CNET Editor's rating: 7.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Bonnie Cha
Review date: 09/14/07
The good: The sleek Navigon 5100 has an integrated traffic receiver with subscription-free traffic service. There's also a lane assistant function for optimal routing and text-to-speech functionality.
The bad: The 5100's screen is on the smaller side, and it's slow to get a satellite fix. The design of the vehicle mount may not fit everyone's personal taste.
The bottom line: The Navigon 5100 offers drivers a number of useful navigation tools beyond basic driving directions; we just wish it had a larger screen and a slightly lower price tag.
Though it'll be tough to stand up to the big boys such as TomTom and Garmin, the Navigon 5100 has a fighting chance by offering some useful navigation features that go beyond the basic turn-by-turn directions. First, there's a traffic receiver integrated into the sleek device and you get a free traffic subscription so you can check the road conditions before heading off on your drive. Also, to help make the ride as smooth as possible, there's a lane assistant function that will help find the best lane for your route and a 3D "photorealistic" view of complicated intersections. They all came in handy during our test drive, and most importantly, the system provided accurate directions. Of course, we do have items on our wish list, namely a larger screen, faster satellite acquisition, and a slightly lower price point (it's currently available for $499). That said, we like what the Navigon 5100 has to offer, especially since it focuses on the main task at hand: getting you to your destination with the least stress as possible.
Design
With a sexy chrome finish and compact dimensions (4.2 inches wide by 3.3 inches high by 0.9 inch deep; 6.3 ounces), the Navigon 5100 is a nice-looking and ultraportable GPS device. However, its smaller size also means you won't get the luxury of the larger 4.3-inch displays that are popping up on some of the systems today. Instead, you get a 3.5-inch touch screen that's responsive and shows off sharp maps and bright colors. It's also readable in various lighting conditions, including daylight. Having said that, after testing a number of 4.3-inch models, we did miss viewing maps on the larger screens.
The power button is located on the top of the device along with the external antenna jack. Be aware that you have to hold down the power button for a few seconds to juice it up. On the right side, you have the SD expansion card slot and 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. Finally, there's a mini USB port on the bottom.
The Navigon 5100 ships with a very modern-looking vehicle mount.
The Navigon 5100 comes packaged with an SD card preloaded with maps, a vehicle mount (windshield and dash), a car charger, a USB cable, a soft carrying pouch, and reference material. The car mount's design is quite interesting (see image above). It's quite modern looking, and I didn't even know what it was when I first took it out of the box. To me, it looked like a landline phone receiver, while a fellow CNET editor said it looked like a shower head. I think it's the long, slender arm that throws you off.
Features
The Navigon 5100 is equipped with a SiRFstarIII GPS chip and all maps of the United States and Canada are preloaded on the included SD card. As with most GPS devices, you can enter a location by specific address, point of interest, recent destination, user-defined home, and so forth. The N100 can calculate routes in one of four ways--fast, optimum, short, or scenic--and gives you the option to allow or avoid highways and toll roads. There are also pedestrian, bicycle, and motorcycle route options, and our favorite, slow-car mode. Other standard navigation features include automatic route recalculation, multistop trips, simulated demos, speed alerts, and of course, text- and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, including text-to-speech functionality for specific street names.
You can view maps in 2D or 3D mode, and with day or night colors. The map screen shows you plenty of data, such as the name of the street you're on, distance to next turn, estimated time of arrival, remaining distance, a compass, signal strength, and more. You can always choose to hide some of these elements via the Settings menu, since the screen can get pretty overwhelming with all the data and points of interest.
Speaking of which, ike other Navigon products, such as the Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX N100, the Navigon 5100 has a comprehensive POI database that includes branded icons for major corporations (e.g., McDonald's, Chevron, Shell). In addition, you can now search for POI by Zagat Survey ratings and reviews. It's available for hotels, night life, attractions, golf courses, and restaurants, and once you've selected your category, you can refine your search even more by top service, best buy, and so forth. Tapping the information icon on business listing will then bring up specific rating and reviews. The Zagat Survey data is particularly useful when you're in a new town and need recommendations of where to eat or go out. Overall, we found the database to be fairly up-to-date, though not perfect.
