Navigon 5100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech and Lifetime Traffic Reviews

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Navigon 5100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech and Lifetime TrafficxToo low to display

(132 reviews)

Best Price: Too low to display

With free lifetime traffic, Zagat Ratings, 3-D images of highway interchanges, Lane Assist, and text-to-speech, the Navigon 5100 is rich in features that directly empower navigation. Plus, it looks great on your dashboard. It’s slim — less than an inch thick — and sports an easy-to-read 3.5" touch screen wrapped in an elegant chrome frame.

The 5100 is the smaller sibling to Navigon's flagship 7100. The 5100 has a 3.5-inch screen, while the 7100 has a 4.3-inch widescreen. The 7100 also adds bluetooth-capability for hands-free mobile phone integration, so if you want that feature, do check out the 7100. Otherwise, the 5100 packs in a lot of useful features into its sleek frame.

Key Features

  • Lifetime Traffic gives you traffic flow and incident information and alternate route suggestion for the life of your unit (Learn more)
  • ZAGAT Ratings and Reviews gives you over 21,000 ratings and reviews for more than 70 cities in the U.S. and Canada  (Learn more)
  • Reality View: 3D images of highway interchanges with actual road sign text so you’ll never miss your exit again (Learn more)
  • Spoken Directions with Text-to-Speech: keep your eyes on the road with spoken turn-by-turn directions and real street names. 
  • Lane Assistant:. Icons alert you to the optimal lane to be in (Learn more)
  • Landscape and Portrait Views: landscape gives you a widescreen view of the road ahead; portrait looks and feels like a cell phone
  • Points Of Interest: Reach gas stations, hotels, restaurants, transportation hubs, and more with millions of points of interest that will help you find your way.
  • Branded icons: places are so easy to find that everywhere will feel like home.
  • DirectHelp: At-a-glance information helps you find emergency and roadside services—and helps them find you. Just push a button and get instant directions and phone numbers to the nearest hospitals, police stations, roadside assistance companies and pharmacies.

Easy Add-Ons

  • FreshMaps gives you up to 12 regular, trusted map updates for three years with a simple activation code.

Which Navigon is Right for You?

  • Click here to see a chart comparing features on the entire family of Navigon portable GPS navigators
  • Learn more about Navigon

Learn More


Software and Hardware

The features and functions of the Navigon's portable GPS navigators are controlled via intuitive, easy-to-use animated menus that use predictive text input to quickly and easily select your city, state and address.

Maps and menus appear on elegant, high-contrast, full-color touch-screen displays.

Navigon portable GPS navigators run on a powerful Samsung 400 MHz processor, a fully integrated SiRF Star III GPS chip, 64 MBs of both RAM and ROM built in, and a rechargeable 1,200 mAh lithium ion battery that is rated for 4.5 hours of continuous use.

All this is housed in an ultra-thin, sleek housing.


Free Lifetime Traffic

traffic

The NAVIGON 5100 includes the industry's only subscription-free Lifetime Traffic service. Dynamic, real-time traffic feeds show you where traffic is slow and suggests alternate routes. Save time and stress. Real-Time Traffic is free for the lifetime of your NAVIGON 5100 and works out of the box.


Reality View

reality view
Reality View™ provides 3D images and actual road sign text when approaching complex interchanges — so you’ll never miss your exit again.


Lane Assist

lane assist
No more wondering what lane you need to be in to stay on course. Your NAVIGON will guide you with simple to follow lane guidance with arrows so you can make your turn and stay on track.


Zagat Ratings

lane assist

Now you can enjoy the world's most comprehensive restaurant and entertainment guide — right on your NAVIGON GPS device. With ZAGAT's trusted Ratings and Reviews, you will know exactly where to stay and play during your travels and, with NAVIGON's guidance you will know exactly how to get there. The guide includes over 21,000 entries covering a variety of categories, including restaurants, hotels, golf courses, nightclubs and attractions in over 70 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

ZAGAT SURVEY Ratings and Reviews is a standard feature on both the 7100 and 5100 models. An additional accessory purchase is required to activate the service on the 2100 model.


What's in the Box

  • NAVIGON 5100 GPS Navigator
  • SD card preloaded with software and maps of US, Canada and Puerto Rico
  • Rechargeable 1150 mAH lithium ion battery (rated for up to 4.5 hours)
  • Integrated traffic receiver with free Lifetime Traffic updates
  • Car Charger
  • Car Mount
  • Quickstart Guide and User Manual (on CD)
  • Limited Warranty

Note: All Navigon GPS Navigators run on the Microsoft Windows CD Net 5.0 operating system. A PC is required to use additional map data, and in such cases users require Windows 2000, ME, XP or higher, as well as a CD ROM drive and a USB port. An SD/MMC card reader is recommended as the 7100 not only uses SD cards, but also comes with a 2 GB SD card in the package.


The Navigon Family of Portable Navigators


Screen Size (diagonally)
Maps
Reality View Real Street Names
Lane Assistant Bluetooth POIs Lifetime Traffic
Data Service
Zagat Ratings
FreshMaps 3-Year
Map Update Service
2100
3.5 inches
continental U.S.
check check

1.3 million
Requires Activation Requires Activation Requires Activation
2120
3.5 inches U.S and Canada
check check

1.3 million Requires Activation Requires Activation Requires Activation
2100 Max
4.3 inches
continental U.S. check check

1.3 million Requires Activation Requires Activation Requires Activation
5100
3.5 inches
U.S and Canada check check check
millions
Included Included
Requires Activation
7100 4.3 inches
U.S and Canada check check check check millions
Included Included
Requires Activation

NAVIGON Real-Time Traffic City Listing

USA

  • Albany, NY
  • Albuquerque, NM
  • Allentown, PA
  • Atlanta, GA
  • Austin, TX
  • Baltimore, MD
  • Baton Rouge, LA
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Boston, MA
  • Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC
  • Chicago, IL
  • Cincinnati, OH
  • Cleveland, OH
  • Colorado Springs, CO
  • Columbia, SC
  • Columbus, OH
  • Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
  • Denver-Boulder, CO
  • Des Moines, IA
  • Detroit, MI
  • Ft. Meyers, FL
  • Ft. Pierce, FL
  • Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC
  • Greenville, SC
  • Harrisburg, PA
  • Hartford-New Britain-Middletown, CT
  • Houston-Galveston, TX
  • Huntsville, AL
  • Indianapolis, IN
  • Jacksonville, FL
  • Kansas City, MO
  • Las Vegas, NV
  • Lexington, KY
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Louisville, KY
  • Manchester, NH
  • Madison, WI
  • Memphis, TN
  • Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood, FL
  • Middlesex-Somerset-Union, NJ
  • Milwaukee-Racine, WI
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
  • Nashville, TN
  • Nassau-Suffolk, NY
  • New Orleans, LA
  • New York, NY
  • Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, VA
  • Omaha, NE
  • Orlando, FL
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • Portland, OR
  • Portsmouth, NH
  • Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket, RI
  • Raleigh-Durham, NC
  • Richmond, VA
  • Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
  • Rochester, NY
  • Sacramento, CA
  • Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, UT
  • San Antonio, TX
  • San Diego, CA
  • San Francisco, CA
  • San Jose, CA
  • Sarasota, FL
  • Seattle-Tacoma, WA
  • Springfield, MA
  • St. Louis, MO
  • Syracuse, NY
  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
  • Toledo, OH
  • Tucson, AZ
  • Tulsa, OK
  • Washington, DC
  • West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL
  • Worcester, MA

Canada

  • Toronto, ON
  • Montreal, QC
  • Ottawa, ON


About Navigon

NAVIGON has been a leader of GPS navigation since 1991, and has a long history of industry innovations. NAVIGON created the world's first dynamic personal GPS product in 1996, launched the industry's first navigation software for the Pocket PC in 2000, and unveiled the first Traffic Message Channel-based (TMC) avoidance feature on mobile navigation product in 2002.

