TomTom XXL 540TM 5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition) Review. TomTom XXL 540TM 5.0 GPS with Lifetime Traffic and Map Updates, USA, Canada & Mexico Maps, Over 7 Million POIs, Text to Speech...
"First opinion of this device is great" 2010-05-17
By yogi (Canada)
I just bought it two days back. I was kind of skeptical with the map updates and activation code not working, after reading through so many reviews related with update failure etc.
So I started with a full explorer backup of the device at windows level. It took about 45 minutes. Then I took another backup using Home software. That was another 45 minutes.
Then I deleted unwanted voices to free up some space. It probably removed some 30-40MB of space. There was close to 400MB free after this step.
Then I entered the activation code for lifetime free map updates using the Home software. It worked fine (at least it did not give me any errors).
Then it detected that there is new versions of map available for download. I downloaded the new maps, which took another 20 minutes or so, and took further 30 minutes to update the device.
The downloaded size of new maps was about 1.7GB, whereas the previous versions of maps occupied 1.43GB. Now my device has close to 60MB free out of the 1.9GB memory it has. I think if I would not have deleted unwanted voices, I would have come close to filling up all the space.
I also downloaded the GPSquickfix.
For the safety camera, when I had entered Canada as the home country, it did not show any information available to download. But after I switched it to US (from within HOME software), then it showed the data for US-Canada safety cameras, and I was able to download them.
So overall, I did not face any issues earlier reviewers of TomTom XL/XXL series had mentioned.
Regarding performance, I was pretty impressed with the speed it took to acquire satellite signal. I have a four year old HP-IPaq GPS (which runs TomTom software), and this new one is much faster than the HP one.
Now before I made this purchase, I had bought Garmin 755T last week. I did not like it for one main reason that it did not have up to date maps of my area (especially it didn't show my home even after 7 years it is on TomTom maps). I updated the maps to latest, and still didn't show my home street. Contacting the customer support for Garmin was a pain, with 30-40 min. of wait every time I tried to call them. It was a breeze to contact TomTom support. First time I was connected instantly, and every time after that, it took only few minutes to get connected. Finally, I did not like the colour schemes and sounds which came with Garmin. May be that is my personal preference. But Garmin is not too much customizable, pretty basic stuff you can configure. So it went back within few days.
Hope this review will be useful to you all.
"A fine choice" 2010-05-29
By Official US Govt Taxpayer
I ordered this to replace an older TomTom (GO-720) which gave us wonderful service for a few years. The appeal of this one was the free lifetime traffic (we did ok with the MapShare map updates on the 720, so free map updates were only a minor selling point for the new one).
I opted for one-day shipping - pretty expensive, but it got here in less than 24 hours!
First thing, I downloaded updated map, then tried to download the list of safety cameras. That got me a fatal error, repeated each time I tried to do it. Finally called Tech Support, and was told that safety camera info is not supported in the US, but only outside the US where it is legal. It's too bad they don't bother to tell US customers about that up front.
Then I opted to Add POIs, and was confronted with a 95 page buffet of POIs, submitted by anyone and everyone. Most are rated, which helps, and a few were flagged as having been "reported, and under investigation by TomTom staff for possible removal, which gave me a bit of confidence in them. There were lots of useful ones in that list (such as a list of Ohio Turnpike service plazas, Radio Shacks nationally, Credit Union Service Centers nationally, breweries and brew pubs in several states, etc.), and they don't take up too much room.
On our first test drive, in a small town where there are rarely any traffic tieups, the built-in traffic receiver actually connected, although I don't expect it to get any alerts around here. It should be great when we visit bigger cities.
The XXL picks up GPS satellites much faster than the old 720. It even got a few while we were indoors in a cafe.
The 5" screen is noticeably easier to read than the old one (4.3"), although the traffic bar takes up a bit of the extra acreage on the screen.
In summary, this is a very nice update to the old GO-720, with a number of appealing new features.
