Navigon 7100 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator Reviews

• A clear winner for me

  
  By A11T807LX2EF00 on 2007-10-07
  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.
  
  

• I'm not happy with this unit

  
  By A2KR3T6PXV7JX4 on 2007-09-11
  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.
  
  
  

• Good device..But too early to buy

  
  By A1U5V1G1QLF383 on 2007-09-11
  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.
  
  
  
  

• Totally disappointed!

  
  By A5JLAU2ARJ0BO on 2007-09-18
  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.
  
  

• Needs Some Improvements

  
  By AIST7V8XF4A18 on 2007-09-17
  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.
  
  
• Wait until they get the bugs out
  By A2G0L78E2YSVB4 on 2007-09-12
  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.
  
  
• Excellent product
  By A1YG9ABXPQGZCB on 2007-07-06
  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.
  
  
• Great potential...but wait for updates before buying
  By A1QCL3QBYFW3EA on 2007-09-07
  I've used a Navigon in Europe and was optimistic about this product.
  
  I received it last week. I've compared together in real time to the TomTom in our other vehicle as well as a Nuvi 650.
  
  Observations: US routing is well off the mark. Points of Interest do not function well, many are missing. As a paying customer I received a 2GB "standard" card instead of the the advanced fast 4GB SDHC card advertised and included in the units distributed free to reviewers. Text-to-speech seems to have been revised to a downgraded system that does not speak most street names. US Customer support was poor, and emails relayed by the US site to Navigon Europe seemed to be handled in a confused manner.
  
  Interestingly these problems are acute for the user, but the fixes are rather simple for Navigon. Two things are happening. I think the 2GB card probably cramped software (everything is on the card) and caused needed and perhaps planned features to be left off. And US support seems to have a poor relationship with the German HDQ where the software is written.
  
  I would say this product has great potential.If you read of a good series of routing updates, software fixes, and return to SDHC card, all of these would be an indication changes in revamping of customer service and commitment to the US market. At that point I would give this device a very strong positive recommendation.
  
  
• Poor route routing
  By A2PLIU4SAUKJAZ on 2007-09-07
  The 7100 does not calculate the shortest time route and takes you on round about routes. This has happened to me on more than one occasion while using the system on very familiar routes using different settings. When the unit was set for fast route which means fast roads not fastest time it took me on a route that was not the shortest time route. If you set it for shortest route it will provide a shortest distance route which may not be the shortest time route.
  
  I called Navigon and spoke to their technical support and general support people. They were unable to provide a solution to correct the problem.
  
  This was very disappointing since I know Navigon is a very good and respected supplier of GPS systems in Europe. To bad they did not wring out all the kinks before rolling this out in North America.
  
  Amazon is allowing me to return the item.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Navigon 7100 Has Major Unresolved Issues
  By A1VM5KSNTGVEUK on 2007-09-08
  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.
  
  
• Edited Review - Just Bought a 2nd for my Wife 4 Months Later
  By A3G6N66V3T62YA on 2007-11-16
  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...
  
  UPDATE (DEC) - REBATE ARRIVED 21st DECEMBER (~ 5 weeks)
  
  UPDATE (FEB) - NEW "FREE" SOFTWARE UPDATE DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE FROM SITE ADDRESSING PROBLEMS DISCUSSED BY MANY ABOVE. SO FAR GREAT.
  
  UPDATE (FEB) - CAN'T SAY I HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS AND HAVE BOUGHT A 2ND UNIT FOR MY WIFE. GARMIN WOULD HAVE BEEN 2ND CHOICE BUT REALLY DOES NOT OFFER WHAT NAVIGON DOES (FREE TRAFFIC, REALITY VIEW, LOOKS ETC.) AND SEEMS FLAWED ACCORDING TO MANY REVIEWS. HAVEN'T SEEN ANOTHER GPS ON THE MARKET WHICH I'D RATHER HAVE JUST NOW.
  
  Hope this helps if even a little
  
  
• Great GPS - critics are overblown
  By AAWM3N7OFZT6D on 2007-11-22
  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.
  
