TomTom GO 920

Pros: Very solid GPS unit, well designed, great feature set.

Cons: Quirky computer sync software, European TMC traffic antenna not included and must be purchased separately.

Summary: I did my research on a new GPS after my Navigon 5000 died in less than 6 months from purchase. My requirements were simple;

1. A good GPS unit.
2. User friendly interface with aesthetically pleasing design, maps and interface.
3. US and Europe maps because I am in the Air Force stationed in Germany and travel frequently back to the states.
4. TMC-RDS traffic capability which is free and robust throughout Europe
5. European speed camera POI database

Homework. My research to include user ratings narrowed my choice down to two units; the TomTom GO 920T and the Garmin Nuvi 660. The main reason I went with the TomTom GO 920T besides getting it on sale for over $200 off tomtom’s MSRP were its features and design that met more of my requirements. I have had my TomTom GO 920T for 2 days now and am overall very happy with my purchase but I wanted provide some good-bad data points for you to consider prior to purchasing yours.

Good. The TomTom GO 920T is an awesome looking unit that is well constructed. The window mount (compared to my Navigon 5000) is very simple, sturdy, stylish, and small, it secures the GPS unit with very well and with ease. The software provided, exceeded my expectations (again in comparison to my Navigon), it allows you to update your maps, POI database, software, download voices and choose your GPS user preferences like your home location, but it’s operation is somewhat glitchy (see bad in the next para.). The desktop cradle is very good quality and allows easing charging/syncing with my computer and the internet. The TMC-RDS is awesome here in Europe and a must have once you get the right antenna (see bad para.) The GPS sync took about 3 minutes the first time turned it on but only takes 30-45 seconds on average for subsequent startups. The user preference menu is awesome and very extensive allowing you to set up the quick reference menu and bottom menu bar how you want them to look and feel. When you press the GPS strength bar it displays the battery meter, number and strength of satellites signals receiving and lat/long coordinates that you can display in mins/secs and decimal format. The “help me” icon is truly amazing, it displays verbatim “I am on xxxxx street between xxxxx street and xxxxx boulevard”; awesome when you might be in shock from an accident and need to phone this info in. It also offers a few other sub-menu icons like walk to or drive to the closest hospital, public tranpo, police station, auto repair, gas station, vet, etc. The enhanced positioning Technology is awesome, this allows your GPS unit to keep your position moving down the road and voice upcoming turns even when you don’t have a GPS signal, like in a tunnel. You normally only find this feature in GPS units that are built into the car.

Bad. When I put the TomTom GO 920T to the test for the first time, everything worked great except the TMC-RDS feature. I plugged in the antennal that came in the box and a message came up on the GPS screen stating “the TMC antenna was not compatible with the map selected”. Like I stated earlier, I am stationed in Germany so the Europe map was being displayed. So I called the TomTom 1-866 number and explained the problem. They said that because I purchased the unit from a US vendor, the system comes with a US TMC antenna that works on a different frequency than the one in Europe. They said that if I wanted TMC-RDS traffic updates in Europe, I would have to purchase a European capable antenna. So for an additional $60, I now have both antennas. Buyers Beware – there are 2 separate antennas and you will have to purchase the other one you don’t have if you travel between continents. The European antenna costs about half the price of the US one. So if you want both, I would recommend buying the 920T US version. I highlighted to TomTom customer support that I felt this was misleading and false advertising because nowhere is it stated anywhere on the TomTom website, the box or literature provided with the unit does it state that there is a US frequency antenna and a Europe frequency antenna. They didn’t seem to really care and said I could purchase the European antenna if I wanted TMC-RDS in Germany. Bad customer relations if you ask me.

Like I stated in the good paragraph, the software that I loaded on my computer had quite a few glitches the first time I used it. When syncing it with my TomTom, I received multiple error codes but most were actually solved by selecting the back key and letting the software restart. Somewhat annoying considering the price of this unit but still workable. Other bads; no case, I purchased a third party case, a Covertec Universal GPS Nylon and Neoprene case for GPS with 4.3" LCD - Size 3" for $19.99, it’s a great, high quality case that doesn’t appear to have the same “zipper problems” user reviews highlighted a flaw in the TomTom case.

Other/Summary. There a lot of gadgets on this device that I will probably never use, like the remote (I mean come on people the thing is within arm reach), picture viewer, MP3 player. I will probably try out the FM transmitter and Bluetooth phone sync eventually but it’s not why I bought this GPS. I bought it because it is truly the best GPS device that had all the features I wanted and then some. So in conclusion, I highly recommend the TomTom GO 920T, I am more than satisfied and my wife loves its ease of use.