TomTom V3 - How do I change planning ?

[richrich]

Hello,

I have had my V3 Tom Tom for a while now. I think they are great but have one huge issue with it. I have updated to the latest maps and software recently.

In journey planning you can choose either fastest or shortest journey, avoide tolls etc only. I am getting really fed up with being sent on some terrible routes.

On the old PC based route finder software you can give preferences to Motorways, A roads, B roads etc. If your preference is a Motorway, thats the route you get mainly (unless there really isnt one nearby) and it will keep you away from country roads.

If I put in my TomTom to go from the south coast near Bognor Regis to Surrey, regardless of choosing fastest or slowest route, I always get sent through Midhurst and Petworth (basically a 50 mile journey through countryside that ends up taking about 2 hours due to winding country roads etc. tomtom clearly see's these as 60mph, so thinks this is shorter or faster than a motor way route. The fact is you can never do more than 30mph due to bends and show traffic etc. In the dark it is even slower and really hard work and being in low gears all the time not very economical.

The fastest route is A27 westbound and then M3 and it is about 1 hour, hassle free and certainly very fuel efficient in 6th gear doing 70mph. This is always the case. I go to areas I don't know and have to follow the satnav as I know no better and then later when you look at a map you reaalise the route was a really bad one.

Is there any way to set preferences eg Motorways and A roads only? If not, can anyone suggest another model / make that is as good as the tomtom that allows the user to specify prefered road types and avoid this constant problem I seem to suffer with the tomtom.

Thanks

[mikealder]

You cannot specify certain speeds for types of roads the option is simply not there to use!
It is possible a device using the IQ Routes system would offer a better route solution as it knows the actual speeds involved on the road network taking in to consideration the day or week and time of day - IQ Routes is only available on the higher end Go-x20, x30 and x40 products - Mike

[richrich]

hanks mike,

It s not so much that i want to specify road sppeds or for the software to know what they are.

What I really want is a sat nav that I can have a preference to say Motorways or A roads so that when it calculates the fastest or shortest route it still takes me on the motorway or A roads.

Generally the fastest or shortest route to most places involves small roads that are cut throught wghich technically are faster and quicker but in the end never are due to reasons above.

Surely some of the sat navs must be able to offer preference settings to keep mainly to main routes rather than country roads ??
Thanks

[Andy_P]

I just tried an "advanced planning" route from Bognor Regis to Guildford in Surrey (as you didn't say anywhere specific) and it follows mainly A roads:
A29
A27
A285
A272
A283
A3
A25
A322
A246

So an "A roads and Motorways only" option wouldn't help much there.

That route (v815 mapping, "fastest" selected and IQ routes enabled) does go through Midhurst but doesn't go through Petworth.
It reckons that route is 1:14 Hours and 39.8 miles.

Forcing it to go via the M3 and it gives 1:48 hours but 94.8 miles! I know which way I would tend to go!

If your way really is better/faster/more fuel efficient or whatever, it basically comes down to local knowledge always being better than a simple routing algorithm.

If my start point and destination don't give an accurate picture of the situation, can you give us a couple of other locations to use instead?

[richrich]

Hi,

Thanks for that, that route in particular is Bognor to Farnham. In relation to the list of roads:

A285
A272
A283

These bits are the problem. While they are A roads, they are the only real ones in what is an area of rural fields and land without needing a 4x4. 'A' roads they maybe but they are snaking, narrow and at night unlit and lethal. In places they are 60mph (I promise if you even tried 60mph you would be in a hedge within minutes) And throughout are villages where you are down to 30mph and endless junctions.

Clearly this example I know all the roads and can avoid but I do a lot of driving at work and often up north where I dont know the roads so really have to rely on the sat nav. As per this example, I dont want to be in areas I dont know, in the dark, stuck doing 30mph in the dark when 5 miles away is well lit motorway!

I am amazed that a tom tom still has no facility to let a user give road preferences and then consider this when working out routes (and on the flip side, some people hate motorways and would probably like an option to avoid them!)

Does anyone know any makes or models that may give the user a bit more control over road preferences ?

Thanks

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