UPDATE: A newer model, the TomTom VIA 1535TM, updates the 540TM, adding Bluetooth and voice commands.
UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued. For a list of current TomTom models and their features, please see our TomTom comparison chart.
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
- 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
- Our auto GPS FAQs
- There are several good TomTom message forums:
- yourNAV’s TomTom forums
- GpsPasSion’s TomTom message forum
- A U.S.-based TomTom forum
Compare prices on the TomTom XXL 540TM at these merchants:
- Check the current TomTom XXL 540TM
- This is an older model no longer sold by many online merchants
About Rich Owings
Has anyone bought the 540? I bought the XXL 550 TM at Costco and returned it because of the limited preferences/customization.
One key capability I’m looking for is 2D mode WITHOUT North being Up. I prefer to have Up (top of screen) be the direction of travel. This is not possible on the 550.
If anyone has bought the 540 and can confirm that you can have 2D mode with Up being the direction of travel, that would be very helpful.
Thx!!
Why would you post a question to the “reviews” area? People read here to see if this product has good or bad reviews, not to answer your questions. Email the company or look for a forum for questions. This review should be removed.
As the site owner, let me say that I get plenty of people posting questions about specific models on the review pages. I welcome it and encourage it.
sooo..where’s your answer to the question if you welcome the question. You could’ve answered it in the same post welcoming the question. LAWL FAIL!
I LAWL’d at your LAWL!
I’ve played with both the 550 and 540 side-by-side. I kept the XXL 540TM World Edition. I’d urge you to cough up the extra bucks for a 540 World Edition if you can — it comes with 4GB of memory rather than the 2GB the North American-only versions have. The latest mapfiles TomTom has for US/Canada are too large for their 2GB models so they now publish “simplified” 2GB-version maps. They also still crank out a full-size model for those with the 4GB models.
The 540 will do 2D, north up and current-direction up (which is what I use).
Where do you get the world edition from??
Amazon has it.
Thanks Alex. Good info. I’m always surprised when I see new units shipped with very little space for larger maps.
Actually, something more surprising was that the XXL 540TM I bought at the HH Gregg chain store had everything in it EXCEPT a 540S! It came with a 530S. Even their floor models for the XXL 540 TM had the silver 530S on display. They called a few of their other stores and apparently ALL of the HH Gregg stores received mis-packaged boxes.
Buyer beware! If your XXL 540 has a completely silver bezel on it and comes with a silverish-gray windshield mount, you’ve got a 530, NOT a 540!
Wow! That’s not good.
Identical problem with unit purchased at Staples, 8/2010. TomTom help could not explain difference between 530 and 540 model and suggested I speak with Staples. Did so, they did nothing wrong, TomTom apparently packaged 530 S in 540 TM boxes!
Although two separate places on the TomTom website state the 540 series has Advanced Lane Guidance and the 530 series does not, TomTom Support has assured me my 530S packed in a 540 box does have this feature. If so, it has never engaged on any multiple lane highway I’ve been on in South Florida.
TomTom Support has assured me the only difference between what I bought and what I thought I bought is a map of Mexico.
Hey Everyone
I wanted to say thanks to Rich Owings for making such an awesome website, it really helped me with trying to purchase a GPS system.
I’d been searching for a GPS, I knew the 3 main companies were Magellen, TomTom, and Garmin. Of the 3, I heard that TomTom and Garmin were the best.
I did read problems about both on various websites (mainly amazon consumer posts) and realized that this wouldn’t be a cut and dry decision, and thats where the website really helped.
I wanted to spend as little money as possible on a mid/high end GPS. I found the TomTom XXL 540M on Amazon for $119.99 as the deal of the day yesterday and jumped the gun and purchased it! Although I know I’m losing out on the traffic part, the maps are more important in my opinion. Of the reviews I’ve read, the traffic updates weren’t always accurate, and the re-routes are long and tedious. Also, I think being able to get to where I need to go is more important than how long it takes me. In the end, I saved around $90 going with just the Maps! What do you guys think, is the traffic part worth it?
