Magellan Crossover Review

If you are on the lookout for a GPS that takes you from A to B via the standard road system then do not bother reading further. From the famous name of Magellan, synonymous with exploration and navigation, comes the Magellan Crossover. This is way more than an auto sat nav system so if you are thinking of crossing over from the tarmac to the trail and beyond, then maybe this is just the ticket.

This unit really is designed for the long haul - made from high impact plastic, waterproof and with a battery charging temperature range from 0 to 45 degrees C, this baby is designed for worldwide use. Beware of the waterproof designation though, at IPX4 it is actually only splash proof so do not try dropping it in the ocean to test it out.

The unit measures a neat 125 mm wide by 85 mm high and 26 mm deep, but the weight is 235 grams (around half of a pound in old money) so do not try wearing it as a pendant. The Lithium-ion batteries have a fully charged life of 8 hours continuous use, which of course make it ideal to remove from the car. A 12-24 V cigarette lighter power adapter and an AC power adapter are included in the box as part of the standard package.

The device is not expected to be a catch-all at one time - you have to designate if you wish to use it in road, pedestrian or marine mode, and be aware that the screen controls alter for each mode - where you expect to see a favourite shortcut in one mode may not be there in another.

The display is a standard 3.5 inch touchscreen, bright enough in normal conditions but struggling in direct sunlight, with an automatic night view adjustment. The receiver is the 20 channel SiRF star III, and you can expect to get a fix in about 20 seconds (allow 5 minutes at startup though). The unit is advertised as usable straight from the box with no installation required.

The voice prompts and alerts are multi-lingual and give turn-by-turn guidance. In several European countries, including UK, the audio facility includes SayWhere™ text-to-speech so that actual street names are given for your next turn or exit. QuickSpell™ allows for simple entry of addresses with an efficient auto-complete feature.

In the marine and outdoor modes a Basecamp / Port icon can be set so that with one touch you will immediately be guided back home. And whilst you wander around the world, you can even listen to music through the integrated MP3 player.

As an all-round device it seems like a jack of all trades and master of none. The marine mode can be perfectly adequate for lake work, but for ocean crossings I would stick to a dedicated Garmin or Magellan marine GPS. A real sailor would not need a GPS to direct him to the nearest pub once making landfall, whatever country he is in.