TomTom GO 510 4-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Reviews

• A really remarkable accomplishment; but ....

  
  By A3Q1G9BTVY8EUX on 2006-08-31
  I have been using my TT 510 for more than a month, with over 2000 miles of local and cross-country travel, mostly without the need for a map. Our family now has three of them, all working properly right out of the box, and we love them.
  
  But the manual is sparse and not indexed. Some of the data entry procedures are peculiar and require experimenting to get right. (If in doubt, or you can't find a particular icon, back up a couple of steps.) There are some amusing program quirks: a "Main Street" address may throw you into a nearby town, rather than the one you have specified! That happened to us in two different locations in Massachusetts, once from Concord (to Acton) and once from Reading (to Tewksbury).
  
  The data base entry for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel must have been a little wrong, because the display showed us moving along in the water parallel to the bridges, despite good signals! The unit repeatedly recalculated the route while trying to deal with that problem. A similar thing happened on the Wright Bridge, eastbound on Rt 158 to the Outer Banks of NC. Amazingly, the TT projected our motion through the tunnels without receiving any signal, plotted out "progress" on the display, and instantly found our location again as we emerged!
  
  The TT does not always respect numbered routes, and sometimes put us on local roads through residential neighborhoods when the path seemed to be a little straighter than the official highway. In local traffic there were a couple of inexplicable times when it directed us into the wrong lane for an approaching turn. The projected arrival times are sometimes quite accurate, but in some cases have been very wrong for no apparent reason.
  
  On a couple of occasions when a unit did hang up, we reset it, but had to use a sharp pin or a thin needle because a paper clip doesn't fit into the tiny (and well hidden) reset hole. My wife once borrowed an earring from someone nearby to reset hers, and now keeps a safety pin stuck in the cloth case!
  
  The windshield mount works well when you remember to retract the clamping ring when setting the suction cup, and then to tighten the clamping ring fully, and the TT is easy to fit to the mount once you learn to thrust it deep enough onto the stem.
  
  Those minor nuisances aside, we love the TomTom. The display is easy to use and brilliantly arranged for driver convenience. I give this amazing product 5 stars because I would not hesitate to get another one, and most of what it does is just fantastic! It has been especially valuable for finding unfamiliar local addresses and for getting onto and off of Interstate Routes in unfamiliar places, normally a special pain for cross-country travel. When you deliberately depart from your planned route for a detour or a different plan, the TT quickly recalculates a route for you without really cursing, so we have had no difficulty that way.
  
  One remarkable feature of the display is the way it shows nearby streets and roads that are hidden behind trees, as along the Jersey Turnpike and some of the other highways that are landscaped to appear isolated.
  
  We found telephone support available and very helpful when we needed it once. We picked this GPS unit partly because it is compatible with our Mac computers, but haven't yet had occasion to hook it to one.
  
  

• Great feature bundle for the price, but a bit temperamental...

  
  By A3W4HX1QK5FIOG on 2006-07-18
  I've had this unit for about a month now, took it from New England to CA and it performed perfectly. Bluetooth and IPod connectivity are great. The custom voices (from John Cleese to Mr T) are a hoot. The unit does crash sometimes (i.e. fails to turn on) but a quick reset is usually all that's needed. In the rare cases the unit has trouble locking onto a GPS signal, I'd recommend downloading the QuickGPSFix software through the Bluetooth wireless data link. That usually helps the 510 locate the GPS signal. The other thing to keep in mind too is that Tom Tom is a UK company, so tech support is a bit hard to reach and the services are somewhat Euro-centric. For example, they still don't have the real time traffic service for North America. Otherwise, this a a fine unit. I have heard of some quality control problems when this unit was first released, hopefully this has been resolved with the latest batch.
  
  

• Nearly OK, but...

