TomTom Horrible Routing

az99 wrote:
Has anyone else tried using their TomTom with and without IQ Routes enabled?

My Go Live 1535TM has IQ routes and I've never had a problem. Had it for several years and wouldn't switch to anything lse. About a year ago got the itch for something new so I bought a Garmin, forget which model. Tried the 2 side by side. The TomTom was more accurate and gave me traffic info while the Garmiin could not find any traffic info. Returned the Garmin immediately. Plus the TomTom updates info at least weekly.

Has anyone else tried using their TomTom with and without IQ Routes enabled?

FWIW, I love my Tomtom. It most always gets me where I want to go, without any issues.
But with my old Garmin, it got me within a hundred feet of my destination, then said "go 19 miles and make a u-turn". Absolutely Insane!

ReadyToGo wrote:
As far as Garman (sic) is, my friend is on his fourth one, and he has thrown each one away because it shows incorrect info.

Isn't this the definition of insanity?

I have used my TomTom for at least 7 years now. I get quarterly map updates.
The only time I have issues is when a new road has been made. I can clearly see that the new road is there and that is the way to go, so I ignore the routing.
Otherwise, my only minor complaint is that it doesn't always show the posted speed limits correctly. Usually it changes when the updated speed is posted. Instead it seems to not post anything, or shows 45 to be the limit. Of course the problem with that, is that the 45 might be correct when nearing a city.

As far as Garman is, my friend is on his fourth one, and he has thrown each one away because it shows incorrect info. If you want his old ones, just look along the side of the road and you can spot it.

i tried the garmin rv760 , the good sam gps and now a magellan. all three were sent back because of problems. the best was the magellan at routing.

rockhillmanor wrote:
I did pay big bucks for it when I bought it. I just wonder if these new ones that are so inexpensive lack the capability the older ones have.

You paid for the best cutting edge technology available at the time. As with most things - the price has come down as the market has grown.

Reminds me of the $3,800 54" plasma TV I bought, and replaced with a 60" LED for $795 several years later.

rockhillmanor wrote:
I do think that all these constant update requirements syncing to your computer is just another way for them to gather information and nothing more.

There are two types of updating technology. My older non-RV Garmin does a HUGE update - 1.5-2.0 GB about twice a year. That update replaces the entire map database, POIs, etc.

My Rand-McNally has approximately monthly updates available. Those are minimal map updates. Mainly POI updates - new campgrounds, businesses, removal of closed places, etc. I tend to do those updates about every three months.

The Rand does have the ability for me to create message to Rand about anything I find which is in error. A CG location, a speed limit, etc. And I choose when/ whether to send in such a message.

Rand does have a 12-18 month major map update, but one thing I like is their data is modular. They don't need the massive map update to change campground or other POI information.

rockhillmanor wrote:
Curious, On the ones that are 'installed' in the cars do you have to take them out and update them with maps with your computer??

My son has one - a Chrysler - and it takes a $85-135 CD/DVD purchased from a Chrysler car dealer to do an update. They recommend he brings in the vehicle for the dealership to do the update - at $175 per hour labor charge - about a two hour job.

I see some of the Class A units with the Rand-McNally GPS installed, and some with Garmin GPS installed. (Once you know the various brands - you can often determine which is installed by playing with it for a couple minutes.) I've asked about updates - and the salesmen appear clueless.

strollin wrote:
I think you've been lucky so far, one day you will be traveling down some new road or highway and your GPS will show you going off road.

And how is this a problem? If you know where you need to go.

I see it all the time with updated maps - from Garmin or Rand.

The Garmin wants to automatically recalculate and gets kind of spastic.

The Rand just tells me I'm X distance off the road - because I have it set to manual recalculation.

When we bought our first GPS, I had the then 5 year old grandson in the back seat. We took a route out of our subdivision over a new road. The GPS kept announcing "Recalculating" After about the 10th time in two minutes - the grandson said "That is annoying"

We keep the voice prompts OFF and frequently turn off Manual recalculation.

The non-driver's job is to monitor the GPS and give the driver the information about upcoming turns, speed limit changes, etc. (Yes, we travel with two GPS units running. I really like Garmin Lifetime Traffic. And use that unit for warning of traffic slowdowns, and as a cross check. Kind of a belt and suspenders approach.)

What I'm REALLY, REALLY interest in getting someday is a Garmin HUD that works with a GPS. So far it only works with Bluetooth enabled smart phones and uses Garmin StreetPilot or Navigon mobile apps.

Garmin Head-Up Display

Would be really useful to have the critical GPS data on the windshield directly above the dash instruments - not have to look off to the side at a smaller GPS screen.

On a recent trip to Vancouver, I had problems with GPS.
First my main GPS (TomTom Go 730) got knocked out (it didn't like the car Garmin cable).
Then my Gamin 44LM was utterly stupid. 'Proceed to highlighted route...'. The problem was my hotel's exit didn't let me to connect right away to that 'highlighted route'. The Garmin refused to co-operate. Beside, Vancouver downtown has lot of high rise buildings. Once the signal was lost it took a long time thinking and gave out crazy directions.
To live in peace with a TomTom do: 1- All settings set to 'Ask...' (then choose - use your common sense - Faster time, Avoid paved..., Tolled roads... later).
2- Disable IQ
3- Override it with road signs direction whenever possible.
To have a fixed answer (Avoid Ferry, Avoid Toll...) is an absolute no no on a TomTom.
I can live with a crazy TomTom but not a stupid Garmin.

It's interesting to me that people think a paper map will somehow be more accurate than the maps contained in a GPS. In reality, the data used to make the paper map is probably the same data used for maps in the GPS. Not to mention that the GPS map data often gets periodic updates.

Personally, I haven't used paper maps since 1996 which is when I started using AAA Map-N-Go software with a Delorme Tripmate GPS on my Win 95 laptop. I don't miss paper maps in the least.

rockhillmanor wrote:
All I can say is the one I have does. It recalculates the route.

I did pay big bucks for it when I bought it. I just wonder if these new ones that are so inexpensive lack the capability the older ones have.

I do think that all these constant update requirements syncing to your computer is just another way for them to gather information and nothing more. 9 years and counting with my GPS and I never have hooked it up to my computer.

Curious, On the ones that are 'installed' in the cars do you have to take them out and update them with maps with your computer??

I think you've been lucky so far, one day you will be traveling down some new road or highway and your GPS will show you going off road.

If anything, the newer, less expensive units have more capabilities than your 9 year old unit. I paid $1000 for my first VCR yet the last one I bought for less than $75 had more capabilities. I paid $2500 for my first PC yet tablets and phones we have today are more capable. That's the way it is with electronics.

On the units built-in to cars, I've seen older units that had a DVD deck in the trunk that contained the map data. You could periodically buy updated DVDs. Newer units are probably updateable via USB on the front panel or even wifi.