TomTom GPS Navigation Reviews
Founded in 1991, TomTom is the leading manufacturer for the Portable Navigation Devices such as automobile navigation GPS units. Based out of Netherlands, TomTom has emerged as the leading seller of navigation devices all across the World. They offer products in Europe, North America, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.
TomTom focuses on two main products as their core business. They offer portable navigation devices such as aftermarket automobile navigation units and software package for smart phones and PDAs. TomTom also offers GPS units designed specifically for motorcycles. TomTom offers different variety of automobile navigation units. TomTom one and ONE XL are the base models that lack some of the features on TomTom GO models. TomTom Go models include large touch screen, speaker, USB port, and its own unique TomTom Home software.
TomTom continues to improve its software package for PDA and smart phone. Also, they have introduced various addition to their top selling automobile navigation units. Some of these features include ebook reader, live traffic updates, and continuous update of Point of Interest database.
TomTom GPS Navigation Reviews
The new TomTom Go 920 brings you the best in satellite navigation. The devices come preinstalled with complete maps of the United States, Canada and Europe on the 4 GB of internal memory, which display clearly on the 4.3" wide screen. Features new to the GO 920 include the Enhanced Positioning Technology for a more continuous navigation experience, even in circumstances where there may not be a direct line-of-sight connection to a satellite (for example, when driving in a city with tall buildings, underpasses or bridges. It also comes with voice prompted address entry, allowing users to speak the address to which they want to drive so the device can automatically calculate the route. TomTom Map Share? enables users to make easy changes to the map and to share map corrections with other TomTom customers so that users always have the most up-to-date maps available. It even comes with a remote to operate the GO 920 from anywhere in the car! The GO 920 is compatible with an RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver to receive up-to-date traffic information and is Bluetooth wireless capable. Built-in FM Transmitter Clear voice instructions and text-to-speech -enables reading of street names, places, traffic alerts and text messages New customizations, including recording your own driving instructions, view documents, exchange positions via SMS and Bluetooth? wireless technology TomTom desk dock to easily charge the TomTom GO 920 range and connect to a computer and TomTom HOME software (included free) TomTom compatible with RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver Full range of accessories to suit your style - leather carrying case, iPod charger, etc.
- TomTom is the world's largest provider of portable navigation solutions
- 4 Gb Internal Flash, 4.3 inch color LCD
- Pre-loaded maps of USA, Canada & Europe from TeleAtlas
- Bluetooth for Hands-Free calling, PLUS services and audio output
- Rechargeable internal 5 hour Lithium Polymer battery
Dimensions
- Height: 3.3''
- Length: 4.6''
- Width: 0.9''
- Weight: 4.04 lbs
Please write your review in a short sentence
Please people when you want to write your review, write it in a short sentence. The first review is like a book. Thank you
tomtom go 920 gps
i like it because you dont need to insert a memory card.the only problem is that the map is not updated.
Don’t buy tomtom 920 – mine broke repeatedly
I have had a horrible experience with Tomtom and the Go 920.
My first device had a power issue after several months — the unit would turn itself back on when I wasn’t using it and the battery would completely drain. They eventually sent me a replacement refurbished unit. The desktop software told me to download an upgraded software version, but apparently this caused the computer voices to be garbled (so I had to use the human voice that couldn’t pronounce street names). But within 4-5 months this replacement unit wouldn’t work at all. Once the screen went blank once but the sound kept working, but then it turned back on.
Next time this happened it went completely dead and I couldn’t repower the device even with hard reset.
I called tech support and they said sorry, the warranty on the refurbished device was only 3 months.
I like the fact that tomtom has a large database of business addresses and I liked the navigation interface, but the execution and their product, the quality control, and treatment of customers is just abismal.
They could learn something here from Amazon.com.
TomTom 920
Fast delivery (5 days). Worked fine both in the US and Europe (Switzerland/Russia). Updateâ firmware and maps for free from TomTom site. Be aware: Latest Map Guarantee is valid for only ONE update during 30 days since you register your device online. After that you have to purchase a new map or subscribe for the quarterly updates. A lot of useful tips about this device are available at _http:\[...]
Does everything it should!
This is a great item! It navigates me in my sales territory, and hardly any errors.
