Need London Maps , Excellent Navigation, TomTom Start 25 5 inch Sat Nav £74.99

Deal of the Day: £74.99 & FREE Delivery in the UK

By Mr. R. J. Kembry on 30 Dec. 2015
I will add to this review at a later date but I hope this helps some customers to make a decision about which satnav to purchase.
Firstly about this model Tom Tom Start 25M

Pros
1. Comes with free map updates
2. Traditional TomTom menu system which most people are used to
3. Simple menu system works well on this good quality resistive screen
4. Excellent screen contrast and clarity
5. Has TomTom IQ Routes
6. Can easily highlight a piece of road on the map and then press “Travel Via” which causes the Tomtom to include that section of the road when planning its rout. You can do this without having to pre-program a stop or waypoint etc
7. Learns from your preferred route inputs so it takes you that way in future by default
8. 3D navigation allows you to see further into the distance and you can see horizon making navigation easier and more predictable. VERY IMPORTANT on unfamiliar or winding roads. This feature reminds me of the excellent CoPilot software for mobile phones. See this link regarding a comparison of the old and new screen layouts............
https://en.discussions.tomtom.com/go...ith-old-690610
9. Excellent battery life
10. Will display Points Of Interest on screen at all times if you want
11. Retains your destination once you reached it, which is helpful in case you pass it
12. Clear road names all along route
Cons
1. Traffic information received by additional TMC traffic receiver (purchased separately). Known to be slower to pick up traffic information but it's totally free and works across Europe. This is a subscription free service and therefore can not be deactivated by TomTom. (Does NOT require a mobile phone to connect to receive traffic data)

COMPARISON:................

Now to compare this with the TomTom Start or Go 50/60
Pros
1. New menu system but can be difficult to use
2. Simpler map layout but has limitations (no “Travel Via – See notes below)
3. Free Traffic updates built in and quick to receive information (These subscription updates cease in some years when TomTom decide the date ..........You MUST have a mobile phone which these TomToms connect to to allow them to receive traffic data and you will be charged more if you do this abroad!
Cons
1. Poor screen contrast which is difficult to see on a bright day (Known design problem)
2. There is no “Travel Via” function and so Tom Tom recommend you pre-program stops into your route instead.
(Please see this TomTom link http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/ans...veral-stops%3F)
3. Tom Tom unit did not seem to learn from preferred route and so did not choose this route in future (Is this because there is no IQ Routes on these models except on Start 60 ?)
4. Most road names missing when in navigation mode (Known problem- See other reviews)
5. Poor resistive touch screen (Known design problem- See other reviews)
6. You can not see horizon in the distance making navigation less predictable
7. Poor battery life on some of these models (Known design problem- See other reviews)
8. No way of displaying Points Of Interest on screen at all times. Instead you have to search for them in each journey! (Known problem- See other reviews)
9. Takes longer to find street names and POI's (Known problem- See other reviews)
10. Some customers report that once you reach and pass your destination the destination disappears from the screen leaving you an empty map (Not Good)

Short verdict:
The 25M is has the older menu system but it has held its price well against the more recent models, which is a testament to how good it is.
If you want a really good clear screen with the traditional TomTom menu system and you are happy to purchase a subscription free TMC receiver for about £25. The new receiver has come a long way since the earlier designs and no longer needs to be stuck to the windscreen. Again, this TMC receiver has to be purchased separately.
If you look at the photo below you will see the TomTom Start 25 style layout on the left and the newer TomTom on the right. Personally I find the older layout and map perspective much clearer and predictable as you can see further into the distance.


End 23:59 03-30-2017