Experiences with this TomTom abroad and detailed information about the operation and functions

Experiences with this TomTom abroad and detailed information about the operation and functions

TomTom Start 25 Europe Traffic M, GPS, Free Lifetime Maps, 13cm (5 inch) display, TMC, lane assistant, parking assistant, IQ Routes Europe 45 (Electronics)

Customer Review

Purchase decision

A few days ago I ordered the TomTom Start 25 Europe Traffic M with 13 cm screen, in the large version, so with 45 country maps. Before that I had already 2x a TomTom device, the last model XXL. I wanted to definitely go back a Navi with a large display, which I liked very much especially at XXL. A new device was needed, since only costs rankommt with the old TomTom new map updates. And they are so expensive that I rather worth buying a new one. We travel a lot abroad, and especially in Spain so many new roads have been built, that my TomTom XXL was hopelessly out of date from the year 2010 ... I was very certain to buy a TomTom more. Indeed, there are now many manufacturers who offer map updates for free. So I started my search for a new Navi and stopped once again hang in TomTom. Lo and behold, the major manufacturers have responded to this trend with the launch of 25 M "Lifetime" Maps, so free map updates. Prima, TomTom has me due to the ease of use always very good, so that's why I ordered this model, which is the same size as the XXL.

Country Maps

Thank the model will be enough with the 19 cards. It covers Central Europe. Italy is included - missing Spain - but be careful! We opted for the 45 countries card model, here all Country overview:

Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Portugal, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Vatican City, United Kingdom , Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus.

PACKAGE CONTENTS &

The navigation system is packaged in a relatively small box, such as that in TomTom is always. In it you will find the device, the car charger cable incl. Integrated TMC receiver and the connection cable for the PC. A small guide to the use of free Lifetime Maps is also there. Anyone expecting a sort of handbook will be disappointed. There is no manual. And frankly you do not need that too, even if it should be your first Navi.

FIRST IMPRESSION

In a word: Nobel! The design is slightly slimmer than the previous models. Deep Black is the color of the plastic housing. The display and the bracket are additionally protected by a plastic film. The TomTom is modern, contemporary and makes a good impression. And finally what was once changed to the holder, even though I still do not feel it perfectly. Navi You no longer need cumbersome purely fumble in the bracket where it mostly fell out if you do not nachbesserte yet again three times now. On the back is now a kind of ball joint and so can the TomTom now super easy to take the mount. Unfortunately, the mounting system is on the disk is still the same. Here is still the round plastic disk with the suction cup, the pressing of the disc and turn must make them firmly attaches itself. Stupid, is the "Open" and "Closed" symbol on the back which is why previously nachschaut getting winded whether it is on open or closed. However, unlike my predecessor XXL, the suction cup holds better. In any case, it has not been dropped from the disk. Nevertheless, one still needs 2 hands to fix the thing.

THE SETTING

You really need no manual, when you first turn the Navi asks equally important things, such as where the home address is. The time is set automatically as soon as the TomTom for the first time receives a GPS signal. By following the instructions, one gets a good feel for the touch display and the operability. The display responds really well and there are no waiting times when you press something. The Navi asks if you want to make a short introduction tour. Even if one rejects it, you can make up for it later. There are large icons and you can immediately start route planning. Everything is very clear. It is beyond the scope to address every single point.

RECEPTION

Unfortunately, this is TomTom, just like all his predecessors in enclosed spaces rarely receive. But as soon as you find yourself outside or in the car, the GPS signal is there very quickly. Even when it is cloudy. From past experience I know that the GPS was always found even in bad weather, such as hail, snow and heavy rain. The TomTom Start 25 M it is in my opinion even more quickly. Once the unit is turned on, he finds within seconds the signal and gives the directions. The only disadvantage, but that is for each device is, if, for example out of a driving car park and immediately depends on the direction instructions. You have to halt before the "head" on and take the right exit because the Navi takes a moment until it can locate. By the way: I have entered a distance of 1500km, and he charged in just 10 seconds. My XXL needed more than 2 minutes for the same route.

First ride

I tested the unit with the card, so as it was delivered to me. My first ride was the same abroad. I drove from Germany to Luxembourg and France. My destination, so a foreign place, as well as a foreign road were recognized immediately. In France, the house numbers in front of the street name, you are, however, as usual the device first the street, then the house number. Super is that you can even search by postcode the site. This is sometimes more convenient to enter as a long place names, and then goes just faster if the postcode is known. In Luxembourg every street has its own zip code, and even to this postcode showed me the Navi once the correct street name! Perfect!

