Customer Reviews

Navigon 8100T 4.8-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Free Traffic Alerts

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I've had a chance to play with the Navigon 8100T and it seems to be a solid performer. Graphically speaking, it features a graphics accelerator that allows for almost smooth scrolling in 3D mode and even more smooth scrolling in 2D mode. The visuals are very good, especially the 3D Panorama view where you can see surrounding mountains or hills in perspective with 3D shading. In 2D mode, the display is crystal clear with a lot of detail. One of the few gripes that I have is that the fonts chosen aren't the best and sometimes hard to read. Another is that the POIs aren't always easy to find if you do not know the exact city their located in. Fortunately, there is a feature called Direct Address which allows you to set up three POI categories for direct lookup without need of knowing the city. Upon choosing one of those direct address POIs, it will return all of that category that it has in its database for the surrounding area. The 8100T features millions more POIs than its 7200T relative (one of the glaring weaknesses of the 7200T), so consequently, there are POIS all over the place on your display if you are zoomed in at maximum. There are 32 categories of POIs each with its own icon, and fortunately you can choose which of these categories you want to appear on your display so that you are not inundated with them. The unit features an autozoom which zooms out the faster you travel and vice versa.

The traffic features from TMC are very good. When the unit picks up on a traffic delay, they unit notifies you with an on screen icon with distance from the delay, plus a voice announcement. You also have a choice whether you want to be rerouted around the delay area. I'm not sure if this was a bug or something, but I was traveling on a surface street and the unit told me that there was a traffic delay ahead and wanted to reroute me away from it... I didn't think that they tracked surface street delays.

The unit features quick recalculations and a choice of fastest time, optimum time & distance, and shortest distance routes. The routing seemed all right with no weird directions. It pretty much tries to route you in a straight line if it can depending on your routing choices.

Bluetooth pairing was a little flaky when I tried going to it from my Palm Treo 700p. Apparently it has to be done a certain way otherwise it will not pair. I had to open my phone to discovery, then when the Navigon saw the phone, it asks you to input any 4 digit code. You then have to input the exact same code into the phone otherwise it will fail.

All in all, this is a very promising device. If Navigon takes the suggestions given to it to heart, many of the weaknesses could be fixed. Personally I would like Navigon to add the 3D Landscape view that the 7200T has. The graphics system would easily be able to handle it. I don't know why Navigon chose to not include that in the 8100T (they probably thought the 3D Panorama view was enough).

An interesting sidenote of sorts.... Since this device runs Windows CE, some enterprising individuals added Windows CE Explorer to it and then was able to load other GPS software like iGo, TomTom, and Mio to it and be able to select which one they wanted to run. See this link here at YouTube: [...]

After playing with the 8100T, I would recommend it.

EDIT (5/31/09): Navigon has decided to no longer manufacture their PNDs in North America. This leaves support at a minimum and map updates will most likely end in 2-3 years leaving us with an orphan device. Navigon is no longer selling their FreshMaps product so North American map updates will be ending in a couple of years. Navigon will continue selling and supporting their European devices as normal. A shame really....it had a lot of promise...

After much research (and after upgrading from the 7200T because the sale price made it hard to pass up!) I am thoroughly pleased with the 8100T. As mentioned, I did EXTENSIVE research, and was originally going to purchase the Garmin 765, which is also a great unit. By feature list, here's why I opted for the 8100T:

Largest screen available: I had an in-dash unit in my previous car, and I wanted something large and easy to see. 4.8" really does give you more viewing real estate!

Feature set: with voice address entry (which, once trained in the environment it will be used has worked flawlessly!), Exit guide (see what's ahead and get there with a screen touch) and the 3D Terrain View, not offered by any competitor, the choice for me was obvious!

Lifetime Real Traffic: I need traffic that works, not some dumbed-down ad-based version. This has worked like a champ and the option to auto-reroute or manually ask to recalc/ignore is a great feature!

Inexpensive Map Updates: at $79 retail (even less on Amazon!) you get 3 years, 3 YEARS of map updates (up to 1 per quarter!) including POI's! That's a fraction of the next competitor! And yes, there is already a 1st quarter 2009 update available (as of 2/15/09).

Mounting Option: This unit is powered through the window mount, so all you have to do to install or remove is "click". No fumbling with the cord, since it attaches to the mount. This allowed me to "hide" the cord through the dash for a really clean look! Plus, the mount has an arm that's almost a foot long! this brings the unit much closer to you for better viewing.

Customer Service: I had lots of questions (yes, I kinda geeked out a bit - what can I say). So I called the folks at Navigon, and the folks at Garmin. The Navigon folks were courteous, knowledgeable, and genuinely concerned that I have a great buying experience. Can't say the same for brand X.