NAVIGON has helped revolutionize how consumers get from place to place with software products for practically any navigation-ready hardware. Personal navigation devices (PND), smartphones, and in-dash navigation systems directed by NAVIGON's award-winning MobileNavigator(MN) software delivers reliable information on millions of destinations in an intuitive, easy to use format. NAVIGON is a valued partner to the automotive industry, and in 2006 strengthened its category competency by acquiring NAVTEQ's navigation software business.

NAVIGON is a privately-held software company based in Hamburg, Germany, with NAVIGON USA headquarters in Chicago, IL.


MPN: 10000130 - UPC: 898110001044



Customer Reviews

  • A Feature Rich GPS Device


    By A4E93BFGL78G on 2007-12-13
    I recently purchased the Navigon 5100 GPS device after some research. I went to some retailers and tried the devices out physically as I wanted to get a good idea of the interface they provided.

    First of all the Navigon is loaded with functions, this might overwhelm some, but of course remember that changing these are optional. The default settings are good enough, but it is great to have the choice and freedom to alter certain settings.

    Let me first start with the things I am not too happy about, or feel could be better.

    - Device periodically lags (doesn't happen often but I would like it to be more responsive during those few times)
    - There were also a few times that the route had to be recalculated and it took longer than I expected
    - Takes a while to display the turn by turn list (only seems to happen when you have lengthy directions e.g. those spanning multiple states)

    These weaknesses really for me was not enough for me to be dissatisfied with the unit, especially with all of the positive attributes it had going for it.

    Here are some of the features I love:
    - Multiple Transport Settings (Car, Bicycle, Pedestrian)
    - Displaying the speed limit (quite accurate too, I was amazed at how the Navigon changed the speed as I was driving past the sign)
    - 3D Reality View (HUGE PLUS - it really helps, especially in metropolitan areas)
    - Says the name of street in addition to distance from the turn e.g. "In 1/2 mile, turn left onto Omaha street"
    - Multiple Route Settings (Fast, Optimum, Shortest, Scenic)
    - Night and Day views (contrast/brightness settings can also be adjusted)
    - Option to Allow, Avoid, or Forbid toll routes
    - Can allow or disallow U-TURNS (great to enable if you do not like taking U Turns.)
    - Free Lifetime Traffic Information - It was amazing to see these traffic information popping up, alerting you to an accident ahead or construction on your route - then prompting you to avoid, after which it will automatically reroute you around the traffic. Oh, did I mention FREE for life!!
    - Smooth user interface, other GPS devices simply can't come close to how beautiful this interface and user experience is - could almost pass for an Apple product.
    - Speed dependent volumne - Wow, this will increase the volume depending on how fast you are traveling. Some users may have said it automatically reverts to a lower audio setting, if you wish turn this feature off and keep it on high volume.
    - Points of Interests (POIs) - So many POI, and very accurate. It may be overwhelming, but what is great about the device is that you can select what POI categories you want displayed. Initially all 31 categories are selected, I went in and cut the list in half - I really didn't care to see Car or Motorcycle Dealers in the area.
    - Accuracy, it gives great directions, and also allows you to block certain roads if you prefer to take another route.
    - Tells me which side of the road my destination is on (pretty helpful)

    The Windshield Mount:
    Something else I should mention - the Navigon comes with a windshield mount that at first I thought was extremely distasteful. I didn't know why it had to be so long. But after using it I realized that it allowed me to mount the device and have it come out closer to me, so it was easier to reach and see, and it gave me some more flexibility with where to mount it. Though it lacks the ability to tilt UP and DOWN, it does rotate and turn.

    The Navigon 5100 also has a "Route Planner" which allows you to plot multiple destinations - this is great, but I think this could be improved by optimizing the route - meaning tell me where to go 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.

    Overall, I am more than satisfied and quite pleased with the device. I would highly recommend this as a GPS device to invest in - especially for those new to GPS and are not fixated on the interface functions of other GPS devices. This is an important point to note, if you are used to using a Garmin, then pressing the screen will bring up different options than what happens when you press the screen of the Navigon.

    A friend of mine had a Garmin nüvi 350 and we actually tested both products side by side in the city. The only thing I would say that the Garmin had over the Navigon was that it allowed users to connect their phone to the device via bluetooth. Other than that the Navigon excelled in some many ways. The Navigon gave better directions from the start, whereas the Garmin had to recalculate after forcing a different route. The Navigon interface was way better, with 2D/3D options. I also loved how the address and POI entry operated, it was similar to "Google Suggest" where as I typed, matching responses would appear.

    I am currently more than happy with the product, it's not perfect, but in sure comes close, with innovative features not found in other devices.

  • Looks Much Better Than It Performs


    By A3U41ZL33SS92P on 2007-10-05
    I'll admit, I saw the ad and thought it looked nicer than my TomTom GO 910. And when it arrived, it did look nicer.

    I really love the windshield mount. It's difficult to tell in pictures, but you can rotate the GPS unit and change the angle, and the "arm" design puts it nice and close, so you don't have to reach too far to operate it. And it's also nice that it will tell you what side of the road your destination is on (something woefully absent from many GPS models).

    And that just about sums up everything I like about this unit. I was expecting MUCH more for the price, and the Navigon simply doesn't deliver.

    Major Annoyances:

    1) The speaker is impossible to hear, even at max volume with the windows up.

    2) The interface is seriously convoluted. Tapping the screen in the map mode lets you change between day/night (which essentially means "bright or dim") and 2D/3D. If you want to change anything on your route, you have to hit a tiny back arrow, then go through a series of menus.

    3) The maps are difficult to read, and you can't change the color scheme. Unlike the image in the description, you get grey roads on an off-white background in the daytime, and dark grey roads on a light grey background at night. If that's not bad enough, the view arbitrarily zooms in and out, though I can't determine why this is. It doesn't seem to be speed or distance related.

    4) The interface is S-L-O-W. Once you overcome the miniscule letters you get to type with, you'll find that the OS can't keep up with anything faster than hunting and pecking. Maps are similarly slow to update while you're driving.

    5) The POI system is very random. It knows about obscure drug stores and car dealerships, but not national big box retailers or auto part stores -- while at the same time, McDonald's logos pop up all over the place. The interface itself is fairly bad, too. It would be faster to pop your head out the window and ask someone where the nearest post office is, than navigating through the Navigon's labyrinth of menus.

    That said, the Navigon 5100 isn't a terrible GPS. The routes tend to make sense, and the included maps appear to be very current. But for the price you'll pay, there are many better options out there. I think I'm going to stick with my 910.

    EDIT: 12/10/2007 -- It is probably worth mentioning that when I originally bought this, it cost nearly twice as much as the current price (after rebate). At $250, I'd be far more accepting of the Navigon's shortcomings.