"I like it!" 2010-05-19
By sweetz (Doylestown, PA)
I sold my Garmin 265T to buy the TT 540TM. My much older TT was able to find an address that the Garmin couldn't and overall, I like TT's maps and flexibility. I have only used this TT for a week but this is what my experience has been so far. The size is great, the mount is awkward. (Why can't they change that mount?). Satellite reception was quick and the menus were user friendly. The lane assist and traffic worked great on my first trip. Very helpful and accurate. Time arrivals were accurate as well. I have two issues that I am awaiting a reply to from TT. One is that I have had to reset my device when connecting to my Mac a couple of times because it wasn't being recognized. I never had this problem with the older TT. The other issue is that I navigated to my home address yesterday and took the PA Turnpike at the suggestion of the device. I know the route well and also know local ways of getting home. Traffic never showed up on the device and I was stuck in a major delay of 45 minutes for 6 miles. This was frustrating as there was no traffic bar at all despite the fact that the charger/traffic receiver was connected. I have to wonder if the device needed resetting again. After these issues are resolved I hope to upgrade my rating. If these two problems didn't occur I would rate it a 5.
UPDATE! It appears both issues were related as the Traffic feature showed up immediately after resetting. TT customer service very helpful in trying to make certain this does not happen again and led me through the steps to reinstall the application (very easy to do) and that seemed to resolve the recognition problem. I drove it all over the place today and it found the traffic on every route I planned. So I rate the GPS a 5 and the mount a 3.5.
"Worked well right out of the box" 2010-05-05
By George Cross (Molalla, OR USA)
I was skeptical about buying a new product with no reviews but after using it a few times I think I did the right thing. It worked right out of the box and although it would not accept my map update code it did it anyway so I guess the code is not needed if you have the lifetime update model. It comes with a car charger and a USB cable to connect to a PC and also uses the USB's 5 volt power to charge, so you don't need to buy the home charger if you want to do it this way. When connecting to USB you have the option to make a computer connection or just charge. Today I used it to go to a place that I have been before and it directed me to a way I didn't know about that was a few less miles than my usual route. The spoken directions are clear and easy to understand. On major roads it knows the speed limit and shows both your actual speed and the limit, you can choose to be notified with a tone that you select if you get a little heavy with your right foot. The screen is big enough to use a finger to select menu options and type, on my last GPS I had to use a stylus due to it's small size. The only thing that I wish it did but doesn't is when you approach the destination it does not say which side of the street it's on, I found this useful with my Garmin so that you know which lane to be in. So far that's my only gripe.
UPDATE 27 MAY 2010
After extensive use for almost a month and with the two issues resolved I have upgraded my score to 5 stars. It has now accepted my lifetime map code and performed an extensive map download which took almost an hour and my gripe about not showing the destination side of the street is also resolved. I highly recommend this unit.
"Comparison to Garmin nuvi 265w" 2010-08-26
By ut158 (USA)
I already own a Garmin nuvi 265w that we use in my wife's car. I wanted to get a GPS for my car because I'm so good at getting lost. Having used both quite a bit now, I thought I'd compare the two.
Things I like better about the TomTom
1) the TomTom has a bigger screen by about 1 inch (measured diagonally). This is a feature I would have thought would make a big difference, but in everyday use, I didn't really notice much difference. Overall, yes, it is a positive feature, but it just doesn't carry as much weight as I would have guessed.
2) The TomTom does a much better job of acquiring satellites than the Garmin does. Not only is it able to determine my position when I'm in my house (most parts of it, anyway) which is something that the Garmin has never been able to do, but it acquires satellites much faster than the Garmin does when I'm outside. This is a huge plus!
When you first power up the TomTom, it walks you through some quick tutorials so you can quickly familiarize yourself with its features.
3) When you are on the highway and you come to an interchange, you get guidance on which lane you should be in, and many times even get a generated picture complete with green and white signs showing you what the interchange should look like. In all cases that I've seen, it was 100% correct about all the important things--number of lanes, which were going to exit, and even correctly denoted the HOV lane. I was very impressed.
