TomTom GO 5000 feedback thread NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

This thread is for the MNers who've been trying out the TomTom GO 5000.

Below are some questions to get you started but please feel free to add other comments too.

In terms of your first impressions...

• What was your initial impression of the TomTom GO 500?
• How easy did you find it to set up your TomTom?
• What journeys have you made so far with your TomTom?

Please also note that TomTom may use your anonymous feedback comments on their website and social media channels, as well as elsewhere.

Thanks,
MNHQ

How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?

I find it quite easy to use and it has definitely helped me get places faster. In particular, it's helped me judge if I can make it to pick my children up from nursery on time or if I need to despatch my DH.

What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?

The screen is brilliant and it is generally easy to navigate through. I've not been able to get the voice recognition to work but it would be brilliant if it did so I'll keep trying. I've been really impressed with how accurate the traffic updates are but unfortunately I usually can't avoid the main ones. I still have some trust issues with following the proposed diversions but will try and be braver .

Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

Yes, if they could get it for a good price and could afford it. I would definitely recommend TomToms generally, this is my second one and they've both worked really well.

What I would love is if there was an app for your phone that would alert you to any problems on your daily commute so you know if you need to leave earlier. Maybe this already exists and I've missed it?

Hmmm, thought I'd already posted these, but apparently not. Here we go..

What was your initial impression of the TomTom GO 500?

Very nice although a case would have been nice. It did give me the opportunity to get my sewing machine out though, and it now has a nice quilted pouch to live in!
It set up really quickly, alhtough the updates took an age to download. It detected the satellites really quickly and accuratley

- How easy did you find it to set up your TomTom?\

Once I'd worked out how to add to My Places, it was brilliant. I put all my usual places in.

- What journeys have you made so far with your TomTom?

Work and back. I have had issues with it disconnected from the traffic reports, but after a couple of reboots and updates from the website, this seems to have stopped. It has been utterly invaluable getting me around the traffic to work
Also took it to Wales on holiday over the half term, it got us round the Bristol snarl up at the M4/M5 junction brilliantly, and we made it there with ease. It seemed to know where all the places we wanted to visit were, and was easy to follow.

The voice control was a pain to figure out, but once you get the hang of how it wants to be talked to, its easy to use. It seems to require a particular tone of voice from me...

How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?

I have loved it. Once I got used to its quirks (voice control in particular) and solved the issue of it constantly disconnecting from the traffic server by updating it, it has gone very smoothly. The traffic seems to be getting more accurate - I drive around Oxford a lot, and the ends of traffic jams are accurate to the actual car sometimes, which is seriously impressive.

- What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?

I would have liked a case. I love the windscreen mount, very secure and having the charging cable tucked into the back of it is great. And I like the USB socket thing, I can plug my phone into it as well, which has saved the day on more than one occasion (although not really relevant to this!)

It's bigger than I thought it would be, and certainly bigger than my last satnav, but the screen is used efficienlty.

- Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

I think it is quite expensive for what it is. But in terms of functionality and ease of use, it's great and would get a recommendation from me if someone were looking to buy one.

• How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?

Absolutely brilliant. We're house hunting at the moment and though I know our area pretty well, it has been invaluable and time saving while we've been going to viewings..

• What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?

Agree with pps that a case would have been nice, but that aside, it's a nifty little machine that will be used on pretty much every journey away from the school run. Though tbh I check traffic updates as we get into the car every time.

• Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

Yes, definitely. It is slightly pricy, but I think on balanced it's worth the expense.

Thank you Mumsnet and TomTom for the chance to test this.

How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?

I've really enjoyed the ease and peace of mind from using the TomTom, knowing I won't get lost if I'm driving somewhere new. I did have one annoyance with tomtom when travelling back from somewhere unknown at night time and it took me down the narrowest country road that I have ever been on. It was pitch black and there was only room for 1 car so it was quite hair-raising. It would have been a road I would have definitely avoided if I had known, I guess it was quicker but still!

