The Edge 800 will allow you to enter an address and then it will give you turn-by-turn directions, just like a car unit. I believe it will not route you to freeways or other high speed roads, but it does NOT have a true “bike route” function, so it won’t route you to MUPs and roads with bike lanes (please correct me if I’m wrong, anyone). It will also provide turn by turn prompts if you create your own TCX file through RideWithGPS or similar site, which was my motivation for buying it. I love being able to map out a route, upload it, and ride while the unit tells me when to turn (not a voice prompt, but it beeps and shows on screen) so I don’t have to think about it. Also, if I’m riding in an area and I know the name of the street I need to turn on but I don’t have a good grasp on where I am in relation to that street, I can look at the map and see how close I am, so it’s useful for that type of way finding and can save you from having to pull out your phone.
The Edge 200 and 500 do not have maps in any form, but they do very basic navigation by letting you map out a route online, upload it, and then the unit shows you a line to follow and tells you if you deviate from the designated path. It’s actually pretty useful and is usually good enough for your typical century ride, or if you want to pre-plan a local route to explore. The main drawback is you have to keep a close eye on the screen as it won’t let you know WHEN to turn, and if the route traverses the same section more than once, the lines start to get confusing and difficult to follow…but this is pretty rare in my experience.
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