Navigon 2100 max 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech Reviews

• Great device, great price - why pay more for silly features?

  
  By A2J4J4KIQPHESU on 2008-06-08
  Just bought a new vehicle and decided to forego the extra $1800 for the factory nav system. My previous vehicle had one, and I find a nav system to be a "must have" - but I just don't like the price premium.
  
  After extensive research, I decided to go with the 2100 Max. The Nuvi's seem to be the most popular, but I really didn't need all the features (mp3, jpgs, etc) as I figued I wouldn't always have the Nav on while driving. I passed on bluetooth also and bought a seperate bluetooth speakephone for the same reason.
  
  The 2100 Max reminded me most of the Nav system of my older vehicle, and it had features I thought I'd like. Reality view is amazing - as the ubiquitous green freeway signs usually show on screen exactly as they appear on the roads. Lane Assist is pretty accurate also, showing all the major lanes at interchanges (I was counting the first time I used the device!). Voice is loud and relatively clear, though it does sound as if the speaker is of lesser quality than it should be (I don't use the FM function since I want to listen to the radio at the same time). I had no problem listening to directions with the radio on, even after lowering the volume a few notches. Pronunciation is pretty good also - especially with some of the street names here in San Diego.
  
  I cannot say enough about the 2100 Max. Unless you plan to always have the nav system on while driving (where you'd probably want one with integrated bluetooth), I couldn't recommend any other device than this one. My recommendation, pass on the silly features and get this nav system that's packed with an array of great travel features at an incredible price.
  
  Pros:
  
  - Display/route stays active even with loss of satellites
  - Loud and clear directions, with our without FM broacast
  - accurate routing and vehicle location/speed
  - Ease of travel with lane assist and reality view
  - Great variety of customizable options
  - Price
  - Bright screen
  
  Cons:
  - some option selection "buttons" are pretty small for big fingers
  - built in speaker gets distorted at higher volumes
  
  

• Comparison of Magellan 800, Magellan 1412 and Navigon 2100 max

  
  By A35Q2L2SJ05YZV on 2008-07-29
  I used to have Magellan Roadmate 800 and a few weeks ago I purchased Magellan Roadmate 1412 then I found a coupon for Navigon 2100 max. And here is the comparison chart; some of the entires are my personal opinions and might not reflect everyone's opinion... here it is:
  
  M08- Magellan Roadmate 800
  M14- Magellan Roadmate 1412
  N21- Navigon 2100 max
  
  Device specific features
  M08- Heavy; can play mp3s; can store JPGs
  M14- Slim and light
  N21- Slim and light (not as light as Mag 1412 tho)
  
  User Friendliness
  M08- Yes
  M14- Yes
  N21- Not as good as Magellan - buttons can be too close to each other depeding on the menu and the screen
  
  Volume
  M08- Can set up the volume manually with a control on the edge of the device; Volume increases at certain speed
  M14- Can set up the volume through the touch screen; Has only 5 settings; Volume doesn't increase over certain speed which can be hard to hear
  N21- Could not find the volume settings; Volume setting for over a speed can be set (No increase / Low increase / High Increase); Voice can be staticy
  
  Text-to-speech
  M08- No
  M14- Funny pronounciations on certain words; "in" sounds like "an" ... "Turn Left in 2 miles" sounds like "Turn Left then 2 miles" - "Freeway entrance" sounds like "Freeway an trans"
  N21- Pronounciation is more accurate then Magellan 1412
  
  Live Traffic
  M08- No
  M14- No
  N21- Yes - Might have to be purchased seperately; reroutes based on the traffic
  
  Zagat - Restaurant Ratings
  M08- No
  M14- No
  N21- Yes - Might have to be purchased seperately
  
  POI
  M08- ~1 million POIs
  M14- ~6 million POIs with wide range of categories
  N21- ~1 million POIs with limited range categories; shows actual brand logo on the map
  
  Lane Assistance
  M08- No
  M14- No
  N21- Yes
  
  Mount
  M08- Easy to mount
  M14- Easy to mount
  N21- Hard to mount, hard to take it off
  
