TomTom Eclipse AVN4430
The TomTom Eclipse AVN4430 has been all but announced thanks to winning an award at the yet to have happened CES show. (It is funny how those things work.) Despite the product having not really been announced yet, the Eclipse website does mention the award in the press release section of their website. Similar to the TomTom Eclipse AVN2210p available previously, the most obvious new feature of the AVN4430 is that it features a widescreen– something I had wished for in my review of the older model. The location of the dials and controls has been changed slightly as well. Otherwise, I’d suspect the same basic feature set, but would love to be surprised. Integrated traffic receiver perhaps? We shall see in just a few weeks.
TomTom Eclipse AVN4430 GPS
Hi
I want more information about ECLIPSE AVN4430 and the price.
MSRP will be $850.
Before shelling out any money for this product, I would advice to read some experiences of the owners of old model:
http://www.gpsreview.net/tomtom-eclipse-avn2210p/
I sell eclipse and personally have an Avn4430. Night and day difference from older model. I couldn’t give the old ones away. The IPOD, Bluetooth and just plain looks sell this one.
Well – I made the ultimate mistake! I gave Eclipse a second chance and bought the AVN4430.
I already have the AVN2210P and I have had the same issues that others have reported on here. To be fair most of these are now sorted with the latest software.
I saw the new 4430 advertised and liked the sleeker look with the widescreen etc. So I decided to give Eclipse another chance and I bought it.
Unfortunately there is some problem with the Ipod interface i.e it doesn’t restart from the last song like its supposed to. So its exactly like the 2210P in that respect. While it plays all the songs OK, it doesn’t hold the Ipod preferences i.e. “Shuffle” and “repeat”. At each restart, both of these boxes are unticked when they would have been selected at switch off. I’m not concerned with the “repeat” function but I always leave my 2210P on “shuffle”.
My own Ipod is a 4th gen model so I borrowed a friends 5th gen Ipod just to try it in case mine was faulty – although mine worked fine on the 2210P. The 5th gen didn’t work at all!! It just said “connecting to…..Ipod” and that was it.
Eclipse eventually responded to my numerous queries. They admitted that the AVN4430 has software problems just like the 2210P. Eclipse are working on a “solution” but I returned the unit to the Seller.
I really can believe that Eclipse have once again released a unit that does not perform as it should. Do they not have a quality control department?
I have returned the unit to the Seller but unfortunately this whole experience will have cost me about $230 as I had the unit shipped to Europe, paid customs charges, downloaded a European map and had to pay to return it.
So I will NEVER buy another Eclipse product and I would urge other potential buyers to think twice before they do. I hope to buy a unit that works from a reliable manufacturer. Eclipse really are the pits.
A very nice deck for navigation purposes. This is the 2nd eclipse I have bought and it seems that it will be the last. I am very disappointed that they did not make the ipod work *just like the ipod*… I get a choice of listening to 5 artists when I’m driving… yay? They MADE IT do that! Sorry, but I like changing my music and that makes me sick. If you like tom tom nav then get it. Otherwise, stick with pioneer, kenwood, shoot even jensen is better then this for ipod use!!
I have this unit installed as my car NAV unit.
I am deeply deeply disappointed. The features are lacking and the nav is next to impossible to use while driving (well your not suppose to). It plays DVDs great, but the radio function sucks! I use the large font, and it is still hard to read the writing. I would much rather have my normal mazda 09′ stock radio instead of this.
This unit is seriously lacking and I wonder what crazy nut gave this crappy unit an award. Dont waste your money