The Navigon 5100 also includes several other helpful and beneficial navigation features. First, it has an integrated traffic receiver so you get subscription-free traffic updates. You'll see a little exclamation point on your map screen and by tapping it, it will bring up a list of congested areas. You can select a specific incident and get more details on the problem. The system has the ability to plot an alternate course as well. To make for the smoothest ride possible, there's also a lane assistant function that will recommend the optimal lane for your route. Last but not least, in complicated intersections, such as major highway exchanges, the Navigon 5100 will present you with a 3D image of the road. For example, you will get a semi-realistic view of what the road looks like ahead of you, including road signs, so you're not completely confused as to what exit to take.
Performance
We tested the Navigon 5100 in San Francisco, and from a cold start, it took the unit a solid 7 minutes to get a satellite fix and unfortunately, subsequent starts weren't much faster. Once locked on, however, the GPS receiver did a good job of holding onto its lock and accurately tracked our location as we ran everyday errands around the city. We also entered our standard trip from the Marina district to CNET's downtown headquarters, and the Navigon 5100 returned with a route fairly quickly. A quick glance at the list of turn-by-turn text directions showed that they were accurate so we set off on our trip.
The text-to-speech voice prompts were loud and clear, and the pronunciation of street names wasn't bad; we were always able to understand them. We were impressed by how fast the system recalculated routes. In one instance, the route called us to take a right, but the Navigon 5100 already recognized that we were in the left lane and automatically started recalculating the course. The traffic, lane guidance, and 3D view features were nice and handy extras as well.
Intro:
The Navigon 5100 is a 20 channel, automotive global positioning device.Compared to other automotive GPS receivers on the market, it is midpriced at around $285.
Noteworthy Features:
WAAS-ready GPS device accepts radio signals which can help increase accuracy of positioning data to within 3 meters.USB computer interface makes it possible to add new programs and maps as well as store previous trips and data.Store trip history and map databases on a standard SD memory card.Its removable memory allows for almost unlimited storage of routes and other data.System includes NAVTEQ ON BOARD.
Weaker Features:
None noted, given available product data.
Suitability:
An automotive GPS receiver, suited for location monitoring and trip-tracking.Designed for use in land-based vehicles.Has an internal antenna which is desirable for activities where an external antenna would get in the way.This unit is lightweight, weighing in at 6.3 oz.
Value:
In general, this GPS receiver has good features for the money.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Top notch GUI/graphics
As a GUI (Graphical User Interface) touch panel designer for A/V control systems a major concern of mine was ...
As a GUI (Graphical User Interface) touch panel designer for A/V control systems a major concern of mine was a good looking panel with nice graphics. That may seem odd to some people, but I knew I would have to live with this device on a regular basis. I considered other GPS devices from Tom Tom, Magellan, Garmin and others. The worst graphic quality was on the Tom Tom units and Garmin units, but the Magellan units and Harmon Kardon units all seem to have pretty good GUI?s. They?re not nearly as good as the Navigon products by my judgment. This is partially due to the lower color bit-depth and display?s resolution capabilities of competing GPS?s LCD touch panel monitor screens. A secondary reason is just poor and outdated graphic design, particularly with the Garmin and Tom Tom units. The Navigon 5100's map route lines are free of jagged edges and it easily displays curved lines smoothly in contrast to its competitors. Its graphical elements also have semi-transprent features, nice smooth gradients and animation that make this unit the very best in the GPS industry. Of course the looks don't stop with the display screen itself. The Navigon's industrial design can be compared to the quality of what we've all seen from Apple computers or a Jaguar XKR. Sexy, slim-sized styling and a cool futuristic looking mount are traits of this unit. One thing that some people might not realize is that the display?s mount actually has a recessed ball-type joint that allows you to angle the screen about 15-20 degrees in either direction and you can rotate the ball mount up to 360 degrees as you face it. I?m not talking about the twisting mounting action as that is a separate feature. Marketing materials and the company's website fail to show this in pictures or mention it in descriptions and at one point it was a concern of mine so in case anyone else has a similar concern the mount is quite useful and adjustable. Another useful feature of the mount, and GPS unit itself, is it's ability to be displayed either horizontally or vertically. An option within the units set up allows you to switch the display screen to vertical if desired with the horizontal orientation being the default. The twist on-mount can park in either verticle or horizontal positions. As a suggestion, it would be a good idea if the company offered a shorter length mount either as an available accessory, or ordering option to give customers additional mounting options. It might even be interesting if they offered a reverse or upside down oriented arm. It's kind of hard to explain what I mean by that with words, but it you look at