Overall experience with this GPS is Good.

I bought the Magellan RoadMate 5045-LM GPS out of nasessity because my old Magellan Maestro 4370 had died on me when I was on my way to pick up a large settlement for the law firm I work for and God forbidd, gotten lost. I also bought it for the free life time Maps. My problem I mostly incounter with Gps's I've owned was that after a while the model is replaced by a better model and the company that producese it no longer provide map updates for it. And where I live, new streets, roads, on/off ramps,highways are always the norm.
What I like most about The Magellan RoadMate 5045 is it size. I don't have to sqint like I had with my older and smaller (4.3inch)Gps unit.
What I dislike about the Magellan RoadMate 5045-LM GPS that stands out is the pointer that's on the display, ya' know, the one blue pointer that represents your car in it's relative position on the map. The pointer seems too large for me to the extent that the road you are comming up on to make a turn seems it's still a little ways up until you pass it.
For ME I wont buy it again simply because of the above mentioned dislike which is really nothing once you get use to it and because it doesn't have the extra features such as blue-tooth phone, mp3 player and the like, like my other older decommissioned Magellan Maesto 4370. But for ANYONE who wants a good better that adverage gps unit with Life time map upgrades then, The Magellan RoadMate 5045-LM Automotive GPS Receiver is your best bet!

Great GPS Unit

The Magellan 5045 is a very nice GPS unit. I've had two other GPS units from other manufacturers and while both of them were decent this one is the best I've used.


Pros: The 5 inch screen is nice, quite bright and very easy to read.
The voice while somewhat electronic is easy to understand.
This unit finds its' location on start up far faster than the other 2 units I used before.
I like the fact that it offers 4 different routing options.
The lifetime traffic and map updates are great.
Lane recommendations are nice.


Cons: It doesn't show the speedlimit.
Additional information that pops up when you press the direction indicator in the bottom left corner doesn't stay open and I haven't found a setting that will make it remain open.



After having the unit about a week it locked up and wouldn't find its' present location. I had read horrible reviews about how difficult Magellan tech support was but I found them to be very helpful. They quickly answered my question showed me how to reformat the unit (just hold the on off button on for 10 seconds) and walla, the unit worked again perfectly and I haven't had a problem since.

I know Tom Tom and Garmin have a bigger market share, but so far I've been very pleased with this unit and would buy it again.

Really good GPS, lousy documentation but pretty intuitive

Off and running right out of the box! Magellan recommends charging the 5045's battery for at least an hour prior to first use - I charged it overnight in my car. This morning was first use. It locked on to the satellites quickly and worked as I would expect a Magellan to work - the unit is quick, seamless and intuitive. Good thing it's intuitive because the accompanying documentation is pretty much worthless. I'll be spending some time online figuring out some of the details. The preloaded map is out of date but as soon as I get a chance I'll be getting the first of my lifetime map updates - have already downloaded the Content Manager software. Also am getting a hard case from eBay for this unit - it doesn't come with a protective storage sleeve.

This is the fifth model Magellan I have owned over the years and they have gotten progressively better. Oh, and I got this one from eBay as a 'new, other' and saved over $50 compared to the closest 'discount' supplier. This ROADMATE is a winner!

Feel comfortable driving in unfamiliar territory with a Magellan Roadmate!

This is my second portable Magellan GPS. I have been happy with the Company and therefore stayed with it. The lifetime maps and traffic updates is a great feature and lets me believe if I take care of the unit, I won't need to purchase another one for quite a while. The unit slides easily into the bracket. ( my previous unit was a little trickier). The power supply plug is part of the bracket (a plus in my mind). Probably the best feature is the screen shows all the lanes your are presented with and which one you need. One touch preprogrammed location is also a plus. The unit has a Micro Sd card slot. Currently it is for expanded maps ( ie Europe) but it is my understanding they are considering adding new features which would be added thru an software update.

Great traveling companion.

I bought the Magellan 5045-LM GPS mostly for its features with lifetime traffic and maps update. I love using it especially the one touch address feature and lane assist that make this unit so easy to use, it can also keep you moving with its AAA one touch feature.