TomTom Car Sat Nav Go 520 (5 inch, Updates via Wifi, Traffic via Smartphone, World Maps, Capacitive Screen )

So pleased with this purchase ( Go 520 wifi). The key thing is the wifi, as there are a lot of cheap Go 520s which are old and don't have the ability to update via wifi. I've really enjoyed using this, and it updates via my phone as I drive so that I can be rerouted if a traffic problem occurs. I've owned about 4 Tomtom's now and they've all been good. It is important to realise that Tomtom's idea of a lifetime is only about 5 years, so it was worth buying the new model rather than buying the older and cheaper 510. The device with its stand is quite heavy, and doesn't work with the rubber pad/disc mount that I have used with my previous Tomtom. However the screen mount is very secure. I would recommend this device despite the price, it just makes driving so much easier. Update 15/11/16 I had to return my first device as it stopped being able to find my wifi, and also was not getting traffic updates, which was a major reason for my purchase. Amazon were brilliant and sent a replacement the next day. The new unit appears to be working perfectly and has updated via wifi several times. The device shows whether it is connected to your phone via Bluetooth and lists calls, data and messages as 3 separate items. It appears that within wifi range, it does not connect to the phone for data, presumably using wifi instead. In the car, there have been several occasions when it is not connected to traffic updates, but as far as I can tell this only happens in weak signal areas (Vodafone). The information that Tomtom supplies didn't make this at all clear. Still very pleased having resolved my original problem.

I am impressed with this device. I have had a few TomTom's in my time and this is more responsive, quick and easy to use especially with the capacitive touch screen. When I powered it on and applied all the updates the device only came with a map of Europe and the traffic and speed camera had expiry date with a month remaining so I got in contact with TomTom and said that this was advertised at having lifetime world maps, traffic and speed camera. They were very quick to make the adjustments to my account and now it has the lifetime world maps, traffic and speed camera. The TomTom My Drive app on the iPhone is not that good and it connects on first use but after that it fails. After playing about with it I have found that not using the My Drive app and uninstalling it plus also in Bluetooth setting on the iPhone forget this device and start a fresh connection works better. You get a good connection and you get the TomTom services and you can make and receive calls, the only thing you don't get is text messages but I don't need that. Make sure that on our iPhone you switch on Personal Hotspot so that the Bluetooth can connect to data for the services like traffic and speed camera I have used it a couple of times now and I love it and with the magnet car holder supplied it's very easy to put on and remove. Very happy so far.

It is very disappointing. I now spent almost a week trying to get the advertised services provided by TomTom. As a minor issue the chatbot and the MyDrive Connect website are buggy and somewhat dysfunctional. The access to service is also not very efficient and seems somewhat clogged. Arguably one only needs those a few times a year. A more disturbing problem is that the phone app is draining the phone battery. The main issue is however that the device came with only three month subscription and Europe services, and that, even after talking several times with support, they only offer one year and Europe services. The advertised product and the product received is however correctly for - lifetime world maps - lifetime speed cameras - lifetime TomTom traffic. That is clearly stated on the product box and the device seems perfectly able to handle those services (it may need an additional memory card for storing several or large maps, which is not a problem). It is even physically identical with the GO Professional 520 Truck SatNav that is fully supported by TomTom. The problem seems to lie entirely with TomTom that sells services that it decides to not provide. I am still in discussion with TomTom support and didn't lose all hopes to be provided what I bought, but at this stage, I'd say 'stay clear from that company'... UPDATE: the issue was apparently resolved satisfactorily. Support and TomTom recognise the sold service (Lifetime World maps, Lifetime Speed Cameras & Traffic Europe). I rate this around 4.5/5, with the decreased value from a 5 for the minor issues mentioned in the initial review and the somewhat bumpy start (resolution in a week is reasonable but one would like to have the proper product and service working out of the box or with a single iteration with the company). A dedicated device is quite useful, in my opinion, and TomTom software is quite good (the illustration of junctions coming up and lanes to drive on, etc.). (The phone app draining the phone battery is something to keep in mind - basically do not use it and use the GPS device as a GPS device.) Thanks to the support team member who assisted with that!