Excellent with places for improvement
I’ve used only the lower end GPS before this one (Nuvi350 and TomTom One), so it is a nice step up. Not to say the release of software by TomTom that caused the computer voices to stutter or go completely quiet didn’t surprise and disappoint me, but still a darn nice unit.
Pros:
FM transmitter and MP3 play is good
Bluetooth
Wide Screen
Clarity (even in sun)
Mapshare (this is excellent!)
TomTom Home interface
Cons:
Menu Location of “cancel route”
Lack of voices that say the street (computer only voices)
Suction Cup Mounting mostly
Inconsistent Lane assist (at least in Denver Metro)
BUYER BEWARE: TomTom has DISABLED FM Transmitting in ALL countries
TomTom continues to advertise FM Transmitting but has disabled the feature in firmware. Due to laws in some European countries, TomTom has removed this feature across the board!
Taken from the TomTom website:
“You can use the built-in FM Transmitter. This allows you to transmit music* from your TomTom GO to your car stereo. Your car stereo receives the sound as an FM radio signal, just like it does from a radio station. You cannot listen to another radio station at the same time.
*Voice instructions cannot be transmitted via FM Transmitter”
AND HERE IS THE OFFICIAL TOMTOM RESPONSE:
Discussion Thread
Response (ST Jamie Mc) 03/07/2009 11:16 AM
Thank you for taking the time to contact TomTom Customer Support regarding the FM transmitter no longer working. My name is Jamie. We are always happy to help.
We understand that you are concerned about the recent change to the TomTom application which has disabled FM Transmission of navigation instructions. We deeply regret that it has become necessary for us to implement this change, as our FM Transmission technology was a unique innovation at the time of its release.
TomTom products can be used for travel in many different countries around the world. In an effort to comply with the laws of these countries, we have removed this feature from the product. We are currently working to reinstitute this feature in compliance with these regulations. At this time a date of release is not available. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.
Thank you for choosing TomTom for your navigation needs. If you have any further questions or comments, please email or call us at 866-486-6866 Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM until 7:00 PM EST or Saturday, 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM EST. Thanks again for writing. At TomTom we believe in showing you the way the easy way.
With Best Regards,
Jamie
TomTom Customer Support
Very bad TomTom for not telling people you removed this feature. TomTom and its retailers continue to list this as an option when its not. The tiny horrible speaker on the TomTom unit can barely be heard requiring it to be trasmitted to your car stereo, only one problem, you can no longer do that thanks to TomTom.
Solution: Buy a Garmin who does not have this stupid rule in the U.S. and allows FM transmitting to the car stereo. Hey TomTom why don’t you read the Garmin pages about FM Transmitting and follow their lead and turn it off in the two countries in Europe, NOT THE ENTIRE WORLD.
Garmin has better maps anyway and the TomTom could not find my street where I live (its not a small street and has been here since 1984).
UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET LOST – STAW AWAY
This GPS SUCKS. When I called TOM TOM they offered no help, they told me that would send me new maps. THE bluetooth sucks. They told me after I got it that alot of phones are not compatible. I ended up lost on a mountain side road with a popped tire because of this GPS. Get any other product or paper maps .
TomTom GO 920 Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator
Battery life too short , and the maps are awfull ,music plays very low , rest is good
Great GPS. Easy to use with TONS of features
I tried 2 different HP gps devices and looked at a couple garmins also but ended up with this device and have been very happy with it. The only complains I have had were the radio transmitter is a little weak (my antenna is in the back of the car), the battery doesn’t last very long (I usually have to have it plugged in for anything longer than 30 minutes), I can’t get traffic information through BT on my phone (probably my phones problem and not the device), and I couldn’t figure out how to make the voices go through my headset while music plays to my stereo.
So-so, Voice breaks up rendering device widely unusable
This is my second TomTom GO (I also own the GO 910). The unit basically works fine, but there is one BIG drawback: when using a computer voice (so the unit reads out loud names of streets and cities) the voice only works with very fundamental patterns of intersections and exits. As soon as you navigate through more complex intersections the voice breaks up completely. You can not understand what she is saying. Very annoying.
Contacted TT support already and up to now they have not been able to fix this. Will give it back to Amazon then.
Perfect Combo of Features from the Right Manufacturer at the Right Price
I recently purchased a TomTom GO 920 after two straight weeks of extensive research over the holiday break. I’ve never owned a GPS unit of any kind and there are a lot of choices out there. I have to say, while I’ve only used the device for a week in my current city (Raleigh, NC), I’m quite impressed with the TT 920 so far. I believe this device has the perfect combination of features from the right manufacturer at the right price. I’ll give the TT 920 four stars, it would be five, but I haven’t used it long enough yet.