Functionality summary:

I was quite surprised by some of the nay-sayer reviews and I have found little weight, if even truth to some of the negative comments.

The voice recognition works great (it has dual mics and noise cancellation!).

Street name pronunciation, though kind of humorous at times, is very accurate (she even pronounces `Pumpernickel" correctly!).

The touch screen is quite sensitive. No lag.

Despite no QWERTY keyboard, the predictive text works so well, most of the time it displays my choice with only 2 or 3 letters keyed.

Yes, yes, while in Terrain Mode, the map does not show street names, however:
It does speak and show the street names while navigating, even in Terrain Mode!
...and, if you want to see the street names in 3D mode, just touch the Options/Settings key and turn off "Terrain Mode" and you will see the map just like every other 3D GPS out there (only with the 8100T, you'll see it larger, and smoother due to the 4.8" and an onboard graphics accelerator!)

Oh, and can you believe, you actually have to touch the screen TWICE to get it to display the map ("Options" then "Show Map") unlike all the other guys who have a "one-touch" button on the home screen. The shame of it all! But wait! On the Home screen you have 4 options, instead of only 2 with the other guys! (Nobody mentions that!) I know I'm being a bit sarcastic, but I find it hilarious that people would make such a big issue out of on extra click. (The Home Screen includes a "Take Me Home" button. Very handy! In short, yo have "Favorites", "Take Me Home", "Voice Destination" and "New Destination".)

It's more complicated to use: and that's because you have access to options and settings that are not offered on other units. It's completely customizable. I like that...A LOT.

The screen looks realistic: not "cartooney" like the other guys.

Traffic is spot on! Updates come through regularly and are quite accurate, even down to routine construction. Very impressive...and it's free!!

One point to note (as compared to the NUVI 765T that I almost bought), while navigating, the 8100T shows the street you are on at the bottom center, and the street you will turn on next, immediately above it. As I understand it, a common complaint with the NUVI line us that they don't show the road you are on while in Navigation mode - only the next turn.

Finally, it doesn't play MP3's or videos. So, is this supposed to be a GPS or a personal entertainment device? (as you can see, I don't give a hoot about playing MP3's or videos on my GPS. That's why I have an IPOD.)One thing to note, it will not play through your car stereo, but the speaker is loud enough to where it doesn't have to.

Finally, there are volume up and down, as well as a mute button on the outside of the unit as well as on the touch screen. Very handy!

As you can see, I think this is a great unit. I've been using it for over a month and I'm thoroughly pleased with it. And at the price it's now being offered, I believe that the 8100T is not only the most useful-feature-packed unit out there, but by far the best value.

As a person who does a lot of driving for my job a GPS was a must. I've been through many GPS's from Tom Tom (One, 720, 920), Garmin (360, 760, 765T), and one or two other brands.

I decided to upgrade my Garmin 760 and my first choice was the 765T. Man, what a let down! It seemed slower at everything my 760 had done and was not worth the upgrade. When I purchased the 765T they had all the Navigon devices there. I wasn't going to pay $[...] for a GPS (plus the states cut) so I looked at the Navigon 7200T. It was on sale for $[...] and also had a $[...] rebate for a total cost of $[...]. I had seen the device on the net and was familiar with Navigon from what I read but never owned one of their products. So now my dilemma became buy the $[...] garmin 765T or the $249 Navigon 7200T..........

Well I think I did what a lot of people do. I looked at the price of the Navigon and said to myself "There is no way this device can be good as the Garmin". MAN WAS I WRONG! Like I said, the Garmin 765T was brutal. Maybe I had a bad device but I actually got lost and drove an extra 15 mile route to get back home from NYC using it. I returned it and at this point I figured I had nothing to lose and got the 7200T. I WAS AMAZED....
The half the price of the Garmin unit worked awesome. The maps are the best I've ever seen. Smooth and quick. YEAH I KNOW, I KNOW... Is this a review of the 7200T or the 8100T?

After having the Navigon 7200T a few days the company decided to offer 25% off all products on their website. So back goes the 7200T and the order is placed for the 8100T. First thing I can tell you is that it was a nice releif to have a mount that takes the power directly as opposed to needing to plug the adaptor directly to the unit. (NOTE: THIS WAS THE ONLY THING I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THE 7200T). The 8100T mount is large but lets the unit get closer to you, no more reaching to operate your GPS. It's actually a pretty decent looking mount that goes great with the look of the 8200T. Actual operation of the 8100T was no different than the 7200T. Entering a destination via Voice worked as advertised. (Only time I had an issue was when I gave an incorrect street name, Main St. instead of Main Ave.)