I was debating on whether I should get the 755T or 1450T from Garmin, but while the lifetime traffic feature was there, the lifetime maps was not included and much more expensive to get. The 755T was only a $30 increase, but has a smaller screen and has ads (I also heard it was going to be replaced with a new model updated soon). The 1450T has ads and was way more expensive!
My only complaint thus far is that the TomTom XXL 540M doesn’t have an SD or microSD card slot to increase the memory for Maps in the future, which I think limits its ability to last long term. Perhaps you can ad a feature to the website in the future with a column in the comparison charts that shows which models have a slot to increase the momory in the future.
I think I made the best decision for the money, but I just wanted to know what you guys thought. I plan on trying to use this GPS for as long as TomTom keeps giving the map updates and supports the product. I’ve been using mapquest and google maps every time I needed to go somewhere, but it came to a point where a GPS was just going to be easier, save my printer ink, and I’ve been traveling a lot more. I was going to try and wait to see if the holiday brought any good deals or new models, but this deal was too good to pass up on, and I don’t have to wait a couple months to get it! Any advice would be great! Thanks guys.
If you take out all the extra features you are not using like all the extra languages it will clear up alot of space on the memory so that updating the maps won’t be such a hassle. My brother has this model and said it greatly improved the map capability when he got rid of all the different languages and extras he dosen’t use. Hope this helps.
what about the chime navigations when making turns like the magellans?
Nope. You’ll get voice instructions well ahead of the turn, and then again just before it.
I ordered the 550, then I saw this review, read the comments and quickly canceled my order from newegg and ordered the 540TM. haha
Cool! Glad it helped.
haha. i haven’t been able 2 afford a decent gps so i haven’t kept up with whats around.(bought a $200’nextar’ brand a few yrs ago that lasted till a day after the warranty n i’ve yet 2 replace it) i decided black friday may change that so i started looking (thanxgiving night) for the best deal i could get. i thought the 550was the one, but came across a review about the lack of key features and decided on the xxl540tm for $129on amazon…now i’m here eagerly awaiting its arrival lol and further confirming my purchase, thanx
I wouldn’t consider myself a complete noob when it comes to technology, but when I began my search for a GPS, I didn’t serious guidance and have felt incredibly grateful for this blessing of a site! Thank you thank you thank you for taking such time and patience for creating a site dedicated to reviewing GPSs!
How nice of you to take the time to say so. I’m glad it helped!
I’m thinking of purchasing an XXL 540TM. I notice that Tom, above, says it comes with 2 GB of memory; however, the TomTom web site says it has 4 GB of flash memory. Can anyone confirm which it is?
By the way, I’ve owned an One XL for quite a few years, and have really enjoyed it.
I apologize, that was Alex, above, who mentioned the memory.
According to reviews on Amazon, it’s 2GB, but you’re right, the website says 4GB.
If the XXL540TM and the Garmin 1450LMT were the same price, which one would you buy?
Part of this is personal preference, whether you like TomTom or Garmin units more. I generally prefer the latter, if for no other reason than the brighter screen.
Good Morning,
We just purchased a TomTom XXL 540TM, having been reading comments regarding the map updates and activation code not working smoothly. Can you suggest the best way to do the initial set up? What else can you eliminate to have more memory? Thanks for your help.
Here are a couple of resources that should help:
http://us.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7798/kw/map%20update%20memory
http://tomtomforums.com/tomtom-go-630-720-720t-730-730t-740-750/12826-new-720t.html
Thank you Rich for your very helpful suggestions. I do appreciate it. It’s nice to know someone is willing to help those of us who are “newbies.” 🙂
TO: Author: JB
Comment:
“Why would you post a question to the “reviews” area? People read here to see if this product has good or bad reviews, not to answer your questions. Email the company or look for a forum for questions. This review should be removed.”
