TomTom ONE XL Europe

We recently purchased this TomTom which is the first one I have had, my husband has a Navman which seems overly complex. We travel fairly frequently and I have a pretty poor map reading ability (I got within 80 miles of London once before realising I was heading the wrong direction; the trip was to Scotland from the midlands) I can always find my way home but getting there is another matter.

Why the TomTom ONE XL Europe?
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...version only but with the TomTom Europe you get all the GB street maps plus Ireland as well as Western Europe.

We spent some time talking to staff from Halfords, Comet and a couple of other places plus the internet prior to purchase and the impression we got was that they all felt the TomTom was probably the least complicated of the GPS range to use, which suits me. We did look at the standard and the XL which are the same except for ... more

We recently purchased this TomTom which is the first one I have had, my husband has a Navman which seems overly complex. We travel fairly frequently and I have a pretty poor map reading ability (I got within 80 miles of London once before realising I was heading the wrong direction; the trip was to Scotland from the midlands) I can always find my way home but getting there is another matter.

Why the TomTom ONE XL Europe?
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We chose the Europe package as we tend to do more travelling there rather than more exotic places as we can take the dog now. we prefer to keep her with us when we can rather than kennel her and I don’t much like the thought of her being stowed in the hold of a plane. You don’t have to choose the Europe version as this would be a waste unless you travel there at least yearly. There is a GB version only but with the TomTom Europe you get all the GB street maps plus Ireland as well as Western Europe.

We spent some time talking to staff from Halfords, Comet and a couple of other places plus the internet prior to purchase and the impression we got was that they all felt the TomTom was probably the least complicated of the GPS range to use, which suits me. We did look at the standard and the XL which are the same except for the XL being larger. tthe screen on the XL is 4.3 inches where as the screen on the TomTom one is 3.5-inch .I have narrow long fingers so the small touchscreen size would have been satisfactory but we went for the XL as my husband has bigger fingers and the extra visibility is nice.

The TomTom ONE XL Europe
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The dimensions (HWD) are 3.3 in x 4.6i n x 1.1 in and it weighs 7.3 oz (119 x 86 x 30 mm, 208 grams) so the unit isn’t a great deal lager than the screen size. All the controls are touchscreen other than the power on/off button which is on top (there is a LED light on top next to this which is illuminated when the TomTom is on charge.).

The screen is a 4.3 nch colour (64,000) anti-glare TFT which has a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels. The GPS receiver is built into the TomTom so there isn’t any antenna unless you need enhanced reception which can be purchased separately and connected via a port on the bottom of the unit. Also on the bottom are a USB port and a card slot. On the back are the grooves used to secure the TomTom to its windscreen mount. The TomTom just slides into the mount which has a suction cup to hold it onto the windscreen. Also at the back is a speaker where the voice with the directions emanates from

All of the commands are entered by touching the screen which is pretty fool proof, although big fingers might make this hard, and I have had no problems yet. I haven’t had the opportunity to use this very much since we bought it as I haven’t been able to drive for some weeks, and all the driving I have done has been in the UK so far. We are planning on a break as soon as I am able to walk adequately which hopefully wont be too long as I have started physiotherapy and am allowed to swim in the hydrotherapy pool (its like being in a bath the waters so warm) I have used it on routes I know well just to test it out and it does okay, not always taking me the way I would go, but we all know the rat runs near to our homes, but always taking a reasonable, straightforward route.

The voice is fine, not as irritating as it could be, and you do get a choice, but it does mean having the radio on lower than I would normally. This wouldn’t really be a problem on a route that you don’t know as I find I never have the radio on as loud when I am concentrating. The TomTom does increase it volume the faster you go to compensate for extra road and engine noises but not really enough for having the windows down and the radio on.

