Which Tom Tom is right for me?

[richrich]

Hi,

I have been in halfords and surfing the web and am trying to work out which TomTom is best for me. My requirements are:

1. I need it for UK only
2. I like the IQ Routes so want these
3. I like the Lane guidance so want this too

Do you get regular IQ route updates or do you have to pay for these? I like the idea that the route times have actually been checked and based on real journeys and according to times of day and days of week as lets face it, the road speed is no real guide to how long a trip takes these days.

I am not too concerned about the live features as the reviews I have seen have said they can be hit and miss and require a subscription.

I think I have therefore narrowed it down to the GO 530. Does this seem correct or am I missing any other better options ?

I am a bit confused that this 530 comes in normal or traffic version. As above I don't need / want the live traffic but am a bit confused that on halfords website the 530 traffic is £195 and the 530 normal is £229. Why would the traffic version be £35 cheaper than the standatd 530 ?? Anyone know why ?

Also I see for some crazy reason the 530 seems to come with the really poor and cheap plastic arm bracket like my current old TomTom ONE which is forever falling off the screen. Why is an expensive high end model being sold with this cheap bracket when even the new ONE's come with a newer twist and stick style disc bracket??

Any advice appreciated
Thanks

[Andy_P]

The 520 or the 530 will suit you. The 520 is exactly the same hardware as the 530 and can be bought upto current spec for free with he latest map guarantee.

you will probably only find factory refurbished ones now, but they are indistinguisable from new, and are VERY good value (have a look at "Handtec" for them - £149.39 for the 520 at the moment and £172.39 for the "T". You may want to check that the Traffic receiver is one of the latest versions, see other topics here for the part number and description.

The IQ routes are not updated, they are built into the map, so you get no changes to the data until you buy another map.

You won't have IQ routing and Lane guidance on the 520 out of the box, but you will by the time you have got the free map update. I can't remember what map you are likely to get on the 530 out of the box, but the same may well be true for that one.

As to why the prices are all messed up at Halfords, I would suspect it is for the same reason that in my local branch all the ones on display have the wrong model numbers and descriptions next to them (i.e. basic hopelessness!)

As for the mount.... I never had a lot of problems with it falling off, so maybe it depends on your particular windscreen. I have now made a custom mount so it cannot become an issue, but it was fine for me while I did use it.

[mikealder]

Or if you order it first thing Friday morning you stand a chance of This for a little over £100 and once updated (which is free) it is the same as the 530. If you want an RDS-TMC receiver they can be found on Amazon for around £20 - Mike

[richrich]

Thanks, called at 9am and all gone

[mikealder]

Thats strange as the web page is still showing 4 in stock as it was when I checked before posting earlier this morning - still there are a couple of other outlets to look at that Andy mentioned - Mke

[richrich]

Yes, I thought that as well. I just called them and they sid they had none left. They said they had just done another deal with TomTom and were hoping for another batch in the next few weeks.
Thanks

[andyfr]

I tried to get a 520 but in the end I went to Halfords and got a 530T. I also thought the pricing was strange and will probably sell the traffic unit on eBay as I don't intend using it.

One thing to check though, make sure you get a sealed box, the first one I got had been opened, used and returned and had been registered to a user.

Andyfr

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