Navigon 5100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech and Lifetime Traffic

Reviews

1. RECONDITIONED GPS

   by Andrea P. Macneill

   THE NAVIGON 5100 WAS A RECONDITIONED UNIT. WHEN RECEIVED, AFTER CHARGING, WORKED FOR A FEW HOURS JUST GREAT & WE LOVED IT. BUT, UPON A FOUR HOUR TRIP FROM MA. TO NY, IT STOPPED WORKING AS WE GOT INTO NY. THAT WAS PRETTY UPSETTING OF COURSE, AS WE DON’T KNOW NY. ON THE TRIP HOME, IT FROZE AGAIN. WE SHIPPED IT BACK AND WERE REIMBURSED TOTALLY. THE COMPANY WAS GREAT ABOUT THAT.
   
   WE TRULY FEEL THAT BUYING A RECONDITIONED UNIT WAS NOT THE WAY TO GO. BUY NEW INSTEAD. WE HAVE ANOTHER GPS, SO KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING…BUT, IF THIS WAS THE FIRST TRY, WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY ANGRY. WE WERE PLEASED THAT THE CO. WE PURCHASED IT FROM THRU AMAZON, & AMAZON ITSELF, BACKED US UP 100% ON THE RETURN. WE WILL BUY ANOTHER GPS SHORTLY. THEY ARE A GREAT TOOL AS WE ARE SERVICE PEOPLE & NEED IT FOR FINDING HOUSES.

2. Great GPS

   by Alabama Teacher

   Ordered this GPS for my husband for Valentine’s Day! We had one like it when we lived in Germany and loved that one and this one is the same! Navigon is GREAT! This seller provided extremely fast shipping and very courteous service! Thanks so much!

3. Navigon 5100 two years later.

   by M. J. Manguera

   Two years later, the Navigon 5100 still runs. I travel nearly 45 miles, one way, to get to work and traffic is an issue in the San Francisco Bay Area both in the morning and evening commutes. The device does a decent job of finding alternate routes to avoid traffic jams and to keep you moving along to reach your destination. The device makes you feel confident you will find your hotel during a evening drive to destinations like Monterey, CA, Fort Bragg, CA, or even Anaheim, CA.

   After getting used to the interface, and many of the device’s functions, you can just set a destination and go.

   Nothing major, but, on few occassions, the Navigon 5100 will seem to not power up after leaving it shut down overnight. Just gently hold its power button down for over 10 to 15 seconds, and the system will start. The Navigon’s window stand where you attach the Navigon device can become loose over time. You can pop out the platic cover plate, and use an allen wrench to tighten the screw. The suction cup on the other end of the stand still works, and keeps the Navigon secure at an eye-level of your choice.

   Have not had a need to pay for fresh maps from the Navigon site, yet.

4. love the navigon

   by Nakkea Mulkey

   I ordered the navigon about a year ago and decide to buy another for my boyfriend. We both love it easy to use very detailed and shows traffic and maps. We would tell people this is the one.

5. Navigation Elation

   by TruPleasure

   I purchased a Navigon unit for myself and absolutely loved it. I found it to be much more accurate than Mapquest and since you receive voice instructions in addition to a realtime map it is extremely easy to follow the directions. My sister asked to borrow my unit because she was traveling out of state and wanted to try it out. She said she had always wanted a navigation unit because of the frequent travel she does in her car, but her husband was extrememly skeptical about their accuracy. My sister fell in love with my Navigon and borrowed it several times. Finally, on a trip with her husband, he was able to see the unit in action and counldn’t believe that the Navigon was so accurate right down to the landmarks and restaurants it point out. They loved it so much that I bought them this one for Christmas (so I could get mine back). I appreciate the updates that keep the unit timely and even in rather rural areas the Navigon has gotten me to the door every time. It’s a great navigation system as well as phenomenal source of information for Zagat rates hotels, restuarants and area attractions.

6. Not a great one

   by V. Kanamatareddy

   I have been using Navigon 5100 for the last 6 months. I am not really satisfied with this due to following issues.
   
   1)Searching for points of interests is a complex task. I dont find the required POIs that I look for
   
   2)User interface is not really great. Touch screen does not respond few times.
   