pictures of the arm you might figure out what I mean. Another reviewer mentioned that this mount is flimsy, but I totally disagree as it is actually very sturdy. I've mounted it in many different locations on my car?s windshield and it held well in all cases and positions. There is a switch that you have to flip to secure the suction cup tightly on your windshield so maybe the person who complained about that didn't figure that out. A tip for future owners of the twist on mount: Always rotate it in a clockwise motion for both mounting and un-mounting. There is a little button on top you?ll have to press before removing the unit. I'd also like to see a hard carrying case for the unit included in the price or as an accessory option. Currently it does come with a tastefull suede type cloth bag. Also different face plate overlays like carbon fiber styles, solid color options like white, blue, red, yellow or green and different gloss woodgrain finishes would be a very cool add-on accessory item. Don't get me wrong, the titanium chrome faceplate is cool, but alot of people might want to give their unit more of an individual look or match it better integrate with their interior. Of course, this is just out-of the-box thinking. As far as functionality goes, the Navigon 5100 also has a very handy feature called "Reality View" which automatically pops up a 3D image of freeway intersections that arrows and exit signs to help guide you to the right lane. As far as I know, this is a first in the portable GPS industry. Other cool features include the free traffic reports that can (if you choose) re-route you automatically around traffic problems. Data is received and compiled from multiple radio stations using the well established RDS (Radio Data System) service and compiled to provide real time traffic updates. Navigon marketing publications call this "TMC" (Traffic Message Channel). Some competitors offer similar TMC services for a monthly or yearly subscription fee, but with the Navigon GPS it is offered free for life with the 5100 and 7100 models. For the soon to arrive entry level priced Navigon 2100, the TMC will be offered as an add-on option at an additional expense. Some reviewers have complained about the TMC antenna that is included as far as how it looks and etc.. but it does seem quite petty if you ask me. The antenna is really very small and really you don't even need to use it. I get perfect traffic report reception and I never hook up the TMC antenna. Perhaps this maybe an issue for people living in areas where FM stations are rare or hilly regions where FM strait line propogation signals might be blocked. So far I don't see the need to use the included TMC antenna in my area.
For those of us with a "lead foot" the Navigon 5100 also displays graphics with speed limit signs in real-time and can warn you when you?re over the limit. This feature can be turned off, or customized according to your city and highway driving habits. For example, I set the speed limit warning to tell me when I'm 10 mph over the speed limit on city streets and 15 mph over on the highway routes. Don't tell the highway patrol! As far as traditional GPS functionality, the unit seems to be just fine as far as speed and accuracy. Of course, I live in Las Vegas so this might be partially why I haven't experienced any problems so far. However, I live in a fairly new part of town and all of the streets, including side streets are displayed. As far as maps, I'm not sure just what all the hype is about that other people talk about different brands. Most GPS units in the US use the same service called NAVTEQ for all of their map data with the only exception I know of is Tom Tom GPS units which use the Tele Atlas system. For example, my brother owns a Magellan 4040 and it also gets all of its map data from Navteq as well and it's been wrong a few times when we've been in his car so I'm not sure how much credence I would put on other peoples claims as to one brand working so much better than another in this catagory. The Navigon 5100 uses the Sirf Star III chipset that takes data from up to 20 GPS satellites at a time and so far the unit has been very fast and accurate placing my position within 20 feet or less. This may not work as well in high rise city locations like NYC as some other reviewers have claimed, but it seems like a tall building might affect just about any other brand GPS the same way. So far, I?ve experienced no problems with the speed or processing performance of the unit that uses a Samsung 2440 400 MHz processor running on Microsoft Windows CE Net 5.O embedded operating system. There has been some confusion about the unit's SD memory capacity. At one point some owners expected the unit to have a 4GB card included with the unit because the units specifications listed it's maximum capacity as 4GB. This means the slot can accomodate up to a 4 GB SD card and does not mean that the unit ships with a 4GB card. It's kind of like your PC's computer specs when they say it can accept up to 4GB RAM but then the PC itself is only shipped with 1GB because that is the standard configuration. The Navigon 5100 comes with a 2GB card which so far seems to work without any performance problems or ill effects. SD card comes pre-loaded with the US/Canadian maps. It does not include the 4 GB card but one could easily upgrade on their own if they felt it was necessary.
Yet another useful feature is the selectable mode of the GPS as it can be set to Driving, Pedestrian or Bicycle modes. For example, if you?re walking down a sidewalk against the traffic on a one way street the device won't try to re-route you in pedestrian road. I'm not too sure how it works in bicycle mode or what the difference would be as I haven't tried that mode out yet.