  
• Fantastic GPS Unit
  By A2H8KBT22RB25V on 2007-09-08
  I have been looking around for sometime for an after-market GPS unit for use in my car. My wife has a Toyota Prius with a factory installed GPS which we have been very happy with and that was my standard in looking for the after-market unit. Other units I have looked at or had experience with by traveling with a friend - the Magellans and the Garmins - each seemed to be missing something or had some annoying voice or directional commands or the reviews by buyers mentioned something that didn't work as they thought it should.
  When I cam across the Navigon 7100, it seemed to have everything I was looking for and a few extras, so I bought it. I have had it now for about a week and it is really terrific. It looks great, works really well, and has so many different optional settings that although it works right out of the box, you can easily make it work to your own satisfaction by making changes to the settings. I had no problem connecting my Bluetooth cell phone to the Navigon for hands free phone use.
  One of the reviewers below mentioned that the routing does not always seem short or fast depending on the setting. I noticed the same thing initially and then set the routing option to Optimal which seems to work best for me. Regardless, the unit does get you there and has never taken us far out of the way. I've also noticed that this odd routing occured most often when the destination is soft - like a town without a specific address - so the specific destination area of the town is not entered.
  I am extremely happy with this unit and would highly recommend it.
  If you do get the unit (or if you want to know the details of opertaion before you buy), you should download the latest opreration guide from the Navigon website rather than printout the one that comes on the CD with the unit. Since this unit is relatively new, Navigon seems to be making revisions to it's operation guide to clarify instructions or options.
  
  
• Not a great GPS
  By AFX8GKA4RWQXA on 2007-09-08
  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.
  
  
• Great device with free updates coming - maybe?
  By A1FZNH6Y5B813J on 2007-11-16
  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.
  
  ------------Update---------------
  1/24/08
  - Updates moved back to Mid March...very disappointed with this outcome. Hopefully it won't be delayed yet again.
  
  
• Excellent product. - (But check if you get a 2 GB card instead 4 GB card)
  By A3RS9CEHLVB55Y on 2007-09-06
  Edited 9/8/07: Navigon 7100 datasheet from navigon's own US website says a 4GB card is supposed to be included!! But they still shipped me one with a 2GB card. Watch out!! (would reduce the number of stars if possible but there is no way to do that)
  
  After analyzing every other personal navigation device in this price range, I decided on the navigon. The screen is simply brilliant. (If you are so inclined you can install TCPMP on it since it runs WinCE OS and watch movies).
  POIs: It had every single POI I could think of around my house. I was able to easily call restaurants from it using bluetooth link to my cell phone. One minor annoyance I have to establish connection to the phone each time I switch Navigon on. But it never failed to connect.
  Mount: It has a different kind of mount. It works wonderfully in my Saturn Ion since the Ion has a center mounted instrument panel I have the Navigon mounted along my line of sight.
  Route calculation: Route calculation and recalculation is done with good speed. For longer trips it takes a little bit longer to figure out the route. Route simulation is possible which is cool. You have the option of avoiding any portion of the route.
  Suggestions: As soon as you get the unit after charging it connect to your computer - it shows up as a USB drive - backup the SD card. Also check the size of the SD card. Although the specs show a 4 GB card my unit was shipped with a 2 GB card with only 19 MB remaining.
  Fun things: After you have backed up the SD card explore the xml settings files and bit maps. If you want you can change the icons and colors of the display by playing with the settings xml files.
  
  
• Innovative features at the cost of the very basics - UPDATED
  By A2FEX0XZ881RGX on 2007-09-05
  Last but not least, the unit suddenlywon't snap to the road I'm on when I'm on a large freeway with a clear view of the sky - keeps thinking i'm on adjacent roads, zooms in and out wildly, and tells me i'm 1500 feet below sea level. It's unable to hold a calculated route... but now it's in a box and on it's way back to amazon.
  
