Customer Reviews

Magellan RoadMate 2035 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Length:: 4:59 Mins

Here's my video review, if you have any questions or something I didn't cover, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer!

UPDATE Nov.'10: On a recent trip to visit my parents, it alerted me to a car accident on the highway. It gave me a few options to detour and told me how long each one would take in comparison. Telling me there's an accident is helpful, but I absolutely ADORE the specifics with the timing.

Big Pros!:
- I often use a traffic app on my iphone. So I'm sitting there with all these devices, all with different info. Now, with this GPS, it's got it all. Live traffic updates and I won't have to pay attention to multiple screens. In order to get the lifetime traffic updates for free, there are little banner ads now and then. They don't block the map or directions, so they don't bother me at all.
- The screen is large and bright, and the voice is nice and loud. Sometimes I have issues hearing my garmin, with this I was only 1/2 way in the sound level and it was clear as a bell.
- My garmin has a flip up antenna that I'm always convinced I'll eventually snap off. The Magellan is internal, so that makes me a lot more comfortable.
- I LOVE the fact that it adjust so fast to wrong turns, but it doesn't shout "recalculating" at me, which really usually just makes you feel dumb that even with a GPS you're still going the wrong way. It just quickly decides the next best way to continue on my route. Sometimes my Garmin will send me on the most ridiculous back tracking journeys, the Magellan so far hasn't done that to me.

I love this Magellan RoadMate 2035 GPS top to bottom. In comparing it with my Garmin Nuvi 360, there are a couple features I did notice though that this doesn't have, which can be a con depending on what features are important to you.
- security code: I lock my garmin only because people seem to steal GPS devices from cars quite often in my town. If someone were to steal my nuvi, they won't be able to use it(unless there's a way to break into them, which I'm not aware of). It just sits there asking for your password/security code.
- My garmin links with my iphone by bluetooth to turn the GPS into a speaker phone, though it wasn't great quality, people used to say I sounded like I was in a tunnel. The Magellan isn't bluetooth capable.
- My garmin lets you choose a variety of voices with a few different accents, most notably British or Australian. The garmin woman is just annoying to listen to, so I had it set to an Australian guy who was very pleasant. This Magellan is one voice, no choices. But so far she isn't grating on my nerves.
- It didn't come with a little slip case. In the box there was the actual GPS, manual, window suction cup mount and charger. So now I'll have to find something to protect it when it's in my bag.

I have had this unit for a week now after returning a refurbished Garmin NUVI 1370 I had purchased from Amazon as well. The Magellan was heavily discounted and had decent reviews so I thought I would give another brand a try. This GPS does exatly what a GPS is designed to do, tells you where you are, and how to get where you are going. It reroutes within about 50 feet following a missed turn and provides you options for minimizing or maximizing highway use, fastest/shortest route, and avoiding toll roads. The touchscreen is much more responsive than the Garmin was and navigating the menus was very intuitive (I have yet to open the manual). The only negatives I have about this unit are there are occasional banner ads that pop up which I could definitely do without, in direct sunlight the screen gets washed out a bit but not to the point of being indecipherable. That being said, if you don't need bluetooth, MP3 player, voice recognition and a game player in your GPS, but just want a GPS that does its job and provides you with up to date traffic information, then this is what you are looking for.

When I bought my Garmin, I had no idea they were considered the best GPS. So when I had the opportunity, I was curious to do a side by side test with this new Magellan and see if Garmin deserves the hoopla. I'll briefly walk through the basic differences:

First off, in all fairness to Magellan, this RoadMate 2035 is really more of an entry level GPS. I have a Garmin nüvi 5000, which isn't top of the line, but it has many bells and whistles this RoadMate 2035 doesn't possess, so I'll only compare GPS functionality between the two.

GPS Accuracy:

Garmin beats Magellan on this one. And by accuracy, I don't mean how new the maps themselves are -- I mean the accuracy with which the GPS itself pinpoints and tracks my location and movements.

