Magellan 750NAV

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Hertz

Year / Model Reviewed:
 750 NAV

Summary:
The only way to post this impt info was to place a purchase price. I didn't purchase, but will buy a Magellan GPS. I wanted to give some insight into the 750 NAV, aka "NeverLost" that is used in some Hertz full size cars. I swear by the technology and try using it whenever I travel. Most large market areas (Atlanta, New York, Miami) seem to have the street- level data included. Lemme cut right to the chase: I am a photojournalist that sometimes has little time to deal with thumbing through maps because I may need to "get there yesterday." The Magellan GPS technology does this so well, and better than other GPS units I have tried, including the Garmin. I have used the NeverLost over the past say, 5 years or so. The first time was in Florida, covering spring training. Bam, it has hotels, ATMs, police and even the rental car return. Many other points of interest are included. Some are rather out of date, so if you don't have a clue about restaurants, you may by SOL with some choices. The lists generally include phone numbers so I call first. So for 5 or so years of running cross country to places like LA, San Fran/Oakland, Boston, NYC, Ft. Lauderdale (the first GPS experience), Atlanta (the most recent, in a 950- mile- old Lincoln Navigator w/ sunroof, leather, 6- CD changer @ $80 per day, what a bargain!), this system rocks. I'm surprised no other rental agencies don't have GPS as an option, and they'd be foolish not to equip some rentals. If you're considering GPS, do yourself a favor: rent a NeverLost GPS in the area you're interested in mapping for one or 2 days, just to get a good feel of the system's capabilities. It, like any GPS nav system, is not perfect. But renting a GPS- equipped vehicle gives you some good insight that reviewers simply cannot provide, for you have your own demands that only you can determine whether a Magellan GPS unit can provide. My experience in Atlanta was generally nice, but the installer placed the external antenna in a strange area, making it more difficult for sat acquisition. The antenna is the most important part of setting up any GPS unit. Get a strong antenna. Finally: I met a colleague at Hartsfield Airport and she planned on getting a rental from another agency (she lived in Atlanta before). She decided to stick with hers instead of getting NeverLost. After getting lost while trying to get to our hotel, she started to understand about GPS. We started for a destination with her following me as I navigated with GPS and she called me saying we missed an exit. I told her I trust it, but we'll continue for a while longer. Next thing you know, we were where we needed to be, which was faster that the route she was used to taking. Now she'll be renting NeverLost.

Strengths:
Voice navigation is great, since you don't want to watch the screen for doing so may help you eat the back bumper of a vehicle in front. Mileage AND time remaining to destination is wonderful. Option to change your route... you'll see how terrific this is when you come upon an unexpected traffic jam by sight or by traffic warning sign. Make a wrong turn by choice or mistake and you'll watch the most extraordinary feature of the GPS. It senses you're off course and calculates directions from your position to get you headed back in the right direction (a comfort feature if you find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings especially at night).

Weaknesses:
Some destinations like restaurants aren't there anymore. Price is very expensive. Antenna placement is critical. Place it in a bad location and you'll be frustrated.

Similar Products Used:
RoadMate 700, Garmin Street Pilot

Price Paid:  $0.00 from rented Hertz vehicle

Year / Model Reviewed:
 2002 750Magellan

Summary:
I recently rented a Lincoln Navigator from Hertz. I opted to pay the extra $8/day for the NeverLost System (magellan 750). This was the best money I have ever spent. We used it for 8 days and I am now looking at purchasing the system for my wife's Toyota Sequoia.

Strengths:
Ease of use, was 99% accurate in taking us all over San Francisco and surronding areas. Loaded with information on places to eat, visit, etc.

Weaknesses:
2 times the system didn't realize there was no left turn at a certain intersection and messed us up a bit.

Similar Products Used:
I am manager of a Lexus Dealership and drive many of the Lexus Products with great nav systems. This worked almost as well, if not just as well!!