What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall

A lovely device that has saved me time in my journeys and I like how easy it is to attach to the stand on the windscreen. It wasn't clear however that the wire attaches to the back of the stand and not the tomtom, I only knew through reading on here!

I found the back of the tomtom is quite easy for crumbs and dirt to get in there (yes I need to clean out my handbag) so I feel a case is important. I was distraught when I realised my lovely new tomtom was covered in chocolate biscuit crumbs at the back

Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

Yes if I knew someone was looking to buy a sat nav then I would recommend this tomtom. I found it easy to set up and downloading the data from my pc was easy. Also the stand is nice and secure, the screen is large and clear and the voice control is very useful.

Thank you

How have you found using the Tom Tom GO5000 over the past few weeks?

It has been great. I have gone to places I would have never considered before and have saved a lot of time and been less stressed on more local routes.

What did you think of the TomTom GO5000 overall?

It is fantastic. I really can't fault it at all.

Would you recommend the TomTom GO5000 to other mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

Yes absolutely. It is a great design, far better than anything I have used before and far exceeded my expectations.

How have you found using the Tom Tom GO5000 over the past few weeks?

Pretty much what I said in my first feedback. Sorry I probably waffled on more than the initial set of questioned asked the first time I posted. I had already been using it a few weeks back then. I haven't found any new problems with it since then and I have found the benefits the same using it since then.

What did you think of the TomTom GO5000 overall?

I think it is good. The map looks good and is easy to follow when driving. The voice is clear.
It gets you to where you need to go.

Would you recommend the TomTom GO5000 to other mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

Yes. Especially someone who travels a lot like I do.

Hello, just a little update to say my VR has started working again, at least most of the time so if TomTom HQ were wondering why I haven't emailed about the issue, that's why! Thank you.

• How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?

It's brilliant, I can't remember how difficult it was finding places without it now! Especially on long motorway drives, where there has been traffic, it has diverted me around the traffic without taking me to the back end of beyond on the way (like my old satnav did!).

• What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?

Very easy to use, easy to set up, and the voice navigation is superb. The only thing I'm still having problems with is plugging it in whilst using it - I cant seem to get the lead to connect while it's in the holder? Maybe TomTom have answered this question though and I've missed it?

• Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

Yes I would, for the reasons listed above. It's so easy to use, the directions are clear and easy to understand and you have plenty of notice to get in the right lane etc. The traffic feature is brilliant and has saved me lots of time sitting in queues. I've already recommended it to friends and family and would recommend to anybody else in the market for a satnav too.

How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?

Very convenient. I haven't gotten lost with it and its been reliable in getting me around the traffic. It is a bit of a pain plugging it in to charge mid-journey (I hit a curb!) and the battery life sucks. Also the voice control does not recognize anything I say and its deaf (!) so I often have my toddler screaming "hey tom tom!" on journeys which isn't so great.

• What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?

Its a good product. It does what it says and although its similar to free apps, it doesn't stop working if you're in an area with no reception--a big bonus for me!! It needs a better battery and a case.

• Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

Yes. Simply because its reliable and accurate. The price is steep, but worth it in my opinion.

Hi - thanks for giving us the opportunity to use the TomTom - it has come in handy many times! Here are our thoughts:

DH and DS found the TomTom to be easy to use once we had worked our way around the main menus/controls.
First impressions were that it was snazzy, but the printed instructions were very brief and seemed primarily aimed at people who had owned an older TomTom and were upgrading. Signing up to a TomTom account took a couple of attempts, probably from failure of our understanding rather than their website. As advertised here, the first time of updating the device required over an hour of internet / device-computer time; later updates seem to be quicker.

We've made a number of hour-ish and longer journeys to new places using Tom as the guide and found it (him?) to be very helpful. The display showing what it believes the speed limit to be is helpful when you realise your concentration has lapsed, for instance. A proposed improvement would be that the speaking volume should be linked to the car's speed (which it is aware of after all), otherwise on motorways the voice is lost if we have the radio/CD on. And clearer instructions (via website would be fine) for first-time users. We found the 194-page detailed manual looking on-line but you need to have got used to the basic usage before that's really any help.

