I compared the Magellan Maestro 4250 vs. the Garmin Nuvi and I like the Maestro better for a few reasons:1. Can add location by zip code2. Gives you options to route by fastest, most use of freeways, least use of freeways, least distance -- great choices3. Volume menu easier to get toOverall, a great product

andyku

Chicago, IL

I recieved this for a christmas gift 2 years ago. This GPS does have some good parts, and some bad parts. The gps does tell you where to go, but some of the time it will tell you to turn at last minute! The maps were not lifetime, so I do have to buy them and update the GPS. For some random reason the GPS some times will tell me to turn left, turn right, and that i'm at my detination, but it's a DEAD end, or I will be in a residental area, no where near where I wanted to be. This GPS has also frozen a few times. Although the complaints that I have listed above have only been around 15 times in the 2 years I have owned this, it's still something to be aware about. Other than that this GPS has brought me to the beach, to six flags, helped me travel around in different states where I know where nothing is. Helps me avoid tolls, and it has helped me cut back on the time to get places. I would recommend this GPS, but if you can get one with lifetime maps... I would do that!

katielynn011

North Adams, MA

I received the Magellan 4250 about a year ago for a Christmas present. At first I didn't use it much and was not fully convinced that I could trust the directions it gave me. But after using it and sticking with it for about a week or so it began to grow on me. I no longer print out my mapquests & use my Magellan to get me wherever I need to go. It has never steered me wrong & was super easy to get used to. I highly recommend this GPS device to anyone who may be directionally challenged or just needs a little help now and then.

MCouzens

Dearborn Heights, MI

I bought this GPS for my husband, who was a merchandiser for a national beverage company. because he was new to our area when we married, I thought a GPS would help him in his job. I bought the Magellan 4250 because it seemed to be a competant device, after looking at several in the stores. From  about the third month, it began giving wrong directions, not having local street names that had existed for years, the battery wouldn't hold a charge, and told him to make turns where there were no roads. Then it stopped working completely. When I contacted the company's 800 number, I was routed to a call center in India, where we got no help at all. After 17 phone calls, they had us return the unit to them in Texas. They couldn't figure out how to fix it!  They made up wait 3 1/2 weeks before they would even do that. So they sent a brand new replacement-which still acts up, only not quite as bad as the first unit.  next time, I'll try a different brand but I'll be doing my homework first.

cwashi3324

Cincinnati, OH

The Magellan Maestro 4250 is great to have around, but I wouldn't swear by it.  My husband and I travel quite a bit for business, and I thought that a GPS would be a great gift one year.  I purchased the device in March of 2008 and this little gadget has definitely paid for itself. None the less, there were still times we would want to through the gosh darn thing out the window and run over it. This little baby is blue tooth enabled, has tons of points of interests built right in, is capable of giving you traffic updates, and even comes with a AAA road side assistance feature.  However, when we used it for the first time we weren't prepared for the time length it took sometimes to recalculate the route. If there is road construction going on, the Magellan may not recognize it by the route it takes you.  The road construction throws you off because of the way a lane or road will lead you, and that is when the GPS will automatically recalculate. Constantly recalculating in an area that you are unfamiliar with and has heavy traffic and road construction can be just a bit frustrating.  You can choose a route to a destination based on preference of avoiding freeways, shortest distance, and even fastest time.  We have noticed though that you can use the same destination more than once and select the same travel preference and you will never go the same way twice. It will definitely get you to where you need to go though.  The points of interest feature allows you to search by nearest to current position or by a certain address, and also provides you with a phone number too.  Very handy if you are on a road trip and decide at the last minute that you want Chinese take out for lunch.  As far as the AAA road side assistance goes, you still have to sign up and pay for a membership with them in order for the function to work.  The traffic alert also requires a subscription fee, but you do get three months free at first.  Maintenance wise the Magellan Maestro 4250 is quite minimal, you connect the GPS to your computer using a provided USB cable and then are able to download new updated maps to the device.  However, there is a fee for that and it is recommended that you update new data every year.  The voice command feature is convenient but sometimes has a hard time recognizing exactly what you are saying unless, you speak slowly and enunciate every syllable.  Like I said before, the GPS will definitely take you where you need to go, but sometimes the routes it takes you seems confusing.  You wonder why it took you on that route.  That is why having an atlas with you at all times is also highly recommended.  If you use both the Magellan Maestro 4250 in conjunction with an atlas of the United States, then you will be ready for anything.  Especially if you don't know why the GPS sent you on a specific route or if you have to take ten million detours.  The device itself is rather durable, but you still need to be careful with it.  This past winter we were going to visit my brother in law at his new house.  I took the Magellan out of the vehicle and put it in my purse. Little did I know that sometime between arriving and leaving it fell out of my purse on to the ground in a nice wet and sloshy ice mixture.  I had the GPS in its own protective carrying case, which is made of a neoprene like material.  Josh found it the next morning and the case was soaked, but after he brought the Magellan in and let it defrost and dry out, believe it or not the Magellan Maestro 4250 still worked!  It was amazing!  So, that gives you an idea of the temperature this baby can with stand.  The GPS had to have been in that mess for a good twelve to fourteen hours for crying out loud!  This puppy has taken us to New York State; New York City; Philadelphia, PA; Chambersburg, PA; Jacksonville, NC; Carolina Beach, NC; Georgia; Orlando, FL; to Washington DC; and back home to Northern Central Pennsylvania more times than I can remember.  I would tell anyone who is interested in something like this though...to make sure you do plenty of research before you purchase one.  The Magellan works great but has a lot of fees involved when it comes to utilizing and accessing their features.  So if finance isn't much of an issue, go for it.  I still highly recommend you remember to purchase an updated atlas of the United States along with it though.  The Magellan will have maps of Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. but only of forty eight of the fifty states.  I do not believe that Alaska or Hawaii maps will be on the device.  My friends, the Magellan Maestro 4250 is a wonderful addition to any vehicle but I have definitely found that Global Positioning Systems are not really always what they are cracked up to be.  Therefore, my rating...an average three stars.