Magellan's internal antenna seems quite accurate and is pretty fast at locking in on my location. But the Garmin's response time and accuracy blows this particular Magellan away. And no, I don't think it has anything to do with internal processor speeds. Actually, my Garmin is an older model and can be a bit clunky when it comes to searching for locations by name -- the internal processor easily gets bogged down and runs like a computer that needs more memory if searching for locations by name -- so I'm positive this Magellan has a MUCH faster internal processor. Yet somehow, my old Garmin is WAY more responsive with pinpointing my location or knowing I've missed a turn.

The Garmin's map will actually turn and move with every move of my steering wheel, accurately pinpointing the direction my car is pointing, even if the turns are subtle. This Magellan, on the other hand, is much more broad by comparison. Many times, the map was lagging well behind my movements and turns -- several seconds behind Garmin, and at times, not registering movements at all. Yet my Garmin with the slower processor was redrawing my maps quickly and accurately, matching my every move with speed and precision. Personally, I think that says a lot given the age difference in these products.

The Magellan's response time is fine in and of itself, and I probably wouldn't even have made an issue of it had it not been for the side by side comparison. But when I see how fast and accurate my old Garmin is, it's clear their GPS pinpointing is running circles around this Magellan.

Reliable Directions and Navigation Accuracy:

It's a dead heat on this one. Both Garmin and Magellan performed exactly the same in this regard, each giving accurate turn by turn directions. Actually, both units mapped out the exact same route to my destinations. Only rarely did the routes differ, but when they did, I tended to prefer where Garmin was sending me over Magellan. But maybe that's just because I'm used to the Garmin.

Map Layout and Appearance:

Again, maybe I'm just used to it, but Garmin has it all over Magellan on this one. Garmin's maps are drawn better and are more pleasing to the eye. The color scheme and layout just works, hands down. (Actually, I have a friend with a $100k Porsche, and my $200 Garmin runs circles around that GPS too -- go figure!) The maps on the Magellan are newer than my Garmin, so I have no doubt they are more accurate. But the Garmin is just easier for me to read and decipher, especially while driving. I truly think there's more to it than me just being used to Garmin's layout. I just think they did a better job overall. Magellan's maps look good, but Garmin's is more inviting, better laid out, and pleasing to the eye.

Navigation Voice and Audio:

Again, Garmin beats Magellan. The Garmin has several voices to choose from and lets you chose additional features, such as, announcing additional street names. Magellan's volume goes much louder, but interestingly enough, the voice sounds a bit garbled compared to Garmin. The voice on the Garmin is much easier to understand, whereas Magellan's voice sounds like she's mumbling by comparison. Just like the maps, Garmin is just much clearer and unmistakable. On the flip-side, I had to really focus on hearing and understanding what the Magellan was saying.

Recalculating for Missed Turns:

If I miss a turn, Garmin says "recalculating" loud and clear, then announces my new route. Magellan, by contrast, just sounds a subtle bell, and recalculates with little fanfare. Personally, I prefer Garmin on this one. The Magellan is so subtle about wrong turns that I could easily not even know my route had changed at all. Not cool. I need to know if I messed up and that I'm in the midst of a course correction.

Search by Name:

Magellan beats my Garmin here. As I said, my Garmin is a bit old, and it definitely shows when trying to search destinations by name. It works, but it's definitely clunky. Magellan, on the other hand, is fast and responsive with its searches. And I really like how it intuitively eliminates numbers and letters as you type, making it easier to spell names and numbers on the fly. Very nice!

Free Traffic Reports -- But Annoying Advertisements:

The Magellan offers lifetime free traffic reports, whereas Garmin charges extra for that feature. Free traffic reports sounds great at first, but then I found out why it's free -- because there's actually text ads that appear on the Magellan's screen, advertising restaurants and such -- NOT cool. I don't want any distracting ads popping up while I'm driving, it needlessly convolutes the whole purpose of a GPS. Just give me clear, accurate directions and don't clutter the issue with BS ads. I'd rather skip the traffic reports entirely than be bothered with erroneous information. What's next? Onscreen commercials interrupting my drive?? No thanks!

