4) The awkward rerouting by traffic monitoring. Free TMC is definitely the best feature of this device. But this feature sometimes makes the trip time doubled. Let's say you are at point A. You have to drive to point C, 10 miles away from A, through a freeway. But from point B, 9 miles away from A, there's heavy traffic and totally jammed. Then the fastest way to drive to C is taking the freeway and drive to B, then taking locals to C. -But if Navigon gets this traffic information, it will guide you just local road and avoid entire freeway sections. If the freeway is long enough, maybe it redirects you to freeway. But it guided me to locals from Santa Monica to LA downtown and avoided 10 miles whole i-10 section. That was 9:00PM and there was a slow traffic at very near the downtown. This is nonsense. To avoid this situation, when it notifies you the traffic, you have to check the map very carefully and decide to avoid or ignore. You have to do it, while you are driving, even in 60+ miles. That may kill you.

I think Navigon has tried their best, but still not enough. Definitely, it has some superiority over its competitors. But, also it has very critical bugs that can make you very nervous. I think you'd better wait though it's very attractive. You can buy this after they fix lots of bugs other users and I suffered. Don't be a beta tester of Navigon paying more than $500.

I agree with Twelly on most points. I've been using the Navigon 7100 along with my Nuvi 360 for a week. The Navigon fails miserably when it comes to recalculating a route. It will try to double back and put you on the original route, even adding many extra miles. Whereas the Nuvi never made a mistake when recalculating. The swivel joint became loose after attaching the unit 5 times. The Navigon is a beautiful unit but if I want to upgrade my screen I would purchase the Nuvi 660. The Nuvi also will load my telephone book when I use my cell phone whereas the Navigon will not. The Navigon 7100 cd manual has 88 pages and is well written. There are alot of features, so many that to fit on the screen everything is very small and hard to read for my eyes. Also the battery in mine only lasts approximately 1.5 hours. I followed the directions and charged it overnight before it's first use. In order to use it i've had to keep it plugged into the dc jack.
I would suggest waiting for Navigon to get their act together before purchasing. I am returning mine to Amazon today.

I've had this device for about a month now and I use it every day just for traffic monitoring. Currently the re-routing is awkward as many other reviewers have said, also I have noticed that it tells me to U-turn sometimes even when I have the feature turned off. However, I've emailed a couple times with support at navigon's website and they have responded that a firmware update will be released in January as well as a new map update coming mid-January downloadable from their website. Map updates will be once per year.

I was about to purchase a Navigon 7100 when I saw issues arise from experienced users who were testing their new products. (Google Navigon 7100 routing and you'll see what I mean.) I tried contacting Navigon more than once to get assurances that these issues would not be a problem, but their reply was missing or useless. Major issues are:
1) Routing in the U.S. (not a problem in Europe) sometimes makes no sense, doubling travel distance or time. Setting "optimal" routing may get around this somewhat, but the product doesn't work as it should; 2) Obvious points of Interest are either missing or difficult to identify on the GPS; 3) Streets are not always spoken on coming turns; 4) Navigon advertises the product comes with a 4 GB secure digital card but often comes with only 2 GB. It is not clear whether this causes some of the other problems; 5) Customer support is not addressing these issues. They simply say if they find I problem in the future, you can be assured they will fix it. This is not a consolation to people spending $500+ for this product.

I'm going to wait and see if these issues are resolved before making my purchase. There are alternatives (Magellan, Nuvi), although these are less attractive, on paper.

Wrote a review a few days ago but never got posted. Will try again. I used this GPS for a few days before I ended up returning it and I have to say that this is not up to par with some of the other GPS that I have been borrowing from my friends to use. The free traffic feature was what initially pushed me to buying this one. But I think this Navigon is one of the lower ones from my experience so far. In fact I feel that my old Magellan 700 had a much superior routing system.

This navigon had me going an extra 2.5 miles out of my way to get home. When I was only 2 miles away straight up this one street and a right turn to my house. I tried different route settings but it still took me out of the way. I live in the Los Angeles area. I would be weary of the routing if I was in an unfamiliar city. On the map I saw an icon for McDonald's that did not sound right, so I had it navigate me there. It routed me to a place were they was no Mcdonald's (although there was a Starbucks) nor was there ever was one there. I purposely went off route to see how the recalculations would respond and it told me to make a turn on this one street that was not there and at one point had me making a left turn when only a right turn was available. Could not figure it out. In addition, I also found that not all the names of the streets were announced.

In regards to the POI feature, I kept getting to the Zagat POI's only tried every which way to not get to the Zagat but could not. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. I followed directions from the manual but it just wouldn't give me the general POI's only Zagat. But then my friend who had bought one as well had the same problem. We are not new to the GPS World. I have owned three previous ones. The user interface could be friendlier in my opinion.

I have read in other forums that some users have been re-writing the files making changes to improve the routing, and although I can easily do this, as well, I feel I should not have to. The Majority of people who buy a GPS
should have it work properly and efficiently right out of the box and not have to be a certified tech to do so.

I also received the 2GB instead of the 4GB SD card as it was originally advertised. This being the case it would make future upgrades and adding on new maps and POIs "a bit difficult" unless you went out and bought a bigger sd card.

Anyway, I was hoping the Navigon 7100 would work out. Having the free traffic feature would have been a nice touch. But I think I'll try another Brand of GPS.

I've had the 7100 a little over a week. I've traveled from NJ to Philly several times. And if you know anything about the Philly streets, being narrow and plentiful and one-way, a good GPS is a life-saver. Well, the 7100 has been great. No bass-ackward routing at all. I've also gone to Baltimore this weekend from NJ. No problems with the routing to Baltimore or the routing within the city... as far as I know. The 7100 not once had me doing a U-turn for no reason at all. It directed me to the proper lane in plenty of time on the highways and other two-lane roads. I love the "Reality View"!! I had no idea that the 7100 would tell me to get in a left-turn lane in advance (when there was a left-turn lane), in order to make a left turn. And vice-versa for a right turn. Nice!! Seems like the mapping software is up-to-date.
It has been a very good GPS for me. During my testing around my neighborhood and to my job from my house, routing will change depending on if you select "Fast, Optimum, Short, or Scenic". So after entering my destination to work for instance, I looked over the "turn-by-turn" routing for each of the routing selections. I found that the route that I usually drive to work, the "Short" route selection was dead-on. The "Fast" route, took me to I-295 for about 20 miles, then connected me to the route further along in my usual route to work.
I think the 7100 knows when traffic is heavier. Can this be true? Because when playing around with the "Optimum" route, when I selected a destination during 2PM, the routing was slightly different, but not worse, from when I selected the same route at 5:30PM. As a novice GPS user, my question is, do GPS units know about traffic patterns at specific times of day and route you accordingly?
All in all, I've very satisfied with this unit. I'm not a "shill" for Navigon for heavens sake!!! I could care less who owns NavTec and who writes the mapping/routing software. All I care about is getting to my destinations with no headaches or idiotic routing. And so far, the 7100 has passed my testing and real-world routing criteria and as I said previously, I'm very satisfied with this GPS device.

I have had to edit my review after several weeks of owning it and here is what I would say now (can't edit stars but I would give a 4 rather than 5 if possible)

I had a bad experience a few days back trying to reach a destination with awkward routing, u-turn requests and some of what you've probably read on the lower rated reviews. This was the first time I struggled with it and despite being on a awkward small road and very unusual junction at the end of it, I had hoped my GPS unit would help me rather than worsen the situation. It was frustrating. In fairness, this is the first time I sturggled with it and although as I had mentioned previously it doesn't always choose the route I would on any of the settings to chosen destinations, it had never caused problems.

Despite this, and I believe this is easily fixable with new updates to come probably early in 08, it has so many outstanding features that I will not settle for another unit, even if Garmin have been the gold-standard so far.

This is the reason I won't trade it: I use my GPS to drive to work everyday and since I know my route well, no GPS will be of use or value to me on a daily basis other than this because of the free life-time traffic reports. They are incredible and so far very accurate.

I have provided a list of good and bad points which I think are a clearer way of reperesnting information

Good (almost in order of priority): [1] Free life-time traffic reports with areas identified and rerouted around [2] Reality View (looks and works amazingly well, very useful) [3] Lane Assist [4] Immense no. of POI's with associated logos on map [5] Quick satellite lock when in open areas [6] Quick route recalculation [7] Tells you which side of the road your destination is on (you'd be surprised how difficult it can be to find which side an address is on in unfamiliar territory) [8] Zagat reviews (I haven't used this feature but nice to know its available) [9] A fully functioning clear and loud bluetooth system (this at the price is a bonus and should be viewed as so. This avoids disppointment about the inability of the unit to load up a cell phone address book but as I say, at the price and for how well it works, its a big bonus) [10] Easy to add POI's-on-route or new destinations on the way [11] Speech to text so reads out street names (good enough robotic female voice which won't seduce you but will get you there... if that's what you're after) [12] Shows signs and road names two junctions in advance which is so useful [13] A nice feature which has never been mentioned is the counter on the left hand sign of the arrow which indicates how close you are, each box (out of 10) is 100ft from what I make out and this is immensely useful [14] Voice command responsive for stored destinations [15] Awesome display at night [16] Best looking unit on the market by far [17 A good point in my opinion is the lack of a photo viewer which is annoying since every other device I own has this now and I don't need it on my GPS].

Bad points: [1] Short battery life but can easily be mounted in profesisonally or charged at home or car since all adaptors are included [2] Flimsy long holder for windshield mount. Actually looks good when unit is off the mount but its length means it rattles when on poorly surfaced roads, perhaps Navigon can look into new holders for sale as separate units [3] Bluetooth address book issue as mentioned above [4] The rare issue with u-turns or choice of roads but see above for this.

I'm keeping mine because as I say, having a GPS without the Navigon features is useless on a daily basis otherwise whereas I can justify plugging mine in every morning when making routine trips. It looks amazing too (esp. at night with reality view) and that counts for something...

I haven't received my rebate yet and since its been over 4 weeks now (4 weeks in my experience is how long it takes to repay in such offers), then I will be sure to add a note on my review. I'll include details when it arrives. ARRIVED TODAY 21st DECEMBER (~ 5 weeks)

Hope this helps if even a little

I owned this device for almost a week before returning it. On paper, this was SUPPOSED to be the premier GPS device. Well, not so much. I think, among folks that followed new GPS introductions, the Navigon 7100 was eagerly awaited here in the States. Most folks were banking on the success Navigon has had in Europe with Mobile Navigator. The software is rated very high in Europe. What I found with the Navigon is poor Customer Support, scaled down software versus what was promised (Text to speech only pronounces major streets, not local streets, and missing POI's), hardware misleadings (2gb vs ADVERTISED 4gb cards in device), and other issues like serious software bugs in the routing algorithm. Garmin provided a great product early on with a few minor bugs that they worked out QUICKLY, and therefore, solidified their early adopter customer base. Tom Tom did the same when they launched the Go here in the States. It seems Navigon didn't look at the US market with the same vigor as Garmin and Tom Tom did.

I took a leap of faith and I bought the 7100 primarily for the free traffic updates. I am in St. Louis and the main highway through the city is going to be under construction for the next two years or so. So far I have been impressed. The display is very nice and easy to read. I like the 3d mode vs. the 2d overhead view.

The traffic updates have been accurate and helpful in planning travel around town. Recently I was heading into Illinois for a golf outing on a Saturday morning and was surprised when the 7100 told me that the highway was closed. Thinking that is was a mistake, I ignored the unit and sure enough the highway was shut down due to an accident. After exiting it a part of town that I was not familiar with, the 7100 rerouted very quickly to get me back on track.

I also really like the Blue Tooth however I wish it would synchronize with my contact list and the speaker could be a touch louder (I drive a truck and the tire noise drowns it out a bit). On the first use it took about 5 minutes to get a signal lock, but now when I power up the unit now it get the satellite lock in less than a minute. I can see the reality view being really nice when in a strange city, but for me I don't need it in my home town were I know the interchanges.

Now my wife could get lost in the backyard and can barely turn on a computer. After teaching her how to input an address I can send her off knowing she will get there and home again. So far she keeps coming back. I recommend this unit to anyone looking for a GPS device.

While there are some very good features, the core functionality of getting the best route from point A to B is not something to rely on (See Update 12/07/07 below). After driving around Chicago for three days with 7100, I am going to return this unit.

On the first test drive from Arlington Heights to my condo in the West Loop, the unit took me off the expressway waaaay before my regular exit and guided me through a dark, long, unpaved road that I doubt it even exists on Google map. Well, bad routing choice but at least now I know where to dump a dead body.

Another trip to my dentist office in Aurora, the system took me off I88 and guided me through a small road with traffic light every three minutes. I am talking about 2PM with no traffic and Optimum option was selected.

Here's my summary:
The Good:
1. Free traffic subscription
2. Attractive design
3. 3-D view and lane assist are very helpful.
4. It is cool to see those small logos of Burger King, Wendy's, BP, Shell or whatever POIs on the map.
5. Free yearly map update. This is not confirmed but I have read it somewhere.

The Baaaaaaaaaaaad:
1. Not the best routing algorithm (see update 12/07/07 below)
2. Very short battery life. Mine was about two hours right after the initial charging for six hours.
3. Not very responsive touch screen.
4. When starting a trip, the system always immediately prompts me to go to the demo mode or cancel the trip. This is extremely annoying and might be one of the reasons why others complained about the slow signal. In fact, it is about the same comparing to my last stolen Garmin Nuvi 200 (8 seconds), but the latter doesn't whine with the first failed attempt.
5. It would be nice to be able to sync phone book and call history. For what it is now, Bluetooth connection requires re-pairing when turning on the navigator.
6. Awkward user interface. In fact, it isn't that bad once getting used to it.
7. Zagat POI is difficult to use and not up to date. There are POIs in my area that have been on Zagat web site for at least a year but still not on the navigator. Also, there is no way to find a nearest Target or Walmart through this feature.

With free traffic info and 3-D view, I can see myself purchasing Navigon again when they fix these issues.

*** Update 12/07/07
After changing the routing option to FAST, everything seems to work fine now. However, I have found a new issue when trying to enter some street addresses. For example, there is no way to enter 2S676 State Route 59 Warrenville, IL into the system. It simply doesn't allow you to do that. This is weird since the very same address can be selected through Zagat's POI. For issue with speed caution reminder as mentioned by another reviewer, this can be turned off from the option screen.

I've been using the Navigon 7100 for a couple weeks now and absolutely love it. It's a beautiful unit and the graphics are fantastic. One of my favorite features is the free traffic reports. I live in the DC area and traffic is terrible on the Capitol beltway. It's nice to know what roads to avoid throughout the day.

The 7100 comes will a stylus pen that I never use. It's a pain to pull out every time I want type in a command. I never had a problem with just using my fingers.

I highly recommend this GPS system.

I was also one of the ones that got the 2gig card instead of the 4. Navigon can't get their story strait on this one. Online reports seem to imply they are sending a new 4gig card to some users who call techsupport, others they are not. Hopefully the will step up to the plate and fix this for those of us who showed early support to the product.

The Text2Speech is hit and miss, sometimes it seems to work well speaking street names, others it does not. (Even on the same roads, strange....)

The graphics and voice command are good, but there are some issues with the 7100 that need to be handled by Navigon. There is some very strange routing with the unit. No auto "Day/Night" mode (a MUST have). POIs really need to be updated. The low end Mio's have a more complete set.

Navigon where are you!!!

This device is all it is advertised to be and then some.
I found the setup easy and it was immediately useful from the moment I turned it on.
The real-time traffic service is fantastic, I have been driving all around the Mid-Atlantic region and the unit always pulls a signal no-matter where I am located, even in remote areas. The units Blue-Tooth setup was also easy and I have been using the log-book for my work trips as well.

The only negative comments: The re-route option (when redirecting you around traffic problem areas) is usually great, but sometimes can send you on a very complex and long route, where it may have been better to just sit in the traffic for a bit.
The only other down-side is the lack of simple connection to the computer...I have not had great luck synching the unit with my computers (PC's running XP Pro) and would like to be able to see the unit and download the log-books, if this is possible I have not yet figured it out.
Also I wish it had a "commercial vehicle" setting so when I use it for driving my 18-wheeler it would direct me only to areas and roads that allow trucks, this caused a few situations for me, if it had a "truck" option it would be even better.

Overall I love it and even got a second one for my parents who love it as well, they used it for a recent trip to the West coast and they said it was great. They are not technical so with a little coaching from me (since there is not really a physical instruction manual included) they were up and running in no-time.
I would definitely buy this unit again, after much investigation into the $900+ Garmin units I found this unit to be the best overall available on the market.
The mounting bracket is substantial and good quality and easy to use as well, the same with the suction-cup traffic antenna, very easy to transfer between vehicles which I do often.

Enjoy this thing...you will wonder how you ever lived without one!
-Rich

Cons: 1. some buttons and text are absurdly too small. It seems function is sacrificed for form.
2. Point of Interest data base is far from up-to-date and may take a several minutes to complete a search while leaving user wondering what and if it's doing anything.
3. Screen redraw lags actual position. Strangely, this does not happen all the time.
4. With U-turn feature turned off the units still instructs driver to make a U-turn.
5. map data will be obsolete in early 2008 when new map data will be available. Navigon stated that it has not yet determined how much it will cost to upgrade map data. Some posters here falsely spread rumors that map upgrade is free.

Pros: 1. Relatively inexpensive compared to Garmin but has more features.
2. bluetooth phone interface is easy to make and phone voice sounds clear.
3. TMC traffic report feature is free with no subscription ever, and it works great in the DC area.

