How accurate are TomTom's?

[caeteez]

My TomTom is absolutely hopeless. Shuts down on its own sometimes, and has told me I was doing 17mph on the M25 once...

It also seems to assume I've run off the road into fields etc quite a lot of the time, normally just before dropping its signal for the 200th time.

Need a new one me thinks, seems to be pretty totalled.

 

[Fr0dders]

I hear what you are saying but that 10% +1 is a guideline set out and it is completely up to the regional force what the tolerance is.

Not something to i'd want to risk, as the cars I aspire to own are typically group 20 and with an insurance premium to boot.

everybody keeps saying this

but ive never yet got a ticket from a gatso whilst doing 31 in a 30. and ive driven through plenty of speed cameras doing so

allthough only guidelines, everybody follow thems. Unless they want to not follow them just to make a point, like a labour cabinet minister or whatever...

 

[barnettgs]

All cars coming from factories are like this, a few mph off your speedo.

I was reading a car magazine some years ago about it, they're all just like that. Any GPS device can be very accurate, including my Garmin Nuvi, providing you're driving at constant speed and on flat ground.

 

[marin]

I have checked my TomTom against my Garmin Geko 201 GPS in the car and they are spot on.

They both read around 65-66 when I'm doing 70 on the speedo.

 

[Peter Diffey]

everybody keeps saying this

but ive never yet got a ticket from a gatso whilst doing 31 in a 30. and ive driven through plenty of speed cameras doing so

allthough only guidelines, everybody follow thems. Unless they want to not follow them just to make a point, like a labour cabinet minister or whatever...

Thats because 30mph speed cameras are NOT set to snap you when you go just over 30mph in most places. I know for a fact that my council has set its 30mph speed cameras at 37mph.

40 indicated might get you caught

 

[jimblowscash]

It will more then likely be your speedo out

Tom toms are very Accurate

for the record tom tom's are not that accurate, i have been in a test vechicle with a calibrated speedo and at anything over 50mph the tomtom was out by between 7 and 13 mph.... even the race designed gps telemetry has a tollerance of + - 3mph depending on speed and that needs a fix on 5satalites before it will calculate speed.... dont rely on your tomtom!!

 

[Fr0dders]

for the record tom tom's are not that accurate, i have been in a test vechicle with a calibrated speedo and at anything over 50mph the tomtom was out by between 7 and 13 mph.... even the race designed gps telemetry has a tollerance of + - 3mph depending on speed and that needs a fix on 5satalites before it will calculate speed.... dont rely on your tomtom!!

those differences will only be seen during acceleration / decelleration where it cant keep track of the satellites quick enough

on normal road use pootling along at 30mph constant, they are plenty accurate.

 

[DJMK4]

I dont bother using the speed indicator on my tomtom navigator 6 application as it always is about 5mph out.

Pointless feature to be honest, why would you need two speedo's?

 

[jesta]

Must admit, havent ventured in that much what with the Christmas madness. Whereabouts do you live?

Its not in a state to be viewed at the moment anyhow, its rained pretty much every weekend and when it hasn't, i've been busy. Absolutely caked in crap.

Luckily work has decided to give us all a free valet today, so i wont have to do it!

Back on topic for a second, I generally go by speedo for safety, but do glance at the Tom Tom every now and again. Its not going to affect your journey time by that much going by the speedo, but it could save you some points and a bit of fuel!

Yer thats true I'll go with speedo but keep an eye on the tomtom one.

I'm a uni student so living at Varley halls,drive a Honda Civic MA (0r MB cant remember which) but only a 1.5i. I'm guessing I will see your car blasting down Lewes Road durin Summer time!