  
  By A23HD8U7JE9S34 on 2006-08-06
  I have had my TomTom GO 510 for about 10 weeks now. What a fantastic system! Two weeks after I got it, I took a trip to a very distant large city that I had never been to. Not once during that trip did I have to look at a map! Every time I went somewhere, I just put in the destination address and the TomTom took me right there - without fail. When roads were blocked, it helped me find alternate routes. When I needed to find a place to eat, or a gas station, it found something very well for me. I have enormous praise for this system. Of course, I wasn't always sure that I was taking the most direct or desirable route, but the system sure got me to where I wanted to be. There are some features that haven't tried, such as PLUS services, weather, and traffic. They require cell phone services that cost extra that I'm not willing to pay for. That said, I am still very high on this system and I have numerous friends that have borrowed it or are waiting to.
  
  Although I love this system, there are some real disappointments with it that I'll try to highlight. Maybe the most bizarre flaw with the system is that the time display is almost always wrong. Granted, it has to be able to get a valid satellite signal to synch the clock, but even when the system is getting valid locations, the clock seldom synchs. When it does synch, it's almost always to the wrong time zone. It's a GPS system for heaven's sake - how can it not know what time zone I'm in?
  
  I have been in some very rural areas and the system always knows where I am once I'm there, even on the roughest, unpaved, remote roads. However, I've had a hard time finding my way to those remote locations. To navigate there, the system requires that you put in the city and state. However, for some locations, there is no city, and when I put in the closest city, it couldn't find the location I was looking for. Once I was there, it knew where I was.
  
  In my travel, I wanted to go to Pike's Peak. It wasn't identified as a Point of Interest. Odd.
  
  The display could be better. In bright sunlight, it could be difficult to see. A brighter display would help under those conditions, or maybe a hood or shade of some kind. Otherwise, the display brightness was just fine. It would be nice to have a larger display. Us baby-boomers' eyesight may not be what it was in the past and some of the lettering was quite small. We could well use a larger display and many have the buying power TomTom should consider.
  
  The most irritating thing about the TomTom GO 510 was the mounting mechanism. There's a button on the front of the system that's supposed to release the system for engaging or disengaging the system from the windshield mount or the computer dock. However, the button seems to have little or no effect, and the system snaps onto both in a way that feels like you're forcing it and it's going to break easily. It's very unsettling.
  
  The documentation for the system is lousy. There's very little detailed technical information about how to use it. The documentation for mounting the windshield mount and for attaching the system to the windshield mount is all pictures - not one word - and the pictures aren't intuitively obvious what they mean. There's no explanation of the colors on the display. Sometimes roads are red, sometimes white. Land features are different colors, with no explanation. I could find no information on how maps are updated, if at all. That's a big disappointment. There's no system registration process so we can be notified when updated maps are available.
  
  Apparently, maps are contained on the SD card. The SD card easily pops in and out with just a touch. However, when installing or removing the system from the mounts, it's way too easy to accidentally touch the SD card and pop it out. It could be easily lost. Seems like there should be some kind of safety catch or door to prevent accidentally losing it.
  
  Finally, the system didn't work well with my cell phone - a Motorola V710. My contacts wouldn't synch and text messages wouldn't work. However, TomTom does caution that all cell phones are not compatible.
  
  Notwithstanding these flaws, I'm still very high on this system. I like that it can be easily moved from car to car. It generally works well and gets me where I want to be. I'm satisfied with that.
  
  
  

• This thing work

  
  By A1OXWAIGO37PXV on 2006-07-19
  Contrary to the many reports that this thing does not work. This GPS does work and works very well. It has a nice 4 inch widescreen that displays the route in great detail. There are also many options, ones that could me turned off and ones that could be turned on.
  
  The first time I turned it on it took about 2-3 minutes to acquire a signal, which felt like a year. However, subusuqent starts takes much shorter amount of time and the POI database works much better than the POI in the previous generation of TomTom.
  
  One complaint though, the mount for the car is kind of weak, and the thing shakes and it seems like it's going to fall off anytime , and as a result, the power cable disconnects itself at random times.
  