  • I Know What I'm Talking About


    By A13585LN3M2XAP on 2007-11-18
    I read some other reviews on this unit I wasn't sure if the people who knew what they were talking about liked it or disliked it.
    I know what I'm talking about, and I don't like it.

    I'll start with my "qualifications." I have had experience with 5 brands in the last 6 years (Navman, Delphi, Garmin, Magellan and Mio). So I think I know what I'm talking about and I do know what I am looking for/like and dislike.

    I bought the 5100 at Staples for $300. I purchased it for the traffic and text to speech.

    I used it for 5 days in both the suburbs and city (NYC).

    Physical Design: C
    To start things off the power cord plugs in the bottom of the unit, I feel they should plug in the side. The mount is rather awkward. Every bump in the road made the whole unit bounce and shake.
    The display is cluttered. Most things like speed and altitude can be turned off. However everything on the screen is difficult to read. I'm 31 and have good eyesight (I don't wear glasses). I found the display hard to read, especially the speed and distance to destination.

    Navigation: C
    I read someone's review saying it likes to use "U-turns." That's a big YES. It wanted me to turn around on 11th street in Manhattan.
    The routing makes no sense most of the time. However the rerouting is quick when you miss a turn.
    Programming the unit was ok. I had no issues there.

    Notes:
    -The unit crashed the first time I used it. I was on the highway and when it restarted my destination needed to be reset. I found that if you turn it off it does not hold the destination.
    -The speaker SUCKS. It is not loud or clear enough with the windows up and the radio off. So it was awful with the windows cracked.
    -For me the GPS connected in about 1-2 minutes. On other units it seems to take longer if you are moving, that was not an issue with this unit. I found the accuracy of this GPS to be close, maybe 30-40 feet, but I have experienced much, much better with other units.
    -The POI's seem to be up to date and are displayed nicely on the map.
    -The Reality View is a nice touch for the more confusing exits in Manhattan and New Jersey. Its one of the few things I liked.
    -The free traffic works. I found the external antenna is unnecessary for my area. I never actually needed to be rerouted due to traffic. You can set what FM channel you pick the traffic up from. You can also see what song the station is playing at the time. I am not keeping it and do not recommend it unless you have a bionic ear and never play on driving with your windows down.

    Break Down:
    Display: C
    Speaker: F
    Mount: D
    Navigation: C
    Rerouting: B
    POI: B
    Ease of Use: B
    Features: A
    Recommend: No

  • NAVIGON 5100: Crap


    By A1UERVXNGH7KXU on 2007-09-20
    I recently received the Navigon 5100 as a gift (that I requested) and have been putting it through it's paces around Los Angeles. I am now returning it due to the fact that the routing is inaccurate and convoluted.

    For example:

    (1) to go to work the Navigon 5100 takes me three blocks out of my way only to have me circle back and go the correct direction.

    (2) When I stray off course the unit often has me turn around and follow the street it first suggested. It should not do this. The 5100 should recalculate and take me to the next available street.

    (3) When I first received the 5100 I searched for the nearest Bank and up popped the bank I go to every week. I looked at the turn by turn directions and low and behold it had me make 5 turns down 4 different streets. The funny part is the bank is only two streets away. WTF?

    (4) the POIs are out of date or just plain incorrect. I was looking for a place to eat, saw that there was a McDonalds near by, followed the directions and guess what? There was no trace of a McDonalds! I asked a friend who has lived in the area for over 30 years and she said there has never been a McDonalds at that location.

    I can live without finding the nearest Mc Donalds, but I can't live with a FIVE-HUNDRED DOLLAR navigation unit that tells me to go completely out of the way.

    Thankfully I have been close to familiar territory and I haven't had to use this thing while traveling.

    The 5100 is a cool looking unit and I like it's features, but if it can't give efficient driving directions than what is the purpose of having it?

    I wonder if a firmware and software update will fix these problems? I guess it doesn't matter to me at this point, I'm returning this thing and buying a Garmin.

    Additional Cons regarding the Navigon 5100:
    -no auto day/night mode
    -one voice option
    -text to speech is poor
    -convoluted and inaccurate routing
    -tiny screen means you need tiny fingers to operate it
    -the mount is poor and becomes loose after a while
    -it's way overpriced

    Pros:
    -sleek design
    -neat interface
    -zagat POIs
    -free TMC (traffic info)
    -lane assistant & reality view is pretty cool

    I REALLY-REALLY wanted to like this thing, considering it's innovative features like lane assistant and reality view ... but if it can't get me from point A to point B with out taking me out of the way towards Z than what is the point of having a navigation unit?

  • They are all somewhat correct


    By A2OUXRSTMOUNDD on 2007-10-18
    Navigon 5100 GPS Portable Automobile NavigatorWell, I got my Navigon 5100 a couple of days ago, in a not-so-familiar city. It worked fine, as far as getting me where I wanted to go, accurately and in style. But, the screen is somewhat small for ALL the stuff they have crammed onto it. There are MANY useful features, like the traffic info, reality view, lane assist. The voice is only fair. How about a cute Aussie or Brit voice guys? Need a little help here. The speaker seems to be of LOW quality and at full volume only fairly audible (with no noise or distractions in my minivan). One annoyance is the volume keeps returning to mid-point every time you shut it off, and sometimes by itsself... NOT good! I was surprised at how readable the screen is, with all that stuff... though, some things are just not needed. The mount, as advertised, is cool - but... the unit is loose in it and it doesn't work well if you have a close windshield, like a Jeep.

    Another unhip feature is no auto-shut-off when you stop the car. You have to turn it off (hold button several seconds)- meanwhile this looses your destination - then turn it back on (hold button several seconds, again!) re-program destination could be a bit easier to do with better buttons... a bit of a nuisance.

    Overall, it is fun and accurate (mostly). She does get a bit dis-oriented in parking lots. The heads-up notices are nice(advance warning about turns, etc). The several minor issues can add up to annoyances over time... especially, the low volume and poor quality of the speaker. Buy one but save your receipt for a no-hassle return.

  • Best for the price: update
    By AAKBINPJO86HZ on 2007-10-30
    Update of my original review (which is below) after 1+ months of use in 3 different cities:
    -I really appreciate the traffic info. I thought it was a gimmick, but it has saved me twice from major backups (best save: truck had hit an overpass, the gps told me of it, took me out at the exit right before the accident, and returned me to the freeway just past the accident. I was impressed!). I use it all the time. Check on the Navigon website to see if your city is covered -- most are.
    -I also really like the Zagat ratings. In new cities, I search near my hotel for zagat rated restaurants, nightlife and attractions. The full reviews are included, and I use it whenever I travel. Very useful.
    -Also good: maps are excellent, gps tracking is very accurate, text-to-speech is fine, the menu is intuitive and POIs are pretty complete.
    - Some negatives: voice should be louder, text is on the small side, and the button presses can be annoying. Lastly, the website is very basic (Garmin has a great website).
    -Overall, I still stand by my original review. No gps is perfect, but I truly like this one and enjoy using it.

