Apple’s CarPlay works to integrate your Apple mobile devices and car for a seamless experience.
It is a safer way to use your phone for navigation while driving, as it allows you to keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
TomTom Go CarPlay is one of the third-party navigation apps that work with Apple’s CarPlay platform to make navigation a breeze.
The TomTom Go CarPlay is a suitable navigation app if you’re looking for hustle-free navigation while driving. The app provides an excellent satnav experience with speed and traffic-cam alerts. Moreover, its spoken turn-by-turn feature makes navigation a breeze by letting you know where to turn. However, you have to pay to use it with CarPlay.
The rest of this article covers the TomTom Go CarPlay review.
Keep reading to find out whether this navigation app is worth the money.
| Overall rating | 4.2/5 |
| Accuracy | 4.9/5 |
| Navigation quality | 4.5/5 |
| Real-time update | 4.9/5 |
You can download the app from Google Play Store or App Store. Add the CarPlay app like normal.
Pros of TomTom Go CarPlay
- Multiple voice options: The TomTom Go CarPlay app has more than 100 voice options. This makes it an excellent app for use in different countries. Other car navigation apps like Google Maps have only 59 voice options.
- Real-time routing: The app ensures drivers have real-time navigation data. For this reason, the app updates real-time traffic data every 30 seconds. Such real-time information keeps you updated on the best navigation routes to avoid issues like traffic congestion.
- Road closure feature: The app also has a road closure feature that notifies drivers of any upcoming road closures. This is an excellent safety feature as it helps you plan your navigation route to avoid disruptions.
- Speed and traffic-cam alerts: The TomTom Go CarPlay app has speed and traffic-cam alerts that helps you keep within the legal speed limit. This prevents issues like getting caught by traffic cameras.
- Find parking feature: I like how the TomTom Go app gives good coverage of parking should you need it, and is a handy feature when you are in an unfamiliar location.
Cons of TomTom Go CarPlay
- No object on road notification: Unlike its Google Map counterpart, the TomTom Go app doesn’t have the object on the road notification. This can be especially challenging when driving at night due to the limited visibility.
- Poor offline navigation: Although the app allows users to download maps for offline use, you can’t download a map for a specific region. You can only download a map for the entire country or city.
- Map inaccuracies: You may encounter slight map inaccuracies that may be slightly off your anticipated destination. However, this is an issue with most car navigation apps, part of the likes of Google Maps. See the image below, which it takes you to the wrong side of the building entrance.
- No map share option: The TomTom Go CarPlay app doesn’t allow you to share your location or map with others. This can be a problem if you want to let someone know your exact location.
- It’s a paid app: The biggest con about the TomTom Go CarPlay app is that you have to pay for it. While it’s only a few dollars a month, I personally find it hard to justify when Google Maps is equally as good, if not better.
Who Should Use the TomTom Go App?
According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, phones are the primary cause of distracted driving that result in fatal crashes.
Therefore, eliminating phone usage while driving is an excellent way to minimize road accidents.
Before downloading and subscribing to this app, you need to know if it’s the right option for your specific driving needs.
You should consider getting the TomTom Go CarPlay app if you constantly find yourself looking for your phone to check the route. Using your phone while driving distracts your concentration, making accidents more likely.
The app will help you check your route easily from the car’s dashboard display.
The main caveat to using this app is that you must be observant of road objects, and is a paid service.
Although the app will help you navigate your route and traffic, it doesn’t have an “object on the road” notification.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a navigation app to help you concentrate on the road, TomTom Go CarPlay is an excellent option. However, you should be aware of any objects on the road.
Why the TomTom Go CarPlay Is Worth Purchasing
Here are a few reasons why the TomTom Go CarPlay is worth buying:
It Provides Real-Time Traffic Updates
Traffic congestion causes road delays and running out of gas.
You can avoid being caught in traffic by using an alternative route after knowing the routes with traffic congestion.
This is where the TomTom Go app comes in. The app provides real-time traffic updates every 30 seconds.
The app collects data from at least 400 million cars. The focus is to ensure it provides the most-updated traffic reports.
Therefore, it can save you enough time that would have otherwise been consumed in traffic congestion by directing you to uncongested routes.
It Regulates Speed Using Speed and Traffic-Cam Alerts
Driving over the speed limit can result in costly speeding tickets. In the U.S., speeding tickets cost at least $125.
The TomTom Go CarPlay app is an excellent option to save you from unnecessary speeding tickets. The app considers the road design and features to alert you when driving over the speed limit.
It also has traffic-cam alerts that notify you of any upcoming cameras on the route.
This is a helpful feature as it helps you keep within the legal speed limit, preventing issues like getting caught by traffic cameras.
The Ability To Download and Use Offline Maps
Most navigation apps and systems rely on online usage for maps and traffic data. However, this isn’t the case with TomTom Go CarPlay.
The app allows you to download maps of an entire country or city and use them offline.
This is a significant advantage as it prevents you from relying on the internet throughout your journey.
It’s especially useful when traveling to areas with poor or no internet coverage.
Moreover, it saves you the cost of data since you don’t have to be online throughout the entire journey.
It Allows Map Customization
Before downloading a navigation map using the TomTom Go app, you can customize it based on frequented places or routes.
Moreover, you can add and delete some areas from the map to make viewing easier.
Since offline maps are usually big, you should prioritize downloading city maps instead of country maps.
Country maps can be too big and occupy much of your storage, slowing the app.
The Downsides
Every product on the market has its downside. The TomTom Go CarPlay app has the following drawbacks:
- It’s pricey: Since there are free car navigation apps like Google Maps, the TomTom Go app is a paid app. Its monthly and yearly plans cost $4.99 and $22.99, respectively. Not every driver is ready to spend such an amount when there are free apps.
- It has some issues with location detection: You might find that the app doesn’t take you to the exact point you intended. However, you can solve this issue as you get more experience with using the app.
Final Thoughts
The TomTom Go CarPlay is an excellent navigation app with several features that could make it worth the purchase. But in my option, I would choose a free option. But not TomTom Amigo.
You can download the TomTom go app from Google Play Store or App Store.
If you want to see, my favorite app, read my CarPlay navigation apps guide.
