TomTom XXL 530-S 5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
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The TomTom XXL 530·S is easy to use XXL widescreen navigation. TomTom’s award-winning software means effortless navigation from A to B. Switch on and go right out of the box. Just enter the address on the touchscreen and start driving anywhere in the US or Canada. TomTom guides you door-to-door with turn-by-turn spoken instructions including street names. 3D graphics help guide you to your destination.
Easy to use XXL widescreen navigation. Click to enlarge. |
EasyPort mount folds neatly onto the back of your device. Click to enlarge. |
Click to enlarge. |
XXL Widescreen Navigation and Spoken Street Names
IQ Routes
IQ Routes Technology* gives you the fastest route every time by using actual average speeds of travel on your route to calculate your trip rather than only posted speed limits, so you’ll always travel the smartest route.
5-Inch Touchscreen
An extra-wide 5.0-inch touchscreen helps you find your way, worry-free.
Millions of POIs
The XXL 530·S is preloaded with millions of points of interest to enhance your traveling experience–easily find your favorite gas stations, hotels, restaurants, and more.
TomTom Map Share
TomTom has the most accurate maps, and with TomTom Map Share technology you can instantly modify street names, street direction, POIs, road speeds and turn restrictions on your own device.
Get Help
With the “Help Me!” menu, there are added safety features so you can easily access local emergency providers.
EasyPort Mount
The built-in EasyPort mount folds neatly onto the back of your device, making the whole navigation package fit into your pocket, bag or glove compartment.
The XXL 530·S is complete, widescreen navigation. Go confidently.
*Features only available in the United States and Canada
What’s in the Box
TomTom XXL 530S 5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator, Easyport mount, Documentation
Features
- TomTom GPS navigation with a five-inch, full-color, TFT LCD widescreen touch display
- Preloaded maps of U.S. and Canada with millions of POIs
- IQ Routes Technology gives you the fastest route every time by using actual average speeds of travel on your route to calculate your trip
- With TomTom Map Share technology, you can instantly modify street names, street direction, POIs, road speeds, and turn restrictions on your own device
- Award-winning Fold and Go EasyPort mount, folds flat against the device, making it easy for users to transport
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 1 x 4 x 5 inches
- Weight: 0 pounds
Great GPS
This is a great GPS device. Actually it was fairly highly rated by Consumer Reports so I am not sure where the 1 and 2 Star reviewers are finding issue with this product. The screen is larger than most TomToms which makes it easier for people of all ages to see. As a result of a larger screen typing on the touch screen keyboard is easier for those with ….shall we say… fatter fingers. As with this or any other Tomtom product please be sure to plug it in to and update frequently with your computer.
The only logic I can see for some of the bad reviews that I read is that maybe those buyers did not do this with any degree of frequency. Maps are updated ALL THE TIME. When I first opened the box and tried entering my address, it was not in the system. So I plugged my TomTom into my PC and went on-line. There were several megabytes of free updates and downloads available. Once I let my system get through that, my location was correctly added. In addition, I have a couple of friends that live in remote parts of other states and their addresses were also found using the TomTom – something which one friend said a Garmin could not provide.
And finally one of the great things about this and other TomToms is you can download (for a fee) other voices for your GPS device. I typically use the voice of Homer Simpson to get me somewhere and Darth Vader to bring me home. But there are others, to include famous comedians, Yoda is coming out soon, there is Kitt from Nightrider and for those that have children and can bear it, Sponge Bob and Dora are to be released too. Now these voices cost about $12.95 a pop, but in many cases they do add entertainment value to what would be just another GPS device.
Big screen at a low price
The biggest selling point of this product is its 5″ screen and the low price. After owning more than 6 GPSs including 3 tomtoms and 1 garmin, the garmin is the best and tomtoms have better hardware and price. I felt this XXL530S is an average one among my GPSs.