JB: I am new to this “forum” thing and I don’t understand what harm it was to ask for help here. I’m sure other people would benefit from my questions and their replies, especially,if they are new to all this. I’m grateful that someone was nice enough to answer my question without giving me grief!
Hi! I just bought the XXL 540TM for my husband for Christmas and I was wondering what accessories are a must have and where’s a good place to purchase? Thanks!
Nothing is a must have. A case can be nice. I really like dashboard friction mounts too…
http://gpstracklog.com/2008/07/choosing-a-fric.html
The first few here without a front lip
are good for TomTom units.
something to keep in mind, i’v read a lot of reviews complaining about the mount it comes with…i bought this unit for myself, so i’m gonna wait and see if i like it before ordering a new type mount. best buy had a nice one of the sand weighted ones thats universal, soft clamp holds anything u can fit in it, holds ur phone or mp3, whatever
Rich, first off love your website. It was very informative and helped me pick the TT 540tm. Regarding the mount for the 540…HORRIBLE! I had read it was bad but thought “it can’t be THAT bad can it?” It is. I’m interested in trying the friction mount you mention but have a concern. I’ve found the ring mount that clips onto the 540 be to decent. It could be easier to attach but once on it doesn’t come off. My gripe is the suction cup. How will the friction mount help in that regard? Doesn’t the same suction cup that came with the device need to be used to attach to the friction mount? Won’t I have the same issue of the suction cup popping off?
Yes, it’s the same suction cup. It would probably be worse with a friction mount.
My best tips for suction mounts is to apply them to a clean, warm windshield (the latter is a big issue in the winter). A single drop of water applied to the center of the suction cup can also help.
Thanks, I’ll try that. If that fails I might buy the Arkon TT mount http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001H4B0AC/ref=pe_132190_20972080_pe_epc_t4. Really disappointed in the mount. My cheap 3.5″ Navigon never came off the windshield.
Hello,
First of all I would like to thank Rich for making this site. It is full of great information and it appears he is prompt on responses. Honestly, that is very abnormal these days. I, and most others I am sure, are thankful!
I am interested in the TomTom XXL 540tm for my wife. I have spent literally 10+ hours reading reviews about this unit and a few others. (Garmin 265wt, 1450Ltm, 1490t, TT340tm ) Frankly, I am exausted. I see all the negative comments about these products, but it is difficult to know the truth behind the words. I noticed on Amazon.com, most negative reviews were about device failures (including unit shutting down and would not reboot) and poor map updating. If you rule out the memory issues and follow what most consumers say, that should not be a problem.
I suppose I am looking for guidance as to which unit will perform optimally. I am not looking for perfect, but I would like to have an idea of the best product for my money. If anyone is able to help this first-time GPS buyer, I would be more than grateful!!!
Thank you,
Justin
Thanks for the kudos. I enjoy helping folks out where I can.
There were shut down issues with the nuvi 1xxx series, which a summer firmware update addressed. Haven’t heard of many issues like that with TomToms.
There’s no perfect unit. People are much more likely to take the time to post negative comments, and not as motivated if they are happy. All the units you mentioned are good. I might avoid the nuvi 265wt, just because its older and likely to be discontinued soon. In general, Garmins are easier to use, while TomToms have more options and settings you can fiddle with to customize them.
Hope this helps!
Thank you very much for the help. I would love to spend the money for a Garmin 1490LTM ($274.99), but for the price of the tomtom540tm @ $129.99, I will have to take that! Thanks again for the input, and for having this site available!!!
I like to know if the TomTom xxl540tm can have the Europe maps download to it.
Yes, but you’ll need to remove the North American maps for it to fit. More info here…
http://www.tomtom.com/products/maps/select.php?D=76&M=914
Rich, I didn’t think European maps could be downloaded to the standard 540 (S,T,M,TM). I thought the 540WT (World Traveller) had a 4GB memory as opposed to 2GB on the NON-WT model so the European maps could be downloaded to it. I know you can’t have the US and European maps on it at the same time, so I thought it came with a 4GB memory because the European maps were more than 2GB in size. I don’t know for sure but it would make sense.