  

• Concern about the negative reviews

  
  By AJP6K8HK55HEC on 2007-05-19
  I own 3 GPS, one garmin, one tomtom 910 and since yesterday a 510. I use the garmin on the trail and the jeep, and my 910 has been with me for a couple of month cruising Europe and North America. I bought the 510, because it was cheap and also based on my experience with the 910. My wife wanted a GPS in her car so I ordered it, in 5 min at work... Then, a couple of days later, while waiting for the item, I started reading the reviews and was stun by some of the negatives comment; 2 possibilities, either I bought a lemon, or some people have NO IDEA of what they are buying or how to operate a basic electronic device (Like having the 12.00 flashing on their VCR).....
  
  After owning the 510 for 10 days, I now believe that some people should stick to paper map!
  
  PROS:
  Setup: 20 min, including downloading the updates, and setting up the bracket on the windshield of my wife car. Navigating the menu is a breeze.
  Reliability: perfect. Not one Reboot....The 510 will even navigate through some forest trail in the mountains.
  POI: Plentiful enough...
  Bluetooth: synch it with my blackberry pearl THE FIRST TIME!!!
  
  
  CONS:
  None so far....
  
  
  
  
• Happy Traveler
  By A1YHB6K7GW14U5 on 2006-10-03
  We love this thing! We bought it for a cross country vacation, and it was a dream. It'd find us in the middle of nowhere, and we never got lost. It took a few resets in the beginning to recognize our iPod, keep the correct time, and generally behave; but it's been operating flawlessly for the last 9 weeks or so. We fondly call our 510 "Mikey", after the cockney-accent custom voice we downloaded. It's removed alot of stress from car travel.
  
  
• Don't be fooled by the features: the 510 is a poor purchase
  By A3ETWLFBYSLKEG on 2007-05-12
  I bought this to replace an old Magellan Navigator, and after using it for one month, I've found it to be inferior in almost every way. To give you a sense of the problems:
  
  1) The TT 510 doesn't recognize a lot of rural street names around my area, referring to them instead by route number. This is fine if you've been told the number, but if you just have a street name, the TT will be no help at all.
  
  2) In Manhattan, the TT 510 can't ever seem to find itself. Actually, this is kind of entertaining if you know where you're going anyway. Although the display catches its location whenever you're moving, when you hit a stop light, the TT seems to think it's still moving, and the map does these bizarre spinning screens as it tries to reorient itself. Pretty useless, however, if you need directions: the TT continually recalculates the route, and if you follow its advice, you and TomTom will enjoy an escalating spiral of confusion.
  
  3) My Magellan had one serial number that I never needed to use. My TomTom has a Device Number, a Product Number, Activation Codes . . . and each of these is a string of 10 to 15 alphanumeric characters that are impossible to remember. Operating the device is a pleasure about on par with figuring out your taxes or reinstalling Windows.
  
  4) Speaking of operating systems, as of this writing, the TT 510 won't mount on an Intel-based Macintosh running OSX 10.4.9. I can't find any information about it on the TomTom website, but the problem is mentioned frequently online. When I talked to technical support I was told that they're working to fix it, but have no idea when that will happen. In the meantime, I can only connect it to my Mac while running Windows XP in Boot Camp.
  
  5) In the hopes of improving the map, I downloaded the one free update they'd give me. After installing the new map, the device required me to go to a new website, input my product and device codes, and then input another activation code. This code (predictably, given my history with the product) didn't work, leaving me with a $300 paperweight.
  
  In a hurry to get to a meeting, I called technical support. The technical support staff member insisted upon getting my address and phone number (despite the fact that I had to provide this information to them online when I "registered") before he'd answer the simplest questions. He then went through the same process that I did with the website--difficult, because relaying nonsensical "product codes" over the phone involves lots of pronunciation difficulties--ended up with the same activation code as I did, and then had no ideas once that failed to work. As a result, I was late for my meeting with the problem unfixed. On the road, I called customer service to leave a complaint, and was transferred to technical support, who tried to help me, even after I explained that I left the device at home as I hurried out the door. This representative then promised that I would receive an email that evening with a new code and a follow up call the next day. Didn't happen.
  