    Original Review (October 2007):
    This is by far the best gps for the price. All else being equal (routing, rerouting, POIs, etc.), three things are paramount for me in a gps: Accurate Maps, the ability to Plan Routes, and Style. By the way, before choosing a gps, I downloaded and read the manuals of Garmin 660/680/750, Magellan 4040/4050 and Navigon 5100/7100 (see below why I skipped TomTom).
    1. Accurate maps. This means Navteq maps rather than TeleAtlas maps. Since TomTom uses TeleAtlas, I eliminated TomTom products;
    2. Planning Routes. I need to be able to plan a route using a starting location other than where I currently am. Most gps units start navigation to a destination from the current gps location. I need to be able to input into a gps a destination AND a starting point so that I can be on a plane, for example, and be able to figure out how long a drive takes, when I get in, what time to leave, etc. No Magellan 4000 level products do this. This ruled out Magellan.
    3. Style. The 5100 is small and elegant, and the maps are beautiful. Garmin/Magellan maps look like a kid drew them with crayons. I could have bought the 7100, but I wanted portability, and with the smaller screen, I figured the processor would be faster also.
    Everything else is as good in the 5100 or better than in any other GPS, plus you get free traffic information and zagat. There are some minor quirks (the keys are small, and sometimes you have to press twice), but these are truly minor issues with this many features at this price. And price is a concern if for no other reason than that this industry is changing so quickly (over 10 new units introduced this year) that anything you buy now is likely to be dated by newer and better units very soon -- so why spend too much? (this rules out the completely overpriced Garmins). Altogether, I have used used 5 different gps programs/units, and the 5100 is excellent at any price, and a bargain at what it's at.
    NOTE: a few reviews have noted how it takes long for the gps to lock on to satellites. I think this is due to the erroneous instructions that come in the box which instruct you to hold the "on" button for 6 seconds to turn the unit on. This actually resets the unit. All you need is to push the button once to have it turn on, and satellite fix is almost instantaneous.

  • Someone did not understand what drivers need...
    By AIOPD46ZIV8K2 on 2008-01-02
    Rather than going into a prolonged review regarding the items I would like to focus on the issues that make this GPS most annoying. So much so that after having had it for 2 months I stopped using it altogether.

    Here goes, not in any particular order of annoyance:

    #1) Switching it on: there is a tiny leveled button that you, according to the manual, have to hold for 6 seconds to turn the GPS on. It is more like 10 seconds and you will be leaning forward reaching over your steering wheel to do this. Not a disaster if you are parked but if you decide to switch this on while driving you are in for a real treat that is actually dangerous.

    #2) In conjunction with #1 this is a real annoying one. The item is ALWAYS powered. So even if you turn off the car this baby is sucking the life out of your battery. Ind it does so pretty aggressively due top a lack of powersave or sleep mode.

    #3) The text is SOOOOOOO small. I mean as in TINY. I have 20/20 vision and for the life of me cannot read any of the detail on the display unless I stoop over and put my face right in front of it. DANGEROUS if you are driving. Add some of the extra info to the screen and this becomes a joke. Note that my car is a 2007 Honda Civic and the swingarm is right next to the speedometer... What the hell, Navigon.

    #4) The Traffic Alert feature, main reason why I bought this GPS, if just a pop up list with slow traffic or accident alerts. Here's where it just does not work:
    - there are so many alerts that it becomes a barrage of messages when you live near a great city
    - the messages display as text with an exclamation. So expect something like SLOW TRAFFIC NEAR SIBLEY, but it does not show where or how you will be hitting Sibley nor if it is even on your route. HOW THE HELL do I know if it is common to have traffic on Sibley and how bad is the alternative? Well, I tried the AVOID option and landed in the heart of traffic lights and more cars and got completely jammed up. Since there is no traffic alert on the reroute the cure sucked worse than the disease
    - the listings are so tiny that you cannot read them unless you lean real close
    - the listings require you to choose AVOID or SKIP every time. Not so bad if you live in Montana but I drive around Chicago and the listing is a NEVER ENDING barrage of pop ups and YOU CAN'T see the navigation unless you click away the pop ups. Combine this with a tiny screen that is far away due to the crazy crappy mount (other #'s) and you will switch the feature off pretty quickly. It is dangerous as you are constantly interacting with this GPS rather than driving your car.

    #5) The sound... oh the sound... I mean WHAT SOUND. The speaker CANNOT be heard if you are doing 65 miles an hour with your radio off unless you have a whisper quiet Lexus or Caddy. I drive a Honda and it must suck to be me as I cannot hear the lady speak. This forces you to read the tiny micro font... 'nuf said about that.

    #6) The mount works but that is about it. It if nice that you can tilt the screen etc but it is not flexible and forces the GPS to be VERY far away from you if you want to put it at the right height. Dilemma that cannot be fixed. Especially not when you drive a Honda.

    #7) The REAL VIEW feature is only available in what they think are complex situations but frankly when you need it it does not show up. Most complex situations have enough signs to guide you through open heart surgery. I need it when there is nothing telling me where to go. Not worth the hype.

    #8) Turning it off. I have to sit stooped over squeezing (or hoping I am hitting it) a tiny hidden button for what seems like an eternity until the damn things switches off... unless you want it to stay on into eternity.

    #9) It is completely unclear form the manual and package how to update this thing online. I plugged it in an nothing happened. Since I stopped using it after 2 months I guess it does not matter much. I am back to my monochrome and beloved Garmin, sure if falls of the windshield when it freezes outside but I can still hear her telling me where to go.


    Final thoughts of a raging gadgeteer: I wonder if it can be used as a projectile in road rage situations. I also wonder who let a computer game designer spec a GPS unit; obviously the design team is a bunch of treehuggers on bicycles that have not yet had the pleasure of trying the Navigonad 5100 in a real car. Blah and much cursing.

    Final final remark: I have it on a well-known auction site without a minimum price, but note that you were warned if you decide to bid.

  • Would recommend
    By A3R6H4LIIZINOL on 2007-11-28
    I read a few reviews on here and the one major problem that scared me was the speaker volume issue. Then I read a cnet review (done by professionals) and they said it was clear and loud. Well, I ordered one and I can hear the lady speak while I am driving on the highway, have my music on (not really loud, level 8) and have my defroster going (it is cold now). I can still hear her just fine with all that noise.

    Pros:
    -Interface easy to use and quick (mapped 440 mile trip in about 12-15 seconds and was the route i usually take)
    -Re-route quick (if you go off your route)
    -Window mount sturdy. Wish it could swivel b/c my unit sits slanted due to my windshield.
    -Slick looking device
    -Fast satellite acquisition


    Cons:
    -If you drive off route it won't tell you the next turn until you are at least .1 miles from it. I find that is about average but have had some Garmin devices say "recalculating route" follwed by "turn at xxx in xxx."

    Biggest Con:
    -Have to hold power button down for 16 seconds for unit to turn on and 8 seconds to hard off. What Navigon does not put in the user manual (nor did tech support know) was there is a standby mode. It should take 6 seconds to go on (mine is 16 no clue why) and then if you simply click the power button the screen goes off. That is some form of stand by mode. The next time you press the power button the unit comes back to life fast. To hard power off hold power button for 8 seconds and it goes completely off. I would love to see if anyone else has this issue.





    I wouldn't put this as a con, you do have to tap the screen for more than a hot millisecond for it to register. Some people said they were having troubles. Well if you press really lightly really fast it wont register. If you press hard and fast, it will. I think some people are just being too light with their touch.