Here we go: Navi gives precise instructions. In our small town it is 100m before turning the note where you have to turn. He names each time the street names in the you turn. So you learn even know the whole streets where you drive through otherwise without thinking; o) Seriously: If you have to turn a lot, so especially in cities can quickly annoy. The TomTom quatscht then almost non-stop. However, the function can also be very helpful. As well, you can turn off the rename of street names in the settings. The TomTom says the street names clearly and without "hooks".

On the display are the most important things. For me the number of the most important information is summarized perfectly. One sees enough "map" and the display is not cluttered with too much unnecessary things. One finds, for example: arrival, remaining travel time, how quickly one is driving and how fast you can drive straight. There is a small battery indicator. It is also displayed when you have to turn next in what direction. Up the street names will be displayed, and which I think is actually quite interesting, an arrow always shows in which direction you are currently traveling. But here you can adjust what you just want to see and what not. With a targeted contact the Navi eg jumps to the 2D view to or on the volume bar. Everything is made so that you have to fiddle while driving as little as possible on the device.

Gyro: At the roundabout, there is now more precise announcements! He says they should, for example, take the third exit at the roundabout. The old appliances like to say: Turn left at the roundabout ... Silly if you stood on a huge roundabout with hectic felt 12 exits. So an improvement.

Highway: Navi automatically adjusts the volume of the voice higher, because it would be otherwise hard to hear. This setting can also turn off. At motorway junctions or multi-lane departures the Navi changes to a still image, lane guidance. One can see the number of lanes on the display and an arrow on the track on which you want to keep. Toll! Just great!

When it gets dark, the Navi turns into the night colors. The bright display would at night very disturbing, the night colors are dark and then also better and more enjoyable. Again, this feature can be switched on and off. For me it is more than useful.

ABOUT IQ ROUTES

Frankly, I think absolutely nothing of IQ Routes. Perhaps IQ Routes has now also improved fundamentally. But about one can form an opinion only after a long time. My 3 year old former model incl. IQ Routes is happy to be driving times long detours, and without reason. If you have a map here, or the route afterwards checked, you will sometimes shake their heads. Example: We drive in Andorra on mountain and country roads, in the middle of the Pyrenees, it's always up and down, there is not just stretching. We have transported a tractor in front of us, the sheep on the trailer. We follow obediently the Navianweisung and turn at some point, as he says. After 20 minutes (!) We have again the same slow tractor with the sheep in front of us ...! We were sent on the same day by a paid tunnel and out the same route to the same tunnel back !!! Where as the IQ is if you please ?!

When I now went abroad with the TomTom, it also wanted to repeatedly send me differently. And I always get the smartest route for years. But has an advantage: If one is truly non-local, it does not stand out; o) The main thing to get to where you want to go. And because the TomTom is very reliable. It is advertised so that the TomTom included in the calculation, the current traffic situation and possibly redirects traffic jams. When I consider how many people TomTom (od. Other Navis with the same function) use and then all want the same time avoid traffic jams somewhere safe this again leads to new congestion ... The best solution is still, to keep your eyes on , sometimes to read signs and memorize where you are. It remains even a technical device, it may not be as good as our own brain in the near future. But compared to maps it is simply gorgeous! Even with TomTom thinks: If you have an accident, there is a help function, there are the current coordinates and the street name where you are just very good. Have I ever used my car as abroad no longer wanted to continue ...

ABOUT LIFETIME MAPS

The update has been here already a lot written, I have not tried yet. For me, free Lifetime Maps that I long as the device is working, can install new maps and updates for free. But beware !!!! Lifetime Maps TomTom only means in that this free service you can only take as long as it is also offered by TomTom !!! Theoretically TomTom service so any time set for this model. I hope I can use it at least 3 years ...

OTHER BUSINESS

The device turns off automatically when you pull the ignition key. It automatically turns back on when you start the car. The TMC receiver is integrated into the charger cable. The charging cable has the same connections as well as other TomTom devices. However, older models have no TMC in the cable. But you can use so anyway. When you approach goals more often, so you can save them to favorites. There is an additional memory card slot which the predecessors lacked partly on the back of the unit. And there are many more features and gimmicks ...