That link shows that the European map is available for and compatible with the XL 530 & 540 series.
And I was under the impression that the WTE units had both map sets pre-loaded. Could be wrong though.
I saw with your link that the European maps is 2 GB in size. That would completely fill the non-World traveller model without allowing for the rest of the software to operate it. The Tom Tom site leaves much to be desired.
“Traffic – I recently saw that 50% of people with live traffic on their GPS don’t use it. Great idea, but it ain’t ready for primetime yet. You’ll get plenty of erroneous reports, and you’ll also come across lots of bottlenecks that go unreported.”
I am an obvious newbie and I am interested in getting the TomTom XXL 540TM for my young adult daughters. When you mention “traffic” in the above paragraph is that the same type of “traffic ” offered in the TomTom XXL 540TM ?
Thanks
Susan
Yes. Traffic still sucks. Generally speaking, it seems to function better in the largest metro areas (think LA). There are simply more probes reporting data in these areas. In most metros though, you can still expect plenty of false positives and false negatives.
Hope this helps.
I should add… these TomToms have a historical road speed database, and while no GPS may excel at unexpected traffic problems, these units tend to do pretty well with avoiding routine traffic (i.e., a road that always backs up at rush hour).
Hi again,
Do you need the traffic (T) to receive the historical road speed database and notification of routine traffic problems? Would the TomTom540XXLM do the same?
Yes, I am confused what “traffic” really means and if it is really necessary.
Thanks!
Susan
No, the historic road speed database is built in to most of their units, including the XXL 540M. This shows routine traffic patterns.
The T models have a traffic receiver in the power cord that receives FM broadcasts (in mid- to large metro areas) carrying live traffic info. These show incidents, slow downs, etc. It’s often not all that accurate though.
I got mine from Amazon 2 days ago and had to call tech support for help because the system kept crashing. Finally got the system to work and then after I hung up the system died and would not turn back on. So I plugged charged it over night and it never came back in. So I called the next day and they said that it may be a lemon, so I had to scan in my receipt, send my Tom Tom 540 TM back. I have expressed my irritation with this product, although they are sending me a new one, I am not a very happy customer right now.
I hope you returned it to Amazon and not TomTom, only because it’s less hassle that way. I haven’t heard of many out of the box problems with TomToms, though I did experience it once myself. Please keep us posted on the replacement unit.
Hi Rich, thanks for you feedback. You were right about just getting my money back from Amazon. I sent the product back right away to Tom Tom, and that whole process is such a pain. So I called yesterday and they received my Tom Tom back on 12/9/10 and they said that it will take 7-10 business days to receive my new Tom Tom. I asked the support tech if it would have been better had I just sent my broken product back to Amazon and he said that Tom Tom likes customers to send malfunctioning products back to them for repair or replacement. I will say that if this happens again I will just send it back to Amazon, he said that they check the product to make sure it works prior to sending it out. By the way this is a nice site to come and see peoples reviews.
Great web site I am liking the tomtom-comparison-chart very helpful. Two question for tomtom users/experts
1.)When removing/deleting maps (XXL 540 WTM)can the maps be saved. Ie the European maps can they be saved in my computer & downloaded to GPS when I travel to Europe.
2).How do this fair((XXL 540 WTM)) in Urban big cities with high rise buildings (ie LA, NY, Toronto, London) etc..
1. Yes. I’m pretty sure this is managed through the free TomTom HOME application.
2. No idea. Probably as well as any auto GPS though.
XXL 540TM will be $119.95 at Staples for two days only this coming week. Not sure but it is in the flyer which goes into effect on Sunday Dec 12th. This is a great deal !!
Sorry, Above I meant to write “Not sure which two day period.”
