Convenient, not always trustworthy and occasionally dangerous
Pros:
Finds most destinations, traffic information, ETA, good price.
Cons:
Falls of windshield, requires fiddling when driving and is often incorrect. Switches destinations underway. Battery.
The Bottom Line:
Adequate with many conveniences, but there must be better models.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
This GPS device allows you to enter address, shows points of interest like gas stations, Gives distance and estimated time of arrival. It permits night and day views, shows detail or full route, warns of toll crossings, asks if you need to arrive at a specific time, and more.
The GPS offers several voices and several view options.
After a relatively long fire up period it asks each time if you agree to the "Tom Tom" terms of service. You accept and choose your destination by cross streets, city center or street and addres.
Underways you can choose to show traffic, or you can choose alternate routes.
It's far from perfect, however.
The first and most important issue comes with the physical product. It attaches with a suction cup easily to the center of the windshield, which, in California, at least, is illegal. In California the unit must be in the outer left hand or the lower right hand corner. Putting it in either corner stretches the connecting chord, which means the unit inevitably pops off the windshield and, if on the left hand side, can roll under the brake or gas pedal creating a terribly dangerous situation.
Second is that the unit changes destination during use. I have at several times wondered why I wasn't getting nearer my destination, only to realize that the unit had switched destinations to my home or to another previous setting.
It is a computer, after all, so it doesn't think, which means it often does not choose the most sensible or the most logical route. In a recent attempt to find my way back to Berkeley from Oakland the unit insisted on taking me to the freeway, far from the shortest or fastest route. Attempts to choose an alternate route failed, and the unit took me into the most dangerous part of Oakland, at one point directing five right hand turns in a row.
The voice instructions, once you are used to them, are a great help, but occasionally come to late. Right turn coming up, for instance, usually comes about 1/2 mile before the turn, but occasionally right before the turn, which means missing it.
Information on estimated travel time or distance and time until the next merge or turn is convenient. Unfortunately at times the unit fails to update the diminishing time unless you fiddle with it - a dangerous practice in traffic (and rightfully illegal in some states).
The screen gives the name of the next cross street and the street being followed, but when an upcoming turn is indicated the name of the street to turn into is not shown. Nor is the destination shown in all views (which makes the occasional sudden destination switch more of a problem).
The unit doesn't hold a charge very long and suffers battery drain when unused for a few days. The drained unti takes a couple of minutes to charge enough to start, which can be extremely annoying.
The plus option solves some of these issues, but It's probably a good idea to check Google Maps or another direction site before starting anyway. I have also learned to read street signs rather than blindly trusting the directions.
