The Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM is a great GPS navigator for vehicle use with a 7 inch touch screen, video and audio input and plenty of other fantastic features that are easy to use.
Ease of Use, Performance: 23/25
Look & Feel: 22/25
Features 22/25
How much I enjoy 22/25
Total: 89/100
The Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM has a 7 inch touch screen with lifetime maps, Bluetooth capability and audio/video input for connection to a backup camera or other media player. The Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM uses the Magellan Content Manager to update the GPS units and add addresses without actually going there or using the small touch screen keyboard.
The RoadMate 9055-LM, the LM stands for lifetime maps, comes with the 9055 GPS Navigator, window mount, instruction manual, USB and car power USB cables. The 9055 GPS Navigator uses an internal memory of 3.5 GB while the SD Card slot allows extra memory depending on the size of the SD Card you use.
The GPS Navigator has 2D and 3D maps with the usual business and address look-up, lane assist and other great features that Magellan is known for. The address look-up and maps uses a new company starting sometime in 2010 going from NavTeq to the new Tele Atlas company.
The switch from one map and address provider to another is a major update and a large step for a company but it seems to have been a smooth transition. I have not noticed any problems in my travels over the last two years and have updated my GPS units frequently as well as used them on a wide variety of occasions.
The lane assist is a fantastic feature giving you real road signs as you travel so you don’t miss important turns and exits, this is especially useful on large interstates. The lane assist shows an actual road sign with exact wording that you will see on the interstate or highway while driving so you get in the correct lane for exits and interchanges.
When a large highway or interstate splits into two the lanes assist makes sure you’re in the correct lane for your exit or splits in the road. The 9055 also includes AAA Tourbook and roadside assistance so you can plan your travels as well as get help when you need it for AAA members.
The RoadMate 9055 has an upgrade over lesser featured models with its audio video input that allows you to use the GPS Navigator as a smaller 7 inch LCD screen. The main use of this feature is with a backup camera that is also available from Magellan which will be a separate review.
It was pretty easy to get video and audio to the Magellan 9055 using a cable from my camcorder and some adapters along with the cables that came with a portable DVD player I bought. The input on the 9055 is a 3.5mm four section combination connector camcorders often use as the video and audio output for connection to a TV or video player.
I also had no problem connecting my Sansa View to the Magellan 9055 using a video and audio out cable especially for the View and the camcorder cable I used with the portable DVD player. The cables and adapters used for connecting the Magellan 9055 and your preferred video player can be found at electronics stores like Radio Shack and any decent store salesman should be happy to help you find what you need.
If you were looking to use the Magellan 9055 or any other Magellan GPS navigator for video playback I would simply bring the devices with you along with their power packs and go find what you need. This may seem like a lot of extra expense and effort but it is only one time and this will allow you an extra screen for video playing while on the road which can be a mind saver for parents with kids.
The 9055 has the usual night mode which switches over automatically so your screen changes from the brightly lit but easy to use daytime to the black with colored roads. The night mode makes it easier to see the roads and gives you the better view without being blinded from the colored areas when not in night mode.
Saving addresses or finding new ones works well with the touch screen and the larger size allows for easier use with the onscreen keyboard. The features that are commonly used work well and even connecting to a computer and adding an address book and addresses individually works well.
The Magellan 9055 has the usual Bluetooth connection so you can talk hands free with your smartphone but your phone also needs to have Bluetooth. I had no problems getting my sons smartphone connected with the Magellan 9055 to test out the hands free operation through the GPS unit.
Other features of GPS Navigators like quick spell, points of interest, auto fill and multiple destination routing are all here just like previous navigators. The Magellan 9055 continues the great feature line of previous Magellan navigators and the newer ones are just more fully featured and well-made units.
I have had no problems with the Magellan 9055 and used it on a trip to Minneapolis with a lot of interstate and highway use with those splits and interchanges larger highways are known for. The Magellan 9055 kept us on our path and we had no problems finding several small stores in odd places around Minneapolis so I know the change to Tele Atlas worked out fine.
The video and audio input is another main feature that worked out well for both the backup camera and the video playing even if the backup camera did have a few problems. The problems with the backup camera that Magellan sells are not related to the RoadMate GPS unit but I will get into that in the review for the camera package.
The RoadMate 9055-LM is a great GPS unit and comes with a lot of great features but the audio and video input is a major addition that is well worth the extra cost. You can use a better camera for a backup system which I would suggest but even for use with a video player the 9055 works very well.
I highly recommend the Magellan 9055-LM for a fantastic GPS Navigator that works well for around the neighborhood navigation as well as longer trips. The Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM costs about $280 from the Magellan website but you can find it for less at sites like Amazon.
RoadMate 9055-LM @ Magellan
