Navigon got cozy with Rand McNally a few months ago and now we are seeing the fruits of that relationship with three new GPS units, two packaged with the familiar traveling name.

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In a absolute apparent ploy to pimp its products, Navigon sponsored an independent survey of 1,021 drivers and found that *gasp* people don’t like morning gridlock. Here are the results:

• 94% of those surveyed get stressed when driving on the highway
• 86% find themselves in traffic congestion during the morning commute
• 67% would give something in the morning to reduce commute times
• 40% would give up breakfast
• 34% would go without a cup of coffee
• 25% would give up morning, umm, relations with their significant other

You know what this survey proves? 25% of those that stuck in morning traffic are not married.
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Rather than releasing your standard black bezel, commonplace GPS unit, NAVIGON threw everything possible into the flagship 8100T GPS navigator. The real fun begins with a 4.8-inch widescreen touchscreen that serves up a gorgeous navigation experience once your eyes move past the striking brushed-metal exterior.

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Radio Shack is gaining another GPS exclusive product with two new NAVIGON units. The 5100 max sports a large 4.3-inch touchscreen, NAVIGON’s Reality View Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, and an Advanced Text-to-Speech guidance system. The 2090S is equipped with a smaller 3.5-inch screen but retains most of its big brothers features. Both units come with NAVIGON’s FreshMaps so users will get eight map updates over two years free. The two GPS units retail for $299 and $199 respectively, and are available only at Radio Shack.

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The J.D. Power and Associates just released the 2008 Portable Navigation Device customer satisfaction rankings with Garmin taking the top seat and TomTom following closely behind. These scores are a composite of six factors that include: ease of use, routing, system appearance, speed of system, voice direction, and navigation display screen. 

Garmin ranks highest among portable navigation device manufacturers, performing particularly well in the display screen, ease of use and appearance factors

TomTom follows Garmin in the ranking, performing well in the routing, speed of system and voice direction factors

Personally, I have never been a big fan of Garmin interfaces; who am I though but a lowly gadget blogger.

JDPower via GPSTracklog

Yesterday we grabbed a GPS deal at $149. Now today, Staples has the Navigon 2100 GPS unit at $119 plus a $20 mail-in rebate, brining the price down to $99.

The 2100 features preloaded maps of the lower 48, 3.5-inch touchscreen, text-to-speech, 3D navigation, and optional traffic information. Not bad at all for under $100.

NAVIGON 2100 Portable GPS [Staples]

NAVIGON’s latest GPS device packs in the firm’s latest software updates into a lower price, and thin, package. Lane Assistant Pro and Reality View Pro both with the 3.5-inch 2000S that’s launch price at $199 should attract buyer’s attention. The whole package reminds me of the 2200S announced last week but seems to lack the free traffic updates., the budget GPS unit features an updated destination entry system and even spell checks your entry. (nice)Throw in a 2GB of flash memory, along with a 375MHz ATLAS III CPU with 64MB of SDRAM and this should be a good Christmas seller.

It’s safe to say that now’s the time to purchase a GPS after Navigon’s announcement today. I can’t attest to Navigon’s UI or ease of use, but I’d be willing to take that gamble. The 2200T is not only economical at $229, but you’re getting real-time traffic updates for free. Besides that nugget of gold, the 2200T features a 3.5-inch screen, text-to-speech (Look ma, no hands!), and Reality View Pro (3D images for highway exits and complex interchanges). Those are the big guns, but it also comes with a speed assistant, multi-destination trip planning, auto standby mode, and auto day/night mode. Oh, and it’s only .75-inches thick.

Full release after the jump.

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Garmin makes more GPS units than I would care to count, but when the firm update two of their mainstream lineups, I take notice. Both the nüvi 2×5 and the 7×5 models were updated with the former of the two receiving lifetime NAVTEQ Traffic alerts and Bluetooth calling features. Pricing and availability for the 265T, 265WT and 275T should be out soon.  

The higher-end 7×5 series receives familiar tech updates. Something about the new features of Lane Assist and 3D buildings makes me think back a few days to the NAVIGON 7200T announcement. Moving on though, the Garmin units now have lifetime NAVTEQ traffic too, with the 785T receiving MSN Direct treatment. (think gas prices, weather reports, new…stuff like that) These models have already been priced with the 755T clocking in at $499, $599 for the 765T, $799 for the 775T and $699 for the 785T. No word on availability but we’re sure they will be out soon if the pricing is already out.

7X5 PR & 2X5 PR

NAVIGON has just announced the availability of their latest high-end GPS device. The company took the great 7100 model, threw in a Centrality Titan 600 MHz processor, an updated GPS chip, and still managed to pop out an overall smaller unit model.  The 7200T still maintains NAVIGON’s free, real-time traffic and most of the goodies from it’s predecessor, but the UI is getting tweaked for the better. 

This time around, when the Reality-View is enabled, landmarks like the Empire State Building and such show up in 3D. Who knows how many said landmarks are in the database, but we imagine there must be a bunch to make this feature available. Handsfree junkies will appreciate not only the standard Bluetooth calling, but also the new destination entry mode. The 7200t will send you on your mary way by simply speaking the address or landmark. NAVIGON has also refreshed the Lane Assistant mode and added an exit guide to find those Bigby Coffees a bit easier.

At least by comparing the new spec sheet verses the older model, the update looks great. The faster processor, coupled with the new map features should make for an impressive GPS unit. We’ll find out for sure though when the 7200T drops in October, tagged with a $449 MSRP.

Press release after the break.

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Navigon 2100 Max

Navigon made waves not long ago by introducing GPS units with free map upgrades for a one-time fee, unique among entry-level GPS units. The 2100 Max is an inexpensive in-car GPS add-on with many high-end features, including text to speech, comprehensive POI database, and upgradable maps.

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It’s nice to see GPS devices come out near the $300 point that don’t skimp too much on features. The NAVIGON 2100 max and 2120 max were announced today at CeBIT and feature a 4.3-inch widescreen display, text-to-speech directions, and “NAVIGON’s exclusive Reality View, which provides 3D guidance when approaching highway interchanges.”

There’s also a feature called “DirectHelp” that “pinpoints a user’s location and provides instant links to nearby services such as hospitals, pharmacies, and roadside assistance.” The only difference between the 2100 max and the 2120 max is that the 2120 includes maps of the US and Canada, while the 2100 just has the lower 48.

NAVIGON also announced its “FreshMaps” service, which updates your maps and points-of-interest up to 12 times over three years so you’ll always have up-to-date directions. The 2100 max costs $299 and the 2120 max costs $329. If you’re looking for a great deal, Amazon has the non-max version of the 2100 for $160. It’s got most of what the 2100 max has, except for a smaller 3.5-inch 4:3 screen.

NAVIGON’s New GPS Devices Earn Their Name [NAVIGON Press Release]

The Digital Life trade show won’t hit New York till October, but the boys and girls at Ziff Davis had a small (but very crowded, might I add) preview on Thursday, which I’m just getting around to writing about today.

While it seemed like every other company there was tacking GPS onto its products, Navigon wants to distinguish itself. Its two new portable GPS units, the $499 5100 and the $649 7100, are ready for your “I’m lost, what do I do?” scenarios. The units both offer the same standard GPS features you’d expect to see nowadays like built-in places of interest (though with Zagat-supplied “how good is this place?” information, which is unique to Navigon) and text-to-speech (”turn right onto Main Street in 50 feet” not “turn right at intersection in 50 feet”). But it’s Navigon’s Reality View that merits the most attention.

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