This device looks and feels the same as the TomTom Go 500. In fact the question e’re asking is whether or not t’s worth giving it some consideration. In this TomTom Go 510 review we’ll take a look at the key features and give you our overall rating.
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- Lifetime Maps
- Lifetime Speed Camera Updates
- Lifetime TomTom Traffic
- Accurate And Fast Traffic Information
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- Smartphone Required
- No Hands Free Function
- Still Some Map Updating Issues
- POIs Could Be Improved
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TomTom Go 510 – Product Features
Design
The design is similar to the other TomTom products in the GO Range. It looks and feels exactly the same as the earlier GO 500 model and is therefore reassuringly familiar. I guess TomTom took the view that if something wasn’t broken then why make changes to it.
Part of me however,would like to see something different with the design – perhaps a different colour could have been used on the screen surround or the cradle may have been finished in a different material? (Wow, I really do sound like a pernickety old grouch don’t I?!) How about a GPS with “go faster stripes”!
Screen Size 
Like its predecessor the TomTom Go 500, the Go 510 has a 5inch screen. The screen size is ample for most motorists. Some of the smaller screens available with other manufacturers might leave you squinting a little when trying to decipher the information being provided.
If you prefer a slightly larger screen then it’s possible to get this GPS with a 6inch screen – check out some reviews of the GO 610 here.
Check Out The TomTom GO 510 5-inch Sat Nav with World Maps and Lifetime Map and Traffic Updates via Smartphone Connectivity
On Amazon
Screen Mount
The magnetic click and go mount used by this device is as straightforward to use as it was previously. The cradle itself has a suction cup that locks into place on the windscreen by turning the dial. Once it’s in place you can drop your GPS into the cradle itself and to be fair it feels sturdy enough. Having driven a number of journeys with this system I can report that I have had no issues with the device coming loose.
I don’t like leaving the device in the car when the vehicle is vacant. Usually I remove the GPS and put it either in my backpack or in the glove department. Wherever you store it at least it’s quick and easy to remove the device from the cradle – just lift it straight out.
Navigation
Why should anyone buy a particular sat nav? It’s the question I ask myself when I look at any new device. There isn’t any difference between the GO 500 and the GO 510 in terms of looks or hardware. Why then would anyone consider paying a little more for this particular model?
The main difference (and in fact the only differences) between the devices is the addition of Lifetime TomTom Traffic and Lifetime World Maps. What does this mean for the motorist?
[wpsm_numbox num=”1″ style=”3″]The Lifetime World Maps are self explanatory. You can download,install and use maps from anywhere in the world. This is great for us the consumers as historically we were forced to buy maps from TomTom separately. This could have worked out fairly expensive if you were travelling across different continents.[/wpsm_numbox]
[wpsm_numbox num=”2″ style=”3″]Lifetime TomTom Traffic provides you with real time traffic information on your route. This enables you to decide if you should reroute your journey if traffic up ahead is a nightmare. Unfortunately this feature is only available by hooking up your smartphone up to the device.
This is something to bear in mind if you are considering purchasing this device. Using your smartphone may potentially rack up data charges on your mobile phone bill. This is particularly the case if your driving across Europe as data charges can vary wildly from country to country.
TomTom claim that using the Traffic feature via your smartphone will use around 7mb of data. Depending upon your mobile phone package this is unlikely to be too expensive if you stay within your own country. [/wpsm_numbox]
[wpsm_numbox num=”3″ style=”3″]Lifetime Speed Camera Updates – this service will provide you with updates as to the location of all speed cameras. The idea being that you won’t be caught speeding we hope![/wpsm_numbox]
My Drive
This feature has been introduced by TomTom in order to synchronise the different devices. It links your PC or Mac at home with your smartphone and for course your GPS device. It will work with all of your TomTom sat nav devices – the GO 510 comes with this feature built in (this is also the case with the other newer models in the GO Range – 610, 5000 and the 5100 respectively).
What Can My Drive Do?
My Drive is designed to make your journey planning that little bit easier. It aims to join up your devices in a similar manner to what Apple have done with the iPod, iPhone and the Mac range. The devices “talk to each other” via Bluetooth.