    That cnet review I mentioned above said their unit took 10 minutes to find a satellite signal. From hard power off mine takes about 1 minute or less. From soft power standby it takes maybe 20-30 seconds if that.



    If I remember I will come back after a month and post up my continued review. Right now I am very happy with the device.




  • Great Model....READ MANUAL BEFORE YOU OPERATE
    By A2GV2N139MGP5U on 2008-08-28
    I map for a living so this unit makes sense.
    I was worried about buying this model when I first read many reviews on this site as well as other sites carrying the Navigon 5100. The price however was too luring at 178$. I am pleased to find that the 5100 works great if you follow the recommendations in the manual.

    I am a GIS analyst so i do have experience with maps and creating products similar to google earth. I will say that the Navigon is a great model for a intermediate user. I bought my mom a garmin unit because she will not take the time to read the manual nor does she care about extra funtions like optimum route, excluding tolls or 3d view.

    First issue I read about was battery failing.
    If you charge your unit for 6 hours (as recommended) when you initially buy your unit you will not have issues with your battery or recharge.

    As stated in the manual, powering on takes a while. This is kind of a drag and i'd say one of my "cons" for the model. Powering on and off takes 7-10 seconds.

    Many people complained about the unit rerouting with U-turns. This is something that you can turn off so they obviously didn't read the manual.
    Rerouting is fast and includes traffic in calculation. Something Garmin does not do. You can also select what kind of vehichle you are in (bicycle, truck, motercycle, car) to add another factor to avg speed and rate calculations.

    One of the best features for me and others i work with is the log funtion. If you need to log milage for tax purposes this is a great function. Or if you need to track workers to see if they go home during lunch or leave their car idle for hours this is great as well. With rising gas prices our company saved over 10,000$ due to this tracking.

    The GUI is easy to understand if you go through the manual although not as "smooth" and fast as the Garmin unit.
    Poi's are outstanding tons of symbology and even better if you get the freshmaps update.It's on sale through amazon for 56$ for 3 years. Totally worth it.

    One thing you won't find in the garmin unit is an info button that tells info about the POI as well as a phone #.


    All roads come from Navteq or Tele-atlas which is where Garmin gets their roads from. So complaints about roads being different on a Garmin doesn't make sense.

    I do like garmin's POI loader. Very nice if you have work data that you need to add to your unit.
    I haven't played with the navigon's POI's I suspect if you follow format and add through notepad then your only restriction would be the size of your card.
    I must warn it's probably more advanced and not as user friendly as Garmin's POI loader.

  • One week of test with 5100, TomTom, Accura and a nuvi 360 systems side by side
    By A1QCL3QBYFW3EA on 2007-09-15
    Just completed one week of testing this product with three other commons systems side by side. I have a 7100 and purchased a 5100 to see if it had same problems.

    The 5100 suffers from problems with routing, poor points of interest usage and selection, very long start up.

    Mount suffered early breakage as noted by others on gps forums such as gpspassion. Accessories are insanely priced, with car charger being $132 for US customers.

  • Navigon 5100, not perfect, but free life time traffic make it worth its weight in gold
    By A3SD9XBDTDO3WY on 2007-12-12
    This is my first GPS unit, but I did a lot of research prior to purchasing. I live in the LA area, so traffic is uttermost importance to me, and the free lifetime traffic sealed the deal to me (unique to navigon, seems like no one else had a free lifetime no-subscription needed traffic update). So far, I have used the unit for a week and here is what I found:

    1. Traffic updates that's related to your route will pop up on your screen and you'll have voice prompt that says "new traffic update, please check your screen", and you can choose to either "avoid traffic" or "ignore", if you choose to "avoid traffic", then your route is re-calculated. But, it doesn't show you how slow some of the "stop and go" traffic is, so you have to use your best judgement on whether or not to avoid traffic all the time. In the greater LA area, in rush hour, the traffic map looks scary on this unit. I generally avoid any lane closures, as those will often result in sigalerts and longer delays.

    2. This unit sometime will take you for a Left-Left-Left loop. In an unfamiliar area, this is really annoying. I have learned to look at the screen to see if the highlighted route is a square, if so, I will just keep on going on the same road and it quickly recalculates the correct route for me.

    3. The map doesn't have some of the newer freeways that's opened in the LA area, not the biggest problem, it will just keep recalculating and try to figure out where you're at.

    4. The power button for hard restart is like 16-18 sec for on and 8-10 secs for off. Very scary when you first get the unit and wonder why the power button doesn't work.

    5. I found that some of the privately gated housing communities, this unit does not know where the entrance to those communities well, and you might be frustrated at that.

    6. The POIs are interesting, lacks wal-mart, costco, target, department stores, but has LOTS of food and gas places. I guess those are the most important thing when you're traveling on the road

    7. This unit sometimes will re-calculate route when you're traveling very slowly - ?GPS repositioning?, and sometimes this will cause the unit to give you a different direction (turn left here, right there), but I found that the original direction if often the correct way, just stick to the original direction, the unit will recalculate again once you start moving. Maybe it was just getting bored at waiting for the car to move.

    Just my 2 cents, hope it helps!

  • Traffic service in the GTA makes it worth the price
    By AOO26XVAD4EOF on 2007-11-11
    The major selling point was the traffic service at no additional cost. This compares to all of the other GPS manufacturers which charge at least US$60 per year. The other big surprise (according to their customer service) is that map updates will also be free. An update is due in January 2008 so that is eagerly anticipated. They also offer Zagat ratings of hotels and restaurants also at no extra cost.

    The navigation features are similar to those available on higher end Garmin units such as "text to speech", small form factor (Garmin Nuvi size without the flip out antenna) and Sirf Star 3 GPS chip. Other notable features are the "photo realistic junction views", "lane assistant" and automatic speed warnings.

    The quality of the traffic service has been the focus of our testing. So far although it has not been completely fault free, the service in the Greater Toronto Area has been surprisingly good even compared to Garmin's service. Both companies use the Clear Channel "Total Traffic Network" but Garmin has had issues with some of their models (any model using the GTM 20 antenna).

  • Sanity Check!!
    By A36BP1MYV2B1PR on 2008-07-02
    Up to this point, I had planned to only write book reviews but feel compelled to write this after the mixed bag of reviews for this product. The listed reviews created alot of confusion for me; I'm always suspicious of the "one-item reviews" that either damn or glorify; maybe this info will be helpful if you are considering a purchase.

    I purchased the Navigon 5110 last month (June 08), have used it for several trips, and couldn't be happier with it. In a nutshell, to address some of the issues brought up in the other reviews:

    Pros

    1. Mount system is ingenious-no velcro, screws, sticky tape, etc...just suction cup it to your windshield and hook up the power to your cigarette lighter. You can use it for any automobile that has a working cigarette lighter (even an old 1970 Ford Oldsmobile). For security, you can detach the GPS from the mount in a matter of seconds. And overall, it has a sleek, minimalist design.

    2. Navigation is highly intuitive; I missed a turn in Berlin, took a turn at the next traffic junction, and the Navigon recalculated and put me back on track. I really liked the highway sign visuals-you will never be confused again about major highway turns.

    Let me address 2 complaints from the other reviews.

