Dear TomTom and Garmin,
My name is Alexander from Belgium and I write you both as a desperate last resort. I searched around the internet and visited multiple shops but nobody could give me a proper answer. I will explain step by step the TomTom and Garmin products I evaluated and which functionality I could not find. I hope you can provide me an answer.
My previous GPS system was a TomTom go XL which I bought about 4 years ago. Because I borrowed it, time has come to buy my own. Each year I travel more than 40 000 km, a lot of them during rush hour. Real time traffic information and alternative routes are therefore essential to me.
At first I found the TOMTOM GO LIVE 1005. After some research it seems that this system does not support the EPT (Enhanced positioning technology). Without this functionality the GPS stops when entering a tunnel instead of calculation and showing the assumed position. I do not know the name of this technology for Garmin.
At the same time I was told the TomTom Go Live series is already “old”. The new product line was now the TomTom Go xxxx.
Woooow, the TomTom 500 was brand new on the market and did (almost) everything I needed. But you need an Smartphone using Bluetooth for the live services…? Absolutely no more interest. This would mean an additional charger for my smartphone if I have a 2 hour ride ( + 2 hours back). Not to mention the data roaming costs when traveling abroad
So I went to Garmin and searched to a similar model. The Garmin I’m interested in is the “Garmin Nuvi 2498LMT-D” but then confusion came. This device supports DAB+ for live traffic info, the “digital TMC” if you will. So ok, this is nice. But the device also support live services and Premium TMC. Premium TMC is not digital (so not included?) Do I need to pay extra for this, do I need that messy TMC antenna?
For the live services I’ve read you would need an premium Garmin account. I never found out what that was, how much does it cost? Where can I buy/register it? And then there is the smartlink android application from Garmin. Guess what, you need a compatible android Bluetooth phone for the live services? Next to all this Garmin also provides “realtime traffic information” What is this? Now you have: TMC, Premium TMC, DAB+, Live services and real time traffic information? What in *** is the difference between them all (these terms are mentioned on multiple sites so I don’t know if the terminology is yours or from the site).
So I had a lot of interest in this Garmin device but I could not tell if it had everything I need. Luckily for me at that time you could get the TomTom Go 6000 with integrated SIM card (still wondering when the TomTom Go 5000 will be available because 6” is like a tablet). Al my troubles seems to fade away. But wait a minute, a website (gpsshop.be) is telling me that this device does not support coordinate navigation anymore…? As a Diver I uses coordinates every week because on most places I dive there is no road so we use GPS coordinates.
Ok than, back to Garmin. But now I found a review telling me that TMC does not support traffic jam directions. TMC only tells you if there is a traffic jam but it could be in the opposite direction I’m driving. Which means I well be presented an alternative route based upon a traffic jam that “possibly” does not exist in my situation.
Now my question is: what device would you advise that supports:
• Must have
o Real time traffic -preferable lifetime so included in the price (Real time traffic is my description not one of your services)
 Preferable no additional TMC antenna but integrated antenna or SIM card
 Available in other country’s than Belgium without additional costs
 Reliable real time traffic
 Proposing Alternative routes
 No Bluetooth connection from a Smartphone needed.
o Enhanced Positioning Technology or something similar (again sorry Garmin, I could not find your terminology for this)
o Coordinate navigation
o European maps
o 4,3” screen or higher
• Nice to have
o Auto start/stop on power receive
o Bluetooth handsfree carkit
o Life time map updates
o DAB + seems nice to have towards the future
In case you do not have any device supporting all the “must haves” What would you advice from your product line?
Thanks a lot for reading to through this. I really hope somebody could finally help me out of my quest.
Thanks in advance
Kind regards,
Alexander