UPDATE: A newer model, the TomTom VIA 1535TM, updates the 540TM, adding Bluetooth and voice commands.
The TomTom XXL 540TM
The TomTom XXL 540TM includes Advanced Lane Guidance, which provides a visual representation of highway junctions, along with lane-specific directions. It also has IQ Routes, TomTom’s historical traffic speed data that can result in improved routing in areas prone to traffic problems.
Related units
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- The XXL 540TM World Traveler Edition adds maps of Europe
- Despite the higher product number, the XXL 550TM gives up quite a few options with its simplified interface, but still gives you lifetime maps and traffic in a 5″ package
- The TomTom XXL 540M is identical to the XXL 540TM, except it leaves off the lifetime traffic
- Meanwhile, you’ll give up both lifetime map updates and traffic with the TomTom XXL 540-S
- Or keep the lifetime maps and traffic and give up a bit of screen size with the 4.3″ TomTom XL 340TM
More TomTom TomTom XXL 540TM reviews
- Consumer-authored TomTom XXL 540TM reviews
have been posted at Amazon
- Joseo Shays has posted a personal review of the TomTom XXL 540TM
- Consumer-authored TomTom XXL 540TM reviews have also been posted at CNet
I’ll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some…
Other TomTom XXL 540TM resources
- A PDF version of the TomTom XXL 540TM owners manual
- Want to see how the XXL 540TM compares to other units? Check out our TomTom comparison chart
- There are several good TomTom message forums:
- yourNAV’s TomTom forums
- GpsPasSion’s TomTom message forum
- A U.S.-based TomTom forum
- The official TomTom XXL 540 series web page
Compare prices on the TomTom XXL 540TM at these merchants:
- Check the current TomTom XXL 540TM
- Find a great desal on the TomTom XXL 540TM 5 inch Portable GPS Navigator (Lifetime Traffic & Maps Edition)
at one of our premier vendors, BuyDig.com
About Rich Owings
I’ll also note that its better to return the product to the seller if its someone like Amazon. They have great return policies and you know you’ll be getting a new one.
I agree except I was already on the phone with TomTom and expected better of them. At this point it is too late to go back to Amazon without the original equipment
Great forum! I just received my TomTom 540TM WTE for Christmas and am in the process of downloading the new North America/Europe map updates. I am also running into the issue where the new Europe map is too large to fit on the unit at the same time with the North America map.
I apologize if my question has already been asked here on the forum, but once I have backed up the maps to my computer and deleted one from the gps in order for the other to fit, how do I load a map FROM my computer back onto the gps when I am ready to switch maps? I was unable to find where to do this on the Home program.
Thanks in advance for any and all of your help!
My wife got me the Tom Tom XXL 540TM for Christmas. It worked one time right out of the box then I turned it off and it would stick at the startup screen. I followed all directions on the website for this issue and it led to my gps never turning back on again. I called TT and explained my situation. The were very friendly and gave me an RMA #. I didn’t like the idea of possibly getting a reparied/refurbished unit so I went to the Amazon webiste did the gift return and in less than 48 hours got a new Tom Tom unit. Works great now, hopefully it will last this time more than a day. If it has been less than 30 days since it was bought make sure you go through the seller not Tom Tom.
Good advice. Seems like I’m seeing more complaints about the 5xx series than previous models.
I don’t know the reason people send back new GPS to the manufacturer. If I have ANY problem with anything I’ve bought and the retailer/online won’t help, I put it in dispute with my CC company and they handle it. That either gets results or the retailer never bothers to answer and my temporary credit becomes permanent without me having to return the item. I am not looking to get something for free, just a working item for the price I agreed to pay!
Rich, Thanks for the website. I have a simple question for you. Which is the better buy – a TomTom XXL540TM for $129.00 or the Garmin Nuvi 1490T for $169.00. Thanks for any info you can give me.