I bought this to replace my 125 Via Live as it no longer can have map updates (too old), this has a much better screen and more responsive. Very easy to set up and a real bonus being able to do updates over wifi rather than connecting to a computer which used to take hours. Traffic issues show up on the right hand side and are very clear, at first I thought the screen was too dim but in the settings it's too low so a quick adjust now perfect. I particularly liked the magnetic mount clicked with a reassuring snap, however if you turn the unit upside down it doesn't auto rotate like my old one. The only downside I have found so far is the screen is too reflective my old one was matt finish so no glare. I found driving I could see the back window reflecting but if I turn it directly at me it's gone, means it's harder for the wife to see the screen now. I would also say that the viewing angles are not as good as my old one, but overall really pleased.

As a high mileage driver, I utterly rely on Tomtom's live traffic service and the sensible alternative routes that it suggests. In my opinion, no other device comes close. I've had a GO500 for 5/6 years and it has been brilliant. I've thanked that little tool many times. It relied on smartphone tethering (which involved ensuring that Bluetooth tethering was turned on) which was, admittedly, a bit of a faff. Sometimes it did fall off the network but it generally worked well and is now resident in my wife's car (still ging strong). I appreciated how Tomtom updated its software over the years; to the point that my old GO has the same operating system as the new one. To the good news: The GO520 now connects through the Tomtom Mydrive App. which is utterly flawless. It has the ability to download global maps (obviously you only download the maps you need) and has live traffic throughout Europe (I don't know about elsewhere but it certainly works in France, Belgium and Germany. The thing is amazing. If you select your destination on the app. and 'Send to Device', it will connect and have calculated your route before you're ready to drive off. Whilst driving, the processor is faster, so you don't get any lag recalculating routes etc. I have driven about 10,000 miles (in the UK and Europe) since I bought this and it has not glitched once. Highly recommended if you don't like sitting in traffic queues!

Very good satnav. Best bit is that it's always upto date as it connects to your WiFi and updates without having to connect it to a computer. It's intuitive to use too. It also have voice control, which sometime says "I'm listening" and waits for your verbal instruction. It does this when you haven't said the key words. I've not really got on with this feature, but I'm sure it's great if you can make it work as intended. Another great feature is the ability to search destinations or make changes on your phone, and send it to the satnav so it's all set when you turn Tom Tom on.

I drive pretty much all day everyday because of my job. I've used Tomtom sat navs for years. The lifetime camera and map updates makes this a good deal. Its easy to use and informs you when updates are available. The handsfree calling hasn't improved at all over the years. The quality of the speaker is terrible.

TomTom is a confused and confusing company. You only have to visit its website to see that its available products are different from those listed on Amazon. Its customer service is very poor: you cannot email it, the 'phone service is discontinued, and the webchat does not work (at the time of writing). The only communication that does function is its Users Forums, which actually seem quite good, but you have to work to find them. Contacting TomTom is particularly relevant because I purchased the GO 520. At least that is what Amazon said it was and the TomTom box was very clear that that was what it was. However, the device only had Europen maps (not World) and a trial version of the speed cameras (not for life). I spent about 1.5 hours with Amazon trying to resolve this. They were very helpful, but ultimately I was given three choices: contact TomTom, receive a refund, or accept a replacement. I chose the latter, only to find the same problem. Having set up both devices, I could then see on the TomTom website that the devices were listed as Essential 520 and not Go 520. The solution was to use the TomTom forums and ask for them to be fixed. A few days later and the devices were reconfigured over wifi and shown as GO 520s. Clearly, the difference between the two is merely the software. I have had the GO 520 before - it was stolen - and I knew what to expect. It is a good satnav. Years ago, both it and Google Maps were (very) occasionally error-prone in locations, but I think that, in the UK, they are both accurate now. In my opinion, it is better than most, and certainly better than an earlier Garmin that I had. It is, however, probably looking a bit old and could do with some new features. In particular, I am not sure how well it handles charging zones - and most particularly if it warns about them and how to avoid them. But it is a good basic satnav and worth paying the extra in its price for 'lifetime' maps and speed cameras. Otherwise, the costs of subscriptions are, frankly, outrageous. I would buy it again.