Magellan RoadMate

172 reviews

Nov, 2024

Positive
usability (98)
performance (44)
price (31)
screen (29)
size (29)

Negative
reliability (12)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 172 reviews of Magellan RoadMate. The average rating for this product is 3.3/5, compared to an average rating of 3.9/5 for other GPS for all reviews. People really like the screen and size. The price and performance are also mentioned favorably, but many are negative about the reliability.

usability, performance, price, size, screen

reliability

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other GPS the Magellan RoadMate is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 88/100 = Very good quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 172 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(27% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (23% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (17% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (9% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (24% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

usability
Show positive (80%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)

performance
Show positive (71%)Show negative (29%)(Show all)

price
Show positive (79%)Show negative (21%)(Show all)

size
Show positive (78%)Show negative (22%)(Show all)

screen
Show positive (85%)Show negative (15%)(Show all)

More features

Showing 170 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Disclaimer:

Below is a list of reviews for this or similar products. If you think this grouping is wrong please click here to flag.
Read more on our FAQ’s page.

Showing 1 - 151 of 170 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (2)

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Magellan RoadMate

alaTest has collected and analyzed 141 user reviews of Magellan RoadMate from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 3.1/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.0/5 for other GPS on Amazon.com. People are impressed by the price and screen. The size and performance also get good opinions, but there are some critical opinions about the reliability.

usability, performance, size, screen, price

reliability

62% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Nov, 2024

Expert review by : Jamie Lendino (pcmag.com)

Magellan RoadMate 9055

Not only does the Magellan RoadMate 9055 portable GPS device pack a huge 7-inch screen, it's a solid performer on the road, and it's exceptionally easy to use.

Extra-large, 7-inch LCD. Very fast UI and POI search. Unusually flexible mount works in a wide variety of vehicles. Free lifetime traffic with no ads. Useful AAA TourBook. A/V input.

Chosen routes aren't always the quickest. No speed limit signs. Map updates cost extra. Its sheer size could be an issue in smaller vehicles.

Navigation Performance, Other Features, and Conclusions Map graphics are the same as before; serviceable, but not exceptionally detailed. At least the roads themselves lack visible pixelation. Using the volume and zoom controls is easy thanks to their...

Mar, 2011

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Jamie Lendino (pcmag.com)

Magellan RoadMate 2035

The bargain-price Magellan RoadMate 2035 covers all of the basics, and even includes free lifetime traffic alerts, but comes with frequent, sometimes-annoying ads.

Accurate routing. Clear, robust voice prompts. Fast recalculations. Free lifetime traffic alerts.

Frequent, persistent ads. No 2D or 3D lane assistance. No speed limit signs.

Navigation, Voice Prompts, and Conclusions In a series of routing tests, the RoadMate 2035 performed well. Magellan's route choices continue to differ slightly from TomTom and Garmin units, though the 2035 never steered me wrong. Map graphics looked...

Jul, 2010

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Antuan Goodwin (cnet.com)

Magellan RoadMate 1470 review: Magellan RoadMate 1470

The screen features a matte finish that does a good job of diffusing glare which, along with the bright backlighting, keeps the unit usable when viewed in direct sunlight.

The Magellan RoadMate's OneTouch menu puts the most commonly accessed destinations and searches at a user's fingertips at all times. The smartly designed destination confirmation screen gives users a good deal of flexibility as to how they get where...

Poorly designed cradle interferes with power cable when mounting. The onscreen keyboard cannot be changed from its alphabetical layout to a more familiar QWERTY layout.

The Magellan RoadMate matches the competition's performance and ease of use, while providing a larger screen at a lower price.

Nov, 2009

Read the full review

Expert review by : Craig Ellison (pcmag.com)

Magellan RoadMate 1470

Besides packing a larger-than-average 4.7-inch screen, Magellan's RoadMate 1470 is easy to use and serves up six million POIs.

Larger-than-average 4.7-inch screen. Maps for U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Excellent interface and POI search capabilities. AAA TourBook guide. Text-to-speech conversion. Multisegment routing. Lane assist.

