Magellan RoadMate 800 Review

Magellan’s RoadMate 800 seems to be a step up from the 700 model. It comes preloaded with  maps of the 50 United States, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Canada. And it has 6 million preloaded points of interest, such as ATM’s, restaurants, airports, parks, etc.

The maps are a little outdated, but not so much that it would be a big problem. For the most part, the mapping system is quite good. It is highly accurate. It is also very easy to learn. It comes ready to go, and the learning curve is quite low on this one. It gives you plenty of warning for an upcoming turn, and if you miss the turn, the re-routing is lightning fast. It supports 11 different languages, not as many as some GPS devices, but not bad for the cost. SmartVolume turns up the sound if your speed gets to 45mph or above, and the sound is clear and easy to understand.

There is a multi destination function that seems to be missing in the higher price devices. You can program up to 20 different destinations on the 800, the same as the 700. Magellan had a good idea with this feature, as even some of the more pricier competition does not offer multi destination.

Its power comes from a rechargeable Li-Ion  1350 MA battery, or the included 12V car charger. You can also opt to purchase the AC adapter, for charging and planning at home.

You can choose a route that is shortest time, shortest distance, no freeways, or all freeways. There is also an option for avoiding toll booths.

The 3.5 inch display is easy to view and to read, and has automatic color and light adjustments for easier viewing at night.

Overall the RoadMate 800 is a good unit. A few more extras than Magellan’s RoadMate 700, and a little more worth the cost. It’s small enough at 6.26 by 3.15 by 1.55 inches to take with you from car to car, and easily dismounts and remounts when you do. The weight of only 10.8 ounces makes it very convenient for traveling via rental car, or to use in multiple vehicles, and to take with you for hiking, camping, etc.

The memory is great for a device of this size. It has 20 GB with 4.5 GB for music, pictures and custom points of interest.

All in all, the RoadMate 800 is a good, small GPS device.

Learn More

Brought to you by the creators of Hertz NeverLost^®, the Magellan RoadMate 800 features over 6 million pre-loaded points of interest, making it easy to instantly route to gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, airports, parks and much more. Onscreen icons show nearby businesses and amenities. Touch an icon to view information about the service and instantly route there.

Create and store your own points of interest in a personalized address book and customize every trip to avoid toll roads or exclude or include select streets or highways. Choose your own route method for shortest time, shortest distance or to stay on or off freeways for completely personalized and simple navigation.

Use the 3.5″ color touch screen to enter an address or select a point of interest and let the friendly voice direct you to virtually any destination as you travel.

Advanced features include route optimization for multi-destination trips and SmartDetour^™ to automatically route around slow freeway traffic. SmartVolume^™ turns up the speaker at speeds over 45 MPH and auto-night view adjusts the color and contrast for easy viewing after sundown.

The integrated rechargeable battery lets you continue navigating, listening to music or viewing pictures when away from your vehicle.

¹Unlock maps for 27 European countries for an additional fee. Hertz NeverLost^® is a registered trademark of Hertz System, Inc

Features

• Easy-to-use – Quick access to features through simple touch-screen menus and keypad
• Turn-by-turn voice and visual guidance – BE THERE^™ quickly and safely
• Built-in maps – 50 United States, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Canada. Unlock European maps for an additional fee.
• Birds eye 3D view – Clearly see your surroundings
• Digital Music Player – Play your favorite music through integrated speaker or included headphones
• Photo Viewer – View your vacation pictures while you’re still on vacation
• Rechargeable battery – Navigate and enjoy music and pictures away from your vehicle
• Multi-destination Route Optimization – Select up to 20 destinations and optimize the most direct route between them
• SmartDetour – Customize the settings to automatically route you around slow freeway traffic
• Auto Re-route – Never miss a turn and quickly get back on track whenever you take a detour
• SmartVolume^™ – Turns up the speaker at 45 MPH
• Auto night view – Adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing
• QuickSpell^™ – Easily enter addresses with unique auto-complete feature
• Complete mobility – Transfer to any vehicle with no installation
• Over 6 million points of interest (POI) – Easily find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, airports, parks and more
• Interactive POI icons – Touch an onscreen icon for a nearby destination; see phone number and get an instant route
• Customizable route method – Shortest time, shortest distance, least use or most use of freeways, avoid toll roads
• Route exclusion – Select street or freeways to avoid
• 4 easy views – Map View, 3D map, TrueView^™ 3D split screen, Maneuver List
• Address Book – Create and store personal points of interest for easy reoccurring trips
• Instant locate – One touch shows your location; quickly advise roadside assistance or emergency services

Specifications

Product Number: 980815-01

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PERFORMANCE

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