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Tomtom Go 920 Traffic: The All Important Test

part of our review of the Tomtom Go 920 Traffic on Wednesday 11th June 2008

The all important test! This is where we determine the overall score for the TomTom Go 920 Traffic.

The Score Sheet

Appearance

Out of a possible 11, the 920 scored 10. The system is well constructed and feels sturdy, if a little heavy. The 920 cannot be criticised for it's looks in any way, shape or form. The outer shell feels rubbery and there's a splash of sliver on the front of the system.

Packaging

We disregarded the fact that the box looked bruised and battered, purely as this is a test model. It's still a neat compact box that is cleverly designed.

Out of a possible 15, the 920 scored 10. A printed full manual rather than a pdf manual would be more preferable, especially on a top of the range system. Understandably there is a cost involved here but given the RRP of £249.99 to £299.99, this should be feasible. A USB cable instead of a dock would help to reduce the footprint of the Go 920 by the computer though both options would be a welcomed feature. A USB cable is handy for charging on the go, whereas a dock is great for use at home. Other manufacturers include a case as part of the product offering and it would have been nice to see some form of case with this.

The screen mount is adequate though a locking mount and an easier to bend ball and socket joint would be perfect.

PC Software

the software was quick and easy to install and the Go 920 Traffic was found instantly, scoring 6 out of 6 here.

Support

Telephone support is offered as standard which is a great feature. The Latest Maps Guarantee means you can download any newer maps free for 30 days, meaning your system is up to date, regardless of when it was manufactured. After 30 days, maps are then a chargeable item. Maps are currently priced between £40 and £80 for each region used by the 920T and are available here.

MapShare is where you and other users can share map changes. This is only available for one year beyond the first use of your maps so if you want to continue using it beyond this date, you will have to buy a new set of maps.

Speed camera updates are also provided free of charge for the first download.

Because official map upgrades and MapShare are not free for life, the 920 scores 80% here.

The System Itself

The time it takes for the system to turn on is decidedly average though the variety of functionality is the Go 920's redeeming feature. Out of 23, the system itself scores 22 which is incredibly respectful. Had speed camera alerts been a free-for-life upgrade, it would have scored full marks.

The system is very similar to the TomTom Go 520T apart from the variety of maps and a couple of additional features. This is a good thing in that the range can be easily broken down and understood by potential customers. The negative point here is that perhaps the 920 doesn't have enough bells and whistles to give it that extra boost above it's competitors.

One comment worth mentioning here is that it would be great to see the on/off function amended so that when you press the on button, the system becomes alive instantly whilst there is charge in the battery. It wouldn't save much time but it would save a little.

The Road Test

Scoring 26 out of 30, the Go 920 performed well on the road. The menu is easy to use and the accuracy of the postcode mapping is flawless.

The Go 920 Traffic uses Point of Interest (POI) supplied by Tele Atlas and so was unable to correctly navigate to Castell Coch. Whilst the location is correct, it's not paired up with the access road to it which is approximately one mile away from where it directed us to. In fact, if we followed the directions, we would have been taken onto a dual carriageway into Cardiff city centre - away from the required destination and a good few miles before you could perform a U-turn.

The re-routing speed was average if a little slow, though it projected new instructions before we reached the roundabout at the end of the slip road.

A very interesting fact is the accuracy of the mapping algorithm. The entire journey between points 1 and 5 should have taken 35.5 minutes over a distance of 16.6 miles. In reality, it took 29 minutes over 16.0 miles. We would rather see overestimation rather than underestimation, so credit here where credit is due.

Would We Recommend It?

We scored the TomTom Go 920 Traffic 9 out of 10.

The TomTom Go 920 Traffic is not for everybody. If you are never going out of Europe and you can live without the Enhanced Positioning Technology (EPT), the TomTom 520 (Traffic) would be better if you only needed UK maps and the TomTom 720 (Traffic) would suit you better if you only needed European maps.

If you are someone who would like to cover all eventualities (e.g. who knows, you may hire a car in the USA or Canada) or you would like the reassurance of EPT when driving through large cities, you won't go wrong with the TomTom Go 920 Traffic.

The Totals

Given everything that we have discussed, the TomTom Go 920 Traffic was been awarded 86% in our thorough test. There is nothing major that is wrong with the system. We don't think there's enough bells and whistles to differentiate it enough from it's siblings the 520 and the 720. We would like to see some innovation in terms of the screen mount. Also, whilst we applaud the fact that the Go 920 is a modern system with iPod and Bluetooth® connectivity we would love to see innovative features similar to those TomTom's rivals offer - or features we've not yet considered. We understand that the x30 line of systems (the successors to the x20 range) will offer lane guidance for example. This is certainly something that sounds interesting and as far as we are aware, unique in the satellite navigation systems market.

Additional Tomtom Go 920 Traffic Review Pages

• Appearance
• Enhanced Positioning Technology
• Explanation of the Screen
• Features We Could Not Test
• Packaging Photographs
• Product Photographs
• Quick Summary
• Screen Photographs
• Specifications
• Windscreen Mount