TomTom GPS Systems
TomTom One XL & XL-S
Reviewed and Rated

The TomTom GPS systems One XL and XL-S could be the answer to your needs. You will find TomTom One reviews, owner ratings and details on these TomTom auto GPS systems. The TomTom XL GPS systems, the One XL and the One XL-S, offer a very complete array of navigation features. They do not have the "extras" of the higher priced units, but if you are looking for a navigation only device these units offer a lot.

At the moderate end of the price scale for TomTom, the XL and XL-S have preloaded maps of the US and Canada which may be viewed in 2D and 3D, and a bright 4.3" wide screen. The only difference between these two TomTom GPS systems is that the XL-S has "text to speech" capability. This enables the unit to tell you the name of the street you should turn on, in addition to the direction of the turn and when to do so. Other than that, they are the same.

The preloaded maps come with a 30 day guarantee allowing you to download the most recent maps within 30 days of the purchase date. Equipped with "Map Share" you can join the Map Share community (recommended) and keep your maps up to date. You will have to download TomTom Home software. This allows you to access Map Share and other TomTom downloads.

The units come with a built-in SD card slot and Bluetooth technology. The Bluetooth, when paired with a compatible cell phone, allows the user to get TomTom Traffic and TomTom Plus services. With TomTom Plus you can get current weather, fuel prices and more. The list of compatible phones appears to be very limited. Check TomTom cell phone compatibility to make sure your phone will work with the system. The units are also compatible with RDS-TMC traffic which will give you traffic alerts in the following areas: Total Traffic Network coverage. The FM traffic receiver must be purchased separately. Both services require a subscription fee.

Planning a trip can be done by entering an address, choosing one of the preloaded Points of Interest, a previous destination or a saved destination. You may even enter the zip code to speed up the process. You can customize your route by selecting the shortest route, the quickest, exclude toll roads, limited speed and even choose for a bicycle or walking. You can also create a route with multiple stops along the way. If you miss a turn or take a wrong turn, the unit will recalculate your route and get you back on course..

The "Help Me" feature allows you to instantly get your current location, the location of the nearest hospital, fire or police station and more.

One of the fun features of the TomTom GPS systems is that there are numerous 3rd party vendors providing additional voices for your unit. Check them out at GPS Voices.

Amazon:
TomTom GPS systems

By Robert G. Chatham "BobChatham", March 17, 2009

Disappointed with the bluetooth functionality - wouldn't set up, very disappointed with the maps, they are way out of date. My home isn't on even the updated map I downloaded and my home and subdivision were built in 2003, more than five years ago. Tried to download the 'free' map update and it said it wasn't available. Not good service. Filed several complaints and the company never responded. If I could I would get my money back. Uggghh!

TomTom GPS systems
By S. Vazquez, January 20, 2009

Bluetooth functionality is very limited to only certain phone providers. Very misleading:( But at it's price, I'm not totally disappointed.

TomTom GPS systems
By N. Forney, January 14, 2009

We purchased our TomTom One XL just before the Holidays (2008) to use on a trip from Tennessee to Michigan, with a couple stops in between. The unit worked as the manufacturer claimed. One thing we found annoying is when we veered off the planned route, this model does not "recalculate" automatically as some other models do. It was easy to find a new route, but must be done manually. The unit performed great - it does not speak the name of the street to turn on, however it is very explicit in telling you what lane to be in and when to turn, and the name of the street you're looking for is displayed. We like the 4.3" screen. We are very happy with this purchase and highly recommend this model.

TomTom GPS systems
By JakeVan, January 6, 2009

The unit got me everywhere I wanted to go, with minimal problems - the only issue I ran into several times was the maps not realizing that I couldn't make a left turn because of an island in the road, leading to a few unexpected U-turns.

The voice directions are clear, the visual maps are easy to follow and it's very simple to get up and running, punch in an address, etc. I've had better GPS devices in rental cars, but for this price I doubt you could do much better.

Best Buy:
TomTom GPS systems

By AZShopper, 02/15/2009

What's great about it: Easy software, great features for the price, fun
What's not so great: Mega short battery life - buy a wall charger

It was very easy to use and intuitively designed right out of the box. I turned it on and it found my brand new neighborhood that none of the one line map systems have caught up to yet. I've used this traveling in many different cities now; NY, San Diego, Phoenix, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, etc. It's been accurate in every one. Great that it has a memory function that makes it easy to find your way back to places when walking or lost in a parking lot.

