Garmin vs TomTom? It’s frankly a place many of us get to when we’re deciding which GPS to buy. You like TomTom’s features for the price, but you’re sort of blown away by Garmin’s great product line. You can decide which Garmin or which TomTom to get later. For now, to solve the conundrum of Garmin vs TomTom, let’s get an overview of each company’s product line. If you want more specifics, you can click on the links and be taken to product pages that have specific information for each model I talk about.

Ready to solve the Garmin vs TomTom issue?

Garmin vs TomTom: Garmin’s Product Line

Garmin used to have two lines of products, the StreetPilot and the newer nuvis. The StreetPilots are discontinued by the company, although you can still pick up a few new ones from online retailers like Amazon. I’m going to just focus on the nuvi line, because these will be the ones that Garmin supports in the future.

To understand the nuvi line, you basically have to understand Garmin’s numbering system. By that I mean, for the purposes of our Garmin vs TomTom article, we’re just going to talk about the actual numbered product line, instead of particular units. I’ll throw in my two cents about a few individual products, as I just said.

To begin with the Garmin nuvi line is broken up into their 2X5 series, 5oo series, 7X5 series, 1200′s, 1300′s, 1400′s, and their newest (coolest) series, the 3700. Also, currently Garmin is offering one unit in their 800 series, called the 855, and one in the 1600 series called the 1690.

Basically, you get more features and also have to pay more money the higher the series number. Although with the also newer 1200′s and 1300′s that’s not totally the case. So, let’s break down each series so you can start to compare Garmin vs TomTom.

Garmin vs TomTom: 2X5 series

The 2X5 series currently takes us from the entry level model, the nuvi 205 to the more sophisticated 275T, and the newest, ultra-cool nuvi 295. The nuvi 205, for instance, is just a basic GPS, 3.5-inch screen navigator with maps of the lower 48 United States. There’s actually a 205 and a 205W. The W means widescreen, or in the case of GPS’s a 4.3-inch screen. Get more information on the 205, here.

As you go up in number, the features increase. Most of the 2X5 series is the smaller, 3.5-inch screen. But, without spending a ton of money, you can get Bluetooth™ for hands free calling, text to speech (which means your GPS will actually tell you street names), and real time, FM traffic via either a subscription or with some few models, it comes complete with the price of the unit. The nuvi 265 is an example of a model that comes with lifetime traffic.

One of my favorite GPS’s in the 2X5 series is the newer Garmin nuvi 295W Wi-Fi GPS navigator. Built much like a cell phone and with loads of new technology, the 295W is a way cool GPS that you definitely need to put on your short list.

Garmin vs TomTom: 500 series

I’m sure you’ve heard of Geo-caching and the general craze about off road GPS’ing (if that’s a word). It’s kind of a pain in the neck to have too many GPS’s floating about, one for traveling, one for off road. The 500 series is Garmin’s attempt to solve this problem. Currently, there are two nuvis in the 500 series, both support topographic maps in addition to road maps. Is this as good as the kind of GPS you would take backpacking? Probably not. But for the weekend trekker wanna be, a nuvi 500 might easily be the ticket. You can find out more about the nuvi 500, here.

Garmin vs TomTom: 7X5 series

Okay, we’re back to “normal” GPS’s with the 7X5 series. Basically what the 7X5′s add over the 2X5′s is lots of newer, advanced features. Not only that, but they’re all widescreens. 4.3-inches on the diagonal. That’s a whopping 60% more viewing area over a 3.5-inch screen.

Among all the other features, the 7X5′s can do two things, which I really like. You get what’s called lane assist, which means the device will tell you actually which lane to get in when you’re going through interchanges and intersections of larger roads. That’s really worth it for longer trips. Also, your nuvi 7X5 can speak through your car’s stereo system. You don’t have to just hear it through it’s own speaker. Personally, I like that a lot. I think that makes the instructions easier to hear. Of course it has text to speech, or the ability to tell you which street to turn on by name. Some of the 7X5′s have Bluetooth. Some have lifetime traffic subscriptions, and come with the optional traffic receiver (the device that receives the traffic signal from the air waves).

Another great feature is the 3D building view. You can also access Panoramio and get user generated pictures of various places on your viewing screen. Is that absolutely necessary? No! Heck, you can go back to road maps! But frankly, it’s really cool. It’s a feature that I really like.

Find out more about the nuvi 7X5 series, here.

Garmin vs TomTom: 1200 1300 series

The next big grouping is the 1200 and 1300 series. I’m doing these in one section, because they’re basically the same, except the 1200′s have the 3.5-inch screens and the 1300′s have the widescreens.

The 1200 and 1300 series is a fairly new series, introduced only a year or so ago. This is Garmin’s attempt to upgrade their entry level models with new features. Instead of just putting all these new features into the 2X5 series, they just came up with a whole new look. For instance, the nuvi 1200 sells for about as much as the nuvi 205. But the 1200 has a few newer features. It’s got Garmin’s new pedestrian oriented map capability (you have to buy and download the city you want), and it’s got ecoRoute™, which is the ability to give you the most fuel efficient route. The case is redesigned. It’s basically thinner. Also, you get the user generated photo option I spoke about earlier. For more information about the 12oo’s check this out!

The 1300 series is the same as the 1200′s, but with the 4.3-inch widescreen.You can find out more about the 1300′s, here.

Garmin vs TomTom: 1400 series

If you like the features you get with the 1200 and 1300 series, but like the widescreen you get with the 1300′s, then the 1400 series might easily be for you. The big key to the 1400′s is that they have a really wide, 5-inch screen. The 1450 has some really great features like pedestrian maps and ecoRoute. The 1490 adds lifetime FM traffic and Bluetooth™. To find out more about the 1400 series, check out this page, here.