CONCLUSION

It is through the free updates the TomTom Start 25 Europe Traffic M is very useful with 45 tickets! The device is very handy to use. You have not even great technical knowledge have to use it. Large Icons help menu, quick calculation of new routes and faster GPS receiver saves annoying waiting time. The price is quite reasonable, precisely because of the Lifetime Maps feature! The price difference between the various models is currently very low, which is me also made a positive impression.

The TomTom Start 25 Europe Traffic M with 45 cards is highly recommended and I hope for a long life time! I hope I could help detail. The review will aktuallisiert from me, for many falls so only after a long time on. Go wrong, you can definitely not with this device!

----- ----- SUPPLEMENTARY 03/06/2013

I am still happy with my TomTom. Meanwhile, I have tried the free map update. Once you have registered for free on the website of TomTom, you can access it. For this purpose the device with the supplied USB connection is connected to the PC. All instructions are easy to understand. One can look at what level is the Navi and if new updates are available. For my TomTom were new cards are available and I started the download. We only have a slow internet connection, the download of about 4GB lasted about 6 hours ... I never thought that it works, but everything went very smoothly without demolition. However, the remaining download time jumped back and forth, was initially even time to 13 hours, then again 4-8 hours. The new current cards are now on the Navi and everything continues to run without any problems! I'll report more when I notice something.

----- ----- Supplement 03.07.2013

The device displays for a few days to no traffic jams and no speed camera. I was afraid that the cable with integrated TMC is broken. Without further ado, I yesterday wrote to the TomTom Support and received this morning a standard reply with a request to reset the device. Now everything works again. One can only hope that this was a unique problem ...

----- ----- Supplement 09.12.2013

Having the Start25M now used for a journey with a total of 2.500km, me a few noteworthy things are still noticed.

- In the middle of France, at night: the main route / highway in the south. The Navi warned us of a full closure on the highway. According to announcement, we should leave the motorway already 75km (!) Before the full closure. Navi asks good if the alternative is accepted by us, we press "NO". We relied on our sense and simply drove on. There were no signs respect. Taking a Detour. Now bugged the Navi every few minutes with his warning of a full closure. After we declined 5x annoying, helped only the recalculation by specifying not to propose alternative routes during the route. Now comes the Hammer: There were no full closure !!! We could, if we had heard on Navi, a detour of 2 hours (!) Made to us for free! But for the defense of TomTom I must also mention that we still have overtaken in this part of the track a TomTom car with Polish license plates. This vehicle had heavy instruments on the roof, in the passenger seat sat someone with his laptop. Presumably, the error was known and perhaps this vehicle was indeed therefore sent to resolve the issue. Before that I had never seen such a vehicle.

- In Spain, we have amused us because of the great debate of the Navis! The TomTom speaks the foreign street names and cities of in German. If you do not know the foreign language, but that is a big advantage, because you can be guided by the good signs and the German pronunciation. But in larger towns or street names longer laughs you away ...

- Anything else about Speedometer. The Navi are here in Germany just the speed limit most correctly. Out of the feeling I would say that always agrees with 90%. Abroad, however, was a disaster. Even on well-known and major highways, the information was very often wrong. We had, for example, the experience that the Navi warned of a speed camera. One should no longer drive than 100 kph. The speed camera actually came, but the maximum speed was only 60 at speed! There were some roadworks and diversions that were not recognized, despite the Navi TMC.

- Finally, what is still to TMC charging cable: As of this TMC receiver section, the cable is broad rather than round. If you bind the cable when storing around Navi or rolled together, then the cable twisted further into itself. Is hard to explain, but not looks beautiful and is annoying. Could also later might lead to breakage or failure of TMC ?!

----- ----- Supplement 06.11.2014

After more than a year, we are still very pleased with this TomTom. In the meantime, we have repeatedly downloaded and installed the free map updates. We continue a strong buy recommendation.

Only then wow ... mau Rank: 3/5
April 22
Undercooked and full of bugs Rank: 1/5
March 23
BD very nice! Rank: 5/5
March 15
good quality, delivery top Rank: 4/5
August 4
USELESS 49 1 Rank: 1/5
April 11
Fine, but little less. Rank: 4/5
November 2

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