aawehr's Full Review: Magellan Maestro 4250 Car GPS Receiver
I have wanted to buy a GPS for some time now, but how do you know what to purchase? I started out shopping for a Garmon, but purchased the Magellan Maestro 4250 after comparing features and reading product reviews.
I am a satisfied member of the Automobile Association of America - AAA. If anyone knows about maps, road trips and points of interest – it’s AAA. At least that’s how I felt when deciding which GPS to purchase for my husband’s father’s day present in May, 2008 and again in July 2008 for my son’s birthday. The AAA TourBook travel information is built-in. We are extremely happy with our purchase and I can’t believe that we made it this many years without a GPS!
Alma, Do you really need a GPS? Not only do we enjoy road trips, but we use the Magellan 4250 even when we travel by plane! We recently flew from Wisconsin to Orlando and borrowed a car while visiting. Provided with only the address to “tap” into Magellan, we were able to pick up the kids, run errands and drive to the beach 60 miles away– just as easily as the locals. My oldest son drove to Orlando from Wisconsin, stopping in Georgia and Kentucky to visit family and friends. He was able to create a trip with 10 stops on his Magellan 4250.
Size Matters If you are looking to purchase a GPS for your travels, size matters! At 4.3 inches, the maps are easier to read than the smaller 3.5 screens and it’s much easier to enter names and addresses on the bigger screen.
How Good the Screen Lighting? The background lighting is bright and easy to read in most environments. At night, the background turns to black, which makes it super easy to read. The Magellan Maestro has a battery and can be moved from car to car and taken into the house to enter addresses. Pack it in your suit case, for when you arrive at your destination. I purchased extra screen protectors and a hard shell case as extra accessories.
Features · A simple touch screen. · Voice commands such as “Where am I?” and “Go Home” · 6 million AAA Points-of-Interests with phone numbers and hours of service. · 4.3-inch full-color, anti-glare, touch-screen display · Bluetooth for hands-free calling · SmartDetour prompts drivers to route around traffic and delays · Simple, intuitive interface; Utlra-thin design, only .7 inches deep.
Viewing Traffic Details A subscription is required to be able to receive and use the traffic alert information. Included with my purchase was 3 months free, this was extended to 1 year free services after I registered. Normal subscription price is $5/month. Traffic information is only available while driving on freeways. If you don’t do a lot of freeway driving, you won’t use this feature. If you have the service, it automatically re-routes you around traffic when a faster route is available.
What’s in the Box?
· Maestro 4250 GPS receiver
· Windshield mount and adhesive disc
· Cigarette lighter power adapter (12-24 volts)
· USB data cable and AC power adapter
· Protective pouch and Basic cradle
· Quick reference guide, reference manual on CD-ROM Route Method is Important Regardless of which route type has been created, the Magellan Maestro needs to know how the route is to be calculated. Routes can be calculated by Fastest Time, Shortest Distance, Least Use of Freeways or Most Use of Freeways. The Magellan Maestro can be set to avoid toll roads as much as possible by tapping on the Avoid Toll Roads checkbox. I say that this is important, because choosing Shortest Distance can result in strange routing. Once we used shortest distance and Magellan was routing us to a little used snow mobile trail! Other times it got very creative and routed us onto unacceptable areas of town.
Bottom line – We love it! Remember that you are the driver! If you don’t want to get off the freeway - then don’t! Magellan will re-route the trip when you don’t follow “her” directions. Magellan has no temper and will not yell or get upset with you!
Addresses and Types of Routes My address list includes addresses in Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida, my favorite Coldwater Creek and Chico’s Outlet Stores and my more. While I may know the way from my house to some of these locations, now if I am somewhere near I can just have Magellan Maestro plan the route. Magellan will tell me not only the route, but how many miles and the arrival time. Purchased through Amazon/from Beach Camera in NJ for $249.
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