4) The TomTom allows you to go in and edit the maps. You can set/change the speed limit, mark roads as impassible either temporarily or permanently, etc. You can then opt to share these changes with other TomTom users. TomTom verifies these changes (not sure how--I'm guessing they just wait until a designated number of people all make the same change) and then lets other users download the changes, if they want. I found changing the speed limit a little challenging because you have to mark the section of road that the speed applies to and once you start marking, scrolling around and zooming in/out was not very easy (maybe I was just missing something). Marking a road as inaccessible was very simple.
5) Both the Garmin and the TomTom allow you to specify if you want to avoid toll roads, ferries, etc., but the Garmin only allows you to set "avoid" or "don't avoid" whereas the TomTom allows adds another option for each avoidance category, "ask me every time". This makes an awful lot of sense for carpool lanes because sometimes you have someone else in the car and sometimes you don't; I want the GPS to ask me which it is if a carpool lane exit on the freeway, for example, would save me some time.
6) If you get the "TM" version, the TomTom will provide free map updates and traffic data for life (T=traffic, M=maps). I haven't found much use for traffic, but the maps are great because buying maps for GPS units is expensive. I recommend the TM version for this reason.
7) There is one (and only one that I've found) place where the Garmin tells me to turn where there wasn't a road. The TomTom has never done this (even in the same place).
Things I like better about the Garmin
1) You can change the voices on the TomTom, but if you want it to read street names, you really only have 1 choice and it doesn't sound as natural as the Garmin does. Also, the Garmin does a better job in general at pronouncing street names. With very few exceptions, the Garmin gets the pronunciation just right just about every time. Also, like I said, the Garmin sounds more natural--like a human speaking to you instead of a computer. The TomTom sounds more "computerish" in many cases.
2) I prefer the timing of when I get directions from the Garmin over the TomTom. They both give verbal directions at about the same time, but I find the Garmin does a better job at telling me what I want to know when I want to know it. I think this is just a personal preference, though, and others may disagree. Related to this, the TomTom tends to give 2 or 3 steps in a row when they are close while the Garmin tends to do 1 at a time (example "turn left on A Street, then turn left on B Street then you have arrived" from the TomTom vs. "Turn left on A Street" from the Garmin. Both will then tell you to turn left on B Street as you approach it). The Garmin will do 2 instructions at a time if necessary (like if you are getting off the freeway and you need to be in the correct lane--both will say something like "Take exit 100 on right, then keep left") but the TomTom does it more and I prefer the Garmin approach. I also prefer Garmin's way of telling me what to do at a round-about.
3) Sending locations to my GPS via a service like Google Maps is easy on both units, but easier on the Garmin than the TomTom. I also don't like that once you install the TomTom software, it always runs on your computer. As far as I'm aware, the Garmin software is nothing more than an Active X plug-in. This is actually why the transfer is easier--with the TomTom, you are sending data to the stand-alone application whereas with the Garmin, it's just a browser plug-in.
4) The suction cup on the Garmin is easier to use--it operates with a lever while the TomTom has a little knob or dial that you have to turn and it's a little awkward. I've also never had the Garmin fall once it was mounted, but the TomTom has fallen off once or twice. Also, the Garmin swivels better once it is mounted than the TomTom does. Finally, the USB plug is easier to plug in on the Garmin than on the TomTom. None of these are huge deals, but worth noting. On the other hand, the cigarette lighter power adapter for the TomTom fits more snuggly than the Garmin. In one of my cars, the socket is a little loose and the Garmin plug frequently loses its connection, but I haven't had that happen with the TomTom's yet.
Notes about both
Both my Garmin and my TomTom come with lifetime traffic updates. I have never seen any benefit to this on either unit, so I wouldn't get too excited about this feature.
Both GPS units are easy to navigate and intuitive to use. They are different from each other, but I found both pretty easy to use.
