TomTom Go (Android) - Beta - vehicle size n speed

[activecampers]

Just a heads up to anyone who uses TomTom Go on Android. (We do - via Android Auto into the van head unit as OEM satnav is "dire" lol)

Anyway, today they've enabled an opt-in Beta - which allows (under settings-->vehicle profile) you to define vehicle LxWxH dimensions and a maximum speed. This *should* help with avoiding bridges, and also give better routing for pootling journeys. (We found the old TomTom units set to max speed of 56mph gave more accurate times routing and also used more A roads rather than assuming you did 70 on motorways).

Not had chance to test yet but will from hereon

 

[Bobby-gg]

Thanks for the heads up - haven't used tom-tom for a long time so just installed, and signed up as a beta tester too.

I'll give it a good go and see if it's any better than Google maps

And, I'm really tempted to enable "dangerous cargo" to see what happens

 

[Off da Grid]

Out of curiosity
Is TomTom go an old app?
TomTom MyDrive on iOS has had it for years.
All the new TomTom units run droid software

 

[activecampers]

TomTom Go (Android) has been around for a few years. Only last year did they start supporting Android Auto. So its a "new and current app"
We've always use TT and prefer it to others. It was £15/year subscription (now £20) but use it on 2 phones - and that includes most worldwide maps, constant updates, traffic, cams etc - and full offline maps. The traffic/cams are "real time" so on queues show pretty much the traffic.
All offline maps. Better than google? Who knows - personal preference. Google is our "backup"
You can install it FoC and "route" for 50 miles per month free I think.

Our MY20 satnav (7" media) is based on TomTom maps, but from 2018 (!) - and even the suppliers can't update the thing! Even if they could, the software is really poor (not tomtom front end) - and speed limits etc massively wrong and traffic/cams very outdated.

 

[Happy Jim]

Out of curiosity
Is TomTom go an old app?
TomTom MyDrive on iOS has had it for years.
All the new TomTom units run droid software

Arghhhh, why did I not know that MyDrive had a Motorhome restriction setting . And also why doesn’t the device have the same features as My Drive - nuts!

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[Guigsy]

Thanks for the post! I've been wanting an Android Auto compatible app that knows about vehicle dimensions for a while. I've downloaded, applied for the beta and subscribed... Let's see how good it is...

 

[activecampers]

Thanks for the post! I've been wanting an Android Auto compatible app that knows about vehicle dimensions for a while. I've downloaded, applied for the beta and subscribed... Let's see how good it is...

I look forward to hearing!
The only downside of the AndroidAuto is it randomly stops but that could be my phone/system rather than TT - a quick unplug/plug fixes it, and the "progress bar" isn't shown on AA which is a restriction of AA API apparently. But you can have TT on phone screen at the same time if needed.

 

[Guigsy]

It's let me into the Beta. A small update required. Now if select Truck as my vehicle type, I can input vehicle dimensions and weight... Now I need an excuse to use it!

 

[mitzimad]

Thanks for the heads up - haven't used tom-tom for a long time so just installed, and signed up as a beta tester too.

I'll give it a good go and see if it's any better than Google maps

And, I'm really tempted to enable "dangerous cargo" to see what happens

i would think it alerts you to restricted tunnels m,ainly

 

[Guigsy]

Used this at the weekend. Only took it around the Malverns, so not a massive test as I didn't use any roads that were width restricted... Thoughts so far:
-It reliably connected to Android Auto and didn't cut out at any point.
-It found the points of interest I searched for. Although it did guide me to the exit of a national trust site instead of the entrance.
-The ETAs on the navigation were reasonably accurate.
-Congestion seems reasonably accurate, although not as detailed as Google Maps.
-The on-screen mapping isn't as clear to me as Google Maps, but that might just be a familiarity thing.
-The default 'voice' is so calm it's annoying!
-It's as inconsistent with respect to motorway junctions. Relatively small junctions with slip roads, it'll tell you to keep right to stay on the motorway. Larger junctions where you have to go into particular lanes to remain on (e.g. M5 northbound at M42), not a peep of advice. Google is also bad at this.
-I miss the Google Maps feature that tells you alternative routes with the delay it'll take directly on the map. This is incredibly useful when the route is to turn onto a back country lane, but you can see that just staying on the main road only costs you 2 minutes.

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[Guigsy]

Another update... I've used TomTom with Android Auto for a few more trips in the van. Further thoughts:
-On my phone and PC, I search for things in Google, use Google Maps and put planned stuff in my Google Calendar, including the location. So I'm used to plugging my phone in to the Android Auto radio and having the destinations to hand. It is annoying to have to transcribe stuff across to TomTom. Probably less of an issue if you aren't so heavily invested in as I am.
-Congestion slow spots don't seem to be as detailed or as up to date as Google.
-The overly calm voice is still annoying. And it's the only UK 'computer' voice option that can announce destinations, road numbers, etc.
-Pronunciation of destinations is worse than Google Maps.
-Routing has been OK so far, but I've not yet been anywhere that tests the narrow road function.
-When you come up to a turn, it tells you the generalised direction you're heading towards. Google Maps will pretty much always tell you a direction that matches the first line of the road sign for that turning. TomTom is not so good. E.g. Going northbound on the M6 at the M6 toll split, Google will tell me to head towards "M6 The North West, Birmingham"... TomTom tells me on the screen and announces to head towards Lichfield. That doesn't appear on the signs for that junction!

