TomTom One vs Toyota Nav System

by JamesB
(Raleigh, NC USA)

We bought a TomTom One for my wife's car early in 2007. TomTom updates their maps at least a couple of times a month and have given us 2 major software upgrades within a year--all of this for free.

TomTom is easy to use and very reliable. Where we have wanted additional Points of Interest (POIs), we have been able to either download them from the internet or load them in ourselves. For instance, we now have all the Kroger stores in the US loaded into our unit.

In a nutshell, we have not really had any problems with TomTom and have been delighted with it. It is ideal for us because we are the kind of people who can get lost going to the mailbox.

In November 2007, we bought a 2005 Toyota Prius that has a built in NAV system. I had always been told that the built in NAV systems were far superior to over the counter ones. Man, nothing could be farther from the truth!

We took a trip over Thanksgiving with the Prius and put the NAV system to the test. The fastest most logical way to go from Asheville NC to Raleigh NC is Interstate 40--it is a straight shot. The Toyota system sent us to Spartanburg SC to pick up I-85 instead--a difference of 60 miles.

Then when driving from Charlotte NC to Greensboro NC on I-85, suddenly I-85 disappeared from the screen. All of the other roads were still on the screen, the NAV system was frantically telling us to turn onto every road we crossed.

Finally, at the juncture of I-85 and I-40, the NAV system recognized I-40 and started functioning again.

The Toyota dealer suggested we upgrade to the latest map DVD for $250.00.

Okay, so Toyota updates their maps once a year for $250.00 and TomTom ONE costs $299.00 and updates a couple of times every month for free. What makes most sense to you?