So which is better? Gee, that's a hard one; I love them both. They both have strengths and weaknesses. I think the TomTom has more/better bells and whistles but the Garmin is better at the basic GPS functions with one blaring exception--the TomTom acquires the satellites better/faster and that's important. I think if I was forced to choose between the 2, I'd go with the Garmin, but if the Garmin suddenly disappeared and was replaced with another TomTom, I wouldn't be too upset; both are great units!
By yogi (Canada)
I just bought it two days back. I was kind of skeptical with the map updates and activation code not working, after reading through so many reviews related with update failure etc.
So I started with a full explorer backup of the device at windows level. It took about 45 minutes. Then I took another backup using Home software. That was another 45 minutes.
Then I deleted unwanted voices to free up some space. It probably removed some 30-40MB of space. There was close to 400MB free after this step.
Then I entered the activation code for lifetime free map updates using the Home software. It worked fine (at least it did not give me any errors).
Then it detected that there is new versions of map available for download. I downloaded the new maps, which took another 20 minutes or so, and took further 30 minutes to update the device.
The downloaded size of new maps was about 1.7GB, whereas the previous versions of maps occupied 1.43GB. Now my device has close to 60MB free out of the 1.9GB memory it has. I think if I would not have deleted unwanted voices, I would have come close to filling up all the space.
I also downloaded the GPSquickfix.
For the safety camera, when I had entered Canada as the home country, it did not show any information available to download. But after I switched it to US (from within HOME software), then it showed the data for US-Canada safety cameras, and I was able to download them.
So overall, I did not face any issues earlier reviewers of TomTom XL/XXL series had mentioned.
Regarding performance, I was pretty impressed with the speed it took to acquire satellite signal. I have a four year old HP-IPaq GPS (which runs TomTom software), and this new one is much faster than the HP one.
Now before I made this purchase, I had bought Garmin 755T last week. I did not like it for one main reason that it did not have up to date maps of my area (especially it didn't show my home even after 7 years it is on TomTom maps). I updated the maps to latest, and still didn't show my home street. Contacting the customer support for Garmin was a pain, with 30-40 min. of wait every time I tried to call them. It was a breeze to contact TomTom support. First time I was connected instantly, and every time after that, it took only few minutes to get connected. Finally, I did not like the colour schemes and sounds which came with Garmin. May be that is my personal preference. But Garmin is not too much customizable, pretty basic stuff you can configure. So it went back within few days.
Hope this review will be useful to you all.
By Official US Govt Taxpayer
I ordered this to replace an older TomTom (GO-720) which gave us wonderful service for a few years. The appeal of this one was the free lifetime traffic (we did ok with the MapShare map updates on the 720, so free map updates were only a minor selling point for the new one).
I opted for one-day shipping - pretty expensive, but it got here in less than 24 hours!
First thing, I downloaded updated map, then tried to download the list of safety cameras. That got me a fatal error, repeated each time I tried to do it. Finally called Tech Support, and was told that safety camera info is not supported in the US, but only outside the US where it is legal. It's too bad they don't bother to tell US customers about that up front.
Then I opted to Add POIs, and was confronted with a 95 page buffet of POIs, submitted by anyone and everyone. Most are rated, which helps, and a few were flagged as having been "reported, and under investigation by TomTom staff for possible removal, which gave me a bit of confidence in them. There were lots of useful ones in that list (such as a list of Ohio Turnpike service plazas, Radio Shacks nationally, Credit Union Service Centers nationally, breweries and brew pubs in several states, etc.), and they don't take up too much room.
On our first test drive, in a small town where there are rarely any traffic tieups, the built-in traffic receiver actually connected, although I don't expect it to get any alerts around here. It should be great when we visit bigger cities.
The XXL picks up GPS satellites much faster than the old 720. It even got a few while we were indoors in a cafe.
The 5" screen is noticeably easier to read than the old one (4.3"), although the traffic bar takes up a bit of the extra acreage on the screen.
In summary, this is a very nice update to the old GO-720, with a number of appealing new features.
