Magellan Crossover GPS In-Car / Handheld GPS Unit Review

Safer and more intuitive than Garmin

"Good things:(1) I have always liked Garmin and was initially going to get a top of the line handheld. However the features on the Crossover are what sold me. With the Garmin, I was very surprised/disappointed about having to spend an additional $130.00 on POI software to upload into the memory. Additionally, I would have had to purchase the $100.00 Topo software to do the same. For the final price I had all that in the Magellan Crossover – built in! All I had to do is charge it and go.(2) I also had the opportunity to download and install the free Firmware update, from the Magellan website, to the device. I found it extremely easy and very affective. I really liked the change to the driving part but was surprised Magellan didn’t make similar changes to the Marine and Outdoor/topo map options.(3) After the download and installation, I really love the additional map screen feature allowing you to see the Arrival Time, Distance and/or Remaining Time. Previously you only had the Remaining Time.(4) I also like the change to the “Current Location” screen. Although Magellan kept the same information, it’s a bit easier to read. The screen has the Street, City, State and Zip code of your current location. You see the next and past exit names with the distance from each. You have an analog compass, altitude and current speed as well as the Time and Date. If you really need it, you also have the Long and Lat readings.(5) I absolutely love the availability of the big POI Icons on the map view to “see” what is around as I drive. i.e. you see a hotel Icon, you touch it and it brings up the address, distance and phone number so you can call ahead to check price and availability. The Icons on the Garmin Nuvi are way too small to deal with or even see. They are also blocked by your trip rout as well. Than, when you can get the arrow directly on it, all you get is the company name.(6) The Crossover has Exit POI’s – what a wonderful idea which Garmin doesn’t have. As you are accomplishing a long trip down the highway, your kids are hungry or someone needs a bathroom… what about gas? Leaving the map, going to the menu screen you hit the Exit POI’s and you now see the available options and the distance to them per exit ahead of you. Now you can pick, choose and prepare for which restaurant, hotel or gas station you really want and tell everyone in the car how far it is – no more “are we there yet?” Of course this feature does not work if you are already in town.(7) Recently, I took it on a military trip in the woods. The “Tracks” feature was very nice to have. Although you have the availability to purchase more details for the Topo features, its fine to use with the installed data. You can set the Crossover to lay cookies/crumbs at various distances or times, depending upon your desire. You can display them on your map using different colors for which track you want to view and compare. Than you can save each track individually and make any comparison of your walk in the woods to view the routs you have taken. Like the Auto and Boating features you also have the availability to Save your base camp so you can always get back to camp no matter haw far you chased your game. Although I have not used this feature extensively, I am very confident in bringing it to the field.Bad things:(1) I have been regularly disappointed in the Crossover’s inability to find or see some well known and long time standing major department, auto and other stores. Sometimes it's also selective of what you may see on the map as you drive by it – the Crossover doesn't always show everything. (i.e. Home Depot, Discount Tires and others.) I recently purchased a Garmin Nuvi 200 and it seems to find and see everything – very impressive. They are both rather closely similar in finding hotels and gas stations though. So, the Crossover has a hard time finding and seeing things, but heaven help you if you need to find something while you are driving with the Garmin. While driving, the Magellan is far more intuitive than the Garmin – thus making it safer while driving.(2) Although the Crossover screen is really nice, it’s not as neat and clean looking as the Garmin. The Garmin looks slightly closer to a real map than the Crossover.(3) Although the Garmin and the Magellan are identical in screen size, the Garmin body is much sleeker and compact making it a bit easier to fit into a pocket or purse."