Anyone bought a car TomTom recently?

[PINBALL]

Do new or the Latest models sat nav's have any cameras or EU danger zones pre-loaded?

Would like to update from my old XL to the latest sat nav available, but am wondering when they say "subscription required" does this mean that units do NOT come with pre-loaded camera or danger zones anymore ?

Any help with this is greatly appreciated or I'll buy from Argos and return it if this is now the case as my old XL will have at least the cameras listed from 2 years ago.

Have found once before that the claims on the box DO NOT apply to the unit registered online and a subscription was asked for - so returned it for a full refund.

 

[Frosty149]

Borrowed a 1yr old TomTom for a lengthy drive up the M1 in a rental, maps were "lifetime free update" but the updates to the camera locations had to be paid for...
The device is a big improvement on my old XL, camera warnings are clear and with a preliminary visual followed by an audio in good time, on my borrowed one, the battery life was rubbish though!
My sons recent Garmin purchase is no comparison albeit cheaper...

 

[flowrider]

Do you own a smartphone? If so have you considered Waze? Its free, is always upto date with maps and safety zones plus lots more useful info.

 

[Chrishazle]

My 2 year old Tom Tom Go 6000 came with lifetime free map updates and 3 months free trial of the speed camera database (both for EU not just UK). The new models (Go 6200?) come with free lifetime updates for both - but be warned the Tom Tom Live software is not great, and the full update every 3 months takes forever to download and install, also you will almost certainly need an SD card as the installed memory is too small. Another glitsch is that, when doing a full update, the first thing that happens is your existing map data is deleted before the new is installed, so having an install problem leaves the sat nav useless until you get the install problem sorted - happened to me once so far, tok a few days to sort out.

 

[umblecumbuz]

Do you own a smartphone? If so have you considered Waze? Its free, is always upto date with maps and safety zones plus lots more useful info.

Waze is good with 'live' updates, but the navigation is not the best.

I have found, on routes I know well, that Waze sometimes gives me what appears to be a good route but is more 'round the houses' than, say, my Tomtom.

 

[Frosty149]

I travel in London and need live traffic updates, when it's good it saves loads of time, but I've yet to find one that is consistently good.
Then again, traffic situations are always in flux in the smoke and it's probably unrealistic to expect too much.

 

[flowrider]

Waze is good with 'live' updates, but the navigation is not the best.

I have found, on routes I know well, that Waze sometimes gives me what appears to be a good route but is more 'round the houses' than, say, my Tomtom.

I know what you mean but having said that the navigation in my ML sometimes takes me on a less than optimised route, none of them are perfect.

 

[turbopete]

I replaced my old TomTom one with a Start 20 about a year ago. it had a camera download for free and lifetime map updates, but camera updates are via paid for subscription. not much of an issue if you only update them every 2 or 3 years (or longer) but the camera update 'pack' is about £20 per year

 

[Chrishazle]

Same for me Pete, although occasionally Tom Tom do an offer - recently it was 18 months for £20 instead of 12 months. However, the latest models come with free lifetime maps and speed cameras (or "caution zones" in France, as speed camera notification on satnav or similar is illegal).

 

[A.J.]

Went to North Yorkshire via A47, A17, A15 over Humber Bridge and on to Pickering and Rosedale, 225 miles. Came back using son in laws Tom-Tom, 251 miles. Doesn't add up, it said it was a quicker route which it wasn't, maybe in an ideal world. Don't think I will bother getting one, better off with an A to Z.

 

[Frosty149]

The speed camera warnings on my loaned device differentiated between average speed and speed trap cameras and gave my average speed when in an average speed controlled zone.
I'm impressed with that level of license protection...
The downside is you do spend a lot of time looking at it whilst driving, particularly on unfamiliar routes.

 

[flowrider]

The speed camera warnings on my loaned device differentiated between average speed and speed trap cameras and gave my average speed when in an average speed controlled zone.
I'm impressed with that level of license protection...
The downside is you do spend a lot of time looking at it whilst driving, particularly on unfamiliar routes.

TomTom Speed Camera app on Android does the same and its free!

 

[Frosty149]

TomTom Speed Camera app on Android does the same and its free!

Nice! I'll be looking into that, thanks for the heads up!

 

[flowrider]

Nice! I'll be looking into that, thanks for the heads up!

Let us know what you think. I have been using the app for about a year now and it has never let me down.

 

[Frosty149]

Let us know what you think. I have been using the app for about a year now and it has never let me down.

Will do, trouble is I'm apple, but I'm sure there's a equivalent...

 

[rf065]

Have a look at the TomTom GO5200, Lifetime maps, cameras etc, no subscriptions and best of all, updates by WiFi, never needs attached to your computer & mine can even be updated from the car while on the driveway. Faster chip set than older sat nave & is really quick in use.

Russ

 

[Brizzle]

You can get the full TomTom experience for both IOS and Android for far less than the dedicated TT device with free map and camera updates for life. Search for Sygic in either store. There are free and paid for versions and I think you need the paid for one to get the camera updates.

The maps are offline so no mobile data useage and if you're using a mobile phone there is a neat trick to get a HUD at night

 

[PINBALL]

The advantage for me to continue using the original devices is that with a link to android or phone etc - these can fail when driving through mountains or remote areas, so when the signal is lost are all the cameras lost too?

I put this question on Argos feedback / ask question page - to which nobody could answer.

Last TomTom bought was around may 2016 where it was displayed on the box = FREE LIFETIME CAMERA UPDATES which was deceitful because it needed to be linked to a Android / Mobile phone to be any good, so I immediately returned it and view with cynicism any wild attractive phrases on the tomtom box.

Suffice to say that no cameras were being displayed straight out of the box, unless i wanted to be fleeced and pay over £60 for the priveledge to download onto device.

Hence the question - do they come preloaded with cameras and french danger zones anyone?

 

[Chrishazle]

My Go6000 has the maps, cameras/danger zones loaded onto it, updated via PC. The newer 6100 (on offer at Ebuyer recently for just shy of £200) is no doubt the same. I think the only use of the included SIM is to do with traffic updates, which are real time.

 

[Hi RX7]

I've had a 6100 for a few years now, can't fault it apart from being caught out a few times recently by it telling me a delay is ahead just as I've hit it so ****** useless on a few occasions but on the whole good.
The lifetime map and speed camera updates are handy and the speed cameras are nearly as good as a Road Angel Gem (which has just packed up so I'll probably just stick to the TomTom) I think you have to take another subscription for euro maps and speed cameras. I understand they are illegal in France now though.
The 6100 came with lifetime updates which I think you have to log on to your account to initialise if I remember correctly as it was a while ago