There are a few cautions I would like to point out about this device before you decide to purchase it. For one, a home A/C adapter is normally not included in the box with the 5100, though it does come with the car charger. However, I purchased the unit from a well known TV shopping network's online store and they included the home A/C adapter with the unit and their price was also about $100 cheaper than other online stores. The reason I mention this is if you decide to purchase the A/C home adapter separately it will end up costing you nearly $100 because you will have to buy the adapter from the company's website which ships it's accessories from Germany. Most of the cost is for the overseas shipping. At the products price point it should have had the adaptor included in the retail package box as an included feature. I was a little lucky I guess that the company I bought it from included it in the price. A minor irritation is the POI categories list will display all of the POI types even if you have deselected them in the options menu so this makes it irritating to scroll down when searching within the POI?s ?All categories? list. However, it's important to point out that the POI's deselected will not appear on the map if you have deselected POI catagory in the options list. A final criticism, and important one, would be the unit?s lack of volume output for the speakers. With the unit turned up all the way it still could use considerably more sound output capability. This problem needs to be corrected in future models as I have read similar concerns from other Navigon owners. Overall, I would highly recommend the Navigon 5100 or the 7100 for those who want the larger display and blue tooth capability. As for myself I wanted a smaller unit after playing with my brothers Magellan 4040 I decided a wide screen was a little too big for my personal taste. Compared to other choices Navigon seems to have a lot of unique features to offer. The low volume issue and lack of an included 120V A/C adapter (from most stores) results in rating this unit 9 out of 10.
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by Wired66 (see profile) -
October 17, 2007
It is not for anyone new to GPS ...
I've tested this 5100 and the 7100 fo a while now.
It is not for anyone new to GPS as it is very cumbersome interface.
The 5100 and 7100 need to be avoided until the bugs are worked out with software changes. Garmin and TomTom did this a lot when introducing products to the US market. I would wait.
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by roadlife (see profile) -
September 27, 2007
6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
3 out of 10 - Poor Nice try but not worth your money!!!
Okay, so I was excited about the realistic view and the free lifetime real time traffic receiver but I soon ...
Okay, so I was excited about the realistic view and the free lifetime real time traffic receiver but I soon got upset about many things that a standard GPS is supposed to do. First, map is outdated. It can't find many of the addresses I tried. At times, it does not have some of the streets!!! so I had to call my friend for directions. Second, I was trying to go to the nearest shopping mall, but guess what the POI doesn't have the one of the major shopping malls listed!!! It doesn't even have the nearest Walmart and when it gave me a nearest one it didn't exist. I never had this problem with garmin nuvi or magellan. Lastly, the vehicle mount stinks. Not only is it too bulky it easily comes off especially while I'm driving. P.S. I called technical support for to ask about a round plastic disc object and how to use it the technical support agent and his supervisor couldn't tell me how to use and told me to common sense!!! Then without any apologies, just told me to go ahead and return the product if I didn't like it. I am definately returning this piece of trash.
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by jepoori (see profile) -
September 17, 2007
3 out of 10 - Poor not for non technical people, Not yet set up for US market
Sadly there are bugs in the US version, An update is promised for late this year. This is a great ...
Sadly there are bugs in the US version, An update is promised for late this year. This is a great device in Europe but the product line does not seem to have been customized for the US beyond sticking in US maps. Standard Points of Interest such as post offices, major store chains have been left out. Routing is so convoluted as to defeat advantage of free traffic. If you are very technically inclined you can edit software, via your computer, to adjust routing errors.
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by gizmoguy2 (see profile) -
September 28, 2007
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Better than TomTom
I just ate a restocking fee on my TomTom XL and thought I would try out this new Navigon company ...
I just ate a restocking fee on my TomTom XL and thought I would try out this new Navigon company I have read about. Overall, I am happy with the 5100 after two weeks of use.
The highlights: I like that the 5100 has these two features that add to the navigation experience. Traffic is a cool feature...easy to use and warns you automatically and it is free. TomTom wanted over $60 per year for this! Reality View is cool too - shows you pictures of upcoming highway exits with arrows for guidance. Great design. I have not had any issues with the routing - maps seem very accurate. Plus, the maps and menus look premium - not cartoony.
My concerns: My first GPS fix when I powered it on seemed to take a long time, but that has not happened since the first time. Some extra customization options would be nice.