To make it worse, Lichfield DOES appear on a sign just before the split, but it's actually for a lane and slip road that I didn't want to take:

Thankfully the lane guidance has been reasonable, so I've not been caught out.

Overall, I'll give it a 7/10 so far. Good enough that I've stumped up the £20 annual fee. But the moment it sends me down a narrow lane, I'm going back to Google Maps...

 

[CuckooChaser]

Do you find that Tom Tom takes you on toll roads rather than an easier way.
We drove up from Spain 2 years ago and both my Tom Tom and the car sat nav tried to take us on the M6 toll, I went on the un-toll M6 and saved 14 miles, are they on commission?

 

[Guigsy]

Do you find that Tom Tom takes you on toll roads rather than an easier way.
We drove up from Spain 2 years ago and both my Tom Tom and the car sat nav tried to take us on the M6 toll, I went on the un-toll M6 and saved 14 miles, are they on commission?

There is an option in Routing to avoid tolls. Not sure if it completely prevents them from being used, or just affects the weighting on route choice.

 

[Guigsy]

I've not used this in a few weeks. I think the beta 'Lorry' functionality that was allowing you to put in vehicle dimensions part has now gone live. And it looks like they want to charge £100 per year for it? Can anyone else confirm?

 

[InvictaMoto]

How do you sign up for this beta? I'm beta testing the latest version of Go for motorcycles..

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[Guigsy]

How do you sign up for this beta? I'm beta testing the latest version of Go for motorcycles..

For Android, there's an option within the Play Store to be a beta tester. It's not always available. Not sure how iOS users would do it.

 

[The Dotties]

Can’t remember where I read it,, but it’s rumoured that Google maps are introducing LWH and weight to bring HGV/coach drivers on board.

 

[Guigsy]

Can’t remember where I read it,, but it’s rumoured that Google maps are introducing LWH and weight to bring HGV/coach drivers on board.

I've seen people asking for it. But I'm not convinced they'll bother.

A lot of coach and HGVs use commercial logistics systems for tracking and their routing is pretty fixed. I think it'd mainly be useful for delivery drivers, which tend to have less issues with restrictions anyway. It would require a lot of extra mapping data they'd have to generate for a very small market. And unlike data that tells you where shops are, how would it make them more money?

They've got all the Streetview images, so they could probably use AI to create most of the mapping, so it is technically possible for them to do it. But then it also adds a lot of complexity when they've been stripping features off the app recently. I'd love it if it happened, but I'm not hopeful.

 

[Sasbo]

Guigsy I signed up for the Beta Test when I took out the TT subscription. Just checked the TT app and all of the vehicle dimensions options that were previously available have been removed.

On loading, the TT app has reverted to a car only satnav but TT graciously offer that if I pay £99.99 I can have the dimensions features back.

 

[Guigsy]

Guigsy I signed up for the Beta Test when I took out the TT subscription. Just checked the TT app and all of the vehicle dimensions options that were previously available have been removed.

On loading, the TT app has reverted to a car only satnav but TT graciously offer that if I pay £99.99 I can have the dimensions features back.

Yeah, that's what I thought. £100 per year! There's nowhere near enough there over Google Maps or Waze for me to think that's worthwhile.

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[Ninjabob]

Yeah, that's what I thought. £100 per year! There's nowhere near enough there over Google Maps or Waze for me to think that's worthwhile.

Yes I have been part of the Beta and have been impressed and able to do a direct comparison with my TomTom Camper which has been very favourable. However £99 is way too much - £50 per year and they could have a winner. It works very well with Android Auto. Whatever you do turn off online routing which in my experience is absolutely useless. Traffic info is great and offering alternative routes has saved me enough aggravation to easily be worth the yearly subscription. Map updates are nearly once a fortnight.

 

[BriannYe]

I have been using the truck app for a month. Today they wanted £100 annual subscription.

 

[Sasbo]

It's £100 on top of the £20 subscription already paid for the car app, so it's a definite no from me.

 

[BriannYe]

Plus the car subs went up from £12.99 to £19.99
So I have bit the bullet and ordered a Tom Tom sat nav

 

[Guigsy]

The mapping and guidance is not as good as Google Maps. The only advantage is the vehicle size thing, which it's not very good at.

I agree with Ninjabob , if it was £50 I'd think about it. £100 is way too much. And £400 for a dedicated unit that's running the same software as the app? No way.

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[John Russell]

It's offering me an annual 'Truck' subscription for £70 (Settings - Subscriptions) which is steep given I rarely need it.

Help menu says there's a 'Camper and Caravan' version which is good for up to 5 tonnes, not relevant for me and I couldn't find it.

So I shall continue to plan routes on the TomTom Drive web app, with vehicle dimensions, then sync them using the MyDrive account and sync setting to my TomTom Go with a car subscription. Only drawback I've found is that sometimes routes are very slow to sync.