The screen is plenty big enough to see and I do find it helps to glance at the display and look at the road layout. Glancing at the layout is particularly useful when approaching junctions, islands and dual carriageways in my opinion as you get a better spatial sense than just listening to the voice. The small screen is probably adequate but the large screen is super

Setting it up;
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The TomTom is a plug and play device but there are a couple of things you need o do when you get it. The maps of Europe are preloaded on the included SD card and this needs to be inserted into the Tom Tom’s card slot. You also have to enter product and device codes to get the maps activated. You will need to write these down too, so be prepared. You also have to select how the TomTom will display details for you, such as miles versus kilometres and audible prompts. This isn’t difficult and just takes a couple of minutes

To navigate;
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There is a navigate icon which starts the process, after you touch this you enter a street address or particular place such as a town centre or place of interest (POI such as petrol stations and cash points). You can also use postcodes (you can get these of auto route).it is also possible to specify arrival at a particular time the TomTom will then organise a departure time. It can calculate directions by fastest route, shortest route, avoiding motorways, avoiding toll roads and congestion charge areas

There is also an alternative route selector if you aren’t keen on the path it’s chosen. The TomTom is able to redraw its path if you hit road works or jams which is pretty useful.

You can select a 2d or 3d version of the map, I prefer the 3d as it seems more realistic to me. In the dark the map colours change so they are easier to see. You also can choose to get rid of the map altogether and have a text display. This is rather like the auto route directions; I prefer the map. If you are concerned about going somewhere you can get the TomTom to give you a run through from start to finish. This would be great for someone who doesn’t have much confidence on a long, strange run.

The TomTom also has on screen tips which you can browse through. This shows you what the device can do and is useful when you are first getting to grips with it.

On the road with the TomTom
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You get spoken turn-by-turn directions which means you don’t have to take your eyes off the road. The preset voice is a well spoken English woman but you can change this. You can also select a different language entirely. That’s of no use to me as I don’t speak any other language fluently. (You get 36 languages to choose from and there are 55 different voices available)

On the screen you get your current location, the next instruction and the name of the next road. You also get information about the signal strength and trip details. If you want to see anything more clearly or get a better sense of where you are then you are able to zoom in or out of the map. There are + and – icons in the corners of the screen for the zoom.

You don’t need to worry too much about taking a wrong turn as the TomTom has dynamic routing which means if you miss a turn the TomTom will automatically update and direct you back to the correct route.

The battery will last around 2 hours if the TomTom isn't plugged into the car charger.

To get traffic information and speed camera alerts you have to subscribe and use a Bluetooth-enabled, GPRS phone to connect; choices are between TomTom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver and a subscription to TomTom Traffic. It is also ready for TomTom PLUS services

In the box you get:
• The TomTom,
• Car power adapter
• Car windscreen mount
• A USB cable
• An SD card which is preloaded with the maps etc.
• TomTom HOME software to update

With the Europe package you have maps for:
• Denmark
• Sweden
• Norway
• Italy
• Finland
• Switzerland,
• Austria
• Portugal
• Belgium
• Ireland
• France
• Germany
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Great Britain
• Andorra
• Liechtenstein
• Monaco
• San Marino
• Vatican
• Spain

The USB cable connects it to your PC so you can obtain updates

The TomTom ONE Europe is very easy to use. It is set up so you don’t need any technical knowledge whatsoever. The interface options lead you through the process very simply. I have found it extremely easy to view and to understand the spoken instructions. It is small enough to slip into a pocket or handbag at the journeys end as these GPS devices are apparently frequently stolen.

You are able to purchase a mains power charger if you prefer I’m considering this as it might help me to develop the habit of always taking it out of the car when I’m back in a position of using it regularly. It doesn’t have as many extras as some of the higher end competitors which is part of its simplicity; some come with built in MP3 players or digital cameras.

For someone like me who just wants to get from A-B its perfect, not overly complicated by unnecessary extras but it may not suit someone who is really into gadgets with masses of functionality. It does what it’s designed to do very well and should always get you there as long as you remember to charge it!

The TomTom ONE XL Europe will cost around £180 and as with everything else it really is worth shopping around 

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