Both the Magellan and Garmin brands have some of the best car GPS systems available on the market. The Magellan 4700 is a powerful car GPS system that is similar to the Garmin nuvi 1260T, both costing $299.99. This article is going to take a comparative look at the Magellan 4700 vs. the Garmin nuvi 1260T. We looked at the follow traits for judging the GPS units: features, accuracy of maps, ease of use, and of course price. Both GPS units are great choices; check out the pros and cons of each unit to determine which one is actually best for you!
Pros of the Magellan 4700
1. Large 4.7″ easy to use touch color screen is perfect for navigating in the car. The touch screen system is very user friendly and has a short learning curve to get used to.
2. The Magellan 4700 has an AAA feature that has ratings and descriptions of hotels, restaurants, and more.
3. Voice activated navigations. Many car GPS systems have a feature that tells you turn by turn directions, but the Magellan 4700 takes that up a step and allows for voice activated directions. You can simply give the GPS commands of what you want it to do.
4. Great maps, the maps are up to date on the 4700 and include all of North America.
5. Highway assist feature tells you what lane you should be in for an upcoming exit; this feature is very useful in unfamiliar areas.
6. Traffic pattern analysis allows the GPS to give you the best estimated rout and accurate predicted time of arrival.
Cons of the Magellan 4700
1. The response time of the mapping software and user interface can be very laggy and slow.
2. Voice commands is not the most user friendly experience, the unit sometimes has trouble understanding what you are saying.
3. 3D view is not as good as advertised, it is hard to follow and can get downright confusing.
Pros of the Garmin nuvi 1260T
1. Free traffic report feature lets you get to your destination with the least resistance possible; this feature is truly great because in previous car GPS models it was an added monthly fee.
2. Bluetooth feature lets you rout your cell phone calls via the nuvi 1260T for a great hands free calling experience.
3. Great mapping software that not only gets you to where you need to go, but will give you the most fuel efficient routs, fastest routs, and more!
4. Voice prompted turn by turn directions that are easy to understand.
5. Mapping software is not as expensive as the competition to update; although it does depend on what maps you get.
6. Ultra slim design makes carrying the GPS unit around less of a chore than in previous models.
Cons of the Garmin nuvi 1260T
1. 3.5″ screen is smaller than the Magellan 4700 and is smaller than most similarly priced models.
2. The nuvi 1260T does not include a case when purchased.
3. The maps do not display as much detail at the Magellan 4700 does, which makes navigating in unfamiliar areas a bit harder.
4. The nuvi 1260T does not include a lane assist option, which is a huge oversight.
Sources:
www.garmin.com
www.magellangps.com
