If you've ever envied luxury cars, with their big, built-in LCDs for GPS navigation, the 7-inch Magellan RoadMate 9055 may be just what you need to cure your lust. MiTac International has taken its existing RoadMate 1700 ($299.99, 3.5 stars), which we reviewed back in 2009, and added real-time traffic reports, a Bluetooth hands-free mode, and support for an upcoming remote back-up camera (due for release this spring) all for the same $300 price. Some perennial Magellan issues persist in the RoadMate 9055, but even so, this is one 7-inch GPS device is a good value and a pleasure to use.

Design, User Interface, and POI Search
The all-plastic RoadMate 9055 measures 4.5 by 7.5 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 7.8 ounces. The smoother, more rounded look isn't just an illusion; the new model knocks almost three ounces off the weight, although it's approximately the same size otherwise. The 800-by-480-pixel, 7-inch plastic resistive LCD looks bright and crisp, and Magellan tuned the screen well: In my tests, I never had to touch a button twice in order to trigger it, and the size of the user interface elements made it easy to press the right thing. On back, an A/V input lets you plug in a portable video player to use the RoadMate 9055 as a 7-inch LCD.

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The mount deserves special mention. Magellan includes a removable, heavy-duty extension that adds 12 inches of length. That makes the RoadMate 9055 perfect for the far-away windshields in larger SUVs, minivans, and RVs. The extension can also bring the RoadMate 9055 below dash level in a smaller car, assuming that you stick the multi-surface mounting pad on the dashboard first. This way, the RoadMate 9055 doesn't obstruct the windshield, a real concern with such a large device—though depending on the car, you could end up blocking the dashboard vents. In practice, the mount feels rock solid against the windshield and holds the RoadMate 9055 tightly, but bumps in the pavement still caused it to shudder for a few seconds.

Magellan preloads six million points of interest (POIs), plus maps for the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also includes Magellan's AAA TourBook, which helps you find restaurants, hotels, and other attractions along with descriptions and ratings. You don't need to be a AAA member to use this feature. But if you are one, you can also take advantage of the unit's emergency roadside assistance capability; the RoadMate 9055 will display the right phone number to call as well as your current location on screen. You can also plan multi-segment trips with the RoadMate 9055, and the OneTouch interface keeps frequently used destinations a single screen tap away.

Inside, a new 533MHz processor replaces the older unit's Samsung CPU. The increased speed was noticeable in my tests. I'd choose a category like Chinese restaurants, or car washes, and a fully populated list of the nearest ones would appear within a second; simple searches like this leave older devices with a spinning cursor for quite some time. The RoadMate 9055's UI also responded quickly to my touches. Combined with the larger-than-usual interface elements, operating the RoadMate 9055 was a pleasure.

Navigation Performance, Other Features, and Conclusions
Map graphics are the same as before; serviceable, but not exceptionally detailed. At least the roads themselves lack visible pixelation. Using the volume and zoom controls is easy thanks to their large size. Magellan continues to insist on a less-than-informative data readout. You can pop up a panel that shows real-time speed, elevation, direction, and estimated time of arrival data, but it won't stay put. You can only choose one readout to remain on the screen indefinitely. It seems like a waste given the RoadMate 9055's sheer size; at least offer a toggle for folks who want the extra info. The RoadMate also doesn't display road speed limit signs like comparable Garmin and TomTom devices. It does render exit signs while driving on the highway, along with the appropriate arrows when applicable, which makes exiting complex interchanges very simple.

Routing accuracy was just okay. For example, the Magellan 9055 insisted I take the long way out of my 50-year-old neighborhood to go into town. All Garmin and TomTom devices I've tested in the past few years have known the correct, significantly shorter route. It also made a few puzzling choices on the highway. It was never outright incorrect; just not always optimal with its algorithms. On the audio side, voice prompts were especially clear and loud, although Magellan devices tend to be too talkative; the RoadMate 9055 is no exception. You can set the RoadMate 9055 to near-deafening volume levels, although it distorts a bit at the top setting. Driving a noisy Jeep with the windows down on the highway sure won't be a problem with this unit.

The real-time traffic is an obvious improvement; while en route, the unit either showed a green icon indicating that roads were clear, or a red icon that signaled nearby traffic. This worked even when I hadn't programmed a route; I'd tap it and see a list of nearby traffic jams, and could bring up each one with more detail. I didn't see any ads, which was a relief; past Magellan devices displayed ads far too frequently. Magellan also added Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, a job the RoadMate 9055 excels at thanks to its oversized speaker and microphone. If the unit's size doesn't preclude you from carrying it on a walk, the lack of pedestrian maps and the short 30-minute battery life certainly will. That's not a con, though; there are plenty of more portable devices on the market better suited for that task.

The Magellan RoadMate 9055 is in a class of one. Unless you can find the RoadMate 1700 at a substantial discount, the RoadMate 9055 is worth getting for its huge screen, ad-free, lifetime traffic reports, as well as its faster UI and Bluetooth hands-free mode. The backup camera capability will also come in handy, assuming Magellan's device actually hits the market (we're always wary of promised future upgrades, in case they never arrive). If you like your navigation screens big and easy to read, the RoadMate 9055 should be your next GPS.

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