Magellan Maestro 4250 GPS Review
Magellan Maestro 4250 distinguishes itself from crowded GPS navigation market with voice command and AAA TourBook reviews and ratings. The GPS navigation market leaves little room to separation as the core function of navigation varies very little from one unit to another. The accuracy of the GPS navigation devices are fairly similar from major manufacturers. The companies have added extras such as Bluetooth, media playback, and text-to-speech to entice consumer to buy their products. The voice command and AAA TourBook reviews and ratings add two features not found on most other GPS navigation units.
Screen
Magellan Maestro 4250 boasts 4.3 inch WQVGA touchscreen with anti-glare treatment. The screen was legible in any lighting. There were no problem reading the display in sunlight or dark environment. The touchscreen was not overly responsive. The touchscreen needs minimal effort to register touch. 4.3 inch area is nothing to write home about as it is fairly standard size for mainstream unit. But, it is very crisp with good color displays.
Ease of Use
The user interface is very simple and intuitive. You can use the unit right out of box without having to read the manual. Maestro 4250 has text auto completion which makes entering address easier. The included database automatically predicts the street address you are entering. The Point of Interest database makes for quick navigation to various destination. The voice command is fairly limited in functionality as you can't enter street names via voice command. Simple functions like navigating home or looking for POI is the limit of voice command function.
Reliability
The routing and directions were fairly accurate. As with other GPS units, it does suffer from occasional odd routes it calculates. There were some illogical routing on few occasion. The rerouting calculation was little off few times as well. Overall, the routes and directions were accurate even with some weird routing. There were some delays and longer than expected response time when inputting the destination or looking up POI. Nothing too worrisome but the delays were noticeable.
Battery Life
Magellan lists battery life at 4 hours at full charge. The tested unit held on for close to 3 hours on normal usage without power source. It should not matter to most people who plan to use it primarily as automobile GPS navigation unit. For those that want to use it another vehicle might want to consider another car adapter.
Features
Magellan Masetro 4250 is a full feature GPS unit. Masetro 4250 comes with Bluetooth, text-to-speech, integrated live traffic, voice command, AAA TourBook, 6 million plus Point of Interest database, SD card slot, and pre-loaded North American map. The text-to-speech was fairly easy to understand with clear pronunciation. It had little difficulty with most street names. The voice Command feature is nice bonus. But, as you can't enter destination via voice command, it renders it as an afterthought most of the time. The live traffic feature is free for the first three month. After the trial period, you must subscribe to the service. Make sure you are in the covered area for the traffic updates.
Expandability
The SD card allows for additional maps and contact lists. Magellan offers firmware and map update via their website. You can purchase various other services and softwares via their website
Pros
- Nice vibrant screen with good anti-glare treatment.
- Easy and intuitive user interface
- Good text-to-speech
- Good Point of Interest database
- Voice command is nice bonus
- SD card slot
- Mostly accurate routes and directions
- Fast satellite acquisition time
Cons
- Re-routing tends to give some problem
- Few random crashes
- Some delays in interface
- Some problem with power button response
Want to compare this model to other Maestro models? Click here to download Excel spreadsheet.
| Overall Rating |   |
| Ease of Use | |
| Reliability |  |
| Battery Life | |
| Features | |
| Expandability | |
This site contains the personal opinions of various authors and contributors to this website. The opinions in these articles and reviews are offered in good faith, but also come with no guarantees or warranties.
The GPS works , it shut down sometimes but after that it is getting operational again. I want to complain about their catastrophic customer service and especially repair policy. When you send it back, they tell you that you can buy another one, a new generations with an exchange. They say that this is a CUSTOMER LOYALTY( PROGRA(!!??!!). However, you cen get it from eBay, new sead in box, with waranty for even a better price!!.
I am not going to get tricket again and when finally breakes, I will get maybe a new Garmin NUVI.
Like the unit … does as advertised. Free advice – get NEW not refurb. (manufacturer gives free map update if you register within 30 days – makes sure that you get a new one with a “new” map). No frills, good text to speech. Quirks … voice will go silent after a bit … soft reset fixes … never use the voice command but it will sometimes think you (or the radio) is trying to command it … cracks up passengers that are not used to navi’s. Wife digs and easy enough for the kid to work the menu structure … decent if not the fastest or the biggest screen.
REVIEW
I HAVE HAD MY UNIT FOR 4 WEEKS AND HAVE FOUND IT WORKS AS ADVERTISED.
