I travel to various regions of the country (US) and normally rent a gps through the rental car company. Rencently though I bought a TomTom XL 340TM 4.3-Inch Portable GPS.
It was inexpensive so I was somewhat pensive on its ability to be an effective navigation device. Here are some thoughts on the device:
-The unit is fairly intuitive from entering and address to reading the display information to changing volume.
-Volume control is speed sensitive so when you enter a freeway the volume increases accordingly
-The Advanced Lane Guidance feature makes it easy to determine exits off of freeways. The proper exit is shown with green arrows on the screen so if there are multiple lane exits you have ample time to merge
-On the top right of the screen it shows you the next intersection that coincides with your exit/turn and displays it in miles and minutes.
-On the bottom of the screen a display shows you how many miles and how much time you have left in your trip
-Your speed limit and the posted speed limit is shown on the right/bottom of screen
-Voice controls are clear and give you ample time prior to a lane/change or turn.
-Adding an itinerary was easy once I understood how to add waypoints to make the most efficient trip possible. This took me about 10 minutes of playing with the device but was easy to do once the process was understood.
-When searching for an address, you can click on the "State" Icons and choose which state where your destination is to help search for the city faster.
-Traffic Delays were nice to have and were fairly accurate when I was driving in the DC/Virginia/MD areas
-The Fold & Go EasyPort Mount was simple to use and easy to attach to the windshield.
-Volume control, although intuitive can be a little touchy when increasing or decreasing the volume.
Product Description:The brand new TomTom XL 340TM GPS is an amazing widescreen portable navigation device. No activation, no monthly fees. TomTom has the most accurate maps. Get it today!
Amazon.com Product Description:Get street smart with the TomTom XL 340·TM--complete widescreen navigation, featuring Lifetime Traffic and Map Updates. Outsmart traffic and minimize delays with Lifetime Traffic Updates. Based on incoming traffic events, your device will suggest alternate routes. And, with Lifetime Map Updates you'll always drive with the latest and most accurate maps. On average, 15% of the road network changes each year, so it is important to have the most up-to-date maps. With the XL 340·TM you'll always stay current.
 Complete widescreen navigation, featuring Lifetime Traffic and Map Updates. |
 Expand your horizons with a 4.3" extra-wide touchscreen. |
 The award-winning Fold & Go EasyPort mount folds into the back of the device for maximum portability. |
Switch on and go right out of the box. Spoken turn-by-turn instructions including street names will guide you to any address in the US, Canada, and Mexico--including more than 7 million preloaded points of interest. The TomTom XL 340·TM is complete, widescreen navigation.
Only TomTom has IQ Routes Technology* which shaves time off even the shortest trips by calculating the fastest route based on time of day you are traveling. You'll always drive the smartest, most efficient route while saving time, fuel and money. Advanced Lane Guidance** uses photorealistic images to bring even more clarity to complex multi-lane exits so you can be more confident on the road.
With TomTom Map Share technology you can instantly modify street names, street direction, POIs, road speeds and turn restrictions on your own device. The "Help Me!" menu provides added safety features so you can easily access local emergency providers. The award-winning Fold & Go EasyPort mount folds flat against the device, making it easy to take it with you from car to car.
Maps of US, Canada & Mexico with Map Share
Preloaded with maps of the US, Canada and Mexico. TomTom has the most accurate maps and with TomTom Map Share technology you can instantly modify street names, street direction, POIs, and more on your own device and receive daily verified updates from TomTom. Spoken turn-by-turn instructions and 3D graphics will guide you to any address in the US, Canada and Mexico, worry free.
Lifetime Traffic & Map Updates
Enjoy a lifetime of easy driving with two great features from TomTom. LIFETIME Maps guarantees you receive four new editions of your TomTom map each year to ensure that you are always navigating with the industry's most up-to-date map. And, LIFETIME Traffic sends updates to your TomTom every three minutes, so you can always steer clear of traffic delays and take the fastest route possible to your destination.
7 Million POIs
Preloaded with more than 7 million points of interest in over 60 destination categories. Easily find millions of gas stations, restaurants, hotels, ATMs and more on your route. Or, seek out a new tourist attraction, nightlife spot, or shopping center and navigate directly to it. Customize by adding your own points of interest.
IQ Routes Technology
TomTom IQ Routes Technology puts the driving experience of millions of TomTom users into your maps to shave time off even the shortest trips. Calculates the fastest route possible based on time of day. With TomTom IQ Routes you'll always drive the smartest, most efficient route. IQ Routes saves you time, fuel and money.
