Find out what Magellan 5310
owners have to say
and how they rate it.

The Magellan 5310 is not exactly the shining star of the Magellan fleet, at least if you believe the consumer ratings. The Magellan 5310 does have a super wide (5") screen which is easy to read and use and its' ultra slim design makes it easy to take with you.

"SayWhere" is standard with this Magellan GPS unit, allowing the unit to not only tell you when and what direction to turn, but also the name of the street on which you should turn. The Maestro 5310 comes with preloaded maps of North America and Puerto Rico that can be viewed in 2D or 3D. You can also pan the map by touching the cursor and panning to the desired location. As you approach a turn, the unit will go to split screen mode showing a detail of the turn. If you want, this function may be turned off. Some glitches in navigation with the Magellan 5310 were slow recalculation and sometimes the routing is sloppy taking you out of your way.

Routing gives you the opportunity to create a route from the list of POIs, entering an address or from the address book or previous cities. The Magellan 5310 also allows you to find cities by zip code. You can also create multiple destinations. This feature allows you to enter stops along the route. You can also select the routing method. This allows the user to select things such as the fastest route, shortest distance, avoid freeways, etc. You can customize the "SmartDetour" function so that it will automatically activate when you are sitting still in slow moving traffic.

A SD data card slot is provided with the unit although the SD card is not included. A 3 month trial subscription to "Magellan Live Traffic" is included with this portable car GPS system. After the trial period you must subscribe to the service if you wish to continue. Check the coverage map before you subscribe to make sure your driving areas are serviced. Magellan Traffic service area.

The "AAA TourBook" is a nice feature, however you must have an AAA membership to access roadside assistance and AAA discounts. Also preloaded are 6 million Points of Interest which include interactive icons allowing you to get an instant route to that location. Another POI feature is "Exit POIs" which shows you upcoming locations for fuel, food and lodging along your route.

Some negative comments reported about the Magellan 5310 are the route recalculation is slow, some parts of the menu are not very intuitive and the zip code database is not up to date. Still, all in all, Magellan and GPS have come a long way.

Magellan GPS Review: No matter what a professional reviewer has to say, there is nothing like hearing the facts from an actual owner, who purchased the Magellan 5310 with their own money and have used it in their everyday life. Below are some of those reviews.

Owner Reviews

Amazon:

Magellan 5310

By James R. Savesky, January 18, 2009

The 5 inch screen is a very big improvement over the 4" screen. I went from an installed GPS unit in my car to this unit. It is easy to see and very easy to program. Maps are up to date and the AAA tour book is very useful.

By Kody J. Krause, January 9, 2009

My first GPS unit - My complaints with the unit are few. I thought there would be some sort of desktop software with the unit, which there isn't, unless it's on the supplied CD and I just couldn't figure out how to install it. I thought it would be nice enter in addresses/personal POI's using the computer, but I guess not. Also the interface doesn't always seem to be as intuitive as it could be, but maybe this is something that all GPS's have issues with. My last complaint is that it sometimes takes a long time after pushing a button for the unit to respond. Sometimes I would push the button 2 or 3 times just cause I wasn't sure if I pushed it or not. I guess it's like a computer, not always instantly responsive.

It seems that GPS unit are pretty hit and miss. All in all I gave it 4 stars, not perfect, but better than I expected.

By P. Steiner, November 11, 2008

I purchased this item and have been using it regularly, it tends to try to send me on some strange routes some times with many turns but when I had absolutely no idea where I was going it was usually fairly good.

Had a couple of addresses that were not located correctly and it sometimes does not know specific towns if they are too small.

Graphics are good, traffic alerts seem generally pointless to me and not usefull.

Unit does recalculate routes preety quickly and has been a lifeline on those side street for the most part.

Best Buy:

Maestro 5310

By roxbury, 10/15/2008

What's great about it: Big screen / bright / good sound / clear / easy to use
What's not so great: as all GPS's POI's are a little dated / short battery life

I have tried them ALL.. This one is the best for the money... do some research - I paid 250.00 for it.

overall - very user friendly, easy to use - and add favorites.

can link to a computer - big plus if you want to make your own POI's.

Magellon - not the easiest- but the least annoying. and clearest screen - loudest voice too

By bree123, 09/08/2008

What's great about it: its big screen, nice picture, light, portable, ez 2 use
What's not so great: nothing

i love it. when me and my family goes on a trip we always take it 4 like big city places. it hasnt failed us yet and we use it alot. if you travel alot i would highly consider buying this GPS navigation system.

Owner Ratings
Magellan 5310

Amazon:

26 Reviews
5 star = (7)
4 star = (9)
3 star = (4)
2 star = (2)
1 star = (4)

Best Buy: 8 reviews: 3.9 out of a possible 5

Computer Shopper: 6.2 out of 10

Buzzillions.com: 11 reviews: 3.8 out of a possible 5

PC Magazine: 3.5 out of 5

Specifications

Introduced: January 2008
Unit dimensions: 5.64" W x 3.61" H x 0.79" D
Screen size: 5" diag
Display resolution: 480 x 272
Display type: WQVGA - wide-format color touch screen
Weight: 6.9 ounces
Memory available for map storage: Secure Digital (SD) card compatible
Antenna type: Integrated multidirectional patch
Battery: 1200mA Li-Ion rechargeable battery
Battery life: Up to 3 hours

What's in the Box:

Magellan 5310 receiver
Pre-Loaded Maps for Entire U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada
AC adapter
Vehicle power adapter w/ FM traffic antenna
USB data cable
Adhesive disc (for dash mounting)
Windshield mount
Basic cradle
Magellan CD-ROM
Quick-start guide
User Manual

Note: The state of Minnesota prohibits the installation of portable GPS units on the windshield of your vehicle.

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