Buy map udates for TT One 3rd, or buy new GPS?

[Teddydogno1]

I bought my TT One 3rd Edition a couple of years ago and never took advantage of the one year of updates (which I supposedly was entitled to). Now it is several years out of date and I do notice errors and missing roads, etc. I don't actually travel a lot or use it too much, but it does come in handy when needed.

When I connect to the PC and TT Home, I am given an offer of a one-time map update plus a year of quarterly updates for about $75 total (and not separable). My quandry is, should I go ahead and update, or should I just buy a whole new, more modern GPS? I bought my mom a Nuvi for Christmas last year and it was only about $125, has a larger screen and spoken street names.

Any thoughts to help me make this decision? Thanks!

Rob

 

[Rick F.]

Hi Rob,

Welcome to the forum.

I was in the same boat as you just a month or so ago. I've used a 3rd edition for almost 3 years. It worked well... but the map was old and I found myself driving in green pastures a few time (according to the TomTom).

The newer GPS's from TT offer quite a bit more with ALG (advanced lane guidance), IQ routes (recommending routes depending if rush hour or not), lifetime map updates and free traffic (FM traffic - not live traffic). I was all set to buy the XXL 540TM-WTE (world traveler edition). This one is 5" wide, comes with 4-gig internal memory, maps of North America and Europe. It also has lifetime map updates (but N. America only) and free traffic. But, I saw an XL-335TM at Target on sale for $149 and decided I really didn't need a map of Europe. The XL-335TM has 2-gig memory, map of North America with lifetime map updates and free traffic. I chose the XL335 over the XL340 because I didn't think I would ever need a map of Mexico. Not having the Mexico map frees up a bit of memory.

What I noticed about the newer model (over the 3rd edition) is the display changes from day to night automatically (if selected), spoken street names at turns, the volume of turn instructions change automatically with the speed of you car (lower when slower), more POIs, itinerary planning, posted speed limits on most roads displayed next to your vehicle's speed, and a few others I can't think of right now.

It just didn't make sense for me to spend $75 on a new map for an old device – that may not fit on 1 gig of memory. If I spent just twice that much, I could get a whole new unit with lifetime map updates and traffic.

 

[Teddydogno1]

Thanks. That's kind of the way I was leaning. Just hate "disposable" electronice and stuff. I'll watch the holiday sales for a new unit, then, I think.

Rob

 

[Sibir Lupus]

Thanks. That's kind of the way I was leaning. Just hate "disposable" electronice and stuff. I'll watch the holiday sales for a new unit, then, I think.

Rob

GPS Units were not so disposable even as little as two years ago. A good friend of mine got me a TomTom 130S for my birthday, which was roughly $300 at the time. With a $300 130S, the one year of map updates for around $80 was a sensible option. But now you can buy a brand new 130S $100.

You can see just how much prices have dropped in such a short time. When my old 130S was stolen from my apartment a couple of months ago, my renter's insurance gave me the full value for it which I used to buy my GO 2405. Units with lifetime maps are far less disposable as you will have the newest maps for years to come. Lifetime traffic sweetens the deal with some of the new units .

 

[MamaKas]

Rick F.-
May I ask when you saw the TomTom XL 335TM at Target for $149?
Thanks!

 

[Teddydogno1]

I ended up buying an XXL 540 TM from Amazon for $130 last week. Thanks for the thoughts, guys.

Rob

 

[dhn]

You can't go wrong with the TM inclusion for the 540 at that price.

 

[Rick F.]

Rick F.-
May I ask when you saw the TomTom XL 335TM at Target for $149?
Thanks!

Looks like Target's price for the XL-335TM went up. I got my XL-335 TM about a month or maybe six weeks ago. But I see Amazon has the XL-335TM for $159. If interested, here's a link:
Amazon.com: TomTom XL 335TM 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition): Electronics