I found setting up the App on my various devices fairly straightforward. It did however take more than a couple of attempts for my smartphone to ‘pair’ with the GPS. My current phone is a Huawei smartphone and to be honest I’m not sure where the problem lay with the pairing. I would recommend that you ensure that your phone is visible to other bluetooth devices in your vicinity. On my phone settings there is a switch within the menu that enables it – et voila the phone is found!
The My Drive platform allows you to begin planning your journey from your armchair in the sitting room. Using a smartphone I was able to plan my route (including my coffee breaks) and rather usefully see the real time traffic information for my chosen route. Once I was ready to leave in the car there was no need for me to tap the destination into the device. It picks up the information from the phone via the My Drive platform and hey presto I’m ready to go!
Another fairly nifty feature is that it’s possible to personalise your experience by downloading Points of Interest that you want to see on your device. The POI service offered by TomTom in my opinion doesn’t perform as well as the Garmin version. In my tests it proved more difficult to find a tourist attraction in a particular part of the country. Garmin appear to have invested more time in enriching the user experience on this front – their partnership with Foursquare is indicative of this.
Conclusion – TomTom Go 510 Review
With this device being near enough identical to the GO 500 I expected to be similarly dismayed. However, after having used this device for a number of days I can report that I was rather pleased. This device worked well once it was connected to my smartphone. It’s well priced, it’s easy to read and most importantly of all gets you to where you go without too much fuss.
Click here – if you’d like to see another TomTom Go 510 review.
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What Do You Get In The Box?
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- TomTom GO 510
- Car Mount
- Charger Cable
- Instruction Booklet
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- Battery Life – 2 hours
- Connectivity via Smartphone
- Mounting System – Click & Go Mount
- Memory – 8GB internal & MicroSD slot
- Screen Size – 5 inch / 13 cms
- Screen Resolution – 480 x 272
- Product Size (WxHxD) – 14.45 x 9.05 x 2.22cms
- Product Weight – 235 grams
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I think a 5-inch display size is perfect for the grip especially that there is no hands-free function. I initially thought that a smartphone is always needed, but it’s needed only for certain features like for traffic monitoring. I think it’s still good and I can work with that. This is because I prefer listening to radio updates regarding traffic on main roads. I think it is pretty simple to use, and that’s what I like about it. How long have you been using this?
Hey Chris,
Your right the smartphone is only needed for certain features – like the traffic updates. If you didn’t want to connect your phone then the next model up, the GO 5100 comes with an in-built sim. This means that you’ll continuously get the traffic updates automatically and for no extra cost!
I’ve been using this sat nav (on and off) for around four months and I will update this review in a few weeks time. Hopefully I’ll still be getting on with the GPS at that stage!
Cheers
Dylan
Navigators are great nowadays. I’m using the navigator in my old Nokia Lumia 520. Even though the phone is not very high quality the navigator seems to be good enough.
What are the main differences if you would compare between mobile phone’s normal navigator and high-quality TomTom navigator? The larger screen and more reliable maps at least?
Hey Roope,
It really all depends upon what you want from your navigational device – some people can manage with their phones whilst others prefer the stand alone sat nav device.
A specific GPS will provide you with a clear easy to read screen that really comes into its own when your driving any sort of distance – no more squinting or trying to auto-rotate the screen. The maps on a sat nav will also be regularly updated meaning that any changes will be captured, therefore ensuring you will receive optimal routes for your journey planning.
Using your phone can also have its advantages, particularly when your walking around a strange area. The battery life of sat nav units when they are not connected to the power in the car are notoriously poor. It’s usual to only get around 2-3 hours of battery life. However, when your driving the battery of your phone can drain rather quickly – you could be left without a phone or a navigational device, not ideal!!
Happy motoring,
Dylan
This Tom Tom Go 500 looks great! Pity there is no hands free function. But still it has some other great features. Was looking for a sat nav as I have just passed my driving test and not very good with direction. I may see about purchasing this one. I like that it has speed camera updates! Thanks for the thorough information.
Hi Jenny,
I’m very happy that you found the information useful. It’s a good middle of the range device that’s missing a couple of functions but once connected to your smartphone comes into its own.
All the best,
Dylan
Choosing between the go 510 or the garmin 2599….I can not make a choice….any help?
