Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator | 
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| Brand: Magellan
Category: CE
Buy New: See price in cart
New (41) Used (4) Refurbished (2) from $179.95
Rating:  292 reviews
Sales Rank: 150
Color: Silver/Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Tracks: Unknown
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: Unknown
Display Size: 4.3
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Clothing Size: 2GB
Size: 2GB
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 5.1 x 9.8 x 2.1
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: Magellan Maestro 425
Model: Magellan Maestro 425
UPC: 763357118032
EAN: 0763357118032
ASIN: B000V4PZCI
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| | Voice Command; AAA TourBook reviews and ratings | | | 4.3-inch WQVGA 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. |
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Product Description
The Magellan Maestro 4250 portable navigation system boasts a 4.3" widescreen for easy viewing and includes an FM-TMC receiver for instant traffic updates. You'll be alerted to approaching congestion, and the Maestro 4250 will recalculate your route immediately. Traffic-info service is available in most metropolitan areas. Just enter your destination through the convenient Touchscreen using an address or local search and the Maestro 4250 contains preloaded maps of the entire U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Choose from 6 million points of interest (POI) including many hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and phone number info so you can call ahead for reservations or help. Text-to-speech voice prompts announce actual road names at turns, so you can concentrate on your driving. Included Bluetooth wireless technology lets you dial and receive calls safely with a compatible phone, and access your phone's address book while leaving your phone in your bag or pocket. The built-in microphone and speaker make communication easy. Just tap the screen for a quick connection to AAA Roadside Assistance and access service details along with recommended destinations from the leading travel resource. You can program the Maestro 4250 to understand basic voice commands in a few simple steps. You'll be able to advance through menus and receive guidance without even touching the screen. This GPS satellite navigation unit has a built-in antenna, suction-cup windshield mount, dashboard disk headphone jack, car/home power adapters, USB cable, carrying case and built-in rechargeable battery with up to 4 hours of life. Weight - 6.9 ounces Includes 3-Months Free Trial of FM-TMC Traffic-Info, subscription required after 3-Months
Amazon.com Product Description -- November 13, 2007
We've been big fans of Magellan's Maestro line since it came out in early 2006. The Maestro interface is incredibly easy to use, even for those who are not completely comfortable with electronics. At the same time, Magellan was ahead of the industry with useful innovations like multi-destination routing and pre-loaded reviews for points of interest like hotels and restaurants (from AAA). With it's 3200 and 4200 series, Magellan has improved the Maestro line giving them a SirfStar III chipset that provides super-fast. satellite lock and making them thinner. In fact, at .7 inches, these are -- at the time of this writing (November 2007), the thinnest portable GPS navigators available. Distingushing between models is also fairly easy.
3200 and 4200 Family of Navigators
Distingushing between models is also fairly easy. The 3200-series navigators feature a 3.5-inch screen, while the 4200s have a 4.3-inch widescreen display. The 3200 and 4200 offer great, basic navigation with turn-by-turn spoken directions, pre-loade maps of the 48 contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and 1.3 million POIs. The 3210 and 4210, add maps for Canada and Alaska, AAA travel information (see details below) and bump you up to 6 million POIs. The 3220 and 4220 add maps of Mexico. The top-of-the-line 3250 and 4250 add a host of other features, including text-to-speech directions that give real street names, bluetooth for hands-free phone calls, integrated traffic (with a free 3-month subscription), and voice command.
What Makes the Maestro 4250 Exceptional?
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Easy to use navigation features SmartDetour and auto re-route. View larger. | 
Access built-in AAA information from your GPS touch screen. View larger. | Easy To Use Interface
The intuitive user interface makes the Maestro series incredibly easy to use. Use the big icons on the 4.3-inch widescreen touch screen to search for your destination by address, intersection, or any of 6 million points of interest (POIs), including restaurants, hotels, airports, gas stations, and more. You can even touch an onscreen icon for a nearby destination, see name and address, and get an instant route. Turn by turn visual and spoken directions guide you every step of the way.
Auto re-route gets you quickly back on track whenever you make a detour or miss a turn. QuickSpell feature intelligently searches and checks spelling when you enter addresses. The 4250 offer multiple view options, including 2D, 3D, and TrueView that shows your upcoming turn using a 3D split screen. Maneuver List displays the full turn-by-turn details of your route. Auto night view adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing.
Click to see a video on the Magellan Maestro 4250's Voice Command system. | Voice Command and Control
Voice Command further enables hands-free operation so you can keep your eyes on the road. Say a command to access the most used navigation functions. Find the nearest coffee, restaurant, gas and ATM or get an instant route home. Plus, you can ask for your location, the distance to your destination and quickly get details for the nearest roadside assistance and more, all with the sound of your voice.