  UPDATE: I'm going to make an effort to get rid of this thing and cut my losses. I just took it on a weekend of driving about 300 miles around new england, and some of the things it told me to do were COMICAL. As much as I want to like this thing, I simply could NEVER trust it in an area I wasn't familiar with. It literally tried to route me more than an HOUR out of my way on one occasion, and I noticed that it generally mis-calculated my arrival time by at least a HALF HOUR... my Garmin unit by less than 5 minutes on most occasions. This thing isn't worth the free traffic by a long shot, and the feeble attempts to deceive people into buying it by posting fake reviews on Amazon makes me sick. I'm sad I did business with this company and discourage anyone else from making the mistake.
  
  Original Review:
  While my review certainly isn't entirely negative, I have to say that I had much higher expectations for this product. I waited months for its release, and rushed to order when I saw it was available to replace my Garmin c330.
  I was initially apprehensive to order such an expensive unit from a manufacturer I had never heard of before, but figured that the additional features sounded straightforward enough. Sure, these features have turned out to be great (like the subscription free traffic) - but to my amazement, the unit seems to calculate inane, needlessly long routes, often on back roads that are way, way out of the way. I have experienced this several times - on one occasion that I decided to trust it in taking me off a familiar route into the woods, I ended up resorting to taking out my old Garmin c330 from the glove box to have it help me find my way out of the maze the Navigon led me into. Yeah, it was that bad.
  
  I was also disappointed to find that reality view only appears on screen based on availability - there is no way to bring it up, the unit decides for itself when an interchange is complex enough to warrant reality view. This certainly isn't what I expected from the way it was advertised.
  The view offered by the 7100 in the regular map mode seems higher than most i've seen, and doesn't zoom down or offer much guidance when you are making a turn. Furthermore, the POIs crowd the screen to the point of illegibility when you're in a populated area, and apparently can't be turned off.
  The voice guidance - it chooses to announce street names whenever it feels like it with no consistency whatsoever. That's right - sometimes it will tell you to "turn right onto Winchester street", and sometimes it will just tell you to "turn right". There seems to be no rhyme or reason to when it announces or doesn't announce street names.
  
  The menus could be a little less complicated and the buttons could be bigger (it comes with a stylus, if that tells you anything.) It seems as though every screen has its own options screen - the customizability is very nice, but it could be organized better. It's also akward that you need to go to an "options" screen to view the map without calculating a route.
  
  The mount is interesting. The suction cup seems to be made of a much more flexible rubber than that of other units, which helps it stay adhered to the windshield through extreme temperature changes, sharp manuvers and bad roads. It has a sort of ball joint at the attachment point with the unit which allows you to angle it somewhat. My only complaint is that it seems to have been created with large vehicles in mind - it comes very, very far out from the windshield in a small car and can't be adjusted in that direction. I've had to move it to a different location in my car than I'm used to because it physically won't fit anywhere else.
  
  Oh, and last but not least - the bluetooth function simply won't hold a connection to my phone. Phone is brand new and never has had a pairing or connection issue with any other device (will stay connected to my standalone speaker indefinitely), but the GPS drops the connection every few minutes, even with the phone sitting inches away. Maybe this is an issue with my unit, but it's very frustrating.
  
  All in all, this may be a physically attractive unit that advertises groundbreaking new features, but they come at the cost of the basics. I'm hoping for software updates to cure some of the major woes with the unit, but would still have to caution anyone against buying right now. While I haven't dealt with their customer service yet, I'm not holding my breath for any miracles.
  
  
• Really enjoying my Navigon 7100!
  By A2M28B0VAVEZI0 on 2007-10-18
  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.
  
  
• Traffic updates are great
  By A26RGGLC4G8JUA on 2007-10-24
  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.
  
  
  
• OK, but needs a lot of work
  By A3QA5EZOY3CUUB on 2007-09-10
  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!!!
  
  
  
• Navigate with the Navigon
  By ABT68FTUFYWZX on 2007-09-21
  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.
  