Over all, I'm pleased with this unit. I own several GPS including TomTom, Honda Odyssey Navigation (which costs lots of money to upgrade map data), Garmin, Lowrance, and others. I must say Navigon 7100 is my favorite so far for the money, although, like all others, it's not perfect.

I hope Navigon will put more thoughts into buttons and text sizes and graphical interface in its next firmware upgrade that will supposedly be released in early 2008.

I have been using TOM TOM for past 3 years which is a good GPS. I bought Navigon cause my Tom Tom map was old so i have invest in map or new GPS i went for GPS. Looking at NAvigon 7100 which offers best feature for money i bought it.
br /Well main feature of GPS is to take you from A to B, this is what 7100 doesn't do well it make me take internal route rather then HIGHWAY and also there is no way to change that. In Tom Tom every time u click on find alternative it will give u different route and u pick the best. This one doesn't give you that offer which is frustrating. They should have a at least given choice to select HIGHWAY and avoid internal road. Rest all features are great. I will return and buy again when they fix the ROUTING ISSUE which is the main feature of GPS.

Do not waste your time on this unit is my best advice. I purchased it from not from Amazon, but a club store (it was on sale). I was intrigued with free lifetime traffic support but it was not worth it. Here are my impressions:
br /1) The traffic support; although free; was poorly implemented as it would show you traffic alerts for areas that were not on your route. Sometimes they would be 50 to 60 miles in the opposite direction from where you were traveling.
br /2) The 'interchange' display (which is what is typically shown in the product image for the unit) is a Great idea. But, it holds onto that interchange for far too long. At one point on my way to work I pass 2 interchanges that are about 2 miles apart. I had driven past the second exchange and it was still telling me where I needed to be for the first exchange. If I was supposed to transition to the second exchange I would have missed it.
br /3) Its voice pronunciation of street names also leaves much to be desired. In some cases the name it pronounced was so strange sounding that I would not have known it was the street I needed unless I was already familiar with the area.
br /4) The most important thing was its poor navigation engine. Even though I checked the no U-turn button it would constantly (at every off ramp) want me to make a U-turn to take its directions even though I knew that traffic was much more congested the way it wished me to go. The final straw was I give it an address 3 miles directly ahead of me. Instead of having me go straight for 3 miles, I was directed to make a left turn, go 1 1/2 miles down to the next main street, turn right drive 3 miles to the freeway, enter the freeway and drive 1 1/2 miles exiting on the same street I was already on.
br /
br /I ended up taking it back and getting a Garmin Nuvi 760.

I have only had the Navigon 7100 for a few weeks. It worked right out of the box. The free traffic service seems to work. I really like the reality view when approaching a major intersection. Since I have not been on a road trip yet I have only used it around town.

CONS: Need to have updated maps more frequently. I live in a new section of Sugar Land, TX so the roads and POI of not close to what they are now since the map and POI's are about a year old.

I loved the device when I got it, touchscreen didn't really give me too much trouble, the user interface was intuitive for most part. But issues started popping up as soon as I tried its navigation features.

As a simple test, I entered a known address and asked it to show the step-by-step route to that address. Even though the normal route is straightforward with most of it on the freeway, Navigon wanted me to go only half way on the freeway, then take an exit about 6 miles before the exit I normally take, then take 3 crowded, internal roads to reach the destination. I tried yahoo maps and mapquest, both were able to give good directions. But on the Navigon, I tried all routing options (fast, short, optimum) but to no avail. I tried some other addresses, for most of them it didn't show the optimal route.

I tried its route planning feature, that allows the user to set up route-points (starting address, mid-points, ending address). I entered my home address as starting point and the same known address as ending point. Then using its 'avoid' feature, which allows a user to avoid each road in the route, I got the Navigon to finally show the optimal route. I saved the route and exited route planner. But alas, when I retrieved the route the next time, it was showing the same default route - the device only saves the route-points, not the chosen route.

From other reviews that I have read, it is apparent that the device's on-the-fly route re-calculation algorithm is also very whacky, although I haven't tried it personally.

Will the software update that is supposed to come out in January fix these issues? Since Navigon hasn't committed on anything, there's no way to know. I will probably return the device and wait for a while.

In the end, a great let-down.

Bought this GPS because the display is large and bright, and I prefer the 3D view which is easier to follow when driving. Compared to the other models on the market, the price/features were very competitive. Absolutlely love the unit. I usually charge the unit at home, enter my destinations ahead of time from my desk, and then mount it and go. Noticed a few odd routing choices vs some of preferences in my own neighborhood, but when I'm in unfamilair areas, it always seems to do just fine. Haven't had any of the issues others have expressed - no U turns, no traffic data problems, POIs are good, satellite signal is not a problem in the car, mount is fine (I like the little flexibility), battery power is good, I like the portability of the unit. Unlike others, I like that it does not bug you when you make a wrong turn or modify the route yourself - it simply recalibrates on the fly. Haven't noticed any slowness, or bugs. Sure, maybe its not perfect - I can't imagine any mapping system is. But weighed against its features and ease of use, I'm still very happy I bought this unit and have recommended it to everyone I know.

Great design and great user interface, this GPS has a superb LCD screen in both day and night mode. The fine tuning of this unit is what makes it so powerful. Features like AVOID TOLLS and "Speed Check" which gives you a subtle warning that you are exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 mph for example make the unit extremely functional. The unit does occasionally get confused (Chicago - roads above roads confuse the GPS) and roads that dead end near your location (Cul-de-Sacs) seem to throw it for a loop, but other than that its gets YOU THERE or at least very close to your destination.

I have noticed the battery life is very short, so you need to keep it plugged into the AC/DC unit in your car. The GPS sticks to a plate that can be attached to your dash or the window, the dash plate is nice and works well. FYI. Comes with a sticker that tells potential thieves that the GPS in this car is PIN protected. Great idea in theory, but bad in reality, as many people won't deploy the PIN setup, the thieves will smash the window just to see if you have a GPS in the car. I didn't use the sticker.

The unit also has Traffic Warning/Avoidance which I am still playing with, in some cities it doesn't seem to find the traffic channel which it gets from a radio signal (e.g. FM 96.7). Very useful during rush hours. The GPS will route you around the slowdowns/backups.

The unit needs a POI (Point of Interest) update as some major POI's seem to be missing or are difficult to locate.

With all that said... Highly Recommended. Great unit and great tech support from Navigon.

The 7100 looks good and has a great POI list. The software is a little slow but the text to speech and lane assist make it worth the slight delay. The windshield mount looks good but doesn't work as well as the Garmin mounts. I have used this in multiple states and it has very accurate map data.

we just got home from disney, we were always lost, we used are navigon gps and could not believe how great it trully is! If you go 10 miles over speed limit the little lady lets you know, if you make a wrong turn she recalculates the new route for you. this saved us alot of time and alot of arguements over not stopping for directions, everyone should have one, it is realy trully amazing. no need to even look up addresses, just punch in the state and name of park or hotel and it finds it for you, just great!

ive had this unit for a few weeks and have used it every day since getting it im an electrician in a school district in cali and service 126 schools and this thing has shown me the way each time now its not perfect it does have delays and sometimes the routes that are being recalculated seem to be a little out of the way but if your lost this unit will get you home

The Navigon has a great screen and very likely the best voice guidance of any device. POI database is horrible and very out of date. UI is pretty, but not intuitive which may only be a problem if you only use it occasionally and then need to find some feature or function while driving. (Stress inducer!)

Finding locations is troublesome...it thinks my ZIP code is in a different city, and setting a destination by city/street/number sometimes doesn't work at all whereas number/street/city works every time. Weird. Free lifetime real-time traffic updates is what sold me, but you almost always have to use the supplemental antennae to get reception. It can also act as a bluetooth headset, but audio quality is poor. Its mounting arm is pure genius placing the device closer to you than any other I've seen and, its rock solid. Even though it is a "touch" screen, you almost invariably need to use its well-hidden stylus instead of your fingers.

So, a bit of a mixed bag. The good news is that it has no fatal flaws, the physical unit is nicely made and reeks of quality. The minor UI gripes could be fixed by a software upgrade. That is, if Navigon will ever provide one...and given the sorry state of the POI database and address logic...they need to, ASAP!

If I had known how good the voice guidance was, I would have opted for the smaller screen version and saved some money. Don't get me wrong; big screens are nice, but while driving, trying to decipher a map can be dangerous, while the loud clear voice prompts provide all the info you really need to get from point A to point B.

Point of interests are very less not able to find walmart, costco.. and so on. We have to feed the complete address. Most times we will not be having complete address for POI. Weight of this model little bit more.
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br /
br /
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I have been using GPS since 2002. They have all had their quirks, but one thing that was usually good, if not optimum, was the "routing"
Navigon 7100, is beautiful, the software and the GUI is very nice, but what really takes a beating is the routing engine.
On most of the routes, Navigon gives less than optimum routes - which are either much longer than the most optimum routes specially when compared to mapquest or yahoo maps - not only are they longer, but also, for no reason, Navigon insists on routing through by-lanes and single lane routes instead of faster options.
I am hoping that the software update, expected to be released by the manufacturers in Jan 2008, will make at par with the Garmin Nuvi. If that happens, this will be the best GPS in the market - without it, even with its great features like Reality View, Free Lifetime Traffic, Speed Limit postings, lane assist feature etc, it remains inferior- because it lacks in the single most important feature of a GPS - optimum routing.

The unit itself is absolutely amazing - i will hold on to mine for a while, hopefully the Jan 2008 update will take care of the routing. Until then, even though i am really "trying" to like this unit it doesnt win my trust.

I really love this unit. It has it's quirks but so do all the other GPS units I have used. The 7100 actually tracked my car better than my Garmin did on the same route. The Navigon and Garmin both showed exactly the same directions from my house to the destination. There is a left turn followed by a quick right. The Garmin always gets confused there and keeps telling me to turn left even after I have already made the right. The 7100 tracked perfectly during this same maneuver. I am not putting down the Garmin it is a fine device, but for the features and price of the Navigon you can't beat it. The only thing I wish it did like the Garmin is turn on and off automatically when you plug and unplug into the lighter.

Ben

I do like this product, it has all the requirements for a GPS system. The free traffic is always up-to-date and very convenient to avoid those traffic jams.

The only draw back is the US Navigon techical support, as they direct you to the European sites. Also the web site is coming up to speed to support US. But generally I am happy with the product.

I REALLY wanted to like this GPS (replaced an older Garmin). It is so sleek and visually appealing. But I couldn't get past its limitations and have returned it. I got frustrated every time I used it.
Pros: beautiful, quick to get satellite, worked in my house(!), good POI info.
Cons: Windshield mount is terrible! Very difficult to use, kept falling off. No other accessories are available at this time. I could have lived with that (I suppose), if the map software had been more user-friendly. When I wanted to look at the map, rather than be "routed", it was difficult and not very helpful - street names would disappear when you get the view widened enough to see more than your immediate surroundings. Some of the routing was strange also, and the voice prompt didn't start you out.

I wanted to love it, but it is just not the device for me.

GPS units are easily stolen, so utilze the PIN protection offered by this GPS. I only had mine for 10 days before thieves got it out of the console of my car during church.

FAST satelite acquisition, beautiful screen, female voice is slightly electric, speed limit feature works on highways, but not on smaller roads, quickly reroutes and finds fast routes. I never had a problem with inaccuracy, very stylish looking, looked fine in my bmw, traffic antenna fits into speaker jack, so you can't play external speaker and traffic concurrently, speaks the street names to turn on, which is very helpful, good info for driver at lower areas of gps, but too small for my 49 year old eyes to see quickly.

Best features, bright easy to read touch screen, logos for gas and resturants, so you can see Shell or BP coming up, not just gas. You can see McDonalds or Wendys, not just food. Bluetooth, and it recognized my phone easily. Comes with 2Gg card with maps preinstalled. Just pop it in and travel. Free for life traffic service.

Negatives: Text at bottom is small for reading quickly. Menus could be improved.

I did a lot of research on "personal navigation devices" before selecting this one as an "early adopter". To me, the distinguishing characteristics of this one were: (1) Reality View, which shows you at a glance what the freeway exits will look like, and (2) lifetime traffic reports, which can save hundreds of dollars compared to the competition. In addition, it announces street names ("turn right on Main Street" instead of "turn right") and has lots of points of interest.

After about 2 months, I remain very happy with this device, and would select it again if choosing a GPS device. It's not perfect - sometimes it will say an address is on the wrong side of the street, and the Bluetooth connection to the phone can be hard to pair. I haven't experienced the issue of a slow interface that some reviewers have mentioned, and the letter keys to enter a destination don't seem small or cramped to me. It's one of those things that it's best to "try before you buy" if possible. I haven't checked to see if it came with a 2 GB SD card (it's supposed to come with 4 GB, but they had problems in the beginning). I am concerned that I'm supposed to have received a rebate check by now, and it hasn't arrived yet. I'd also like to see a Navigon or third-party additional mounting option. In California, you're not allowed to mount it to your windshield, and I don't want to have a base permanently mounted on my dashboard.

The best part is definitely Reality View. I'm also impressed with how fast it picks up a satellite signal, and how it's able to "lock on" to the signal even when the unit is not near the window (it's down by the center console).

As stated above, it's not perfect, but it's still the one I'd buy if I were to do it again.

When I was making a decision to buy this navigation system I've read couple of negative reviews about this device and was almost discouraged. But when I got it - I realized the negative reviewers were just not bright enough to bend their dogamtic view of the routes. The system works like a clock, perfectly and dynamically reroutes. Even if it seems that it is suggesting something stranger than you'd expect - once you sit down with a map, you realize it does perfect job for the routing mode you've selected in the settings.

Pros: Excellent graphics, slim, fast, strong signal, lifetime TRAFFIC,
reality view, lane assist, quick rerouting, many others

Cons: A little smaller graphical controls for my big hands, robotic voice, but still completely understandable.

Conclusion: excellent buy for the price.

I found this unit somewhat disappointing. I also own a couple Garmin Nüvi 350's so I have something to compare with.
My main disappointments relate to the absence of an automatic standby mode when power is low: my car does not have power to the lighter outlet when the ignition is off. So if I forget to turn off the Navigon I return to a dead unit if. The Nuvi warns me that power is off and then automatically goes into power save mode within 30 seconds unless I tell it not to.
Second disappointment is related to the routes it chooses. While testing it in areas I am very familiar with, it sometime wants to send me in downright absurd ways. They'll probably get me where I am going but it will take me much longer than needed to get there (10 minutes longer on a 30 minute trip is a non trivial variance). Another time it wanted me to take the HOV ramp which was not an option for me since I was alone in the car. To compound matters it kept trying to get me to do a u-turn for the next 4 minutes (persistent bugger)while I was driving the shortest way to the legit on-ramp (non HOV).
Third disappointment is the lack of an automatic daytime/nightime switching.
Seems to me that the manufacturer placed to much emphasis on form vs function.
I would not buy this unit again based on my experience.

I have been using this GPS for several weeks now, and have found nothing that I dislike. The visibility of the screen is excellent, and although I have some problems hearing, I have no difficulty in hearing it's directions. Some have said that to access items they had to tap more than once for the unit to respond, but I have not had that problem. It saved me time going to one place that I would have taken a different route but the way it took me was quicker. The maps do have one problem that is probably local, as a road it had me on, it told me to turn right 500 feet ahead, but the road does not allow right turns at the lights as it has bypass lanes for the turns which are about 500 feet before the intersection. That has been the only fault, and since I know the area, it wasn't a problem for me, but for someone unfamiliar with it, may have to go around to get back to the turn bypass. All other trips have been flawless without any mapping problems.

All in all, a terrific unit and I would definitely recommend it.

I purchased my Navigon 7100 just before Thanksgiving and at the same time purchased a Mio 520 for my daughter (Christmas present). The Navigon is far superior to the Mio as a GPS. The Mio has some nice multimedia capabilities, that my daughter appreciates, yet as a GPS it is lacking some important features compared to the Navigon.

After using both units, my daughter told me she prefers the Navigon for the following reasons:
- Speed limit warnings and advertised speed limits on major roads (the latter feature is not available on the Mio)
- Better screen and far more stable and "cool" windshield mount--her words
- Real-world view of interchanges--my wife is also a big fan of this feature
- More accurate navigation and points of interest--both at home and when traveling
- The Zagat Survey feature (more of a curiosity in my opinion)

She has asked to borrow my Navigon when she travels out of town--I think that is a pretty telling endorsement.

In January, my family and some friends took an extended trip (over 900 miles). The Navigon only steered us wrong one time and quickly got us turned around.

The features I'm most impressed with are:
- The windshield mount--the suction to the windshield never failed even in below zero temperatures and the metal-to-metal twist to mount the Navigon attachment is very secure and robust.
- Night view option or mode
- Option to easily change views
- Crystal clear and extremely sharp screen--it is easy to see turn arrows
- Voice prompts--although pronunciation was sometimes funny
- Auto adjusting volume
- Boatload of accessories that come with the unit (cables, mount options, felt-carrying case and more)

I also like the ability to customize the Navi--just about any function can be configured in one way or another (except the keyboard--see below).

What I don't like (or haven't tried):
- POIs can become noisy (another words jumbled with too many on screen at one time and overlapping each other)
- Battery life was about 2 1/2 hours--not bad, yet I expected better (it does charge when plugged in and in use)
- Response time when very cold--LCD touch screen was less responsive
- Touchscreen keyboard is tight--the attached stylus helps
- Haven't used the Bluetooth cell phone feature--plan to try it soon
- Also haven't tried the traffic feature as I don't live near many of the supported cities

I just downloaded the 1.1 software update and will report back in a few months with my take on any improvements. I hope the software update helps the buyers who were not happy with their Navigon. It is worth another try.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Navigon and it has proven to be reliable (trouble free) and accurate.

