Magellan - Maestro 3100 GPS Receiver Review

The Magellan Maestro 3100 is a great deal for the money. Being one who is not very good with directions, I wanted a GPS system that would be reliable yet not break the bank. Through research, I found this unit, which has proven to be a good choice over the year I've owned it.

The pros of this unit are plenty. It's cost is a main one; I purchased this unit for about 1/3 the price of other similar units, sacrificing only some of the bells and whistles, which I didn't feel I needed. It's ease of use was beneficial, as I was able to use it right out of the packaging. I also loaned it to friends and family, who were also able to use it with minimal explanation. Also, living in a rural area, I wasn't sure how many of the small roads and standard POIs it would show, but it has them all, even a small full-service gas station in town. I have also had it get me to where I'm going every time I've used it, so it is reliable.

The cons have been minimal and I've learned to deal with them. If it's not on for a bit of time before you begin driving, it takes awhile for the signal to pick up where you actually are instead of where it was turned off. It also tries to get you back on the original route if you miss a turn rather than calculating a new route. The number of POIs is rather low (which I knew about before purchasing), so if you don't have an address for a business, it may not recognize it. One feature I wish it has was the ability to enter multiple destinations, which would be beneficial in planning trips.

Overall, I have found this to be an effective GPS system that I would recommend to anyone wanting a basic system.