  Password protection
  M08- Yes
  M14- No
  N21- Yes
  
  Compass
  M08- Yes
  M14- Yes
  N21- Not by default, has to be modifed in settings
  
  Recalculation
  M08- Screen goes blue with a progress bar until the calculation is over
  M14- Immediately
  N21- Immediately
  
  Vehicle Type
  M08- Car only
  M14- Car only
  N21- Car / Bicycle / Pedestrian
  
  Arrival Time
  M08- Display approximate number of minutes the route will take
  M14- Displays the arrival time
  N21- Displays the arrival time and the minutes it takes to the destination
  
  Distance left
  M08- Shows the miles left until the next move; Shows the miles left until the destination
  M14- Shows the miles left until the next move
  N21- Shows the miles left until the next move; Shows the miles left until the destination
  
  Turn by turn view
  M08- Yes
  M14- Yes
  N21- Yes
  
  Better for
  M08- Within the city travel
  M14- Within the city travel with better POI options
  N21- Long distance travel with live traffic and lane assistance
  
  Sluggy
  M08- Smooth menu items, sluggy map over time
  M14- Not sluggy
  N21- Sluggy menu items, smooth map
  
  Route options
  M08- Fastest Route; Shortest Route; Most use of Freeway; Less use of Freeway
  M14- Fastest Route; Shortest Route; Most use of Freeway; Less use of Freeway
  N21- Fastest route; Optimum route; Shortest route; Scenic route
  
  Tollway option
  M08- Can not avoid
  M14- Can avoid
  N21- Can avoid or forbid
  
  Allowing U-Turn (or not)
  M08- Not modifiable (Allows)
  M14- Not modifiable (Allows)
  N21- Can allow or forbid U-Turns
  
  
  

• Love it

  
  By A2N8HF8B1R9UPD on 2008-06-14
  I purchased this GPS because of various web recommendations and price. I am delighted with it! I haven't gotten lost once. The unit is easy to set-up and use. The maps seem accurate and have plenty of useful information as restaurants, gas stations, etc. The spoken directions are easy to understand and follow. I particularly like the the Lane Assistant and Reality View functions with their visual representations of the road signs.
  
  Highly recommended, if you are looking for a reasonably priced GPS only type navigation device.
  
  

• Works great!

  
  By A3K3OWF7TEM685 on 2008-07-23
  I'm terrible with directions so I bought this hoping it would help me and it did. It found the satellites immediately and kept me moving along quickly. It updates quickly and even if you choose a different route it recalculates a new route and maps it out instantly. The touch screen is responsive and easy to use. It's well made and doesn't feel cheap. The windshield mount works easily and holds the unit in place.
  
  When you register the unit at the Navigon website, you'll find out that a software update is not necessary as of today. FreshMaps is supposed to be available this month (July) and you can sign up for E-mail notification as to when they'll be ready for download. The unit comes with a 2 gig memory card and you can install a larger one when it's needed. The operating system for the mapping program is Windows CE. No problems with it yet.
  
  So far, I'm happy with this unit. It does what I need without a load of unnecessary bells and whistles.
  
  August 3, 2008: As of today, FreshMaps update is now available for this unit. Just go to the Navigon website, log into your account and download the Navigon downloader program. Install the program on your computer and you're ready to go. You can even backup your old maps with this downloader program which is recommended before you download the new maps and install them.
  
  October 1, 2008: Navigon now gives you FREE lifetime traffic information. You just can't go wrong. I've been very happy with this unit.
  
  

• A Great Buy !!

  
  By AK4PDDB6MJ9A3 on 2008-05-07
  This is one great unit. I didn't want to wait until the sales when it would be out of stock, so I got one with traffic (2100T Max) as a deal for the list price. This was similar to the 2100T deal offered on rare occasions. It is quicker than the original 2100 with some new great features. Test it out in the stores to make sure it's what you are looking for. I don't need Bluetooth or an MP3 player, so I am very happy. I've had it for almost a month now.
  
  
• Streets and trips
  By A18MVVNA2U9YNU on 2008-07-01
  This is my 3rd GPS, and by far the worst. Just to list a few of its problems: Slow accessing satellites and navigating, voice is hard to understand, controls are not user friendly, hard to use volume control, poor software running it, and, well you get the point. Make sure you can return it if you decide to purchase this item.
  