By sweetz (Doylestown, PA)
I sold my Garmin 265T to buy the TT 540TM. My much older TT was able to find an address that the Garmin couldn't and overall, I like TT's maps and flexibility. I have only used this TT for a week but this is what my experience has been so far. The size is great, the mount is awkward. (Why can't they change that mount?). Satellite reception was quick and the menus were user friendly. The lane assist and traffic worked great on my first trip. Very helpful and accurate. Time arrivals were accurate as well. I have two issues that I am awaiting a reply to from TT. One is that I have had to reset my device when connecting to my Mac a couple of times because it wasn't being recognized. I never had this problem with the older TT. The other issue is that I navigated to my home address yesterday and took the PA Turnpike at the suggestion of the device. I know the route well and also know local ways of getting home. Traffic never showed up on the device and I was stuck in a major delay of 45 minutes for 6 miles. This was frustrating as there was no traffic bar at all despite the fact that the charger/traffic receiver was connected. I have to wonder if the device needed resetting again. After these issues are resolved I hope to upgrade my rating. If these two problems didn't occur I would rate it a 5.
UPDATE! It appears both issues were related as the Traffic feature showed up immediately after resetting. TT customer service very helpful in trying to make certain this does not happen again and led me through the steps to reinstall the application (very easy to do) and that seemed to resolve the recognition problem. I drove it all over the place today and it found the traffic on every route I planned. So I rate the GPS a 5 and the mount a 3.5.
By George Cross (Molalla, OR USA)
I was skeptical about buying a new product with no reviews but after using it a few times I think I did the right thing. It worked right out of the box and although it would not accept my map update code it did it anyway so I guess the code is not needed if you have the lifetime update model. It comes with a car charger and a USB cable to connect to a PC and also uses the USB's 5 volt power to charge, so you don't need to buy the home charger if you want to do it this way. When connecting to USB you have the option to make a computer connection or just charge. Today I used it to go to a place that I have been before and it directed me to a way I didn't know about that was a few less miles than my usual route. The spoken directions are clear and easy to understand. On major roads it knows the speed limit and shows both your actual speed and the limit, you can choose to be notified with a tone that you select if you get a little heavy with your right foot. The screen is big enough to use a finger to select menu options and type, on my last GPS I had to use a stylus due to it's small size. The only thing that I wish it did but doesn't is when you approach the destination it does not say which side of the street it's on, I found this useful with my Garmin so that you know which lane to be in. So far that's my only gripe.
UPDATE 27 MAY 2010
After extensive use for almost a month and with the two issues resolved I have upgraded my score to 5 stars. It has now accepted my lifetime map code and performed an extensive map download which took almost an hour and my gripe about not showing the destination side of the street is also resolved. I highly recommend this unit.
By ut158 (USA)
I already own a Garmin nuvi 265w that we use in my wife's car. I wanted to get a GPS for my car because I'm so good at getting lost. Having used both quite a bit now, I thought I'd compare the two.
Things I like better about the TomTom
1) the TomTom has a bigger screen by about 1 inch (measured diagonally). This is a feature I would have thought would make a big difference, but in everyday use, I didn't really notice much difference. Overall, yes, it is a positive feature, but it just doesn't carry as much weight as I would have guessed.
2) The TomTom does a much better job of acquiring satellites than the Garmin does. Not only is it able to determine my position when I'm in my house (most parts of it, anyway) which is something that the Garmin has never been able to do, but it acquires satellites much faster than the Garmin does when I'm outside. This is a huge plus!
When you first power up the TomTom, it walks you through some quick tutorials so you can quickly familiarize yourself with its features.
3) When you are on the highway and you come to an interchange, you get guidance on which lane you should be in, and many times even get a generated picture complete with green and white signs showing you what the interchange should look like. In all cases that I've seen, it was 100% correct about all the important things--number of lanes, which were going to exit, and even correctly denoted the HOV lane. I was very impressed.
4) The TomTom allows you to go in and edit the maps. You can set/change the speed limit, mark roads as impassible either temporarily or permanently, etc. You can then opt to share these changes with other TomTom users. TomTom verifies these changes (not sure how--I'm guessing they just wait until a designated number of people all make the same change) and then lets other users download the changes, if they want. I found changing the speed limit a little challenging because you have to mark the section of road that the speed applies to and once you start marking, scrolling around and zooming in/out was not very easy (maybe I was just missing something). Marking a road as inaccessible was very simple.