THE VOICE FEATURE COULD BE LOUDER,HARD TO HEAR WITH ROAD NOISE.
OVERALL I AM VERY HAPPY AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT.
What a disappointment
I bought this through Amazon last August and it broke a month later. Even though I had registered it I spent hours on their web site and completed all the operations to try to get it working. No dice. I called them to get a work order number, and then sent it to them. Three weeks later it came back, working. A month ago it stopped again. I can not get past the logo, when I can get it to turn on at all. Again, I went through all the machinations the site asks. After emailing in all the data they require for to get it fixed they now require a purchase receipt…..even though it is registered (hence they know the original purchase date) and I have two full years of guarantee due to my AAA membership. So now I have a piece of plastic that I can use as a nightlight….if it turns on at all. Am not sure what device I will buy now but it certainly will not be a Magellan. Their customer service is a joke.
Best Value
I purchased one of these devices due to the amount of travel I do for work. I only compared the Magellan 4250 and 4350. I stayed with Magellan since I was use to them in Hertz cars. I went with the 4250 since it supported voice commands. The 4350 dropped VC. Go figure. At the price I got, I thought I was going to have to purchase a map upgrade, but that has not been the case. So in the end, I purchased an excellent device at an excellent price.
Tom
worked great when it worked…
The unit was easy to operate as advertised, however, after just a few weeks, it froze up and sometimes would not get any satellite signals. This was not convenient when I was far away from home! I sent it back for a replacement, so let’s hope the second one is more reliable than the first.
MAGELLEN 4250
I am far less happy with this item than I was with my previous 2 (older) models. The touch screen is less sensitive/correct. The audio level and especially the mute functions are too cumbersome and not user friendly. The pointer is less exact and usually lags my actual location 8-16 yards. This causes some problems in city driving. Unless corrective downloads are forthcoming and soon, I doubt that my next unit will be a Magellan.
Magellan Maestro 4250- Worth the money?
I have two of these units (one for the wife) and find them very user friendly. I like the trip planner feature that most GPS navigator do not have. Battery life is very good.
Magellan Maestro 4250 refurbished is great!
I got this one for my husband who is not very gadget savvy. He has no clue about the usage of bluetooth function, mp3 player capability, or the use of the SD card slot before. But as soon as he got his hands on this GPS, he started to explore about these functions. They are so simple to use even for people who are unfamilar with gadgets. The GPS locates our vehicle very fast. I really am happy with it.
Very good
This does very well for a portable GPS. There are a few times it has some quirks with directions, but overall very capable. The original traffic enabled car adapter was junk and fell apart on first week of use during vacation. But contacted magellen and they sent a replacement (non-traffic adapter version). This version seems much more solid. I don’t subscribe to the traffic feature anyway.
Pros: window mount very secure, ease of use, 2 mode day/night settings, like the way only the usable letters appear when typing addresses, reading of street names, ability to input multiple address for one trip
Cons: a couple times has just gotten near destination, bluetooth does not automatically detect and truly seems useless with my brand cell phone
JoePeeps rates Magellan
I have purchased two Magellan Maestro 4250’s and appreciate both of them. I only wish I’d had the luxury of one when flying as Navigator in the Airforce those 5,000 plus hours. I had a TomTom previously which I gave to a friend. Preference: Magellan.
Excellent
Better than expected. Only prob is it has a little difficulty finding the satelights when I first turn it on. Other than that, Works great, nice size screen, tells speed you are going, but only if you don’t actually have address input in, just traveling. Nice and light, has a nice carrying case. perfect.
Unique features, good performance, some quirks
I bought this Magellan 4250 GPS about a year ago for $299, so the price today seems to be a real bargain. There were some initial problems with the software which were fixed by a free update. A more recent update further improved routing calculation time and on screen graphics.
The best features of this model are:
1. Logical, easy to use interface.
2. Lots of POIs, AAA information and features (if you’re a member)
3. Clear, easy to follow verbal instructions with appropriate warning of upcoming maneuvers and good text-to-speech for street names.
4. Split screen view shows a close-up, simplified view of complicated intersections, and a chime (like a doorbell) tells you when to turn and which way (decreasing ding-dong for left, increasing dong-ding for right). Both of these features are very useful and are unique to this product line.