The maps on Navigon IMHO are the best. They scroll seamlessly unlike my Garmins which were very "jumpy". The 765T's screen actually went blank a few times when refreshing. The Panorama 3D view is excellent. No it does not show the street names like the 2D/3D view but you need to see it in action. The device displays just about any info you could possible want and then some. *** Hey Garmin, how about displaying what street I'm currently on?!? *** Routing has been fine in the weeks I've used it with nothing to complain about. The unit itself is built like a tank.

Lane Assistant Pro for lane guidance and Reality View Pro works. Unlike many complaints I've read about Tom Tom & Garmins attempt at this pales by comparision. In the short time I owned the Garmin 765T I only saw there version come onscreen on one exit of the NJTP. The 8100T has shown every major (and some minor ones) exit to date.

Is (was) this GPS system worth the $599.99 when it first came out?
Is it worth the $449 you can now get it for?

That's up to you to decide for me I would say yes. AND I will say it again, this is the BEST GPS I'VE EVER USED!

Good luck & Happy New Year

I compared Nuvi 755T and Navigon 8100 T side-by-side during the trip from Austin to Dallas, driving around Dallas, then Dallas back to Autin.

Pro:
* Lane Assistant, Reality View, and Exit Guide are excellent, shows more often and far better than Nuvi 755T
* Good route calculation, better than Nuvi 755T
* Sound quality and voice instruction are very good
* Good suction cup.

Con:
* Does not show the next turn right after you get on the next street (if the next turn is far away). It only shows the direction of the next turn (left/right) when you are within 2 miles of next turn. In order to know the next turn right away, you have to hit "Option" then "Turn-by-turn", and then back out to the main screen. Nuvi 755T shows next turn right away.
* Because of "Smart Speller for fast, easy data entry", it won't take several valid addresses I entered. (Smart Speller automatically filtered out the letters, numbers that it thinks not valid, therefore you can't select those).
* In all the names of cross-streets, the font is very small and font color is dark grey on the background of light grey, makes it very hard to read for people > 40-year old.
* The screen washed out under sunlight. Nuvi doesn't.
* Need to reset couple times.
* On I-35 between Austin and Dallas, speed limit is mostly incorrect (5 miles less than the real one)

Although I loved the 8100t, I ended up returning it because I paid full retail price for it ($600). Right now Amazon is selling the 7200t for $250 and although I love the new 3D view and large 4.8" screen, I don't think it justifies the $350 premium. Everything else between the 7200t and 8100t is the same.

The previous GPS before this one was the Garmin Nuvi 750. The 8100t was far superior to the Nuvi and I was pretty happy with the 8100t. If the price for the 8100t was around $400 I would have kept it.

OK so I brought this GPS 2/18 and I've now been using it for a month. I read a lot of mixed reviews before I decided to order it from Amazon. After using it for 4 weeks I have to say the 8100T does what it says it will and I have no real complaints. This is my first GPS but I've used a Garmin, a Nextar and a TomTom on trips. The Navigon is better than all three. (To be fair the Garmin was a much older model and I was in Puerto Rico.)
I won't repeat all the great features because you can read about them other places. I mainly want to comment on some of the things that others didn't like about the 8100.

1) I don't understand why people are saying it's slow or laggy. It does take a short amount of time to get a satelite signal at first but for me it wasn't more than 2 minutes which I didn't think was terrible long. Just eough time to start the car, put seat belt on, and back out of the drive way and get the the top of my block. Is that so bad?
2) Yes you have to actually press 2 buttons to view the map. Oh the horrors! But that's only if you don't put in a destination and just want to see the map. As soon and you enter your destination it will automatically pull up the map.
3) The menus might be a little different than other GPS's but I got used to it after a couple times using it.
4) The POI's weren't very good at first but after a free update there's nothing I haven't been able to find.

I live and work in New York City and I can't tell you how great the live traffic updates are. The main reason I went with the Navigon is because they are free for life. It's definately cut some time and guessing off my daily commute!

The very minor things I would like to see changed in an update are
a) It doesn't allow you search for a POI by name i.e. you can't direcftly search for Home Depot you have to either select a city first or do a nearby search, select a category (Shopping) then a subcategory (hardware stores) and then search the listed results for Home Depot. It's not so bad but you need to know what city your POI is in or hope there is one "nearby." I hate to be nitpicky but I can't see how difficult it would be to include that.
b) Though it didn't really bother me because I have a computer and internet, there is no manual or CD in the box so you NEED to download the manual from Navigon's website.
c) I have to say the 3-D panarama view isn't that useful to me, but then again it might be better outside of New York City.
d) Voice recognition only works for inputting your destination but not for anything else i.e menus etc. I would like to see that expanded on.

