This has been a great GPS overall. It has helped me find my way around a new city with ease. I like that you can save places you visit often (until I remember how to get there). I also like that it beeps when you are approaching a traffic light with a red light camera. I have had trouble connecting the GPS to my computer to get updated maps. For whatever reason, I have not been able to get the updated maps. Also, the cord that connects the device to the power source in my car has started to come apart. The wire protective covering has come apart & exposed wires.

Napervillemom

Naperville, IL

tomtom xl portable gps navigator is so easy to use & read. it's got a nice big screen which anyone can read & use. it has turn by turn voice which you can change. you can turn up the volume easily. it's great in cars or if you are hiking or walking.

marlene5520

Hartman, AR

I love this GPS! The 5 inch screen is a great size. Everything is very clear to see. If you get off track, it will easily correct for your mistakes and tell you what you need to do. Also easy to update maps by plugging it into computer. Highly recommend this GPS!

GretchenEichstadt

Hales Corners, WI

I have use this several times and no longer have as much of a problem going somewhere I haven't been before. Processing Speed I think that it is pretty good at updating if you make a different turn unexpectantly. Map Quality & Accuracy I find that when it says that you need to turn, you'd better turn or you won't get to where you need to be. I have found it to be pretty accurate on the distance as well. Ease of Use the only feature that I would like to see more of is more points of intrest to put in such as big box stores and locations that have "been there" for a long time and aren't as subject to moving around.

longhorn4

USA

Altough I have a GPS on my phone, I really prefer using my Tom Tom. It is very easy to use and one of the great features is that it does not have an annoying voice. It also doesn't annoy you when you make a mistake and it tells you it is recalculating your route. I used one that repeatedly said "recalculating, recalculating "' and I hated this. I like all of the features included and would recommend this to anyone who has been thinking about getting a GPS.

mamamae

Lewiston, ID

iread about the problems with the gps system and it having a low memory and the map ugrade crashingsystem although i heard about all this i have had no problems out of the product what so ever  really like IQ Routes. My previous GPS devices would always suggest the same routes, giving a deceiving arrival time because they had no idea about traffic lights and rush hour delays. The 340S routes me the quickest way using back roads just like the locals know. And the arrival time is much more realistic. It's great  also like the "Travel Via" option. I often times need to stop at a store, bank, gas, food, etc along the way. With the "Travel Via" option & "POI Along Route", you can find what you need directly along your route.It has a nice map & navigation display, and has a reasonably fast boot-up, and very fast satellite capture. The display is a little dim in bright sunlight Lastly, I can't find a direct Speed Camera database to load into the POI. That would be nice  

taramotes

Hayneville, AL

This review is from: TomTom XL 340TM 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition) (Electronics) I was a dedicated Garmin user until I bought a newer version and it lasted one week before the screen went blank during a trip and repeatedly overheated. I returned it for the top of the line version and it lasted almost 2 weeks before the screen went blank and never recovered. Disgusted with the newer Garmins I decided to try TomTom. I bought a cheaper model as I wasn't sure if I would like it. I am now a dedicated TomTom user. I am looking for reviews on newer models. My model is XL 340-TM. I especially appreciate the advance lane notification and spoken street names. Lifetime maps and live traffic are great as well. Live traffic has spared me time and headaches by rerouting me when there were accidents or traffic jams. The one problem it has is that the cord is in an awkward location and frayed within a month. This is a big concern as I am sure it will eventually lose connectivity and I won't be able to charge it. I have contacted TomTom online in regards to the problem. TomTom Customer Service: the online customer service was acceptable and the phone customer service was exceptional. My call was taken in a timely manner without going through a dozen prompts. The person I spoke to was polite, helpful, and spoke English. My issue was promptly resolved. Garmin VS TomTom: I upgraded my maps on both units and for several days I programmed my routes using both my TomTom and my Garmin for purpose of comparison. The TomTom won hands down as it was more precise and provided better detail when indicating a turn. Had I used my Garmin alone I would have missed two turns as the voice directions did not provide enough information regarding where to turn, which presented a problem when there was more than one option. My Garmin also referred to streets by different names on two occasions, which resulted in me missing my turn. There was a lack of consistency in directions, which caused confusion on occasion as sometime keeping right meant to keep right and other times it meant to turn right. I don't intend to toss my Garmin, but it has definitely taken a backseat to my TomTom and will be the last Garmin I purchase. Processing Speed TomTom found satellite faster than Garmin 95% of the time.

