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| Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator | 
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| Brand: Magellan
Category: CE
Buy New: Too low to display
New (63) Used (3) Refurbished (2)
Avg. Customer Rating:  208 reviews
Sales Rank: 76
Color: Silver/Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Tracks: Unknown
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: Unknown
Display Size: 4.3
Clothing Size: 2GB
Size: 2GB
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 5.1 x 9.8 x 2.1
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: Magellan Maestro 4250
Model: Magellan Maestro 4250
UPC: 763357118032
EAN: 0063357118033
ASIN: B000V4PZCI
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 What a disapointment March 30, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
After 3 wwks of researching gps models and reading other customer's reviews I finally decided on the 4250. We were planning a trip from NY to Florida via a stop in Georgia hauling 4 horses with a truck and 24' trailer. One of the features of the 4250 that I wanted was the option to delete any leg of the trip that I might not like - important to me since our vehicle length was 30+ feet and many of the back roads in Georgia are dirt. I didn't always want the shortest route if it wasn't practical with a truck and trailer. Amazon shipped the unit to me and I played with it for the next few days - input addresses, made up some test trips - everything seemed great. We took off Saturday afternoon for Florida, I started up the gps, put in our trip destination and set the unit up on the dash. 10 miles into the trip the unit shut itself off and would not power back up. I called Maggellan tech support, spoke to someone I could barely understand, and was told that the unit needed to charge for at least 3 hours and then try again. Did as I was told with no results, tried calling tech support and they were closed. By the time I got ahold of them on Saturday we were in Georgia. I was told to try a series of button pushing to reset the unit with no luck. Apparently the unit would not take a charge and what power it had the week before was all battery life. I asked to have a new unit fedexed to our stop in Georgia and was told it would take 7-10 days. Put the Maggellan back in the box and refrained from throwing it in the garbage. Fortunately I had also packed a couple of good old fashioned paper maps. The one good thing in this whole ordeal was that amazon was very good about returning the unit. Am currently researching gps units to pick another - I did so well with the first!
 A reasonable price to pay for better features than previous models. March 27, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Considering my experience with an early Magellan GPS unit, I decided to wait until they sorted out the kinks, increased functionality and lowered the price.
I've purchased a Magellan GPS unit awhile back costing USD999.99 and I couldn't take the painfully slow response and long lag. I could drive faster and be at a considerable distance while the unit tries to recalculate the route. Further hurting to this previous unit is how big and bulky it is. There is no touch screen function, while users have experienced random freezing of the display.
Fast forward to GPS units of 2007/2008 and we have nice slim touch-screen GPS units with better than average processing speed.
Highlights:
1. What's great with Magellan Maestro 4250 is that it is a quarter of the price than early intro GPS units a few short years ago making it very affordable for everyone.
The GPS chip and built-in antenna is very sensitive that it was able to immediately detect my position in a few seconds. This is versus the painfully slow detection of early GPS units in which I was already driving quite a distance before it was able to detect and route me home.
In fact it's so sensitive that it doesn't need to sit directly on top of the dashboard to get a clear view of the sky. Even with a sunshade blocking the windshield or messing with the device indoor by the window, the unit was able to determine my position.
2. Touch-screen. I must admit that there is a bit of lag, which may not be apparent for first-time users. However, this becomes more evident at you become familiar with the functionality of the GPS. There is also a problem which the screen sometimes does not respond properly. This again may be more of a problem to users with bigger fingers as small icons and points of interests are lined up on the screen.
You can explore the surrounding area of where you're currently at by tapping into any of the points of interests presented on the screen. You can also move in any direction by dragging your finger across the screen and the map will move along.
The screen is very bright even at the lowest setting. Of course like any device, direct sunlight will wash out what your viewing especially when placed on top of the dashboard.
