The Garmin Nuvi 255W Vs. TomTom XL340S Garmin Or TomTom?

I have had the opportunity to try both the Garmin Nuvi 255W and the TomTom XL-340S. There are some very good merits to each and I will discuss those in this article.

First of all you should realize that Garmin and TomTom use different mapping systems. Garmin relies on a system called NAVTEQ, which is used by most all other GPS navigator makers. NAVTEQ maps are generally reliable for most areas. NAVTEQ is a U.S. based company and Tele Atlas is based in the Netherlands.

You would think that this would give NAVTEQ an advantage but in fact Tele Atlas maps are often more up to date than NAVTEQ maps. I found this to be true with the Garmin Nuvi 255W and the TomTom XLS running side by side in Austin Texas.

The TomTom routed me through city streets to a destination and saved me about five minutes off of a thirty minute commute. The Garmin Nuvi 255W stuck to the main roads and did not show a major exit to be present. Now part of this can be due to when the firmware was updated. Not all models with the same number have the same mapping software updates because of when they left the factory and you won't find this printed anywhere on the box.

My TomTom XL 340S may be a couple of months older, and therefore have more up to date maps. I'll give the Garmin an missing exit here and there if it can perform better in other areas. And it does.

The Garmin Nuvi 255W really shines out in the boondocks, where the asphalt ends. I found a number of small county roads where the Nuvi was tracking my progress along, but the TomTom showed empty space. There really is no right answer which is best, NAVTEQ or Tele Atlas mapping. Like cell phone carriers each will shine in different areas.

Features of the TomTom XL 340S Vs. The Nuvi 255W.

One thing I like about the Garmin Nuvi is the mounting system. you can easily pop the Nuvi 255W, and most other Garmins, right off of the dash or window mount and stick it in your pocket. Not so with the TomTom XL 340S. The mounting bracket with the suction cup attached is designed to fold up and stay together with the GPS.

You can pop it off, but it is not quite as easy as Garmin's bracket. This is one of  the most annoying features of the TomTom and a feature that the old XLS did not have. Not only does lint and dirt get on the suction cup but it gets little scratches in it that will render it useless in a couple months if you remove it often.

I do like TomTom's map share technology though. Garmin does not have this feature. Mapshare, if you choose to join, is kind of like map-wikipedia. It is user edited and may contain errors. On the other hand, if you join and download user updates you may avoid roads that have since been closed or avoid map errors, since users have corrected them. Since I chose to enable this feature it may have been why the TomTom found the exit that the Nuvi missed.

Downloadable POI's .

I use the built in points of interest that include restaurants and gas stations quite often. TomTom lets you download more on the XL-340S and even add your own through your PC, the Nuvi to my knowledge does not allow you to download POI's from the internet to the GPS but you can add maps and update maps through a USB cord. I did not even know that this feature was available since nothing was mentioned about updating maps via USB cord. There is nothing written on the Nuvi box, and no mini- USB cord inside. I learned that my model, which was refurbished, did not include a USB cord and I had to order one, then log into Garmin's website and download a map update. The update took over one hour on high speed broadband, so good luck dial up users!

. The Nuvi allows you to view photos by placing your camera's SD card in the slot on the side. Something I'll probably never use.

The Nuvi is missing a lot of newer malls and stores that the TomTom seemed to find. I can live with that though.

Satellite Aquisition and Other Features

Garmin advertises the "hot fix" feature that acquires the satellite faster that previously. In spite of that I found that both the TomTom and Garmin Nuvi on my dash were up and running just about the same time as the other.

The TomTom XL-340S has a 480x272 pixel screen that measures 4.3 inches diagonally. The Nuvi's screen is the same size and has exactly the same resolution. I noticed that the Nuvi and the TomTom both switch to night mode automatically which is a big improvement over earlier models with which you had to take your eyes off the road to switch from the glaring day screen.

The Garmin Nuvi 255W does have a screen lock feature, which is useful if you use it as a pedestrian. This keeps the map and navigation running if you accidentally bump the screen. Since I don't plan to use it walking that feature does not matter that much to me.

Conclusion: While there are more in-depth reviews of the Garmin Nuvi 255W vs. the TomTom XL-340S what matters to me is functionality. I don't care about viewing photos on my GPS, like the Nuvi allows you do do, but I do find it to have slightly better mapping for the areas I travel. It is almost a toss up though.

Both units cost about the same on Amazon, both are the same size, resolution, and so on. I find the text to speech voice on each just about as boring and droning but not nearly as bad as Navigon. I don't think you will be disappointed with either unit. I'm keeping both of mine, for different cars.

Update: I have found that the Garmin still has some weird routing issues for where I live. For example, wanting to route me through a shopping mall parking lot and then back on the highway again for no reason. However, I have been using the Garmin Nuvi 255W for my statewide travel. I purchased the 1:25,000 scale topographic maps from Garmin, a feature that I don't think TomTom has. The topo maps have all kinds of smaller roads that I often drive on, such as private roads. I use the TomTom in my car at home, where I find it works slightly better in routing.