Is TomTom an idiot or is it just the 'Ducato version'?

[PDrill]

I'm just coming back from a two week trip to Norway and this trip was the first time I really used the TomTom built in the new Ducato, and what an idiot it was. In the beginning if satnavs (my 1st experience was a 1DIN Blaupunkt in 2004) were known to make some strange routings but that time has mostly passed years ago, and TomTom was mostly not an exception. It came up with smart routings when starting the day, but more than once on my trip it turned to an complete idiot if I either missed an instruction or deviated from the route.

The best example was a 800km trip (not to be driven on one day, I just had it directing to the final destination as I had no plans before the destination). I took off the highway for a short stop, and when I continued it gladly told me BINGBING! A 1.5 hours shorter route has been found! At that point I had already noticed it can't be trusted if the trip doesn't go exactly as originally planned so I knew something was going on. It was so strange that I had to stop to see wtf was going on (I knew to which direction I was supposed to continue). And omfg. Afetr deviating from the course, it had calculated it would be best to drive 45 minutes BACK and make a U-turn. And when it then realized there was a shorter route, it happily informed me that it had found a 1.5 hour (=2x 45min) faster route.

And that wasn't even the only time it did that, similar thing happened at least 3 other times. Also, when I missed an exit in Stockholm it instructed me to drive (not sure, at least) 15 kilometers forward and then turn back, and in reality there were exits at least every one kilometer. Fortunately I had my Android tablet with Google Maps available as well (I'm a nerd) so I could quickly verify if I felt something wasn't quite right.

So, is this really the way the TomTom works today, or has Stellantis bought some '2003 version' for pennies to save some €€€? Although one would think TT wouldn't sell ancient versions as it really wouldn't make them look good.

 

[Brains]

I'd be inclined to get an update.

We had the even worse Zenec unit in our 2018 Hymer.

We found that the software installed was from either 2012 or 2014.
You basically had to pay £70 to update the software to get a device that then half worked.

Only part of the issue is the base maps, which all come from either TomTom or Garmin.

The main issue is however the software that is written by many individual companies using the maps as the base.
I think all of them them have crazy routing in places.
Whilst updates will fix some of the issues, if the company that produced the original software no longer exists or has been bought out by another company then the known issues never get fixed.
There is also the problem of diminishing returns, the longer the software is out there the few new customers are buying it and the greater the number of faults are found with less money to pay the ever increasing number of support staff needed to fix the issue.

Bottom line, buy a SatNav with software made by one of the big players, using either Garmin or TomTom base maps, and pay for the regular updates for as long as they keep updating the software.
But like any Laptop, iPad or smart Phone the realistic life is between 18 months and 5 years.