3. Map. It is what you can expect of all GPS units from hand-held to in-car. There are options such as turn-by-turn directions similar to Google and Yahoo maps and then there is the 3-D map which gives you a visual representation of the area. There is nothing that can be done in this regard as they are meant to be colorful and simple rather than realistic which will end up dull and more of an eye strain and hazardous as the goal is to have your eyes on the road at all times than spending time viewing the map.
You have the ability to zoom in and out of the map and as I said above explore the surrounding area on the map by dragging your hands on any direction or tapping on the points of interests.
4. Speaker. The volume is adjustable. The female voice is natural and pleasing. Pronunciation is accurate for USA diction and intonation. The same obviously cannot be expected when it encounters unusual street names or when you program foreign names into the built-in address book.
At the loudest setting, there is evident distortion due from the small size of the speaker on the already compact size device.
5. Menu. Like all electronic devices that try to give you as much functionality these days, you have to give time to be able to navigate thru the menu and options. However, thanks to it's touch-screen feature the arrangement is much easier and less hazardous. However, I'm sure the arrangement won't please everybody as there is surely more than one way to categorize items based on personal preferences.
6. Bluetooth. This is very functional for the few supported phones that seem to be an outdated phone list already. For other Bluetooth phones that it doesn't support, you can still patch into the GPS unit but as a headset device. This means that it takes over and acts as the speaker and keypad. Your Bluetooth phone will recognize this as a headset device and will pass all functions and audio sound to it rather than the phone. The good thing is that you can tuck your phone away while the GPS alerts you visually and audibly of incoming calls. You can even use the address book of the GPS to dial out numbers.
Sadly that's where the fun ends. The GPS unit is very lame in acting as a Bluetooth headset device. For one, it cannot automatically patch with your phone unlike real headset devices. Even if you "paired" both already, you will still have to go into the menu of the Magellan GPS and start the pairing process from your phone. This should be automatic. When two previously paired Bluetooth devices are within range, they should automatically sync together.
They should constantly update the list of phones, but to date I haven't seen them release new firmware or software.
7. Hands-free / Voice Command. To activate this feature you speak the word "Magellan" and it will ask you to speak a command. There is nothing to invent or memorize here as there are very limited commands to take note of. However limited they are, it is still the most functional command you will need like the ability to "Go Home" from wherever you are or even reroute to the four choices of fastest route, least use of freeway, etc.
I particularly enjoyed the voice command feature of asking where I am and how far I am to my destination. It will speak the distance and approximate arrival time based on my current travel speed.
I did not enjoy having to speak over and over again. All you had to do, according to the manual, was speak clearly. No shouting needed. But this is not what I experienced. The placement of the unit was where everyone will think to place it - in front of you and at the center of the dashboard. I had to end up speaking louder and louder for commands with longer phrases like "Distance to Destination" than for simple commands such as "Cancel" or "Reroute".
This feature is highly useable for drivers who don't have a co-pilot, but it's still not up there. This particular feature feels like something alongside the first-release GPS units that is more of a beta release.
8. Live Traffic. This would have been a great function except that it costs USD10.00 per month (cheaper if subscribed on an annual basis) to use this feature. The device has a built-in FM tuner programmed to hunt the strongest signal in the area that contain traffic info. So you will be dependent on the what station is providing updates and how fast they are updating.
I'm not a fan of paying a monthly fee on top of all the other monthly fees in my daily life. In any case, should you decide to subscribe to it you'll be happy to know that the feature is built-in and ready for use versus older units which needed an external patch on the GPS.
9. AAA. Thanks to their partnership with AAA you get trusted information on lodging, restaurant and other services based on the location you are at. And if you're a AAA member, you even get another year of warranty by registering with a special code that AAA will give you. If you click on the "Tow Truck" icon, you are given the coordinates of where you are which you can easily relay to AAA so they can come and help you.
Although I've been a AAA member for quite some time. You won't really need to have a membership to appreciate the preloaded information. Of course, to avail of the discounts of the particular establishment you have to be a member and show your card.
10. Others. What's great is that the maps are built-in a solid-state memory which makes accessing faster and safer. There is an external SD memory card slot which will help you back-up your information should anything happen.