This product works as advertised. The maps are easy to read and understand. Being an original Streets and trips user I miss the over view and the ability to zoom out features. But it compact size, auto re-routing for incorrect turns features makes it a great asset. Its vocal commands are a little hazy especially with street names that are unique or abnormal. Other then that is is an excellent tool and I am happy with this purchase.

the navigon 7100 works pretty well, it just needs an up to date map to work from, the local map has roads that were never completed and some that have been rerouted years ago. so far it has worked pretty good. the order through amazon was a very good experience, product was delivered on time and as discribed.

Gary

I lost a bet with my husband because of the countless times that we have been lost due to he said my bad sense of direction and I just cant get along with Mapquest.
We tried Magellan and Garmin, finally we landed on Navigon. It actually said that it was a premier gps device in Europe. Since European's have high standards, my expectations were great for this unit. Also this is the top of the line for this brand. I also saw the unit being demonstrated on TV on one of those shopping network and from the looks of things with the lane assists, speed limit warnings, lifetime traffic info and voice command plus the standard announce street names and cool design, I decided to buy it since they were selling it at Costco at that time as well.

The unit design lived up to my expectation with its sleek design however, what's up with the shoehorn design of the windshield mount. The traffic antennae looks very flimsy with two small suction cup & I lived in San Diego where traffic can be horrendous which stayed horrendous because I cant find a signal for the traffic alert which until now I still can't make to work. Start up on the unit takes a while so you will be driving down 2 blocks before it acquires signal.

It doesnt say all the street names esp when you are it city streets & the speed warning doesnt work on all the roads. Also this aint the typical user friendly GPS that you would use if you are driving & trying to find an address compared to Garmin. Garmin's address entry & POI is more user friendly and practical than Navigon. It comes with a Zagat POI which I think it wants to rival Magellan's AAA POI features.

Like all GPS it does help you get to where you are going with accurate arrival time, fast recalculation & the lane assist helps a lot too. The displaY screen is easy to read as well. So driving is better with any GPS than without if you dont know where you are going but if you plan to spend $500 on a GPS you would at least expect everything to work like it claims and get your moneys worth. Sadly it doesnt.

This is my first GPS and I've only had it for about a month. The only comparison I have is using the GPS in my mom's jaguar - didn't like it. First, the only two lows for the Navigon: battery life is short - if your trip is more than two hours, just hook up the power chord at the get-go. (Very difficult to do while you're driving, as I learned.) Also, you have to charge it first thing out of the box. Low #2: the windshield mount (which looks very sleek) is long, which gets the unit close to you but allows it to shake around way too much. It hasn't come loose but it looks like it might. I'm considering one of those sand-bag dash mounts. I do drive a convertible, which are known for cowl shake and I have the unit mounted near the left corner near the A-pillar, to the left of the steering wheel, so those may contribute to the shake. Your shake may vary.

Pros: where do I start? The traffic data (FREE!) is great! I don't have a long commute anymore so it took a while for me to have an incident in my route. The rerouting around the traffic event was great. Later, on that same drive, it rerouted again for traffic and told me what it was doing. Because of the traffic info, I use GPS even when I know where I'm going. Speaking of that: when you know where you're going and you take a different turn from the GPS route, it is very quick to recalculate (seconds). It will try to get you back on the original route (sometimes several tries) but when it sees that you aren't going to, it quickly recalculates. (Oh, okay, I see what you're doing.)

The lane feature is great. The reality view of the signage is not all that important to me but the orange lane arrows on the picture of the highway are great. Also, when you come up to an interchange and your route is to keep going straight, She tells you to keep left and the reality view pops up and shows orange arrows going straight in all the lanes that are going straight. It's not critical for me to know I'm going straight through since that has already been established but the lane arrows are very handy in those situations.

You can set it up to warn you when you're over the speed limit. I set it for 15 over. This is very handy when you are on highways in the city and can't use cruise control. When you get a little too exuberant, she just says "caution" and a little caution sign appears next to the speed limit display. Very nice!

I have found the destination announcements to be very accurate. Plus, she tells you which side of the street it's on - I never can remember that address rule.

I haven't used the Bluetooth connection to my phone yet - nothing to report there.

The only time I used the Zagat POI info was when I wanted to find out the prices at a pricey restaurant. The restaurant's web site wouldn't tell me. However, finding the nearest (non-Zagat reviewed) restaurants has really been helpful.

Telling you the street and highway names is great. Less time looking at the GPS rather than the road is better IMO. Sometimes the pronunciation is off. Kinda like someone from out-of-town would do.

The larger screen is a must for me. I use 2.00 diopter reading glasses and most of what I need, I can see on the unit without my glasses. Some stuff is small, e.g. estimated time of arrival, and requires my glasses but with the voice and the orange lane arrows I'm generally good-to-go.

I highly recommend the Navigon 7100. I'm almost to the point where it is a necessity. What better thing for a man - we don't have to stop & ask for directions anymore - right, like we ever did that.

This is my first GPS unit and I have really enjoyed having it. I really like the lane assist. I find it to be accurate. Its directions are 98% of the time the route I would have taken. 2% takes me on a scenic drive that I don't really understand why it thinks is faster. It functions great and is quick enough that I don't feel like I wait on it. My biggest complaint is the holder to attach the unit to the windshield. I read the reviews about it being loose and really tried to be careful with it. It became so loose in 4 months that I had to call and get a new one. They sent me a shipping label to return it and got a new one in under a week. Driving down the street the new holder just snapped and the GPS unit went flying to the ground. They can't seem to build a quality holder. I am looking into other options since it cost enough that throwing it away and starting over isn't an option.

Well! I am having 3 GPS units : Navigon 7100, Garmin c550 and Pharos Drive 150.
br /Here are my thoughts:
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br /Signal Aquisition
br /-c550 aquires signals almost at the startup.[Note: New Garmin units are slow in picking up signals]
br /-Navigon takes 30 sec to 1 minutes
br /-Pharos takes almost 90 seconds
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br /Battery LIFE
br /-c550 has almost 3 hrs
br /-Navigon has 1 and half hrs
br /-Pharos has 1 and half hrs
br /Note: Newer Garmin units are suffering from low battery life too
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br /Display
br /Navigon 7100 has extreemely sleek display than both Garmin c550 and Pharos 150. However, the c550 screen is more bright because of good color contrast they have chosen[but looks like cartoonish]. Pharos has the worst display among the 3.
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br /Mounting
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br /c550 has dead easy mounting. Navigon 7100's mounting is cool but not easy to port if you are in continuous traveling. Pharos Mounting is DEAD HELL
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br /Routing
br /Almost all 3 units gave me solid routing with no exception to some weird routes. In Tucson(AZ) and Pheonix(AZ), I had used only Navigon 7100. Because of a huge highway construction going in that place, it lead me to a dead end[The Exit was closed in the night 8PM to 6AM for construction] in my very first trip [from Airport to Hampton Inn]. However, when it got traffice updates, it avoided those ramps in subsequent trips during my stay.
br /In LongView (TX), I used all the three units[I decided to purchase GPS after I returned from Arizona due to my DEAD END experience]. I purchased c550[$160] and Pharos 150[$87]. Here is my observation:
br /1.Short Distance Travelling[Intracity]:c550 and Pharos gave better routes than Navigon 7100
br /2.Long Distance[Intercity]: Navigon 7100 gave excellent routes. c550 lead me to dead end for 4 times.
br /
br /Prompt for TURN:
br /1.Navigon 7100 prompt for turn around 1 Miles before the turn and if two turns are close-by it announces both. Next time, it announces around .2 miles than when you are 500 feet from the turn. Then, it says TURN [Right/Left] when u reached the TURN. The Next turn [or Next 2 TURNS if they are close] are shown on LEFT SIDE of the screen continuously.
br /2.Pharos starts prompting for next TURN aroun 1 mile before it but announces that your are approching the turn many times than both Navigon 7100 and Garmin c550. I like the way it shows the NEXT turn [using a BLINKING TURN INDICATOR THAT TAKES BIGGER PORTION OF UR SCREEN TO CATCH UR ATTENTION WITHOUT DISTRACTING THE ROUTE VISIBILITY].
br /3.SteetPilot c550 announces the least number of times and if 2 turns are in closes proximity, it informs you about them simultaneously but never prompt again for the other turn once you pass ur first turn. There are no indications what so ever on the Main Screen to indicate the next turn direction. [It's in written TEXT along with Street Name on TOP of Screen]
br /
br /Address Entering:
br /1.Pharos and Garmin has almost the same way of Address Entering. They Show once Item Per Screen with Most of the Screen covered with Buttons that makes buttons larger and easy to press
br /2.Navigon has single cumulated screen for entering all parts of Address. The Left Half of the portion shows the address parts and the Right Half of Screen has Buttons. This makes buttons smaller. THIS IS THE MAIN Complaint people are criticizing about Navigon[Navigon rectified it in their coming line of Products: Navigon 2100S, 7200T a 2200T] that will debut perhaps in first week of October or last week of September
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br /Screen Tap Response:
br /c550 and Pharos are marginally better in screen response than Navigon but this issue is almost negligible most of the times
br /
br /
br /Screen Display [Distinct Features]
br /1.Navigon has more display options that other 2 units. It also shows POI that come of either end of Roads during navigation[and this list is customizeable and you can select what types of POI u want to see on Map]. The display is the smoothest display I had seen so far and is the best among all available units so far in the market,
br /2.c550 has more bright and color contrast screen that looks more cartoonish but still pleasant to eyes to look at. I like way ETA and Speed are shown on screen than other 2 units.
br /3.Pharos has one excellent feature. Once you TAP the screen, it gives a popup gives you option directly on Map to [Route to this Location, Add to Favourites this Location].
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br /Multi-Destination Routing:
br /1.Pharos and Navigon has multi-destination rounting but c550 doesn't
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br /Live Traffic:
br /1.Pharos doesn't support traffice updates at all
br /2.c550 has MSN for subscription[$60/year] and it has been critically below standard[MSN Service]
br /3.Navigon has life time traffice updates for free and I did get advantage of it in Tucson(AZ)
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br /Photo Viewer:
br /only c550 has photo viewer among the 3
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br /Music Player
br /only c550 has music player among the 3
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br /HACKABLE:
br /1.Both Pharos and Navigon are hackable and use Win CE 5.0 are their core
br /2.Garmin is not Hackable
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br /Map Updates:
br /1.So far no map updates on Pharos [but they say it will be available free of charge in first quarter of next yrs]
br /2.Navigon has NavigonFresh that provides 12 Map Updates in 3 year for aroud$60
br /3.Garmin provides one map update per year for $60[Now, they have announced to provide quarterly map updates like Navigon from next year but charge for each one]
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br /Who is Impacting whom ?
br /1.Garmin has stolen following features from Navigon for its 2x5T,7x5T units: [Also TOM TOM did this other than traffic update]
br /-Reality View
br /-Free Traffic Updates[But will show adds on your Device rather than charging u for Traffic Updates]
br /-Lane Assistance
br /-Quarterly Map Updates
br /-Multiple Destination Routing that they only comeup with in their 7XX line of products
br /2.Navigon has taken following from TOM TOM and GARMIN for its 2000S, 2200T and 7200T units expecting to debut next month
br /-Direct Help [TOM TOM]
br /-Where Am I [Garmin]
br /3.Pharos has not yet announced any new units to date
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br /Who is Doing new Innovations ?
br /1.Currently Pharos is silent
br /2.Garmin has used its energy to meet the features Navigon introduced with its first line of products last year and one new thing [3D Building View impacting from Navigon's Paranoma 3D introduced in Navigon 8110 in Europe]
br /3.Navigon has introduced following new features in their upcoming line of product:
br /-Lane Assistance Pro
br /-Reality view Pro
br /-3D Land Marks
br /-Flat Panel Screen
br /
br /BLUETOOTH
br /c550 and Navigon has Bluetooth but Pharos doesn't
br /
br /EXPANSION SLOT
br /-Navigon comes with 2 GB SD card. Garmin didn't but you can purchase one and load more maps on it.
br /-Pharos has 1 GB SD Card but you can't change it since it has Sticker that says [Removing the sticker will violate the Guarantee]
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br /SCREEN DIMENSION
br /Navigon 4.3 inch Diagonal
br /Pharos and c550 3.5 inch Diagonal
br /LAST THOUGHTS
br /In my opinion this is not a bad unit at all. Navigon is perhaps the only GPS unit that challenged Garmin the most. Garmin has been providing few features to more BUCKS before Navigon. But now, not only their prices are down but also they has to provide more features within reasonable price. I know those who Love Garmin will like its interface more. I agreed as I mentioned above. Navigon has perhaps listened to these users and have improved thier interface for upcoming product line. But those who still choose Garmin should atleast say thanks for Navigon that gave too much features in less bucks that GARMIN finally forced to not only cut down its prices but also provide more features for less BUCKS. Every one is benefiting from this GPS WAR in one way or other
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This unit is every bit as good as a Garmin Nuvi that I also own, except that the text on the screen is too small unless you have perfect vision. The reality view is a huge plus over the Garmin. A few software problems out of the box such as rerouting always stated "make a u-turn" and didn't try to route you any other way; but after updating the software through their website it works pretty good. Also, the reality views were limited until I updated. Not dissapointed. Recommended to anyone.

First of all, the on/off switch is a two way, a true on/off and a
br /ten second on/off, can't understand why
br /Second , you must tell it where you are ( meaning what state your in)
br / what's up with that...and if you don't, all you will get is a hour
br /glass and then nothing...be aware...
br /Third.. waiting time to find sat's is almost to much to handle
br /Fourth.. it a great unit...after you figure how it works

I bought my 7100 a few day ago. I'm a gadget freak, so I had little problem getting it going and although I was growing frustrated with the onscreen calibration (you do the routine on the screen probably 20 times), it really made a big difference.

I, too, have noticed some long routing, but then I noticed I had the choice for routes on "optimum" instead of fast. Haven't noticed a problem since. While it does tend to send you only on the main roads at first choice, I also found that with my Garmin which froze and was not resettable after two days of use. What I really did like was that I could see for about three miles ahead on the 3-D graphic screen so I could figure out another route.

Maybe I have a newer model or something, but it gathers my satellites within ten seconds. The voice is a female with a European accent, which I would like to change but haven't figured out how to do.

Where I purchased my 7100 allows for 14 days after Christmas for a cash refund, so there was little risk. So far, the 7100 is doing great for me.

Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

First off, let me say this is my first GPS that I have owned, however I have spent many hours researching the internet and visiting stores to find what I thought would be the best GPS for the money. After all the research, I chose the Navigon 7100. It's appearance was more appealing as compared to others I viewed on line and in the stores. However, as we all know, looks aren't everything. I reviewed the pricing as compared to the Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom, models with similar features. The value was definitely the Navigon 7100-especially with the current $50.00 rebate. And finally, the free traffic reporting and 3D view capabilities finally led me to finally choose the Navigon 7100. I received it the other day and have been testing it out and I must say that my research paid off because it has been everything it was advertised to be. Here are the strengths and not so strong points I have detected.
Strong:
1. Excellent satellite capture. I don't know why there are others complaining about satellite capture. My Navigon locks on in less than a minute each time. I average at least 9 satellite connections. This occurs both in the city (Jacksonville, FL) and 40 miles away in the country.
2. Fast re-route calculation. I purposefully have missed a recommended turn a few times to see how long it would take for the Navigon 7100 to recalculate another route. After being asked to make a few u-turns, it immediately assessed my location and re-routed me home and to work.
3. Excellent voice capture: The 7100 allows me to use voice commands to name locations to get directions to. Very handy. I have programmed "Home" and "work" as voice commands and it immediately creates a route for me.
4.Using the Bluetooth phone capability, I have found it to be an excellent speaker phone while driving. One drawback is that it does not import your call list. If this would be fixed by Navigon, that would be a very strong selling point.
5. Very impressive screen display, especially in 3D. Both day and night screen displays are crisp, clear, and provide a lot of information.
6. Sharp looking, sturdy mounting display provides great accessibility and viewing of the 7100. No shaking of display.
7. Free lifetime Traffic & map updates (next one is 1st qtr 2008.

Not so strong:
1. Voice commands sound a little tinny. However, the speaker when using Bluetooth is clear, so I believe it is the digitized voice. However all the voice commands were on the money when I was instructed to turn.
2. Sometimes, the 7100 requests too many u-turns when missing a recommended turn. I would like to see that being an option of limiting the amount of requests of u-turns before starting route re-calculation.
3. Must read Manual thoroughly to understand menu selections. This could be a little more user friendly, but after reading the manual, I had a full grasp of using the 7100 and its features. I highly recommend downloading and using the latest edition of the manual that is on the Navigon Website in lieu of the one that comes on disk.

Well, that's it. One recommendation I can offer is to copy/backup the 2gb card file to your computer in case your lose the 2gb card or it gets corrupted. If I had to buy again, It would definitely be the Navigon 7100, and I would buy it using Amazon, which not only had the cheapest price but free shipping. If you buy the 7100, enjoy it-I am

I HESITATED BUYING THIS GPS BECAUSE IT'S NEW ON THE MARKET,BUT WHEN I REALIZED WHAT I WAS GETTING FOR THE MONEY I RETURNED MY GARMIN 750 WHICH COST 150 DOLLARS MORE FOR LESS FEATURES.I HAVEN'T PUT THE UNIT THROUGH ALL IT'S PACES ,BUT SO FAR SO GOOD.Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

I bought the Navigon after looking at several TomTom's, Garmin's, etc. I really liked the reality view and it certainly helps negotiate city interstate exchanges. The only negative I've found is it occasionally routes you in odd directions, one example had me turning south on an interstate near my house going to the next exit, doing a u-turn and heading back north. I could just entered the interstate going north in the first place. Overall, I really like the unit, however, pay attention for quirks in the turn-by-turn before starting your trip.