Personally, I prefer Garmin units, but I’ll try to highlight the best of each…
nuvi 1490T — Simpler interface, brighter screen, Bluetooth
TomTom XXL 540TM – More customization options, better routing in areas with routine traffic problems, lifetime map updates
I’m considering buying the Tomtom XXL 540TM and would like help deciding if the WTE is worth it.
In a store I extensively compared the 540 to Garmin’s 1490, and the Garmin’s route computation, and overall map drawing, is much faster than the Tomtom. (Several other reviewers make this point.) But Garmin’s detouring/alternate route capability is the pits, and I liked Tomtom’s several options in this regard, as well as the customizability of the 540 vs the 550.
I understand Tomtom’s latest maps for the basic 540 are less detailed so they’ll fit in its 2G. But does the 540 WTE’s 4G make it any faster either creating a route, or drawing a route, than the 540? (I expect the answer is no.)
Are there any other Tomtom models that have similar alternate route/detour options and customizability to the 540, but are faster? (The various GO models?)
Thank you SO much for your help and advice.
No, the amount of storage won’t affect speed. That’s a processor issue. I believe the newest GOs (2xxx series) have a faster processor, but I don’t know if this translates into significant performance improvements.
I have read of many problems with the 540 models recently. It seems Tom Tom may have rushed production on a batch for the holidays at #99- $119 ???
Bought the XXL540TM as a Xmas gift for my wife only to find out that the unit never worked correctly. Waiting for TomTom customer service took me a full day and was finally told that they will exchange the part once I returned my broken one. Returned part to TomTom via FedEx 2nd day and I will finally get the replacement part on Jan. 17 – after I found out that they sent the original replacement part to somebody else in the USA. Does not speak highly of the product reliability nor the quality of TomTom’s customer service.
Thanks Peter. If issues are caught in time, I often recommend returning to the retail merchant if possible, especially if its someone that makes it easy like Amazon.
@Rich Owings: Where does one turn to if it was purchased from the TomTom website?? Your reply was too evasive, sorry.
Not meaning to be evasive, but, um, TomTom?
Hello all. I haven’t made it through all these reviews but I purchased the TomTom XXL 540TM which came with the 2GB of internal memory and I was going through the files to figure out what I can and cannot delete. I was hoping I could get some guidance on this. So far I have deleted all the licenses other than US, I have deleted all the cars other than the one I wanted and all the voices but one. This only freed up 25 MB (if that) and I was wondering what else I can delete. I worry about deleting too much and ruining the GPS. Can anyone help? Thanks!
The most important thing is to back up te device first, copying all files to your computer. Here are a couple of discussion threads on what files can and should not be removed…
http://www.tomtomforums.com/tomtom-one-start-ease-xl-xxl/18466-what-files-can-safely-deleted.html
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-481565.html
Right now Target Stores have the XXL-540TM on close out, I’ve seen them as low as $49.95 at Target, some Targets have them at $99.99.
That’s a helluva deal! Wish they had them online at that price.
too bad I paid 99.99 for mine, two days later it went on close out for 49.99, by the time I got to the store to exchange it, they were sold out. Can’t find any local stores in the OK area that have any left in stock. Target will not honor that price online (which I think is crap).
@ Ken Shepard – I don’t even see a 530 series on their website. They do list a 535T.
They have the XXL-540TM on their website ( http://www.target.com/TomTom-Portable-Navigation-Lifetime-Traffic/dp/B003B3P2CY) for 199.99, they will not honor the store pricing. I’ve called several stores in my area who’s last close out price was 49.99, I called targets customer service number (got someone in India) and was told they would not honor the local stores pricing because different stores have different pricing, which makes no sense to me, they all get the auth to price from their corp. Target will not honor their own price, needless to say, I will not purchase from them again. 1) They sell the thing for 99.00 on day mark it down to 49.99 the next day and since it’s on clearance they won’t honor the new price. What you have to do, is return it, let them put it back on the shelf, you must then walk back to electronics, pick the same damn unit up off the shelf and buy it again at the new price.