  
• Compact, Beautiful, and Useful
  By A3OKKZA8AD2DLO on 2007-08-30
  I ordered this product before it was commercially available, obviously here on Amazon.com. I couldn't find a definitive release date on the Navigon site (or anywhere for that matter), so I still don't know whether the 7100 debuted in late july or for all I know, earlier this month (August). In any event, I waited a little under a month for it to come, and received it in two days for free on a trial of Amazon Prime. The unit is beautiful and stylish. It is by far the nicest looking PND I've seen. The screen is easy to read and responsive, although I haven't yet used it in my car- it requires a 6 hour charge period before battery use and I haven't completed that yet.
  I mounted the car mount on my windshield and it is surprisingly sturdy, so I'm not worried about it slipping around while I'm trying to enter information on the screen. More importantly, the secure mount gives you peace of mind in the event that a sharp manuever or accident occurs. The traffic utility uses information broadcast by local radio stations, and can automatically switch frequencies should the signal strength be poor. I, however, allowed it to find the strongest station, and told it to hold on that station as it's relatively strong in my area.
  The intuitive menus allow you to customize the 7100 quite nicely- setting options such as showing speed limits all the time, only when exceeding, and never. The 7100 can also display relevant information about new areas upon border crossings, if available and enabled. Additionally, you can enable or disable several other useful features depending upon your preference.
  Security-wise, you can select a 4 digit PIN to protect your navigon. Inside the package comes a sticker you can place on a window in your car which lets potential thieves know that your device is PIN protected. Hopefully this is enough to discourage most, but I am not taking any chances. My navigon will be stowed safely in the included fabric pouch and secured elsewhere.
  Also included are AC and DC adapters, the difference being that AC is usable with your home power supply, and DC plugs into your vehicle's 12 volt outlet, or cigarette lighter. For those who don't want cables running everywhere, the 7100 has an advertised "5.5 hours of battery life" according to the included User's Manual on CD, but which conflicts with most online accounts of 4.5. As such, one may use the 7100 on bike or on foot. To compensate for the rather varying speeds of pedestrians, bicycles and cars, there is yet another option in the 7100's menu array that allows you to specify which mode of transportation you're using. Quite thoughtful.
  
  Thus far, I'm very thrilled with this product. Over the next few days, I'll get to know my navigon, and I can only see my enjoyment multiplying.
  
  
• Very pleased with Navigon 7100....4.5 stars
  By A2K6EKCIGK1J84 on 2008-01-18
  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.
  
  
• Review for the Navigon 7100
  By A16R1MKZV57J0W on 2007-09-19
  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.
  
  
  
• The Ultimate GPS w/free Real-Time Traffic...AWESOME!
  By A1ALHEWGBXWOH2 on 2007-10-29
  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
  
  
• Reality View rocks!
  By A3WFZDDG0JPK5 on 2007-11-26
  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.
  
  
• Serious flaws and glitches with the Navigon
  By A3L8XRYMLZZES6 on 2007-12-25
  I bought this GPS thinking that the real time technology was really neat looking, first of all, it does not appear anything like Navigons's advertisments make it appear. This GPS has major, major problems. The bluetooth phone feature is almost usless, because there is no storage feature on the unit for your cell phonebook. The display is not bright enough and very difficult to read during the day, in additon, you have to put this unsightly loose wire antena, suction cupped to your windshield for the traffic feature --- tacky. Next major problem, the battery died after only 3 hours usage after a 8 hour overnight charge (great), so half way though your trip, it dies and you have no GPS. You also must download the owners manual off a CD and print approxmitly 100 pages, (absurd for the price your paying, a printed manual isnt included) Its complicated to use, and I've owned 3 prior GPS units and none of them was nearly as difficult to figure out and use as this one. Worst of all, it's directional abilities are INACCURATE, taking me on longer, way out of the way routes time and again. The Navigon 7100 has major serious flaws and glitches to work out on this unit. Personally I feel Navigon released this unit prematurely (untested) without getting the kinks out. Needless to say, I returned my 7100 to the store after 3 days of total aggravation, and re-purchased a Garmin GPS.
  
  
• iPhone looks but VCR brains
  By A1H8NQQWFYT5J6 on 2008-04-13
  This is a sexy unit...and many of its features are great. But it has a few deal breakers and it is going back.
  
  The good news:
  Beautiful maps make it a pleasure to use this. 3D view gives you a great look-ahead view and adds greatly to your overall orientation.
  
