While most of us are happy with a GPS device that has a 3.5-inch or 4.3-inch (diagonal) screen, there are those who long for something slightly larger. So far, only a few portable GPS devices fill the bill. The ones that immediately come to mind are the Cobra Nav ONE 5000 and the IWay 600C, both of which feature a 5-inch screen, and the Garmin StreetPilot 7200 with a gigantic 7-inch screen—almost too large for dashboard/windshield mounting. In general, however, the market for larger-screen GPSs has gone untapped—until now. One of the first out of the gate is the Magellan Maestro 5310 ($599.95 list).

The Maestro 5310 features a 5-inch screen, but that doesn't mean you're getting more information on it. With the same 480-by-272 resolution found on the 4000 series of Maestros, the information on the screen just appears larger, making it easier to view for those in the, ahem, "bifocal set," or for those with an RV. The device measures 3.6 by 5.6 by 0.8 inches (HWD) and weighs 10.2 ounces. That's almost 0.1 inch thicker than the 3000 and 4000 series Maestros, and significantly heavier, to boot. The additional weight is due in part to the larger 2,200-mAh lithium ion battery with a claimed battery life of up to 3 hours. It also includes a built-in real-time traffic receiver.

The 5310 parallels the previous top of the line Maestro 4250 in a number of ways. The user interface is virtually identical, except for the features not included. Like the 4250, the 5310 has 6 million POIs, three months of traffic service, text to speech, the AAA TourBook, and AAA roadside assistance. Navteq-based maps for the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico are included in the on-board internal 2GB of memory, just as in the 4250. Interestingly, Magellan switched GPS receivers from the SiRFstarIII found in the 4250 to a Centrality Atlas III processor. This is the first product I've seen based on this chip. The Maestro 5310 features a dual-core ARM 9 processor, supports USB 2.0, and has a 30-channel receiver. (Note: Centrality was acquired by SiRF in August 2007).

Surprisingly, however, the 5310 has fewer features than the 4250. Noticeably missing from the 5310 is the voice-command feature first introduced in the Maestro 4050, and included in both the Maestro 3250 and the 4250. Also not included is the Bluetooth phone interface.

The user interface on the 5310 is virtually identical to that of earlier Maestros I've reviewed. The main menu has two screens, each with three large icons. The first screen has icons for "Show Map," "Enter Address," and "Points of Interest." At the bottom of the screen, there's an icon that takes you directly to your Home location, as well as a tow truck icon that opens up the AAA Roadside Assistance screen. This screen shows your latitude/longitude, your exact location relative to the nearest streets, and AAA's Roadside Assistance and Membership enrollment phone numbers. As an option, you can enter your AAA membership number, so you don't have to fumble for your membership card should you need to call for assistance.

Like most GPS devicess, the 5310 gives you the option of 3D track up, as well as 2D north and 2D track up views. The map screen is uncluttered, showing just the information you'll probably want. At the bottom of the screen, without an active route, the current time and your speed is displayed. There are zoom in/zoom out icons, a volume control icon, a GPS signal-strength indicator. In the upper-left corner, there's a direction indicator, which, if you tap it, lets you quickly save your current location. The single-tap save of the current location is a feature I wish other GPS units had.

Entering an address for a new destination is very simple. You can enter the city, the ZIP code, choose a previously selected city, pick an address out of your address book, route to an intersection, or choose a previous destination. Once you've entered the information, you are presented with a Route Method screen that lets you select Fastest Time, Shortest Distance, Least Use of Freeways, or Most Use of Freeways. You can also choose to avoid toll roads. The 5310, like the other Maestros, does not have vehicle profiles such as car, truck, bike, or pedestrian. And route avoidances are limited to toll roads. You can't, for example, choose to avoid ferries, U-turns, or unpaved roads. Once your route has been calculated, you can choose to simulate the route at up to 2X real time (that is, it plays back the simulation twice as fast as real time. So if a trip takes 20 minutes, the simulation will take 10 minutes).

With an active route, the map view shows you the distance to your next turn and the name of the street for your next turn. On the lower-right corner of the screen, the data field toggles between remaining time, remaining distance, and estimated time of arrival. The turn-direction graphic in the lower left corner of the screen shows you the direction of your next turn. If you tap that icon, you get a turn-by-turn list view of your route—another nice one-tap feature.—Next: On the Road