Tomtom Car GPS Navigation GO Comfort 6 with WiFi, 6-inch Touch Screen Black & TomTom Universal Dashboard Mount, Balck

This is an Amazon Vine program product review.I have used Garmin GPS units for years in my travels, both on business and in personal travel, so I was keenly interested in testing a TomTom unit.The TomTom Go Comfort is a 6" touchscreen GPS device. In the box was the unit itself, a micro-USB charging cable, a single port 12v USB charging wart, a suction-cup windshield mount, a dashboard puck for attaching the suction cup mount to, and a QuickStart Guide. The dashboard puck has a 3M adhesive circle on it, but I never attach that sort of thing in my vehicles so none of my tests include looking at the adhesion or capability of the dashboard puck.The unit came with enough charge in it to accomplish initial configuration, and since it charges via standard USB cable, finding a place to plug it in while working through the intial config and learning the interface was very convenient and simple to do.The touch screen is responsive, but unlike a Garmin that starts out with a simple 'Where To' and Settings option on the opening screen, the system expects you to know to go into the Menu to do anything, and on initial power-up, the 4-dot indicator wasn't labeled 'Menu', you had to know that's what it was. The Getting Started Guide was simple enough to understand that it was clear it was necessary to open the menu and proceed.The Getting Started Guide is multi-language, but I'm not a fan of the format TomTom has used where it mixes 2 languages on each page. I prefer manuals with each language separated, as it tends to make getting through the steps faster and less confusing.There were in excess of 2GB of updates to apply to the system. This is one interesting feature of the TomTom I've not used on a Garmin unit to date, but really like. After joining the system to my WiFi network and creating a TomTom account I was able to download the system and map updates directly to the unit without installing anything on a PC. The updates were quick to download, and took about 35-40 minutes to apply.There is no config wizard or anything that leads you to believe there's something to actually do prior to getting the unit going, probably because there really isn't. You can use the unit right out of the box and put a destination into the system getting directions as soon as it finds satellites.This leads to the first issue I had. It took a very long time to initially find satellites, upwards of an hour. That meant that the time wasn't correct and it had no idea where my actual location was. The TomTom had a significantly more difficult time finding satellites than my Garmin unit, though. I had to eventually move the TomTom into a window in order to get it to register, where my Garmin finds satellites quickly and easily sitting on the same desk. I tested this several times after getting my initial preferences setup, powering the unit down and back up again and never saw a change in behavior. After applying the system updates, finding satellites did not improve. It still took 40 minutes to find the satellites inside the house. Fortunately, in the car, the finding of satellites was far superior, only taking a few minutes to accomplish. Once found, the unit holds the satellite connections very well.As part of the configuration, you are encouraged to utilize the TomTom MyDrive app and connect it to the GPS. This is the second place things were less than stellar in my user experience. Unlike a Garmin LMT (Lifetime Maps Traffic) model, getting the traffic data requires connecting to the MyDrive app on your phone. Pairing my phone to the unit was one of the most difficult pairings I've encountered for 4 or 5 years. What should be a simple pairing took 5 attempts, 2 uninstalls of the app, and a factory reset of the GPS unit. In addition, I had to enable Bluetooth tethering before the GPS would connect for the data connection to work. The connection for phone functions like text messages and other notifications would work, but until the last try with the tethering function enabled, nothing else worked. I'm not new at connecting BT devices to my phone, and I'm running a fully updated Android 9 system, so there should be no compatibility issue. The pairing process relies on a QR code being scanned by the phone through the app, not the traditional pairing process used for most devices. I think this is the source of the pairing problems.Here's the other piece of this that I didn't like. If I wanted to use my phone as a navigation device, and to get the most help from a GPS, I would use Google Maps and don't need a separate GPS device. This is a major flaw of the TomTom setup, IMO. It drastically reduces the value of the device if I have to drain my phone battery with a constant Bluetooth connection and an app open in order to get the traffic data GPS units rely on to re-route around traffic issues.The MyDrive app has a number of flaws in it as well, the first being the fundamental premise. The idea of using your phone for route planning might sound nice to some, but you can do the same thing from the GPS unit itself, so it isn't clear what advantage this approach has. The app isn't really discussed in the Getting Started Guide, so it doesn't help clarify the situation. The app doesn't seem to have a way to save routes or places you look up in it, but it syncs to your TomTom account. Why you wouldn't see this inside the app is strange, if this supposed to be a multi-screen synchronized ecosystem. The routes built on the phone will not sync to the GPS if the Bluetooth link isn't working properly, either, I found, even when logged into your TomTom account on the GPS unit itself. The app largely doesn't seem to add anything to the equation, ultimately, other than chewing up cell data to grab traffic information.I was able to test the accuracy and traffic data on a road trip against my current Garmin and Google Maps. On the drive home, we ran into a major accident that necessitated a reroute, and TomTom performed perfectly, even though it took having my phone connected to see the issue and reroute around it. The reroute TomTom suggested was identical to both Google and Garmin's, and it actually saw the issue before the Garmin unit did, though about the same time as the second phone running Google Maps. The rerouting was very fast and was a very logical re-pathing. It re-calculated the time to destination properly and was very accurate.Like most GPS units, you can save your home address to make returning home a one-step route plan. There are quick search buttons for finding parking lots and gas stations, which is a nice little feature. Additionally, there is a 'safety camera' recording capability that feeds a data stream to other drivers about where red light and speed trap cameras are located across the country.The TomTom Go Comfort is a workable GPS unit. It suffers from a flawed and seemingly unnecessary app and flawed pairing process. Once you get past those issues, getting from point A to point B with it is simple enough and successfully done. Pushing traffic data communications into the phone makes paying for a separate GPS unit seem questionable when that data is incorporated into Google Maps for free.

