TomTom XXL 550TM – Large Screen With Solid GPS Performance

TomTom XXL 550TM 5-inch portable GPS navigator review

Compared to TomTom XXL 540-S model, a portable GPS navigator of XXL 550-TM comes with very slight improvement. Both of them basically provides almost similar features, the XXL 550-TM features the same 5-inch LCD display, accurate routing performance, and clear voice prompts as before. The only real upgrade is EasyMenu, the company’s lightly streamlined menu system first shown on the budget TomTom Ease.

First off, you’ve better know about the meaning of the letter showed in TomTom GPS model:

• The “T” in the model name means lifetime traffic updates
• The “M” in the model name means lifetime map updates

TomTom XXL 550 actually comes in four flavors: with or without lifetime traffic updates (the “T” in the model name), and with or without lifetime map updates (the “M”).

TomTom XXL 550-TM is a superb navigator once on the road, like many previous GPS devices from the TomTom company. TomTom’s IQ Routes unit learns over time what routes are actually better in the real world, which helps the unit account for differences in route times based on the time of day or day of the week. Despite posted speed limits, traffic traveling along a road at 8 a.m. moves at a different pace than it does at 2 p.m. Actual traffic speed is affected by rush hour, traffic light changes, pedestrian traffic, day of the week, and more. Only TomTom offers exclusive technology that evaluates routes based on actual traffic speeds, rather than posted speed limits, and will recommend the fastest route for the time of the day. In addition, you can “crowd-source” these updates by periodically syncing the unit with your PC and an online account at TomTom.com.

When syncing the unit, you can also take advantage of the XXL 550-TM’s free lifetime map updates. That alone makes this device a huge savings compared with what TomTom and Garmin used to charge for one-off map updates. (TomTom includes a voucher code in the box with the appropriate models.)

TomTom XXL 550TM portable GPS navigator

The XXL 550-TM handles traffic alerts particularly well. There’s a vertical bar on the right side of the display that, at a glance, shows any anticipated delays, plus the length of and distance to the nearest one. Tap on the slider, and you’ll bring up an overall traffic map view that looks a lot like what Google Maps shows you on the desktop. From there, you can browse each incident individually, or tell the unit to minimize delays when calculating your route.

Traffic reports are still hit-or-miss for personal navigation devices, thanks to a general lack of data sources. But the XXL 550-TM is well positioned to take advantage of improvements without being overly annoying. The TomTom XXL 550-TM doesn’t display ads, either; that alone could swing some buyers away from ad-prone Magellan and Garmin units.

The XXL 550-TM’s POI database contains about seven million entries. The minor quibbles you might frustated here is entering addresses and running POI searches as the UI seemed to miss some of your finger presses, and there was a general sense that the CPU wasn’t fast enough. Otherwise, there is no problem locating many common destinations around your home.

TomTom’s EasyPort mount is very compact, and screws directly onto the unit itself. Both the device and mount are made of high-impact matte plastic, so fingerprints aren’t a problem. Here the problem you might facing was the cord connects directly to the unit. This means you should always connect and disconnect it whenever you leave the car with the device. The plug itself is also a little tough to slide in and out, which could become annoying over time. Plus, the unit doesn’t power down automatically when you shut the car off, adding another extra step to the process, or leaving you with a dead battery more often than you’d like.

The worth of TomTom XXL 550TM

- Accurate navigation.
- Large screen with clear voice prompts.
- Simple menu, clever interface. The lanes are clearly displayed on the screen at critical times.
- Reads names of streets just like the Go does (though this is a standard feature now).
- Free maps and real-time traffic information.
- Fast boot-up. Good value.

The Worst of TomTom XXL 550TM

- No Bluetooth hands-free, FM transmitter, SD reader.
- Occasional UI sluggishness
- Drab map graphics.
- Doesn’t shut off with the car ignition.
- Fiddly power connector.
- Fewer menu options; mostly due to missing extra functionality, and some regarding what is displayed on screen.

The TomTom XXL 550-TM makes a compelling case for replacing an older standalone navigation device, thanks to its large screen, solid GPS performance, and free map and traffic updates.

TomTom XXL 550-TM GPS navigator – Check the lower price