which tomtom?

MuGeN · 21 Feb 2009 at 22:46

i'm gonna buy myself a tomtom (i was actually holding out to get an all in one pioneer unit for my integra when i got it but thats gone out the window for now with current exchange rates) - so anyway, i'm thinking i'll be fine with whatever the latest smallest one is (tomtom one v4?)

just wondering if there is any good reason to go for a higher model? don't wanna buy it and wish i'd spend a few more quid...

anything on the higher models genuinely worth having?

PC-M Vip3r · 21 Feb 2009 at 23:04

No just get the tomtom one. I personally went for a high end model and never use any of the extra features. I never use the Traffic and the hands free is rubbish so i ended up buying a proper one anyway.

RastaManBob · 21 Feb 2009 at 23:26

I think features on the higher end models are well worth it... Certainly for me the FM transmitter alone justifies the cost. This allows MP3's to be played in between voice instructions (Music fades out and back in again during instructions).

You should be able to find the 520 very cheap by now (Certainly not much more than a One). This has a firmware upgrade, official through TomTom, that brings it inline with the 530 series - Therefore it has all of the 530 features such as lane assist and IQ routes. The only difference between your (officially) flashed 520 and the 530 would be a different colour theme and a lack of silver trim on the actual device.

For the difference in cash, I'd go for it even if you are not sure... I certainly don't think the difference will be an amount that you'll loose sleep over if you find you don't use the satnav very frequently.

Elitejungalist · 21 Feb 2009 at 23:28

I ended up getting the tomtom classic one from argos recently, it was 80 pounds and does the job well.

bobert50 · 22 Feb 2009 at 00:01

Get a tomtom 520 from an online store cheaply (theres a store that sells bargains that are refurbished but mine came sealed/boxed / 1 year tomtom warranty etc), then upgrade the firmwire and use the 30 day latest map guarenteee so it acts just like a 540 at a considerably higher cost.

You also have the advantage of 400hz over the 266hz processors that are in the tomtom classic / xl etc, so as a result it'll look noticably smoother.

Really happy with mine so far, cost me £103 ( i think ) and its been great.

MuGeN · 22 Feb 2009 at 00:05

hmm ok, nothing really prompting me to go for a higher model (which would also be physically bigger) - i really am quite happy just to have a small device that gives me directions...

one question - most places sell a "tomtom one v4" and a "tomtom one v4 assist" as different items - same price usually aswell - any ideas what the assist is?

bobert50 · 22 Feb 2009 at 00:25

Well the non-xl ones might be smaller but they're nowhere near as easy to read imo. The example i gave has all the latest features of the mega-expensive ones after the firmwire update like lane guidance etc etc. Gimmicks or not its still a better product by a margin.

Why get the bog standard one for slightly less money? seems daft to me thast all....

JamesRJ · 22 Feb 2009 at 03:36

Assist version comes with 12 months breakdown cover.

bledd · 22 Feb 2009 at 03:57

tomtom one v3 does the job fine here

MuGeN · 22 Feb 2009 at 09:41

do these little tomtoms charge from a standard usb cable (well, the small usb connection)? if so i'll save a bob or 2 on the charger as i have an old motorola phone charger which is standard usb...

RastaManBob · 22 Feb 2009 at 10:21

In my experience the batteries in most satnavs are not up to much... I'd always just hook up the incar charger (Which obviously comes with the device). For me at least, it is the longer drives where I am more likely to take the satnav with me... The short ones where the battery would alone would be fine, I generally know my way around.

All of this coming from somebody who went out and bought the TomTom charging kit :rolleyes:

Trust me, wasted cash there!

bledd · 22 Feb 2009 at 12:44

Mugen, they do charge with mini-usb yes

I've got an incar lighter adaptor (came with it), and i use the pc to charge it in work etc

philjohn · 22 Feb 2009 at 13:42

The only real benefit currently of getting the top-end models is the IQ-routes feature (looks at historical data on real road speed, rather than just using the speed limit to calculate shortes/fastest routes, also takes into account day of the week and time of day).

We've got the One 30 series (the latest TomTom One V4 - for some reason it's official name is the 30 series) and it does a fine job of getting us from A to B when on long trips.