We've reviewed several of Navigon's portable navigation devices, and it always seems to be the same story: great features, affordable price, but always coming up short in performance. The company's latest entry-level model, the Navigon 2000S, is another chapter in that saga, though it comes closer to a happy ending than previous models.
The 2000S offers advanced navigation features, such as text-to-speech functionality and photo-realistic street views--all for a bargain price of $199.99. We were also encouraged by the general responsiveness of the in-car GPS, as it felt snappier for tasks like searching points of interest and planning trips. Unfortunately, satellite acquisition took a long time, and it was a source of much frustration. Despite its value, we'd be willing to pay a little more to get better performance with a model from the TomTom One family or Garmin Nuvi 200 series.