Best TomTom VIA 52 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

The TomTom VIA 52 is a GPS PND with voice commands and a Bluetooth connection allowing you to receive alerts in real time and, incidentally, calls without taking your hands off the wheel and at a lower price.

Presentation

TomTom completes its VIA range with the VIA 52 and 62, with 5 and 6 inch screens (13 and 15 cm diagonal) respectively. This is the 5 inch model that we are testing here.

Once again, TomTom masters its subject with a rather well finished and well made product. On the design side, it is the almost exact replica of the START 52 that we had the opportunity to test, with two details: the weight which displays 209 grams (235 grams for the START) and a thickness of 2.4 cm ( 2.2 cm for START). Only the tiny microphone on the far right can distinguish them. The particularity of this VIA 52 is especially in the Bluetooth which gives it the possibility of pairing with a smartphone. We can thus take advantage of real-time traffic information and answer telephone calls via the hands-free kit integrated into the GPS.

At 180 €, the TomTom VIA 52 is not expensive to pay to avoid losing a few points on its license and the 135 € fine that goes with it. We will benefit for free and for life from map updates, the TomTom Traffic service and fixed danger zone alerts. But only free for 3 months for the latter (18 € / year thereafter if we want to ‘option).

Best TomTom VIA 52 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. TomTom VIA 52 EU45 8GB MICROSD

2. TomTom Go 52 with WiFi, Lifetime Maps And Traffic, Siri and Google Now Compatible. Hands-Free Calling and Smartphone Messaging

3. TomTom GO 60 S Portable Vehicle GPS

4. TomTom START 50M 5-Inch GPS Navigator w/ Lifetime Maps

5. TomTom GO 50 Portable Vehicle GPS

Ergonomics

After ignition, the acquisition of satellites (or fix) is carried out without any problem. We are then greeted by the traditional carousel made up of different commands to scroll in one direction or the other. The titles change somewhat, but not a great revolution: “Search”, “Add to home”, “Add to work” “Recent destination”, “Current routes”, “My destinations”, “My routes”, ” Parking “,” Service station “,” TomTom services “,” Start recording “,” Settings “and” Help “. Two additional icons are appearing in connection with connectivity: “Telephone” and “Voice control”. Bluetooth pairing with a smartphone is done quickly. The second of these options provides access to a list of standard phrases to be used for voice control. So,

As on the rest of the START range, you can choose the color of the screen theme, the voice of the GPS, the addition of additional maps via the microSD port or from myTomTom area. The internal memory of the TomTom VIA 52 is 16 GB, expandable by microSD memory card (up to 32 GB).

The search for points of interest (POI) – other than car parks and service stations that have their own direct access icons – is done from the same icon as to find an address (“Search”). Then simply type on the virtual keyboard the desired category to display the proposals located nearby, and also elsewhere. By typing “restaurant”, the VIA 52 displayed catering establishments around our position, but also throughout France and even in Switzerland; this may surprise … Each proposal is accompanied by an information sheet containing the address and telephone number.

Equipment

The packaging contains a power cable, a suction cup holder with its ball joint, a manual and a mini cigarette lighter socket. The matt coating of the screen is quite sensitive to fingerprints, but it resists scratching that can cause nails. The outline of the two speaker grilles is made of shiny plastic. Before installing on the suction cup mount, make sure to connect the power cable, the input of which is positioned on the back of the GPS. Better to do it before getting behind the wheel, therefore, safety issue. As the battery does not offer a long autonomy (60 minutes). It is advisable to connect the TomTom directly to the cigarette lighter.

The VIA 52 has a 5-inch (13 cm) resistive touch screen with a resolution of 480 x 272 px. It is reactive, but requires pushing the brightness to the maximum to be readable. Especially when the sun illuminates the passenger compartment.

Route guidance

This VIA 52 will take you anywhere in Europe with its 48 cards. Updates (4 per year) are free for life. The TomTom Traffic service (free for life and available after pairing with a smartphone) allows you to be informed in real time (via the TomTom community) and well in advance of any slowdowns and traffic jams, so that you can branch off on an alternate route. Another service, TomTom MyDrive is a planning tool that can be viewed from a PC, smartphone or tablet. It gives an overview of road traffic before leaving. Allows you to trace your routes which you will download to the GPS. It also works with preferred addresses. Access to TomTom MyDrive is free, but is subject to account creation.

Voice commands, some difficulty understanding

As on any good self-respecting PND GPS, defining its route is within the reach of anyone. The TomTom VIA 52 is no exception. Here, you enter the address in one go on the virtual keyboard: “123 bis rue Maurice Tartempion Paris”. The TomTom VIA 52 gives you a list of matching locations (on the right side) long before you have typed the name of the city. You just have to choose the right address. The search for the route requires less than 10 seconds. Then the voice of the guidance indicates the arrival time on site. The screen is separated into two parts: on the left, the map, on the right, a sort of gauge on which road incidents, accident zones, petrol stations and other car parks are indicated. On the upper part are displayed the

On the road, voice guidance is clearly stated, while the screen displays the main lane, the speed limit not to be exceeded, intersections and other road improvements. If the authorized speed is exceeded, even if it is only one or two km / h, an alert signal is activated; ditto in case of traffic jams on the course. Signaling of danger zones is announced well in advance, so as not to be surprised.

Additional functions

What makes the TomTom VIA 52 strong is, among other things, its Bluetooth connection which opens access to the hands-free kit function for receiving and making calls as well as to voice commands.

CONCLUSION

There is nothing to throw away in this VIA 52. The presence of the hands-free kit is a plus, even if the brand was reluctant until now. Some will opt for the VIA 62, but at 180 €, this TomTom is rather a good deal.

Related

1. Best TomTom GO 500 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020
2. Best TomTom GO 6100 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020