  6) The TomTom software, a common gripe among the reviews here, truly deserves everything negative said about it. Simple tasks, like updating a map, can wind up losing your list of favorite locations. Updates take forever to unpack and transfer. The help function doesn't. TomTom Home primarily acts as a conduit for purchasing further software add-ons. Any convenience to the user in being able to organize his travelling life is completely coincidental.
  
  In conclusion, the device isn't worth the money you'll pay for it, despite the whizbang features like celebrity voices and bluetooth integration. As a GPS navigator, it's substandard and difficult to work with. If it is merely unimpressive out of the box, the TomTom 510 becomes a true exercise in frustration when you try to update it. That annoyance derives from TomTom's business model, which is based upon selling maps, voices, and other features to the TomTom "community." My guess is that the alphabet soup of device keys you purchase with your TomTom are there to keep you from pirating the software. It's incredibly effective: having used their activation system, I no long wish to use, much less pirate, their wares.
  
  Sadly, it's beyond the point that I could return it to Amazon, so I suppose mine will be offered on e-Bay shortly.
  
  
• Very Nice Device
  By A2WBDUQ5VJI9HW on 2006-08-16
  I've used other TomTom products in the past and have really enjoyed them. So, I was excited when they came out with the new x10 series. The 510 is a great option for those on a budget who want a high powered GPS device with loads of features. It's so easy to use and accurate that it's a great option for many people. I want to get my father one too b/c his sense of direction may be worse than mine...which is pretty hard to believe. Overall though, it's a great product that anyone looking into GPS will definitely enjoy and appreciate.
  
  
• A few nice points, but very dangerous due to bad maps.
  By A3D7M2PLTIVE72 on 2007-02-03
  I bought this unit for my father. He doesn't speak English, and TomTom is the only unit that can give directions in the language he needs. The unit speaks 36 languages. Another nice point about TomTom is the large 4-inch screen, which is important to an older person. Similar-sized Garmin (Nuvi 660) is a lot more expensive.
  But that's where the nice points end, and the problems begin. First, the unit can only be mounted on the windshield. Neither TomTom nor aftermarket manufacturers produce brackets that would allow you to place this unit on your dashboard - it's physically impossible. This creates two problems: 1) windshield mounting is prohibited by some states, and 2) windshield mounting is not suitable for cars where the windshield is far from the driver.
  But all of that is relatively minor. The real danger are the maps (and consequently the instructions). My father drives in New York City and New Jersey. When we first received the unit, it couldn't find my father's home in Brooklyn. Given the street address, it insisted he lived on the other side of the town. We overcame that with using intersection instead of the street address. The really serious problems, however, happened in Jersey. The unit seemed to have no concept of "all turns from the right lane" (or "jug handle left"), and kept instructing the driver to make regular "city-style" left turns from divided expressways. My dad will hopefully always ignore these instructions, but I'm always worried. The worst, however, came when the unit sent him against the traffic on a divided expressway (Route 46 in NJ). Luckily I was in the car and knew this particular area well enough to prevent him from getting hurt.
  The unit did come with an offer of free updated maps. For $6 S&H we got a disk in the mail (took 3-4 weeks). We picked the map we wanted on that disk("US and Canada"), and copied it onto the SD card that came with the unit. The instructions were non-existant and it was not easy to figure out exactly which files to copy. But we did it. Unfortunately, these new maps changed virtually nothing (again, I'm talking NY-NJ area). The only change we noticed was that the unit placed my father's street address in a different (but just as wrong as before) part of Brooklyn.
  We are keeping the unit because of the language, but I am really worried that one day my father might follow those directions too closely. For myself, though, after having done a lot of research, I have decided on Garmin Nuvi. 350 or 360, since I don't need the big screen.
  