I purchased the unit 2 months ago. After carefully comparing to other brands, picked this one for following features - free traffic guidance live, built in Blue tooth speaker, and large quality touch screen.

GOOD - quality is evident in this unit. Mount is excellent. touch screen and day/night options are great and some of the nicest i've seen on any unit. Speed reminders are helpful and unit renders locations accurately. Traffic feature seems to work well and pops up when there is an incident ahead on your route.

BAD - 1. Battery life is terrible - only lasts a couple hours. I now keep the traffic monitor antena and charger permanently hooked up (and justplug in to dash when the battery light comes on to recharge). 2.Blue tooth speaker distorts and i can't hear on it if the vehicle is on the freeway (2006 chrysler minivan). Maybe with luxury car that is quieter, it would work on the freeway. This was very disappointing (this was one of the reasons i spent $150 more for this unit vs some competitor models). 3. POI menu is difficult (especialy if driving) and pretty much requires a stylus and pulling over. Even then it can be frustrating - i got to the hospital before i could get the unit to find it for me. 4. menu operation is not entirely intuitive, but can be learned with only a couple references to the PDF manual i downloaded to my home computer (there is no printed manual to take on the road).

The Navigon 7100 is an attractive GPS, but it has several problems:

Problems:
=========
1) The free traffic has been, to date, completely ineffective for me. I was using it, sitting in traffic for 30 minutes, before it told me of the traffic. The traffic signal comes in and out, and has never saved me any time. In fact, one time it did tell me there was a traffic slowdown and I drove right through.

2) The mount is cheap and broke. Navigon support came through in the end... offering to send me another one after I sent in the broken one in, but this was after months of talking to half a dozen or so different support people. Oddly enough, their support system seemed very well organized. Evey time I called, the rep was able to quickly read the notes on my request. But I kept getting the run-around regarding what I needed to do.

3) The routing is not very good. All GPSs have issues, but the routing on this unit was not optimized in my opinion.. in any setting (quick, short, optimized). Sometimes offering very strange routes where a much better alternative was available

4) POI database is not very complete. For example, every other GPS unit I've had lists the [...]. But this unit didn't find them, even when I was sitting in the parking lot. So now I get the type in the actual address before I leave for somewhere. That is annoying, something the GPS unit should do for me.

5) No auto day/night view. This is more of a note... it doesn't bother me because it is easy to change.

These are the strengths
=======================
1) I had a Magellan Maestro 4040 (with current firmware) before I had this unit. The Magellan would constantly loose GPS signal, regardles of the weather or my location. The Navigon does not do this. Signal has never been an issue

2) Free traffic is something I hope will save me from sittting in traffic some day... so for karma purpose, I want it to be a future pro for me

3) I am a techie, and it is possible to load Windows CE on this unit, and load other programs. Most peole may not care about this, but for me it was a big plus

4) I like the reality view. You get a somewhat realistic look at some intersections which has helped me in certain situations

I've used Garmin and Magellan and, while all have their pros and cons, the Navigon is the most intuitive, easy to use and (most often) accurate unit I have used. The traffic updates work well and the unit is fast and reliable. No issues to report.

This model offers high performance at a reasonable price. Great Satellite reception even on a cloudy day. The vehicle I used in had metalized heat reflective windshild and this units built-in antenna had no problem with reception where other types of GPS models had trouble finding positioning satellites. I did'nt experince drop outs or losing position even while driving though bridges. However, an external antenna port is available.
br /The unit provides realtime directions on a sharp, bright, color wide touch screen display, easy to read and use. This model makes driving on a freeway with multiple lanes and ramps easy to follow. Display updates quickly with freeway overhead signs. If you miss a turn the unit will recalculate direction in real time. Voice directions are clear. This model does not require you to plug into a lighter port making this very portable. The built-in battery lasts 4 hours before requiring a recharge. Rugged lightweight case with chrome edging. Disply provides speed, altitude , ETA, read out. A great feature of this unit is the real time traffic updates, this feature allows you to recalculate alternate routes if required. I travel through metropolitan routes and my experience is it does fairly good job, but traffic information updates may lag in reporting. This feature is provided at no additional subcription charge. Unit provides 3d, 2d views, find point of interest and find address. A unique feature of this unit is icons of gas stations, resturants etc... and city scapes on the display.
br /Awesome GPS Navigator!

Pros: Reality view, lane assist, mounting bracket
br /
br /Cons: Navigation, battery life, some displayed text is too small, tech support
br /
br /Overall: Google Maps and Mapquest provide better routing. Navigon tends to make you get off a highway, detour through town, then get back on the highway again. If you already know where you're going, you won't follow its instructions. If you don't know where you're going, it will eventually get you to your destination, but you'll wonder why it chose the route it did.
br /
br /Battery life is only about 30 minutes on a full charge, even after following tech support's bizarre instructions for several cycles of charging the battery. (Apparently turning the unit off isn't enough... you are supposed to hold the power button down for 10 seconds every time you shut it off. Gee, that's a great design!)
br /
br /But it really comes down to poor navigation performance. I would not recommend Navigon to a friend, nor would I buy another.

I don't even know where to begin with how unsatisfied I was with this product. Gave it one week prior to returning it. Impossible to enter data- very small keys and hard to touch. Inaccurate directions, very slow, terrible speaker, etc. etc, etc. Steer clear of this GPS unit.
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Unit looks better than any other unit, however, navi is slow and sluggish, it is not sensitive to the touch at all, u have to use your nails or else you'll never get it. I find myself pressing buttons a couple of times before it process it.
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br /The free traffic is okay. I turned the device to not use tolls and U turns but it does it anyway. Whats that setting do if it does it anyway? It routes me the worst way possible for some trips.
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br /The mount is garbage, it breaks all the time, i'm on my 3rd one! Navigon keeps replacing it free though.
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br /It is a sleek stylish system with many features, reality view is okay but not always accurate.

Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
br /I received this GPS unit last Xmas and have been using it for the past year. I've used other GPS units and I have to say this one exceeded all my expectations by far. It's beautiful to look at and takes functionality to the next level. While ALL electronics can be a little glitchy from time to time I'll take this one any day. Most of my glitches are/were user error. Once you learn how to actually use it, it's flawless. CHeers and happy driving!

Extra $100 will need to be spent for current map update and for dash mount, as windshield mount doesn't stay attached. It's too long. Mine fell off 3x in first week and broke. Vendor Globazar? said it was a wear and tear issue and suggested I contact Navigon as they are aware of the problem.
br / This is a good looking unit and a good price but maps and speed limit signs are outdated.

After days of researching other GPS units, I finally pruchased the 7100 from Navigon.I compared this unit to Garmin,Nextar,Mio,and Magellin. All the units have qualities alike for the most part all with pros and cons but, the 7100 came ahead of the other GPS's for it's dollar value and the features you get. My first impression was that the 7100 had a sleek look and slim design. First boot of the 7100 found a signal within a few seconds. The screen I noticed is bright and easy to read in day light and in dark conditions. The menus seem easy to navigate through but it takes somewhat of a heavy finger to operate the touch screen . You can calibrate the touch screen through the settings menu. I did that and it didn't seem to help,just my prefrence for an easier touch. Turn by turn voice alerts worked very good with no problem hearing the commands. I have my volume set about in the middle of the adjusment bar. I know other GPS'S you can change the dialect of the voice but you cannot on this unit. Setting up and saving your POI'S seemed easy enough, but the text and number pads were small causing you too enter the wrong letter or number. No big deal though, I use a pointer from my wife's old Palm Pilot to make entries. As I did, many of you might not care for the mount. It is slim in design but I could only place it just below my rear view mirror because it is too long. I tried to place it in other locations on my windsheild (2003 GMC Sierra Pick-up) but it was too close for me to read clearly and obstructed my view. There are a couple universal mounts available if you so desire. I have not yet tried the Bluetooth feature so I can't advise you on that. I hooked the 7100 via USB cable to my PC and found an update on Navigons web site to download. It is almost a 2 gig download so be patient when doing this, I have high speed broadband and it still took 30 minutes or so. I also purchased Freshmaps (map updates) to update new roads being built through out the country, and POI's. It works like the udate I first downloaded. It too is a very large download, that had an update for the summer of 2008. I know now that my unit is current. Overall I am very pleased with the 7100. This unit is very accurate in getting you where you want to go. Like me you won't be sorry buying a Navigon 7100!!!!!

I owned a TomTom 510 that died. I could have purchased another TomTom but they are all quite expensive compared to this unit. The Navigon 7100 is a slightly older model, but now on sale due to Navigon's recent updating of this line. The advantage is that you get the Zagat Ratings, large brand-badged POI database, and lifetime traffic reporting. Map updates are pretty cheap too. That makes the 7100 package a no-brainer if price is a factor.
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br / This unit is more navigation-feature-rich than my aged TomTom 510, but not has fewer user-configurable settings. You can't choose voices or screen themes for example, and there is no computer interface at all. The screen, however, is stunning and bright -- brighter and sharper than the TomToms, which I've seen side by side at Frys. It's not as colorful, choosing pastel tones over the TomTom's bright urban-yellow landscapes, but I think I prefer the subdued imagery.
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br /After a month of use, Navigon's routing and traffic reporting has proved more reliable than that of my older TomTom -- not surprising, since Navigon makes the maps for everybody's GPS units. The Navigon is also easier to route around obstructions, but I gather TomTom has improved its interface in that regard. Spoken instructions are clear, although the female voice is a somewhat strong New York accent. The point
br /
br / Others here have detailed the user interface features of the 7100. So I'll discuss just one that is particularly helpful but somewhat maddening: the highly-touted Reality View. This works, but not the way I expected. The "photo-realistic" view is a canned city skyline with a cleverly rendered synthetic (not photographic!) view of an upcoming intersection. However, it's static, not moving. The signage is accurate, but the frozen view can be a little unnerving as twelve lanes of traffic swirl around a complex LA freeware confluence. The view eventually reverts to the motion display, but for a minute or two you lose situational awareness.
br /
br /The windshield mount is interesting. It works reliably, a feat my TomTom never achieved, but it's bulky and seriously ugly. Someone asked me "what is that thing in your windshield? A prosthetic arm?" Attaching and detaching can be a trick, as you have to align the arm's notched ring in a groove on the back of the GPS. I can finally do it, but it's not something I'd attempt while driving.
br /
br /Overall, for the money, a fantastic deal.

If you need help just to drive around your local area, my advice is not to buy any GPS. Simply put, every GPS I have ever seen will route you to the state or county road before they put you on some backwoods road that all the locals know can save them 5 minutes.
br /
br /On the other hand, if you're driving in a place that you are totally unfamiliar with and are uncomfortable driving in strange areas, then IMO there are few GPS units out there that will hold your hand like this one.
br /
br /There are a few little quirks, for example I'd prefer if the unit told me to "bear" left as opposed to "turn" left. However, when you are in a strange place you want to know one thing: when and where do I turn? IMO, this is the strong point to this unit. It gives you ample notification and portrays nicely on the screen what you should do. Will you get there as fast as the locals? Certainly not. Does it remove the uncertainly and fear some people have of driving in strange places? Yes, I'd say it does a good job of that.
br /
br /I've seen some postings about a few negatives concerning this unit. For example, there a lot of complaints regard the the mounting unit, which I agree is just waiting to break. One word: velcro.
br /
br /The battery life is nowhere near as long as they claim. I haven't met a manufacturer of ANY battery powered that's told the truth about battery life (I'm talking to you, Dell and HP). However, I must point out that they give you a car charger, a USB charger and a regular home charger. Who needs battery power?
br /
br /The pronunciations are a bit funky at times. I was in Louisiana recently and "Nancy" (I agree with the one poster who said it is impossible to give the unit a name)was really wrestling with some of the pronunciations there.
br /
br /The traffic reports aren't as dynamic as you'd like, but I found that tends to vary from city to city. In Philly they were pretty darn accurate, in New Orleans they tended to lag somewhat.
br /
br /So here's my bottom line on this unit: it's not going to find a way to save you 30 seconds on the drive to your local supermarket, but it will give you a LOT more confidence if you don't like driving in strange areas.
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This is a very good Navigation System. Its Bluetoth capable for cell phone hands-free operation. Its also voice command enabled, it has very good graphics and free traffic updates. Its slightly expensive but I think its worth it. The price has been reduced by at least 30% since my purchase. There is a newer 7200t version but its even more expensive.
br /
br /I do have one issue however, the maximum volume setting in my opinion is not loud enough.

I went through the reviews and decided I'd give it a try (big mistake!).
br /
br /My main interest in this GPS was the free traffic alert feature. Yes, it does include it but it is seriously lacking! All it tells you is either "slow traffic" or "stopped traffic". Well, I'm not sure what the system means by "stopped traffic" because more than once I got off a highway because of the "stopped traffic" alert and it turned out not to be stopped, just somewhat backed up. There are times when you're better off staying on the backed up highway than taking a detour that requires you to go miles out of your way in equally backed up traffic because you thought the highway was completely shut down due to an accident (in my opinion STOPPED means NOT MOVING at all). I've never purchased another GPS system, other than my ATT TeleNav on my cell phone, so I don't have much to compare it to. THe traffic updates on my ATT TeleNav work much better-it tells you what kind of traffic situation there is, whether it's an accident, lanes blocked, which lanes are blocked, etc. Of course, I am paying $10 a month for that service but that actually is 95% of the reason I purchased the Navigon. I know how to get around town and I, unfortunately, don't go out of town often enough to need directions. So as far as I am concerned, the Traffic information provided by the Navigon is completely worthless.
br /
br /As for directions...Wow, it really throws out some wacky directions sometimes. I went to the grocery store one weekend with my son and he wanted me to have it direct us home. I live 3 miles east of the store - off the same road as the store. So basically it should have been a go straight 3 miles and turn right on my street, 4th house on the right...Well, not so with the Navigon. It wanted me to take a right halfway home, head 1.5 miles south, turn east again and then turn left further up to head back north the 1.5 miles it had me go south to get me back on the main street I had already been on...HUH?!?! I thought there might have been some exagerating on some reviews or maybe the routes mught have been more complicated but I realized they were dead-on with those reviews.
br /
br /And then there was the time I didn't want to take the exit off I-95 that it wanted me to...so after I passed the exit, it directed me to make a U-Turn...Ummm....last I checked, you can't make U-Turns on I-95...( this is with the feature asking it not to use U-turns)...
br /
br /I tried to like it, I tried to find it useful...But I couldn't. And I couldn't return it because the whole mounting thingy is a bit on the flimsy side and when I tried to remove it, something broke off and it's pretty much permanently attached to the arm. I'm sure that it was partially my fault, that maybe I didn't attach it correctly, so I don't feel right in asking for a refund on it...I'm a sucker that way...I take responsibility for my mistakes...so I'm stuck with it...Not that I'm using it.

This by far the best gps. Easy to use touch screen. I liked the no fee subscription.

This is an excellent system. My only problem is that the mounting arm is awkward and breaks easily.

I recently replaced my Garmin C530 with a Navigon 7100. While I have yet to actually use it on a trip, practicing with it around town has been informative and fun. some of the likes and dislikes are:
br /Pros: A free software and map update right out of the box.
br /text to speech is good
br /Updates for the maps via fresh maps is inexpensive and has 3 years worth of updates for less than the price of one update for the Garmin.
br /The free traffic monitor is a great feature
br /Bluetooth is a plus except you have to pair it up everytime you turn the device on.
br /
br /Cons:
br /Low volume, for us older users this can make it somewhat difficult
br /The hockey stick mount, Navigon may think it's pretty but it breaks easily and looks like a club. (Fortunately you can find conventional mounts on line fairly inexpensively.
br /
br /Overall it is a good unit that I would purchase again. Amazon got it to me quickly without hassle.
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The 7100 is not a bad GPS unit. Out of the many I ploughed through trying to find something that worked for me (Garmin, Tom Tom, Magellan), this one gets the closest. I'll probably go to my grave looking for a perfect GPS, as every one seems to be lacking in this or that department. But the Navigon gets the closest, and there's a free lifetime subscription to TMC real-time traffic updates as well!
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br /One thing I'd say is, definitely step up from the "hardcase" case that Navigon officially sactions; it's better than the cloth bag included with the unit, but you'll still probably end up like me with a crack in the corner of the screen, because the "hardcase" is not really rigid in the middle and won't put up any fight if the unit is jostled or subjected to any kind of pressure while in a knapsack or such thing.
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br /The lane assist comes in handy a lot of times, and seems extremely accurate on highways. The routing can seem a bit wonky sometimes, but there is no other unit on the market that gives perfect routes all the time. There has been an update to the routing engine through a firmware update, but it still is well, wonky. To mitigate this though, you have a pretty robust scheme for adjusting the route manually if the provided path sends you astray. The firmware also adjusts the touch response of the screen, so you'll get less frustration trying to press buttons.
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br /Bluetooth works pretty good, although you need to connect (not pair up with) to the phone when you power the unit up and want to use handsfree. This requires a couple of keystrokes in the UI of the unit.
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br /A couple of final points: the onscreen text; it has been slightly tweaked with the update but still I find it's pretty small, both on the map itself as well as some points in the menu system. And speaking of the menu, searching for POIs is pretty counter-intuitive. The categories don't make a lot of sense and doing broad searches across categories doesn't seem to work right and leads to a lot of major franchises not turning up in results.
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br /Like I said, no GPS is perfect, and the Navi still needs some tweaking. But none of my complaints change the fact that it is a very serviceable GPS with good routing, a valuable lane assist scheme, great looking screen and lifetime traffic.

