TomTom XXL 550 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
- Preloaded with maps of the US, Canada, and Mexico, complete with Map Share technology for easy modification and updates
- More than 7 million points of interest in over 60 destination categories–gas stations, restaurants, hotels, ATMs and more
- IQ Routes Technology calculates the fastest route possible based on time of day, saving you time, fuel and money
- Advanced Lane Guidance indicates exactly which lane to use, so you can go confidently
- Announces turn-by-turn directions aloud, including street and place names
XL 550 5″ Widescreen Auto GPS Navigation UnitThe TomTom XXL 550 is complete 5.0-inch widescreen navigation–and, since TomTom has the industry’s most accurate and dependable maps, you’ll have access to one million more miles of roads than you would using other GPS brands. Navigate to any location in the US, Canada or Mexico–or directly to one of 7 million preloaded points of interest. Finding your way has never been easier, using TomTom’s new EasyMenu and spoken turn-by-turn instructions includ
Rating: 
(out of 14 reviews)
List Price: $ 199.00
Price:
CUSTOM GREEN TomTom Tom ONE XL Car GPS Navigator US/Canada Maps USA yep | US $74.05 End Date: Monday May-21-2012 8:24:19 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $74.05 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
 | US $74.05 End Date: Monday May-21-2012 8:24:39 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $74.05 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Review by Erich Maria Remarque for TomTom XXL 550 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Rating:
UPDATE: Tomtom has just released a software update that brings back some of the missing features to EasyMenu. Here are some of the features restored with the 9.150 update:
- Routing preferences (avoid highways, tolls, ferries, etc)
- Avoid part of route (by street)
- View route as text (and Route demo or pictures)
- POI (show on map, custom POIs)
- Volume options
- Brightness controls
However, a few other missing features have not yet been restored:
- Itinerary planning
- Compass options
- Dynamic brightness (dim between instructions when on batteries)
- A few other minor options
If you don’t care about those missing items you can ignore the EasyMenu -> Full Menu conversion instructions mentioned in this review. At least we know that Tomtom is listening and are fixing the EasyMenu interface.
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Original review:
If you have a choice between the XXL 540 and XXL 550, go with the cheapest. They are virtually the same, save for the inferior EasyMenu on the 550 (which can be remedied, as I’ll explain below). In fact, if they are at the same price point, go with XXL 540 and save yourself the trouble of converting the “EasyMenu” to “Full menu”.
I would normally use expletives to describe TomTom’s new EasyMenu interface on their XL/XXL *50 models, but Amazon probably wouldn’t like that very much.
Let’s just say that EasyMenu is bad. Everyone hates it, and with good reason. It lacks every type of advanced customization you can think of, like proper routing (i.e. lacks toll road or highway avoidance preferences), route planning, itinerary, alternative routes, turn by turn text, the ability to disable IQ Routes, and many many other options that are available in the older XXL 540 and XL 340 versions. Yes, EasyMenu sucks. It’s literally a dumbed down version of the original TomTOm menu. It is so limited that only your technologically impaired friend will be able to appreciate it. If you are one such person, I guess EasyMenu will be OK for you. EasyMenu’s only pro is that it has sharper graphics, but I don’t care much about sharpness when essential routing options are missing.
Unfortunately, TomTom decided to ship all their newest units with this dumbed down menu system. They apparently interviewed a bunch of people, and the interviewees said they don’t care about anything other than getting from point A to point B. I guess TomTom took their word literally, and created the freakish EasyMenu.
So far it seems like this device is nothing but a failure, so why not give it 1 star? Well, the internet folk has figured out a way to enable the full menu on these newer EasyMenu-based TomToms, that’s why! It’s a very simple tweak, and can be done in less than a minute as long as you follow the instructions. I can’t post links to the instructions here in the actual review, but you can find them in this review’s comments section. Or you can search “easymenu menu options” on Google, and click on the first result.
Yep, you can enable the fully featured menu, if you care about any advanced option. All those features that were missing on the EasyMenu will now be enabled and fully functional. Proper routing, itinerary, advanced planning, road avoidance, advanced POI management, ability to turn off IQ Routes and all other options will be there. All these features are in fact already built in the preinstalled OS software. TomTom in all their wisdom chose to hide them. I don’t understand this intentional dumbification, and the lack of a simple option to allow us more advanced users to enable the advanced functionality. But as long as there is a tweak to overcome that, I am happy.
In any case, the tweak is very, very simple. Simply create a text file called TomTom.mnu, copy paste the customized menu structure (follow the links and read the threads!), save the file, create a folder called “SdkRegistry” in your GPS navigator’s root directory, and finally copy paste the “TomTom.mnu” file you created in there. If the file is present, EasyMenu is disabled and the full menu is enabled. If the file is not present (or has a different name), the full menu is disabled and EasyMenu is enabled. That simple. Just follow the instructions in the links found in the comments section.