  
• Excellent for basic GPS, bit bulkier than TomTom One
  By A10GZCI0HBJAYY on 2007-03-30
  Pros
  ----
  - Very easy to use interface
  - Screen brightness is very good even in strong sunlight
  - Volume & clarity of instructions are very good
  - 3-D map is very intuitive, gives you the feel of being in a low-flying plane, giving you a clear view of what's ahead and to your sides
  - GPS is very powerful, and sometimes even works indoors. Never lost signal in big cities.
  - Starts up fast, and locks onto satellites in less than half a minute at the most
  - Includes map of all USA (I deleted the Canada part since I don't use it)
  - Included software allows you to backup the data and software on the SD card to your hard drive, for future restoration if needed
  - You can enter destinations in different ways (zipcode, city center, address, cross-streets)
  - Comprehensive list of POI - came in handy a few times.
  - Recalculates routes if you miss turns without any fuss
  - Includes Windshield mount, car adapter, USB cradle, AC adapter, manuals and the device of course. Nothing additional needed.
  
  ----
  Cons
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  - Bulkier than TomTom One, which is less expensive, but has only a 3.5" screen
  - Bluetooth connection to phone, while interesting, is not worth the trouble. I found it easier to just use the cell phone's speaker phone. While the TOmTOm's speaker is occupied by a phone call, directions will not be given, which makes sense, but this means you could miss turns
  - Some streets are marked differently (egs. Avenue vs St vs Blvd) than say, Google maps. So, I had trouble entering data a couple of times, and had to use the cross-street method.
  - Twice it voice-prompted me to take turns which were against the 1-way posted. Thankfully, it was daytime, so I saw that it was a 1-way & ignored the directions.
  - Doesn't play mp3, but that's not what I bought this for, so its fine.
  - Road construction instruction cannot be downloaded, unlike in Microsoft Streets & Trips for example.
  
  
  Conclusion: I love it, and friends who've used it also were very happy with the simplicity and elegance of the maps and functionality.
  
  
• Pervasive quality control issues
  By A1AF4BEI1LCNYD on 2007-06-15
  I purchased a GO510 on May 15, 2007 at a discount. For two days the unit worked great. Then my cross-country road trip disaster: Unit refused to start up most of time without a reset. Vehicle charger does not charge unit. Unit droops down over a period of an hour on the windshield mount. In short, this particular unit exhibited just about every defect described in several other reviews. The range of excellent to poor reviews can only be explained by pervasive quality control deficiencies and/or poor engineering design: If you are fortunate enough to get a defect-free unit, you will be very pleased and will be puzzled by all the negative reviews. Otherwise if you are less lucky, you will (hopefully) return this item within the grace period and exchange for a reliable robust product like the Garmin Nuvi 200 - I did and haven't looked back. The idea of having to carry around a paper click to get the GO510 to boot is ludicrous. Some reviewers claim overcharging the battery causes the boot up problem - if so, isn't that also a significant design flaw? The facts that multiple reviewers have complained about defective auto chargers, freeze-ups and/or hit-or-miss bootups, and persistent windshield mount issues should raise a red flag to prospective shoppers: this unit is simply not ready for prime-time. Caveat emptor. I give this item only two stars (generously I thought) even though it has many thoughtful and useful features and is nicely priced. But if it doesn't work, its just a $300 paperweight.
  
  
• Tom Tom 910 GPS
  By A792ZJ5JZ9NRQ on 2006-11-09
  Very easy to use, Excellent directions, Outstanding text to speech capabilities
  
  
• GPS
  By A3C6TCD4CMQ60S on 2006-08-28
  a tool I will never agian be without FANTASTIC!
  anyone who makes a living on the road must have one!
  
  
• Very easy to use and accurate
  By A1TPV4UQMV4WR2 on 2007-03-14
  I bought this unit two weeks ago and i am impressed with the ease of use and accuracy. Tom Tom mailed me the updated Maps on DVD (instructions were very clear to update the maps), i got it in couple of days, they are also sending me the windshield mount (it falls off the windshield), i was a bit skeptical about this unit after reading reviews but I really liked the wide screen with better resolution. Bluetooth setup was a breeze, worked with my RAZR phone with no problems,imported all my contacts from phone, hands free calling is very easy with good sound quality, directions are very clear and accurate, voice quality is very good.
  I need to get used to POI (one need to figure how to filter the data quickly). Unit get GPS signal within minute or two sometimes longer if you leave the unit i car in cold weather. Based on my usage of two week i would recommend this unit. Adding favorites is very easy (up to 42) after that it will be added into POI. Battery life is around 4 hours. could be charged at home or in vehicle.
  Only TOM TOM gives two years warranty on their GPS unit most of other brands have one year warranty.
  