Price Paid:  $1600.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
 750m

Summary:
It's a lot better then wasting your time on a hagstrom map or similiar one looking for a street thats buried under print or non existant but the map says its there . The people who designed this should be shot and navtech who made the software and mapping should've double checked their addresses and also they should have made it consumer friendly. I hear navtech is coming out this fall with voice recognition . I hope they put more time in it then they spent with this one.

Strengths:
It will get you there. I dont ask a customer anymore for directions,half of them get them wrong anyway.And its a blessing at night when you cant see the street signs.

Weaknesses:
When it says you have arrived at your destination...50% of the time its on the other side of the street and a couple hundred feet off.Theres no alternate routing and sometimes it makes you go miles out of your way.You can't put all the information in your address book at one time ... it wont let you.You can't press view to see your future turns while your driving because it quickly leaves that screen. If you miss your turn you could miss another by a mile before it gives you another choice.

Similar Products Used:
None

Summary:
I rented a Hertz car to travel across several states for two days. The interface is obvious, so it was easy to use. I especially liked that it 'spoke' it's directions so I didn't have to take my eyes off the road while driving. There were several points along the way that the road had changed since the map was made (or that the map was just wrong) but in each case, it recognized that I was no longer on its route, quickly re-calculated, and gave me a way to get back to its original route from my current location/heading.

My only really negative moment with it occurred when I exited off the interstate at night (the sign on the hiway said there was a Holiday Inn) into what looked like a bad neighborhood and no motel in sight. There was also no entrance ramp to get back on the interstate and NeverLost, for the first time, suddenly had no idea where I was and no suggestion as to what to do about it. Well - it knew my longitude and lattitude, but that was not helpful. Eventually, I drove back onto it's map and from then on it always knew where I was.

Except for that one bad experience, I loved it. It's like always having someone in the car with you that knows how to get there. This is the only product of its type that I have ever used. As an orientationally challenged person, the only reason I haven't already purchased one for my own car is that, at 2K+, they're too expensive to justify. But, if you have a sense of direction like mine, and money is no object, it could change your life.

Strengths:
Capable of easy to understand, audible, context sensitive, directions. Screen was easy to read. If you make a wrong turn, or are forced to not follow it's directions, due to an inaccurate map, it quickly recovers and finds an alternate route.

Weaknesses:
Internal maps weren't always accurate. Sometimes it listed roads that weren't there. Sometimes it believed that a turnoff was a half mile from where it actually was.

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $1999.00

Summary:
I have used this Navigation system for more than a year. The first reason for buying was, when my wife learnt driving, it was a headache giving her driving directions. That prompted me to do research on these Car Navs and finally the 750 NAV. We drive more than 24K miles every year. We have visited all over west coast ( drove all the way to Canada on road ) and then all the way south to San Diego. 750 NAV also had CANADA maps. That was life saving. We didn't do any advance booking for hotels etc. The hotel database on the 750NAV was really accurate , with phone #s and addrs. We booked everything while being inside car. Its very accurate. Very helpful and my wife also loves it very much.
What I would like to see:
bigger display. Faster screen updates when in smart - display mode while doing the route guidance. Seems like the new 750NAV PLUS provides a second display ( choice of 5.6in or 6.4 inch ) , that is awesome.

I would really like it if these products are made much cheaper. I am sure everyone wants to buy one for themselves, but its just a little too much out of their budget. I have seen people with one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding the paper map ( yahoo directions !! ). These products will greatly reduce accidents on the road . GPS is a good thing. Make it cheaper.

Strengths:
Faster than DVD/CD based NAV systems. Recently upgraded the software and the "voice and display arrow not matching at times" problem is gone. Huge database of points of interest. My friend recently bought a Volvo S80 with Navigation and she was amazed at the info contained in my 750 NAV.

Weaknesses:
Small display. I would like to see more of the map ahead of me.

Similar Products Used:
Compared with Acura TL'99 built-in GPS. 750Nav is better with a much better software and technology.