The worst features are:
1. Screen is easily washed out in the sun, too bright at night (even at it’s lowest setting).
2. Voice Control feature is very limited.
3. Bluetooth hands-free phone feature is limited, dependent on compatability with your phone, and it’s difficult to know if yours will work well before you buy it and try.
4. Map update is expensive ($79).
Other Comments:
Using the windshield mount with any GPS was disappointing for me. The scree was washed out in the sun and way too bright and distracting at night. I tried mounting in different locations (high, low, left, center) and still wasn’t happy. Vent mount didn’t work well in my car, and alternative mounts would interfere with passenger space or other important things. Eventually I decided to mount the unit flat in a semi-clear space on the center console ahead of the arm rest, using some foam and double sided tape to make a flat, cushioned support. This has so far worked quite well and I wonder why more people don’t try it.
The advantages are:
1. The unit is out of the driver’s line of sight, reducing distractions. The screen is still easily visible, and is more legible since it’s partially shielded from the sun.
2. The touch-screen is right at my fingertips, allowing me to easily adjust the volume or tap it to repeat the last direction. This was much more difficult with the screen on the windshield.
3. When driving, there’s very little reason to look at the screen, so it really doesn’t need to be right up in my face. I glance at it to see the split screen view of an upcoming intersection, or to make a volume adjustment, and that’s about it.
Conclusion:
An excellent GPS and a great value. Do some research first if BT is important to you, and plan on updating the software to get the best results.
Great Unit Best for the Money
This unit does everything I need I travel from state to state and it works great.
I like the text to speech because you do not have to look at the screen while you are driving
and in areas where there are many streets it makes it easier to know where to turn.
I have not used all the features on this unit but there are many that come with it.
The screen is very attractive and I love the night view. I did have to do a firmware upgrade
but that was very easy you get a cord with the unit to do this, windows only.
I rate this unit very high and would buy another. I first learned about Magellan’when I used the neverlost
on the Hertz rental. This is very similar but an upgaded version.
I tried 3 and this is my favorite.
I bought 3 gps units about a year and a half ago. I kept the Magellan and gave the Garmin and the Tom Tom away. However I wanted to try out the other two so I could compare. The Magellan to me seemed by far the easist to use to enter an address.
I live in Vegas which has had alot of new builds the last few years. So far I have no complaints and the Magellan does a decent job getting me to where I need to go. It does send me out of the way to my own address but it does get me home. I have taken the Magellan to 4 different states and each time i get to where I am going.
There are not a lot of bells and whistles to this GPS. The POI are the lowest total of any of the GPS I tried, but really how important is it to be able to find the nearest McDonalds? The voice is straightforward…ie turn in a 1/4 of a mile, but it is easy to understand and I dont really see a need to pay more so the GPS can name the street I am turning on.
If you dont want to get lost, and want a GPS that is basic and really easy to use I suggest the Magellan Maestro.
Unreliable
We gave this product as a Christmas present–she received 3 different GPS units and chose to keep the Magellan. It never worked correctly–the satellite did not re-set. She took the unit on a trip to Florida and the current location remained her home address in NJ! We chose to follow the positive reviews before buying this product but it looks like the negative reviews were more applicable to this unit. I would NOT buy this from Amazon.com either–they wash their hands of the situation after 30 days and then you are dealing with the manufacturer who insists on trying to repair the unit before they will exchange it. Steer clear!
Maestro 4250 GPS Outstanding!!!
After purchasing 2 other GPS devices, I finally found the one that I fell in love with! It is the Magellan Maestro 4250. It is easy to use and has wonderful features that can answer vocal commands such as “Where am I”. I chose this GPS because it announces streets by name-my previous Nextar one did not! Anyhow, no bugs in this one….I do a little traveling and find this one perfect for me who has been known to get lost from time to time. You won’t be sorry with this Magellan Maestro 4250.
Nice looking GPS
This GPS was purchased as a replacement for the last one we had which was stolen out of our car. Someone broke into the car and pulled it off the window – in a very safe area – so, believe the warnings!
This GPS is not our favorite. It looks very nice, but lacks some in ease of use. It is voice activated, so often when we’re talking or the radio is playing, it will try to do something different. It is very difficult to search for restaurants or other points of interest near the current location. I am not sure if this is a feature of the Magellan’s or just this version. We have used lots of GPS systems, but this is the most difficult to do anything other than just going from point to point.
Great Device!