  
  
• TomTom 510 Portable GPS
  By A2ZIZ98QR41ILF on 2007-05-30
  I'm very impressed with the ease of use and the acuracy of the data, unfortunately it was a little too up to date on one trip and tried to get me to take a road that was not yet opened (it was scheduled to have been completed 3 months prior to my trip). I was able to select an alternate route elliminating the not yet open road and arrive at my destination.
  
  
  
  
• TomTom GO 510 both Functional and Fun
  By A20KRX68702UWX on 2007-02-18
  I live in a remote, rural area (private dirt road) which doesn't show up on TomTom maps, but as soon as I get to the gravel road, TomTom kicks in and gets me to my destination accurately, depending on my choice of type of routing. The original maps that came with the unit insisted on taking me down an unmaintained section of the gravel road, but the newest maps get it right. I had trouble activating the new maps, but TomTom customer service was excellent, and spent 45 minutes with me. BTW, I got a live person in less than a minute! POI's are a bit sparse, but lots are available on the Internet. I punch in an address, and it guides me there. I am "directionally impaired", getting worse with age, and this unit gets me there every time. I love it.
  
  
• Fantastic!
  By A1YFHHCW8G8JDH on 2007-03-26
  No moving parts (hard drive) to wear out.
  
  Written instructions a bit lacking for my generation but once I figured out how to turn on all the Icons, I was in business.
  
  I mounted my 510 on the floor hub between the seats on a piece of Plexiglas slipped between the heater and carpet. Ran the remote antenna around the dash and hid the wire in the cracks.
  
  I use the audio directions more then the visual map.
  
  First trip was from Northern Indiana to Central Florida. 510 had two Street options of US 27 Florida and I picked the wrong one. I realized it when I got close to my destination; punch in the other US 27 and bingo arrived at my parent's winter home.
  
  Love the estimated time of arrival. Trimmed two hours off on the way down and 3 hours on the way back.
  
  On the return trip we were running low on gas. POI told us a gas station was three miles ahead. Wonderful.
  
  Second trip I took the train to Chicago. Spent the day with the Daughter. I'm driving her car back so I attached the 510 to her windshield and it took me straight home!
  
  Third major trip. Loaned the 510 to my Son and he use it to drive to his sister in Chicago. No problems.
  
  For the amount of street data that is need and the thousand plus calculations it made for the Florida trip, I was amazed at how accurate it was!
  
  
  
• Junk
  By A1EC3BGJGYGREK on 2007-04-07
  Bought my Go510 on November 14 as a Christmas present for the wife. It comes with only 90 days of warranty. Today is April 6 and the thing is broken. For a few days it had trouble finding the satellites, then just went dead. It was never abused, never left the car. Out of warranty for just 45 days, $600 wasted. It is junk! Stay away from it!
  
  
• TomTom GO 510
  By A23OPAV0JPMS7R on 2007-05-25
  Easy to use. Compared to the Garmin Street Pilot III, the TomTom is easier to use but disliked the view of current position. Kept having to pan out to see location in relation to next destination. Found the info stored on rest areas was sadly lacking and not useful compared to Street Pilot. Did like being able to schedule an itinerary. The TomTom also doesn't "talk" as much as the Street Pilot. Liked that a lot. All in all its a good tool, but I missed my old Street Pilot.
  
