The Magellan RoadMate 5045-LM ($ 249.99 direct), as well as other personal navigation devices, faces a tough battle. NAV-Mobile applications and car navigation systems are becoming more insistent on their turf, although stand-alone GPS devices generally provide superior routing experience. Nevertheless, there is much reason to consider Magellan RoadMate latest. The 5045-LM sweetened the pot with its larger than average bright 5-inch screen, plus free lifetime map updates and real-time traffic reports. Overall it is a good buy and a solid value. (The $ 219.99 5045 without the “LM” (BUY IT HERE) lacks the lifetime map updates, the cards are well worth the $ 30 premium.)
Design
Measurement is 3.5 by 5.6 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.4 ounces, the RoadMate 5045-LM made entirely of plastic with a gloss black bezel and a matte gray back. The two-part bracket has included a small slot for the DC adapter. This allows you to attach the device snap in and out while on the windshield, without even connecting or disconnecting the plug at any time.

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User Interface
The 5-inch screen sports 480-by-272 pixel resolution, and looked bright and colorful in person. The touch screen was the older plastic resistive strain that is still very common on PNDs. That is, it was reacting in practice, because the device always pushes with my finger. A 5-inch screen is a good size for most cars and trucks; Magellan sold the massive 7-inch RoadMate 1700, when the space on your windshield.
In my tests, the raising of the RoadMate 5045-LM was fast. Within a few seconds after starting the car, it was ready to go. It showed off automatically (with a 10 second warning) when I parked the car.
POIs
The RoadMate 5045-LM with six million points of interest, plus Navteq maps for U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. It also comes with AAA TourBook, assessment and some basic information about AAA-approved hotels, restaurants, offers and other local destinations. If you have a AAA membership, you can access AAA member roadside assistance, the device displays the phone number over the phone than your current GPS position. Magellan’s OneTouch favorites, you can choose several dozen programmable destinations with two fingers responding. The deployment, you can organize your contacts relative, this is a good alternative to scrolling through long lists. The RoadMate 5045 offers multi-segment routing, so you can plan a multiple-tour before you get started.
Beginning of the actual addresses were pretty quick in practice. Starting from the first letter, the unit will immediately narrow the possibilities, and grays of letters look like numbers from which city you. It also speaks to the letter, how to key in each, which I liked, but disable it if it gets too annoying.

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Routing performance and other features
Once on the street, saw the RoadMate 5045-LM graphics card nice and reasonably detailed. It’s not boast the same screen resolution and refresh rate as high-end device like the Garmin nuvi 3790T ($ 449.99, 4 stars), our current Editors’ Choice. But the RoadMate 5045-LM held his own, I never had trouble figuring out what the device expects me to do next. The display showed the distance to the next train, and the name of the next street. It also offered large, easy to press buttons for the zoom controls, Bluetooth, traffic and volume control. When available, slamming the RoadMate 5045-LM to Assistant Magellan usual lane graphics that street had a sign superimposed on top of the current map. Magellan device still does not deliver current speed or speed-limit indicator, if you’re used to it from Garmin and TomTom units, it is difficult to go without.
Like other Magellan units have I recently tested, spent the RoadMate 5045-LM remind me too much time on the same road to stay. It seemed to believe that many smaller rides were really important nodes required step-by-step guide to start two miles away. Repeated calls were annoying, but twice, I almost missed my exit. For example, spent the RoadMate 5045-LM told me two miles on I-93 North take exit for I-495 North to remain in Massachusetts. This was in order if necessary. But then immediately afterwards, he said, stay to the right because it turned out, all the while secretly planning was for me, for I-495 South exit a few hundred meters later.
The Atlas IV radio chipset always fast to my position locked, and rarely lost GPS signal in a variety of eastern Massachusetts test sites. Route recalculations were fast. And on those occasions in Boston tunnels where did it lose signal, the unit turned thoughtful for a list of next steps in my route. In this way, I was not guessing, has during the device to search for a satellite. (Garmin, are you listening?)
Voice prompts were clear and loud. The RoadMate 5045-LM speakers offered a lot of volume to deal with excess wind noise, such as when the driver’s side window down. Magellan lifetime traffic reports are supported ad. You still have the ads even though you away from traffic reporting, which is not fair when other units have the same problem on. There is no MP3 player, but the RoadMate 5045-LM can act as a hands-free Bluetooth speaker for your phone.
All in all with Lifetime map updates, the RoadMate 5045-LM is an excellent value, but throw in the face of today’s GPS prices, offers its $ 250 list price is outside the budget category. Our Editors’ Choice remains the high-end Garmin nuvi 3790T. It is more expensive than the RoadMate 5045 and offers a slightly smaller screen. But it is a much smaller and lighter device, with a sharper glass capacitive touch screen and slightly better routing performance. The TomTom XL 540-S ($ 199.99, 3.5 stars) is another good 5-inch display option, it’s $ 50 less and offers an informative display, but the map and UI graphics are not nearly as attractive and there is no free map updates and traffic reports.


























