Which TomTom for me

[greeners29]

Hi all.

I currently have a Tomtom 300 and have had it for over 4 years. The time has come for a upgrade and i find myself overwhelmed by the amount of choice and information.

I was looking t the 740 but then saw i could get the 750 for about ?50 cheaper. are there any real differences between the two and why is the older model dearer than the newer one?

Also the 750 seems to have very mixed reports judging by the customer reviews i have read, with the map updating and lack of memory to do this seemingly a big problem.

Then there are the other models and i dont really know what the differences are. Is the Xl model any good.

I hope there is someone who can give me a bit of information regarding which one is best for me..

 

[dhn]

Welcome to TTF!

Look for UK based supermod, MikeAlder, to post to this thread and give you good advice.

 

[mikealder]

The product range has moved on some considerable distance since the good old 300, I have tried to list a few points to consider for your next device:

Is Handsfree for your phone via Bluetooth important (probably not as your 300 didn't support this), if it is something you want then consider the Go-540 or Go-550 for UK use or the Go-740 or Go-750 for Full European mapping supplied with the device. If you are planning a holiday trip to North America then the Go-940 or Go-950 fit the bill as these are supplied with both Western_Europe and North American maps installed - Note of all the models listed so far only the Go-940 is capable of playing mp3 tracks and contains an FM Transmitter to play the sound via your radio.

Not interested in the Handsfree side of things then look at the XL IQ or the XL IQ Live, this latter device does require a monthly subscription charge to access the Live services such as the HD Traffic system which provides information about traffic delays on your route and can avoid them, the XL IQ is a great unit but doesn't offer Handsfree or the Live HD Traffic service.

If I was going to purchase a new device using my own hard earned cash from the current product line up I would be looking at either the XL IQ or XL IQ Live as these devices simply work with no real issues, the higher model spec Go devices only offer a few add on features such as Handsfree for the phone and that doesn't work very well IMHO (unreliable and very dependent upon the make/ model of phone you own), as I have a decent quality handsfree system fitted to my car I don't need the handsfree option from the TomTom.

Perhaps if you were to reply detailing what you want from the device in way of functionality we can offer more specific advice, but upgrading from a Go-300 I would look at the XL IQ but consider the XL IQ Live if you travel more than 12,000 miles per year which is when the HD Traffic becomes cost effective - Mike

 

[greeners29]

Thanks for the advice guys.
I work all over the country and in the last year have done over 25k miles. There are not really any features on my current one so just use it to get from A to B.

I would like lane assist, IQ routes and HD traffic. Hands free would be useful as my new Nokia N900 does not work with my Blue-tooth headset.

I am not really sure of the differences between the XL models and the Go's but for maps i only really need the UK as i have only ever driven a car abroad once in 20 years.

Apart from blue-tooth is there any real difference between the XL and Go models?

 

[dhn]

The Go series had expansion sdhc slots, the XL series does not. And really be careful of models now shown with a 2 besides them. They have a 'simplified' menu which many might more correctly refer to as 'dumbed down'.

 

[greeners29]

Well i eventually went for the Go 940 as i wanted to use it for the MP3 player aswell as a sat nav.

I must say what a difference it is to my old model. It is now the main hub of my car as a MP3 player, sat nav and hands free.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[markjrenna]

I'd only buy one with "Live" service and Lifetime Maps included.

"XL 340 M LIVE Lifetime Maps Edition" is what I would buy going forward if I did it all over again.

The Live service with IQ Routes is what separates the TomTom from the rest.