Get where you’re going
I must admit I’m new to the GPS world. I got this for Father’s Day 2010, ok I bought it then told the family it was my gift. I got mine from Target $129 on sale. We used it on a trip from Phoenix to the mountains of Arizona (Payson). I was interested to see if the unit would maintain signal, as radio stations loose contact through the mountains. It worked like a champ. I was amazed by accuracy even in rural areas. The directions were accurate and gave good warning of impending turns and speed cameras. I would have customized more for the trip but had 2 hours from purchase to leaving the house. The review that stated zeros are pronounced west, is no longer correct, the zero is pronounced zero.
The screen size and price were my selling points, again I have little knowledge about all the features on all different models but there is little I can find that it can’t do. It is not voice activated, not blue tooth capable nor does it have the display of which lane you’re in on a multi-lane road, but that’s it. It gave good directions, in a clear voice. To get traffic updates you need another $20 antenna, but then traffic is free. You get one map update when you buy it, but if you want updates you can get them quarterly for $40.
When I chose a different route from the suggested route, it calculated the change instantly and showed the best way to get where I was going based on where I was.
I have read some other reviews of other makes/models about not updating the position often, this is not the case here. The map was updated instantly and even told me my speed relative to the speed limit. (Not good if the wife is in the car)
I have not found anything that I don’t like about it. Great unit, great price.
Oh, it also has the option for in a car, on a bike or walking. I’m sure my Girl Scouts will love the walking feature on their Geo-cache adventures. (Yes I have daughters)
Hope this helps.
5″ TomTom Rocks!
I purchased the TomTom XXL 530-S 5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator as a gift for my daughter.
The Positives:
The Amazon price was right.
The screen size is right.
The sound quality is right.
The maps even tell you the names of streets and roads that have no sign posts, and Florida has plenty of such roads and streets.
It advises you which lane to keep in and lets you know far enough in advance to prepare for your turn coming up.
It is so smart it always knows exactly where you are, and the horizon even keeps up with changing from daytime to twilight to night.
When you turn it on, it is already in sync with its satellite and does not have to spend time searching for coverage, unlike all annoying cellphones we have ever known.
The Negatives:
It does not make toast or do the dishes.
I am hoping to purchase more of these as gifta for others of my family.
GPS
The TomTomXXL 530S ($180 in Radio Shack/$125 online)is a very good gps. We had heard good things about the Garmin ($160 at Walmart) as well, so my dad bought one for him and the other for me. We then went house hunting with both gps(es) in hand. Both told us in advance when to make a turn, but the Garmin added the name of the street on which to turn. We liked that. However, that was the limit of the Garmin advantage. We found that the TomTom offered these extras: driving speed/speed limit, name of road currently on, trip details–how far to go, expected arrival time. I also found that the TomTom’s touch system was much more responsive and the ease of moving around the system was much better. In the end, I returned the Garmin to Walmart & purchased the TomTomXXL 530S online–it arrived in 3 days! Great decision.
aks
i am disappointed, only larger screen and low price attracted to buy,
and of course existing brand name. signal strength poor, it takes nearly one minute or more to get signal and occasionally lose singals in between. color scheme is also poor apart from four choices it also does not tell that your destination is on right side or left side. everytimes fall from
mounting clip board.honestly i do not recommend.
I sent the item back for refund
I couldn’t get the tomtom to work. I could not download the NA map. I tried from all the computers in my house and spent an entire day of my time. I felt the tomtom tech department was not helpful, short and irritated with me. I intent to purchase another brand
TomTom XXL 530-S
Great product & TomTom representative were very helpful & friendly, they provide excellent customer service to their customer who purchased their product.
TomTom XXL 530-S
This is my first TomTom and it is the best GPS navigator that I have ever owned. It provides better directions than both of my Garmins and much better directions than my Magellan and the factory installed navigator that came with my Ford. They make it very easy to report map errors and provide quarterly map updates at a reasonable cost. And, the cost of the TomTom was less than one update disc for my Ford. When it’s time to buy a new a new GPS navigator it will definitely be a TomTom.
Garbage Support
I like the unit, it has helped me find my way around Houston after arriving in the USA. What I do not like, actually detest, is the mount! You stick it on the windscreen and then rotate it around to see it and “boom” it is on the floor of the car. The rotating support is held on by three springs which cannot hold the unit when you start to rotate it on the windscreen. Good unit let down by a stupid design.
