TomTom VIA 1505

Car GPS sales are on the rise these days as people want to drive safer with less hassle. Fortunately, top brands like TomTom provide all kinds of solutions to those not willing to spend very much. Then when their needs increase, they can go for the higher-end devices that have all sorts of bells and whistles. However, TomTom isn't running out of ideas just yet and their recent announcement of their new TomTom devices show that they can still be competitive and innovative. While the internal hardware and technologies remain the same, there are a few improvements on the design and interface that make these new TomTom products worth considering. The TomTom VIA 1505 represents the family of larger GPS units.

TomTom VIA 1505 GPS Navigator

Design

The 5-inch TomTom VIA 1505 looks a lot like the devices that they intend to replace in the near future which are the TomTom XXL units. They have the same classical black finish but come out a bit thinner. The EasyPort Mount that used to come as an included accessory is now integrated using an innovative flip-screen technology. This allows speedy installation on any dashboard or windshield.

Interface

To convince more drivers to buy a car GPS device, TomTom made some facelifts to the user interface to make it easier to plan routes or view maps the moment the device is turned on. The icons are big and colorful on the 5-inch display and the menu is easy to navigate.

Navigation Features

Feature-wise, the VIA 1505 is similar to the VIA 1405 where the only difference is the size. However, it is packed with features that used to be lacking in the older entry-level models making this a great time to buy a budget GPS device. These technologies should all be put to good use by the average driver.

Planning a route is the first thing that you will likely do with this device and it is fortunately very simple to do so. But the way it calculates the route deserves the most praise because of its IQ Routes technology. Despite the lack of lifetime traffic updates, you can still use this technology to come up with very fast routes because it takes note of the time of the day and the day of the week so it can figure out which areas get the most traffic at that very moment. You can also drive comfortably while you let the text-to-speech features tell you where you need to go and when and where you need to make a turn.

Once you head towards a highway, you can switch the map to 3-D view so you can see the Advanced Lane Guidance feature up close. A nice rendering of the highway along with key signs are shown. More importantly, visual indicators appear on the road telling you to stay on that particular lane so you won't miss a turn to the exit when instructed. This feature can also be used when navigating through multi-lane junctions and other complicated intersections.

Lifetime map updates are lacking in the VIA 1505 since it is reserved for the 1505M and 1505TM models which a little bit more. But this is a newer device than the rest of the GO, ONE, and XXL devices so you will still enjoy millions of miles of map content that cover US, Canada, Mexico. You immediately have access to more than 7 million points of interests in all the major categories from restaurants to hotels. With the Help Me! menu, you can also see the fire stations, police stations, and hospitals in the area. Finally, you can use the Map Share On-Demand feature to update your map when it is available online.

The TomTom VIA 1505 goes for less than $200 which is very reasonable considering the large 5-inch display. It is still lightweight thanks to the thinness and it is far more portable since you won't have to carry a separate mounting kit. The refinements to the interface are major pluses and may even convince some Garmin users to check out TomTom's hottest new series of GPS devices. Unlike other entry-level 5-inch devices, the VIA 1505 offers a fairly complete package unless you are looking for connectivity extras like Bluetooth support.

List Price: $199.95

Click Here for Latest Offer on TomTom VIA 1505
Enjoy Free Shipping & Secure Shopping