AAA-enabled
With built-in AAA travel information, the Maestro 4250 gives you instant access to the most trusted source for trip planning, searchable AAA TourBook listings, Show Your Card & Save locations for member discounts, approved auto repair facilities, attractions, events, and more. The Maestro 4250 also provides AAA members roadside assistance details, with exact location and a toll-free number. Plus, the Maestro 4250 is Bluetooth-enabled so you can connect your Bluetooth cell phone directly to AAA for immediate help when you need it most. Note: AAA member roadside assistance requires AAA membership.
Bluetooth for Hands-Free Calling
The Maestro 4250's Bluetooth wireless technology lets you make hands-free phone calls with your Bluetooth-enabled phone. You can store or sync numbers and contact information through the easy-to-use touch screen, and even place calls directly through the Maestro 4250's integrated microphone and speakers.
Integrated Real-Time Traffic
The integrated traffic receiver offers onscreen RDS-TMC traffic incident reports in real-time. A free 3-month traffic service subscription makes it easy to avoid accidents, slow downs, road closures, severe weather and more. Your Maestro 4250 automatically recalculates your estimated time of arrival based on traffic conditions and prompts you to reroute when a quicker way is available.
One of the thinnest portable GPS navigators on the market | Take It Anywhere
The 4250 is super-thin, lightweight and fits easily into any pocket. The integrated rechargeable battery enables you to operate the Maestro 4250 away from your vehicle for up to three hours. The battery recharges while driving via the included vehicle power adapter.
Tons of Data
The 4250 comes pre-loaded with Navteq maps of the United States and Canada, and 6 million points of interest (POIs). POI data includes telephone numbers and addresses.
It also has an Address Book in which you can create and store POIs and addresses that you use frequently.
Flexible Routing
The 4250 provides a particularly large number of routing features relevant to its price point. Multi-destination routing lets you select up to 20 destinations and find the best route to get to all of them. SmartDetour prompts you to route around heavy or stopped freeway traffic.Customizable route methods let you choose between several different routing methods, including "Fastest Time", "Shortest Distance", "Least or Most Use of Freeways", and "Avoid Toll Roads". Route exclusion lets you pick streets and freeways you want to avoid. What's in the Box
Magellan Maestro 4250 GPS receiver, Adhesive disk for dash mounting, Basic cradle, Vehicle power adapter (12-24 watts), Quick reference guide and CD, Windshield mount
Optional Accessories
AC Wall power supply/charger, USB data cable
About Magellan
Magellan is a leader in the consumer, survey, GIS, and OEM GPS navigation and positioning markets. Recognized as an industry innovator, the Company is the creator of the award-winning Magellan RoadMate series and the Magellan Maestro portable car navigation systems, the Magellan eXplorist and the Magellan Triton outdoor handheld navigation devices, and the Hertz NeverLost car navigation system, the best-selling single frequency GPS survey product line on the market. The Magellan Maestro series includes such unique features as built-in AAA travel information and voice command and control driving which no other portable GPS manufacturer in the U.S. or Canada offers. The company is recognized worldwide through its Magellan brand and has experienced dramatic revenue growth as GPS technology has proliferated across a range of consumer and commercial applications. The Company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with European headquarters in Carquefou, France.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 287 more reviews...
 Excellent GPS Unit! November 4, 2007
Allen (Riverside, CA USA)
366 out of 367 found this review helpful
I spent a lot of time researching a GPS unit to purchase. I "settled" for the Magellan 4250 because I couldn't justify the additional $100-200 to purchase a similar Garmin product and I stayed away from TomTom because a retail store rep mentioned that those units were returned pretty frequently.
I took this unit with me to Las Vegas and it got me from point to point without issues. Directions are clear and the interface is pretty straight forward. Entering addresses is quite easy, route calculation is reasonably fast. It has a day/night mode and is quite visible even in direct sunlight. My only complaint with the screen is that the unit is still too bright when in night mode and the brightness is set to the lowest level.
I used the Trip Planner to enter multiple destinations for my trip up to Vegas. This made going from one point to the next easy as I didn't have to make any address entries or search for a POI. I just click on Guide Me, select the destination from my saved Trip and I'm on my way.
POI was very useful. You can search POI by Name, Category or AAA TourBook and then search near you, in a city or near an address. I like the breakdown of POI Categories, very user-friendly. If you have a Bluetooth compatible phone, you can contact the POI if they include the phone number. Just select the phone number and you'll be connected via the built-in speakerphone, which works pretty well. A feature that I didn't think I would use is the ability to choose what POI icons (coffee shops, shopping areas, gas stations, atm/banks, etc.) appear on the map. I found this feature quite useful in searching for a nearby coffee shop.