I love this thing.
OK, maybe I had low expectations for GPS units in general, so that’s why I was so pleasantly surprised, but I love this thing. For the very reasonable price of this unit on sale, I figure I’ll save the cost of the unit in printer ink by not having to print out all those google maps, seriously! It is so easy to use. Basically plug it in, listen to a quick tutorial and you are on your way. I have had to play around with it a little to figure out all of the features, but it is pretty intuitive. I don’t use the TTS, because I think that would be too much talking. It just says turn left ahead, etc, and I like to just glance at the screen. The screen, by the way, is great. Definitely get the biggest screen that you can. It is so easy to see exactly where you are and where you have to turn.
It is very good at finding restaurants, points of interest, etc. I find this very useful for soccer tournaments, etc.
I wish all of these GPS units did a better job with maps. I like to use the map feature, and getting to exactly the right spot at exactly the right zoom is sometimes cumbersome. It’s usable, but this just doesn’t seem to be the focus of GPS units in general. With this nice 5″ screen, they could display more street names on the maps. I wish they would do a better job of this, because that’s how I would like to analyze alternate routes.
The XXL 530s does tell you whether to get left or get right. I don’t know if that is what people mean by lane guidance, but it seems to be sufficient for my driving.
I don’t actually mount the unit, so I can’t comment on the mounting. I just sit it on my lap or the center console and pick it up once in a while. That way I just slip it in my purse when I leave the car. It is very slim, so it fits in a purse easily. All in all, I love this thing and find it very easy to use.
TomTom XXL 530 in action
I just took the XXL 530 for a spin – Edison, NJ to Toronto – Montreal – Quebec – back to NJ. Worked very well. Very sensitive, directions are very good and timely. Spotted ‘nearby’ POI’s very well. Located hotels/ motels very well. In town and across state directions great. Only thing missing was a ’scenic route’ option.
UK user review of TomTom XXL 530
I bought it in Florida in February and used it out there. I bought it back to UK and purchased the UK & NI maps and the Speed Camera alerts. Had an initial problem with it only finding the first part of a post code but the guy at the UK help desk was brilliant, he emailed me a download, explained what to do. I downloaded, followed instructions and now its great. I needed to change the voice as some of Susan’s pronunciation was really funny but not much use. It does what I expected it to do and just about all the old Tom Tom did. I like that you get a mileage count down to your next instruction/turning. Useful on the motorway when you are say 5 junction from your turning it tells you you are say 5 miles to next instruction or on a remote country lane you think you near your turning but actually still 2 miles from it. I don’t know how well it sits on a dash as I leave it cradled on my central console, it sits there nicely pointing in the right direction jammed between the side of console and power plug. No give away marks when you remove it to glove box. It finds the satellite OK.
What I don’t like:
1. I’m used to a Talex telling me I’m near a speed camera and what the speed limit for the road is, That I’m 100 meters from camera and to slow down if I’m still over speed limit and warning of possible mobile speed cameras. I was really disappointed with Tom Tom feeble beeps to alert you. So I run my Talex and Tom Tom together. I guess the 35 pounds for the camera upgrade would be value if you didn’t have a Talex but once you’ve had a Talex, TomTom camera alerts just don’t hack it. Now if Tom Tom were to incorporate the full Talex system of camera alerts their product would, in my opinion, be 900% better.
2. When my Husband is driving and I’m fiddling with the Tom Tom, its very easy to run your finger across the bottom of screen and accidentally turn the volume down, which I found out about 1 mile after we missed the turning. I know just leave the damn thing alone!
3. I miss the spousal arguments about reading maps wrong, not knowing my left from right, why didn’t you buy a decent maps or I thought I told you to turn off there etc etc, need to find something else to occupy our long journeys now. Also I think we are missing out on finding some great places we wouldn’t have seen if we hadn’t taken the wrong turning and got lost. Sat Navs, a bit like computers do they really enrich our lives?