TomTom GPS systems
By GrayGoose123, 12/05/2008

I've been using this GPS for about a year. My husband didn't like it at first, but now he always wants to take it with him on business trips. Occassionally, if you are navigating to an address, it will get you on the right road and in the general area, but will will fall short or over-shoot the exact house number. Also, in cities where there are a lot of consecutive turns, it gets behind and by the time it says "turn right" you're already past your street. If you watch the screen though, you can easily make the correct turns. Fairly minor complaints. Overall, a good buy.

TomTom GPS systems
By Joe29, 10/25/2008

What's great about it: This portable unit is easy to setup and use.
What's not so great: Battery life is not that great and slow to execute prompts.

I usually travel throughout the summer,so when I first got this gps unit I immediatly caught on to the functions. Very easy to use and takes the pain out of traveling long and short distances. The only 2 things I do not like is that battery life is short and slow to execute prompts. I find myself plugging it in after two hours of use(in which I don't mind) but I would like to plug my cell in too without all the extra cigarette adapters. When approaching a turn or off-ramp,it gives the prompt to late.One time I missed my exit and had to turn around because it was slow to respond.But,other than that, this a great bargain and mainly if you need something now,this will get you to where you gotta go!

TomTom GPS systems owner Ratings - TomTom ONE XL

Amazon:

354 Reviews
5 star = (161)
4 star = (104)
3 star = (31)
2 star = (27)
1 star = (31)

Best Buy: 107 reviews: 4.2 out of a possible 5

Test Freaks: 420 reviews: 7.9 out of a possible 10

TomTom GPS systems Specifications - TomTom ONE XL

Introduced: April 2007
unit dimensions: 4.7"W x 3.4"H x 1.2"D
Display size: 4.3" diag
Display resolution: 480 x 272 pixels, 64,000 colors
Display type: full TFT color LCD touchscreen
Weight: 7.4 ounces
Battery: Rechargeable Internal Litium-Ion
Battery life: 2 hours operation
Memory: Internal memory 1 GB, SD slot (only for additional maps, SD not included)

TomTom GPS systems
What's in the Box:

TomTom ONE XL receiver
Preloaded maps for all fifty of the United States and Canada
Windshield mount
Adhesive mounting disk
Cigarette lighter adaptor
USB Car Charger and USB cable
Installation CD Containing TomTom HOME software, user manual and additional voices

TomTom GPS systems Owner Reviews - TomTom ONE XL-S

Amazon:

TomTom GPS systems
By zingingablenessedly, January 18, 2009

absolutely wonderful to use, but can't update easily

PRO - easy to use and program. we like the terrain mode as it helps us determine where we are in regard to (possible) fishing lakes and water and roads and business areas.
- if you decide to take another route, it quickly reconfigures route to destination
- always easy to read the 4.5" screen. i really like that it shows the next road to turn onto in the upper right corner, and the details of the trip on the bottom.
- it shows the exit number of freeways.
- volume easy to adjust, and can be too loud at 100%.
- it gives the miles and minutes, and ETA.
- it lets you choose if you want toll roads, which are common in some areas.
- gives different modes of travel, such as if you're walking or bicycling, or to avoid freeways
- you can choose POIs for near you, and along route or at destination.
- it's great that it will tell you what lane to be in, especially useful when on busy cloverleafs and busy highways and exits. no sweat or last minute lane changes.
CON- it took a call to support to discover the one voice that gave vocal directions of street names and exits. that's what the LS is all about, but their instructions didn't make it easy to determine how to get it.
- device batteries go low quickly.
- worst thing is trying to update it. it took hours and numerous attempts, and then it said "device full." why didn't it figure that out before the download? i couldn't find anything to delete to make more room. some time in the future guess i'll have to get an expandable storage card, and then have to pay about $100 to update it.
- sometimes it gives weird directions. once it had me drive down the interstate 6 miles, and make a turn to go the other way 9 miles; why didn't i just go 3 miles the right way from the beginning?

TomTom GPS systems
By Bada Bing "Bada Bing", December 20, 2008

The voice stopped working a year after I bought the device. When I called for service, I was informed that my warranty expired 2 weeks ago and since they don't repair their devices, my only option is to buy a new one. I find it highly sketchy my only option is to buy a new device one year after I bought this one. I offered to pay for repairs but they don't do that; they only replace.

