Being directionally impaired I am a great guinea pig for these units. While I can get myself out of most any technological conundrum, getting across town has always been a challenge for me. After using the TomTom for a few months, it became a good friend helping me feel directionally competent.

The TomTom GO 300 is well designed and easy to use. It comes with a carry case as well as a dashboard mounting kit. The excellent mount allows you to place it anywhere on the front windshield. You just put the suction cup on the glass, flip the switch and it stays in place. The battery life is admirable, lasting about four hours under normal conditions. In the car you can attach the TomTom to the cigarette lighter with the included cable for continuous power. It also comes with a power cable and USB cable so it can be updated through your computer.

The small 4.5" x 3.6" x 2.3" unit is unobtrusive. It is entirely touch-screen operated. Enter an address and the unit will create a route from your location to that point. You can view the map in several different configurations. The best part is that the unit will give you turn-by-turn directions. It tells you exactly where to turn with just enough advance notice. You can even choose from several different voices. In fact, TomTom is quite educated. It speaks more than 30 languages and has over 50 voices. If you don’t like the Australian lady you can have an American man give you directions instead.

The best thing about the TomTom was the response time. It almost always found my position in less than a minute. Some other units took as long as five to ten minutes to locate my position, which was plenty of time for me to get even more off the path than usual. I also like the TomTom’s recalculating methodology. Instead of telling you that it was recalculating the route, it just did so. If you made an unexpected stop along the way, TomTom just tells you where to go from where you stopped. No extra steps.

The TomTom also has plenty of points of interests. It can locate churches, airports, restaurants, gas stations, etc. You can even choose a sound to indicate each point of interest. For example, chimes for churches, a cow bell for restaurants, etc. When you plan your route you can chose the fastest, shortest, or simplest route. You can also avoid certain areas or routes like toll roads.

The TomTom is well designed with appreciated features that make it easier to use. The volume automatically becomes louder as the car accelerates. It displays a compass and speed of the vehicle on the screen. It shows an easy-to-glance-at on-scene map to help with navigation.

What’s not to like? While the screen was clear and anti-glare, in very bright sunlight it looked a little washed out.  Also, although I found the maps to be adequate, they could be better. My office, which was built about five years ago, was not on the maps. Granted it is in a small town, but I feel it should have been on the maps. While I found a few glitches like this, they were not enough to keep me from using and enjoying the TomTom.  It is by far the best portable GPS I’ve seen.

Manufacturer:  TomTom

Price:  $599.99