Customer Reviews

Navigon 5100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(55)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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?

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.

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.

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).

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.