I have found both features the OP inquired about to be very useful. The Smart Link allows you to look up info on your smartphone and simply transfer the info to the GPS via Bluetooth without have to type it in.
THe Live traffic info has also alerted me to two upcoming traffic jams that I was unaware of. Unfortunately I did not trust the Garmin and I ignored the traffic warning.
A few miles down the road I came upon the traffic jam that the Garmin tried to warn me about. This same scenario played out twice..I'm a slow learner.
While I was happy with my basic 6 year old Tom Tom. The new Garmin is loaded with info and has lots of nice features. I highly recommend it.
I also purchased the optional wireless Garmin BC-20 Camera. It is a another nice feature.
BC 20 Camera thread