Review: TomTom Via 620

I wasn’t convinced about the advantages of having a whole 6 inches of windscreen real estate obstructed by this device, but the ease with each I can navigate its settings while on the road definitely makes the bigger screen worth it.

This is TomTom’s biggest GPS screen “yet”, as announced by the company. The word “yet” makes me weary, though. I don’t think any bigger, in this case, would actually be any better, but, at six inches, this screen translates into better images (higher resolution), bigger menus and buttons (perfect for chubby fingers like mine). This model is almost too big (definitely not something I need to carry in my bag all the time) but the compromise is worth it for the extra ease of use and the extra sense of security I got from not having to pay quite so much attention to where my fingers were on the screen while I really should be keeping the eyes on the road. Drivers of bigger cars such as trucks and SUVs will probably not even find it as big as other people.

The navigation was easy and directions were accurate, as it often happens with other TomTom models. The spoken street names feature is handy (even when you choose to have Darth Vader’s voice guiding you) and the parking feature helps you find parking near your destination (which can also save you a lot of time spent aimlessly driving around the same block).

On a hardware-related note, the dual-mounting system that allows drivers to mount the device on either the dashboard or the windscreen is a plus (and will help those who think the six-inch screen takes up too much windscreen real estate).

I was disappointed to see that the charging cable does not plug into the device magnetically, something I had seen (and appreciated) in previous TomTom models. On a more positive note, however, the Via 620 comes with lifetime free daily map changes and the most up to date New Zealand and Australia maps.