I travel rather frequently around the US, Canada, and Europe, so I was looking for a device that would work in all these areas of the world (check). I also preferred a bluetooth-enabled device, so I could use my handfree Blackberry while driving (double check). The 3-inch screen seemed so small, so I wanted the larger 4-inch screen (triple check). And, because there’s a newer TomTom on the market, Amazon had this device discounted from $450 to $225 (quadruple check).
The TT 920 worked fine right out of the box. I opened it, turned it on, and the device picked up a satellite signal within 30 seconds. I’m not sure why some other reviews complained about the long time it took to find a satellite (several minutes, up to 15 minutes). I did not experience this problem at all. I did lose the satellite signal once I went into my office, so I would say that perhaps these folks are turning on their devices for the first time while sitting inside. While this certain seems reasonable, naturally I’d expect the roof of a building might block the signal.
I’m reasonably techie, having owned many various devices (various MP3 players and iPods, various phones, laptops, wireless Internet cards, etc), so I was rather certain that I could figure out this device. It was indeed quite simple. There’s a quick-start guide in the box along with a step-by-step tutorial that pops up when you turn on the device. Both provided enough detail for my taste to begin using it. I’m not sure why people in other reviews are complaining about the lack of an extensive user guide. I think people just like to complain. The device is definitely self-explanatory and if you’re having trouble, the full user guide is available in PDF format on the CD included in the box.
The routing on this device seemed fine as well. I requested a route between my office and my home. The most logical one popped up, but I took an alternate route just to see how quickly the device would re-route itself. It was seamless. The TT calculated a new route within about 5 seconds and it was indeed the route I was intending to take. I tested this a few more times from home to the grocery store, from home to the gym, from the grocery store to the dry cleaners. Each time the device came up with the most logical route and then quickly re-routed itself when I took a different road. Again, I’m not sure about the complaints made in prior reviews about slow re-routing or no re-routing at all. The maps all seemed fine to me. If fact, both my office and my home are located in newly-constructed areas, so there was a good chance that neither would even be on the map, but they were. No problem.
I used the bluetooth option to link my Blackberry 8310 with the TomTom, and that was easy as well. Just click the “phone” option on the TT menu, “search for phones” and then my Blackberry popped up on the list of devices. The TT then asks if you’d like to synch the phone numbers from my phone to the TT. I have about 200 numbers of my phone and it synched in about 15 seconds. Easy enough. When connecting your phone (at least the Blackberry 8310) with the TT, just make sure that bluetooth is enabled on your phone and that you phone is tagged as “discoverable.” This option might turned off as a default.
Last thing, two pleasant surprises: the remote control and iPod controls. The TT 920 comes with a remote control, which I didn’t think I’d use, but it has been a life-saver for my back. I have a deep front windshield on my car and I sit pretty far back in the seat, so I’d likely have to lean all the way forward just to use the touch-screen. The remote controls most options on the TT making it a nice surprise on this device. As for the iPod control, I haven’t tried to use it yet, but if it simply plays my iPod music thru the device then I won’t use it. My car audio system is top-notch and the speakers on the TomTom aren’t very good. I’m hoping it simply displays the song titles and allows me to scroll thru my music library via the remote. We’ll see.
Bottom line, as I mentioned above, I believe this device has the perfect combination of features from the right manufacturer at the right price. I’ll continue to check various maps around the US and will report back in. I’m going to Europe in March and Canada in May, so I can report those results as well.
Tom Tom GO 920
I use this tom Tom on all my service trucks. It offers quality and value, along with simplicity. I have experience other units, however this unit had the opinions I needed and the realiablity I could count on for everyday use. I would recommend the product and the seller for this item.
Great product
Simply put, I ordered and received a TomTom 920. The service was fast and the product as advertized. I couldn’t be happier!
Steve J.
LIfe saver in Europe
I am writing this after just having my TomTom 920 stolen from my car. So, get this unit and keep it safe…
I took this on a month long trip to Europe with my family. We drove extensivly in the UK and Portugal. This unit worked flawlessly everywhere.
We rented small cottages and apartments in several locations and the 920 found them without fail. It handled senic route changes with ease and gave us great confidense to travel about without worry.
