Navigon 8100T Review

Last week we purchased the 8100T and will be returning it today. I would not want to recommend this product to anyone. It is absolutely brutal trying to input destination addresses by speaking, very frustrating when the address information I input comes back totally foreign as to what I said.

It will not recognize our address, and I am unable to register the product on-line, as if it does not recognize Canada. I am unable to find a support toll free number, to speak with a live human for help.

I am very disappointed in this GPS, we were so excited to get it based on everything stated online, great sales pitch!!!

I wrote a similar review on the 7200T, which I actually returned when the 8100T came down in price to a mere $409, making it quite a steal. While all the features I reported for the 7200T remain, there are 3 huge differences that made me fall for this unit.

First, the screen real estate is unparalleled. I’m spoiled by 4 years in vehicles with on-board systems, and the screens were quite larger (and therefore easier to see and use) than the postage stamp 3.5″ units you see mostly today. Yes, 4.3″ is an improvement, but when you see 4.8″, it’s a whole different ball game! Fonts are larger, and the whole unit is easier to use.

Next, the mount is the best I’ve seen. Though is is quite hefty, it is infinitely adjustable and solid as a rock on the windshield. Don’t know about the plastic dash mount disc because I don’t need it. The fact that the arm is so long puts the unit much closer (easier to see and reach) than any other unit I’ve seen, making it appear that much larger.

Finally, the Terrain View is the bomb! Though it doesn’t show street names in map mode, it will pronounce and display pertinent street names still in nav mode, and it’s not to tough to toggle to standard 3d mode that looks just like the 7200T, only crisper and more fluid. Graphics are amazing! Being able to see the lay of the land has proven to be very helpful when navigating the countryside of North and South Carolina. For example, when approaching a turn-off in Terrain Mode, I now know to turn at the bottom of the hill! Much easier! Only drawback is the darn thing looks so good I have to keep from staring at it so I don’t have a wreck!!

All else is the same as what I wrote for the 7200T so I’m really pleased with this unit.

Oh and one thing I forgot to mention with both of these – if it routes you a way you don’t like, you can just pull up the turn-by turn list and delete the street you don’t want to go on and *poof* you’re recalculated! No other unit I’ve seen does that ( or allows 5 + destination multipoint in this price range!)

Comparison points:

Full service Free Trafic: no adds, not dumbed down.

Exit Guide: See what’s at the upcoming exits.

3 Programmable Shortcuts: find nearest gas stations, ATM’s, whatever you chose, with one-touch.

3D Terrain Mapping: based on the Space Shuttle Map data. Stunning!

Dual Microphones: good noise canceling for voice address input.

Integrated Mount: no more plugging the cord into the unit – just snap the unit into the mount and you’re all set!

Current Street Display: as well as next turn. (for Garmin folks…)

Reality View: Navigon invented it!

$52 Amazon Freshmaps: 3 years! of map updates!

Competent Customer Service: folks who actually know what they’re talking about or can quickly ask someone, and they actually care about your user experience!

2-touch Map Display: ok, if you want to just see the map when not in nav mode, you actually have to hit “Options’ the “Display Map”. Shame, shame… :)

Again, it DOES NOT show photos, play MP3′s or videos. It’s a gps…a GPS!!! not an entertainment center (though I do find the display pretty cool to look at, so I guess that’s a form of entertainment…)