TomTom XL 340-S 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Reviews

1. Took out of the box, hit the road, loved it

   by Easily lost

   For a two-week business trip, my son and I had to drive nearly 3,000 miles, through Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. I decided we needed our first-ever GPS and chose this model for the IQ routing, plus the free three-month trial of the Live service.

   Only twice did “Susan” (the voice we selected) fail to guide us to our destination–in one instance, a hotel that the manager said “nobody’s GPS can find” and in the other, what was probably an incorrect address. Otherwise, we navigated from state to state and to numerous business locations, hotels and restaurants with amazing ease. At first, I double-checked the proposed routes against my MapQuest printouts and AAA TripTik, but eventually Susan won my trust.

   I especially appreciated the advance lane guidance (“Exit right, then stay in the left lane”) and the speed limit reporting. The unit was easy to program–a good thing, since the printed instructions were not thorough. We had no problems with brightness/readability, but the mounting system gave us trouble; Susan took a couple dives to the car floor.

   The live update saved us from at least one big traffic jam, though the alternate route went through sketchy territory. We decided that whenever the live update warned of a delay longer than 8 minutes, we’d take the alternate route, unless it was late at night. I don’t think we’ll pay for the live update when the free trial expires, because in day-to-day life we don’t travel that much, but it was good to have for this trip.

   Because I’d read about problems downloading new maps, I did not do so before our trip. We encountered only one clearly new interchange that wasn’t on the existing map. Now that we’re home, I’m nervous about attempting the update but will follow other reviewers’ suggestions.

   If we made this trip again, I would still bring printed maps, because twice we lost the GPS signal shortly before we had to make a crucial turn. We recovered the signal quickly, but it was good to have the paper reference ready.

   For $5, I also bought a recharger that can plug into a wall outlet. I used that only once and probably could have skipped it; we kept Susan plugged in to the cigarette lighter.

   Overall, I was extremely pleased and highly recommend this GPS, with the caveat about updating maps with care.

2. On first Map updating”software keep giving error”

   by Tirlok Dodeja

   Hello first time buyers
   
   I have been looking for my first GPS system bw 100$ to 170$ range for couple months, after reviewing feedbacks or reviews on different website I decided for TomTom XL 340M as I thought it may be one time money spent for the Map update and 340 is reasonable product. I got the shipment from seller in timely fashion.I was excited sync and update Map from TOM TOM home. Everything went fine until new map started copying in the device, took 2 hours without results? Based on some feedback on this website I presumed that 2gb memory might be not enough this and system is not built for automatic uninstalling and reinstalling simultaneously, therefore I tried to do this process after first deleting pre-installed Map but remain unsuccessful(encounter: writing error. Called TomTom customer services couple times, after explaining this problem he come up with the new thought: first update the IQ route Tech application before Map downloading as new maps are not compatible with the old version IQ route application. I tried in that way multiple times but did not fix this problem. I wasted my whole day on this without success and I was frustrated and sent back product to seller as it were only 5 days were passed from the date of purchase. It may be the simple problem for other person, but it was too complicated for me. It appears that this 340 series was manufactured 10 years ago and may not compatible to handle these new map updates other functions.I do not know how I conclude the feedback about this product to help other first time buyers but one thing I have learned from this experience is that Tom Tom customer service is suboptimal e.g prolong call waiting, Tech support are not efficient and little rude. Good luck with your GPS shopping

3. TomTom XL340S 4.3-Inch Portable GPS

   by Marvin Margulies

   the product is good, but does not explain everything cearly, like return
   
   to home,clearly. directions booklet should be more explacet. it’s easier
   
   then most GPS. I recommend this model at the price I bought it for.

4. TomTom XL 340 TM — too many problems

   by Noname

   I own the TomTom ONE 125 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator. I worked well for me, exceipt that it lacked spoken street names. When I saw TomTom 340XL with Lifetime Traffic and Maps, I couldn’t resist upgrading.

   Did I say upgrade? This has to be the most frustrating experience I’ve ever had with an electronic product. Out of the box, I got nothing but error messages trying to update my software and maps. It took time, but I finally got the activation code for lifetime map updates to work. It recognized the traffic cable, but only the first time I used the unit. It wouldn’t recognize any cables after that.

   Award winning customer service (which I contacted or attempted to contact on four occasions), took forever and a day to get through. When I did finally get a live person, they were very friendly. Their diagnosis? I got a dud. Back it went.

   Today, I received my second unit. This one is worse than the first. It had no maps installed and none would update and the activation code never worked. I could not get any maps loaded onto the GPS at all. I have given up exchanging the unit and am going to return it for a full refund.

   It’s such a shame. I really wanted to like this TomTom.