   3)Route calculation and recalculation is not faster. It takes few seconds before it shows the route. I end up waiting for it.

   However, the only thing that I liked is the lane assistance. I have used Mio C230, Garmin NUVI in the past. I feel they are far better than this Navigon unit. Mio C230 is really good in POIs and route recalculation.

7. Navigon is great

   by K. Ferrill

   The Navigon 5100 is the perfect GPS for my family. I have had one for 2 years and love it, and I just got one for my parents for Christmas. There are tons of points of interest already loaded which is great for finding new places while driving around. When difficult intersections or roads are encountered, the Navigon not only tells you what you should do, but also shows you which lane to be in with a picture. The ease of entering addresses and searching for places is great. I also like that I can switch the view from portrait to landscape to be able to see a wider or longer view of the area. The battery does not hold a charge for more than an hour at full brightness, but if you use it in a car, you just plug it in the lighter. There is a feature that allows you to save your current location which is great for parking downtown and shopping, then finding the shortest route back to your car because the GPS can give walking or driving directions. The Navigon does like to read certain abreviations which can make you laugh when you are told to go to the “A-T-L” airport instead of Atlanta or A.T.L. airport.

8. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!

   by S. tarapchak

   …… if you need ANY kind of support for this product, do not even think that you will speak to a human being. they want you to go to their website and “someone will get back to you within 48 hours!” FORTYEIGHT HOURS?
   
   i am so upset with navigon that i will tell EVERYONE that I know NOT to even think about purchasing one of their products!

   I tried to update my GPS and what happened was it erased my memory card to download the new update and then when trying to update I KEEP getting the error message that there is not enough space for the new data!

   BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!

9. NaviGONE

   by Jonathan Birge

   I bought my Navigon a little over a year ago. Its performance has been mixed, in line with much of the reviews here. However, I can now unequivocally state that you should NOT buy this product. Navigon has abruptly left the North American market, leaving customers, even those who purchased a device and map updates within the year, almost completely without support. If you buy one of these, you’re buying a dead device with no hope of updates.

10. Overall good

    by Z. Huang

    So far so good. Loud voice direction and prompt turning and close to target indication. But like my previous one, it has to direct you to unwanted route and turns as it set to be. The way to start catching signal is not FAST, takes around 3-5 minutes, meaning it just STALLED.
    
    It takes about 45 seconds to turn off the thing if you don’t want to waste the battery.

11. Died after 6 months

    by N. Warren

    This unit worked fine – my new TomTom 1 (the cheapest) is easier to use but lacks the traffic and text-to-speech – until it broke. I had been using it for 6 months, placed it on the floor, and it never turned on again. Thinking it may just be a defective model, I have refrained from writing a review until I gave Navigon the opportunity to fix the problem. They have failed miserably to correct the failure, essentially passing off my contact information and then never responding.
    
    If you only need a GPS for 6 months, and you get this on the cheap, go for it. Otherwise, try something else.

12. Returned

    by Lee Ann Zook

    It was missing the card and the instruction video did not work. I returned it.

13. Navigon

    by T

    Too slow to initiate. Too complicate to search quickly. Not user friendly. Looks good though with nice screen size

14. Great GPS

    by Kernunnos13

    This is my first GPS, and the main reason why I got it was the included Traffic. Just about any other GPS around this price required you to by an additional Traffic receiver. The traffic updates work fantasticaly, as well as the POI’s.

    The size is perfect that I can slip it into my pocket when I leave the car. I fortunatly have a compartment on my dashboard that this fits into very nicely. The Navigon 5100 also comes with one of the most stable windshield attachments I have ever seen. I would think that it would not work that well in smaller cars. The 5100 rotates onto it, so it has a very strong attachment, and the entire arm held tight on the window thru some very bumpy traffice. But, I did not want to advertise to anybody that I had a GPS, so I took it off soon after.

    It did not come with a home charger, just the USB wire to connect to the computer. I have enough UBS chargers at home, and found the charger for my phone works well for the 5100.

    If you get this, go to the Navigon website, and download their tool. It is very usefull for updating, as well as backing things up.

