Quite right. Garmin mapping here in Europe at present is not as good as TomTom's, at least not on those I have compared. The 'user interface' of each is different and of the two brands I prefer TT. For North Americans, from what I can make out, Garmin is the choice, but for Europeans I would recommend TomTom, for the better mapping.
+1 on the Nuvi (as opposed to Zumo) 550. Waterproof, ruggedized case, same display as the Zumo but smaller form factor (no need for external buttons) and about $400 less than the Zumo. Don't want or need Bluetooth, MP3 or XM.