    U-Turns: if you miss a turn the voice command will say " Make a U-Turn now." to let you know you missed a major turn. You get this voice prompt even if you are on a 4 lane highway. So you take the next turn/exit, and the Navigon recalculates and puts you back on track. (If you are one of those persons who would try to make a U-Turn on a 4 lane hgihway because the Navigon said so, it would probably be too dangerous for you to own any type of car navigation system.)

    The other complaint was about getting commands to make turns too late or too early. I found the voice command for turns to be spot-on in every case-including a 3K, 1K, 500m, 300m and 100m warning prior to the turn. This was critical in busy, city traffic.

    3. Voice Commands-I really liked this feature, esp. the female, British accent. I have a slight case of ringing in my ears (tincture) from years on firing ranges and rock concerts from my younger years. Still, with the radio playing, I had NO PROBLEM hearing and understanding the voice commands.

    4. Options and Updates-traffic warnings and the ability to get road updates online is a big plus. I'm currently using the Navigon in Europe, but it also has maps for the continental US when I go back to the states. For that matter, I used it in Prague (Czech Republic) and Berlin, both former eastern Europe.

    Cons

    1. Screen-there is one legitimate complaint-some of the numbers are small-ie if you want to read total distance of trip, your current speed, current elevation, you need to really look at the screen to read those numbers. Also, it can be a little difficult to read if you are driving into the sun, but this may be true of all navigation systems.

    2. New Destinations-I think this is a Con-I need to check the user's manual. I would like to have the ability to go somewhere and then enter it as a new destination. This may be possible-I need to check the User's Manual.

    3. Price-no issues for me for what I got, but like all technology, wait 6 months and the price will probably drop $100.

    Highly recommended.

  • A good value
    By A1ZCC4FCBOUIFW on 2007-11-18
    Living in SoCal traffic is a way of life, so I was looking for a GPS unit with TMC. My old GPS had the connections but, it isn't sold in the US, so I decided to upgrade. So I'll list my pros and cons (other then what is stated by Amazon or Navigon), so naturally the cons list will be longer.

    Pros:
    The screen is very responsive. Scrolling the map and button pressing only need a light touch.
    For me the initial GPS lock was slow, but later GPS fixes were much quicker.

    Cons:
    The major concern is the processor is a bit on the sluggish side. I can see the refresh when map scrolling and re-routing can take some time.
    The text prompts are fairly tiny, but the text to voice feature makes this a small issue.
    The routes sometimes isn't the shortest route or routes I would normally take.
    Day/Night mode isn't automatic, not by time, nor does it have a photo sensor.
    Some screens just has too much going on so press the right button has a learning curve.
    Navigon's selections for POI are odd.


  • Its nicer than the Magellan 4040
    By A3HUVISSA9CU5H on 2007-12-11
    As a 2 month user of the Magellan 4040, I have a good comparison to the Navigon 5100. The Navigon is better executed than the Magellan and here is why.
    The voice is used much better and more sparingly.
    Turn prompts are delivered at a useful distance for you to take action. The routes are saner.
    Its much faster in calculating routes than the 4040 and faster to recalc, a very important function.
    Much easier to type in destinations than the Magellan.
    Auto lookup of streets and cities is far superior.
    Touch screen is very sensitive unlike the Magellan.
    Navigon is cheaper than Magellan, $[...](rebate) to >$[...].
    Navigon is made in USA, Magellan is China
    Navigon has many more useful options than Magellan, such as speed limit warnings which you can disable or it will tell you when you are speeding.
    Traffic warning, Magellan doesn't have it for free.


    As for the cons,
    Magellan has more POI's.
    Its a 4.3 inch screen, Navigon that tiny 3.5 inch and its hard to read text, although the map is fine.
    Its mount is usable either on the window or console. The Navigon can only be used on the window. Slick mount though for the Navigon.
    Magellan voice is louder but diction not as clear as Navigon.
    User interface on Magellan is easier to learn.
    Magellan has bluetooth, Navigon doesn't.
    Sometimes Navigon gave a goofy reroute on the first iteration, then within a couple seconds, it would recalc with the right way to go. In the time it took me to realize it had made a mistake, it was telling me another route that was right, so no big deal. Never had this problem with Magellan.
    Magellan does update its website with patches, not sure about Navigon.

    Overall, for the price, the Navigon is a great value. But if you got the coin, get the bigger screen on the 7100, its probably worth it.

  • Do not buy this GPS! Not ready for Prime Time.
    By A1XM7QLF4GZ1BK on 2007-12-27
    What a piece of teutonic junk - to be polite. And the customer non-service is even worse than the product itself. When I called the customer service, their suggestion was to turn the unit on and off. When that didn't work, the know nothing customer service rep said a supervisor would call me back within a week. Hellloooo! Call me back in a week? Not acceptable, not at all. Never could get a signal, and tomorrow I am taking it back to the retailer. I would suggest you avoid all Navigon products, if only because of the total lack of customer service. I'll be uying a Garmin tomorrow.

  • Don't know what the problem is in LA...
    By A1J1I2CPEK361G on 2007-10-03
    ...but in Kentucky this thing works great. I'd never owned a GPS before I got this Navigon as a birthday present a few weeks ago, and for a guy who usually has trouble with technology, it's been great...VERY easy to use. I basically popped it out of the box, slapped it on the mount and started using it. The screen is big and easy to read and it looks really cool (the spoken street name thing is cute too). Not being much of a features guy I can't say I've gotten much into the finer points of what this GPS can do. Even so I'll declare myself 100% satisfied.

  • Real Good one to go for...
    By ASZO34QB5NFAM on 2007-12-08
    Got a Navigon 5100 model. Pretty slick, in size, appearance and performance.

    The directions given are very acurate and thru better routes. Tried fooling it by taking different routes, the route recalculation was done almost in no time. That was fast... Real Fast, without asking it to do it...

    The two point voice alert is good one, one when you are near the turn it says that "take right / left turn in to street name in .x miles" and the second one right on the turn, which says that "turn right / left now".

    The reality views in highway separations are really a good feature which stood upto its expectations.

    It proved wrong on some of the things that i read in some of the reviews, like sound was not audible, brightness wasnt okay, etc. My experience with the device is wonderful and didnt find any of these problems with sound or brightness.. Infact the direction shown on the map is wonderfully color differentiated and very clear in showing the routes.

    One thing that i found "true" with the other reviews, is that the points of interest doesn't bring all the retailers. Thats one thing that i feel need to be improved... Hopefully this will be updated soon thru software updates.

    In all the other sections i would rate this to 5/5.

  • Totally not worth it.
    By ASX4VIHKMZX9H on 2007-12-27
    I have found other, far less expensive, superior units than this one.

    The good:
    1) Sensitive, accurate positioning.
    2) Attractive design (if a bit bulky...)
    3) Zagat ratings (when you can get to them) are fun and occasionally usesul.
    4) Easy switch between 2d and 3d maps and easy switch from day to night modes.

    The Bad.
    1) Long acquisition time from cold start (~5 minutes). From a stand-by start, it's <2minutes.
    2) If there is a way to upgrade the maps or download foreign maps, it's not obvious to me.
    3) Car mount is REALLY long and just is rotten for short-windshield cars like a Jeep.

