posted: Apr. 17, 2008 @ 12:19p
My impression after living with a Garmin C320 for 2-3 years and 4 months with the TomTom LE:
If you don't mind hacking the unit, it is possible to get TTS on the 3rd ed TomTom1, however, you'll only be able to get regional maps (as oppose to all of North America) This is due to the limited storage and no SD card slot. However, I found the text-to-speach only marginally useful (personal preference I guess). It is also buggy and slow. (With long street names and me driving fast, I will miss the turn by the time TomTom say it...)
The battery life of the TomTom is horrible compare to the C320. I get over 3 hours with the Garmin, while the TomTom is just over 1 hour(I have the extra SD card and maximum detail, plus the TTS hack, so maybe thats the problem?) Also, I find that even if I don't use it (turned off), the battery appear to drain..
Both the C320 and the TomTom take about the same amount of time to lock onto a signal...
While there are many many more interesting options and features in the TomTom, the map/nagivation is simply not very good. I travel a lot, and found the Garmin to be excellent. (I've visited most of the states/provinces and many big cities using the Garmin). With the TomTom, I can't find an address on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago(It appears that Michigan starts at 1000 in Chicago!)Also, many local cities with 2 words are not searchable on my TomTom. Example: I can't seem to find Madison Heights in the list of Michigan cities, but were eventually able to find my destination using a more general search. The user friendliness and simplity of the Garmin is also much better...
I will be looking for a NUVI and once I get a deal, I'll be getting rid of my TomTom...