Bottom Line:

The Magellan RoadMate 2035 is a good entry level GPS. It beats draining your cell phone battery by using a GPS app, but it's nowhere near as good as my 3 year old Garmin Nuvi 5000, and the Garmin doesn't even have an internal battery! But then, this Magellan is much more affordable too. Given the price point, there's really no reason for anyone to do without a GPS. And for what it is, this Magellan is a good starter unit for just about anyone. Not the greatest, and no bells and whistles -- but certainly a good, basic GPS.

I was about to give up on specialized GPS units and just use Google Navigation on my Droid, but this device convinced me otherwise!

The addition of live traffic reports to GPS's in general (particularly if you drive near a major metro area frequently) is a very beneficial feature. It replaces having to listen to traffic on the radio every 10 mins and construct your own detours. It's a very clever and very useful feature.

I had that feature on a Garmin unit previously, and it worked fairly well, but after a few months they wanted me to pay for a subscription. Meanwhile, my Driod phone includes navigation with traffic at no extra cost (beyond the small fortune I'm paying Verizon already).

So I was pretty much set to toss the Garmin and just use the Droid. The form factor is slightly inconvenient for GPS use, but the price is right and it works pretty well.

Then this Magellan product came along at an extremely reasonable price with lifetime traffic at no extra fee. So I gave the GPS category one last try. And it is definitely a big step up from using the phone (and from not having traffic built in).

The UI is very intuitive. It's fast. It's mapping is very good. And the traffic really works. I tested it on a trip from NYC into central PA (which I'm not familiar with) and it flawlessly bypassed 3 traffic jams on the interstate taking me onto parallel state roads and back to the highway. Very impressive unit.

The first GPS I ever owned was a Magellan. That thing was a brick and costed me $800 around 6 years ago. Today, GPS devices are small and sleek and can pretty much fit in your pocket. It's amazing.

This Magellan Roadmate 2035 is 5 stars all the way. The menu is easy to use and screen visibility is great. The reception is great and picks up where it left off in a few short seconds. The lifetime traffic is a neat feature and uses NavTec. The lifetime traffic is good for the lifetime of the device and must ne used with the supplied car adapter.

You can tap the traffic button the left side of the screen and it shows current traffic conditions near by. Zooming in and out is as simple as touching the - and + in the middle of the screen. You have a "one touch" button the top right that allows you to instantly choose destinations without having to fumble thru the menu.

The device is small and sleek and can run on it's own batteries for a short period of time.

I also notice it displays ads. I was driving an advertisement for Olive Garden and Best Western popped up on the screen on the top. Clicking the ad gives you the option of seeing more offers and closest locations. Weird and neat at the same time. Creative minds at work here.

This is a 5 star device for the money. It doesn't have any bells and whistles like bluetooth, video or MP3 playback, but if you just need a GPS with the benefit of lifetime traffic, you cannot go wrong here. I highly recommend it.

I bought this because the Garmin that was "black friday" special I wanted sold out. The Garmin was rated high on consumer report's GPS reviews, but this one came in as OK or GOOD. So i figured I would try it out, and the price was great, so I had nothing to lose. Consumer reports said that it was difficult to navigate some of the menus, etc, however I found that I was able to learn how to use it pretty quickly. I must admit, I am a tech guru and one of those types of people who really can operate just about any electronic device. So, I found this GPS to be great, priced right, and packed all the features (including traffic) I wanted. I didn't need any bluetooth or map updates for life, etc, I just wanted a GPS that had a large screen, had traffic, and Spoke the streets clearly. I previously had a TomTom One, and a BMW Built-In Navigation system. I find this one to be better and faster. Saving a point where you are to the Address book is pretty simple. There was one review on here that mentioned that the suction cup fell off in cold weather, however, it seems to be some sort of "ram" mount, that has held up in 20 degree weather and colder so far. Still sticking! My tomtom had this wimpy suction cup that fell off all the time. I really like the cradle on this one. It also switches from day to night colors automatically, which is cool. I didn't experience any of the Ads that are supposed to pop up since you are getting the Traffic module for free.

So, overall, I found it easy to learn, use, and navigate from.

If you are a total newbie to a GPS, I wouldn't listen to my review because I can't rate the product for a newbie. If you are used to how a GPS operates and just wanted something simple, cheap, and did the job, then this is probably for you.