  
• difficult to use, buttons on screen too small, slow, weak POIs
  By A154OOZTR1GDEE on 2008-07-05
  I bought this little navi unit as a world-traveler device that I could use in the U.S. and in europe. It ended up on ebay a week later.
  
  Once I received it, I found it to be difficult to use, the buttons on the screen too small for my fingers, calculations were slow, the Points of interest database was missing common things I found routinely with my old Garmin c550.
  
  We decided to keep using our old c550 and wait for a better tomtom or Garmin instead. I think the competitor for this unit as far as features go is the Garmin 7xx series, yet the performance is so bad I cannot recommend it to anyone.
  
  
• Go for the 7100 instead
  By A2RIXSMGE9VIBG on 2008-04-30
  I ordered the Navigon 7100 for only 30 bux more here at amazon. it includes unlimited free traffic info. thats worth way more than the price difference.
  
  
• Simple and Effective!
  By A23HPJJ7QO5CV5 on 2008-06-09
  At first use I thought this is confusing. After reading through the manual and testing it without really needing it for local weekend errands. The unit is now easy to navigate through. I recommend that you read the manual to make life easier before trying to figure it out on your own. You will have to download the PDF file for it from their website. You will find out what each icon means and does and will help you understand the various functions. I really like the unit for its ease and simplicity. The Lane Assist and Reality View work great plus you can add Traffic service and keep the unit updated with Fresh Maps as optional add ons.
  
  
• A real life changer for direction-challenged folks like me
  By A15OZQMNHGR3ZQ on 2008-07-22
  I really didn't think this $200 GPS was going to work very well, but I couldn't resist the price. I'm notoriously bad on directions, so I really hoped it could make a difference. IT SURE DID. I had to take a complicated 26-mile route to a seminar outside LA, including 7 miles in residential area with lots of turns. The voice is the really fantastic part -- it tells you 500 feet before you turn and again 20 feet before the turn. You really don't have time to read the screen while you're driving, but you can glance at it from time to time to see what your next turn is, what lane you need to be in to catch the freeway exit, and what direction you're going. The graphic for complicated freeway interchanges is really great -- arrows shows you exactly what to do at a glance. And every time I took a wrong turn or missed one, the device just kept going, guiding me to my goal. My only complaint is the voice sound is so bad. It's difficult to hear (forget having radio on) and the pronunciation of street names is often hilarious (La Loma is prnounced Laalo.). Anyway, it was the most relaxed drive to a distant seminar I can remember. If you're bad at directions, this could be a life changer for you.
  
  
• Navigon Down The Road
  By A31G81QYQXOQTP on 2008-07-05
  I find it most usefull when I can go as far as I can on my own, then I kick on the Navigon. The reason is It doesn't seem to take me the best route, especially when I know where I'm going. Only after I reach a point where I need help do I turn it on and it does get me where I want to go.
  
  
• A SUPERB GPS Unit
  By AQHTYLEDNWOYP on 2008-08-20
  The Navigon 2100MAX is an EXCELLENT PERFORMER - well thought out and well executed.
  
  An easy User Interface allows you to enter street addresses, for automatic point-to-point navigation - with turn-by-turn Voice guidance, if desired - and tailor a variety of settings to your individual tastes. A massive 'Points Of Interest' database allows it to show accurate locations of Gas Stations, Restaurants, and a whole 'laundry list' of other choices, wherever you travel. I live in an 'off the beaten path' small town, and every detail is well covered here.
  
  Though it comes 'out of the box' quite complete, the Navigon 2100MAX also has Expansion Capabilities for some additional-cost services, for those who later decide they're useful. The first - which I highly recommend over the long term - is "Fresh Maps", a three-year subscription for updates to the Maps and Points Of Interest databases. There are also options to add Zagat Survey restaurant reviews, which would pop up onscreen when you touch the icon for a nearby restaurant -- and live Traffic Info for select metropolitan areas, which integrates to display on the maps and suggest alternate routing. Any or all of these can be added to the Navigon 2100 or 2100MAX at any time, by purchasing the appropriate access code cards. If you're rich and want it all from day one, look into the pricier Navigon 7100, which comes preloaded with all the options.
  