Thanks. I’m betting Amazon’s price magically drops to $119.95 that day!
Amazon’s price is $109.99 (temporarily out of stock) and free standard shipping today. They also say they won’t charge your cc until the unit ships, so not a bad deal for this model if you miss the Staple’s deal.
I bought TomTom XXL540TM recently from amazon.com. I was reading reviews earlier and came to know that there would be a map update code in the box which can be used later to update maps life time. However there is no such written code in the box I received. Can you give any valuable advice since this is my first gps purchase. Thanks!
Connect it to your computer and it should install TomTom HOME. That app should recognize it as a lifetime maps device and allow you to update the maps if newer ones are available.
This is one of the best and most complete review sites for gps’s I’ve been able to find. Thank you for such a thorough site!
I’ve been looking at GPS info and reviews for a week now. Lots of choices and options. I’m looking for something for my daughter in Tucson who has a tendancy toward being geographically challenged. The TomTom XXL 540TM looks to be highly recommended and a good fit. However, it does not offer hands-free bluetooth. This is probably not absolutely necessary, but I believe this would be helpful if you’re on the phone and talking to someone while trying to find your way. Any thoughts or opinions on using the bluetooth? Also, how does the TomTom XXL 540TM compare to the Garmin nuvi 1390LMT? any feedback would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Both are good models. In general though, Bluetooth sucks. The sound quality for the person on the other end of the call is pretty bad in most cases.
Rich,
Thank you, that answers my question. I appreciate the feedback and help.
Thanks again,
Tom Tom XXL 540 TM is available today and tomorrow (12/12 and 12/13) for $119.99 at the staples’ stores. Save 15% today if you use the coupon available at their website. I bought one for less than $102.00 this morning. Call store before hand.
That’s a good deal, even with tax. I thought Amazon would price match it, but they are out of stock and Staples isn’t offering it online.
I’ve looked at the Staples website and couldn’t find the 15% off coupon. Where’s it located?
It appears when you click on the weekly ads @ staples.com.
I bought a XXL540TM from Amazon the Monday before Thanksgiving after having 3 previous units (One, One XL and 130s over a 7 year period). After spending 4 hours over a 2 day time frame after it was delivered the unit went blank while I was doing a “Soft” Re-boot for the ninth time with tech support so an RMA (Returned Merchandise Authorization)was issued and it was returned to TomTom. I received an email saying my repaired unit had been shipped and immediately called and demanded a new unit not a repaired one. When the replacement arrived (supposedly New)the box was mangled and the unit was set to Spanish and to top it off it was a XXL540WTE (Supposedly a better unit). After Spending 4 hours on the phone with Tech Support the unit would never move beyond the the start up screen and was again issued another RMA Number and it shipped back today. This morning I was online reading AMAZON.COM reviews and found many people experiencing the same issues. (Nightmare is more like it). I am wishfully hoping the new unit will arrive and fix the problems because my XL130 is great but I travel considerably and am tired of paying for updates…thus my purchase of the TM Model.
Sorry you may have just hit bad luck, but my 540TM has been great. Many problem reviews on Amazon are due to first time Tom Tom customers thinking they can figure out the Tom Tom GPS without looking at the online manual if they have a problem. They get confused and blame Tom Tom rather than admitting they need help in some cases. The main gripe is the windshield mount for which you DO need to read the directions or it will pop off easily.
Garmin is by far the easiest to use though they give you little in the way of customization as Rich and others have noted. Having used TT you know of its many benefits. By looking at independent forums (like this one and others) I have learned to improve the usage of my TT 540TM far more than I expected. The turn prompts for TT are much earlier than I experienced with a rented Garmin 765T, sometimes having the Garmin tell me (first prompt) as I was passing the street to turn there. I disregard Amamzon 1 star and 5 star reviews, and basically look at the 2 & 3 star reviews to see if any of the complaints would bother me (for any product).
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.