TomTom GO 930 vs. Garmin Nuvi 880

• The Contenders
• Design
• User interface/navigation
• Features
• Route guidance
• Performance
• The winner is...

Round 4: Route guidance

Which way do I go?

TomTom GO 930 GPS

The real test of a GPS is whether it can accurately get you to your destination, and whether it can get you back on track quickly if you miss a turn. In this round, we check out key features, such as route calculation, accuracy, and text and voice guidance.

Player	Wayne	Antuan	Bonnie	Total
TomTom GO 930 GPS	4 Both units offer typical graphics for guidance on upcoming turns, and route calculation seemed about equivalent. Each also does text-to-speech, reading out the names of upcoming streets.	4 Advanced lane guidance shows a 3D view of highway intersections to help navigate complex interchanges. IQ Routes supposedly takes traffic patterns into account when choosing a route, but didn't seem to choose faster trips than those chosen by the Garmin.	4.5 The two GPS units gave me similar direction, and the text- and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions were clear on both. There were some slight differences in the visual maps, but I didn't have a preference either way. I do give the GO 930 the half-point advantage for its advanced lane guidance and 3D renderings of complex intersections, though.	12.5
Garmin Nuvi 880	4 The Nuvi 880 gave earlier warnings for upcoming turns than the 930, but the TomTom showed more detailed trip information. These units score equally here.	4 The routes chosen by the Garmin are typically faster than the TomTom's. This is probably due to the fact that the Garmin's traffic data was actually working.	4 See comment above.	12

Winner: TomTom GO 930