Hi, i'm a halfords fitter. Couldnt help but overlook ur query.
Its a difficult choice between the tom tom's & Garmin's.
They both have there benefits and both have there units that match eachothers specs.
If u wanted say...a basic unit to get u around UK, then u have the TOM TOM ONE GB which currently retails at £119.99. This offers full UK mapping & Ireland. Comes complete with TOM TOM HOME disc software for computer sync although u can download TOM TOM HOME for free off the net.
Being the new version 3 models, they all run off hard drive, so no need for the old card slot. Only thing i haven't cleared up is whether or not they have suplied the same hard drive capacities as those of the Europe models which retail at £159.99. If so, then it will allow u enough storage on a UK model to upgrade to Europe maps after should you want to. If not, then its down to you if you think u could benefit from the European mapping also.
In each case you have the upgrade to wider screen versions. being the TOM TOM ONE XL GB & EUROPE alternative. offers you the same spec as those of the ones mentioned above only with a wider screen retailing at £149.99 & £179.99.
GARMIN have there rival units of garmin 200 and 250 models being the new slim UK & Europe basic models complete with safety camera databases and traditional card slot for upgrading and for use with picture viewer provided you have images on your SD card (not supplied)
GARMIN also have there widescreen alternatives. the 200W and the 250W..offering same as basic units only with wider screen also with camera database. offers for these units have varied. at xmas we had the garmin 200 at £99 and the TOM TOM ONE at £119 but now the TOM TOM is on ofer for that price but the GARMIN is now starting from £129. None of the basic Garmin units offer a traffic alternative nor bluetooth but have there own unique mapping system which a lot of buyers prefer over tom tom. (see our website for an update on prices)oddly enuf, these basic garmins do NOT come with a USB cable, they dont need to be updated as much but it is a generic USB cable that you can buy from anywhere pretty much.
All four of the TOM TOM ONE units then also have there TMC upgrades (traffic modulators) which have an output for the supplied traffic antenna to help for areas of high congestion where it can alert you of accidents etc...via radio signal and allow for u to decie whether you want the tom tom to re-route u around it rather than through it unless of course there is know alternative route.
Prices for them start at £159 for the Tom Tom ONE GB V3 and then £189 for the Europe model, then £199 & £229 for the XL wide screen alternatives with traffic. ALL ONE models offer speed camera database pre-installed.
Further up the range u have the 520, 720 & 920 units. all of which have the wider screens similar to those of the the XL units only they each offer more functions. all of them offer the bluetooth handsfree calling to sync with your mobile phone whereas none of the ONE units offer this.
All 520, 720 & 920 units also offer speech recogniton systems so you can use voice command to enter addresses rather than punching them in by hand. They all also have on board hard drives. On board MP3 players. and the on board useful FM Modulator to sync to your car radio to broadcast the audio output from the tom tom through your car speakers.
Also have and interface for Ipods but you need to buy the accessory lead.
All also have on board safety camera information.
The 720 model does all the same as the 520 only it gives you the Europe mapping too.
920 also does all of the above but comes complete with US & canada mapping too and also a traffic modulator. Prices start from £199 for the 520 model or £229 for its traffic version to £349 for the 920 traffic model.920 also comes with a bluetooth remote control & lifetime traffic alerts.
ALL of the TOM TOM range allows to use fun voices of replica celebrity voices to guide you through your journeys once installed onto unit.AND if you want to, you can RE-DUB the voice intructions in place with your own voice by recording in place your own via the microphone. another fun but not important feature but maybe important for those that dont understand the languages on there already of which are a vast selection.
£189 buys u a slim but older model garmin NUVI 350T model which has included traffic modulator but this is subject to those stores taht still keep them.
The wide but older model Garmin 660FM was perhaps the first of the units to come with FM transmitters to sync through ur car and matches the majority of the specs from tom tom's 520 to 920 units. this is goin for £249. also has bluetooth handsfree calling
latest garmin spec yet to come out is the GARMIN 760 which matches the 920 tom tom without sum minor features not important and is the NEW SLIM design.this will start from £349 also.
so thats the low down on them. has this helped or did u know all this already??
we have an equal amount of sales of either brand.
to wire these in without the use of the car cigi lighter is simple, we take an alternative power supply, being back of head unit or cigi lighter depending on whether u prefer ignition power only or constant and then a small wire seeking from out the dashboard enough to plug into your unit being the end of your sat nav power cable. theres a secondary female cigi lighter socket with a 3amp inline fuse that sits behind the dashboard of which your existing power cable for the satnav then plugs into. so in essence, you will stil be using the power cable that is supplied with the satnav, only it is plugged in elsewhere leaving your original car plug free for other uses.
Hope this helps...sorta went on a bit about it..lol.
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