  
• Old Address Only Need Apply
  By A2X11J1R1B4Q39 on 2007-06-30
  I have had my TomTom go 510 for almost a month yesterday I made my first long trip and used it. The 510 preformed well. However the Preloaded Maps from Tom Tom are out of date by many years. eg, the address on my Home changed almost 6 years ago,the TT 510 could not locate my home or any other areas that have changed their address due to E-911 are unavailable also. There are NO Current Updates on TT web site to correct this problem,So Bottom line is this,the 510 works well but maps are really out of date,so if you buy one do your self a favor and buy a current road atlas at the same time. I will return my TT 510 to the seller this morning for refund and buy a New Road Atlas.
  
  
• Warning - TomTom has problems
  By A1EFSJRITTNZQ on 2007-01-22
  Having raved about my earlier version of TomTom GO for several years before it was stolen, I write to warn readers of problems with the GO 510 and with TomTom customer support. Possibly because they chose to put all of the USA and Canada on a single SD, they appear to have cut back on the Points of Interest (POI). Missing, for example are stores. Try to find a place to buy a bottle of wine or a book near a friend's house and you are out of luck. I don't know what else has been removed from the earlier version. The maps also have suffered. The latest maps cannot find an address that I had listed in my favorites for years; the house number does not compute. And forget customer service. I had difficulty loading new maps, a problem I won't go into here other than noting that the system crashed and I could not restore the backup without directly deleting the files on the SD. But technical support is closed on the weekend (why would you need a working GPS on the weekend?).
  
  I could go on, but as a previous happy owner, I recommend buying something else other than a TomTom - anything else.
  
  Henry
  
  
• Great - better than ever
  By A2YMEC9TG7W24N on 2007-03-09
  I recently bought the TomTom 510 after somehow misplacing my TomTom 300 during a huge move - it may show up. Anyway, I was really pleased with the 300 and NEEDED another GPS system. I didn't want to go with another brand as TomTom is so easy to use. I decided on the 510 and this one is even better. The 300 used to not be able to find certain places and direct me occasionally into a neighbouring town, but now the 510 gets me to my destination without a problem. The only problem I had was that the mount would droop but after speaking to the support team, I had to twist the mount one more time ot secure it - now it works a treat!
  
  
• If you want extensive POIs or clear bluetooth, this is not the unit for you.
  By A347X933Q7CSUE on 2007-04-11
  I had the TomTom Go 510 for about 5 days before I decided to return it. Overall, the user interface is great, and very easy to understand and configure. The setup was easy, and I also thought that the windshield suction-cup mount worked well, which I know a lot of other people complained about. The items that led me to return the unit are as follows:
  1) Bluetooth hands free- the clarity on this wasn't bad on my end, but the anyone I talked to on the other end of the phone couldn't hear me well. I had the external mic on my visor, so it was probably no more than 2 feet from my mouth. Unless I was holding it in front of my mouth, the connection wasn't clear. I also had problems where my Motorola RAZR V3 would simply disconnect from the TomTom for no reason, or send a call straight to voicemail rather than letting it ring through the TomTom.
  2) The Point of Interest database is lacking. I had read this in other articles, but didn't believe it could be that bad. I was wrong! Basically, when it comes to restaurants, it only contains fast food, and aside from that, anything retail related is lacking.
  
  If you are just looking for navigation where you aren't relying on POIs and don't need hands free calling, this unit would work fine...but then again, without those features you could get something much cheaper that would get the job done! Overall, this product is not worth the money!
  
  
• Will Never Get Lost!!!!
  By A3UGCZ58A5P5Z on 2007-04-13
  For the price this is the best GPS and it speaks in different languages LOL!!! Great display and easy to use. I had it working in 5 minutes and was off and navigating in a jiffy. It is a true gadget lovers dream.
  
  
  
• Save Yourself the headache!
  By A24RKDLBJ39SES on 2007-01-25
  I purchased the TOMTOM 510 2 days ago and am returning it today. It is impossible to get customer service on the phone, The website doesnt' work.
  They admit they have defective windshield mounts and if you go to the website and enter your serial number they will send a new one. every time I entered my serial number and hit "submit" it says "Improper format".
  I copied the number off the back of my unit carefully. If they are this hard to deal with on something this simple how will they be if something really goes wrong, (after the 30 days). This is a British company that evidently thought they could market any kind of junk to the "Colonials" and get away with it. I am returning my unit while I still can.
  
