Motorola Motonav TN555 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I really wanted to like this product, but it didn't stand up to side by side comparison with my 2 year old Nuvi 750 (see my review on the nuvi here http://www.amazon.com/review/R3BLFWG7PQZ883/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm )
Here are some my gripes about the Motonav:
-mine arrived used or at least covered with oily fingerprints, but it was via Amazon Vine so I didn't sweat it.
-usb cable is difficult to plug into motonav, as a result the delicate internal pin is already bent in mine
-updating the software took aver two hours and motonav spent quite a bit of those two hours locked in and endless cycle of error messages and powering on and off. I had to manually reset motonav several times just to continue downloading the updates. As an aside, it appears to be using a Windows based operating system.
-can not zoom out to view large map of routes. Full route only viewable via micromap which does not show street names and is not zoomable. Being a highly visual person, this is important to me. I don't care to see the street by street written route. I want to see the map and be able to quickly navigate to parts of the route to zoom in on the details. I drive all over South FLorida and I need to see where the GPS is taking me before I go there (some areas are just not safe).
-motonav has voice command options, but I found them to be mostly ineffective, even when speaking slowly and loudly
-there is only one voice option (snobby female) that works with all functions of the motonav. If you switch to a male voice, you end up with different voices for different features, some male and some female. The nuvi has a few dozen voices to choose from and the voice you choose works with every function.
-route retrieval was sluggish/slower on the new motonav as compared to my two yr old garmin nuvi.
-it is fairly difficult to hold this device without pushing buttons mounted on the sides and top.
-screen is not easy to see when hit with direct sunlight as compared to my garmin nuvi. I was not able to find any settings to increase contrast on the motonav
-only comes with one map update which must be completed within 6 months of activation. Free lifetime maps should be standard by now.
Things I did like about the Motonav!
-fewer screen touches to get to most functions and searches as compared to Nuvi
-more detail in the maps (parking lots mapped out in addition to streets)
-sleek appearance
-syncs with blutooth compatible phone to give you access to your address book (if you want to initiate calls via your gps)AND uses your phone to give you live traffic
-automatically routes around traffic problems if you so choose
For me, the good points don't compensate for the not so good ones. Check out my video to see the Nuvi and Motonav in action side by side.
Let me know if this was helpful, please vote. :-)

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TomTom GO 300 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

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(More customer reviews)I had been using an older Garmin GPS in my car for some time. It wasn't a street pilot, it was a Garmin III. I bought the TomTom Go 300 and can't believe how good it is.
The TTG 300 includes everything you need: Detailed maps of the USA on the 1 GB SD card with those maps and additional maps on CDs. It has mounting hardware, power cords, etc. but you probably know all that.
I am impressed with how well it picks up the satellite signals. My Garmin would never pick up a signal inside the house, and it would often not find one on a cloudy day. The TTG works fine in both cases.
The voice is clear and loud (adjustable) and you can have it give you a new instruction at any time. It will navigate to an address, a nearby "point of interest" (bank, airport, park, hotel...). And it will find alternate routes if you hit a roadblock or just don't like the suggested route. You can tell it to build routes that are fastest, shortest, for biking or walking. You can avoid tolls or not. I really like the choices.
I think the screen is easy to see and the screen updates are plenty fast.
So far the map data has been fairly accurate. Around my home town I notice that some roads that are 3 years old are missing, but I would expect that. The TTG will show you on the road even if the map data is a little off. In other words, it will snap your position to the map road even if you drive off it a little. But if you go far enough off a road, it will show you exactly where you are (in the middle of field or whatever).
The menus are very easy to use. Much easier than I expected. You use the touchscreen to pick a city, street, address, and you're off. It does have the 3-D view of the map which is similar to the view out your window, but I still prefer the typical 2-D map view. You can see more streets that way.
The point of interest database has lots of places. I don't know the exact number of categories but I would estimate there are at least 25 categories (banks, airports, rental cars, amusement parks, gas, theaters, courthouses, police, hospitals, doctors, dentists, border crossings, zoos, etc.) And you can create your own categories and add places. I did not find a list of ATM's, however, and this would have been useful.
You can also view the satellite signal strength, battery life, and actual Lat/Long. I wish you could enter a Lat/Long as a destination, but alas, you cannot.
As other people have said, it is very difficult to see in bright sun. At times, I have to reposition it to reduce glare, but this inconvenience would not stop me from buying it again.
I have not used the bluetooth feature and can't really see myself paying for the subscription feature.
Overall, it is a Very Powerful navigator. It comes on when I start the car and goes off when the car stops (because the cigarette lighter goes off). It is very easy to use and very easy to follow. I actually want to take more trips now just to let the TTG figure out the best way to get there. And now my friends all want one. I see Garmin now has a similar model, which I haven't tried. But I would still buy the TTG again if I was shopping for one.
Update 4 months later...
I still like the unit and its functions, but as others have said, the map data and routing is disappointing at times. It always got me where I wanted, but half the time it seemed to take me the longer way. It seems to be reluctant to put me on a freeway for short trips, even when it is faster. And I haven't really compared this to another brand, except for the system in the the Audi A4, which does seem to do a better job: Even knowing what side of the street your destination is on. But that is not an after-market system. So if I was shopping for an after-market system today, I would most likely still buy the Tom Tom for the features, but I would take a close look at the routes is suggests while driving.


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TomTom’s products use small global positioning system (GPS) receivers to fix a device’s location to within a meter anywhere on earth. This location is then combined with the latest maps and navigation software to help you find your way.Nothing could be easier to use than the TomTom GO. With no installation or set-up required, it gives you clear spoken instructions on where to go, in 17 countries and 32 languages. It has a built-in GPS receiver and shows you the road ahead in clear colorful 3D graphics. The GO has a long-life rechargeable battery that you can charge at home or in the car.The GO is "Plug and GO” and easy to mount so you can transfer it from car to car in seconds.

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