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I want to preface this review by saying that this is more of a review of Navigon as a company and not this device itself. While the 2100 has, in my experience, proven to be an effective GPS device, to get to this point has been a very tumultuous ride. And one that I hope doesn't happen to others as it has me. This is both an account of my own experiences as well as a summary of experiences I've heard from others both first hand and from the Internet. I hope this review is helpful to you in some way or another.

The Navigon 2100 (as well as the 5100 and 7100) is Navigon's first offering specifically aimed at the North American market. While Navigon has made a good name for themselves in Europe, their first steps into the value conscious US market has proven both that they can make a well priced, well equipped GPS device, and that they still have a lot to learn about marketing and supporting GPS systems.

First I'm going to start with their marketing practices, where most of my complaints are aimed at the handling of the 2100. The 2100 stands apart from its more expensive brethren in the fact that it does not come with many of the same standard features including maps of Hawaii, Alaska and Canada; the Lifetime Traffic service nor the Zagat Survey feature. Whereas most GPS manufacturers sell additional maps for expanded coverage, Navigon has no such option (despite the fact their euro models can be updated to have maps of any continent). The 2100 has the 48 contiguous states, and nothing else. Navigon's website is sparse and makes no mention of this fact, leaving consumers to guess based on what they read on the international sections of the website.

Also on the marketing front, Navigon's Lifetime Traffic service has caused countless headaches for consumers particularly during the 2007 holiday season. Navigon has allowed its retail partners to run promotions giving away the traffic service to unsuspecting customers who get home only to discover they didn't actually get the traffic service. The retailers send complaining customers to Navigon's support lines, and Navigon sends customers back to the stores. It's a mess indeed. All of this coupled with the fact that some online retailers have been using deceptive wording to imply that all 2100 models come with free traffic has caused a lot of headaches. Navigon's other add-on service; the Zagat Survey service is nowhere to be found on the 2100 (and is not available through retailers). Navigon's website advertises that this service is available for purchase, this however is not true. The device does not support this service nor can the service be purchased separately.

Next up on the block is Navigon's support options for its North American products. While the 2100 does come with a 1 year warranty, actually getting any benefit from this warranty is a little difficult. In my personal experience Navigon products are great until something goes wrong. And when things go wrong, good luck to you. Navigon does not currently have any options when it comes to devices that need to be repaired or replaced. Customers who have a device that was either dead on arrival or that has stopped functioning since purchase are pretty much up a creek without a paddle. In my own experience, it took 14 phone calls and 3 weeks for Navigon to agree to send me a replacement unit. On top of this Navigon's tech support for this product is absolutely abysmal. While I was pleased at first when I heard a native English speaker answer the phone (vs. an outsourced call center), that surprise quickly turned to disappointment when I realized that those answering the phones seemed as lost as I was. While they were always very friendly and seemed compassionate towards my problem, they all seemed as if they had been given a telephone and a "customer service 101" book and thrown into the job. I hate to say bad things about them, but most of the time they were of little help. Not only that but I get the distinct impression that tech support supervisors were no more prepared than the regular operators. They always seemed frustrated and short tempered, especially when pushed to give a straight answer. I can't tell you how tired I was of hearing "someone will call you" only to wait days without a call.

As for the actual device itself, here's what I've gathered through my research. Most customers have had absolutely no problems with the device. But there have been a few recurring themes in the accounts that I have read. First up is the 2100's habit of sending people on wild routes to places that are relatively close by. In my own case, living in a semi-rural/suburban area, I've stopped turning the device on when going places locally because my 2100 often suggests a 20 mile route to get to a place that is 5 miles away. Tech support claims this is a known problem and that it will be fixed "in the first quarter of 2008." This may have something to do with the outdated maps that the device ships with (which tech support also claims will be updated at an unknown future time) but I'm not sure.
Next up is something called a "fatal application error" that doesn't seem to be a big deal. I've seen this one myself on my device but it's fairly easy to get rid of (hold the power button for about 10 seconds or so until the device goes off and then turn it back on). But despite how easy it is to get rid of, I wish I never had to see the error at all.

I could go on and on but just typing this much has made me frustrated all over again. I think the best word of advice for anyone considering a Navigon system would be this… when it works it's great, but make sure that whatever store you buy it from will take it back and give you a refund or at least exchange.