AAA information is great, I actually used this to find a nice breakfast restaurant. It gave me the restaurant hours, diamond rating and dress attire. Additional AAA TourBook information include these categories: Accomodations, Restaurants, Destinations, Attractions and Events. I found the Events outdated, but I was told by a Magellan sales rep that AAA will be releasing quarterly updates. As of this review, AAA still has not released any updates, they hope to have it up sometime in late 2007. Looks like they are waiting up to the last minute.
AAA Members have additional benefits, see AAA's website for more details. One notable benefit is an extra year warranty.
The Voice Command feature is a nice extra, but it will most likely go unused.
Bluetooth was not compatible with my phone (Cingular 8125), however, I was able to test it using the Sony Ericsson W800 and it worked flawlessly. When you receive a text message an icon appears on the map and you can read the message directly on the screen. The same goes with phone calls. The only downside is that you can't import your contact list.
Live Traffic information is free for 3 months and it looks like $40 per year subscription, quite reasonable. When you have the unit plugged into the FM power/receiver, you'll see an icon on the bottom right hand of the screen indicating traffic status, or if there are any issues on the way to your destination. I have yet to determine how fast/accurate the traffic updates occur.
A nice feature with this unit is that once you have entered your destination, you can look at the direction list and if you see a street that you don't want to include (let's say because you know it has heavy traffic), select that direction/step and you can exclude this from your route. Nifty.
If you are into customizable icons/voices, they are not built-in.
Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and would gladly recommend it to family, friends and strangers reading reviews on Amazon.com.
Job well done Magellan!
*** 2007-11-29 Update****
I've had the unit for about a month now. I have additional comments.
Auto Detour: If you are in traffic, the unit will suggest a Detour. I've only used it once, but it came in very handy.
Traffic: I've come to the conclusion that this is pretty accurate, though I wish there was an option to use the Auto Detour feature before actually hitting traffic.
Exit POI: While on the freeway, I can check to see freeway exit Restaurants, Lodging, Gas Stations and Auto Service Shops. The unit displays the distance to each Exit POI.
Voice Command: I didn't think I would use this much, but with proper annunciation, I found it more convenient to say "Magellan Go Home" instead of pressing the options on the screen.
Size: Since this is my first GPS unit, I may be taking it's size for granted, but I like that I can fit it in my jacket pocket.
Customer Support: When I first got this unit, I couldn't register the product, so I called Customer Support. They were very helpful in helping me register my product. I also had to call them a second time to get assistance in activating my Traffic Subscription, again they were very helpful and was able to resolve my issue.
My Complaints:
- At times the unit is a little slow to respond when an option is selected
- There is no quick/easy way to add a POI by name to the Trip Planner
- Text to speech doesn't always come off well (i.e. Los Angeles/CA-60 W is read "Los Angeles Forwardslash C A Dash Sixty W")
- Searching for a POI by name takes about 15 seconds
- I upgraded my phone to the AT&T Tilt, Bluetooth usage is limited to making and receiving calls
That's about it. I still recommend this unit.
*** 2008-07-30 Update****
I upgraded the firmware on my unit to version 4.60 and I felt the need to update my review. Magellan has improved quite a few things:
- Improved visual cues on the map makes navigation easier
- Bluetooth connection is now automatic, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from a friend without having the need to re-connect my Tilt. I was even more pleased when I was able to dial a POI phone number without re-connecting. (Still no SMS or Contact support for my Tilt, but that is probably an OS issue)
- Map scrolling is faster
- Re-route calculation is noticeably faster
- Magellan even fixed the text to speech issue I mentioned in my last update
One of the features I wish Magellan would improve is the time it takes to do a POI Search By Name. I use this feature quite a bit and waiting the 15 to 20 seconds to display a result set just seems too long.
I'm pretty sure there were other improvements that I haven't seen, but the fact that Magellan has released at least 2 firmware upgrades since I bought my 4250 states that they are committed to improving the user experience for their products.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Job well done Magellan!"
Works great! good value November 17, 2007
M. Hamilton (Texas)
64 out of 65 found this review helpful
I am very happy with the Magellan Maestro 4250. Registering and activating traffic with Magellan's web site worked smoothly. The unit picks up a signal quickly and gets traffic info within about 10 seconds which is plenty fast. I was able to pair using bluetooth with my LG CU500 phone which isn't listed as being compatible so that was an extra bonus. I mainly got this model for the integrated traffic, great POI database and multi route capability. Voice commands and using the built in mic for phone calls isn't perfect. I do need to move close to the mic and speak loudly for either to work well but it does work. It is nice to just say Magellan, Go Home. I expect from other info I have seen online that customer service from Magellan is horrible but I haven't needed it and I have never needed customer support for most electronic gadgets so while that weighed into my decision it wasn't a deal breaker. I chose the 4250 for the features I want for about $300 less than the Garmin 760. I am happy with my choice!
