TomTom live traffic, is it any good?
Discussion
My Satnav is getting rather old and tired and I really can't stand getting stuck in traffic so I was thinking of buying one of these. I don't have a smartphone but this model apparently has a data connection built into the unit to download traffic and speed camera data.
Basically is it any good? Being able to avoid traffic would be a godsend but if it doesn't work too well then I'd be better off with a cheaper unit. Also is the speed camera location data accurate, up to data and worth paying £19.99 per year for?
Basically is it any good? Being able to avoid traffic would be a godsend but if it doesn't work too well then I'd be better off with a cheaper unit. Also is the speed camera location data accurate, up to data and worth paying £19.99 per year for?
TomTom live Traffic is very good when it's working which often isn't the case due to one problem or another. When it's fully functioning, I've found it to be invaluable. Unfortunately in the last year or so it really has gone down the pan.
The TomTom camera database isn't worth the money. You'd be far better off using the one at http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/ which is more accurate and updated weekly.
The TomTom camera database isn't worth the money. You'd be far better off using the one at http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/ which is more accurate and updated weekly.
Well I bought it and it's very shiny. After many hours of updating I signed in to the services and had a scroll around the map and it seemed to be aware of various road closures and roadworks which google maps agreed with but being midnight there wasn't a whole lot of traffic around. I haven't actually driven anywhere using it yet so I'll give it a couple of weeks before forming too much of an opinion.
see you have my product the "flagship" 6000 ...with a big miss ,you will see a "avoid road block" icon thatds greyed ,it doesnt work.
ttwice I have been taken down a side street that was closed ( both utility digs I was stuffed ,had to get my 8 year old garmin set it up and us its avoid named steet button ,could have used avoid route by half a mile as well.
Very bad from tom tom,plus it loses traffic and camera connections all the time.
ttwice I have been taken down a side street that was closed ( both utility digs I was stuffed ,had to get my 8 year old garmin set it up and us its avoid named steet button ,could have used avoid route by half a mile as well.
Very bad from tom tom,plus it loses traffic and camera connections all the time.
I recently bought a GO 6000, although originally I had decided on the equivalent Garmin (3598LMTD) due to all the stories of Tomtom not having half the features it used to etc, but the Halfrauds I went in had a GO6000 they had just udpated with the latest updates, and comparing the two side by side, I just preferred the new tomtom 'search' system that reduces the number of menu clicks to get to a POI or address to a minimum, not to mention it's POI and online searching found some pretty obscure shops and businesses that have been missing on previous sat-nav's I've owned, and of course they've now added voice control which was one of the biggest differentiators with the Garmin.
In terms of traffic, it certainly beats all our pool cars that have TMC based traffic on their nav units, finding relatively small local jams that just don't show up on normal TMC based systems, although it can take 10 minutes to connect to tomtom services depending on the signal strength in your area, sometimes it's a few seconds, sometimes it's not, and twice it has dropped out for 5-10 minutes on Spanish motorways, but it already had downloaded the latest info just before so it wasn't an issue.
I think it is still missing an explicit avoid roadbloack, although it does have alternative routes now, it kind of relies on it's traffic a bit too much, although it's not been an issue in the 4 months and 4000 miles of constant use.
In terms of traffic, it certainly beats all our pool cars that have TMC based traffic on their nav units, finding relatively small local jams that just don't show up on normal TMC based systems, although it can take 10 minutes to connect to tomtom services depending on the signal strength in your area, sometimes it's a few seconds, sometimes it's not, and twice it has dropped out for 5-10 minutes on Spanish motorways, but it already had downloaded the latest info just before so it wasn't an issue.
I think it is still missing an explicit avoid roadbloack, although it does have alternative routes now, it kind of relies on it's traffic a bit too much, although it's not been an issue in the 4 months and 4000 miles of constant use.
If you go to the TomTom route planner ( Link) - you can see the traffic information a live device will show (though devices can only see a limited horizon about 50 miles I think) - subject to it connecting OK
I find it tends to be a little optimistic about delays - but it usually gives me enough info to know when to avoid the queue.
I find it tends to be a little optimistic about delays - but it usually gives me enough info to know when to avoid the queue.
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