  The voice directions are the best I've ever heard. (I'll miss her).
  
  The traffic speed warning is a useful, if sometimes annoying feature. I think it should be disabled after 3 or 4 warnings on the same road -- after that it's just nagging.
  
  The complex intersection view is fabulous. This was the biggest problem with my old Magellan -- by the time I figured out which lane to be in it was either too late or required a drastic maneuver. This unit automatically switches to a special view as you approach a complex, multi-lane intersection such as a highway cloverleaf and just makes it very intuitive. I just loved this feature.
  
  The deal breakers:
  It sent me to a few non-existent POI's -- the first one was when i was almost out of gas and it was none too funny.
  
  The documentation is horrible -- doubly bad since the interface is far from intuitive. Of course, after using an iPod or an iPhone every interface feels clunky but this is terrible. There are so many features -- like switching between 2d and 3d views you just tap anywhere on the screen -- that are impossible to find. I think the above example is a fine shortcut IF THEY BOTHER TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT but there is no way to duplicate this command via all the menus. I stopped roadside and followed every single combination of branching menus but couldn't find it. I had to go home and print out the large manual THAT THEY DO NOT PROVIDE from their website to locate this "feature". There are other similar examples of poor interface design. I accept these things are written in the mannual so if you like to read large manuals before using a product -- and agree that they need not be obvious or simple -- then you'll feel at home here.
  
  But the worse feature is their battery usage and shutdown. On the third day (after solving the above issues and feeling like I could get used to this temperamental but beautiful new cockpit compadre) I discovered a dead Navigon. The power was connected but all I got was a low battery icon. Customer service explained that I had failed to hold down the power key for fifteen seconds to properly shut the unit down and so the battery had discharged. Let me repeat that: they expect you to arrive at your destination, turn off the car, and sit there for 15 seconds with your finger pushing this tiny little button on the side. Actually, the unit "appears" to turn off immediately when you press the button -- but don't let that fool you! Just playin' possum. You have to sit there, counting slowly to 15, with no visual clues, to make sure it's off. To make matters worse, the unit needs to charge for a solid hour on your car battery when this happens before it will deign to navigate for you. That's right, its connected to power but will not tell you anything for an hour -- just to punish you for removing your finger too early. The customer service guys explained that it was just like your PC -- takes a while to shut down. But (1) you don't have to hold the key down on your PC, you're free to move about, (2) you get visual feedback from the PC so you KNOW when it's off, (3) you're not sitting foolishly in your car telling your wife, kids, or colleagues to just wait for 15 seconds, and (4) anybody who uses Windows performance as a benchmark is clearly picking the lowest possible standard. So annoying.
  
  Frankly I would rather have NO BATTERY -- why do I need this? I will use it plugged into my car 99% of the time. When I take a trip I will take the cig charger, so what? I want the thing to work, immediately and always, is that so much to ask?
  
  I have to admit the Bluetooth feature was pretty cool -- worked right away and sounded good. But I already have a wireless headset...and an MP3 player...and a photo displayer... I JUST WANT A FAST AND ACCURATE AND RELIABLE GPS!!
  
  Some of the other reviewers have told you to wait for the next generation. Go ahead. As for me, the whole design team would have to be "under new management" before I would look at the beautiful, seductive, though maddening device again. so pretty though...
  
  
• Pretty good Product
  By AN7DHJHQ2I6BA on 2007-09-13
  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
  
  
• Very satisfied!
  By A12K1F6JX6DILZ on 2007-09-21
  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!
  
  

• Uniden PC78XL 40 Channel CB Radio with Front Mic
• Midland 75-785 Handheld CB Radio
• Garmin GPS 72 Handheld GPS
• Cobra 29-LTD Classic CB Radio
• Garmin Gps Etrex & Etrex Summit

• Navigon 4.3-Inch Protective Hard-Shell Case
• Bracketron UFM-100BL Nav-Mat GPS Friction Dash Pad
• Navigon Touch Screen Protectors
• Navigon 4.3" Premium Leather Case (fits 4.3'' GPS units from all major brands)
• Navigon FreshMaps Map Update Service