GPS specialist, Magellan, enters the consumer driver space with its CrossoverGPS, which is unique in that it caters for road, hiking/off-road and nautical navigation.

A transflective screen makes it easy to view it outdoors and battery life is quoted at a whopping 8hrs (more than double that of most units). In fact, after three hours hiking with the backlight turned down, the battery dropped less than 20%. It also comes with a ruggedised sleeve to protect from drops and the map data comes from Navteq.

First, we tested road navigation around Sydney and the surrounding area. A robotic American female voice is the only audio option and it can grate after a while. We had a few additional problems finding addresses compared to competitors – if you don’t choose the suburb that the unit thinks your destination is in (and it’s not always right) you may struggle. POIs not being listed in the correct categories was another problem.

Following audio and visual directions was generally simple, though the thin roads meant that it got tricky to follow at complicated intersections. We also struggled when POI icons littered the display, and there was no way to turn them off. It also failed the wife test: the usual amount of swearing at the routes chosen was definitely higher for the Magellan, and the frequent recalculations were lengthy. You can manually choose an alternate route (two finger prods) but using the detour option (single prod) seemed better at getting you on track.

On screen information includes bearing, distance to next turn, ETA, GPS signal strength and volume. When you come to a major turn the screen splits: half shows a directional icon. It automatically switches to night mode at sunset. ‘Home’ becomes ‘base camp’ and when you’re near it, a waypoint it will tell you. If the signal is lost, like in a tunnel, the map is sensibly replaced with a manoeuvre list. Speed cameras aren’t listed though. All in all, it’s passable but we wouldn’t recommend it over this month’s competitors for road use.

But what of its other tricks? Hiking/off road mode puts you on a rather plain map – there are no contours or signs of relief, and don’t expect pathways to be present either. But it’s easy to add waypoints (single prod) and dragging the map around with your finger works well – there’s always an arrow pointing back to your current location and returning there takes just one prod. You can also record tracks and then retrace your steps.

The compass function works well and it’s simple to follow bearings. Adding waypoints by manually entering coordinates or jabbing a point on the screen is simple, meaning off road navigation simple and you won’t get lost. Marine mode is virtually identical, but with ‘Port’ position replacing ‘base camp’. There’s no actual nautical information included on the built-in maps.

If you want detailed topographical, marine or even a specialist outback map, you must buy these separately on SD cards. The former can be bought with the GPS as part of a $1200 pack.

A mini USB port lets you download and upload data and there’s a headphone jack, too. We like the ‘instant locate’ button which gives you coordinates and directions to relay to emergency or breakdown services should you require them.

It’s not the best choice for road GPS, but if you frequently go off-roading or hiking, or want GPS for the boat, the CrossoverGPS is a great buy even at this price.