In the interests of full disclosure, I have used a total of three (3) GPS devices. One was a Dell Netbook (which was worthless, and can barely get a signal, outside, when you are holding still). One was a Garmin nüvi 295W 3.5-Inch Widescreen Wi-Fi Portable GPS Navigator (which was super fantastic, best GPS I've ever used). And the third one was this (obviously).

So, for a straight-up GPS, you really only care about three things.

First, how is the reception? For this category, this GPS receiver didn't do so hot. Standing next to a bank of floor to ceiling windows in my building, I was unable to get a signal. Only once I was outside was I able to get one. In the car (a Toyota Carolla), I was able to get signal without placing this on my windshield. So a passenger/navigator is a possibility. So, the reception was a bit spotty, and tends to be a bit weak in Southeast Wyoming for any GPS (although the Garmin worked beautifully).

Second, how fast and how easily does it reroute? On a pedestrian function, it did miserably, telling me to turn around and take a different route, even after I was within 100 feet of my destination. However, on a highway setting in an automobile, it rerouted faster than I could safely look at it, so in less than thirty seconds. The rerouting was simple, but I have to believe that a complicated reroute wouldn't have taken much longer. And, as A. Boston pointed out, there is no obnoxious "Rerouting..." statement, which apparently offends some. (Drivers of nearby vehicles probably would have been more flustered by me, yelling at the GPS that I was not interested in taking a particular, scary, highway. So...)

Third, how visible is the screen. This is where this one actually has a SLIGHT edge on the Garmin. As you can see from the stats, the screen is nearly a full inch larger. This means that it is a bit easier to see your upcoming turn. (Although the Garmin notifies you more directly, which I favor infinitely more. It will say, "Turn left at the next street, Elm Street", rather than the simple tone of the Magellan.) Moreover, the larger screen makes typing much, much easier. I spent a lot of time trying to type on the Garmin, but I have fat finger syndrome, so a stylus would have easily solved it, and practice made the problem nearly disappear.

So, which would I recommend? If you are a budget shopper, looking ONLY for GPS functionality, and price is your number one concern, the Magellan will probably serve your needs. BUT, if you can afford to upgrade to the Garmin, I would do it, and you probably will never look back. That unit has WiFi (in addition to GPS) and email and internet capabilities, which, if you are searching for a store, can be infinitely more useful...). But, this is definitely a good GPS for the value.

Harkius

I am enjoying my new GPS. It replaced a Garmin Nuvi so I had a good basis for comparison. The Garmin loaded up maps much more quickly, I often have to sit in a parking lot waiting for the "satellite to be acquired" with this one. But...I like that it makes a chime noise when I have to turn for those areas when it is sometimes difficult to tell. I like that when I was driving on I95 it popped up and alerted me to an accident ahead, and rerouted me quickly, before I got stuck in the mess. It is not as intuitive to use or user friendly as the Garmin though.

UPDATE: I had to stop using this GPS and go back to my old Garmin Nuvi. This one kept freezing up on me, and after the third time I gave up on it. It would freeze up and not unfreeze until the battery wore down, rendering it totally useless. I almost threw it out the window on I95 but restrained myself. And of course it happens when I'm in areas that I don't know.

We owned a Magellan model that we purchased secondhand for $250.00 (before the time of TomTom) and it served us for a good 3 years before finally giving out. We borrowed my sister-in-law's TomTom while we had no GPS, and I must say the Magellan GPS systems are far superior than the TomTom. Granted that her TomTom was on the bottom of the rung, it was really very unsatisfactory. Magellan's ease of use, graphics and rerouting speed are definitely more effective and user-friendly than the TomTom. A big plus considering that fiddling with your GPS system is the last thing you want to do while driving. I have never been lost using a Magellan because the streets are very accurate and visibly marked.

This is my first GPS and it is pretty good for a first one.

When I first read the reviews on Amazon.com it made me hesitant, but after I got it I'm satisfied.

Great Features:
1) Updates fast. The map is almost in synch with the car.
2) recalculates instantly when you make a mistake following the directions.
3) map updates in response to the direction of driving.

The only thing that I haven't really put to the test is the reception because I live in a pretty densely populated area.

Great GPS though.