Most of us should be familiar with the satnav brand TomTom but you might not be aware they also make satnav for professional trucking, van driving, Bus Driving & even Motorhomes. However, with many vehicles coming with built-in satellite navigation systems and the fact you can even use your phone as a satnav it was a surprise to see this device land on our desk.
The Go Expert is a big satnav for a big vehicle coming in at a 7-inch touchscreen with an HD Display. Costing £399.99 this satnav is packed with features designed with large vehicles in mind.
The Go Expert allows the driver of the larger vehicle to input the following data to personalise the trip such as:
- Size of vehicle
- Weight of Vehicle
- Cargo type
- Max Speed
Once you have entered this data the TomTom Go Expert will design a route that is appropriate for that vehicle. The last thing you want to do is head towards a bridge that you can’t go over for size or weight restrictions. What I like about this satnav is even when you don’t have a route planned you will still get restrictions warnings.
Design
Design-wise it looks identical to that of the TomTom Go Discover that they have also recently announced. The Go Expert comes with a similar spec: it comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage as well as dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. This provides 3x faster map updates and 4x faster responsiveness as you need this satnav to be on point as one wrong turn in a Lorry could be a real issue to your journey.
The Go Explore 7 inch display comes with a 1,280 x800 HD resolution. This offers a very sharp display with excellent contrast and an anti-reflection coating.
Inside the box, you get a 1.5m USB cable along with a 12v car adapter and also a suction cup window mount for the satnav. The mount can be used on the windscreen as mentioned or alternatively can be placed on the dashboard. On the back of the Go Explore is a very strong magnet that will grip the mount to make a solid connection. The connection will make sure your satnav remains in place even on the most uneven of roads.
TomTom also gives you some software to use such as lifetime UK/EU map updates and live traffic through your phone. TomTom also gives you live speed camera alerts, Flue Price updates and off-street parking info but you have to repurchase these each year if they are something you want to continue to use these benefits.
Setup and Performance
Setting up the Go Explore is very simple and if you have used a TomTom before you will have no issues with the set-up. The first time run wizard helps you connect to Wi-Fi via your phone and then you have a few steps adjusting your preferences.
In terms of basic use, it operates just like a normal TomTom in terms of the search box to look up a postcode, town or point of interest. You can also find the following nearby:
- Hotels
- Shopping Centres
- Restaurants, Pubs and cafes
With the Go Expert, you get the option to insert key data for your trip such as:
- Vehicle Size
- Weight
- Cargo Type – Explosives or Gases
- Max Speed
Once it has that data the Go Expert will design a route that is appropriately designed for the specifications of your vehicle. Once you have inputted your destination you will get a choice of routes with an estimated time of arrivals. You also get alerts on ADR Tunnels, Bridge Heights & UN Class restrictions.
In terms of performance, I found this satnav to be very quick due to the improved map updates and 4x times faster responsiveness. The step by step guidance is as good as it has ever been and it is presented in a clear and timely manner. I also like the fact that if you go down certain street names they are well-pronounced, something you don’t get from the likes of Google Maps. Overall the performance of this satnav is what you want. It’s very dependable!
I also really liked the Live traffic info due to TomTom Traffic & early traffic jam warnings allowing you to make a decision to avoid getting stuck. I also found the fact you got up to date world maps really useful when you think truckers going around the EU will use this satnav.
On the display, once you have instructions in the top left you have the next instruction. In the middle of the screen on the road, you have the speed limit of that road with your current speed next to it. You will also notice if you go down a road that has some repairs happening the road will be displayed in yellow to indicate road works. If major delays the road will appear red and the Satnav will offer an alternative route.
Down the right side of the screen, you have the following: Time of Arrival, Any Traffic Delays, Restriction warning and any highlights of the route. It also indicates if you’re coming up to a traffic camera which you can also alert other drivers of the camera location.
Other features
The TomTom Go Expert also comes with voice control that when tested can be a little bit of a mixed bag. Offering simple commands worked well but when asking for things such as a “Hello TomTom service station” did take a few times to recognise but eventually after asking for that command a few times in a week it did start to recognise what I wanted. If you still have issues just do a normal search which will also provide fuel prices.
What you will notice with the voice control with things like resent destination it will number your list few journeys and if your journey at the top you can just say the number next to the destination and it will set up that trip.
Another feature of the Go Expert is the option for multi-drop so you can set up a series of stops on your route ideal for a delivery driver with more than one stop on your planned route.
Verdict
The TomTom Go Expert is a fantastic option for those driving a large vehicle that might be difficult to handle down certain roads. The fact you can customise a route based on the vehicle and cargo. The fact it designs a route perfect for you and your Lorry, Van or Motorhome.
The 7-inch touchscreen offers a great HD display and the size of the screen allows you to see the screen anywhere it’s positioned either on the windscreen or dashboard. The Go Expert also has a powerful speaker so you won’t miss an instruction. I found the instructions paired with the maps to be very clear and does its job very well. I also found features such as moving lane guidance useful for larger vehicles making this a very useful tool for long-distance drivers.
The only issue I feel might come up is the cost at £399 it could be slightly on the expensive side but the fact you customise your trip based on the spec of your vehicle making the route aware of the size, weight and cargo of your vehicle you will struggle to find a satnav that will plan a route based on that spec. It also gives you alerts of bridge heights and ADR tunnels making you pick a route that is appropriately designed for your journey.
So with these things in mind and the speed of the device, it’s well worth the investment just beware at 7 inches in size it is a very big satnav.
Product Rating:
- Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
- Setup & Performance: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
- Features: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
- Value for Money : 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Overall Rating: 4.7 out of 5.0 stars 4.75 Stars
The TomTom Go Expert is available for £399.99 via the TomTom Website
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