The bluetooth for cell phone works well and so does the voice destination inpout though I only used it once.

Overall I'd recommend this GPS if you are looking for one that has the features of the 8100T. I didn't need an MP3 player, video player, FM transmitter etc. but I wanted lice traffic updates and the cell phone blue tooth was a plus.

Is it the perfect GPS? Of course not but's close enough for me.

I have purchased 3 GPS's this month. Navigon 8100t; Garmin 765t, and Magellan Maestro 4370. The Navigon 8100t wins hands down. I had all 3 mounted in my car at same time to compare and here are the results:

Navigon 8100t routing was far superior to the Garmin as far as re-routing and accurate destination time. Garmin kept underestimating the time, Magellan kept overestimating the time and Navigon was almost spot on-give or take a minute or 2 because of stopped traffic light time.

The Reality View is beautiful on Navigon 8100t and showed up very frequently on highway driving. Garmin has not shown up for me yet. Navigon also displays the speed limit of current road and warns you if you are going over with visual & audio alerts (I set mine to alert me if I am over 5 mph the speed limit). You can adjust the limits to your needs. Garmin does show speed limits but not as accurate and no warning if you are speeding. Magellan is supposed to have it but no speed limits have ever shown up.

The spoken audio on Navigon is loud and clear (the loudest of the bunch) and pronounces the names very accurately. Garmin isn't bad but not as loud or clear. Magellan stutters a lot and the American accent is very strange.

The bluetooth on the Navigon isn't as good as the other two. And POI search on Navigon not as easy as the other two. And satellite fix on the Navigon is a little slower from a cold start-up

The Navigon actually routed me around a mall parking lot and knew how to get me out of the mall parking lot with great accuracy. The other two just say "please drive to highlighted route" before It will navigate you to your destination while in the same mall parking lot.

All 3 have pro's and cons. But having used all of them I will pick the Navigon 8100t for all around usage.

I spent quite some time looking to replace my three year old Mio Digiwalker. At one point I bought a Sony and the next week we had to evacuate to Houston because of hurricane Gustav. Houston is a great testing ground for a GPS. I quickly discovered that Sony makes excellent products, but GPS units are not in the lineup. Back it went and I continued to use my Mio until a trip to Dallas (another great proving ground) convinced me that I had outgrown my Mio. After revisiting all the GPS reviews I concluded that the Navigon 8100T with it's ginormous (don't you love that word) screen and 3D view was the one for me. I also liked the fact (panned by others) that it does not have an MP3 player or picture/video viewer. If you are looking for those features in a GPS, the 8100T is way, way out of class for you.

It arrives without a manual. This also was panned in reviews. I think the lack of a printed manual is for three reasons. One, the manual is downloadable, paper is trash once discarded and three, the thing is so trivial to use in it's elegance of GUI that you almost need to be completely Luddite not to be able to work it out of the box.

The unit is built like a brick--a smooth, sleek, stainless steel brick. As a Mac user, it feels and looks like something Apple would do. This is the unit Sony should have made. As I spent time playing with it back and forth from work, I decided to see what the "traffic function" looked like. This was another feature that sold me, not that it had traffic or that I would use it much, but the fact that it is free for life. Imagine my surprise when it listed traffic tie-ups and construction zones in Houston, 90 miles away!

My biggest hang-up is that the 8100T does not play well, or should I say directly, with a Mac. I called Navigon this morning for some guidance and got a live person almost immediately (try that with Garth, Tom or Maggie). That was when I found out that Navigon is a German company and their major client for built-ins is BMW. OKaaay, now I understand and now you see why I call the 8100T an über, über GPS.

I could not be happier with this unit. If you prefer a Vette or a Aston Martin over a Porsche, this GPS may not be right for you. If you love no nonsense German efficiency and quality, go for the Navigon.

-----
Update: be advised that Navigon has abandoned the North American GPS market. It is still a great unit, but support has gone out the window. As long as you have no problems you are fine.

I looked into a number of devices of different brands and this one is by far the best one out there. I love the 3D view and the voice entry. The screen is amazing. It is very clear and easy to read and follow, day or night.
I highly recommend it.

I had this product for a little over two weeks and during that time I had to do a soft reset 4 times. The first time the bluetooth stopped communicating with my cell phone. The second time I had to reset it to get satellite acquisition. The third time was to get the speaker to work. The straw that broke the camel's back was when it started speaking in German even though it was set to English. A soft reset was needed again. I gave up and returned it today. Too bad, I really wanted to like this product but navigon couldn't give me a satisfactory answer.