    The one thing I am disappointed in is that Navigon is technically getting out of the US market, and only working on apps for the IPhone. They are huge in Europe, and the maps there are getting updated all of the time. There are US updates on their European website that you can purchase. Still do not have the need to update the maps as of yet.

    Overall, I love my new toy!

15. No support

    by Allan Steckenberg

    As a satisfied owner of a Navigon 2100 for about 18 months (recently stolen from my car), I was looking forward to a good experience with the 5100. I worked great out of the box, except that even after making all the adjustments I could not get the volume level up high enough so that I could hear the verbal instructions clearly at highway speeds. I called the support number prominently displayed on the packaging only to get a recorded message informing me that all “support” was now being handled through the web site. I obediently went to the web site and sent them an email describing my problem. After a week of no response, I returned the 5100 (actually purchased through Tiger Direct), and purchased a TomTom 130-S at the local Best Buy. I am very happy with the TomTom, and still have not heard from Navigon.

16. Horrible!!

    by SuperShopper

    This GPS is horrible. The GPS told me to make a U-turn in the middle of the highway. It also takes it forever to get good reception. On top of all this Navigon customer support sucks. You can only receive support through email. This is alright if you have technical questions, however if you need the GPS or a part replaced Navigon will reply they cannot do this. Because they do not have the resources to know the inventory in North America. My mount broke and it has been less then a year since I bought the GPS. Navigon said they could not replace the part because they did not know the inventory in North America. So, I asked them how was i supposed to have the part fixed and they ignored my support request. Do not buy from this company!!

17. They should now be called NaviGONE.

    by L. Wheeler

    I bought my Navigon GPS (7200T) because it had the most features for the lowest price. That still holds true. Very nice unit- attractive and works well, too. Recently, I wanted to update the maps, but there was no Freshmaps Activation card in the box from Amazon. You need the code on that card to get updates. So, I emailed Navigon support for assistance. They sent the following:

    ‘Thank you for your inquiry. Accessories, map material and content are not available in North America through NAVIGON. Unfortunately we don’t have information concerning the availability of these products at other major retail shops.’

    As has been noted in the posted comments, and which I discovered too late, Navigon is pulling out of the North America market. Beware of this major change, and buy accordingly. They should now be called NaviGONE.

18. Good quality, well made GPS Nav.

    by Brian J. Ballard

    Yes the Germans did it again. This is a well made product that dose just what it suppose to, navigate. I have both the Tom-Tom one XL and this Navigon 5100. The Navigon is a better straight up navigator then the tom-tom. The tom-tom’s interactive software is better and easier to use. I keep the Navigon in my truck and the tom-tom in my wife car. It’s easier for her to operate. Also the life time traffic is handy. I use it going home from work to see where the traffic is. It saved me from some road rage here and there. So if you can operate a TV remote and you’re a no nonsense kind of person you’ll probably prefer the Navigon also.

19. review after 1.5 years of ownership

    by U. Lall

    feature rich but quirky and unreliable device.
    
    I have not used the device much over the last year (purchased Dec 2007 Xmas. This is partly due to the limited amount of travel during this period and partly due to the unit not functioning. I liked the Navigon 5100 as far as features went and faithfully applied the firmware and software upgrades. I am technically savvy.
    
    Within the 1st 5 uses the windshield holder broke and Navigon replaced it. Soon after this, the on/off switch stopped working and Navigon replaced it. In each case, I had to pay for shipping.
    
    Each replacement took about 4 weeks round trip.
    
    Then, the replacement unit would not come on. Still under warranty and was asked to ship the Navigon back. Due to my commitments this took a while. Replacement unit came and on the 2nd use it is dead. The on/off switch seems to be kaput.
    
    So in summary, despite its quirky routing and other software problems I like the device but it is simply not made to make it even for light use.
    
    The shipping cost for each replacement adds up quickly and now I am out of warranty. Cannot recommend the Navigon brand based on the experience.

20. Excellent for the price.

    by Harmless Gryphon

    Edit May 2010:

    The maps in my 5100 are becoming rather long in the tooth, and it’s starting to approach worthless. There are numerous roads and changes in the area I drive (IL/IN/OH/PA/WV/KY) that are not marked on the maps, and areas where the roads are undergoing wholesale changes (PA is renumbering exits on interstates) are contributing to this device rapidly approaching repurposing.