MikiHaas

Vincentown, NJ

I've seen other people's GPSes and used them, but my first foray into GPSes was this one. Why? Mainly because Garmin has no answer to TomTom's IQroutes! TomTom has a software thing where unless you opt out, it collects and aggregates data from existing TomTom users to get a historical record of how quickly traffic moves at any given time and day. It's anonymous once aggregated, so they don't track your every move as an individual or anything. Anyway, TomTom uses the data to plan routes, so that if you plan a trip from your home to IKEA on Sunday at 5pm, it may direct you down one path, but if you plan the same trip on Wednesday at 7pm, it may direct you down another path. Very cool, and Garmin has only some lame Google wannabe system right now, though I suspect that they are working day and night to catch up to TomTom's IQroutes feature. Couple IQroutes with real-time traffic updates (the receiver is in the charger that hooks up to your car), and you get a powerful one-two punch. I saw this in action when I drove into a traffic jam on the freeway and the unit sensed it and told me to get off the freeway and take an alternate route, all without my having to ask it to do so. (You can program it do behave differently though. The 340 and 540 are more programmable than the 350 and 550, which is why most people prefer the 340/540. There is no difference between the 340 and 540 except screen size, by the way.) Where this unit falls short is in text-to-voice, where Garmin still does a better job. TomTom's TTV is okay but struggles with some words, particularly in non-English languages. Furthermore, my unit keeps saying to turn late, so it will say to turn in 250 feet, but it really means 50 feet sometimes... I wish I could program it to give me more warning. (It does warn you 1/4 mile before a turn, then 250 feet before a turn, then tells you to turn, but the 250 feet needs to be 250 feet and not 50, imho.) Lastly, Garmin tells you whether the destination is on the left or right, but TomTom does not. A little quibble, but still... One thing to note is that while you get lifetime map updates and free traffic receiving, if you read the fine print, TomTom says that once its maps get too big to fit onto the onboard 2GB of memory, that's it for you. Your 340TM is done, since it has no expandability via a SDHC slot or something. So all TomTom has to do to renege on the "lifetime" map updates is to make maps >2GB and they can effectively cut you off. So you will have to buy another GPS at some point. That probably will not happen for at least another few years, though, by which point you will have gotten a lot of value from this GPS.

strata

Oakland, CA

I had always used the Magellan navigation systme but after a deal at target and getting passed the slow turn on time I got to like the nice screen, which can be very sensitive, though. I also like the customizable details such as voice, among other things. What I didnt like is that it's not as big as the XXL but it is not small enough to fit in your pocket.  The user guide is not very helpful but for the most part the gps is easy to use.  It does not always give the fastest directions either but it will save you if you are lost. I do not leave the house without a gps, but now that I have one on my phone (which is good for portability) It is probably a better idea to buy a bigger screen sized model for the car.  I do also wish that it didn't need such an accurate address which is sometimes a problem since I meet people at (shady and not shady) intersections, but I do not know the address of the starbucks on the corner.

smartassukrigga

Davis, CA

This unit comes with preloaded maps of the United States, Canada, and Mexico making it great tool if you are driving a lot, like me.  It also has big 4.3" full-color touch screen which is good.  Its size is perfect, still leaves plenty of space on windshield for you to the road.  It has advanced lane guidance gives you extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions. Text-to-speech provides clear driving instructions with actual street names.  24/7 IQ Route Technology calculates the fastest route possible using actual average speeds of travel rather than posted speed limits.  It contains 7 million points of interest. Has Help Me menu with quick access to emergency.  Foldable mount, good for portability.  You can instantly modify street names, street direction, road speeds, turn restrictions, and POIs on your own device and benefit from others' corrections.

radmaz

Carol Stream, IL