Is it?

Remmeber, the nav is more than the map...

Ask yourself the following:

Can the Tom Tom still provide you with working navigation when there is no GPS signal? Like in tunnels, underground, garages etc

Can the Tom Tom give you instant guidance from the second you switch it on, or must it wait for a GPS fix?

Can the Tom tom show you arrival time and distance to go in your car's instrument cluster?

Can your Tom Tom transfer arrival time and distance data be transferred to the vehicles trip computer?

Can the Tom Tom mute the radio automatically when it needs to issue voice instructions?

Can the Tom Tom voice instructions be played back over the entire car stereo?

Does the Tom Tom's voice instructions volume automatically compensate for vehicle speed?

Does the Tom Tom map show up on the car's large, widescreen, central colour display?

Will the Tom Tom automatically interrupt the radio/TV etc dispay to show you the next instruction?

Does the Tom Tom mount in a position out of sight to deter from theft?

Does the Tom Tom sytem provide a world-wide spares system maintainin parts availability for over 10 years?

etc etc etc

There's much more to a nav system than just the map, and the VDO-Siemens system used by BMW provides total car integration in a way the no retro-fit or portable nav ever can.

Whilst I don't dispute that maps and user interfaces can be different, and that some people prefer one over the other, I would like to point out that the total package provided by BMW is something that I believe no-one else has yet been able to replicate

J