  
• DOA refurbished unit arrived ontime.
  By A31MP9SU670C9B on 2007-01-31
  I ordered for myself a tom tom 510 GPS. I was very excited because I loved my friends 300, and I felt comfortable with knowing how to work it. I also was happy because, I didn't want to spend more on a gps was 300. The refurbed at 299, sounded like my answer so I ordered it. With free shipping it still arrived in 3 days and I got it open to start to read the manual and charge and sync to the computer. First thing that really annoyed me about the unit was the plastic they put over the screen seemed to have a glue base and was all over the screen when I peeled it off. After getting the residue off the unit I turned it on, and nothing but a back light illuminated from the unit. I called customer support and after 40 minute hold time I got a rep. He told me where to stick a small paper click to reset the unit and I thought I was in buissness. This wasn't the case because on the very first screen where it asks what language to speak I couldn't click on english. The unit seemed to have a sensor issue where whatever I was clicking on was bout 3 items higher on the screen, and even worse it would not proceed to the next page. I was then given a rma number to send the item to tom tom. I was floored wow, but even worse I have to pay for the item one way. I would think that reburbed items would be checked much more closely then the item that they shipped to me. I still have hope I will keep you all posted.
  
  
  
  
• No Maps Found!
  By A3LMQJU5XWA5AP on 2007-02-10
  After 1 day of effective operation, I used the backup function and suddenly my TomTom 510 could only find the maps for Guam. I have nothing against Guam, but since I primarily drive in the US, it presents a problem. So for the customer service has been terrible, and I'll give them another day or so before I return the unit to Amazon.
  
  
• Fair
  By ARRUV4B4HGK29 on 2007-02-18
  I was disappointed at the instructions being less than heplful in knowing that the charging of the product for 4 hours prior to use was necessary or it would stop working.It was not revealed anywhere that the product had to be removed from car dock every day to be charged even if it was in the car charger and would stop working and have to be reset, which no instructions how to correct, warnings or directions are given . And last, not easily to get technical support on the phone.
  
  
• Tom doesn't even know...
  By A1RQNLRW4E6B9S on 2007-03-08
  This Tom Tom was a higher-end model, and does perform well. However, it does have some quirks. We have had to reset it a couple times, which is a nuisance when it turns off and won't come back on until you get a paperclip and push the reset button. Also, this device gets confused in certain locations, like military installations. Even with the downloaded updates, it shows roads that don't exist and tells us to take turns to drive through parking lots! Also, there are plenty of destination cities missing from its menu, which hurts trying to get to smaller-town destinations. Another plus is the list of restaurants and sightseeing locations in your route that you can access at any time.
  
  
• Not bad but a bit bulky
  By ABQXFLJQLOC5G on 2007-03-21
  Generally the unit performed quite well as is documented in other reviews. The larger 4" screen is a big step up from 3.5" It appears about 33% bigger. I do wish the unit was slimmer though like a Garmin nuvi or TomTom One. My TomTom ends up being a dinner companion with me, because I'm worried that the valets will steal it, and its too big to fit in my pocket. If I were to do it over, I'd pick a unit that was more portable. The nuvi660 is thin and has a 4" screen but the cost delta is too great. Anyways something to consider when you buy a nav unit.
  
  

• Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio (Red)
• TomTom A/C Power Charger for GO and Rider Navigators (9D00.006)
• GGI International LCD Screen Care Kit, with Overlays, Care System Microfiber Cloth & Wipes
• Coby TF-DVD8500 8.5-Inch TFT Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player with Swivel Screen

• Tom Tom iPod Connect Cable and Audio Cable
• TomTom A/C Power Charger for GO and Rider Navigators (9D00.006)
• TomTom GO Deluxe Carrying Case
• TomTom Remote Control for GO 500, 700 (9D00.015)