Magellan Maestro 4250 Automotive GPS Receiver

I previously had the Magellan Roadmate 6000T which was the top of the line at the time and I really liked it.I still have it as a matter of fact and still works fine except the internal plug connection keeps breaking and I have to open it up to re-solder it.So I figured it was time for a new one and Magellan recommended this Maestro 4250 which is their current top-of-the-line.Immediately after I started using it,I realized it was not as accurate as the 6000T.For example,I would pass a road either to my left or right and the gps would show that I was just getting there.The voice rcognition is a nice feature,but it has to be pretty quiet in the vehicle in order for it to hear you.Also,the volume needs a little to be desired.If driving on a long route,it has a tendency to recalculate the route while you haven't even requested it.Then it will try to detour you around some back roads and eventually bring you right back to the route you were on.Why?I don't know.If you set it for the fastest route on one day for a certain location and do the same thing for the same location the next day,there's a good chance it will give you 2 different routes.How is that possible?Again.I don't know.It has a nice slim design and points of interest are a great feature.It takes a little time to get used to.I eprsonally find the traffic feature(available at about $40 a yr)to be pretty worthless.I drive for a living and I have seen it give me plenty of warnings about slow traffic,accidents,etc.,and have actually gotten to the incident location and traffic was free & clear.And vice versa:I have run into big traffic messes,and no warning whatsoever,so save yourself the 40 bucks.On the 6000T I was able to locate an intersection by state and this 4250 only gives you the option to locate intersections by city or zip.Sometimes I get lousy directions where the people don't even really know the name of the city and the 6000T is much better for narrowing it down.All in all it really isn't that bad of a unit,but if you go through magellan and pay what they ask which is 499 dollars,then you are getting ripped off.I still prefer it over any Garmin for the ease of use and if you do get it,get it on ebay where you can get it for a couple hundred cheaper or even Amazon.Then I would say it is well worth it.The bluetooth feature works really well,but again there is a bit to be desired for volume so it defeats the purpose because you would have to pull over and shut down the vehicle in order to hear everything well and for the other person to hear you clearly.For that,you might as well talk directly into the phone since you are pulled over anyway.Another good idea would be to get a squaretrade warranty with it,so if it breaks down after a year or two,you can get all your money back and buy a newer model.Hope this review helps.I sure wish I knew all this prior to buying it,but I guess the disappointment comes from expecting the same quality from Magellan.....again,still better than a Garmin in my opinion.

I came across the first one of these I gave as a gift really cheap, so I checked into it. (I was previously spoiled with a waterproof Garmin). I like the large screen, and this is really the thinnest GPS I am aware of at the time of this review. It has a single button for POWER, that is it. The rest is touch screen. This is good for operation, which is very easy to operate while driving (although you SHOULDN'T!)
It charges using a mini-usb port, and it DOES charge using a laptop for power, but it will not OPERATE while charging from a USB source that provides less than 1amp (1000mA) of current. This is not going to work with an aftermarket cellphone usb charger either, it REQUIRES the full 1amp! Otherwise you get a message "assuming" it is connected to a PC. Which brings me to another issue that WHEN the device is connected to a PC, it acts like a removable storage device, and this means you "can" delete the map data and render the system garbage if you did not back it up! So caution is advised!
It retails with the charger for AC and a DC one that DOES supply the current required, however if you get it without these it will be a hassle to use for more than 3hrs (the battery runtime). It is built-in battery (too thin for AA's, but I wish it used them instead!)
The screen is easily scratched (being a touchscreen) and if you leave it in your car in the hot UV environment, you can expect the LCD to develop black (dead) pixels when you touch it. It is NOT ruggedized, so dropping or sitting on it will usually crush the screen. It is also not waterproof either, although it would work in a ziplock bag easily. It DOES come equipped with bluetooth which is good for taking/making calls via speakerphone (neat feature). But the bluetooth does NOT transmit GPS data to a laptop, nor does it have that ability thru USB. (no wardriving!). It also has an FM (subscription free) road alert ability, which I have never used or can comment on. It is a decent unit, especially for the price, and you should always keep it in the glovebox or console to protect from the sun and theft, if you do that you will be happy with it. Everyone on the internet will tell you it is accurate, and it is, but the reviews I give are information you cannot find elsewhere easily without having one.
The map data is usually 1-2 years old on Magellan systems, however you can buy the update for $49 if that is extremely important to you. For the most part the location of a town or city does not move, and that is the general idea here. It also has a VERY EASY to use Points-of-interest library that includes PHONE numbers and a simple "click to go there" function.
all&all, it is my favorite that I have had for DRIVING.
(boating/hiking is not suggested since it is NOT waterproof or ruggedized, and it only runs for 3hrs on a charge!)

I had a Magellan 3250 that was stolen our of my car, I saw a sale for another brand GPS and bought that for a replacement (TomTom). Hated it! After about a week I decided I needed to get my Maestro back.

The Magellan Maestro is VERY user friendly. I figured out all the basics right out of the box without reading the directions. It's menu is easy to navigate and you don't have to go through 5 different screens to get where you want to go like some GPS's.

It seems like all of the most used features are easily found in 1 or 2 screen touches and I LOVE that it asks you how you want your route everytime you enter a destination, fastest, shortest distance, etc. It reroutes super fast if you get off track and never had a problem finding a satelite signal unlike the TomTom which once took almost 10 minutes to find my location on a clear day.

This is the 4th Magellan GPS I bought in last 4 years and my whole family now have a Magellan in each of our four cars. My first GPS was a Magellan 3100 and I kind of fell in love with this brand for its user friendliness. Model 4250 is unique in many respects.

Pros:
The most important feature I like about this unit is the lane assist feature on the highway. This unit allows free upgrading of the operating software (not map)from Magellan web site making it easier to function. You can download the maps too, but there is a $79 charge for it, which I feel is little too much. The address book is easy to access and save destinations with names, and phone numbers.

The GPS provides step by step voice instructions and road names. I like the POI (point-of-interest) feature, making it easy to find any place by category in the nearby area whether its a school or a store. Gas station and bank display on the road is very helpful. I like the detour feature very much, as well as the 3D feature. Overall, this is a very user friendly device.

Cons:
Sometimes it takes longer to get signals (especially, indoors) at the start-up which is frustrating. My other older GPS is faster in getting the signal. Same goes with the detour feature, which may take longer to activate.

For this price, this Magellan Mastro 4250 GPS Receiver is good in terms of its size, functions and features. It has 4.3" touch LCD screen, text to speech and bluetooth functions. For any price below $150, it is a good price for this kind of full featured receiver. HOWEVER, please DO check the reviews on the web, this Magellan Maestro 4250 does get all kinds of negative feedbacks.

I was excited when I received it. I upgraded the firmware right away. I used it for two days, and I decided to put it aside as a back up GPS receiver because it does not show clear voice instruction. The response is not as good as I expect (I do use Tomtom and Garmin before). If you rely on this GPS receiver in an area that you are not familiar with, I am sure you will miss lots of exits or turns. I live in San Francisco, and I can hardly do the right turns based on its voice instructions. In fact, the map is a bit obsolete.

Even worse, this GPS will give you unexpected freeze. As I said, I used it for a few days, it freezed on me a few times already. Even worse, I have to reset the GPS when I was driving on the road. There are a lot of rooms of this GPS receiver need to be improved.

In summary, if you want to have a reliable GPS, please even think about this Magellan 4250. This is a piece of LEMON!!!!