Magellan Car GPS Navigation Systems

Posted on October 17th, 2008 by

I’ll be honest with you. Magellan car GPS navigation systems don’t get enough written about them from reviewers like me. With Garmin controlling almost 50% of the market share, and Tom Tom rapidly catching up with very aggressive pricing, sometimes Magellan gets lost in the dust.
But Magellan’s products are definitely worth considering when buying a GPS navigation system.
Magellan was one of the first companies to pioneer car GPS navigation. They offer an excellent range of products with some features that other companies such as Garmin and Tom Tom do not offer.
They don’t have as many models as Garmin, especially in the high end of the market, but what Magellan does have is really top notch.
If you’re in the market for a car GPS navigation system, then Magellan is something definitely to consider.
Let’s take a brief overview of their product line.
There are essentially three lines of Magellan’s car GPS navigation systems–the Maestro line, the RoadMate line and the Magellan Crossover. We’ll look at each of these three.
The Maestro line is Magellan’s more fully-featured models of car GPS systems.
The Maestro 3100 is their entry level unit in the Maestro line. It’s currently selling for about $150, and has all the features you would expect of an entry level unit. It can tell you where you are on an electronic map and give you voice instructions how to get where you’re going. It also comes with a large database of pre-programmed destinations, called Points of Interest, or POI’s.
At the other end of the price spectrum is the Maestro 4250, which sells currently for about $250. The Maestro 4250 is, to my mind, one of the best deals on the market. Besides doing everything a mid-priced GPS should do, Magellan has a deal with AAA where they have their Tour Book directly on the GPS device. This is for AAA members only, but what a great feature!

The 4250 also has a larger display than the 3100.
If you’re looking for a big screen, however, you might want to think about the Maestro 5310, which has a 5-inch screen. (All these dimensions are measured on the diagonal.) The 5310 is a newer model and currently sells for slightly more than $300.
If you just want basic navigation and are looking for a cheaper system, you might want to consider Magellan’s RoadMate line. The RoadMates are billed as being “budget” models, but they still have a lot of features. You can get the RoadMate 1200 for less than $120! Or you can go for the more feature-laden RoadMate 1412, which is currently selling for around $200, and has the larger screen.
Of special interest to active people should be the Magellan CrossoverGPS. The CrossoverGPS is the only GPS navigation system on the market that is designed for use in the car as well as for hiking or biking. It’s small enough to easily fit in your pocket, yet has enough power to do everything you need a GPS to do.
Right now the CrossoverGPS is selling for about $220. If you’re interested in on and off road flexibility, then the CrossoverGPS really needs to be on your list!
There are certainly more Magellan car GPS navigation systems than I’ve mentioned. But this article will at least give you a good overview.
I’m not saying that Garmin and Tom Tom are not good companies and don’t make great products. I like both of those companies! All I’m saying is that you definitely should include Magellan in your list of possibilities when you buy your next GPS.
To find out more about Magellan’s (as well as Garmin’s and Tom Tom’s) products, you need a good, informative website where you can browse individual models and check out their current prices.