- 5-Inch Touchscreen
- Fuel Prices - Find the lowest gas by location and price
- TomTom Roadside Assistance - Reliable roadside assistance you can trust 24/7
- Advanced Lane Guidance - highlights the correct lane
- Maps of US and Canada
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GPS navigation devices have come a long way. What used to be exclusive gadgets that only a few could afford has become nearly as ubiquitous as the car stereo. In recent years this trend has only accelerated with the introduction of GPS navigation capabilities to the smartphones. Some of these smartphone GPS solutions are really impressive and give the standalone GPS devices run for their money. However, there is something to be said for having a dedicated device that will do one thing and do it well. That's why I have continued to use the standalone GPS devices, and will likely do so for foreseeable future.Over the years I've owned several different GPS navigators. Garmin continues to be my preferred brand, but I've also tested several Magellan devices. This is the first TomTom device that I've come across, and although I will probably continue using my Garmin Nuvi, in terms of most essential features TomTom gives it a run for its money.
The TomTom Start that I got comes with the lifetime map updates for US and Canada, so I naturally wanted to make sure that my maps are up to date before I start using it. It turns out that I needed to download the Mac desktop app since my unit did not come with one. Getting the app from the TomTom's website was not the smoothest process shall we say. They really need to make the connectivity and user experience more Mac friendly.
I like the large 5" screen. In my opinion that is an optimal size for a small vehicle GPS navigation unit. Anything larger would obstruct too much of the view through the windshield. The screen is fairly well illuminated even in the bright sunlight.
The screen uses the resistive touch technology, instead of the more expensive capacitive technology that is found in most today's tablets and smartphones. This means that the touch sensitivity is very low, and you have to press fairly firmly before the screen detects the contact. The touch response time is also not very good, nor is the precision. All of these things become very annoying when you are starting your trip and want to get going as fast as possible. If you've never used a GPS navigation unit and are familiar with smartphones, you may be very frustrated when you first start using it.
The device comes with a windshield mount, which is overall OK. I prefer mounting my GPS units to the dashboard instead of the windshield, but this mount will be useful in either case.
Unlike most other GPS navigators that I've tested TomTom only includes one standard voice for the turn-by-turn navigation. You can purchase additional voices online, but these are kind of expensive (about $13 per voice), and they don't include the street name annunciations. This is definitely a shortcoming in my book.
When it comes to navigation TomTom Start's performance was definitely comparable to the one that I've experienced from my Garmin Nuvi. There are a few subtle differences (I think that TomTom acquires satellites a bit faster than Garmin), but nothing in my experience thus far that would make either one of the units a clear winner. I liked all the speed limit indicators, traffic updates, and the exact lane navigation that this TomTom navigator offers, but most of those are only really useful if you drive a lot around bigger cities. If you use GPS navigation predominantly for long road trips, then all of these extra features are a nice add-on but not something that is all that crucial.
Overall I have been very pleased with this TomTom Start navigator. It has all the features that I'd expect from an up-to-date stand-alone GPS device, and it will probably be a solid choice for anyone looking to invest into one of these for a longish period of time. There are a few shortcomings that prevent me from giving it a five-star review, but overall it is as good of a GPS device as you'll come across.
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I have tested many GPS devices over the past 5 to 6 years. Rarely do I use the same model GPS for more than 6 to 8 months. Over time I have seen a great amount of improvement in technology with these devices, and prices have dropped to where just about everyone should be able to afford a reliable GPS navigator for their vehicle. The TomTom START 55M is only the second TomTom GPS that I have tested. My most frequently tested GPS units, which has also become my brand of choice over the years, have been made by Garmin, although I have tested a few Magellan models as well.This TomTom START 55M provides a bright, colorful, 5 inch display, which I enjoy far more than the 4.3 inch displays I have had on most of my other test navigation devices. The downside is that this TomTom model does not have a capacitive touch screen, which means that you have to press your finger fairly hard against the screen to register input. While I have had many other model GPS devices with this same resistive type screen, the TomTom 55M seemed to require more pressure, and registered far more false entries than the previous test models by other manufacturers. My recent Garmin GPS, with its capacitive touch screen, is extremely easy to input information, with a response close to that of a modern day touch screen smart phone (iPhone, Android phone, etc.). Although all GPS manufacturers recommend that you do not attempt to input information into the device while driving, let's face it, we all do it. This TomTom device, with the difficult touch entry, would certainly pose a hazard if you fiddle with it while driving. You want to make sure you have your destination programmed before you begin your journey. If you must alter your destination, or input any waypoints, then I definitely recommend you pull over and do it from a safe, stationary location.
