TomTom XL 340T (Lifetime Traffic Edition) 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
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GPS, TOMTOM XL 340T, LIFETIME
Features
- Preloaded with maps of the US, Canada and Mexico, complete with Map Share technology for easy modification and updates
- Lifetime Traffic Updates included–outsmart traffic and avoid delays for life with real-time information via your TomTom
- IQ Routes Technology calculates the fastest route possible based on time of day, saving you time, fuel and money
- Advanced Lane Guidance indicates exactly which lane to use, so you can go confidently
- Announces turn-by-turn directions aloud, including street and place names
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 5 x 3 x 1 inches
- Weight: 0 pounds
Amazon Bait and Switch
I wanted to buy the TomTom XL 340 and looked at it one evening.
Couldn’t get the purchase to finish–blocked out by some problem about addresses and because it was late at night decided to try again in the morning.
Viola, the next morning the price went up by $26.00.
This is a trick some of the airlines use.
No thanks
Frank Heeg
Good GPS for patient people
Forget the problems you have seen before May 2010! I know, this model had a lot of problems before. It has small internal memory so you have to clear out space manually for new maps. The old Tomtom Home software has compatibility problems. The lifetime map update code does not work for some people. Sometimes the FM receiver is not compatible with the machine! Fortunately, these problems seem to be fixed completely recently, according to an on-line forum.
I bought this GPS in June, and no such problems have been observed. The internal memory is still small, but Tomtom has cleared unnecessary files for us so you can download the latest map right away without worrying about the space. There is no Tomtom Home software CD coming with the package so you have to download the latest version on-line (which is good because it ensures everyone has the latest software.) The only complaint is that the USB 1.0 transmission is too slow for the 1.6GB map! Be patient, because you have to wait at least a couple hours before you can be on road with the latest map.
Let see how it works on the road:
1. The GPS fix is fast. Routing is also fast for downtown Houston. I have read some reviews saying that Garmin has faster route calculation speed, but I am already pretty satisfied with the Tomtom.
2. The menu might be a little complicated for some people, but it is perfect for a tech geek like me. You can adjust the screen color scheme, screen layout, what POI to show on map, and a lot of things. If you want a simpler version of this model, try XL350.
3. The “text-to-voice” function is interesting. Besides reading out street names, you can type in the message you want to be read for certain POI. For instance, you can make the computer to read “school ahead, slow down” when you are approaching a school.
It still has problems:
1. Under bright Texan sun, the screen becomes a little hard to read. I will try to adjust the color scheme next time to see if that helps.
2. The voice has a thick British accent even for the computer voice marked with an American flag (“Susan”.)
3. The POI information is not quite accurate. I have noticed several stores that are not there anymore but still exist on the map. But I guess it is impossible to keep track of all business’ up and down on the continent. With Mapshare, there is still a chance that some nice person would correct the information and share it with us.
4. The function of changing car icon only works in 3D mode. That is a minor problem though.
Except for the slow USB transmission, there is nothing really worth to be complained about. According to some reviews, the FM real-time traffic is not accurate. I guess that it is not the GPS’ fault. The traffic information is very, very limited now. It is mainly fed by the traffic flow monitors above some of the highways, so when an accident happens on a surface road or on a highway that is not monitored, it will not be reported until the traffic jam congested back to a point that has the monitor. We just have not reached the prime time of this service.
Simply Horrible – inaccurate directions, bad touchscreen, worthless traffic
The TomTom XL 340T is one of the WORST pieces of technology I have ever purchased – and as a 30 year old man, I have bought my share of tech toys. I returned the TomTom after 10 days, bought a Garmin at similar price and am now very happy with the Garmin (more on that below). Problems with the TomTom XL 340T:
1) Most significantly, the touch screen sensitivity was inaccurate. It either was too sensitive (which resulted in double-taps) or not sensitive enough (i.e., didn’t do anything when I tapped the screen). Result = very difficult to navigate the menus.
1A) Also very important, the device gave bad directions! I used it on some familiar routes, and it came up with … shall we say, unconventional directions, which took significantly longer. Also, the device took a while to re-route when I deviated from the provided directions.
2) The device requires you to navigate through many menus to do even very simple tasks (like “go home” or get directions to “work”). It’s nearly impossible to do a quick function (like find a nearby restaurant) while at a red light. The touch screen sensitivity issue (#1) compounds this issue.
3) Once the device has come up with directions to your destination, there is no button to return you to the main menu. You have to punch a spot on the map, which will then hit the corresponding item on the main menu. For example, if you tap the top left corner of the map, it might take you directly in to settings. Again, this is compounded by the screen sensitivity issue. I frequently turned off the volume by accident when I was trying to return to the main screen.