  This is my second GPS unit, after having done Long-Haul Trucking for several years with an early (1998 vintage) Garmin StreetPilot unit. The Navigon, with its newer technology, is naturally vastly superior to that 'ancient' Garmin - with a simpler User Interface, much more Detailed Maps, true Routing capability (with early units, you had to do your own point-by-point route setting), and easy Updating capability (something I longed for as the Garmin aged).
  
  To be fair, the current Garmin models also offer these newer capabilities - so there is no fair comparison between the current models and my old one. Every GPS now on the market is far superior to the early models - and, notably, at a fraction of the price. The evolution of the GPS products in the past two years, is directly comparable to the evolution of Personal Computers over the past 10 years or so.
  
  ANY modern GPS unit is, basically, a 'task-dedicated' Computer - with its circuitry optimized for the intended primary function. (Portable DVD Players with their own display screen are another common, though much simpler, device that fits this general description.) The Navigon models, like many competitors, use a customized version of Microsoft's Windows CE as their basic operating system - augmented by a software package which includes the Map information, Points Of Interest, and the manufacturer's particular 'twist' on a User Interface (what you deal with, onscreen, to enter information and use the device). The Navigon units use a 2GB SD Memory Card to hold it all - which allows for an easy hardware upgrade (pop in a bigger Card) if the data-handling needs ever grow beyond 2GB. (In comparison, my ancient Garmin had a 32MB internal chip, and wasn't expandable.)
  
  In raw computing power, modern GPS units put some older Laptop Computers to shame. With this Computer basis, it isn't much of a stretch to expand on the basic platform to incorporate MP3 Players, Bluetooth communications, etc. into a modern GPS unit - and many models do so, with something available for every taste and budget.
  
  Navigon is a solid German company - a leader in Europe, but a distant fourth in the U.S. market - behind Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom (another European company) in market share here. There is NO shortcoming in their product, or the support standing behind it - just less money spent on advertising to build the brand into a household word. A classical German marketing approach, actually - concentrate on building a superior product, and let that product 'speak for itself' in establishing a reputation, over time. (Older folks can think back to the early growth of Volkswagen, for another 'textbook example' of how this works.)
  
  Navigon is a solid contender, with a solid product, worthy of your serious consideration for your GPS needs. They won't disappoint you.
  
  
• Excellent GPS
  By A16G5W6TM9VSP3 on 2008-09-08
  This is my second GPS, my first being a Garmin. I was looking to stay with Garmin but I wanted it also to provide traffic reports. Garmin and other GPS's have it but you have to pay a annual fee plus the GPS's cost more. I got it with the 2100 Max $250 and for life of the product. The traffic report works great and very accurate in the Milwaukee, Wi. area where I drive over 50 miles a day. A real time and headache saver. You need to have the cord plugged in because the antenna for the Traffic is built in, found out the hard way. It shows freeway construction areas, traffic jams, accidents and stopped traffic. Been using it for a month and it works great. Very fast satellite response. It even works on my first floor in my two story home. My Garmin does not! So the satellite reception is very strong. The streets and lanes are very accurately shown such as medians, 2 or 4 lanes and merging lanes as if it was a satellite view! If you go off route it is extremely fast to recalculate a new route. My Garmin although it is 3 years old takes sometime to update. The 3D images of highway interchanges with actual road sign text is just like looking at the actual freeway overhead signs. That would be a big help if your in unfamiliar areas. I don't see any other GPS's with that feature. This unit has the latest map update so you don't have to upgrade yet. If you have to update its Fresh Maps include 12 updates of maps and points-of-interest over the course of three years for $60. Not $60 every year like my garmin! So I would highly recommend this newest version of the Navigon GPS's lineup.
  