Setup was pretty straightforward, with a map update already available for the device when I connected it to my computer. The download is fairly hefty, and the installation process takes quite some time, but it is almost totally automated. You will need to properly register the device with TomTom before you get the free updates. Installation in the car was a breeze. I'm not a big fan of windshield mounts, but the included mount holds the device firmly in place. I just worry that over time it may not hold as well. After testing the TomTom START 55M in my car for two weeks, I found it to be spot on at getting me to my destination with an efficient route. I don't care much for the navigation voice, and was disappointed to find that TomTom charges a hefty fee to download any additional voices into the device. My Garmin devices have always had several voices to choose from, with many others free for download (although there are a few premium voices that they charge for). One bothersome thing for me is the time it takes to acquire satellites. Because my car sits in direct sunlight at my place of employment, I like to remove the GPS from the windshield or dash and place it in the center console of my car when I am not driving. My Garmin devices go into a kind of sleep mode, using very little battery power, and when reconnected reacquire satellites quite quickly. The TomTom 55M, however, seems to completely power down when I remove it. Once popped back into the mount, I have to power it up, and wait for it to boot up and reacquire satellites. This takes some time, and I do not like the wait time it takes before I can begin navigating. The 5-inch screen displays a lot of useful information, and the menus are laid out well for ease of use. But entering an address on that resistive touch screen is quite a chore, sometimes requiring multiple presses to get it to register a proper touch command. It just seems like TomTom could have used a more sensitive screen for this device, to save the user a lot of frustration. Once you get the 55M programmed for navigation, it performs flawlessly; at least it did for me. The display is bright and easy to read, even with sunlight pouring into the car, and voice prompts are loud, clear, and easy to understand. The lane assist feature is handy, but I did find that traffic updates in my area were not always reliable and accurate.
Overall I find the TomTom START 55M to be a solid performer for an entry level GPS device, with some added bells and whistles not normally found on a low cost GPS navigator. However, I am now back to using my Garmin nüvi 3590LMT 5-Inch Portable Bluetooth GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map and Traffic Updates, which is notably more expensive, but far more easy to operate, faster satellite acquisition, and with much more reliable traffic updates. For someone looking to purchase their first GPS navigator, or to upgrade from a much older and/or smaller device, the TomTom START 55M would be a great choice. The purchase cost is extremely affordable, and the free lifetime maps make it a real bargain. I seriously doubt you would find a better device, with as many features, for the money. For someone with far more patience than me, at dealing with the pesky, low sensitivity touch screen interface, this would be a great choice.
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No two GPS units are the same. I've tried almost every major brand and I prefer the TomTom models. Before this unit, I was using a GPS by TomTom with a smaller screen for vacation trips and navigational adventures in unfamiliar areas.I plugged the unit into the TomTom site and updated the software which took quite some time. But, from previous models' snafus that I had read about, I first deleted voices and icons from the unit to free up space in the unit before I began the download of updated materials. This may not be necessary now, but it was at one time. Once updated, I took it out and began my trip.
The general operation of the GPS is very similar to my older model. Some icons are on the opposite side from my older one. With one touch I could switch views of the map on the screen from a view you'd see by looking down on a map to a view of looking down the road ahead of you. This was convenient and useful to me when I was in congested city settings. I could switch to the view looking down on the map and see streets parallel to me and get a better view around me. Overall, this new one is brighter and the touchpad sensitivity is much better. I felt like I had to press the old screen much harder than I should've had to. This new unit did alert me to a redlight camera that I knew was there, but the older unit has never alerted to the camera. My old one did not have the lifetime maps, so had I spent the money to update the maps it too might have alerted to the camera.
Having the free lifetime maps will definitely be nice. I will never have another GPS unit without the free lifetime maps.
Some say GPS units are dying out. If you travel much outside major metropolitan areas where there are no 3G or 4G cellular towers, you will soon find out just relying on your smartphone to get you there will not work. As long as your up-to-date TomTom GPS can see the sky, it will get you there...and no, I don't work for TomTom or any GPS companies.
So, having tried many GPS systems, I can confidently say that this one is the best yet. I love the large screen and the map layout. I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a good gps system and free lifetime maps. That alone makes it worth a lot, considering that was never offered in the earlier models.
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Initially I will give it 4 stars as this was its first full day of use from mid morning into late evening. All functions worked as advertised, map was accurate out of the box, no updates applied yet and...... though it is not adverised as being able to provide traffic info when I used the car power cord from my XL350TM, how about that, there was the traffic info. I had decided to go with my older cord because the one supplied was way too short for my needs so having the traffic information appear on the screen was a very nice surprise.
Compared to the recently deceased XL 350TM the Start 55M screen felt more sensitive to the touch, its processor a bit speedier reacting to user unput and moving to a 5" screen is easier on the eyes.
The window mounting bracket supplied was had the friction on the ball mount set way too tight, the tension screws will need to be adjusted before I consider it ready for daily use. I'm using the mount from the 350TM which I had already adjusted to my liking and it handled the slight extra weight of the 55M without any problems.
It found and locked on to 10 satelites within a reasonable amount of time in the St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN area. By that I mean it was ready to go by the time I removed it from its travel pouch, turned the unit on, connected the power cord to the unit and the vehicle's cigarette lighter and secured it to the windshield.
Already being familiar with the Tom Tom interface made it for an easy transition from the XL350TM unit to the Start 55M. I can't speak to other reviewers' comparisons across brands all I can say this is not the worse interface ever and it does the job just fine.
As a basic 5" screen GPS with a hidden unadvertised feature and on sale for 129.99 I would suggest anyone not in the market for bells and whistles to give it seroius consideration.
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