    While it was a good unit for the time, stay away from it now. It’s simply too old and un-upgradable.

    Main review:

    Note that Navigon no longer services the North American market. Be careful buying any Navigon units, as you cannot get map updates, and you will be stuck with mid-2009 maps (at best!) At worst, you will have late 2008 maps for this particular unit, which is as good as useless. On the bright side, this is nothing more than a 400Mhz WinCE computer, so other things can be done with it…

    If I had to sum this unit up in a single sentance, I’d call it “Set it and forget it.” That’s not to say this thing will solve all your ills, but that you set it up before you leave and let it go.

    It has a nice mount packed with the device, as well as an antenna for the traffic.

    That said, this is not a device you’re going to be messing with while you drive. It does it’s basic function pretty well. It will map out a route to your destination. It will (mostly) route you around traffic problems. And that’s it.

    My good/bad list for this device:

    Good:

    Perfoms basic GPS mapping functions.
    
    Routing is generally of good quality.
    
    Display is clear, of good contrast, and generally easy to read.
    
    Lots of settings to play with.

    Annoying:

    Sometimes changes from direction of travel to always north mode when you turn it on.
    
    Antenna for the traffic function has to be strung out on the windshield.
    
    Sometimes requires a long button press to turn on.
    
    Doesn’t seem to understand speed limits that don’t end in 5.
    
    Doesn’t seem to understand local lane/ramp/entrance/exit restrictions.
    
    Interface is s-l-o-w, and buttons are small.
    
    Routing sometimes is wierd.
    
    Destinations are not exact.
    
    POIs are useless, confusing, and overwhelming on the display. Turn them off.
    
    Mount gets loose and requires the face to be popped off to tighten the allen head screw that tensions the swivel. I leave the face off.

    Bad:

    Text-to-speech is useless:
    
    The volume is too low to hear at highway speeds.
    
    The voice is of poor quality.
    
    Can’t understand it when multiple consecutive turns are needed.
    
    Maps are sometimes wrong/incorrect/incomplete (This is Navteq’s fault.)
    
    Sometimes takes you to a place where your destination isn’t. (Navteq’s fault)
    
    Not something you’re going to mess with while moving.

    I think most of the stuff is self explanatory, but a few notes:

    The traffic service is only as good as the local provider. This is a service that is broadcast over the FM band (thus the antenna.) So, if your local traffic reporters aren’t up to snuff, then you won’t get good data on this device. The “lifetime” traffic essentially just enables the device, as there isn’t any subscription you can buy. Any issues with not getting routed around jams is purely the traffic service’s fault, and not the GPS.

    Navteq’s maps have some problems. As an example, a recent trip to Wheeling, IL (suburb of Chicago,) I used this device to find my hotel. It got me to the general area. When I exited the freeway, it told me to turn South, when I knew my hotel was to the North. Later on, when I had time, I set it to go to the “destination” again, and found it pointed me to the middle of a river. This is entirely the map’s fault, as almost everyone else that arrived at the hotel via GPS had the same problem. The trip home proved equally interesting, as I used roads that were not on the GPS’ maps. It was interesting watching it tell me I was in a field. And yes, this was a fresh map.

    Speed limits: Anytime there is a 30, 40, 50, 60, or 70MPH limit, this doesn’t seem to be able to give you the speed warnings. Not sure why.

    Lane restrictions: The city I live in has certain lanes you are not allowed to access from the main road (even though you can.) This is primarily because the lane has heavy traffic from a ramp or would require you to cross many lanes to get to it. However, the Navigon will still tell you to use it, if it’s on your route. Use good judgement here.

    So, I guess as someone that gets things ready before I leave, this is great. I stick it on my windshield and it does what I need. I use local wi-fi to find places to go, and generally try to know my route before I get there. It’s inexpensive, has traffic, and is pretty easy (but slow) to use.

    If you’re someone that wants to use this thing blindly, or wants something to fiddle with on the drive, don’t get it. Look elsewhere.

    But the best advice with this (or any GPS) – Know where you are going before you leave. You’ll have less problems that way.