Good piece of equipment for a very reasonable price. A bit cumbersome and more tideous than its counterpart, the Garmin Nuvi series. Free traffic monitor is a plus. The system is not always give you the best detour routes. I enjoy it however.

I have this product for over a month now. I am overall happy with this device.
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br /Pros:
br /1. Nice navigation features (Lane assistant / Reality view). Very useful for new drivers who have difficulty in changing lanes in the last minute. or in busy highways.
br /2. Bluetooth handsfree quality is very good.
br /3. The win shield mount never comes off. (My friends who have garmin complain about the mount which comes off very often)
br /4. Free traffic for life. (Have not used this much though)
br /5. The voice alert is good and timely.
br /6. If the next turn and the subsequent turn are close it warns you about that. Very useful feature!
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br /Cons:
br /1. Routing is not the best route always. (But not very bad as some reviews say.)
br /2. POI database is not as good as Garmin
br /3. There is no power off prompt. Even though the screen goes off you might not have switched the device off! It will still consume battery. You need to make sure you press the power button for 6 seconds and then verify to make sure it is off.
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br /Note:
br /Earlier customers had an issue with the charger socket being in the bottom of the device. which was a hinderance to keep the device as low as possible in the wind shield. Now they are giving a charger wire which is bent and is no more a problem

I love the display and the precision of the directions given. Navigating the options take a little getting used to, but once you figure it out you're good to go.

I think most of these nav systems will take you were you want to go, which is the primary purpose. However, there are several reasons I prefer the Navigon over the Garmin 660:
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br /1. Bluetooth actually works! (Although it is annoying that it has no memory, and I need to reconnect the phone every single time I turn the Navigon off. On the other hand, what I really hated was with the Garmin, it kept dropping my bluetooth connection, and then rather than just giving one warning, the Garmin would constantly pop up every few seconds to tell me that it had dropped the bluetooth connection when all I wanted was to see the map--then to cancel the bluetooth connection, you had to go through all these menus (while driving, not so easy!)--Look, if you dropped the bluetooth connection--maybe have ONE message/or an icon in the corner showing that phone crossed out--don't interfere with the navigation which I need while driving! Garmin was terrible in that respect.) Navigon does not drop the connection at all, no problems there.
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br /2. Voice Commands are great--just say the voice command and it will start navigation
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br /3. The views/graphics are nice
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br /4. The dashboard mount actually works--I put it on the first time I got this, which was a few months ago, and it has never fallen off. The Garmin fell off after a few hours--really really irritating.
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br /5. Must faster than Garmin to get signal and to recalculate the route. I live in the DC area
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br /6. POIs with Zaggat ratings and reviews, as well as phone at the touch of a button!
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br /7. Saves current location--you might simply want to know the address that you are at, or want to save a certain location but not know the exact address, or you might just want to be able to find your car in the parking lot at the mall! It is a handy feature.
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br /8. Avoids certain streets on your route. Garmin could not do this.
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br /9. Free traffic. But, also I like the color-coded system--Garmin didn't tell me how bad the traffic was. ONce it wanted to take me all around the beltway to avoid traffice, which I ignored, and later found out it was only a slight traffic jam (costing me only about 5 minute extra) versus the hassel of driving way out of the way, which would have been ridiculous.
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br /10. Add multiple destinations/interim destination
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br /11. entering data is easier/faster on this than on the Garmin
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br /12. Speed limit--you can set it to give you warnings when you are over the speed limit or I set it for 10 miles over the speed limit; you can also customize each of urban versus highway speed limits. You also have the option to turn this speed limit warnings off completely if you don't like it.
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br /13. Menus are very intuitive compared to the Garmin
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br /14. I like the direct access buttons to the POIs you use most (I set mine for gas, restaurants, and hospital).
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br /There are places for improvement:
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br /1. Once in a while, it mispronouces things--the voice is a bit weird. I like the option on the Garmin to have the different accents/voices.
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br /2. If your fingers are small, it is fine, but for people with big hands (for example, men), you might need to use the included stylus.
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br /3. I don't like that it doesn't seem to save phone numbers or import your phone book, but maybe that isn't so important.

This is my first GPS. I drove from the East Coast to the West Coast with a stop in Rural Iowa. Worked great around the big cities and almost perfect in the rural areas. For areas that are undergoing constant construction I would suggest getting the Fresh Map update service. It froze up on me a couple times, but I had it on for about 20 hours at a time. All I had to do was hold the power button until it shut off and then turned it back on and it worked just fine. With the rural areas it would get the side of the street wrong or be off by a couple blocks.
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br /I would suggest this to anyone with a few things in mind. If you're getting this to test it of course you are going to find things wrong with it, just the same as with any other product. I don't know any GPS that has perfect pronunciation. If you know the way somewhere don't use GPS it will just annoy you. Make sure you adjust the settings to your preferences because it will make a difference on what route it takes.

I love my Navigon 7100 so much that I bought one each for my mother, sister and several friends as gifts. Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator Its ability to show which lane to drive in to ensure you don't miss your exit is a handy capability. With other GPS systems, the GPS had to constantly recalculate because I would miss a turn due to the directions being unclear. With the Navigon 7100, if I don't understand the directions, I always have the screen to show me where to go. I live in a heavy traffic area so the free traffic routing is what made me switch from my Garmin Nuvi 660.Garmin nüvi 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
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br /Initially, the battery for my mother's Navigon 7100 would not hold a charge. After playing with the GPS for a day, I realized that my mother was not turning her Navigon 7100 off when she was not using it. She was inadvertently placing the GPS in standby mode. Once I told her to hold the power button for 7 - 10 seconds, she no longer had problems with her battery.
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br /I prefer to use my stylus only when necessary. However, there are times when the Navigon 7100 will only operate when I use the stylus. I'm not sure what that is about, but I simply take my stylus out when my Navigon 7100 is being temperamental.
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br /My only complaints concern the bluetooth operation and the difficulty obtaining a satellite signal when the sky is cloudy or I am in the city amongst tall building. I have read the manual from cover to cover, but still do not understand why I must set up my handsfree cell phone operation every time I restart the Navigon. All in all, I am very satisfied with my Navigon 7100. My family and friends have called me on several occasions to tell me how much they like the Navigon 7100 and how it saved them time on trips.

I purchased this unit because of the TTS (does not work half the time) and real view graphics.
This unit works ok but it does not utilize the best route; 3/5 times it took me for ride, I don't this unit knows what is the fastest route it only know "we will get you there soon or later" attitude.

The screen is beautiful and rich but you have to tap the crap out of the screen to register. I have to wonder if this unit even has touch screen.

The POI's included are troublesome, it makes me wonder if all that is out there is McDonalds and Burger King, I don't think the Navigon knows anything else. :(

The biggest gripe I have is the customer service. They lie, and don't show respect to the customer. Talk about rude, I called to inquire about system upgrade and if it is possible in the future to get updates; they answer by saying why do you need an upgrade, you should learn to use the product, there is nothing wrong with it and now you want to tweak it and ruin it. I was like what???? Called back and asked if I can update my software in the future as the company does upgrades, reply" It's future proof, there will be no upgrades and if you need it maybe it's time to replace it with a new one.
Asked to talk to a supervisor and they took my contact info, never heard from them.
Tried again, and they said there was no record of this request and took my information again, 2 weeks later nothing. I called back and asked to talk to a supervisor, they hung up.
Sorry, Navigon, you make a nice looking product that functions somewhat and the customer service you have is the worst, we will move on.

This is my first GPS so I have limited background. I have found it to be a very good product and particularly like the 3D view which indicates which lane to be in when a road splits.
The traffic reporting is quite limited as it just says the word "caution" but doesn't give any actual traffic report.
Sometime the routing is not the best as it does not take into account traffic patterns and stoplights so it may not be the fastest route when you consider that. That is ok when you know the area but when you go out of town, it may not take you the best route.
Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoy it.

I've been using the 7100 for 3 weeks and have been very pleased with the functionality to date. Mine is version 6.5, build 77.

My main complaint HAD been short battery life, similar to many comments I had seen here. Upon calling Tech Support , I found out that I'd been unknowingly putting the the unit in standby mode rather than shutting it off. Turns out that one must press the power button for 10-15 seconds to shut off. Anything short of that blacks the screen but you are only in standby. When powering back on, the power button must be held for six seconds. Quirky, but at least now I understand it. I was needlessly charging the unit every day or two because in the first 10 days I had never completely shut it off!

Now, with THAT out the way here are my pros & cons. I have been using this so far on routine driving on the Seattle Eastside, so performance may vary elsewhere.

PRO:
Elegant appearance, nicely designed case. Similar in size/style to Magellan 4250.
Beautiful screen, clear images, nice interface, intuitive to use. Option for day or night view, and 2D or 3D.
Clear, pleasant voice quality.
Charger indicator light changes from orange to green when fully charged.
Ability to key in zip code rather than city name. Possible matches appear as you type, so 5 digit often not required.
When searching for nearby POIs, starts inside one mile, and allows to you manually expand radius - great when searching for restaurants.
Free traffic reporting for life! (text; must hit icon to display). Extensive detail on nature of incident--accident vs. construction--along with length (miles) of slowdown. Thus far, I've not used the supplied antenna, but it does take several minutes for the icon to appear when starting up. Perhaps the antenna would speed it up, but want to avoid the clutter.
Extensive settings menu re: visual options, type of detail on screen, choice of route profile (I find "fast" works better than "optimal" or "short". There's even an option for "scenic".
Can choose to be warned when exceeding speed limits, 5, 10, or 15 mph over.
Very fast reaction/recalc time when choosing different route.
Seems to have some level of intuition based on travel signals: it selects a commute route for me that is 1 mile longer (on a 9-mile commute) than google maps, but due to fewer signals, this route is faster most of the time.
Ability to factor in current traffic when plotting route. (applies to major highways)
Good POI detail - includes many "mom & pop" restaurants & small retail that I hadn't expected.
Easy handling of interim stops or itinerary changes (**need to select this option in settings menu)
Three modes - car, bicycle, pedestrian.
Canada and Alaska included. Canada is part of US map, no need to switch when crossing border.

CON:
Comes with only a soft felt pouch as protection. I ordered the "hard case" for $20 which really isn't that "hard", but is adequate.
No printed user guide.
Lengthy shut down. Standby is nice option for brief stops, but a separate standby button would have made more sense.
When unit hits low battery warning, map freezes behind warning icon. Verbal routing continues. Only way to restore live map is to completely power down & reboot after connecting charger. Tech support says this is due to deliberate trickle charge requiring time to build power back.

I'd like to note that I was VERY impressed with Navigon's Tech support. Short prompt menu, no nagging troubleshooting suggestions, live person right away. Rep was very articulate, conversational, and professional; really interested in being helpful. Felt like I was talking to Management rather than some bored low-level "tech". Tech support located in Indiana.

This is my first GPS, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I'm very pleased thus far and cannot think of anything lacking in the 7100. The routing is occasionally a little off what I might choose, but not unreasonable. Did a wonderful job on a recent trip to Alaska, even in remote Kenai peninsula.

Update 3/29/08: Having used the 1.1 software update for about a month, it seems response times are a little faster.

I read many reviews on GPS systems before I purchased the Navigon 7100.
The unit is everything that I could need in a navigation system. It is very easy to use. I did not feel the need to read much of the instructions(which are on a CD and not much use to anyone who needs instruction and they are on the road)I do have a strong electronic repair back round, so I don't have a problem with learning the use of new products.
The voice is pleasant, easy to understand, screen easy to read.
The life time traffic update is wonderful. That is very important to me as I am in Dallas at this time and there are many highways that I may need to use. It even tells you what type of traffic problem is ahead. Such as road construction, slowed traffic and even a roll over crash that has shut down the highway. The unit does take you to your destination, but some times it is the long way. It isn't chatty which is good. My husband and I will be headed back home soon and with a 1,100 mile trip back it will be fun to see if this unit knows a better way than I do.
When I get back home it is going to be very useful in my rural delivery route. So many people do not have thier addresses posted like they should and this unit will take me to where I need to deliver.
The only reason I rate it as a 4.5 star is because the unit will take you a longer way at times and the instruction manual ahould be a paper form for people who need the manual while they are on route.
I would recommend this as a good purchase.

Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

To begin with I wasn't a big fan of GPS systems. I've been visiting NYC recently and badly felt the need for a reliable GPS, since driving with maps alone in NYC is like hitting a wall everytime. I researched for the brand of GPS thats very reliable and reasonably priced for the features. I didn't want to pay a big premium for the name Garmin either. I finally hooked on to Navigon 7100 and ordered it.
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br /I only had a chance to test it for short distances (200 miles). But I tested most of the available features in it and I am more than satisfied with it. For me a GPS has perform the job its designed for and thats it all other features are secondary.
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br /It takes about 10 sec(Max) to hook onto a satellite signal even from inside the house and by the window(for people that tested it from inside a closet or a basement and gave a bad review... there has to be a line of sight for hooking up with the satellite)
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br /Routing was perfect so far as I tested it driving from PA to NYC. I compared the route with a printed map from Mapquest.
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br /Route recalculation took at the most 5 sec. I tried changing the route profile at a light to see how fast it recalculated the route.(Performed in a known route)
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br /TMC works out of the box and it did work for me. I am not sure how efficient the routing was. But it asks you to confirm if you want to avoid the traffic and reroute.
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br /The touchscreen was not too insensitive. But like any other screens it takes a while to get used to.
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br /The text to speech feature worked well so far. The street names have been accurate and clear to understand.
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br /With a standalone usage, the battery was good for about 3 hrs.
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br /The bluetooth connection to my phone worked like a charm. This was one of the complaints about the product. Not that I use a bluetooth and talk all the time I drive, but still this one hooks up with my phone if set up right.
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br /A decent POI database.
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br /Like any gadget it takes a while to get used to and this one was I can say a bang for the buck that I paid for.
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br /Cons: Very few I noticed so far but some are
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br /1. The manual says that we can use the phone book of our mobile phone to make calls but doesn't say how.
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br /2.Once you navigate through the screens to say 3rd or 4th screen the back button takes you back to the opening screen so that you'd have to repeat everything.
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br /3. POI navigation is confusing. I believe its because there is more than one way to search for something using POI.
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I purchased an open-box Navigon 7100 about 2 months ago and am very satisfied. I live in upstate New York and occasionally travel to DC, CT and other metropolitan areas. The free traffic service sold me on the unit.I didn't want to pay full-time for a part-time feature. Since then and to my delight, the local Clear Channels stations have brought the reporting to our local area. (I've found both local road and limited-access reports of construction, but only for extended projects). I installed the 1.2 software and maps and I found them to be as accurate for my area as those for my Garmin. I like the Reality View and do not find the human interface at all difficult to use. The sound has been more than adequate and the window mount provides a reliable and stable platform. My other GPS mount fell off every time the temperature went above 75.Performance has been excellent. The display is terrific and the features abound. Reality View works great. I will by Fresh Maps shortly.
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br /A few minor criticisms: The lack of an indication that the unit is in standby vs off is mildly annoying. Sometimes I think I have it off (button depressed for 6 seconds), only to find it has been in standby when I return. I would like an alternate voice option, preferably with an English speaker doing the pronunciation. (For example, the word "Colesville" comes out as "Co-LESS-villy" and I am advised to turn onto "Main Saint" (Main St). I found a few local map errors but the inaccuracies I found also appear in GoogleMaps (and my previous GPS for the same area) (obvious since Navteq provides the data). Sometimes, the routing has been convoluted (in my area, Optimum seems better for most destinations that are some distance away), but I have done a few experiments and come to a conclusion. The Navigon seems to take a very conservative approach to attained speed on local, secondary roads. For instance, it allows approximately 6 minutes for travelling the 1 mile from a nearby intersection to my home. A twisting rural road, this road has a speed limit of 30 MPH. Generalizing Navigon's estimate of 10 MPH for this type of road could be one of the causes for routes which seem non-intuitive. In my rural area (and during a recent trip to rural Michigan), this seems to lead to a bias toward highways and away from the country roads. I don't know how many characteristics can be assigned to a particular stretch of road, but this might be a case of the system out-smarting itself.
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br /In brief, I found most of the various criticisms of the Navigon to be unfounded (or at least outdated) in my experience and the unit well worth the price.
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After upgrading software it still did not show a major highway extension completed over two years ago. Only likes to use main highway routes. does not like short-cuts.

I have been using Navigon 7100 for about 2 weeks. Overall, I like the product. I have not used any other GPS, so I cannot compare it with any other. Some users have left negative reviews for this. I think most of them never upgraded the software to version 1.2, where most of the initial bugs have been fixed. This software upgrade also upgrades your maps, so you don't have to pay for an map upgrade as soon as you buy the GPS. This unit is not perfect, but there are many features in this which others don't offer or you have to pay for those. I don't want to list all the good features of this unit here as others have done a good job in writing detailed reviews. According to me :
br /Pros) Nice look and feel, Clear graphics, Reality View, Lifetime Traffic Updates, millions of POIs, Text to Speech is clear, Recalculating the route is very quick. I like how it shows the distance when you approach the turn.
br /Cons) These are not real Cons, but thought I'll mention these : Bluetooth volume is low, though I didn't buy this to use it for calling. Sometimes there is a small lag when you click an icon or are typing. But it is not a big problem. It's just the unit is processing some info and takes 1 or 2 secs to respond.
br /The most important point for me to buy this GPS was Lifetime Traffic updates. This technology is not perfect and not 100% relievable yet. So there is no point in paying monthly/yearly for this, as in case of other GPS companies.
br /Some features can be improved, but overall this GPS is very good. I would recommend it to others.