  
• Great Unit for the money
  By A3QVDAOAIJ9QSI on 2008-08-15
  I've read a number of reviews that say the 2100 max is slow to acguire satellites, or recalculate, hard to use etc. I bought the 2100 max for use in my Jeep. It acquired satellites fast and recalculates quickly. So, I thought it must be because of the soft top on the Jeep. To test that, I put the unit in my Acura TL that has a navigation system that cost over $2,000. Granted the Navigation in the Acura has a lot of bells and whistles, but turn for turn, the Navigon kept up with the Acura. It acquired the satellites just as fast. Could living on the west coast have anything to do with it... Nah. On a recent trip to Philadelphia the performance was the same. The Navigon 2100max is not perfect, but it is a great unit for the cost.Navigon 2100 max 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech, Lifetime Traffic, and Fresh Maps
  
  
• Great Unit
  By AAPPIPYSVTEJK on 2008-07-15
  Very good. I took it to New York with no problem. Garmin was looking for signal for three hours. I highly recommend it to any one. Great unit.
  
  
• Great unit - lousy customer service/support
  By A1OWSIBZN3BCVS on 2008-09-12
  Mine worked great for about 2 weeks and then quit on me. It wouldn't power up.
  
  After exchanging about 4 emails and a 30 minute phone call with Navigon (try powering it up plugged into the car, try powering it up plugged into the USB on your computer, try holding down the power button for 15 seconds, etc.) they had me send it in.
  
  I sent it in 3 weeks ago. It took a week to 'process it in' and then it takes an average of 2 weeks to get it sent back out. That 2 weeks is today. When I called they told me that 2 weeks is just an average and 'hopefully' I can expect it some time next week.
  
  Overall a pretty frustrating experience with Navigon. 'Hopefully' it will work when I get it back.
  
  
• Happy, But Not Totally Bought on it
  By A2AL4QQ4ZRR74 on 2008-07-30
  After searching for a gps I decided to go with this unit. I read good rewiews and went with it. When I first used it I was impressed by the screen clarity and non cartoon looking maps like with other brands. It also aquired a singnal very quickly here in S. Florida. At first the unit was freezing up and driving me crazy! I was about to send it for a ride out of my window @ 70mph. But I gave it a chance to redeem itself do to computer gliches. I also think that if the gps is not fully charged for the first time ,you may encounter problems. Then after a while things seemed fine. I love the detailed view and the road signs and McDonalds and Gas station logos...How cool! The turn by turn directions have been pretty much dead on the money. eg. right Turn at SR7, and you'r right there. The womans voice tells me to turn. Although not the sexiest, but it will do. Most of the time you can't here the voice prompts cause the speaker is not loud enough. So I recommend cranking the tunes so you don't here her...LOL Anyway, sometime these units have to much to say Anyway. You can just follow the onscreen directions and you'll be fine. The only thing that I don't like is the POI. They are not updated to American cities! Or maybe because it's not made in the USA. I couldn't even locate the neerest post office or well known establishments. All and all I'm satissfied with the Navigon or I guess I would have returned it. Once you get used to it you will like it. Just takes some time getting used to.
  
  Frank from Nj, recently transplanted to S. Florida and lovin' It
  
  
• Navigon 2100 Max 4.3 ' GPS
  By A2HI827KU84CBQ on 2008-08-09
  There is not enough good things that I can say about this GPS sytem. The Navigon 2100 Max is a magnificant product which I found after extensive research of many brands and types of GPS systems. With its outstanding Reality view displaying an image of the green signs you come across everyday allows you to navigate with confidence. Text-to-spech is usually very clear, unless you turn the volume all of the way up then the voice is somewhat distorted. The clarity of the screen is tremendous with its large size of 4.3' you can read everything with ease even if you happen to be a back seat passenger. The only con to this system is it the distorted voice at loud volumes, and the menue setup that is difficult for some to maneuver through. In summary, this system is a brilliant buy with an intricate design. A 5 star rating for this product for sure. Thank you Navigon and Amazon for the speedy delievery!
  
  
• Great Nav System
  By A3P8AZNFOO4DYN on 2008-09-18
  Easy to use, very accurate and great additional options (restaurants etc)
  
  Haven't used the freshmaps update yet, however.
  
