When I first started driving, directions involved some notes scribbled on a piece of paper that included important tidbits like: ’Turn right at McDonald’s” and “Go 3 lights, and make a left.”.  In an era before everyone had cell phones, getting lost was a very probable and frustrating situation.  Then came one of the greatest Internet sites, Mapquest.  It gave you turn by turn directions, and a little map.  Now, there could still be problems if the exit names were wrong, and there were direction errors.  However, for those of us that have a habit of getting lost, this was a step in the right direction.  Finally, the best navigation device to date arrives as GPS.  I am saving the term ‘BEST’ for when we get a car that can drive itself like Kitt from Knight Rider.  Just say ‘Take me to work”, and off you go.  Until that time, GPS is a wonderful thing.  When I look at GPS, I am not worried about fancy things like mp3 and video players, I just want to get from point A to point B.  I gave the Navigon 2000S a test drive.  Read on to see how it fares in the Midwest.

INSIDE the BOX

Well besides getting the GPS unit itself, there is a windshield/dash mount, usb cable, and car charger.  One of the items you will not get is an instructions manual, just a quick start guide.  If you need additional help, you can find it via the Navigon website.  Honestly, I think its a great way to save trees, and of course the pandas as well.  How often do people really read the instructions?  I know I am guilty of just turning on a device and playing with it.  Plus, for the 2000S, you really don’t need any instructions, but more about that later.  One thing that Navigon could improve is the length of the USB cord.  This may seem silly, but from tip to tip, the cord is only about 6 inches long.  If you do not have a USB hub that sits on your desk, getting updates can be difficult or awkward.  The GPS is too heavy to hang from the USB cord, which would be bad for the device and something you just shouldn’t do.  How much cost can an extra 6 inches add to the total?  As for the windshield mount, it works great!!!  Its easy to move from one spot to another, and sticks securely.  It even gives you some fine adjustments with the ability to tilt the 2000S up and down, as well as left and right.  That brings me to the GPS itself.  Its a very slender and petite device.  One could easily put it in a shirt pocket. 

Size comparison: Navigon 2000S vs. Garmin 200

 Even with the slim size (under 0.75 inches thick), it is definitely a solid device.  The 3.5 inch screen is bright, and easy to read.  The touchscreen is very responsive, and I didn’t find myself hitting the same ‘button’ over and over again to navigate the 2000S.  I would recommend some sort of case for the GPS when not in use.  That’s a good thing to do for all devices where the screen is the key feature.  You want to avoid scratches.  These can be purchased right from Navigon’s site, along with touchscreen protectors and other accessories.

Performance and Features

Features and performance is where this entry level GPS sets itself apart from the competition.  The menus are easy to understand, and typing in your destination is a breeze.  When you are entering a new destination, I love the fact that each piece of important data is its own tab within the ‘New Destination’ category.  You can easily switch back and forth between:  state, city, street, and address.  I know using the Garmin 200 that changing the state requires the GPS to locate you in order to be able to find a place in the surrounding area.  With Navigon, you can be in California looking for a place in New York.  The 2000S also comes with a feature they call ‘Smart Speller Destination Entry’.  This means as you type the name of a street, for example, the unit predicts what you are going to type and either presents you with a few choices or blocks out letters that cannot be choices.  The result is much less typing.  As basic GPS units go, the 2000S is the only one with text to speech included.  Most other brands only offer that on their more advanced models.  Text to speech is a feature that all GPS devices should have, because I believe it helps you to be a safer driver.  If you are approaching a complicated intersection, and you hear ‘Turn right in 200 feet’, you might need to look at the screen to make sure you are turning at the right spot.  However, if you hear ‘Turn at Main St.’, you will know exactly where to go, and allows you to keep your focus on traffic.  The voice on the 2000S is clear and easy to understand.  I personally was using the female voice I called Joan. There is the option of a male voice as well.

Features & Performance – Part II – Maps and Display

On your drive, your vehicle is represented as a triangle inside a circle. (See picture above.)  The maps themselves are very detailed.  As you near a road, the name of the road is displayed next to the line on the screen.  I like having this little bit of extra info.  Plus, any town/city you pass through will also show up on the map.  I used the 2000S on my drive to work a few times, and I drove through a few places I didn’t even know were towns.  The most important signs on the map are of course for food and gas, well at least they are to me.  Navigon actually displays the symbol or name associated with the business.  You will see little golden arches for McDonald’s or the word Subway in green for the sub shop.    The same thing applies for the Marathon ‘M’ or yellow shell for ‘Shell’.  Its a small feature, but I love it.  There is no thinking involved, and you know exactly what is ahead.  The pictures usually display a few miles before the actual business, so there are no last minute screeching turns.

Now let’s talk about the two unique, and I consider the best features on the device:  Reality View Pro and Lane Assist Pro.  Lane Assist Pro will make sure to keep you on course.  If you are nearing an exit, and its not where you need to go, the 2000S will display a picture, similar to the one above, that shows you exactly which lane you need.  In driving around Chicago, there are many complicated exchanges where highways are merging and splitting.  Lane Assist Pro made the whole drive less stressful because I always knew in advance where I needed to be.  Throw in Chicago construction, and crazy drivers, and that little extra piece of mind is wonderful.   Reality View Pro makes sure that you don’t miss your exit.  When approaching your exit, a green bar that is a copy of the upcoming exit sign will appear across the top of your screen.  This happens with about a mile to go before you need to turn off.  Not only does the ‘green sign’ give the name of exit, but also any highways that will also be present on the real sign, like route 66.  Of course, you still have the text to speech announcing the exit, but having the change to the display prepared me for what was next.  When you find yourself on the same road for hundreds of miles with the same arrow pointing forward, any change will catch your eye.  One of the things I love about this Navigon device is that I feel that it is always doing its best to give you advance warnings, so nothing is a surprise.  Driving in unfamiliar surroundings can make you nervous, but these extra features made all of my trips much smoother.

The Navigon 2000s also has a Speed Assistant function that helps you to be a good law abiding driver.  You can set-up alarms to let you know when you are more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit.  One of my absolute favorite features, which I actually turned into a game, is the fact that you can display the current speed limit in the upper left hand corner of the screen.  The display is actually a small speed limit sign.  From a functionality point of view, it helps when you are entering a new road or area, and you have no idea what the speed limit is.  I found myself referring to it quite often.  For the game part, I tested the speed limit display accuracy on my drive to work.  The route I usually travel has a speed limit of 55 mph, but I travel through 3 towns where the speed limit drops to 40 or 45 mph.  I would watch the display just as I was approaching the sign for the new limit.  I was shocked at the accuracy!!!  The 2000S was within a car length of either side of the speed limit sign when it changed from 55 to 45 mph.  It only missed 1, and that sign was just moved about 3 months ago.  That was worthy of a pass, and I am sure it will be corrected in a future update. 

 Conclusions

I honestly have to say that I love the Navigon 2000S GPS.  Its easy to use, accurate, and has so many features for a basic GPS unit.  My only complaint was that there needed to be a longer sync cable, but since its mini-USB, you can purchase one anywhere.  I have used both TomTom and Garmin, but after this experience, my first choice will be Navigon.

Price – Navigon 2000S retails for $199.99.  However, Newegg is currently selling it for $169.99, and I saw it this weekend listed at Newegg for $99.  Keep your eye out for the specials.

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