No pedestrian mode or support for multiple vehicle profiles. Limited route avoidances. Limited language and voice support.

More GPS Device Reviews: Garmin DriveAssist 50LMT Trax Play Scout GPS (for iPhone) InRoute (for iPhone) Garmin U.S.A. (for iPhone) more

Apr, 2009

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Craig Ellison (pcmag.com)

Magellan RoadMate 1430

The widescreen RoadMate 1430 boasts many of the same high-end features of its premium Maestro siblings, without the premium price tag.

Multisegment routing. Live traffic information. Intuitive interface. Traffic receiver integrated into the case.

Some functions are sluggish. Occasional unexplained route recalculations.

Your calculated route is highlighted in bright green on the map screen. At the bottom of the display, one data field shows you the distance to your next turn. You can toggle between distance to your destination, estimated time of arrival, and remaining...

Jul, 2008

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Craig Ellison (pcmag.com)

Magellan RoadMate 2000

The RoadMate 2000 portable GPS system is a good choice for the value-conscious consumers.

Sensitive Receiver. QuickSpell facilitates data input. Multisegment routing.

Some functions, such as finding the nearest gas station or changing map views take too many taps of the screen.

More GPS device reviews: Garmin DriveAssist 50LMT Trax Play Scout GPS (for iPhone) InRoute (for iPhone) Garmin U.S.A. (for iPhone) more

Oct, 2006

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Craig Ellison (pcmag.com)

Magellan RoadMate 860T

The Magellan RoadMate 860T improves on its predecessor, but it still doesn't compare with the best GPS devices out there.

Excellent POI categories. Live traffic data with automatic rerouting. QuickSpell facilitates data entry. Text-to-speech conversion announces street names. Supports multisegment trip routing.

Can't play music while navigating. Awkward software application required for transferring music and picture files. Traffic data lacks list view.

More GPS navigation reviews: Garmin DriveAssist 50LMT Trax Play Scout GPS (for iPhone) InRoute (for iPhone) Garmin U.S.A. (for iPhone) more

Jun, 2006

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : John R. Delaney (cnet.com)

Magellan RoadMate 360 review: Magellan RoadMate 360

Intro The Magellan RoadMate 360 is the most affordable ($499.99) member of the company's RoadMate series of vehicle navigators, and like its more expensive siblings, it offers a powerful GPS receiver and accurate, turn-by-turn, voice-guided driving...

The Magellan RoadMate 360 is an affordable GPS device you can easily move from car to car. It offers voiced-guided driving directions, a large points-of-interest database, and a strong 14-channel receiver.

The Magellan RoadMate 360 lacks some of the extra features offered in similarly priced systems, such as traffic services and Bluetooth.

The Magellan RoadMate 360 is a good bet if you're looking for an accurate vehicle navigator for less than $500, but we wish it offered a few more features.

May, 2006

Read the full review

Expert review by : Oliver Kaven (pcmag.com)

Magellan RoadMate 360

The Magellan RoadMate 360's preloaded maps and turn-by-turn guidance are great, but maneuvering the interface is more difficult than it should be.

Good screen. Complete set of U.S. maps built into the system.

No 3D view. Unintuitive Interface.

More GPS device reviews: Garmin DriveAssist 50LMT Trax Play Scout GPS (for iPhone) InRoute (for iPhone) Garmin U.S.A. (for iPhone) more

Dec, 2005

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Craig Ellison (pcmag.com)

Magellan RoadMate 760

Despite its lack of a 3D map view, the excellent navigation options make the RoadMate 760 a very road-worthy system.

Excellent navigation features including Smart Detour and text-to-speech. Announces street names. Well-categorized points of interest.

Menu system less intuitive and more difficult to learn than other in-car GPS systems. Lacks 3D map view.

The 760's 20GB hard drive is preloaded with street-level maps for the continental United States (including Hawaii), Canada, and Puerto Rico. The database also contains close to seven million points of interest (POIs). European maps are conveniently...

Aug, 2005

Partner Source

Read the full review