  
• The Best GPS for Your Money
  By A2EOQQIZVPQR55 on 2008-09-24
  I could not find another GPS device like this one for its price. 4.3" screen with "text to speech" feature and 2D and 3D display! Good quality at an excellent price. Well worth it and easy to use.
  
  
• Great Product, Great Price!
  By A1EPROU1J633I3 on 2008-09-30
  After months of searching for the right GPS system, I finally decided on the Navigon 2100 Max. I saw it at Staples for $299. I paid $188 on Amazon. Shipping supersaver, and it arrived in 4 days, which was perfect. I evacuated the next day to outrun Gustav. With the contraflow madness, this little GPS device was a God-send. I literally plugged it in for the first time only hours before leaving. Everything, even in my distracted state, was easy to figure out on the device. And as I tried to navigate the backroads of Meridian, MS, I solely relied on the Navigon. Without it, I don't know where I would have wound up that night.
  
  I live in DC, and Kitt, as I call her, has come in handy just around the District as well. Her only quirk is that she says "us Capitol," instead of "U.S. Capitol," but hey, I know people who say that too. She's a little slow sometimes to recalculate a route if I miss a turn, but it's never put me in a bad situation.
  
  All in all, this is a fabulous GPS, at a very reasonable price, and great for the first-timer.
  
  
  
  
• awesome
  By ABUPWGS8BYSIS on 2008-09-30
  working very good ,Grafick is beter theh garmin what my friend have ,show you beter map and way,and exits
  
  
• Lousy user interface design
  By A3019CCM7HOIS8 on 2008-10-18
  I bought this because the price was great for the feature set, but the lousy user inteface offsets that. I found it very hard to use and was constantly making mistakes.
  
  The wide screen is wasted on a lot of useless stuff I couldn't figure out how to turn off. I don't know if the screen is relatively dim or what, but I often had trouble seeing it in bright light. (I had no such trouble with a friend's Garvin in the same car.)
  
  The routing was sometimes good (I learned a couple of new shortcuts), sometimes bad (e.g. telling me to turn right and drive around a block when turning left was three blocks shorter). Turning instructions were often at the last second, sometimes after I'd already entered an intersection.
  
  The traffic feature was particularly annoying. It was constantly popping up alerts, some of which weren't even on my route. I couldn't find an option to set it to automatically reroute to avoid traffic. Sometimes the supposed backups weren't even there.
  
  I'm returning it and buying a Garmin 265T instead.
  
  
• Don't Buy it Now - The Upgrade is the Same Price!
  By AU0RHRM9AIU54 on 2008-10-30
  The 2200T is out and it fixes a lot of the problems people had with this thing. Why would you pay $190 for this when you can get the 2200T for basically the same price?
  
  The only reason to get this is if you really want a navigon with 4.3 in screen and don't wanna spend $400 on it, but in every other way the 2200T is better.
  
  
• Worst GPS! Not Recommended
  By A16ORCM7B3CRY7 on 2008-11-09
  Real quickly I just want to point out that the device is good as it completes what it says it is supposed to. The problems start immediately it is ridiculously slow at making a route. If you go off track via different road or highway recalculating time takes about 45 seconds compared to 3 to 5 on the Garmin. The system is very sluggish and updates at about 1 frame every 2 to 3 seconds which makes it very inaccurate. Everything seems to be so cluttered and text is very small so you can't see much even though its a 4.3 inch screen. I had a Garmin 3.5 and was able to see much more clearly. It has about 2 million POI which is very low considering Garmin and Tom Tom offer more than half of that. Reality View doesn't help much and no auto off feature means navigation must be turned on/off manually rather than automatically when you turn car on/off. Overall I think this device is a huge disappointment I give it 2 stars. 1 for value and 1 for working as it says it does.
  
  

• GGI International Universal Dashboard Bean Bag Mount for GPS, Cell Phones, etc.
• Bracketron UFM-100BL Nav-Mat GPS Friction Dash Pad
• Navigon 4.3-Inch Protective Hard-Shell Case
• Navigon AC Wall Charger
• Navigon 4.3-Inch Premium Leather Case (fits 4.3-Inch GPS units from all major brands)

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