5) Both the Garmin and the TomTom allow you to specify if you want to avoid toll roads, ferries, etc., but the Garmin only allows you to set "avoid" or "don't avoid" whereas the TomTom allows adds another option for each avoidance category, "ask me every time". This makes an awful lot of sense for carpool lanes because sometimes you have someone else in the car and sometimes you don't; I want the GPS to ask me which it is if a carpool lane exit on the freeway, for example, would save me some time.
6) If you get the "TM" version, the TomTom will provide free map updates and traffic data for life (T=traffic, M=maps). I haven't found much use for traffic, but the maps are great because buying maps for GPS units is expensive. I recommend the TM version for this reason.
7) There is one (and only one that I've found) place where the Garmin tells me to turn where there wasn't a road. The TomTom has never done this (even in the same place).
Things I like better about the Garmin
1) You can change the voices on the TomTom, but if you want it to read street names, you really only have 1 choice and it doesn't sound as natural as the Garmin does. Also, the Garmin does a better job in general at pronouncing street names. With very few exceptions, the Garmin gets the pronunciation just right just about every time. Also, like I said, the Garmin sounds more natural--like a human speaking to you instead of a computer. The TomTom sounds more "computerish" in many cases.
2) I prefer the timing of when I get directions from the Garmin over the TomTom. They both give verbal directions at about the same time, but I find the Garmin does a better job at telling me what I want to know when I want to know it. I think this is just a personal preference, though, and others may disagree. Related to this, the TomTom tends to give 2 or 3 steps in a row when they are close while the Garmin tends to do 1 at a time (example "turn left on A Street, then turn left on B Street then you have arrived" from the TomTom vs. "Turn left on A Street" from the Garmin. Both will then tell you to turn left on B Street as you approach it). The Garmin will do 2 instructions at a time if necessary (like if you are getting off the freeway and you need to be in the correct lane--both will say something like "Take exit 100 on right, then keep left") but the TomTom does it more and I prefer the Garmin approach. I also prefer Garmin's way of telling me what to do at a round-about.
3) Sending locations to my GPS via a service like Google Maps is easy on both units, but easier on the Garmin than the TomTom. I also don't like that once you install the TomTom software, it always runs on your computer. As far as I'm aware, the Garmin software is nothing more than an Active X plug-in. This is actually why the transfer is easier--with the TomTom, you are sending data to the stand-alone application whereas with the Garmin, it's just a browser plug-in.
4) The suction cup on the Garmin is easier to use--it operates with a lever while the TomTom has a little knob or dial that you have to turn and it's a little awkward. I've also never had the Garmin fall once it was mounted, but the TomTom has fallen off once or twice. Also, the Garmin swivels better once it is mounted than the TomTom does. Finally, the USB plug is easier to plug in on the Garmin than on the TomTom. None of these are huge deals, but worth noting. On the other hand, the cigarette lighter power adapter for the TomTom fits more snuggly than the Garmin. In one of my cars, the socket is a little loose and the Garmin plug frequently loses its connection, but I haven't had that happen with the TomTom's yet.
Notes about both
Both my Garmin and my TomTom come with lifetime traffic updates. I have never seen any benefit to this on either unit, so I wouldn't get too excited about this feature.
Both GPS units are easy to navigate and intuitive to use. They are different from each other, but I found both pretty easy to use.
So which is better? Gee, that's a hard one; I love them both. They both have strengths and weaknesses. I think the TomTom has more/better bells and whistles but the Garmin is better at the basic GPS functions with one blaring exception--the TomTom acquires the satellites better/faster and that's important. I think if I was forced to choose between the 2, I'd go with the Garmin, but if the Garmin suddenly disappeared and was replaced with another TomTom, I wouldn't be too upset; both are great units!