    The Ugly.
    The software on this thing is ATROCIOUS. The on-screen buttons are too small. Too much information is crammed onto the screen. It can't pronounce any of the streets (it gets "2 Ave." wrong, for crying out loud!). It's too quiet to be heard. The zoom factor is based on speed, rather than on whether there is an upcoming turn. The coloring in the map is grey-on-grey. And that's just to start. Want those famed Zagat ratings? To get them you have to select a region and then do a POI search around it. You can't just tap a POI's icon on the map and get the Zagat rating. You can get its address and phone number that way, sure, but you can't get the Zagat rating. And the "real view" is a ridiculous distraction from driving. It doesn't help you navigate complex intersections at all. I go through complicated junctions all the time and the thing gets ahead of and behind itself. I've learned to ignore it.

    The Infuriating.
    I bought this thing to help me avoid traffic jams. Navigon advertises free lifetime traffic management service. Well let's discuss getting what you paid for: The unit has displayed precisely 0% of the traffic jams that I've been caught in. In fact, because I frequently see traffic jams in the opposite direction on the freeway, it turns out I've never seen the unit display one of those, either. And then there's the fact that exactly 0% of the displayed/predicted traffic jams I see listed actually exist when I get there. So it's completely useless. And I live in New York City and drive into the Bronx most days. I need traffic management service.

    In summary, I simply cannot recommend this unit to anyone. The features are available on a Magellan unit for a lot less money and with a FAR superior interface. Navigon really needs to work on its software before it will be a serious contender in the GPS market.

  • A great GPS!
    By A2QU97Q6TUSN6D on 2008-05-31
    I've been looking at GPS units for a long time, unable to decide based on all the hype. Along came Navigon. The free map upgrades and lifetime free traffic service really piqued my interest. This unit is simply great so far. I tried it on two trips this last week, one a short 200 - miler and the other a 1300 mile adventure to Oklahoma. I had been on both before, sans GPS, so this was a test. "Miss Daisy" ( that's what I call her ) did very well on both. She got a little flummoxed when I took alternate routes locally, as I know my local roads, but the "recalculating route" feature worked very well. I really like the Reality View on major interstates - showing upcoming exits and lane changes that way is superb. The traffic alert worked great, even without the external traffic antenna. There is major construction ongoing around Indianapolis and she took me on the exact alternate I had already used before, no problem. The so-called "hockey stick" windshield mount is rock-steady and actually looks great - much better than all the other mounts that hang right in your vision next to the mirror, with ugly wires dangling all over. The only real negative so far is the volume on the voice alerts. Even at maximum loudness it's hard to hear with the radio on or any traffic noise. The pronunciation of some roads is a little off, but whose isn't? Every area has different accents and no computer-generated voice could ever perfectly duplicate regional speech ( think New York versus Georgia for example ). The battery is listed to last 4.5 hours and I got just under 4, but I think that after "exercising" the battery a few times it'll be fine. Even so, if you only need to plug in the DC cord every 4 hours I see no problem. I'm planning another long trip next week and I'm sure Miss Daisy will do fine. A note to those who don't read the setup instructions : you really should -- even if you "know it all" about every GPS out there. After setting my preferences ( POI, etc.), it does what it's told. All in all, I think Navigon has a winner here.

  • Saw this on Home Shopping
    By A3OLFGQAGF3NWG on 2007-09-29
    I saw this one on TV where they nicely explained all the features and benefits and I said "WOW" it can do all that. Well, I got one now and upgraded from my previous Pocket Loox because of all the new convenience features. I also wanted to have a bigger screen but still compact. The menus are pretty much the same and I got used to those. This one is just more advanced now. And yes it can do all that what they claim on TV. It's easy to use, got me to the places I wanted sofar without a glitch. You can get addicted to this device and I showed it to a couple of my friends already. The mount is a little big but nicely fits on my windshield and is in close reach. I'm mostly impressed by all the convenience features like telling me street names, telling me what lanes to pick on the highway. This reality view feature is extremely useful and pops up right when you need it in difficult situations and shows you real signs and arrows where to go. The traffic service is FREE. I love the design with its sleek finish. The Zagat guide that is included is helpful since you get some additional information on the restaurants and are not just going to the next Burger joint all the time. I saw Navigon has a bigger one with a larger screen and Bluetooth, of course that one looks nice as well but costs more, too. I like this one and highly recommend it.

  • navigon - 5100 Save yuor Money
    By A2X6BLY92Z059W on 2007-12-08
    Cool looking device but imagine your were somewhere and wanted to buy a gift, or your wanted to go to a bike shop or you wanted to go shopping at macy's. i hope you can call someone and ask them for the address because this GPS will not tell you. thats right.. there are NO retail outlets AT ALL!! I had a garmin 330C from about 3 yrs ago and I wanted to upgrade but that old machine was so much better in that it had retail stores and also the ability for a intersection search.

    So If I tell you I'll meet you at the coner of Smith and 7th, guess what.....you'll be late...because this device lacks that feature as well. Look for something that has retail outlets, intersections and spell by name..Do yourself a favor and Save your Money.. there are better machines

  • KW in St. Louis...My Garmin Stinks!
    By A31ERJZI91OQ on 2007-10-11
    ..takes forever to find a signal and the windshield mount won't stay attached! So, I paid up for a Navigon (my dad has one) and so far I like it a lot. It works great with my phone (important since I'm a caterer) and the traffic feature is phenomenal. Not every map seems as accurate as it could be, but it's only done me wrong one time, and then not on a job. Overall, it's well designed and fun to look at.

  • Happy with Navigon 5100
    By A20PPHTRWHLEIC on 2007-12-11
    I have purchased this unit on Sunday after black Friday from Radishack for
    $229 + tax ($18). I am so far very happy with the purchase. I have used it evryday for more than two weeks now, drove to 3-4 new places in Chicago
    suburbs. So far it always worked great. I love the text-to-speech feature.
    As it is so clear and nice I rarely look onto the screen.
    Satellite lock is also very quick. Quite often I took a different path
    in known territory and it recalculates new path pretty quick and well. You can customize it in many different ways, like disallow u-turn etc.
    Also you can display altitude, expected time of arrival, speed.
    It tells you on which side of the road is your destination. Surprisingly
    though it idicated my home on the wrong side of a small neighbourhood street. It indicated all other destinations correctly.
    I find the layout very intuitive, and was able to do almost everything,
    I need to do, without consulting the document.
    This is my first GPS, so I cannot compare.
    In absolute term this is great. I know I cannot find anything at this
    price that has tex-to-speech, traffic info, lane assistance.
    I think the only negative feature is not so great POI. It knows about
    a lot of small places where I would never go, but it does not know
    about a lot of big chain places where I often go. It would have been nice
    to have a better POI, but everything has a price tag, and this is not
    my priority.

  • Teutonic Revenge
    By AWCR77JFH9UQS on 2007-12-28
    No hand held GPS unit is perfect. At least I haven't been able to find one. But my Navigon 5100 (which replaced a Navigon 2100t) is not just weird, it's dangerous. Want an example?

    1) Go to Google Maps/Directions
    2) Enter Start address=4100 Northgate Blvd., Sacramento, CA
    3) Enter End address=1600 Expo Parkway, Sacramento, CA
    4) Mash "Get Directions."

    This is how Mr. Google would have you drive from Frys Electronics in Sacramento, Caleefornia to Costco in the same burg. You don't need to do the first U-turn listed. Frys parking lot has a light.