Overall, I would highly recommend this product - especially because of these new features.
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by CBaxter13 (see profile) -
October 2, 2007
8 out of 10 - Excellent My Recommendation: Buy
I've never been much interested in GPS systems, but having recently moved to a new city I decided to ...
I've never been much interested in GPS systems, but having recently moved to a new city I decided to take the plunge. A friend recommended the Navigon and I have to say that so far I've been delighted. It's hard for me to believe that the CNET reviewer described this thing as "on the smaller side" when together the unit and mount seem almost TOO big. However once I got used to it I came to love it. This thing is incredibly easy (even for a techno-idiot like me) and has a lot of handy features. I agree with the previous review that the "take me home" button is a neat thing...especially good for my wife who can't find her way home from the corner store. The realistic views amaze me. And lifetime free traffic information...what are you kidding me???? Buy this thing!
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by jhbeatty (see profile) -
October 3, 2007
8 out of 10 - Excellent Get your's now and start saving time & money!
I love my 5100. Just the design is something to love. It's very different looking than any other GPS ...
I love my 5100. Just the design is something to love. It's very different looking than any other GPS I've seen. the interface is very easy to use and it is so realistic. I drive a lot for my job and the traffic out of the box was great, no subscription required. I love that it gave me the option to avoid the traffic or ignore the warning. I never leave home with out it!
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by hfarkel (see profile) -
September 27, 2007
2 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Compared to others, Great GPS for price.
I purchased this GPS and was on the road no longer than 2 hours from delivery. I was headed for ...
I purchased this GPS and was on the road no longer than 2 hours from delivery. I was headed for Hilton Head and had no directions, just an address. (('m not crazy I had a laptop just in case) It worked flawlessly. Half way we decided to look for a hotel. The POI worked great. The Lane assist is a great option! The live traffic only came into play around Charlotte, NC but we where traveling on a saturday morning so really no use for it. I have used a Garmin before and like it's ease of use. The Navigon is a little confusing from the start but with time(and patience)it is well worth it! Look for it on sale!!!! I got mine for 179 from Circuit city! don't pay $500!!!
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by cmgarner32 (see profile) -
August 13, 2008
2 out of 10 - Terrible Don't waste your Money!! IT DOESN'T SERVE ITS PURPOSE! Totally Mediocre!!
I couldn't stand this product anymore and I had to return it. I got sick of it!! It was ...
I couldn't stand this product anymore and I had to return it. I got sick of it!! It was a nightmare! Like most of you guys, I was thrilled about the "REALITY VIEW" feature, but it's just a trap. It only works in certain highways, Not even the most important or congested ones. The Volume is sooo pooor. The POI database drove me crazy!! It couldn't even locate VERY WELL KNOWN retailers/shopping malls. I always ended up calling my cousin and asked him to look up certain retailers addresses on the internet. For the price it has VERY LIMITED features. Well, that is the main reason why I needed a GPS: TO LOCATE PLACES and TAKE ME THERE! It also lacks of many basic and essential functions that you find on less expensive GPS's. You can't search by Zip Code, (and Intersections I believe), You can't change much of the retarded settings. Ok, now let's talk about the very few pro's about this product. I'm very unbiased. Even though the volume was extremely low, but if you stick it to your ears,the pronunciation of most street names was better than most TomTom's. Also; the re-routing was very fast. Faster than my friends'/relatives'Garmins and TomToms. I was surprised too! As far as accuracy is concerned, it was the same as many other similar products. There is always a marginal error in ALL GPS's!!!! In some instances it provided me accurate directions and sometimes it failed. But my friends/relatives have the same problem with their other brands.
In summary, IT'S A MEDIOCRE PRODUCT. I don't know why they sell it so expensive ( even though I bought mine at a BARGAIN price! ) IT DOESN'T EVEN OFFER BASIC FEATURES that other less expensive products. I wouldn't even buy it if they were selling for only $50.
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by unbiased08 (see profile) -
June 24, 2008
3 out of 10 - Poor It is a poor choice if you want text to speech
the text to speech is terrible I called and they said well turn up the volume and I did and ...
the text to speech is terrible I called and they said well turn up the volume and I did and they said well that's all there is. I live in Florida and we run the air conditioner all the time it is normal noise. we can not hear the text to speech at any speed. I think they have a poor customer service. I am going to look into another brand with a text to speech that can be heard under normal situations.
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by riuey (see profile) -
June 7, 2008
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