After replacing the “EasyMenu” system with the full menu, this is what I gained:
- Route customization (ability to avoid a specific road)
- Itinerary (planning a route through multiple stops in a specific order)
- Ability to actually see a list of upcoming turns in text form. You can even play a demo of the route.
- Ability to avoid highways, toll roads, and other road types.
- Full Point of Interests management and customizations, including alerts.
- Compass, customization of data that’s displayed in the main navigation view
- Backlight and Brightness options (yes, you can’t change the brightness on EasyMenu)
- Audio warning customizations
These are all features that are missing from EasyMenu. And now I have them all enabled. The sleek new navigation interface is intact, and you get to use all these advanced options. Seriously, applying the tweak is a must.
Before you do anything though, backup, backup, BACKUP your device. You never know when something might go wrong. However, do NOT use
TomTom Home for that task (the backup feature has issues). Instead, copy-paste everything (including hidden files) manually from your
TomTom to your PC.
So think about it. This tweak literally makes the XXL 550… a XXL 540. But with the ability to switch between EasyMenu and Full Menu at anytime. Because if in the future TomTom wises up and adds those missing features to EasyMenu, you might want to switch back to it.
A few thoughts about the hardware:
- The specs are exactly the same as XXL 540. If you have one of those, you already have the XXL 550.
- It still uses USB 1.1 instead of 2.0. I backed up everything to my computer as soon as I connected the device, and that process took almost 40 minutes (1.82GB of data, with 620KB/s average speeds). It’s truly unfortunate to be in 2010 and see this kind of outdated technology still implemented in new devices.
- Audio instructions are VERY loud. Louder than Garmin 1350, in fact (a good thing). I didn’t have any trouble hearing them over my car’s loud engine and moderate radio volume. Street name pronunciations are also very clear.
- I know some people have issues with the EasyPort mounting system, but I didn’t encounter any. It’s a very simple “hold and rotate”
process. The unit stays in place even during bumpy rides. I find both the Garmin and TomTom mounts adequate.
UPDATE: After a few uses the EasyPort suction cup stopped holding. The slightest bump causes the unit to fall down. However, it can be fixed by pouring some water over the suction cup just before attaching it to the windshield. It becomes so attached to the window when you do this, that it’s actually hard to detach. :p
- Battery life is around 4 hours (3 hours 50 minutes to be precise on Day mode). This was after activating the “Dim screen between instructions” function (automatically lowers the brightness to a minimum when it isn’t giving you any new instructions, like in the middle of a long highway stretch, and increases to full brightness for about a minute before and after each instruction). This option is, of course, only possible when using the Full menu. With EasyMenu it stays at full brightness all the time, and that is bound to shorten battery life. Yep, another good reason to switch to Full menu.
Again, read the comments section of this review for instructions on how to enable the Full Menu.
Review by J. O. for TomTom XXL 550 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Rating:
I have always heard that the name in GPS is TomTom and this unit supports that assertion. The screen is easy to see and easy to use. The directions were straight forward and it was up and running right out of the box. My only wish is that the unit came with an option to use regular batteries or to recharge through the USB cable since once of our cars doesn’t have a working cigarette lighter.
Other than that, it is everything I wanted in a GPS unit.
Review by Thomas M. Loarie for TomTom XXL 550 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
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I have had a Garmin Nuvi for three years so my use – testing and reviewing (via the Amazon Vine program)- of the TomTom XXL 550 5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator can be compared and contrasted to my Nuvi experience. My wife and I immediately took to the GPS Navigator due to its large screen and the ease with which we could attach it to the inside of our car windshield.
We have now used it for over a week and are fighting over who gets it daily (permanently?)! The menu set-up is intuitive and offers great flexibility with operator preferences for voice, places of interest, and colors. I connected it to my computer to get software updates and found that to be seamless…with one exception. I got a message that my maps were out of date and needed updating. After thirty minutes of download, the download stopped with a message noting the unit lacked capacity. ???? Not sure what this is all about.
My only other complaint is the touch-screen keyboard which does not always register the number or letter properly.
I love the IQ Routes(TM) feature which evaluates routes on actual traffic speeds showing the best route based on the time of day. My only real regret is that I did not get a chance to test the unit providing traffic updates. That is a very impressive upgrade, particularly for urban areas like San Francisco.
All in all, we much prefer this unit to our Garmin and it appears we will have to live with the ongoing battle over who will use it each day!
Addition after original post…I had the same problem as another reviewer when I tried to update my maps. I lost all of them. No problem. A simple call to TomTom’s 24/7 call center solved the problem. The download was to first remove the old maps so room existed for the new. It had not. Additionally, distances are provided contrary to the experience of another.