Garmin vs TomTom: 3700 series

Finally, we’ve arrived at Garmin’s top of the line, most technologically advanced GPS’s ever! The 3700′s!

You can find out more about the three models in the 3700 line, here.

For a quick run down, let’s just say the following. The 3700′s come in a new ultra-sleek, ultra-thin design. They sport Garmin’s nuRoute technology, which means basically that some degree of artificial intelligence has been added to them. For instance, any of the three can keep track of your most frequently taken daily routes. They can figure out where you’re probably going and automatically route you around any traffic issues. This would be perfect for someone with a longish commute, for instance. All three have glass instead of plastic display covers. This will make your device more easily readable and also will make it last longer. (Harder to scratch.) They come with a variety of other features like Bluetooth™, pedestrian navigation options, lifetime FM traffic, and neat features like “Where am I?”, or the capability of locating you quickly and also locating the nearest emergency services.

For prices and more information about the 3700′s, just click here.

Garmin vs TomTom: Conclusion about Garmin

Okay, we’re half way there. That’s a good basic run down of Garmin’s product line for after-market car GPS navigators. Now, let’s take a look at what TomTom has to offer, then we’ll do a little comparison to round out this Garmin vs TomTom buyer’s guide.

Garmin vs TomTom: TomTom’s Product Lines

Just like Garmin, TomTom has several overlapping product lines. I know it’s all very confusing, but just as I did with Garmin, I’m going to try to sort this out for you with TomTom.

To begin with, let me say that I’m writing this from a United States point of view. TomTom is a European company, and they have many models that focus on European countries. If you’re buying a GPS for European use, you might want to go with TomTom over Garmin, just for that reason. Right now, this website is focused on the US marketplace. (Later, I’ll expand it for other countries including links to Amazon and my other retailers in other countries.) So, just bear in mind that I’m talking from a US point of view. Okay, having said that…

For the US market, we see basically five models in TomTom’s car GPS line, the ONE, the EASE, the GO, the XL, and the XXL. Let’s take these in order.

Garmin vs TomTom: The TomTom ONE and the TomTom EASE

There are three ONE’s currently for sale in the US (at least through Amazon, which is my main retailer that I link to), the ONE 130, ONE 140, and the ONE 3rd Edition. All three of these are the smaller, 3.5-inch screens. The ONE’s would correspond roughly to Garmin’s 2X5 line. They’re somewhat older models; they do all the basic stuff, even with a few neat features like saying street names; and they’re priced somewhat less than $200. You can find out more about the TomTom ONE’s, here.

As opposed to the ONE’s, which are slightly older models, recently TomTom introduced the EASE. The EASE is a completely remodeled entry-level GPS navigator. It doesn’t have tons of features, but it’s got great maps, and what I really like a really simplified user interface. If you were buying a basic navigator for your mother or your technologically disinterested significant other, the EASE might be an excellent choice. You can find out more about the TomTom EASE, here.

Garmin vs TomTom: The TomTom GO

Two of my favorite TomTom GO’s are the 630 and the 730. Both have lots of features, like Bluetooth™.  The GO series as a whole is a little newer and slightly more expensive than the ONE’s. The main difference between the 630 and the 730 is the 730 has FM transmission capability. In other words, you can hear it through your car’s stereo system. That costs about $50 more, but again, it’s a feature that I personally like.

To learn more about the GO line, check this page out.

Garmin vs TomTom: XL and XXL’s

The XL’s and the XXL’s represent TomTom’s newest lines. The main difference between the XL and the XXL is the screen size. The XL’s have the “normal” widescreen. It’s 4.3-inches on the diagonal, while the XXL’s have an even larger 5-inch screen. Other than that one (albeit big) difference, both these lines come with all the bells and whistles you would expect in a GPS that costs between $100 and $200, Bluetooth™, TomTom’s IQ Routes technology, which actually uses average speeds on certain routes to calculate the route and times, MapShare technology, which lets you modify the maps in your device for various road conditions, and turn by turn voice instructions.

Click here to find out more about TomTom’s XL and XXL models.

Garmin vs TomTom: Which Should You Buy?

I guess this is what you’ve been waiting for. Me telling you which to buy. Unfortunately, I can’t do that. What I can do, however, is summarize what you’ve just read.

The way I see it, as far as Garmin vs TomTom, the GPS market place is divided into two sections–your average, everyday, workaday GPS, and the much more technologically advanced GPS’s with tons of new, cool features.

As far as the upper end of price and innovation, Garmin has it all over TomTom! Watching this over the past few years has been like watching a horse race. For a while TomTom was gaining ground, but now, Garmin is streaking ahead with innovative products like the 295W and the 3700 line. If you want the coolest, most technologically advanced GPS on the market, that’s Garmin. No questions about it.

At the lower end of the spectrum, however, it’s not so cut and dried. What a lot of users like about TomTom over Garmin is the fact that TomTom’s interface is a little easier to use. Now, that’s just anecdotal. There’s no way to measure this. But I read a lot of forums and comments on sites like Amazon about various devices and ease of use is certainly an issue. Of course, it doesn’t take that long to learn Garmin’s interface, so after a few weeks that might not be an issue, either.

You won’t go wrong buying either one. But frankly, right now, I think Garmin has TomTom beat.

One more thing: this is all my opinion. I don’t receive money from either Garmin or TomTom to write reviews. I do receive money when you click through one of my links and buy a product through Amazon. But that’s a third party and doesn’t sway my opinion. You can read more about this on my Privacy Policy page at the top, if you’re interested. Just know that I’m giving you my opinion. Think of me like a trusted friend. I’ll just tell you what I think. You buy what you want.

I hope this Garmin vs TomTom review has helped you. If so, leave a comment. If I’ve left anything out, or you would like to know more about something, likewise let me know.