4) The electronic voices are almost impossible to understand, to the point that you really have to look at the device to figure out where you’re going.
5) As other reviewers have pointed out, you have to delete some of the data on the device in order to download the latest maps. Seems silly, given that many competitors have a SD card slot.
6) Traffic wasn’t very accurate. For example, one morning a 15 minute delay on the beltway didn’t show up at all.
7) The final time I used the TomTom, the traffic icon (which usually shows the traffic on your route on the right side of the screen) didn’t display – even though I had it set up to show traffic. I played with the menus for about 10 minutes, but could not get it to show up. This was the last straw.
After 10 days with the TomTom, I was wondering whether any portable GPS could compare to my wife’s in-car system. I do not believe that my TomTom unit was defective, merely horrible. Fortunately, I returned the TomTom and got a Garmin 255W with traffic. It was about $10 more, but is infinitely better. The traffic isn’t perfect, but the other problems noted above are not an issue with the Garmin. I used the Garmin on a 2 week trip to the opposite coast and am perfectly happy with it. The Garmin is nearly as good as my wife’s in-car system.
In conclusion, I would not recommend that anyone purchase the TomTom XL 340T. If you must buy, try it in a store first to make sure you can navigate the menus.
Somewhat Annoying
Okay, let’s start out by saying the memory limitations on this GPS are very odd, why they would only put 2GB in it makes no sense, but I guess it’s not a big deal once you get rid of the extra languages, but to me it would seem that even doubling the amount of storage would not cost that much. With that out of the way, I need to say I REALLY wanted to like this GPS! The lifetime maps AND traffic are a big deal, considering how overpriced map updates are. That being said, this GPS is so annoying that I don’t know that the benefits of the free maps outweighs the negatives of the device. First thing I noticed about it is it takes 1 to 2 minutes to find the satellites, the Garmin 265T that I had seemed to find them almost instantly. The second thing I noticed is that even with the brightness all the way up, it’s very difficult to see the screen during the day, the problem is even more obvious with sunglasses on, I am constantly having to take them off to see where I am going. Also it is slow to plan a route, not a lot slower than the Garmin, but definitely takes longer. Some other things I don’t like is the layout of the status bar, the Garmin just looks a lot cleaner and is easier for me to glance at and know everything I need to know, with the Tomtom I find myself having to look longer to determine my speed for example. And even though I like the clean look of the mount, it does seem to be more difficult to get the suction cup to seal properly, and if you remove the GPS without the mount, it is somewhat tricky to re-attach the unit to the mount. Plus the power cord plugs into a recessed area, which looks nicer, but is much more difficult to access. Another word on the power cord, the Garmins will come one automatically when you plug it in or start the car, and shut off when power is disconnected, the Tomtom is different in that you actually have to power it up and down with a very difficult to see and feel power button, a button which is not only hard to find, but really takes some effort to push.
I have not done too much with the POI’s, but on a trip last weekend I tried finding a major historical museum and it did not have it listed. Also it’s very annoying how neither the address, or even the city is listed beside the POI’s! I did a search for McD’s and it listed all of them with the distance each one was from where I was, but I had no idea if that distance was going in the direction I was, or if it was behind me! This is a really stupid error on Tomtom’s part, and I am hoping they are able to correct it with an update. Really the only thing I like about the Tomtom over the Garmin unit is the free maps, as my Garmin was less than a year old but was missing many roads. Plus the traffic feature works better (it actually announces traffic issues verbally), and there are no advertisements. I also like the variable sound level, the faster you go the louder the verbal prompts are. The maps themselves also look better and less cluttered, but like I said before you can barely see them during the day anyway. I am still up in the air if I will keep the Tomtom, or get rid of it and go back to the Garmin, I just wish someone would come up with a GPS that has the strengths of both units!
TomTom
The most helpful feature of this unit is the lane assist display. Also, we checked the accuracy of the speedometer and it was right on the money with other traffic monitoring radar displays.
Tom Tom 340 GPS
Although a bit spectical, I ordered the Tom Tom 340 GPS for a trip. Not a technogeek, I was concerned about operating it. Well, no problem. Right out of the box I was able to beam it up and satellite signal was found in a few seconds. Then a trial journel to familiarize myself with the new device. Right on the mark. Even as I made different routes this GPS worked like a charm. I was pleased that this would and did work on my trip. I was so impressed I bought another for my son and he’s pleased with it as well. Aloha
Decent Product, Bad Customer Service
I purchased this GPS as upgrade to a Garmin Nuvi 260. I wanted a bigger screen, and preferred the TomTom user interface over Garmin. I would give the device 3 stars and customer support 1 star, hence the 2 star rating. The product is good except for the mount, but I have had a terrible experience with TomTom user support.