Review by Ray for TomTom XXL 550 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
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I have used several GPS’s over the years, most notably the (not a Magellan) Meridian Color handheld so comparisons will be made with that.
I received the XL550M and immediately took a brief look at the manual(?), hooked it up to 12VDC in my computer room, looked back at the manual for something, and then noticed that the unit has already acquired eight satellites, and was sitting near my house.
I next tried to update the maps (was just going to see what was out there, but it started downloading), 4.5 hours later I get a message, “out of memory, -38 meg”. Went to see what was left, and could not bring up the 550, no maps.
At 0730 Eastern time, called tech support since the email support said it would be a few days, got a tech who did not appear very computer savvy, but he walked me through a bunch of steps, got the down load started again, and after about 45 minutes left me with call back info if I needed it. Four hours later I had a working 550 again. Better than average tech support on the first call.
Playing around with it for about four hours (not counting update time) I have the following Pros and Cons (just a short walk in the neighborhood and some testing on the side).
Pros.
1. Sensitive, picked up six satellites ranging from strong to fairly strong and a few barely where the Meridian would barely see 3.
2. Fast, took less than a minute out of the box, in the house.
3. Five inch screen.
4. (see Cons 1) Has a fairly decent browse mode that will go anywhere on the map.
5. Useful phone tech support.
6. A site that really does do downloads without giving you a hassle.
7. Several areas that I looked at that usually were not mapped on some other GPS’s were mapped, including a new subdivision near me.
Cons.
1. (see Pros 4) Harder to look away from where the unit puts you. I can look and zoom into any area from Idaho to Arizona on the Meridian, but the 550 will only go out about 30 miles unless you change to Browse map mode.
2. Accuracy is not too good. The Meridian and one other hand held were within 10 feet of where I was standing after five minutes, the 550 is off by about 50 yards after ten minutes. I am on the north side of the house and it shows me as being across the street to the south. On most streets that will be ok, but some places that could be a problem.
3. Harder to see in bright sun (not in a car at the time).
4. No NMEA output.
5. Voice is slurred and sped-up on street names for turns, I can not understand the words and it is my own neighborhood.
6. Touch screen is jerky, slow, and not very user friendly, miss a scroll button.
7. What documentation? The Meridian had a small book, the 550 has a few pages in a tiny pamphlet.
Review by Pippa Lee for TomTom XXL 550 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
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I have never used a GPS before and I’m not a good navigator, so I had high expectations when I tried the TomTom XXL 550.
This TomTom comes with a car adapter charger, a USB cable, the EasyPort mount and a very skinny instructions booklet. The booklet gives the estimated time for charging the battery at about 2 hours. One has to go by the estimated time because no “battery charging” icon appears when the TomTom is connected to a power source, so it is hard to tell when the battery is completely charged or if it is charging at all.
Programming the TomTom is easy and intuitive. The menus are almost self-explanatory. I encountered a problem when I couldn’t enter some addresses because they have a number prefix separated by a hyphen and the number keyboard doesn’t include a hyphen key. In such cases, I had to tap the “crossing” button to enter the street name of the nearest intersection, which meant, if I didn’t know it, I had to look it up on a map. Once the departure and destination locations are entered, the device calculates a route and you’re ready to go. However, there’s not way to review the directions, which is something I would like to do before I jump into the car. I want to know beforehand such things as what streets are along the way and what exits I have to use
For my first trial run with the GPS, I chose a trip to a nearby supermarket. It identified the turns, exits and streets correctly–but only on the screen. According to the box, this GPS is supposed to have the capability of speaking street names aloud, but in my case, this feature was either not working (are Hawaiian names too hard for it?) or I needed to first subscribe to it. Another feature that’s listed for this device but did not show up while I drove was the Advance Lane Guidance. Again, I have to wonder if this one is also by paid subscription only.
As long as the sun is not hitting on the GPS, the screen is easy to see. But once sunlight shines on it, the glare would render it useless since there are no controls to adjust for brightness.
As for voice instructions, I would have much rather preferred hearing “Turn right after Leoku Street” than just “Turn right” because I don’t know if it is warning me that the turn is coming up or if it wants me to do it right away. Voice volume is good, loud and clear at 60%. For English, there is a selection of 4 female voices and a male one to choose from. Voices for Spanish and French are also available.
For my second trial, I chose to drive to a shopping center, but this time I decided to take the “wrong” exit to see how the GPS would work. It “found” me but it kept giving me instructions toward every point of interest that was along the way. My expectation was that it would automatically recalculate a route to the shopping center based on where I was. I guess this have to be done manually instead.
I thought this GPS is user-friendly but the features struck me as pretty basic. I felt that my map book still has a place in my car and that this GPS is better used in conjunction with Google map driving instructions when I need to go to unfamiliar places.