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Some of us have given up altogether on the joys of paper maps, as it reminds us of our long family road trips with dad refusing to stop and ask for directions even after we have passed the same sign for the tenth time while mom refuses to open the glove box and attempt to read or find the map pertaining to the state we were in. For some reason, our glovebox had at least 24 maps, yet never the right one. The good ol’ days!

Technology, it turns out, is not such a bad thing! We’ve looked at GPS devices before, but the Magellan Roadmate 1700 is thin yet wide and boasts a 7-inch screen. Bigger is better in this instance.

The 1700 is a straight forward GPS navigation system- nothing more, nothing less. We will suggest that you make sure this device can fit in the space you have in your vehicle. It can take up a lot of windshield space and is not practical for everyone. Ideal for motorhomes, trucks, and SUVs, those with a cramped or smaller windshield space might find this model a bit too large.

One thing we didn’t love is the mount. There is an optional mount you can purchase and it just might be worth it- the included one doesn’t offer quite the right placement for our vehicle, and in California windshield mounting is technically illegal (beyond the farthest corner).

Once installed in a large enough car, the 7” display was a beauty and easy to use. The screen was clear, offering large buttons and was easy enough to touch accurately. It also supports swiping over the map like on the iPhone or other similar system. That way you can look around a map quickly. The GPS signal seemed to turn up faster than those we’ve tested in the past and we appreciated the voice- crisp, clear, friendly. This might sound kind of odd, but this voice isn’t creepy at all.

Magellan’s “Smart Cities” is a much needed improvement that works better than most. The points of interest also appear more quickly than previous models and are easier to add to the address book. However, like most technological devices that rely on someone to tell them if a business is closed down, moved, etc. we found the POIs to be a bit lacking. A couple different times we were sent to places that were gone, moved, or had apparently disappeared into thin air. This issue is by no means restricted to Magellan though, of course.

We give kudos to the lane change feature as it has helped us navigate some tricky multi-lane interstate exits. Driving in heavy traffic is rarely fun, and changing lanes at the last minute can cause tension between you and your passengers, not to mention the other vehicles around!

As we said, the 1700 doesn’t offer a bunch of extra features- there is no bluetooth support or MP3 player. However, you can plug the device into an AV cable and the display will switch to video. The aspect ratio is a little stretched, but the capability is still a nice bonux. Perhaps a more useful addition is the exclusive AAA TourBook Guide which will share ratings and descriptions for all 50 states and Canada- no membership required, though it is of less use without one. Finally, the only major downside to this model is the poor battery life- the display will not run very long without being plugged into a 12V, and lasted us under an hour without power. Of course, if you’re planning on keeping it mounted and in one place, that is not likely to be a factor.

We were able to purchase from Amazon for around $200. If you are looking for a pocket GPS device, check out the Brunton Atlas for an on-the-go portable device. It doesn’t work indoors but can lead you around cities for walking tours.

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