Hi Herke,
Both of these devices are in a similar price range and have many similarities too! There are however some differences and these might help you make a decision.
The TomTom provides better traffic data and comes with worldwide maps (with lifetime free updates). Whilst the Garmin has voice recognition and a superior ‘points of interest’ database (very useful for exploring the area around you).
Ultimately, both devices are really good and therefore you should choose the one that best suits your needs. Hope this helps!
Cheers
Dylan
Really nice post, I’m definitely learning stuff from this site, keep on it and happy motoring!
Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words – they are much appreciated!
Cheers,
Dylan
Hi Dylan , I got stuck in traffic & was late for work the other day , I’m now wanting to purchase a good sat nav that avoids traffic jams & doesn’t cost me money to use it
I haven’t really heard of the tom tom before. But my new job requires me to travel a lot. I may need to invest in one of these. I see where you state the good and the bad. Would it just be ok to use a smartphone. Or will that require wi-fi?
I start my job in a week so I have some time to debate and think on it. Let me know what you think.
Hi there,
You could absolutely use your smartphone to travel around the place. It may drain your battery and the screen is smaller but it should work just fine. You will also need to bear in mind that you will require a data package with your cellular phone in order for the smartphone to work. Depending upon your package and where you are this may or may not be expensive option.
In my opinion however if you are going to be travelling a lot then you just can’t beat a stand alone sat nav. It will be more reliable, easier to read and will always be up to date. Many of the newer devices also provide free worldwide data as part of the package. Check out the TomTom Go 6100 as a GPS that gives you unlimited roaming via the inbuilt sim.
Hope this helps,
Dylan
I got a Navman quite a few years ago and is now a bit dated. So I am looking to get a new one. This Tomtom looks good as my old one I had to keep updating new maps which I had to pay for. Something which I wasn’t happy about. I do wonder though how I will go with setting up the pairing between my smartphone and the device.
Hi Owain,
Thankfully it’s fairly straightforward to connect your TomTom with your smartphone. Here are some Explanatory Videos that should help you to get connected in no time at all.
If you have any difficulties then please just give me a shout.
All the best,
Dylan
Really useful review, thank you. I’m wondering whether it is possible to plan longer road trips with this sat nav? can it store several days worth of routes and would they be easy to access? I went to Norfolk the other day and found that my smart phone connection had no signal at all and I couldn’t access the google maps map that I had made for my trip (which involved visiting windmills which I had saved all the post codes and locations to on google maps). I was pretty impossible to find them without it and I had to keep going to the only place in the area that had a decent signal or wifi connection. Next year I’m planning a trip up to the isle of skye with multiple stops along the way and I want a sat nav that will help me make this easy without having to carry around 500 postcodes on bits of paper which I find I am doing now. This will be my first sat nav. at the moment I am using my mothers really old one.
My other issue is it easy enough to change a route to your own preference (as you can do in google maps). my current one won’t let me do this and constantly takes me via the magic roundabout in Hemel Hempstead when I go between london and the midlands, which kills me every time!
any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Dylan,
The TomTom GO 510 looks decent and it’s something I’ve been looking at for some time.
I particularly like the fact that you can sync it with your phone for traffic updates etc.
However, until now I have been using my phone GPS to plan journeys here in Malaysia. The problem is there’s a lot of blank spots in network coverage especially when driving across the country. Going from city to city in rural areas can be a problem.
Some of these drives can take up to 8 hours (it’s a big country). Is there any way to improve the battery life on the TomTom or are we stuck with it straight out of the box?
Hi Craig,
The GO 510 is indeed a decent device and it should serve you well. There is very little you can do to extend the life of the TomTom battery. However, if you are only using it in the car then you should keep it plugged into the power. That way you won’t lose any battery life. I may do an article on how to hide the USB power cable behind the dashboard of your car over the next couple of weeks – if nothing else it hides the unsightly cable from view and it’s a pretty neat and simple weekend DIY project!
Cheers
Dylan
Good sat nav, BUT the mount is useless
Try using it in a say nissan juke -the mount positions it so it fouls the screen whilst the sat nav is still angled toward the seats , no alternative mount except the van type one at £ 24.99 extra , why should I have to buy this also ???
Not impressed, do they test these things
Evidently not.