11. Accessories. The usual standard accessory - cigarette lighter adapter, home charger, windshield mount, dashboard mount sticker to replace the suction cup, and soft pouch to protect the unit when hiding away.
Then again California residents like myself can't legally install devices by clinging on the windshield. So the work-around is to use the included sticky label to attach on your dashboard than the windshield. Yeah, right. I would suggest heading over to third-party manufacturers such as Pro-Clip USA who specialize in creating great mounting clips which is less tacky than a windshield or dashboard mount. (I said less tacky only. Wouldn't we all would want to have a true built-in car navigation system). They create speciality mounts for well-known units including this Magellan Maestro 4250 unit.
CONS:
- What can I say, the unit still locks up randomly. When I power it via the cigarette lighter socket it just simply gets stuck on the warning screen. What should happen is that it displays the obligatory warning screen then disappears to display the map. Sometimes it's just there on the screen. The only remedy is to either reset it or power off and on (sometimes more than once). This is a hassle as you would want to start and drive than worry how to make the GPS work.
- At a rare occasion it displayed a totally different map which I am not even familiar with. I don't know why it got confused with the coordinates, but I had to re-select the region.
WHAT I WOULD HAVE LIKE THEM TO ADD:
- Updates to the unit in terms of firmware and software to ensure current streets, fuel stations, restaurants, etc. Also current support of new Bluetooth phones.
- A more intelligent system that memorizes your preferred daily route from home to work, for example, so that it will not have to constantly tell you to go to the freeway, avoid the freeway or find the shortest distance. What if you had a preferred choice of first avoiding the traffic areas of the freeway and use local roads then hop on the freeway at a certain point. It should be able to do this so there would be no annoying voice prompts constantly re-routing and making you turn where you don't want to go.
CONCLUSION:
With all that's said and done, the price is very reasonable for the function and feature that it comes loaded with. My deciding factor in wanting to keep this unit is how stable the software will be as I've said I experienced a few freezes of the screen. The unit has been out for quite some time, so I'm disappointed that they are not able to address this stability issue to date.
If you can live with this as well as the attractive price, then it's something worth looking and investing into.
EDIT: 07 APRIL 2008
I have to knock down the GPS a star or two from my original rating because of two things:
1. When I power up the unit, it sometimes still thinks I'm in a different area. I realize that it still has to get a lock on signal from the satellites, but to actually be driving off and tell me I'm in a place I'm not is dangerous and misleading.
2. Twice has the GPS steered me to another direction. I've mapped a frequented place and always cross a main bridge which is the off-ramp from a freeway. The unit is letting me go elsewhere other than pass straight thru the bridge. It's like the bridge is not there at all to the unit when the street is clearly marked in it's own map. However, it wants me to go circles around it and then back again just to reach my destination. If I didn't know the area, I would have just followed it to an improbable direction where I would have to fall off the bridge and then fly back up with the car. Amazing.
3. When using the unit out of town, it made me turn LEFT. However, I didn't pay attention to the directions and missed the turn. Of course it told me to u-turn when it was safe to do so. I made a u-turn at half a mile and headed back so I can this time turn RIGHT to the original turn it was making me go to. However, this time it was now making me turn LEFT again (instead of RIGHT) to an open field so I can go around in a big circle.
I'm disappointed I had high hopes to love this unit. The price is still reasonable at the performance it was giving. But I couldn't understand the decisions it was making as to why it was making me turn circles instead of a straight drive thru the road ahead of me even if the street has been there for ages even before I was born.
A mild recommendation this time.