That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.
Now that I bought the 540TM I’m having similar issues like many others with not enough space for the map update. I have since removed some voices, but for the life of mine I could not figure out how to remove most of the languages, though it’s mentioned as possible on several forums. I then Googled it, but still came up empty.
Would you be able to help me with this question, please?
This might help, but I don’t believe language files are very large…
http://xsellize.com/topic/43662-remove-extra-languages-in-navigon-and-tomtom/
Thank you Rich, I’ll check it out!
Purchased the xxl 54o when it 1st came out. Big mistake! I dispise the mount, need both hands to click in or out. It will NOT stay stuck to the windshield, gave up and velcro’ed it to the dash. The map updates are a joke that cost $89 per. It is very difficult to update local rds. This could go on for days but let me conclude with this; A friend of ours purchased a Magellan and it is FAR supierior to the tomtom and cost less. Save your money or purchase something else. this unit was a waste of money. We are rver’s and I regret not doing more research. Yes, I am purchasing a different gps and will just lick my tomtom wounds.
Sorry Bob for your problems. I got an XXL540TM 15 months ago and get map updates for free. All companies are slow to post updates of new streets to their maps. I’ve read magellan is a peg below Tom Tom and Garmin, so they must have things you like including the “ding” when you need to turn.
I must have a defective Tom Tom, as I have had no problems yet and I use it regularly !!!
I just purchased the Tom Tom XXL540TM today from Amazon.com for $89.99 free shipping. I hope I didn’t make a bad purchase.
You got a great deal and it is the last of the Tom Toms where you can correct pronunciation of words and numbers as well as back it up on your computer.
It doesn’t really get outdated as the traffic is the same and you get the same lifetime maps as everyone else. It beats Garmin in that it has tons more options which can user chosen.
Thanks Dennis for the reassurance this was my first GPS purchase (I was a lil nervous).
I bought the same model a few months ago and loved to a lot!
That is until a recent trip when I got very badly lost in Washington DC and it took me 3 (!) hours in rush hour traffic to find back my bearings.
The main issue with this, and probably many other GPS systems, is that the route planning isn’t as transparent as on a computer with, say, Google Maps, where I can visually see the entire route and change things around by simply dragging the suggested route. Very easy and intuitive.
It’s definitely much more difficult to do this on your new TomTom XXL540, though at least it’s possible, other models don’t even have this feature. The XXL540 can recalculate another route, but your choices are very limited and the interface is not at all transparent.
Until the user experience gets (way) better I decided to revert back to printing Google Maps and work with those, I know, it’s not funny at all. But I definitely don’t want to ever go through this painful experience again!
Linda,
It’s a very popular model and I expect that you’ll be very happy with it.
I have a nuvi 1450lmt and am returning it because it seems unable to consider local traffic (traffic lights, etc.), and even routes me off of the highway to local roads when i’m connecting from one highway to another. very bad algorithm. will tomtom do better?
Possible. TomTom routing has a good reputation but I suspect it varies by what part of the country you’re in.
i’m looking to get a gps whats is a beter choice a garmin or a tom tom
That’s a matter of personal preference. Myself, I tend to prefer Garmins but own quite a few of both brands.
I have been using the XXL 540 TM for about a year and to be very honest it works very well. The only problem is that when you attempt to update it goes berserk. It tells you to backup to your computer, and when you attempt to backup it does its thing and after 40 minutes you get an error message. After disconnecting the GPS from your computer and reconnecting you get a message that you need and update again, so you click on the “Update” and after another 40 minutes of updating goes bye and then you get a message that your GPS is up to date knowing it has not finished updating according to the progress bar.
The worst feature is that you cannot delete one destination at a time. If you want to delete a particular destination it is impossible, you will have to delete all destinations and reprogram all the destinations that you want to keep.