Best Turn-By-Turn Navigation App?

[lasoski311]

I see that TomTom just released their iPhone App for $100, but is that the best option? Ive seen that there are a few other options that are cheaper, such as...MobileNavigator ($70), CoPilot Live ($35), iGO My Way 2009 ($80) and Sygic Mobile Maps ($40).

Which one is the best option? Let me know what you guys think?

[wildonrio]

You could just read all the reviews for each GPS app within iTunes. You might wanna wait to see how people like the TomTom app, since that has been the most anticipated and it just came out today (I got it). I think in a week you will be able to have a pretty good feel for which one is best after TomTom has been put to the test against the rest.

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

I have a feeling that it'll be a difficult choice.

[eplchamps0304]

Two things I feel make navigon better
1. Lane guidiance- this is very important when driving in a totally strange area. It helps me take the correct exit and stay in the most suitable lanes. Tomtom lacks this.

2. Signpost display. Navigon displays the same signs you would see on the highyway large and very clear. Tomtom displays a small text on which way to go.

[gotzaiPhone]

I understand where you are trying to get at here, but this question is going to be like, "what it better, a macbook or a mac?" everyone will have their own "best". Just look at the features of each one and pick the one with the features you want most.

[MileHighRob]

I understand where you are trying to get at here, but this question is going to be like, "what it better, a macbook or a mac?" everyone will have their own "best". Just look at the features of each one and pick the one with the features you want most.
... and fits in the price range you're most comfortable with paying. If I may so add to your comment.

[djwindsor]

I've evaluated the two most popular ones Navigon and Tom Tom. Please read my comments that are in another thread. To briefly summarize, I think you'll be happier with Tom Tom. Their UI is much slicker than Navigon and the program loads faster and acquires and holds on tenaciously to the aGPS signal. The Navigon would constantly lose (momentarily) the signal. Yes, lane assist and sign posts are nice but they are small features compared to the entire package. The voices are MUCH clearer and precise on Tom Tom and at least you know they'll stand behind their product. Navigon abandoned the North American Market just recently (their portable devices). What is to say they won't abandon the Apple platform if it doesn't sell well? Go with the Tom Tom. You'll really like it. I've been using it for four days now and it really is great. Lastly and this is a biggie for me is the turn by turn preview that you can view on Tom Tom. That is no where to be found on the Navigon 1.0 I evaluated.

[MileHighRob]

No offense djwindsor but I actually tried to read your GPS reviews but my eyes really needed a paragraph break somewhere in there. I believe you've got a lot of extremely useful information contained within your reviews. However, it's just hard to read a paragraph that contains 100+ sentences without breaks. IMO it's even more difficult for one to read than anything typed in all caps.

[mdb4403]

let me offer a contrary opinion to djwindsor. i have now used both the tom tom and navigon software. i agree that tom tom loads faster and has a "slicker" interface. routing seems pretty identical to me. i didn't notice one routing better than the other. having said that the big difference between the two in my opinion is accuracy during navigation. with navigon the arrow representing your car tracks almost identical to your actual location on the street. when you physically pass a cross street your car representation on navigon is also passing the street. when you turn on a street your avatar on screen turns on the street. as a result the directions to turn have are absolutely spot on with navigon. i have never missed a turn with navigon. you get a warning .20 miles before the turn and then about 50 feet before the turn. i happen to live in an old part of my communnity and there are lots of choppy turns and sidestreets. as long as i don't exceed the speed limit navigon always gives me sufficient turn warnings even when one turn is right after the other.

on the other hand, tom tom lags terribly. my car representation on screen is always about 1 block behind my actual physical location. very annoying. when you make a turn onto a new street, you avatar doesnt turn until much later than it would with navigon. as a aresult the turn warnings are not as accurate in my experience and to me this is the most important part of a pnd. to me navigon is the hands down better unit.

here is also a tip to get around what some claims is a limited navigon database. if i am going somewhere that may not be in the navigon database i simply open google maps do my search and add my proposed destination to my contacts. when i open navigon which allows you to route to your contacts i just look for the contact i added and boom off i go.

[lasoski311]

i want to thank everyone for the help, but i am curious about the less expensive apps like CoPilot Live ($35) and Sygic Mobile Maps ($40), has anyone used these? would you recommend either of them? how do they compare to the more expensive apps?

[mdb4403]

i have also used sygic on a friends phone. i didnt buy it. the ui is also pretty good but the navigation was horrible. far worse than tom tom and far far worse than navigon

[MileHighRob]

The Sygic UI is really nice but from the reviews I've read I would steer clear of it.

lasoski311, you may want to check out G-Map also. It runs around $35 USD for either the eastern or western half of the country. It also looks like they're starting to add individual states around $20.

This certainly isn't the only Navigation thread here at EIC. Dig through this sub-forum and you should find opinions on most of the available navigation apps available.

[eplchamps0304]

There is no absolute best. The top 2 are clearly Navigon and tomtom.

[cindra]

I went with CoPilot and really like it. It's the only one I've found so far that has some of the streets in our area showing correctly, even though they've been as they are for years. I've taken it out for a few spins and it's done a fine job of routing me and re-routing me quickly when I turned a few times and tried to get it to mess up. :dft012:wink It hasn't lost the signal yet, even here in our mountainous area. The voice is clear and easily heard over the music (the iPhone can play music while you're using CoPilot). I think CoPilot's features rival those of a stand-alone unit.

I have used G-Maps East, which to me lacked features and its use was not intuitive to me (I understand that this improved somewhat with the upgrades after turn-by-turn became available). While I liked the Navigon interface (the free download they offered), there was no way I wanted to pay 80 bucks for the app. I have not seen the Tom Tom app, but I cannot imagine it would offer any features above CoPilot's that would make me spend the additional dollars for it. I'm very happy with CoPilot.

[garykirsten63]

Sygic UI is good. But user interface are incredibly important for a navigation app, and Navigon’s apparent lack of customisation options seems to hurt it. So I am not so sure to use it. Looking for better one.

[pradley]

Navigon has a lot of customization options, so I don't understand your comment.