We are first time users for a GPS. We love our Navigon. We bought it after much shopping. It is easy for us beginners! Very clear and the voice instructions are great! It got us old timers through the middle of Salt Lake City at rush hour with no problem!

The Navigon is great in many ways - love the display, especially the 3D bit. One thing that is driving me mad - if you go a little way over the speed limit it keeps saying 'caution' repeatedly! It may be useful to hear it once, but there is no way to shut it off. Ok, maybe you should stick to the speed limit, but it should be your decision. I called the helpline but they could not help. Just think you should be aware of this.

I purchased the navigon b/c of the free lifetime trafic reports and the realistic signs when it first came out , I still have not used the trafic reports. I also have a Garmin Nuvi 350. The Navigon is much better when navigating alone- it reminds you more often( compared to the Nuvi) when you need to turn. If I have someone in the car with me to help with the navigating I prefer the Garmin,otherwise always Navigon. The interface is not as easy to use as the Garmin, but if you know where you want to go (you have an address) it's easy to use. If I'm looking for something nearby my Garmin is easier to use to find that place. I'm not sure if Navigon has POI that you can load on like the Garmin.

I bought this unit and was impressed with its performance on tracking my movement. It has some nice features, including altitude, for example. From a standpoint of providing travel directions, it works very well.

The drawbacks are that the user interface is not as easy to use as desired. I found it confusing to do some tasks. For example, setting up the bluetooth to work with my phone. I had to go into the menus every time to make the connection (pairing only had to be done once). What should have been is automatic connection or one or two "button" activation, instead required going into the menus several levels and selecting my phone. On a positive note, you could use the cell phone's voice recognition to make a call, rather than selecting from a contact list.

Ultimately, the thing that made me return this and order a TomTom GO 720 was the simpler user interface of the TomTom, the ability to connect to my PC and get map updates and software updates.

Summary: excellent navigator, but less than ideal user interface design, and no update capability (other than replacing the flash card).

Within 15 days of my purchase of this product, the windshield mount broke (apparently made of some cheap plastic). Instead of returning the product back to Amazon, I decided to call Navigon's customer service department to get the replacement for the broken part. I was told by the customer rep that this was a recurring problem and then I was given a run around. Initially I was told that they will ship the new part in 2 days free of charge. After 2 days when I called them back to see if the part was shipped, I was told that they still did not have the part. After numerous calls and dealing with very hostile and impolite customer service reps, I finally gave up and sent the unit back to Amazon for replacement. I am not happy with the unit at all. It gets to your destination only after taking you all over the State. I also have Pharos 150 GPS for roughly 1/3rd the price but 100 times better. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT! LOOKS ARE DECEPTIVE! Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

The first order of this product was a flop. From the time I took it out of the box it had been giving me problems. The screen would get a static look to it and freeze, not letting me do anything in terms of turning it on/off, etc. This happened several times in the course of the first few days to which I had to call the Navigon support each time to assist and complain. Finally on my way to a long planned family vacation that same week (driving down the east coast), it died. Completely and utterly died. Would not turn on, nothing. Not even after a good charge. The Navigon support people were of no help. They just simply couldn't believe this little piece of machinary had died. They told me they would have a "supervisor" contact me within 24 to 48 hours to discuss my case. No one ever called and each call i made left me more frustrated as they gave me the same line..."my supervisor is in a meeting." I finally contacted Amazaon and after several phone calls (with some miscommunication) i had to REORDER a new one and send this one back for a credit. They were good enough to provide for me all the same discounts i had received initially when i purchased the first one. I was gracious enough to have it on my return home and it worked beautifully. The first one was no doubt defective, though I'll never know why. But amazon at least took it back. They just never paid for the shipping on the return like they said they would. I'll have to follow up on that one. All in all, it is a great product. I love the graphics and all the little details about this GPS (especially the free live traffic reports), which is why i decided to give it one more go. Just don't expect too much from the Navigon people... who THREE weeks later FINALLY called back leaving me a message to tell me that an "order specialist" would be calling me to replace the defective one. Still haven't heard from that "order specialist" to tell him "thanks but no thanks."

If you have the address it works great, but if you dont know the exact city that it is located then it seems next to impossible to find a location. While searching for a ski resort in new york i didnt know the city that it was located so i entered search nationwide setting from there the only places that showed up were aspen colorado and vail. Once i finally got the city name it showed right up. Overall works great if you have all of the info already but good luck trying to find something new and the poi database sucks if are not in a big city.

This products has a good display window which is easy to read. The volume is clear, but the pronouciation of the street names are not good. I was disappointed in the performance when it came to rerouting, which was very slow. Also the letters/numbers key pad was very small and when trying to input information often two letters/numbers would be pushed at once.

I purchased the Navigon 7100 and I like it.

Pros. The Navigon 7100 reality and 3D view is very good. It displayed the freeway's signs and pointed to the correct lane/lanes to take when approaching freeway interchange. The TMC feature is very useful especially if you live in Los Angeles. I have encountered several instances where there was traffic congestion. I sellected another route and it navigated me through local streets to my destination. Living in the Los Angeles area, traveling through local streets during freeways rush hours is a plus. I owned a Magellan and when sellecting an alternate route during rush hours, it will redirect you to go around a short section of the freeway and bring you right back to the same freeway. The reception on the 7100 is great. The processing speed during recalculation is very good, faster then most other brands. The start up time is good, but is is still faster than most other brands. Free lifetime TMC service is a plus plus.

Cons. On local streets the Navigon 7100 will tell you that you are about 0.1 miles to turn onto the cross street, when you get close the the cross street it tell you to turn now. This can cause some confussion, because it doesn't continuely monitored the distance from 0.1 miles to the cross street. On some of the other models I haved used they will continuely indicating how many feet before reaching the cross street. I have encountered problems with the 7100, when finding local streets that are too close to each other. I was traveling down a local street,the 7100 told me I have 0.1 miles before reaching the cross street. When I got close the the cross street it told me to turn right now, but the problem was there was another small street before the one I was suppose to turn. Now if the 7100 had indicate how many feet was left, it would not be so confusing, luckily I was only testing the unit. Another problem I have with the 7100 is its ability to calculate the speed of travel. I was driving home and when I got close to my street it told me to turn right now, and I have no problem with that. I decided to test the unit out by circling back and increased my traveling speed. I have traveled pass my street before the 7100 told me to turn right now. The other models I used will be able to calculate my traveling speed and told me to turn in time, but the Navigon 7100 couldn't.

Overall I recommended the Navigon 7100

First a disclaimer: I have never previously owned or used a GPS system, so I have nothing with which to compare the Navigon 7100 and can only offer my own observations of this unit.
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br /In general I agree with Michael's review, so I won't repeat all those points, but will describe some of my experiences.
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br /First, when I received the unit and started to learn how to use it, I would have appreciated a paper user's manual. Old-fashioned, I guess.
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br /Fortunately, I had three days from the time of its arrival before our trip to North Carolina. As I tried the various features, I noticed that a point of interest displayed was a pharmacy that was sold several years ago and no longer exists. Then, I noticed that the exit numbers on an Ohio Interstate were different from those on an atlas. Those numbers were changed quite some time ago, so I deduced that the map data were old and not dependable. This on a brand-new unit!
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br /Being somewhat computer savvy, I went to the Navigon Web site and tried to download updated data to the 7100. However, try as I might, all I could get was a "device not recognized" response. After several tries, I called Navigon and talked to a helpful young lady who told me that I could not download the revised data until I installed the "new program."
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br /What? I don't see any mention in the enclosed materials of a new program -- nor on the initial Web site.
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br /Anyway, following instructions I was able to download and install the new program (operating system?) and then the new data.
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br /So, with the unit firmly attached to the windshield, we set off from Indiana to North Carolina. The way we wanted to go was not the choice of the 7100, so I looked on the atlas for Route 9 in Kentucky. Not knowing how to use the route number as an intermediate waypoint, I picked a town that looked like it was on Route 9.
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br /The unit took us flawlessly across Indiana, around Cincinnati, and onto Route 9. However, it turned out that the town I chose is not exactly on the highway; it is slightly to the East. Thereafter, at every junction for 30 or 35 miles, she (female voice) tried to get us to turn around and go to that town. Very irritating.
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br /On the other hand, when we got to Winston-Salem, we were to change highways. Unfortunately, the exit ramp we were to take was filled with police cars, fire engines, ambulances and, of course, an accident. As soon as we passed that exit, she immediately told us to take the next exit into the city and, in five minutes and two or three turns later we were on our correct highway going in the right direction.
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br /Fantastic! I felt that the unit had paid for itself right then.
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br /We stayed in Raleigh for over a week and had to make numerous trips to various places in this city, which was strange to us. The 7100 reliably took us to every address we had to visit, though the routes were sometimes a little weird.
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br /And pronunciations of street names and places were often strange: Statesville became "stat-ess-veal" and Kettlebrook drive became "kett-lee-brok."
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br /As we traveled from Raleigh to Asheville on Interstate 40, we got insistent commands to take the exit to the right in a place where there was no exit for miles.
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br /On the way to Asheville, we stopped at a friend's house in the town of Mocksville. The 7100 took us straight through the middle of town on a state highway -- except that there was no highway there. We did find our friends' house, and it turns out that the highway used to go through the town but now bypasses it. Our friends say that change was made before they moved there eight years ago.
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br /Finally, heading home, as we approached Indianapolis, the unit tried to get us to turn right off I-65 onto I-465 instead of left. Had we not known better we'd have been headed east rather than west, though I suppose it would then have wanted us to make a U-turn.
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br /My conclusion: Overall the unit performed very well, seeming almost magically accurate at times. It never failed to get us to our destination.
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br /Incidentally, it is almost impossible not to anthropomorphize the thing; we call her Bertha.
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br /I think we'll keep her.
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br /Addendum:
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br /I'm adding this after two long-distance trips and a couple of months experience with Bertha.
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br /For the unit I have, the advertised battery life of 5.5 hours is way off the mark. I have yet to get as much as 1.5 hours with it continually on and, after a week or so of non-use, the charged battery was too dead to boot the unit up. This is not a great problem for me, since I drive with it plugged in, but it may be for others.
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I'm not going to write a very elaborate review about this product because I feel as though I wasted enough of my time and energy on this mockery of a GPS system. I thought this was the newest, latest and greatest GPS on the market.....I was wrong! I have owned 3 systems now to include Clarion, Mio, and Garmin. This would be my 4th and worst! I took a trip to my parent's home in PA. I know the route very well, so I decided to use the Navigon 7100 to see if it could find a better way. Well, I used its routing and have never been so confused and angry at the same time. The route took me the worst possible way and added 50 miles on to my journey.
br /Secondly, I took a vacation to the Outer Banks, NC and relied solely on this navigation system. The trip was supposed to take 6 hours (in reality)....well....it took 9!! The device added 90 miles on to the correct route and completely out of the way.
br /The user interface is the worst I have ever seen! You have to be a tech guru in order to figure this thing out!!
br /The buttons are waaaay to small for anyone (hence the stylus that it comes with). The calibration of the screen is not responsive at all. The mount is cheap and very hard to get on and off.
br /What else.....
br /the horrible reroutes
br /user interface is the worst
br /traffic advisories are worthless
br /The lane assistant (main reason I purchased) is misleading. That is not the actual driving animation. It just shows you a picture of the lanes.
br /The voice is annoying
br /did I mention the user interface? well...it's horrible and very confusing.
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br /I tell people that when you buy a GPS, the device should be so simplistic that anyone can use it.
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br /I wanted to throw this device out the window.
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br /Save yourself and buy a Garmin or Tom Tom
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br /Please do yourself a favor and if you are considering buying this product.....DON'T!! I listened to the 50% positive crowd and should've taken the negative comments more seriously.
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br /Needless to say, the device is on its way back to Amazon and I will be ordering a Garmin.

I am very happy with my Navigon 7100. While all GPS units have their flaws, I give it 5 stars because I think it has way more features for comparable units.
br /What I like most: I get very good accurate directions with the "fast" setting, with arrival time being very accurate. The spoken directions, although not flawlwss, are loud and clear, but could be better (loud radio) with a front facing speaker. You get ample warning to turn, and the progress bar and arrow in the lower left corner is almost idiotproof. It will take the guesswork out of where the turn is. The roads are broken down nicely, one section at a time.
br /If you take a wrong turn, it quickly reroutes you back on course, but for some reason, if you "block" certain roads in the turn by turn directions, it takes too long to reroute.
br /Reality view is my favorite feature. It will guide you when you approach confusing road splits with arrows and signage! The lane assist is also very helpful in confusing areas.
br /I've also been through a few tunnels, and to my surprise, I was tracked very accurately, with no loss of signal.
br /The free lifetime traffic subscription, was a big edge over the competition for me. I do find you need the external antenna most of the time, but I don't mind because I hide it by leaving it wrapped around my rearview mirror, and then just plug it in when I need it. This prevents an ugly wire showing, as only a few inches can be seen. It works very well, giving you all warnings that are available. You can't avoid and reroute all the warnings, so what I have found to work very well is, I "ignore" all the yellow (slow traffic, etc) warnings, and I "avoid" all the red (major) warnings. Yes, sometimes you DO get rerouted onto small roads, but like my wife said...going slow is better than not going at all!
br /The POI's (points of interest) are extremely helpful. I find most that I look for, even small shops and stores. On a recent trip to Myrtle Beach, it had no problem finding individual outlet shops, a Nissan dealer that I needed, restaurants, and it also found "Dollywood" easily.
br /I really like the Zagats, which contain ratings, reviews, prices, phone number, address, and of course...how to get there.
br /The screen is very bright, and looks good with 3D, and the mount is very secure, and can turn to face either driver or passenger.
br /The most needed menu items (POI's, night view, traffic, etc), are one touch away, which is very important.
br /The speed limit warning is also nice to have. I don't see many posted signs anymore on major roads (I wonder why?), so knowing the limit, and sticking to a certain cutoff will help you avoid a ticket.
br /What don't I like about it?
br /It takes too long to initially receive satellite coverage...close to 5 minutes for me when I first turn it on. That's too long to lock in.
br /Also, the touchscreen sensitivity, although improved with the latest software update, could still be more sensitive.
br /Some people (my daughter included) don't take the time to read the online manual, and never know all the features, or how it works.
br /What I found even more helpful is...take the unit in the house, put it on night view to save battery life, and play around with it on the couch! This is invaluable, as you don't need to be on the road. You can try different route settings, restaurants, POI's, etc.
br /The pros far outweigh the cons. This is a winner and a great GPS!

It was only when I began to travel in areas which were unfamiliar to me that I decided I needed a GPS. I found the advertising and even the in-store displays to be quite confusing so I began asking users of various units for their advice.
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br /A friend who had a Navigon 7100 said he had done extensive research before he made his purchase. I met with him and made a day trip to an unfamiliar area and found the unit user friendly with an excellent display in both 2D and 3D.
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br /It does everything I would expect from a GPS and perhaps a little bit more. The included windshield mount works well. Since I will be traveling on airlines with it I purchased the carrying case. I also purchased the three-year map update which gives up to 12 updates in that time.
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br /I like the traffic alert feature since I will be driving in large cities where I am not familiar with traffic patterns and can't anticipate traffic congestion.
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br /My only criticism is that the users manual could be more detailed. Some features are only touched on briefly and the user is left to experiment until some of the units capabilities are discovered. The manual is on a CD and to print it out uses about 80 sheets of paper.
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br /Overall I am extremely pleased with the Navigon 7100.

This is my first purchase of a GPS. I bought this on review from a friend that loves his. I found it at other "stores" but the price was higher and I was leaving on a trip within 3 days and needed it sooner than they could ship it. I google searched and Amazon was at the top of the list and I couldn't believe the price. I had it shipped guarantee next day and it was still cheaper than the other stores. After programming it at home and reading over the manual I was ready for my trip. I do not have one single complaint everything from ease of use, functionality was top notch!! I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a GPS replacement, or one like me who this is there first one.

After spending a lot of time looking and reading reviews for all the other types of navigation systems, this one had the least amount of complaints. I have found that most of the peoples complaints are because they did not take the time to read the manual or call Navigon for assistance. Very user friendly. There are some POIs that are missing, but through the Navigon website you can suggest to the company that Navigon works with to add the POI, also you can let them know when there is a wrong address for a POI, or the POI doesn't need to be on there.

Navigon 7100 GPS Portable Automobile Navigator
I purchased the Navigon 7100 thinking I would be getting a big screen easy to read for the money. The trouble is the image is smaller than the smaller screen of the Garmin Nuvi 360. The Navigon 7100 does not prompt very quick when you make a wrong turn and recalulate. It also does not promt you far enough ahead of time, when your turn is coming up. It prompts you when you get right there. The Navigon is a lot harder to work with. I returned it and bought a Garmin Nuvi 360. Very user freindly.

I dont know if any patches out there, fix any of these problems, but from my first day of use, I would only give a 5 of 10.

I used Garmin & Magellan earlier, they make very good use of screen, and easy to operate while driving.

I do have a few things that I would like to see changed or added.