Do not buy this device. I had an older TomTom that had reached the end of is life that was a very easy device. We wanted another TomTom. First complaint is you can not use the TomTom comfort Go as a stand alone device. You must use your phone to set the address. The TomTom must be on for you to set an address with your phone. The app does not remember previous inputs. The app is pretty basic, the GPS likewise. Features like avoid tollways are missing. Getting the GPS to take the address may require repeated attempts to get the address to set, and you will start the address from the beginning. When I received the TomTom I spent several days updating the device. The Comfort go 5 while does wifi, does not do encrypted wifi, like who does not have encrypted wifi on for their home network. I would really recommend almost any other device to include just use your phone. So many missing features. This one takes longer to set the address than its worth, the phone software is lacking, assured communication over bluetooth iffy. You may gather, I do not recommend this device. TomTom should be ashamed of even putting it on the market.

TomTom Go Comfort 6" review. March 2020Historically I am a Garmin fan. Over the years I've spent thousands on their products and the last few year have had me frustrated with everything about them, hardware, software, poor cases, clunky performance, horrid apps, etc... So out of desperation I began looking at TomTom.I was already familiar with the TomTom MyDrive web App so I decided to buy a TomTom Go Comfort 6" to see if it could possibly be better than my collection of big-dollar Garmins.* I am pleased to say that upon delivery I soon realized that the TomTom Go Comfort 6" was an outstanding GPS especially considering its very reasonable price.* The TomTom Go Comfort 6" has a smooth and predictable touch-screen, a seamless interface with web based MyDrive. and an impressively durable feel to the screen & housing.The menu selections are all of what you need and none of what you dont. I am truly stunned that a GPS at this price point solved so many of the issues I have with my collection of high-priced Garmin products.No more working thru layers of confusing menus, clunky touch screen handling, frustrating & unpredictable search results, and painfully slow response to my inputs. The TomTom product solved all that and more!NOTE: Thank you TomTom for the fast processor!* I dreaded fumbling with custom routes and GPX import/export issues on the Garmin interface. Now with my TomTom Go Comfort 6" I can do all that in a quick, simple, and sensible fashion either on-line or on the GPS itself.* For people like me that do a lot of custom multi stop routes and frequently make route changes in the middle of a journey the TomTom product is exactly what I recommend.

Suction cup on unit will not stick yo dash mounting disc. Constantly pops off sending the unit flying off the dash.

Coming from a via 1515 this thing is fantastic. The 6-inch screen versus 5-inch screen makes a huge Wi-Fi versus plugging into computer another plus.but my favorite feature is hooking up with my phone and speaking into the phone which then Bluetooth the directions to the Tom Tom. I hardly ever have to type in directions.