 Compared to the Roadmate 760 March 25, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have had this for a week now. I am comparing it to a Roadmate 760. we won't even talk about having no hard buttons because that is just the way it is now. I find some of the directions a little strange. So far I have been home. So I know the directions are strange. If I was in an unfamiliar area, I wouldn't know they were wrong. I find that if I miss a turn the 4250 is slow to respond. If it directs me to turn and I miss it purposely, it does not give me the next logical turn. For example, I can turn into my subdivision. If I miss that, the next turn is 1/4 mile. Probably the same distance to my house. It will skip that one, even though I have not passed it yet. It had me going another 1/4 mile and making a U turn. Coming from the other direction it does the same thing. Every time I have tried it, it does the same thing. Misses the next turn and then has me back track. Today I told it to go home. Instead of a straight shot, which it is. It had me do a left, right, right, left to end up on the same street I was already on. Just strange. Yes, it would have gotten me home. But the directions just don't make any sense sometime. But it is lighter then my 760. The voice commands seem to work some of the time.
Updated 4/23/08. I returned it. I routed to Metropolis Il. The fastest route showed 70 miles and an hour longer then the shortest distance, which is the correct one and the fastest one. Then I did fastest again and this time it routed correctly. It is inconsistant. Can't be trusted. I like the interface better then the Garmin I owned and the Tom Tom I had for 2 weeks. The Garmin did not show the address when you arrived. Which can be a problem when you are going to a new place and you don't remember the address. The 4250 showed the address after you arrived. I tried 2 4250s. The first one had a dead pixel and It showed a Pompii restaurant that was a block from my house as being 15 miles away. It showed the address as 15 miles away, but if you routed it, it went to the one 1 block away. I never saw that before. Perhaps the 3rd time is a charm. I may try another one.
Updated 04/28/08
This is an update. I bought another 4250. Well, now I know that the 2nd one I had was not defective. This one does the same thing. I routed to Sweet Tomatoes close to my house. I was to turn left. I purposely missed the turn. About 1 block away is another left turn. Same distance to the restaurant. It did not route me there. It wanted me to make a right turn and basically go around and try it again. It showed that same route until I arrived at Sweet Tomatoes. Then it said, "you have arrived" I tried Metropolis again. It said the shortest time was 60 minutes longer then the shortest distance. Then, if I did shortest time again it would be correct. In other words it corrected itself after it realized that the shortest time was not actually the shortest time. Both units did that. So obviously programmed that way.
I returned it again. Perhaps I will try the 5310 when the price comes down. ( I really like the interface and how it works, if only it could route correctly.)
Great product with 2 key weaknesses March 24, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Pros:
-Built-in AAA tourbook.
-AAA POIs
-free AAA POI updates every quarter!!! for AAA members
-double warranty for AAA members
-Ding sound when you should be turning!!! Awesome feature not present in competitors products.
-Multiple POI routing with optimization
-Bluetooth actually works
-FM traffic receiver works, but does not have any traffic info on any back routes. Traffic info on highways only. This seems to be true for all the GPS units from all suppliers.
-Great feature to see what services are available at upcoming exits.
-Ability to view AAA POIs on the map.
Cons:
-Routing is not the best. Really bad for distances over 300 miles. Garmin 750 has better routing.
-Text to speech directions not clear most of the time. Have to look at the screen.
-Voice command not reliable.
 Very good GPS March 22, 2008
I bought Magellan 4250 from Costco last week and so far I am quite happy with it. I have taken it to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe and I was quite impress with it's performance. It has built in traffic status and will detour based on the accidents ahead (customizable). While coming back from Lake Tahoe it suddenly detour us to an unknown exit and came back to same highway after 6 miles. I was very annoyed because it didn't make sense but when I dial into the traffic advisory on 1610 I was amazed because there was a traffic accident back there and traffic was stalled for more than couple of hours. So this feature was quite handy for me. I also liked the AAA tourbook because it saved me some money. It has very updated POI because on the way back we dined in one of the restaurant which was open only ~1 year back. Finding location and creating maps are fast. This unit has bluetooth but I never used it so far. Since this is my first GPS so I don't have any thing to compare with. Overall I am very happy with it.
The only minor annoying feature of this unit is its voice activated commands. It activates when you say "Magellan". While on my way each time I said "Magellan" it activated and asking us to choose any of the given commands.
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