Pros:
+ Big Screen (upgraded from 3.5 to 4.3, noticeable difference)
+ Lifetime traffic and map updates
+ Highway land guidance is very handy
Cons:
- After updating map, traffic stop working
- TomTom customer service was not helpful when calling regarding traffic issues. I called several times, waited for more than 20 minutes on hold each time and even got cut off twice. They were of the issue and said that a fix was imminent. After nearly a month of waiting, I was able to download and updated TomTom application, however, despite my requests TomTom did not offer any compensation for the time that traffic was not functioning. I find this unacceptable.
- The mount is not very good. The suction cup loses its seal consistently after driving for about 10-15 minutes. It is very dangerous when driving and I’m worried that the device will break if it keeps on falling. TomTom is sending a new mount, but I think it is more of design issue. With my previous Garmin and old TomTom 720, I never had any problems.
Good for Long Trips
I got this for my dad but I’m the one the uses it most often lol
Getting it up to date was a bit annoying but just because I got some wrong information.I use it when taking longer trips, not so much on a daily basis, but so far it has worked well.
Tom Tom rules!
This version of Tom Tom GPS provides for a larger screen, spoken street names with the directions and lifetime map updates. All of these are significant improvements over the basic Tom Tom One I had been using for years.Relatively inexpensive and a great bargain. Tiny issue: Spoken street names are not available with the (really fun) custom voices, and you have to stick with one of the standard voices to hear them. Not a biggie.
Memory issues
Nice, compact, works fine. Two problems so far. First, as others have noted, the memory card is too small. Second, downloading/installing an application update apparently caused some file to become corrupted, so the device would start. Had to reformat the memory and download and reinstall everything. For some reason, copying from PC to GPS in veeeeery slow. First attempt failed and had to do it over again. I hope this will not become a habit.
Well worth the money!
The GPS seems to be made with good quality. It is easy to mount (after the mount remembers the mounting position). I don’t know why people complain about the mount. I’ve never had it fall off, and mount the mount FIRST, THEN install the GPS into the mount securely and easily. The large 3” speaker in the back is loud and clear, without distortion.
I love the large, easy to read display. I wish the screen was a bit brighter for daytime usage in direct sunlight, but thats ok! Through Tom Tom Home, I installed a new color setting/theme for day & nighttime driving, and now the display is super clear, easy to read, and not distracting!
The charge holds as advertised; my longest drive with the GPS was 2 hours, and I didn’t have to plug it in. I love how fast the GPS gets the satellite signal (less than 10 seconds!) even on cloudy days. With the quickgpsfix from Home, the signal gets locked within 5 seconds! I also like the user-error fixing ability. I’ve got about 200+ fixes in use, plus I uploaded a few of mines too. Speaking of Home, I love the amount of customizations it offers. Everything from startup/shutdown images, to voices, to color/themes, and speed cameras! There’s a camera right near my house, and the GPS let me know 500 ft away, ticking down to the point letting me know exactly where it is.
During navigation, the GPS gives clear directions. The IQ routes guides you through real routes with historical data proven to be the quickest/least congested. With this feature, I don’t know if we still need a traffic option anymore! Sometimes the GPS took me on strange routes to familiar places, while some were clearly faster, others took many more turns to get to the destination. One of my fav’s is the lane assist and turn guides. Now I can leave behind all the stress of choosing the lanes and upcoming turns. Though there is a lot of voices available, only a few “computer” voices actually read street names. Another downside is that the voice says “turn left in 400 feet,” but doesn’t tell you the street name until you’re practically at the intersection. I also wish that it would pronounce most street names correctly, but oh well, it is a “computer”, so be warned if you’re picky about voice navigation!
The only downside is, well, updating the map. It is a somewhat of a pain.
A) While everything else in Tom Tom Home works fine with 64bit, the map update feature didn’t work. So I called customer support and the nice lady guide me through troubleshooting steps and we nailed it down to the 64bit vs 32bit OS. So she told me to use any 32bit OS, and thats exactly what I did. One click and the map update was downloading fine.
B) The USB port is only v1.1, so the transfer rate is REALLY slow 1-2 hours. DON’T touch it while its downloading/transferring, because sometimes it gets disconnected in the middle, and its a pain to restart the whole thing from the beginning.
64bit only users BE WARNED!!
Aside from that, definitely worth the money
Worked great in the US and South Africa
The device works great and the touch screen is very responsive. The included USA/Mexico/Canada maps are very accurate. I purchased an additional map for South Africa from TOMTOM for my trip to the World Cup. Just FYI, the South Africa map was good, but was missing some new roads that had been built for the 2010 World Cup. The computer software interface works well too.