5. I’ve returned my first unit…We’ll see about the replacement

   by E. Snyder

   I don’t write many reviews (the ones I have written, however, have been positive) however I must say I am very disappointed with this product. I had decided to “upgrade” my Garmin Nuvi 760 and had researched these units quite a bit and finally settled on the TT XL 340 Live (mainly for the continually updated maps and lifetime traffic).

   Problem 1: The lifetime maps/traffic code that was included with the unit DID NOT WORK. Several calls to tomtom customer service were required to finally get them to “approve” the code that was INCLUDED with the unit when purchased. I had to send photos of the receipt, the unit, and the documentation included with the unit. Took about 2.5 hours on the phone with them to sort all this out. Unfortunately, my case was not an isolated incident (which I found out later…many people with similar problems…)

   Problem 2 (which was the breaking point, and cause of return to Amazon): The unit continues to crash! I will be driving, when, randomly, the unit freezes and restarts. I then have to re-enter the destination address…Very bothersome. Spoke to TT tech support SIX times. I reinstalled the software so many time my head became numb. And, I hate to say it, I consider myself quite technically proficient, this was not a problem on the user’s end. Tech support was useless. They gave me the same run around every time I called (“let’s try the same thing again, maybe it will work this time…”)

   That being said, the unit looks nice (except when it’s bright outside), the traffic feature works well (albeit intermittently). The best (and most positive feature) is the map. Gorgeous. Very readable. Better than Garmin/Navigon hands down.

   I have requested a replacement, hopefully the new one will fix these issues.

6. Perfect, a great value

   by Jimmy Morelli

   I have nothing negative to say about this GPS. It was cheap, easy to set up, the voice can be set very load so it can be heard over the radio which is a big plus when your using it most of the day. The instructions are easy to follow and looking at the screen is really not needed as the voice guides you step by step. If you do need to look at the screen the size makes it very easy to follow the map and is spot on to about a few feet from its location.

   The on tip would be setting the voice to the computer setting as it will be able to speak the street names. A human voice which is not very different from the computer voice does not allow you to receive step by step instructions with street names. It is a pointless option in my opinion.

   I would highly recommend this as it was the cheapest GPS I found, and works perfectly. You couldn’t ask for anything better.

7. S…L…O…W and Cheaply Made

   by Bill Nelson

   I have owned two Garmin Nuvis and one (late) Dash Express, and bought this to replace the Dash Express for its traffic capabilities.

   Unfortunately, this is a barely-usable device, and I am returning it.

   1. The processor is so slow that by the time you wait for it to figure (and recalculate) a route, you won’t be any better off than if you just drove into a traffic jam. Is there a gerbil inside calculating routes by hand (paw)?

   2. At least on this unit, the screen sensitivity had some HUGE problems. You would tap on a letter, and nothing would appear. OK, then I would tap a second time, and the letter would be returned in triplicate! Fine, backspace. But now the backspace doesn’t work. Oh wait, now it backspaced over the entire word! You get the idea.

   3. The traffic icons are so huge that they pretty much bury the road network; it’s tough to see much, or make sense of anything.

   4. Want to pan the map? Good luck! See #2, above. Maybe it will pan, maybe it won’t, maybe you’ll end up in another state.

   5. Recalculating…recalculating…recalculating…recalculating…recalculating…recalculating…recalculating…recalculating…

   It’s too bad about all this; it would be nice if Garmin had some serious competition in the stand-alone GPS market.

8. Amazone, LLC

   by Maic Ferrera

   If you need it fast don’t Order. It’s a jocke. $163.xx for the Unit, search and get the same for less and faster shipping. My Bad that i have to wait 8 Days and pay hart dollar, lol I’m just to lazy to cancel, just thinking about how long it would take to refund my money so i can puy one in a local store and be done with it.
   
   Lesson learned.
   
   Sincerely, -Maic

9. Great Gift

   by David S. Alexander

   I bought this product for my wife for mother’s day and she loves it and finds it very easy to use. I think this gps is a great buy, particularly for the money!

10. Some issues

    by Marc Arnold

    I bought this item and received it very quickly. Once I opened the box and hooked it up, everything seem to be working wonderfully. That is, until I tried to use the traffic portion that I had added. The unit that was sent to me was non-compatible with the traffic hook-up that was sent. After an hour on the phone with customer support (would have been longer), the issue was still not resolved. After my third phone call to customer support, I finally received an RMA and have sent the unit back. They are sending out a brand new unit to replace it with as I had the unit less then 24 hours before the issue was located.
    
    Other then the customer support group, the unit was great and there is a terrific online community with map updates always coming out.

11. TomTom XL340S

    by Usha Zacharia

    I love this GPS receiver. It was extremely easy to set up. I was able to start using it without any difficulty at all. I used it to navigate from Santa Clarita to the Zip Line Tours in Big Bear Cailiforna. I used it to navigate from Santa Clarita to Sedona, Grand Canyon, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Montezuma’s Castle. WHat I love about it is that when I exit off the freeway, to find a place to eat, I no longer need to keep track of all my turns. I just go right/left as much as I want, then when I am ready to continue my trip, the GPS gets me back to the freeway.
    