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TomTom GPS systems
By joloff, 02/28/2009

I've had this model for almost a year, and am about to replace it for the following reasons. I can't believe I put up with it for this long. The number of preloaded points of interest is low compared to other models. You can load files from the Tom Tom site, but these are user generated and often limited to specific states or cities. Also, when you search for restaurants in an area, it only shows the first 25 or so. If you are in an area with 100s of restaurants, you will never be able to search beyond a fraction of a mile in many cases.

The maps are inconsistent and often inaccurate, even on roads that have been long before the map update. Today it didn't show a section of 287 from Fort Worth to Waco that has been around for 5 or 10 years, so it tried to route me to an out of the way detour. In Central Florida it sent me to an address on old State Road 50, when the business was actually on new State Road 50, a huge difference several miles away.

The text to speech pronunciation is also very poor, with very few direct lookups. It can't even pronounce something as simple as "Fort Worth" very well.

TomTom GPS systems
By shopgirl24, 01/30/2009

I went for the XL-S over the XL at the recommendation of the salesperson. This thing seems to freeze as I try to power up, sometimes even getting barcode lines down the screen. It ALWAYS takes at least 2 tries to power up, but once it's on it works fine. I've used it numerous times on cross country trips and it's never given me bad directions. I can't recommend this product given the basic technical errors.

TomTom GPS systems
By PilotMig29F, 12/06/2008

I use this on my business trips. Last time out, used it to navigate from Boston to Rochester NY. It took me everywhere I wanted to go without a hitch. After a meeting, I was asked if I would need directions back to my hotel, but my answer was.....don't need it, I have a GPS. I especially like two features, the first is, it asks if I need to arrive at a certain time and lets me know if I'm going to be late and the second is that it always keeps track of my current speed. The speed indicator lights up red when I'm going to fast for the present speed limit. The Mapshare feature along with a choice of different voices makes it even better. I chose to use Vicki because her voice gets over the pitch of the engine and I like her English accent when she says. "Join the Motorway"".

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TomTom GPS systems
By Rednekbychoice, 03/02/2009

I got this for my Wife as one of her Anniversary presents. She loves it, and , come to find out, so do I. It works great, and it DOES speak street names. That is, the one you need to turn on to. It gives very good directions, and automatically redoes your route if you make a wrong turn. I tested this feature on purpose, partly to show my wife, partly for ease of my own mind. It re-reoutes VERY QUICKLY. Until you change your destination, it will continue to change your route to your desatination, every time you go off course. Also tells you to turn around.

TomTom GPS systems
By carter04, 03/02/2009

This product is a great purchase. We are a military family, and it gets us from point A to point B. We have used it for trips around our area, plus getting us back home to visit family on leave.

By an anonymous customer, 02/03/2009

TOMTOM ONE XL-S

Bought this item for my husband... he loved it at first. After a couple times of using we noticed it was out of date. Even with road changes from almost a year ago. When trying to correct them online I realized they charge everytime you want to upgrade the map. The first 30days TOMTOM gives free upgrades and even after upgrading our TOMTOM was still out-of-date.

It is somewhat user friendly and not too complicated to use... however when connecting to the computer it gets a little complicated. With upgrading and deleting old maps... you just have to be careful to back-up your files before you install or delete other stuff.

TomTom GPS systems Owner Ratings - TomTom ONE XL-S

Amazon:

175 Reviews
5 star = (83)
4 star = (51)
3 star = (13)
2 star = (17)
1 star = (11)

Best Buy: 64 reviews: 4.2 out of a possible 5

WalMart:

127 Reviews
5 star = (69)
4 star = (40)
3 star = (6)
2 star = (8)
1 star = (4)

TomTom GPS systems Specifications - TomTom ONE XL-S

Introduced: October 2007
Unit dimensions: 4.7"W x 3.4"H x 1.2"D
Display size: 4.3" diag
Display resolution: 480 x 272 pixels, 64,000 colors
Display type: full TFT color LCD touchscreen
Weight: 7.4 ounces
Battery: Rechargeable Internal Litium-Ion
Battery life: 2 hours operation
Memory: Internal memory 1 GB, SD slot (only for additional maps, SD not included)

What's in the Box:

TomTom ONE XL-S receiver
Preloaded maps for all fifty of the United States and Canada
Windshield mount
Adhesive mounting disk
Cigarette lighter adapter
USB Car Charger and USB cable
Installation CD Containing TomTom HOME software, user manual and additional voices

Note: The state of Minnesota prohibits the installation of portable GPS units on the windshield of your vehicle.

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