TOM TOM 340
Replaced my old tom tom with this new one which had two great features free map updates for life and traffic. Wow what can I say it worked perfectly and a very nice improvement. The mounting system is much easier to use and the display is bigger and easy to read. The traffic feature really does work and offers a way around it to avoid the traffic that too worked and think it’s amazing.
All in all a wonderful unit, I think Tom Tom gps units are the way to go!
Best GPS
I couldn’t be more satisfied with a GPS. Customer support is the best, no hassles anytime. I am so glad I have the lifetime subscription for traffic and maps. It makes it all worth while.
Excellent TOM TOM
Excellent item, I was looking for this kind of gps with all the maps that i need from US and MExico, this is the best choice
Very happy with this purchase!
I feel as though I got a very good deal! Apparently, there have been problems in the past with updating this device, but TOMTOM must have finally dedicated some time to fixing the problem. (For the record, I bought the TomTom XL 340TM unit in mid-June 2010 and updated it right away.)
I made this purchase after reading reviews on many products and decided to be brave and try this one! : ) I am glad I did.
I am not a techie and I decided *not* to delete anything from the product before going through the update process, with the belief that if I followed instructions and did run into trouble, that it would be easier for Customer Services to help me. I am happy to report that no help was needed!
I was skeptical when I saw that the update wanted to install over 1300 mb of data when I knew that only 32 mb were available, but the software DID uninstall what it needed to before installing the updates.
After the update, I had over 100 mb available and that was after I added about five additional voices.
FYI — I installed the Homer Simpson voice and I am glad I did. Not only is it fun, it is very distinctive. I like to listen to talk radio while driving and there was no mistaking when the TomTom was talking to me because Homer demands to be noticed! : )
I used this unit to navigate in Chicagoland. There were several traffic delays and the unit always re-routed me appropriately when I decided to go off the suggested track. This baby is going to save my sanity when I venture into new territory in my attempts to steer clear of traffic jams!
horrible GPS system
I bought this GPS unit to replace my garmain. Overall I am very disappointed overall with this GPS unit. It takes 2-3x longer to acquire satellite reception than my old garmain. The mountain bracket for the window is a good idea but was not fully developed, there are flaws which make it almost useless. The GPS software is not intuitive and sometimes very difficult to use, especially when trying to add destinations along a route. Another annoying utility is the volume it does not stay at a constant loudness level. For example, even though the volume is at 80% it will sound like it is at 100% sometimes and at 50% other times. I can go on and on with the flaws this unit has but the bottom line is that if you plan on purchasing a GPS in this price range I would not hesitate to choose a different unit.
I wanted a road avoidance feature and got it!
When considering my second gps unit I looked for a specific feature which my first one lacked. Quite simply, it is the ability to step through the destination route and avoid a specific road. This is NOT like the generic “avoid highways”, “avoid toll roads” or the “detour” selection on my Garmin unit which has caused me so much frustration, that I have come dangerously close to pitching it out the window, while the calm computerized voice tries to drag me back to the original route after a quick sidestep. After researching, I purchased this TomTom unit which has and performs road avoidance very well. I rarely write reviews but wanted to make this functionality known for those who are unaware of it.
Irritation plus
If you enjoy being frustrated and irritated you’ll love this device. Its biggest problem results from the mounting system. This unit wouldn’t stick to the windshield if you nailed it to it. It falls off repeatedly and when it falls, even a few inches to the dashboard, it sends the device into operations that can’t be stopped unless you turn it off and restart it. Once it’s restarted you need to reprogram everything from the preferred language to the sound level. When it is operating it doesn’t give accurate reporting of the roads you’re on. For example I frequently travel the 405 Freeway in southern California which it repeatedly call 4 West, 5 South. Pity the stranger who doesn’t know the difference.
Works fine after fixing the map problem
It’s a great device at the paid price. At first, I read the reviews and followed the instructions for the free map update by cleaning up some space in the device. The latest map was downloaded but it failed to update the device and destroyed the original map. If I tried to update again, it always failed with “not enough space” until I manually deleted the map content in the device thru Windows Explorer. Finally, the last attemp of map update finished without error.
After fixing the map problem, it works great. I like the way it allows the user to customize the images, colors, and voices, but its TTS is not as good as Garmin’s. The pronounciation of street and highway names is not very clear. Anything else seems good, especially great for the senstivity of the gps chip. This is the only GPS that could lock the satellites in my house. Its processor is not as fast as the one in TomTomGo 740 Live on which I never experienced any map/software update issue. Garmin is a better GPS but Tomtom is cheaper, built better, and fun to use.