No Auto shutdown
No Auto Day/Night mode
Jumbled Menus
No Phone Book
No Intuitive Help, specially with FM Transmitter
Touch screen is aweful, never responds
Colors of active/inactive buttons should be changed to something more apparent ...Dark Grey & Light Grey is very hard in bright day light
Stylus for operating GPS, sounds inflexible and infact very small fonts
Battery life is bad
Text to speech is very very bad, it can't say the most common names of US roads properly
POI is at very minimum
No Zoomed view of the intersection on half of the screen
FM Transmitter for music thru Car speakers
I had dropped satellite connection, while Magellan still has the connection, when side-by-side

Upon testing the unit on arrival, I discovered the speaker distorts on any setting above the lowest position. The earbuds work without distortion, so the speaker must be defective. I have not checked on possibly returning or repair options.

This product is great. I have been able to find my way around unfamiliar parts of the country with ease. The feature showing lanes in 3-D is the best I have seen and makes road navigation much easier. It has chosen some routes in areas I know that are actually faster than I use myself, so I am pretty impressed with that. The only main downside is that the battery does not last long (up to 3 hours), so you really need to have the device plugged in to the car battery all the time. It should have at least 5-6 hours of power in my view. That is my only complaint.

I got this as a Xmas present for my wife, who very picky about directions and about electronics. If she doesn't like something she will take it back or call the company to correct the issues. This has not happened.

With the Navigon 7100, my wife is in love with it and uses it everyday. It has eliminated all the arguments over her perceived misdirections.

She is okay with the touch screen because with have a history with Palm Pilots and the stylus and the Navigon has the same sensitivity.

Great product with a company that has a long history in the navigation industry. This company is very proactive in improving the product by taking feedback from the users and applying or correcting suggestions. This is an up and comer. Move over Garmin, Magellan and Tom Tom.

Touch screen not sensetive enough,Small buttons, I didnt like it comparing to my old Garmin.

i've got it for 2 weeeks, then i coudln't stand how slow and inaccurate it works, so i returned it to store... now i have garmin nuvi 760. and it's worth its price!!
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This item works well in Europe, other military stores are selling them for over $650 I got mine for half the price.

This product is nice. What I like about it is that when you come across multiple juctions, it will bring up a 3D image showing you the road and which one to follow with couple of arrows.
br / I had a little problem when I purchased this product. The map that came with the product was not working. I called on the saller and they asked if I want to exchange it for another one which I refused. I called on the manufacturer and they sent me a new map which took couple of days, but they did send it. Over all, will I recomend this product to people? I will say YES. It is easy to use, It warns you ahead of time if there is traffic and gives you an alternate road to follow. It is so cool to use at night because it uses the 3D image. It is far better than the Navman that I paid almost $600 when these products just came out.
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The ease of use is amazing. Set-up is fast and easy and the units accuracy is far better than any of the other units of it's kind on the market today.

I have owned this GPS for about a month, I love it, the traffic alerts are really handy, I would recommend this to any one looking for a GPS the screen and graphics are so clear, I had and intelli navi which I thought was good this blows away the other and the price was great, delivery was quick, now the down side speaker could be better not very loud, I suppose you can play thru your car radio but I not that finicky, and last the mounting the GPS to the windshield is some times very trying,but over all, I give this 5 stars and easily recommend this to any one who is looking for a GPS, I am a sales rep for my company and I travel a 4 state area.( I see it is now lower in price)

1 out of 5 Sorry not a five Thursday, December 20, 2007
TrailHacker from Santa Barbara, CA
Had the 7100. It probably deserves better than a 1 but all these ratings here at 5 are just not accurate. On other forums I read about all the problems with this unit- especially with route finding. Well, I did all the hack tweaks as suggested on another forum which seemed to make route calculation better but not quite optimal. I put my house in as a destination and hit the navigate button. It told me to drive around the block to come back to where I was. It wants you to pull up in front of your house on the same side of the street as your destination for some bizarre or European reason even if it is way out of your way. My route to work - it wouldn't pick the correct route no matter what I did. It even told me to travel on street A, then on Street B when the two streets don't intersect, they are parallel. They show as parallel on their map for crying out loud. The mount for the unit attaches to the windshield is illegal in California and I believe that may be the case in some other states as well. It's too big to carry around with you anyway if you intend to use this unit for rental use. I also bought a 4 gig fast SDHC card and put the data on that. People on other forums and in reviews have been complaining about the sluggishness of the unit. That seemed to make the unit faster. One problem solved but at a cost. I liked some of the features but it comes down to this - the main purpose of these units is to get you to where you want to go efficiently. The 7100 can't do that. I'm not sure if it is the maps or the poor algorithms. I also work in the software business and know that there are bugs but reading posts from people who called their support it doesn't sound like this company has any intention of fixing these bugs. That, or they have not trained their support people to at least say the right things. So my Navagon is now Nav - be - Gone. I sent it back. And with 15% restocking, it was a tough decision. It has the high end extra features but the problems with the base functionality - the maps and/or the algorithms aren't worth the frustration. Yahoo maps always finds seems to find the best route. For what I paid this unit should at least do as well as what I already get for free.

Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator I would like to tell you my experience with the Navigon 7100. I just purchased my Navigon 7100 at the end of August, received it within a few days. When I went on the Navigon site I was informed it needed to be updated. I followed the instructions of downloading then I was to download to the Navigon 7100. I did do this with trouble from the beginning, but I was able to finally download to my computer. I had trouble downloading to the Navigon 7100 at this point. Called Navigon three times (everyone was nice, but they seemed to be in a hurry to end our conversation), and then I was told to format, which wiped out the SD card. Everytime I tried to reload, it was not recognized. I contacted Globazar to see what I could do and was told to return the item no questions asked and he would replace with a new one. Thank you Globazar. I received my new Navigon 7100 within a few days. I can't believe the turn around less than a week. I'm still learning my new purchase, but so far it seems to be pretty nice for me. I have never owned a navigation system before, and not as experienced as some of you, but it sure helped reading your reviews. Thank you Amazon and Globazar.

I bought this GPS thinking that the real time technology was really cool, fist of all, it does not look anywhere near as cool looking as Navigons's advertisments makes it appear The bluetooth phone feature is useless, because there is no storage for your cell phonebook. The display is very difficult to read when using the traffic feature, you have to put this unsightly wire antena, suction cupped to your windshield --- tacky. Next, the battery died after only 3 hours usage after a 8 hour overnight charge. You also must download the owners manual off a CD and print approxmitly 100 pages, (absurd for the price your paying, a printed manual wasnt included) You will spend a few hours reading the manual trying to figure out how it works. Its complicated to use, and I've owned 3 prior GPS units and none of them was nearly as complicated to use as this one. Worst of all, it's directional abilities are inaccurate, taking me on longer, out of the way routes time and again. Needless to say, I returned my 7100 to the store after 3 days of aggravation.

This is the best Navi I have ever used period!!!
Forget garman, tom tom and the rest of the crap,,,,I bought this on Amazon and used it a month and was amazed love the free lifetime traffic....On Black friday picked a navigon 2100T up for 99.00 including free trafic and shipping,

Since i own a crossfire and have a small windshield prefer the smaller 2100.
These are amazing....skip the rest you found the best!!!!!!

After a lot of research decided to buy Navigon 7100. Have features same as other competiters for less price. Lifetime map update and trafic subscription made me buy this GPS. It worked great have no issues in reaching my destinations. Only concerns are touch screen not sensitive enough to a finger and you have to use stylus. Even there is enough space on the lcd screen but icon and text is small hard to read while driving. Also lcd view angle is about 90 degree and when you move on one side or up or down display get dull and not as good as if you are sitting right infront of GPS. As compaired to my last GPS garmin 660 when I walk inside my house it change location about every 25ft but I am not able to see any changes in my current location unless I walked about 300ft with Navigon 7100. POI need improvement I tried to find walmart, home depot, Lowes and kmart etc but could not find them unless I enter exact address for these stores. I hope Navigon will provide an upgrade to fix these concerns and will provide options to customize font and icon size.

This product does not perform very well. After using it for 3 days, I received a "Fatal Error" twice, and I had to use the "reset" feature each time. This is a serious software error and needs to be debugged. It takes forever to find a satellite signal. Sometimes, I could be at the location before it finds a sufficient signal. The "Reality View" is rarely shown. Most street names are not pronounced correctly. But, worst of all, it gives you some directions when it's almost too late to make the maneuver. I was traveling on Hwy. 87. Navigon told me correctly to stay in the right lane and take the next interstate turn-off. However, the turn-off very quickly had a Y in the road; one goes to I280 and one to I680. Navigon did not say which one to take. Finally, although it is Bluetooth ready, and I was able to connect with the Bluetooth technology on my cell phone, the person on the other end could hardly hear me. I had to pick up my cell phone to talk with the person. Also, it sounds like a nice feature, but, of course, it interrupts the directions being given while you're on the phone. It's probably best to keep the two technologies separate. My old TomTom One works better, but, I'm looking for a few extra features such as street names, etc. Using the Navigon is not very intuitive. I am returning it and will look at other GPS systems.

I've used this product for about 2 weeks now and I'm disapointed with it. Maybe if the price tag was about $200 I would be extremely happy with it but with for $400+... well, I can only complain.

Pros: - Free Trafic Alerts... Does not work all the time though, mainly because the data is not always up to date. When it works it is good because it tells you alternate ways to get to your destination
- Wider screen (4.3 in screen)
- Looks nice
- Text to speech, very handy at accurate most of the time
- Static reality view for entering major exits. This is the feature that they brag about the most and it is actually helpful when entering an exit that splits to 2 directions. It does not work with all confusing exits.

Cons: - Interface to use a Bluetooth enabled phone is extremely basic. I thought I could live without an addressbook on the GPS, but I noticed that it is very inconvenient (I'll never take an address book for granted again)
- Device crashed twice already when I received calls. It does not happen all the time but maybe because I abused the system. Resetting the machine is easy but you loose your call logs (I actually use the call logs to make my phone calls). You can make calls from your cell phone and use the GPS to talk, I think this feature crashed my device
- Voice Recognition cannot be used with phone. Someone should tell the people that developed this product that usually, people enter destinations when they are parked (don't need voice recognition as much) but you might want to call someone when you are driving (this is when voice recognition might be a bit more useful)
- I live in the NY (home of the super bowl XLII champs, and hopefully World Series champs Mets (SANTANA BABY!!!)) and the route calculation does not seem to be optimal. A few times (not all times) it will tell me to get off the highway way before I'm actually supposed to (my friend has a BMW with Navigation which calculates better than this device). I've told the machine to Avoid tolls, but still goes ahead and takes the toll (I manually rejected the toll on the turn by turn list and it freaked out by calculating a route with a bunch of u-turns in lower manhattan)
- Day/Night mode is not automatic
- POI cannot be disabled from the view. I was driving through manhattan and often times there are so many POI that I cannot even read the street names, plus the fact that performance deteriorates by a bunch

Doesn't Bother Me: - The overall performace of the machine is slow but that does not bother me that much, I guess after owning a Tom Tom I could not go back to this one, but since I never had one, I'm okay with the slow performance.
- They should warn you to spray some windex or alcohol on the suction cup of the car mount so it does not fall off when you hit a bump. It actually fell of the first day I used it and remembered about the trick

Greatest disappointment: you can use it only in North America. No Europe or Asia as it was important to me. Otherwise nice on highways with clear view and directions. "Fastest route" will always take you to the nearest highway entrance even if it means going back. Sometimes it will take you off the road just to take you back to it. Watch the map as you drive to monitor it's choice of route. Short battery life, approx. 2 hours, not 6 or 8 as it is officially stated. Poor quality of sound. Not very precise as to address location, off by approx. 4 houses.

Everything about this navigation device is great!!! Especially the free traffic report.

One downside though, the volume on the bluetooth device is so low it's basically useless! I guess I have to re-install my parrot bluetooth.

I would return this item if i dont loose any money
its very clunky and and lacks user friendliness
car suction stand/arm is very large and rediculous that it needs its own front seat :-)
interface very difficult and confusing
why did I buy it? well, a big mistake just by item description
i recommend the Garmin 650 or or any other garmin than this product

I like almost everything about this product except the route planning. I've used the product for about a month now and have noticed several very serious issues with its route planning algorithm:

1) Optimal routes are anything but optimal. Several reviewers have mentioned this issue, but none has quantified it - so here's a real example. On one common destination I use, the unit picks a route that adds 30 miles to what would normally be a 60 mile trip to theoretically save 5 minutes. That's crazy. It's not faster (it doesn't account for the 30 extra traffic lights on the route) and it wastes fuel. Both are serious problems, but with gas at $3/gallon it's a problem that bites you in the wallet.

2) To get around the optimal route issue I tried using the shortest route option. This produces a much shorter route. However, I usually use the unit on rural roads. It doesn't have an option to avoid unimproved (gravel or dirt roads) or seasonally available roads. Because of that it recommends any game trail, logging road or dirt road that is in its data base. This is down right dangerous given that I don't drive an AWD vehicle and I'm current using it in the winter. Last year James Kim of CNet lost his life by following similar bogus route data from Mapquest.

At this point, I consider the unit not only useless, but down right dangerous. I can't give this unit a negative enough review. I wish I could select negative stars.

This is my first return to Amazon even though I've purchased items from them for years. Thankfully Amazon has a good return policy and the return was easy. Nice job Amazon.

I replaced the Navigon with a Garmin 360. I'm very happy with the Garmin.

the desighn is wonderful and thas as far as i could go with the pros. now customer service is so bad, make u want to through this product in the trash. the stand that comes with it does not hold well, so the unit fall down while driving, although the traific updates are great, the point of interest is useless. i had better luck with the nagavation on my phone with verizion.

I was very disappointed in this item. (1)The windshield attachment was large and cumbersome. It filled the entire center if the windshield and dash board and protruded into the passenger area. Actually, it was, probably, illegal in most states.
(2)The directions took you out of your way to get to your destination. While this would not be a major problem in a familiar area, you could simply ignore the directions,in an un-familiar area it could be a major problem. (3)The text to voice was atrocious. The street and city names were slurred or mis-pronounced. For instance, Cornwall Way was pronounced Cornwally. San Jose was pronounced San Gosey. Again, this is not a major problem in a familiar area because you would know what the voice was trying to say. However, in an unfamiliar area this could be a major problem. (4) Worst of all...I delibertly purchased the item for the traffic broadcasts. However, even though I live in an area where the traffic information is broadcast, I was never able to receive any traffic information with the item.

First of all - It looks great. Looks can be deceiving. I ordered the 7100 which came with a rebate that needed to be sent by the 30th day. Well, I sent it on the 31st date and they would not even give an exception to this policy. Navigon is not about customer service. They said there are no exceptions. Well, I decided to keep it. There are some cool features: (1). It saves any of your destinations, (2). Informs you when you go over the speed limit, (3). Count down your destination in time and miles. Locating POI's is too complicating and when you enter a specific place like Starbucks, it will not locate it unless you choose it from the list. Last but not least, after 2 1/2 months it simply failed to turn on. Not working at all. Good thing Costco accepts return if you are simply not satisfied. I was not satisfied. Hope this helps.

I bought this product to replace my lost Garmin nuvi 360. My friend recommended it to me and i thought it would outlive my expectations but then no. I am dismayed with the stand and/or connector. it's too long and not discrete. As you all know that gps are one of the "hot stuff" being stolen these days and with that kind of connector, you would increase the likelihood of your unit being stolen and storage wise, it'll need a big space in yout car. I was disappointed as well with data input, if you have garmin nuvi, you know what i mean. The unit never lasted my hand for 24hrs, i returned it back and got the same garmin nuvi i had before and it never failed to amaze me.

We found 2 faults the volume could be louder and needs a mans voice.Also could use auto dimmer for night.
It does tell you what side of street your location is on which is very helpful. Screen very good.Gives enough notice for turns.

I've been to Burlington VT, Bangor Maine and Natick, MA in the last few days. The traffic updates are awesome, speed limit reminders, reality view..ect The unit never missed a beat. On track with everything. Absolutely love it.

The Navigon series is an excellent GPS product with the new technology that gives a realistic view to major road signage. The 7100 has every technology imaginable on a midend GPS system. I highly recommend it.

I am a new user. To date I have been impressed with the unit. I wish that the logbook feature that uploads to a spred sheet would work from the turn by turn page. I would like to view the entire trip on hard copy.

My unit is locked on eastern time. The logbook must have the first leg entered before you start.

THIS IS THE COOLEST GPS OUT THERE. TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE FEATURES BEFORE HEADING OUT ON YOUR JOURNEY.

NEW: Navigon just released a FREE update to 1.1. It fixes a few problems (see Navigon.com for details).

I would recommend this to a friend.

PROS:

It is slim, stylish and small for its 4.3 inch screen.

Very sturdy construction.

Comes with FREE lifetime traffic (usually about $100 extra) which is a huge help (But wish it had actual speeds rather than RED, YELLOW, GREEN).

CONS:

Takes about 3 minutes to link to satellites (Turn it on when you first get in the car).

Being in California, I cannot attach anything to my windows so I have to attach using the disk and dangling the cord. Attachment is rather bulky, large and awkward. Traffic signal often not picked up and, in practice, speed limits only seem to work with freeways.

The last map update was February 2006 and, so far, missing four addresses I need (3 of them have been updated on NAVTEQ but not converted by Navigon for their GPS units.). I fear Navigon may charge for updates if a map update ever comes. At least they released a free bug fix to 1.1.