    It takes a little effort to attach the unit to the windshield mount. In Albuquerque, when I got off the freeway, it told me to go right, left, left, left and right when I could have made a left turn right off the exit ramp. It got me to my destination, though it took a slightly convoluted route. Other than this one slight mistake, it has performed admirably so far.

12. TomTom 340 XL-S

    by Antony Lane

    Bought this on Amazon and with the prime 2 day shipping was at our hotel at Universal City before we arrived from Australia. Travelled from LA to Pheonix to Vegas and all due to the TomTom.
    
    Lane guidance presents you with a view of the exit options and id a must.

13. Work quite well

    by Karen

    Have not found the menu path yet but will read the directions! Worked right out of the box and aquired a satellite quickly which neither of my two previous garmins did.

14. Updates

    by Lanny R. Zup

    I purchased this product because the GPS I had was discontinued both the unit and support of it. However, when I got this Tom Tom there was nothing in the material to register the unit and what options are available for keeping it updated.
    

15. TomTom XL 340S

    by D. WOO

    i bought this for my wife so she has been using it but i helped to set it up.

    plus:
    
    looks good. i like the 3d view and the highway offramps you need to be in. speaks street names which is good but only works in computer voice. easy to mount on the windshield but bulky if you take it off and leave the bracket on. this unit came bundled with a quilted bag…not much protection, but protest from scratches. i like the user updates. keeps the maps current if you are out of date and can’t get free updates from tomtom.

    minus:
    
    takes a looooong time to download and update maps.
    
    took my wife a long way around to get to a destination when it is right off the freeway.
    
    time on the screen is confusing. not sure what time is what.

    i have the Garmin Nuvi 365 (?)…i prefer the interface and menus of the garmin better but maybe because i’m used to it. i do like the features of the tomtom as well. both are good units.

16. Tom Tom XL 340S

    by ADS

    I was pleasantly pleased with this product. I had the older bulkier verson on Tom Tom & am happy with this replacement, it’ very compact and eay to store anywhere. It’s very precise, the directional arrow are perfect, so far it hasn’t let me down. I’d reccommend it to anyone.

17. Routing never fails

    by RB

    I bought this GPS unit because I was moving to a big city, so I needed something that would tell me exactly where to go. This TomTom hasn’t failed me yet. The routes are always accurate and even the locations of gas stations are always correct. The interface is quite easy to figure out, but the tons of settings could be a bit overwhelming. Overall, I’m quite pleased with the purchase.

18. Simple and Accurate

    by Christopher T. Porter

    I’ve been using this unit daily for about a month and a half, and thus far have been very happy.

    Prior to first use I hooked it up to my computer with the included USB cable and installed the Tom Tom software. Very simple and intuitive to use, I was able to verify that I had the most recent maps, and add additional voicings from their website.

    Once loaded, I found the navigation of menus to be simple and intuitive. Everything makes sense. This is not always the case with hi-tech gear. One of the great things is how quickly it shuts down and how quickly it reboots. Nobody likes waiting 3 minutes for their GPS to fire up before they can leave!

    Navigation prompts are in great detail with enough warning to avoid having to make drastic or dangerous moves at the last second to get to your exit. The next maneuver is always on display as is the current time and estimated arrival time. Thanks to Tom Tom share, it is more likely to base its timing predictions on real world stats, not just the speed limits of the roads you are traveling.

    I have only one qualm which is the inability to see your route’s turn list after you have begun navigation.

    One frequently overlooked feature of this unit is how quickly you can remove it from your windshield. My old Magellan required the whole power cable to be removed (again forcing a 3 minute reboot later). The Tom just pops right out of the cradle and right into the supplied soft case- great when you are in a not-so-nice area and you would prefer nobody seeing the unit avoiding a smashed window.

19. Good but not Great

    by M. Yaran

    It has a nice design and routing is not bad at all. It is fast when it is turned on and finds satellites and routes fast.
    
    Compared to my stolen Garmin Nuvi 670 it is not as good. The options for the trip very limited. The features shown on the
    
    screen not as detailed and informative. The worst part is the reflective screen during a sunny day, very very hard to see
    
    it. Lane assistance is a nice feature and also comparison of your speed to speed limit is good to know.
    
    However, if I was in the market again for a GPS, I would go for a Garmin. But for a cheap, basic unit still does a good job.

20. Change of Heart

    by H. Bowman

    After a week of playing with this unit I have a change of heart…Today I downloaded a new map and a couple of other things….Plenty of space to spare….Don’t know about the future…1-2 years…..But you can get rid of that fuel software……But I kind of like it….Voices and cars are history….Kept only 2 each……Traffic is cool..Not like Garmin at all…..And I paid for lifetime with garmin…