Magellan CrossoverGPS

There are a variety of uses for GPS devices--in the car, on a boat, on foot, geocaching--but it's rare to find one device that can do it all. The Magellan CrossoverGPS is one of the first portable navigation systems we've seen to tackle all modes of transport, and it does so in a neat and affordable package. It's got a rugged design to withstand some of nature's elements, and it offers text-to-speech functionality, a voyage tracker, a compass, and other tools. However, it also has its downfalls. First, general performance was a bit sluggish, as were route recalculations. Plus, it's too big to carry on long treks, and you can't enter specific addresses in Outdoor mode, limiting its use for navigating city streets on foot. As such, serious hikers and boaters will be better served by a dedicated device, but if you're on a budget and need a versatile but basic GPS unit, the CrossoverGPS can fill those tracks. The Magellan CrossoverGPS is available now for $499.99.

Design

Designed to work in the car, on foot, or on a boat or bicycle, the Magellan CrossoverGPS has a nice portable form factor, measuring 3.4 inches high by 4.2 inches wide by 1.1 inches deep and weighing 9.4 ounces. Plus, it's prepared to weather some of nature's elements as it meets IPX-4 standards, which essentially means it's water resistant, and comes with a removable rubber sport guard that covers the perimeter of the unit to protect it from dust or any possible drops. All that said, we're not completely convinced this is the ideal device for hikers. It's too large and heavy to comfortably walk around with for extended periods of time, so serious trekkers are better off with a dedicated handheld outdoor GPS device.

The CrossoverGPS features a 3.5-inch, color touch screen that's readable in various lighting conditions, including sunlight. While the maps and text are clear and colorful, the unit's interface is outdated, with its 80s-looking icons and primitive look. Are we being superficial? Perhaps, but as we noted in the RoadMate 2200T review, we want our tech to look good inside and out, especially in this day and age. Despite these complaints, the menus are functional and easy to understand, and fortunately, Magellan has updated the interface with its newer Maestro series.

On the left spine of the unit, you'll find an SC card expansion slot, a screen hold switch, and a reset button, while there's a power button, a mini USB port, a headphone jack, and a power connector on the right side. All of these ports and buttons are protected by an attached rubber flap. The Magellan CrossoverGPS comes packaged with an AC adapter, a car charger, a vehicle mount (dash and windshield), a USB cable, and reference material.

Features

The Magellan CrossoverGPS is equipped with a 20-channel SiRFStarIII GPS receiver and comes with Navteq maps of North America and a 1.5 million POI database preloaded on its 4G hard drive. For in-car use, you can get directions by entering specific street addresses or intersections, choosing a specific point of interest or address book entry, or you can simply have the unit track your location as you drive around without a specific destination. There's also a Trip Planner feature if you're planning on a multistop journey. Like most Magellan units, the CrossoverGPS includes the QuickSpell feature, which aids in the address-entry process as it dims out any letters or numbers that don't match any of the city or streets located in the system's database as you start inputting characters.

The CrossoverGPS can calculate routes by the shortest distance, the shortest time, the least or most use of freeways, or via toll-free roads. In addition to text-based, turn-by-turn directions, the system also supports text-to-speech functionality (which Magellan calls SayWhere), so it can give you specific street names with the voice-guided directions. Other navigation features on the CrossoverGPS include automatic route recalculation, 2D and 3D maps, night map colors, a trip computer, and a route simulator. In addition, there's a tool called SmartDetour that, if your speed drops below 15mph, will assume you're stuck in traffic and will make the detour icon appear, which you can then tap to receive an alternate route.

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