IN the UK it was especially handy for us Yanks dealing with the left side drive. As we would approach one of the countless roundabouts. The unit shows and tells you to stay left and which exit of the roundabout to take. It made my left side drive headache smaller.
Tom Tom lets you Go Go!
Tom Tom Go 920 is everything as described. Very easy to use. Got this for my folks who are in their 70’s. Turned it on set their home address, chose a voice and a few options and ready set go. Technology to them is beyond their imagination. Yard sale hunting for them now will be a breeze!
Excellent product.
Works Great
Easy to use, clear, and accurate. Easily compensates for mistakes or changes in the route. If you don’t know the exact address for a store or hotel or whatever you can browse through a menu to find the place you’re looking for in a particular zip code. Bluetooth syncs just fine with Motorolla Razr phone.
great
We have just moved to CT where it is very hilly and the roads have no logic. The Tom Tom has helped us find our way from point A to B. It quickly recalulates new directions when we take a wrong turn. Have not lost the signal unless we venture into NY and go underground for a while. My only complaint is there is no standby button to push when you are at your destination and are going somewhere you know how to get to. The only way to shut off the computer is to turn it off or turn the volume down. I would definately recomend the Tom Tom.
Works in Europe and the US
I saw some reviews that described difficulties in some of the Garmin and TomTom line in acquiring signal and location. I purchased the 920 because it appeared to have all the maps preloaded for the US and Europe but I was skeptical and a little confused by the tape covering the SD card slot with a note printed on it to the effect that no extra memory was required. But I should not have been skeptical. The unit worked wonderfully in several European countries in small towns and cities alike. Very effective navigation directions, always clear and with signal acquisition in well under 60 seconds. The updates over the Internet worked flawlessly using the included software (but I had to use a Windows emulator on my Mac because there was no Mac version). It also works flawlessly in the US. The one nit; it does not seem to last more than 2 hours without a charge so I drive with it plugged into the vehicle’s DC outlet.
Excellent product
Product worked very well and delivered more than expected.
product support also good. Easy to use.
Nice features, but quirky and un-refined. Returned it
Got it at a good price ($315) so decided to try it out. Although it has some really cool features, overall I was dissapointed. It felt like I was beta testing a GPS unit. Like it just wasn’t really ready for prime time yet. And no, it wasn’t because I couldn’t figure it out. I am an uber-nerd and gadget junkie. I did finally get the bluetooth syncing to work (despite the lack of help from TomTom) where I could access the internet through my blackberry, but it would only synch the gas prices when it was docked, which was pretty useless. The suction cup mount that comes with the unit is worthless. There were a lot of things that just didn’t work, or didn’t work they way you would expect them to, so in the end, I returned it for a refund. I’m still going to give it 3 stars though, because it’s a nice unit, but I don’t think it’s quite ready yet.
Great GPS
GPS works great. Good value for the money and it comes with both the U.S. and European maps which is great for us since we are living in Europe and then moving back to the States in about a year. The only problem we have had is with the suction cup not sticking to the windshield but when we put a little water on it it seems to stick better.
Good choice
Compared to Broadwayphoto.com & CameraAddict.com, Amazon is a little more expensice, but it’s fully loaded and no trick. You’ll be asked to pay additional $40 by the previous two sites to buy USA maps. They claimed their lower price is for European maps ONLY, which is not true from their web sites. How ridiculous a GPS for sale in US has no US map loaded!
Therefore, Amazon.com is a honest and good choice for purchasing TomTom GPS!
great product
this is a great product. i already had a TOM TOM and had no hasitation in getting this top of the line model…worth the money.
TomTom 920
I bought this because I travel all over the world but live in HK. Was cheaper buying it on amazon despite the hefty shipping cost. Downloading the HK map was not completely straight forward but in the end managable. Product works quite well – my kids live the “moo” sound it makes when over the speed limit which encourages safety. Navigation is fine also although it sometimes takes some time to find satellite coverage. Hands free feature is also good for calls but would be good if it was voice activated which it is not. Overall a good buy for a specialist GPS product but I still think improvements can be made. Not sure if the traffic system can be used here but ironically given all parts and components for it are made here or in China surprisingly difficult to find them here. Disappointing that a case is not included. Music feature also a little limiting since it does not allow enough music to be kept onto the disc.