Magellan - Maestro 4040 GPS Receiver Review

I bought this item for several reasons - moving to a new city, and the future possibility of making several roadtrips to and through L.A.

I first tried this on a 1 1/2 hour trip I knew well. It delivered me to my destination perfectly. I next tried it on a trip where I was not familiar with the roads and freeways. Again, it delivered me to my destination without a problem.

It announces upcoming road changes 2 miles in advance, then 1 mile (approx.), and then again at 1/2 mile, giving you plenty of time to make lane changes, even on busy freeways. The directions voice is clear and concise, and has volume control for noisy situations. If you make a change to the route (say, to pull off the route and get gas), it immediately starts to re-calculate your current position to get you back to where you need to be.

It is easy to input information and addresses, with a "Quickspell" feature; this allows you to input a partial name, and brings up all matches. It also has AAA Tourbook information on hotels, restaurants, etc., and with the bluetooth feature, allows you to place a call directly to the hotel, etc., that you are reviewing. It has Bluetooth capabilities, although I haven't used this feature, as I already have a bluetooth headphone paired with my cell phone.

I live in a heavily wooded mountainous area, and most times, the unit has no trouble locking onto the satellite locations. When 1st leaving my home, I've found sometimes the directions aren't quite accurate, but after I get out of the woods, the directions are right on track. MOST TIMES, the directions are right on track from the very beginning.

Even though I have only used this less than a month, overall I am VERY impressed with the results. I would have no fear of navigating through a city such as L.A. when using this unit. And with the pre-loaded POI's (Points of Interest) and the AAA Tourbook information, it will be a snap to find the local ATM's, gas stations (you can input by brand), or find the nearest Mexican restaurant, no matter where you are.