Some directions lack (artificial) intelligence. When I am 3 miles from home ON THE ROAD I LIVE ON, it wants me to go double the distance by freeway (since it says it is the OPTIMIZED route but I happen to know it will take double the time than simply staying on my home street). That is because it "sees" the freeway as 65 MPH and my street as 35 MPH. I know for a fact that it will take me a lot longer to change the 4 streets and 3 freeways it says to do (rather than just keeping on my home street for 3 miles). On the other hand, it sometimes wants me to cut inland on streets rather than just continue on the freeway I am already on (It does not realize that 35 MPH on the freeway is far faster than getting off the freeway and driving on side streets).
Its Artificial Intelligence is still lacking in many cases.

Hopefully it will be updated but right now it ALWAYS directs me to the Carpool Lane (HUGE fine if I do it!). I want to BLOCK it from doing that ("Sorry officer, my GPS told me to do it"). The GPS keeps repeatedly telling me to get in the Carpool lane and then has to recalculate my route when I "miss" it. It is illegal but fine with the GPS. Hopefully an update will solve this before I get a huge fine.

Last week it directed me to TURN LEFT but as I started to do it, I realized there was a NO LEFT TURN sign. It took me 15 minutes in bumper to bumper traffic to get back to where I needed to be. Perhaps in 2006 the road went through but now it is closed off. It cost me 15 minutes but could have cost me my life if I had blindly followed its directions as I was preparing to do. "Death by GPS"

FINALLY, I am happy with my choice and have not found anything better for the money... so I would recommend it to others. I am happy with my decision.

The new bug fix update to 1.1 went smoothly.

Really haven't used this device enough to make a review yet. It seems to be just what I am looking for as I am seriously directionally challenged.
Don't expect it to take me coast to coast, intend to use it to find garage sales etc. and get me home again.
Big selling point with me was the live time alert for traffic hazards without additional cost. Maybe it would have saved some lives on the very bad pileup on Florida Rte 4 near Lakeland.

tHIS IS FAR BETTER THAN YOUR OTHERE GPS SYSTEMS OUT THERE, iT WILL TAKE YOU RIGHT TO THE PLACE OF ENTERY. NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS ,AS OF YET, BATTERY LIFE COULD BE ALOT BETTER.

Very nice GPS unit. It's my first GPS unit, but there are a couple goofy things, in my opinion:
--The traffic functionality is a bit strange (gives everything in a wide radius, even if it is not on your route), but works very well.
--Sometimes the directions it gives are weird, almost humorous (i.e. when I told it to avoid a road and was already on the highway I wanted to be on, it said to make a right, another right, a third right, and then finally turn right on the highway I was already on, about halfway between my departure point and where I already was)

Overall, though, I think it is definitely worth the money.

The first clue is that it comes with a built-in stylus. It has this because no normal finger can accurately hit most of the buttons. The menu structure is completely non-intuitive. You can't type in a location by name. You have to go through a series of other things first, including a category choice that has "all categories" at the *bottom*!! Also, if you decide to change any of the choices, the rest blank out. You can't get a map view unless you are being navigated somewhere, otherwise it just shows a four-button screen. Given all this, it is not usable while driving. Granted, you shouldn't be messing with you gps while driving anyway, but we all do it, and most units have big buttons for in-route functions that will get you most of what you need. Try it with the Navigon, and you'll be bending over squinting at the tiny text as you roll under an 18-wheeler. Oh, here's another thing. You can choose to have the street names displayed on the map, but it doesn't show you the *useful* streets. You can be coming though major intersections and they are completely unlabeled. Here's another clue. It's running Windows CE. That explains why it's slow and unusable, takes forever to boot (unless you put it sleep mode, which looks like "off", but isn't, and still burns the battery down). Overall, a horrible design. It sure looks gorgeous, but it isn't really, once you really get to know it...

I have bought this unit after watching an ad on TV showing that it have a reality mode where you will see real views while driving. I decided to buy it but then returned it 2 days later after navigating with it on 3 trips. I was disappointed by the POIs which are VERY few as I was comparing it to my son Mio, the battery life was very short despite that I charged it all night through, and there was no reality view in NC as advertised, and the navigation was not accurate. I returned it back and bought the Mio C720t which have a fantastic database of 12 million POIs, VERY Accurate Navigator, a camera that register the location and the navigator can take you back to the same location, and a LOT more of bells and whistles. Sorry Navigon, your unit looks fantastic, but functions poorly.

Just took it out of the box and read very little instructions that came with the unit. Had to go on line to get manual of 100 pages wow what a disappointment. Have to use stylus to enter addresses etc. Sorry but not good for my use, put in back in the box and returned it not used. Ordered a garmin 650 I love it.

I was not happy with my Garmin Nuvi 350 so I was looking for an alternative. I tried the Navigon 7100 but, man, is it one of the worst GPS units out there. The main problems are: first, it takes FOREVER to get a satellite signal, even in open areas. I think the average time of getting it into navigatable mode from powering on is like 10 minutes, which is absolutely unacceptable. Second, it's very slow, esp. when it tries to show fancy "reality view" graphics. You'll likely miss a turn because it can't keep up with your driving. Routing engine is even worse than the not-so-good one in the Nuvi 350, which costs half as much. This is just such a huge disappointment as I was hoping to finally replace my Nuvi.

The Navigon 7100 is an excellent looking product straight out of the box and would have been better if i had some functional instructions to go with this product..

I read many caution statements about this product, but I thought it would serve my purpose. I tried to overlook the mistakes it made and really tried to find reasons to keep this product. However, just like the reviews - slow connection with satelite, poi's that were not there, strange routing directions in well-know areas of travel, therefore, did not trust it in unknown areas. I'm still in need of a gps for my christmas travels, and will continue to look. Result -RETURNED.

I like how Navigon decided for the consumer that they do not need a MP3 player and that it is unnecessary. If you are going some where and have a car full of people you might want to have the music playing plus you need to hear voice directions, while having it piped through your stereo via the auxiliary jack. That is how Garmin, Mio and Lowrance do it, and it gives it a factory feel.
The music mutes you get voice directions then the music plays again. I guess Navigon does not know how to do it like that. Even the Seimons Pocket Loox plays MP3 and pictures and video for $149.99

This is a nice GPS unit. I like the POI icons on the road, and the search options. The routing is ok. The mount is very good because you don't need a mounting bracket. The POI's as Navigon says are the ones that are necessary. So I guess that is why you do not have a lot of different stores, only the ones you need when traveling., which would probably be greater than a one hour trip, so why would this unit not have a MP3 player?

Pros- Nice design. The bayonet mounting . Free lifetime traffic. Zaget POIs. Graphics. Lane indicators. Reality view. And POI icons on the screen to show you what is ahead when you don't know because you are in a different city. Auto zoom, it widens the field of view so you can see your surrounding area. Ok routing. It will show the names of some POIs on the road as you travel. This is good for impromptu stops.

Cons- $400.00 and no MP3 player. No Multimedia. At this level of a GPS unit there should always be multimedia so the consumer has the option to use it or not. Some people use these things for long distance travel and not just drives around their local area to find a address. I have in my family the MIO 520, Garmin 350 and Lowrance 350 & 250. They all have full multimedia functions, they play music pause the music voice speaks than the music continues, the MIO & the Lowrance have separate voice volume levels. Maps should be installed in flash memory, but you can buy a higher SD card so not too bad.

As you can guess my problem with the Navigon 7100 is with lack of multimedia, all the other top companies are incorporating it. Let the consumer decide if they want to use it or not. The Navigon 7100 would have had a higher rating. Maybe Navigon will include multimedia in a firmware update.

So far the Navigon 7100 is very reliable,no glitches.

After using for awhile I recommend, and give it 4-stars.

This is my first GPS unit so i have nothing to really compare this product to. I've used this GPS unit for 2 weeks now. The screen display is amazing and the text to speech is pretty accurate. The lane-assistant is a great feature and helps driving in unfamiliar areas. The TMC feature is also great and lets me how bad the traffic is while i'm driving
Few cons of this product is
1.) It sometimes thinks i'm on the correct road when i'm actually on the road parallel to it
2.) The traffic updates only works when i have the external antenna plugged in
3.) It doesn't calculate the shortest time route all the time. I compared this by using the route it suggested when i went home. It kind of went in a round-a-about way.
However despite these cons i plan to keep this product

Great product. Customer support was great. Needs to supply users manual in book form.

I HAVE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH THIS GPS. IT DOES ALL THE THINGS I WANT AND MORE. A FEW THINGS TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO LEARN BUT OVER ALL IT IS GREAT.

After reciving my Navigon I've become an avid user. My first "True Test" will occure in the middle of June thru July/1st August on a 6500 mile west coast trip. I'll update after my trip.

this unit came with a map that is not the latest. the first trip out it didnot have roads that i know have ben there for at least five years.
br /I would not purchus this product again.

The cons are too many to mention and I really don't have that much time. Some of the worst ones are:
br /
br /1. Extremely sluggish interface - it will pull your nerves to no end.
br /2. The worst route calculation. 2.5 miles route turns into 8.9 miles route.
br /3. The GUI is light years away from intuitive.
br /4. Search of POIs is impossible. Little test - try to find Target or Walmart - NO LUCK
br /5. Satellite detection is awful.
br /6. Traffic information is outdated. By trying to avoid traffic jam (that is no longer there) you will get redirected to another one that is currently going on.
br /7. The "realistic view" is valid only on some sections of some roads. Ventura County,CA, 101 Freeway does not have them for example. And 101 Fwy is kind of a popular fwy in CA.
br /
br /There are many more cons but I am no longer wasting time on this piece of s***. If you want to experiment - buy it and I am sure you'll finish this review.
br /
br /Conclusion: Total waste of money. In my opinion all the good reviews are written by company employees or stock holders. I don't think anyone can convince me of the opposite.

Amazon has done it's work bringing this product to us. I was impressed as it arrived in quick delivery time and WITH MY HOME ADDRESS ALREADY PROGRAMMED .. nice touch ....... The 7100 update time is very fast and indicates a turn 1.0 mile, .1 mile, and about 50 ft from the actual turn of the steering wheel. I did a quick review of the DVD Instructional Manual but really it's pretty simple to poke and hope to figure stuff out. Sometimes I get frustrated but it's just a matter of thinking adjustment ... entering the address requires the street first, then the numbers, ... a bit different. Another must have feature is the RECALULATING feature if you miss a turn .... you can opt for U Turn (or block it in programming) or it tells you a new route from your present position. Very Nice. It seems to choose the route either easiest for a driver, or shortest but not always the route I would choose, so I love the recaluatling feature...
One issue, not the fault of the unit, the county reindexed some residential addresses so the data base needs updated .. yesterday it took me to my destination but was 3/4 mile off target due to county updating their 911 system and changing addresses .... STILL OVERALL I am happy I purchased this item.

Bought unit,did not work out of box.Called and e-mailed customer support,was told supervisor would call,NEVER HAPPENED.I called a third time,was told "we do not have fix for until mid to late jan. we are just starting in usa". returned unit to amazon(with no greif from them at all THANK YOU) AND BOUGHT GARMIN NUVI680 for which I am extermley happy with. DO NOT BUY NAVIGON!!!!!

Inferior to Garmin 360 and 680, which I also own. Klunky and very large window mount. Initial start up far too slow. Cheap carrying pouch.

The best there is. One good thing would be to have the destination display all the way to the destination

No matter how cute this looks.

The company carries no spare parts what so ever.

So if your battery dies or your charger damages.

This item goes to the Museum.

THE GPS IS VERY HARD TO SET A DESTINATION AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND A RESTAURANT TO EAT AT IT WILL ONLY SHOW THE ONE'S IN A 0.3 MILE AREA.
YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO BRING UP A MAP AND TELL IT TO FOLLOW THIS DIRECTION.
AND AS FOR THE FREE TRAFFIC WELL I HAVEN'T HAD IT HELP ME YET AND I WAS IN DALLAS TRAFFIC SITTING FOR 45 MINS. MY OLD GARMIN WAS GOOD BUT I WANTED TO UP DATE THIS UNIT DOSEN'T DO IT.

if you have a PH DEGREE in navation, then this the one for you.every one else don't waste your money.

my purchase of navigon gps device was done based on looks alone. However I have since been able to use this device and can tell you it is as functional as it is good looking. T he three dimentional graphics are soothing to watch, the volume of information provided to the driver has to be seen to be believed. I am completely satisfied with my purchase.

I was going to buy this unit to test it. After reading reviews I decided to call NavigonUSA customer service to find out about SD card,if unit comes with 2 or 4 gb. After about 15 minutes on hold, customer service rep picked up, and advised me that they are very busy righ now, and asked me to leave a number. ( He did not even asked me how can he help me, or purps. of my call)I gave him my cell number,and I was told that somebody would call me back withing the next 48 hours. I was very surprised! I do not remember anything like that even dealing with outsorsing companies from India!
By the way.... nobody called me back.

navigon 7100 portable gps is the best thing that i have purchased in a long time . it makes my driving error free. the voice is clear and its just breath of fresh air.

I OWN THE NAVIGON FOR 2 WEEKS AND WAS VERY DISEPOINTED.
TO START WITH THE MOUNT CAN BE USED ON CAR WINDSHIELD ONLY AND I DRIVE A TRUCK SO THE WINDSHIELD IS FLAT AND I COULDN'T USE IT.
AT NIGHT THE SCREEN IN THE LOWEST BRIGHTNESS IS TOO BRIGHT AND ANNOYING.
I WANTED TO KNOW SPEED LIMITS NOT JUST ON THE INTERSTATE BUT ON US HWY BUT THE NAVIGON DON'T HAVE THAT INFO.
I HAD TO RUN FROM CHICAGO TO DETROIT AND HAD TO USE SOME TOLLS BUT DIDN'T WANT TO GO ON IN TPK AND OH TPK SO I HAVE TRY TO GET THE ROUTH CHANGED AND THE UNIT WAS VERY SLOW TO CALCULATE.
ON INTERSTATE THE NAVIGON WILL TALK A LOT MORE THAN REQUIRED AND IT WILL NOT BE JUST " GO 100 MI " , IN INTERSTATE DRIVING EVERY CROSS INTERSTATE
WILL TELL YOU TO KEEP GOING STRAIGHT EVEN THAT YOU KNOW THAT.
IT WAS ALSO HARD TO GET TO THE POI THAT I WAS LOOKING TO FIND AND WAS HARD TO ONDERSTAND HOW TO PUT A POI IN OR HOW TO USE MANY OPTIONS.

IM TIRED OF WRITING
THERES MORE BUT YOU RTY IT FOR YOURSELF

I know my home town very well, but now that I am out of grad school, I am traveling more and need something to help and this is doing just fine.

The Navigon7100 is incredible. I moved from Chicago to NC and using the Navigon has not only helped me get around my new city but has helped me to learn the whole area. The system is very easy to set up, the graphics are bright and easy to view, and I can use it in any vehicle I am travelling in. I am not very technological but, the Navigon is easy to set up and use. I would recommend this product to anyone interested in a navigational system, especially those who are new to the technology!

I have no complaints about this model. Working in construction and having to travel to numerous locations, this navigation system has saved me tons of time and money. I have had no problems picking up a signal despite what Gadgester has said. The 7100 picks it up almost instantly. The many options on the 7100 such as traffic reports, local landmark finder, optional preferences, etc. make the 7100 fitting for all drivers. Picks up even the smallest streets. Great user manual and great capabilities with the memory card. I highly recommend this sleak model to all. All of my co-workers now want one. You won't be dissapointed.

reat product. I have never used a navigational unit before and this one is very easy to use. I deliver meals for a "Meals on Wheels" organization and the Navigon 7100 made my trip much easier and faster.
Great graphics. I love the easy to read monitor, the font is large enough that I don't need my reading glasses. Fun and useful product that I will definitely recommend to family and friends.

Right out of the box, the Navigon 7100 was simple to use. Mapping a route was seamless, the graphics are clean and easy to read. There's incredible accuracy as well as a great deal of attention to details such as landmarks. It makes trips so easy, even a nine year old can do!

I called Navigon and they admitted that the 2G cards were a mistake from the manufacturer and it will be corrected. If you got a 2G card (check by hooking up the unit to your computer), then I suggest you give them a call. They claimed to have just found out themselves (maybe, maybe not!) and would contact me in a few days.

As for the unit itself, I love it. It has a great display, viewable from many angles and in direct sunlight. It has all the features I wanted but never found in a single unit (bluetooth, free traffic reports, text-to-speech, voice recognition, multiple waypoints, route planning even if GPS isn't available, and the ability to select points directly from the map). It even comes with options that I didn't think I needed, but now I really like, such as Zagat reviews, branded POIs, stylus, lane assist, and reality view. The lane assist and reality view are nice when going through crazy interchanges in big cities. The screen could be a little more responsive, but I have thick fingers and have problems with other brands, too. Thankfully, Navigon did not waste their time with the extra junk that doesn't work well but seem to be the only selling points for other brands (music player, photo viewer, FM transmitter). I was skeptical of how well a stiff mount would fit in my car, but it swivels at one end at has a ball joint at the other, so you can easily position it in tight spaces. The GPS reception is good, even in downtown Philly and inside my apartment. The traffic warnings are helpful, but I don't always change my route because of them.

Overall, this unit works great, the menus are intuitive, and it has tons of features. Not only that, but it looks dead sexy.

This is a really stupid, helpless, not update, concret brain, not easy to use item. it drive you crazy. Look pretty but a it disappoint you for sure. I try it for a month, it always provide wrong information and direction, insist on his own route suggestion even after 50 miles away, he still want you back to his original route until last half mile you almost get destination yourself. CRAZY....it never happened to my other GPS system. TERRIBLE PRODUCT.