Lots of very practical features such as display auto-dimming at dusk; offer choice of petrol stations; plan journey with intermediate stops (such as a petrol station); locate places by name as well as post-code, show that place on a map. We got brave and took Tom through the Chunnel, he knew his way around, changed over to driving on the right and measuring in kilometres, then flipped back out of it coming back.

Very practical physical set up too in terms of ease of attach/detach to windscreen and in-car power.

We would definitely recommend this over any other satnav - we love having it!

Used lots locally recently due to dreaded roadworks! But actually found it boosted confidence driving longer distances and on unknown roads. Dd already wants to use it herself when she passes her test.I'm

It was easy enough to use and set up, no problems with that side of things. Wasn't overly keen on any of the voices really, but can't see how that can be improved.

Yes I'd recommend this product. New and nervous drivers would in my view, benefit greatly

How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?

It is great on short journeys, perfect for use when I'm out doing house calls at work and driving from house to house.
It's also useful on long journeys and I really love the voice recognition feature, although DH still struggles with it understanding him.

What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?

I don't have a lot of experience with satnavs, I've really only ever used my phone as one, but from what I have seen I really do think this is a superior machine. Several passengers in my car have commented on the tomtom and it's all be really positive things.

Overall I really do like the tomtom and enjoy using it.

Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

I would, although possibly not to someone with a strong accent as the VR is quite a major feature and it seems to really struggle with DPs mild accent.
But if someone was looking to buy a satnav I would definitely recommend the tom tom, it's so useful, smart looking and easy to use.

Sorry, I'm a little tardy with my feedback.

How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?
I have used the Tom Tom GO 5000 (or Serena as she is referred to by the whole family) in two distinct ways.
The first, is when I am travelling to a new or largely unfamiliar destination when I set the destination before I leave home and follow the directions all the way there. It is easy to use and directions are given clearly and in good time. I also love the speed warning bongs and the speed camera warnings.
The second way I use the Tom Tom is when I am travelling to work on a very well known route and come across a traffic jam. I then power up Serena and thanks to the live traffic info I can make a judgment about whether it is a short holdup or whether i need to take an alternative route. This feature makes my commute much calmer and has probably done wonders for my blood pressure!

What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?
To be honest, I was happy using google maps to get to unknown destinations. However the large clear touchscreen in a definite bonus. The time estimates for clearing traffic jams are also a desirable feature. Overall I am happy to have the Tom Tom GO 500.

Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

If others were looking to buy a satnav then I would say than one with live traffic information is imperative. I suspect that for this alone the TomTom GO 5000 would be hard to beat.

I'm a bit late too - sorry! Also, my issue with VR suddenly not working disappeared after an update.

How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?
Pretty good - it's helped me find a few alternative routes for my daily commute, and along with the live traffic info I'm confident about making a judgement of which one to use.

What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?
I think it's a good piece of kit - clear screen, easy to set up and use, and fairly reliable - a huge improvement on my old TomTom.

Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?
I would if they were specifically looking for a new satnav and didn't have an alternative on their smartphone. I do think it's expensive for what it is, and unless a potential user doesn't have unlimited data, I don't think it adds extra value to using Google maps for example, which also has live traffic info. It's definitely the best satnav I've ever used myself or seen in use in a car.

How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?
It has been really useful over the past few weeks, particularly for Christmas shopping. I have ventured further afield than I would usually go and been able to reserve a few difficult to find prezzies knowing I can find new stores and not get lost (and stressed).

What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?
It's been great! I'm not the most confident driver in unfamiliar territories and with 3 kids in tow it can be stressful. The large screen and voice control has meant I don't have to take my eyes off the road and there's no need for pulling over or pressing buttons whilst driving.

Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?
Yes and I already have. It is really easy to use, the large screen and voice control are great and it does give the easiest routes, even my husband agrees (and he usually thinks he knows better).

Well, the TomTom has had lots more use recently, first with unexpected hospital admission away from home, then xmas shopping in different town, and finally with visiting friends and family over Christmas and we've found it great. The more we get used to it, and find out what it can do and how it really works, the more we're happy with it.
Overall, we're very pleased. Would definitely recommend it (and have lent it to my dad to try out) - it always seems to update quickly, hasn't had problems loading up, and has had instant and accurate traffic updates and re-calculations of routes.
Thanks mumsnet/tom-tom

In case anyone missed the email the speed camera trial comes to an end on 8/1/15 so you might want to update your TomTom before then, unless you plan to pay for it to continue obviously

ChippingInAutumnLover here in a cunning disguise!

I did post my 'final thoughts' but I've just been back to check something I wrote. I can't find the post, I think it might have been when I was having teething problems on the iPad, sorry! So just in case anyone is still wading through the replies I thought I'd add them again.

How have you found using the TomTom GO 5000 over the past few weeks?

Variable. Sometimes it's brilliant, other times less so. For example, sometimes it just shows the motorway as one big blue blur and no lanes etc, it doesn't say which lane you need to be in, then other times you get amazing graphics with lanes, off ramps, details of where you should be. Hence the varied feedback from posters.

It doesn't have most of the poi that I have tried to use it to find, so I have to get the postcode at home first. So, it's no good for impromptu trips unless you have a smart phone. Well, not where I live anyway, that too might vary region to region

What did you think of the TomTom GO 5000 overall?

It's a nice looking piece of kit. Nice size, weight, clear screen etc. The fixing to the windscreen has been brilliant.

Would you recommend the TomTom GO 5000 to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

I am very grateful to Tom Tom for giving me this and I wouldn't go back to not having one I don't think, but if I had to replace it, I wouldn't buy this one. It's a lot of money for something that is not 'stand alone'.

Please feel free to PM if you would like any further feed back.

Once again, thank you very much for the Tom Tom, he's being well looked after and will be well travelled!

I just wanted to add to my earlier feedback, that it's made me use sat nav differently. I used to only use it for unknown routes, but I now use it to see what the traffic is like on a regular route home to help decide which of 3 possible routes I should take.

I'm not a taster but I have recently bought a Tomtom Go 5000 having previously owned other
TomToms.

It looks nice, it's really quick to turn on and find routes BUT there is one thing that is REALLY REALLY IRRITATING and DANGEROUS and that is that the bar at the top that shows the direction of the next turn or roundabout often gives the wrong information for roundabouts.

I drove from Oxford to York and it did it a lot. The map was correct but the roundabout symbol would, for example show a right turn when the map shied straight on.

Just to make it clear what I mean the roundabout symbol would sometimes show a right turn on a simple 4 exit roundabout where I was meant to take the second exit. I've done a bad sketch of this.

I haven't updated it yet. Will that rectify this problem. My other Tomtoms didn't do this.

It dangerous because it's confusing.

I've just had a good read of everyone's comments and saw a post from
Lookslikeimstuckhere (Fri 21-Nov-14 22:16:19) who commented that the TomTom didn't know what was happening sometimes especially around Silverstone ... which is exactly where I was having most of the problems with the wrongly marked roundabout.

Sorry for all of the typos. I meant to say

.. wrongly marked roundabouts

Hello 102030!

Sorry you had the same trouble, it does sometimes do this with other roundabouts as well but mostly it's ok. Haven't done the latest update but fingers crossed they've fixed Silverstone

I didn't do it, but apparently there's an email address you can send fault reports to. They certainly didn't do much about the things I posted.

I'm not sure they expected as much feedback as they got! Either that or they didn't really care...

hi
I hope they do sort it out. I was very when I first noticed it. I find the advance warnings on which way you will be turning really useful so it would be a shame if it wasn't reliable. I look at the map too but even so it's a bit dodgy.