This is a fantastic device. It works great, the screen is bright and easy to see, and always seems to get me exactly where I need to go. My only downside to the system is that if you say use it in Pittsburgh and travel to Tampa it take the system a little while (20 min or more) to realize that you are actually in a different state. Not good when you are pulling out of the rental car place and don’t know exactly where you are going since you were counting on the device.
LOVE THIS GPS
I bought my children a Magellan for Christmas 2007, it was so easy for them to navigate their way through how to use it. I found that when my husband and I were planning a trip, we would take one of their GPS. This GPS system is so accurate. We took it on a wine trail and even being off the beaten path, it took us right to the door everytime. We finally decided to get one of our own, there was no question as to what brand I wanted to buy. I am a AAA member and I love the feature with the AAA Tourbook.
Great system
Shortly after purchasing the GPS system, we took 2 trips of more than 1000 miles in length. System was very easy to set up and use. It was very helpful and worked flawlessly.
Dave Murnane
There are some nice features that I like about it, that are not on other GPS that I have used, but I think the Tom Tom product is better and easier to use. This is little more complicated to use, and not the same results as other GPS’s. To be fair I still have to read the information on it completely, but so far I like my Tom Tom better. That being said I don’t regret buying this model.
Navigates well
I’ve only used this for about a week so far and the furthest drive only took me one state down, however, so far I am mighty pleased! I had read that sometimes google maps and mapqwest and such would give better routes, so the first thing I did was check Magellan’s routes against those online maps and it did fine.
I chose the Magellan because I got to use an older model that belonged to a friend of mine. It came in extremely handy when exploring and unfamiliar part of Florida while I was on vacation. So far this newer model seems like it will do just as well. The points of interest feature is fantastic, though sometimes it’s a little weird getting it to find some places. I’m still learning the kinds of places it doesn’t know (I couldn’t get it to find REI but it knew where the nearest Korean market was), but it finds stuff right away most times.
I really dig the split screen that comes up when you’re about to make a turn so that you know what KIND (eg. is the road about to fork, is a slight left a lane change or a weird offshoot,etc.) of turn as well as when.
I have not used the traffic thing because, really, I don’t care… I just want to get places, and the thing reroutes just fine if traffic looks nasty and I want to take a different route.
But I Always Get There
Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
The Magellan 4250 has finally com down in price to the “reasonable” range, and delivers good functionality for the money. You get about what you’d expect from a GPS unit, pus a screen that’s small enough not to intrude on the driver’s sight pattern yet large enough to allow for easy manipulation when you’re driving (as long as you’re not wearing gloves).
My biggest criticism is that the unit ignores all the everyday shortcuts that locals know and use all the time, and that even the subscription services like those from the major wireless phone companies take advantage of. Being routed in a strict right-angle way through the heart of downtown when there’s a diagonal “back road” that is shorter and has many fewer stoplights is frustrating.
Somehow I’m back to the manual for the Bluetooth syncing … it didn’t work right the first three times I tried it. And the first time, it tried to sync with my PC instead of my phone.
And it doesn’t do quite as good a job as some GPS services at describing to you exactly what your turn situation will be, so complex turns can, on rare occasions, be confusing.
But I’ve gladly given up my cellphone GPS service because it was always dropping me at just the wrong moment when it couldn’t find a tower. With this unit I’ve never been REALLY lost yet.
I would buy this again
This is my first experience with a GPS navigator. I found it easy to use and it is definitely “as advertised”. I found it to be accurate and I tested it on travel routes I am very familar with. It usually found a better way to go. This is fun to use and I love the POIs.
Magellan 4250
The Magellan Maestro 4250 does the job it is designed for quite well. It is a little hard-headed in relation to your setting the options. We have two and one of them refuses to mute. The other works well in all respects. Satellite acquisition is quick and will set up in our car porte if allowed several minutes to search. Voice command is quirky insofar as it responds to coughs, fast food wrapper noises, and chatter. The Go To function is great! If you don’t know how to get somewhere, it will take you there. Both of ours are a little shaky on street names but still will get you to within a street of your destination. I bought the second one after using the first one in my wife’s car. Must have liked it!
Amazon’s description of “What’s inside the Box” isn’t complete!!
Absent from Amazon’s description of “What’s inside the Box” is the AC-charger and a soft-cover storage sleeve, i.e. you don’t need to buy a separate AC-charger … unless you want two (2).