Traffic isn't the same during Monday morning rush hour as it is on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Heavy traffic, rotaries, traffic lights, and even pedestrians can slow you down. The route you need changes depending on the day and time, so the shortest route isn't necessarily going to be the fastest. With TomTom IQ Routes you'll always drive the fastest route.
Advanced Lane Guidance*
TomTom Advanced Lane Guidance gives you extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions by showing you which lane to take, so you won't miss your turn or have to make sudden, dangerous lane crossings. Photorealistic images and a pulsing green arrow indicate exactly which lane to use, so you can go confidently.
Spoken Street Names
Announces turn-by-turn directions aloud, including street and place names.
4.3" Touchscreen
Expand your horizons with a 4.3" extra-wide touchscreen. An additional 20% in size allows an expanded driving view and easier menu operation.
Fold & Go EasyPort Mount
The award-winning Fold & Go EasyPort mount provides maximum portability. The EasyPort mount folds neatly onto the back of the device, so both are small enough to fit into your pocket or bag. The EasyPort mount makes your device even more portable so you can take it with you wherever you travel.
*Feature only available in the US and Canada
**Feature available in the US only
All TomToms Feature
Plug & Go--Works right out of the box.
30 Day Latest Map Guarantee--Up to date, off the shelf.
TomTom Map Share--Modify your own map and benefit from others' verified changes with TomTom Map Share.
Help Me! Emergency Menu--Easily access local emergency providers such as police, fire stations and hospitals.
TomTom HOME--Always up to date.
Fuel Price Service (optional)--Know more, pay less.
What's in the Box
XL 340TM GPS device, EasyPort mount, USB cable, adhesive disk, car charger w/ integrated traffic, and user guide + LT maps voucher
About TomTom
Founded in Amsterdam in 1991, TomTom has established itself as a global leader in navigation by being an innovative company with a strong brand, clear customer focus, and high quality products and services.
TomTom is the world's leading navigation solutions provider with navigation products sold in 30 countries and in over 20 languages. To further our commitment to car navigation, TomTom acquired Tele Atlas maps in 2008 so we can continually provide the most up-to-date maps and intelligent routing.
We have our own mapping company!
Did you know that every year roads change by up to 40% in high-growth areas? Tele Atlas manages this by using the world's most comprehensive systems to identify and incorporate these changes into our maps with unprecedented levels of speed and accuracy. All TomTom devices benefit from the Tele Atlas advantage--more coverage, more points of interest, and more freshness and accuracy.
Why TomTom?
At TomTom, we believe that personal navigation should be as easy and safe as possible. We develop smart technology that gives you straightforward solutions, innovations to make life easy.
Customer Reviews
Very good GPS for the price.
I had a Garmin. I happily gave it up for this simple TomTom GPS. I live in New York City and very much appreciate the IQ Routes (especially going through Brooklyn), Lifetime traffic (no added fees) and Lifetime map updates (again no added fees). The destination time accuracy is almost always on the mark. That is the most important aspect for me.
Some things I don't like are: the touch screen (feels flimsy and sometimes hard to input data), the low memory (huge flaw but I guess that's why it is priced the way it is), the lag in pulling up trip map details, unable to build multiple stop route with final destination time calculation (i.e. it can do an itinerary but will not calculate whole trip time, just each leg at a time), and unable to see new alternate routes before agreeing to be rerouted on them. I am sure there are more but they are small.
Overall the GPS gets me where I need to go and I usually trust the fastest routes, unlike my old Garmin. I highly recommend for those in New York City who are on a budget.
Generally, it is a good choice.
When I was in NYC and Washington DC, it seemed not very easy to navigate when walking. Sometimes, I cannot even get signal when I really need to use it. However, when drive the car with it, it works awesome.
Works great, but touch screen sensitivity and speed a little lacking
Have owned TomTom GPS in some form or another since 2003. I bought the software to install on my Windows PDS and my wife's Palm PDA. I bought the GPS mice separately and it worked great. One Christmas my wife bought me a TomTom One basic model after my GPS mouse got a broken USB connector. Routing was great, as time went on the Maps got old. I got to be a hassle to shuffle it back and forth between both vehicles. Still use it today. The new one was purchased on a deal of the day. Great Price and reviews mentioned people having issues with updating the maps and running out of space on the device. Simply deleting a few unused voices and then updating was the fix.
My main problems are the touch screen and processor speed. It is slow in responding compared to my past version. You really need to press and wait for the input to take. Also the zoom in and out on the map is real slow if there is a lot of detail. So if you are trying to look around the map by moving the center point and zooming in and out a bunch, you will be annoyed. Great price, but beware the limited processor speed.
Would I do it all again....YEAH. It works great. The new features are awesome.