Anyway, We like it. It’s got us to our destination in UK and USA so I would recommend it.
Bracket doesn’t work
The Navigation unit is fine when you can get the window mount to stay attached to the TomTom. Unfortunately, this isn’t very often.
There’s a ring on the back of the 530S that attaches to the window mount. I spent 20 minutes trying to get it to reattach with no luck and returned the unit.
As far as the 530S goes with its navigation, I didn’t like the routes chosen. They were often slower than other routes using a paper map routing.
I’d stay away from this unit.
great gps for the money
I don’t understand the reviews that say it can’t get them to their location. Perhaps they live in a very rural area or need to update their map. I live in LA and with only an hour to do errands in an unfamiliar part of town, I got this gps at Office Depot and was taken directly to the 3 stores I needed without error. While I haven’t used any other plug-in gps, I have used several built-in navi systems (we have an ‘08 Honda Odyssey) and this blows them all away. It’s very intuitive and easy to use, while after 2 years I still have trouble with our Honda system. I’m very pleased & recommend the unit.
Mostly Useless
If you’re after a paperweight, buy this unit. I have yet to have it direct me to within 3 miles of my destination. There is no way (or it’s a secret) to convince it to go a different route than what it suggests (demands would be a better word) and the suction cup mount does not work well – at least on windshields.
We’ve had this unit for several months now and it has been very close to being chucked out the window every time it’s been used. Perhaps the maps are better for China where this thing was made.
Buy something else, you’ll be glad you did!
Good unit
We chose this unit because it has expandable memory and announces street names. It’s been very good for us.
5″ GPS screen is a must….
I got this Tomtom 530s for Christmas, but I exchanged it. NOT because its a bad product, Its a great product.
The 5″ screen on the 530s is great/ I don’t know how anyone could use one of those crappy 3-3.5″ GPS units. I have an old Tomtom 4.3″, still works fine, but its nice to have a bigger screen and more updated features.
I returned the 530s and got the 540s for just a bit more. The units are the same except for two addition features. 1) Mexico maps – I have no plans to go to Mexico, definately not to drive. 2) Lane Guidance – great for LA freeways.
If you don’t need Mexico map or Lane guidance(only needed for tricky highways), then get the 530s. THe money you save can go for a good case(highly recommended) and you’ll get a fair amount of Megabytes free for new voices, other small maps, POI, etc.
530s and 540s are both great.
XXL 530 pronounces 0 as “west” on any street name – TOMTOM DOCUMENTED
The 530 picks up satellites very quickly, especially if you download gps fixes. It’s satellite sensitivity is also great. The iq routes are a godsend. The only bad thing is that it’s sound quality of the computer voices is horrible. It also constantly mispronounces English street names. It also as a very big defect, it mispronounces the 0 (I.e. the 105 freeway) to “west”. For example it will say merge left onto the one west five east freeway instead of one o five east or four hundred five east. You can see how this would be confusing.
Tom Tom senior tech support says this is a bug that affects all their models. They will not replaced the unit for this reason. They are working on the problem and are not able to give ANY estimate on when this will be resolved.
If you choose two voices, one computer voice and bart simpson for example. It will not speak any street signs in the computer voice. So you have to make a choice between text to speech and the celebrity voices. When you choose a non computer voice, it will also ask you to choose a computer voice. NO computer voice will be heard at this point.
Amazingly Dumb Design
The TomTom 530s is a deceptively dumb super high tech GPS. Once it sets a course its that way only no matter what, unless you force it to select an alternate route. So, if you are driving in dense traffic and notice a traffic standstill ahead and you turn off to take an alternate route, to get GPS help you have to tap the screen to get back to the main menu to select the alternate route and then confirm the alternate selection before it will display anything useful. I’m accustomed to the auto recalculation provided by Garmin and Magellan, so despite its 5″ screen, the usefulness of the technology is inconvenient in circumstances where you least want to pay attention to programming the unit. After using this product several days, I’m returning it to the seller and buying out a Magellan 1700 (7″ display) instead.