ShusanLearn

Elkland, PA

The Maestro 4250 had the features we needed to travel over 5,000 miles this summer--voice navigation instructions, fastest route, routing around detours, motels/gas stations along the route, places of interest, blue tooth integration of mobile phone, and if you are AAA members, it will find the closest road assistance and call for you. It is easy to enter/save addresses and insert stopping points along the route. We especially like the capability to save special addresses to a one-touch screen. The only problem we've encountered with it is it did lock up on occasion, but this is easily fixed by rebooting the device. We found it very accurate. It got us from Illinois to Washington state and back without a glich.

Carol1753

Hoffman Estates, IL

wow, i got this gps system as a gift for my husband to use in our car and i do not regret it at all. i was a bit hesitante at first because it was a bit expensive but i decided to go ahead and buy it and hopefully have it last a long time. it is a really good gps and i love it so much. the gps has bluetooth and it is great on the gps. the mp3 player on the gps is really cool too. i can upload all my favorite songs onto the gps and listen to it while am driving. the maps on the gps are easy to read while i am driving even in the bright sunlight. it is also very easy to down load new maps updates onto the gps system without any problems. and that is good because i am not the best with technical things that i own. the battery on the gps lasts for quite a long time as well. that is good for traveling long distances, which i do alot for my job these days. it lookss good and it works great as well.

boylovr2

Norwich, CT

This Magellan GPS is a great product.  I've had it now for over 3 years, and it has helped me a lot to get out of a hard spot in traffic and also to find unknown addresses.  It is a little off on the exact addresses, but close enough to make it work.  I wouldn't go anywhere without it.  Plus, it can be transferred to both of our cars.  Would highly recommend this item to all who travel and aren't familiar with the area they are in.

maryb555

Saint Petersburg, FL

The Magellan 4250 is the best device I have ever used. I go no were without it. I have used it numerous times and it took me straight to my destination each time. I am very directionally challenged and with the device I can go anywhere with no fear of ever getting lost. It is so easy to use a child could use it. I also like the advantage of finding someplace to eat once I get to my destination. The 4250 has just about everything you need to find a good restaurant or something to do to keep you busy. Thank you who ever invented the piece of wonderful technology. All you need to do is type in your address to your destination and the voice will tell you exactly how to get there. Once in awhile it will get a little confused but it will catch up with itself in no time and get you to your destination. Then when you are ready to go home just type in home and it will mao you all the way home. Its that wasy to use I love it.

bgrubbs

Mckinney, TX

I have had three Magellan Maestros of different models.  I love this model.  This is a larger screen that is easy to see if you need larger viewing.  It has multiple settings to choose from.  The touch screen is user friendly and takes you from one screen to another without hesitation.  It comes with cords for house charging, car charging and one to plug in to a USB.  It has a night display that is absolutely wonderful. The voice directions are loud enough to hear easily.  I keep the radio down though or probably would not hear it easily.  The voice directions have been accurate and warn you when you approach a turn in the map directions you have entered to follow.  The Magellan is easy to set for map directions.  Icons direct you to settings.  The Magellan Maestro has not blinked out or failed in any way. I have not found any errors in the street mapping or Highway mapping yet.  I wish Megallan would give free map updates for a year though.  I don't like the cost of updating the maps which are ever changing anymore.  Magellan also offers a theft notice.  After you register your Magellan, you can go in to your registration and notify Magellan if you have lost or had your unit stolen. There isn't GPS locating, which I don't understand why not, but they will notify you and the local law enforcement if the unit is ever brought in for repairs. You have to file a theft report for this to work because Magellan wants the case number. Buy this Magellan GPS, you won't regret it.  I don't know how I ever lived without it. My brother-in-law already bought one after being with us and seeing what it can do.

wantsponys

Naches, WA