    How does the Navigon 5100 tell you to do the same trip? I'll spare you the gory details, but you will see a lot of stop signs (thereby increasing you knowledge of the local gangs "tags")--be routed the wrong way up a one way street--be told to turn on two streets with incorrect names--be forced to turn on to a street that isn't listed on your turn-by-turn list (the highlight of which is seeing a house with a yard containing more trash in it than the City Dump--really quite remarkable--see it on Google Maps)--and when you rediscover your route you will be asked to make a 540 degree "S" turn across four lanes of traffic and a set of street car tracks. This is the alleged "Optimum" routing. It's fun for the whole family!

    If this were an isolated incident, I'd think about keeping this for entertainment purposes, but it isn't.

    Don't get me wrong, it has its good points. For example, the free lifetime traffic and weather which announced the other night that there was "slush" on Interstate 80 outside of Roseville, CA. A quick glance at the outside temperature of 52 Degrees leads us to believe that someone visited a 7-11 and, finding the flavor of their Slurpee unpleasant, engaged in some littering.

    It's quite an attractive unit and the Space Age Retro windshield stalk fits OK on the dash of my Prius. But considering I have felt it necessary to purchase a Garmin Mobile 20 from Amazon to use with my PDA so that I may actually get where I'd like to be in one piece, no matter how good it looks, the Navigon is Navi-gone.

  • Don't Waste Your Time Go with a Garmin.
    By A1MF4L3TMU3S2A on 2008-01-13
    Pretty much the other reviews are correct. Dont BUY THIS UNIT

    -Touch Interface - Doesn't work. Not very responsive. Very frustrating. Which is not a good thing while driving. I can't stress enough how frustrating this was.

    -Real Time-Traffic - This is also crappy. I was in bad traffic and it would tell me that. I would hit OK to clear the screen and it would pop right back up. This happened for about 5 minutes straight.

    -while using the GPS this thing had me go in circles a few times. get off an exit only to immediately get right back on. While ive heard of this happening on other GPS, i can CONFIRM it happened to me on this model.

    -Antenna - This thing has a huge lengthy antenna wire that it wants you do put up on your windshield with suction cups. Garmin's have it built into the unit so theres a hell of a lot less clutter on your dashboard.

    I had a near impossible time trying to look up a business. Garmin has a simple A-Z look up... but Navigon makes you narrow it down asap with zagats restaurants, etc.... for example Disneyland came up under attractions quickly but Knotts Berry farm didnt' come up at all. even though they are about 10 miles apart.

    I still dont like it.

  • I purchased it for the mount! Nice unit!
    By A2B0J5QXLFA84L on 2008-07-25
    Just kidding I got it for the navigation capabilities; however, the windshield mount looks like it was modeled after the alien spacecraft from the blockbuster War of the Worlds movie- so cool!

    I've been a GPS user since 2000 when I first rented a car with a GPS system. Since then I've used various GPS software and hardware on Window CE devices and most recently on an AT&T 8525 PDA phone. I switched to a dedicated GPS since trying to run GPS navigation software on a phone gets complicated when calls start coming in.

    Quality- Built well, thin, probably couldn't hold up to drops or abuse but overall it's a nice unit. Did I mention the mount? Absolutely beautiful design/concept. It securely holds the 5100 very well

    GPS Reception- Folks have complained that this unit takes a long time to acquire satellites. I haven't experienced this. Typically time to acquire 5 to 7 satellites is approx 30 seconds to 1:30. Please in mind that acquiring satellites can be hampered by building (sky scrapers), cloudy days, positioning of the unit on the window (i.e. GPS units need clear visibility of the sky to receive good reception), heavy rain/snow and time of day/rotation of the earth. Overall no complaints; it performs very well.

    Interface- For me the interface was very close to one version of software I had a while back on a Windows CE PDA. It does take time to learn the interface so don't think of this as an ATM or self-checkout lane at the store. Read the manual. Overall it works and I can find POIs or enter in addresses with ease. Doesn't seem sluggish to me. Only downfall is that I cannot sync my outlook contacts to it. Several settings are available in this unit for customization.

    Screen- A tad bit washed out but not bad. You can still see the POIs, streets, etc. when driving. For the cost it's reasonable. You can adjust the screen brightness. There is a night time mode.

    Navigation- The "Optimal" routing setting works best for me. It calculates routes driver would typically take. I've tested this and it works very well. Re-calculating routes works very quickly for me. Calculating a long drive, such as from Portland, OR to Dallas, TX does take some time to calculate but given the distance covered, I'm happy it can do it!

    Text to Speech/Volume- The voice quality is good. A female's voice is used. She prompts me well in advance of the street name and direction. The volume when maxxed out is adequate but it's not going to over power your car radio or beat the howling wind @ 55 mph. Typically when I'm going some place I don't know I roll the windows up and turn down the radio. I pay attention.

    Versatility- being able to swap between cars is ideal.

    Traffic Reception- Stellar! This unit prompts me with traffic condition warnings. There is no subscription for this service as it taps into the local radio stations that broadcast this service.

    I was really concerned about the negative reviews on this unit, but overall I'm satisfied and my friends consider me the "return king." Looking forward to many drives and not getting lost.

    Cheers,
    Brian

  • Credible value
    By A15JKYIDRHAI1U on 2007-11-20
    Out of the box traffic is great and "reality" feature is new to me and good as is lane information approaching intersections. I returned a low end Garmin to get the additional features and am pleased I did for the price difference. The use of color (too much grey, grey, grey) is frankly a bit disappointing vs competitors but the screen is easy to read and directions based on a month of use are accurate. Amount of on board data - street names, POI etc is good. Not a buy/ no buy criterion but windshield mount is easy to use and stylish in comparion with others. Would not trade it (yet).



  • great unit overall
    By A2LOKXOKJI61LH on 2007-11-29
    excellent unit for my use. takes a day to get used to, set it up and just click show map and drive around, THen set home and click take me home then start playing with getting directions. Keeps the learning curve very easy

    PRO's
    Comes with traffic activated
    Has a better mount than the 2100
    comes with a USB charging cable for the road
    comes with a carrying bag.
    Better Case

    CONS
    for less money and sometimes rebate offers the 2100 comes with free traffic
    Does not offer alot more than the 2100 for the extra money
    they need work on the website for all the units- the registration process keeps taking me to the wrong page


  • Great looks but that's all
    By A1RX6F8NU70EM9 on 2007-12-20
    After trying the product I'm returning it and getting a TomTom or a Garmin. The interface is not clear and it will continously try to find streets only in your city, after you finally get it to recognize the destination you want then it wants to take you around some weird route, not the best one. I'm sure there are ways around it but if I have to spend more time trying to learn the unit quirks than reading a map I get back to the map. I have used GPS units extensively before ( had one of the Garmin PDA units besides what I use in rental cars and this was the only unit that it took me over 15 min just to try to enter the destination to find the route.) The two stars are mainly because of the look which is very slick. I'm sure it will be great in europe but not in the states. Stick to Garmin or TomTom.


Navigon 5100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech and Lifetime Traffic Accessories

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Product Features
  • Superbly accurate, door-to-door directions with pre-installed maps of U.S. and Canada.
  • Speaks street names via Text-to-Speech
  • Subscription free liftetime traffic out of the box
  • Lane Assistant & Reality View features that simplify your drive
  • Zagat ratings and reviews


 
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