I want one for my own September 18, 2008
K. Stuckey (Port Huron, MI USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had the pleasure of dealing with this unit when my grandparents bought one and needed someone to give them a tutorial (I have no idea why they picked me, seeing as I don't own one). Physically, the size is very nice, it is thin but does not feel cheap, can easily be slipped into a pocket or purse. Theirs came with a neat suction bracket that can be adjusted several different ways, up and down as well as side-to-side. It was so easy to setup with their home address and a few others to get them started. It does not have their street, but they are close to a major state road. I liked that you can select one of four routes (quickest time, shortest distance, most/least freeway) for your destination. POIs are plentiful and could be super handy if you are in an unfamiliar area and hungry or low on gas. They did not sign up for the traffic updates free trial, but that is a nice option to have. I have put one on my Christmas list so I can be as cool as my grandparents.
Great Product, Great Price November 29, 2007
A. Dillenbeck (North Carolina)
55 out of 55 found this review helpful
I took a while in seeing which of the several products out on the market i would be most interested in. The top of the line Maestro 4250 for Magellan has several features that are something i desired, and when put to use, came out with great results. Il list off some of the more desirable and less desirable qualities of it.
Pros:
- 4.3" Screen.. vibrant, decent size and well layed out.Black exterior is beautiful. Pastel colors displayed on the screen are nice IMO. The Garmins are the only others i was interested.
- Navigation. Split screen is great when coming up to near direction. Very easy to follow.
- Text To Speech. It works well, but you are limited to one women. She speaks it well. Example: Turn left on to Main street in 1.2 miles.
- POI's. Grouped well, and easy to understand, as well as many of them.
- 2D/3D possibility.
- Multi-trip planner
- Setup.. very easy and sticks well to the windshield.
- Car/Home charger comes in handy
Cons:
- When cruising w/out specific route destination, i find that very little detail is shown on the map. As soon as i put in a specific place, it names every street around my location.. kinda weird. ( Still looking at this)
- Dark Mode. It can be a bit bright, but if you adjust settings you'll be okay. ( Settings help, but often split in dimness when in dual or split screen mode which is not often anyways)
- Speech Volume. Loud and clear, but any sort of music can tone it down so make sure it is on the highest level so you dont miss a direction.
Undecided:
-Voice Command. This is a biggie, and lot of people looking at this model know that very few or no others feature this right now. It simply works by saying "Magellan" in which it will reply with "Say a Command" then you can say or touchscreen the command. It does work, BUT you must speak with a LOUD and clear voice. Radio needs to be off to be honest or it will be dumbfounded. Its a pretty cool feature, but i wouldn't base your whole review/purchase off of it. If it was a bit more sensitive to speech, it would be an excellent feature.
EDIT December 6, 2007 -
Things to take note of.. don't worry, it still is highly suggested
The Good ..
1.) I set my HOME position as the current position when i was in my driveway to see accurate it was. it was SPOT ON and directed me onto my street and into my exact house and drieveway perfectly after a 30 minute commute earlier on.
2.) Satellites are always full signal around here which is fantastic.
3.) Route Recalculation ( this is a biggie in my opinion !! ). I purposefully missed my home street and drove on by following the main street. It took less than 5 seconds to recalculate a route to get back another way. ( i secretly knew there was one other way to get back easily). Sure enough it took me down the exact street i was hoping for and was in my driveway the next minute.
The Bad ..
1.) Power switch can be very stubborn, but hold it down hard for 5-10 seconds and it will always boot.
2.) POI's.. while there are several of them.. they are not generally arranged very well when it comes to distance. I find that i drive too far away to the closest grocery store when i know for a fact its only 5 miles down the road. It sometimes hides on the bottom of the list with a much higher distance equivalent for some reason ( which is why its at the bottom because its sorted by closest distance if you choose that anyways, but its there. )
Conclusion: For the price, this product is hard to beat in comparison to Garmin and TomTom products.
Buy the 4250, you won't be disappointed.
Great GPS unit January 27, 2008
J. Arnold (Kensington, MD)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I was upgrading from a Magellan Roadmate 700 - and since I was happy with the map style, POIs, and address input methods - it seemed to make sense to stick with Magellan. I am very happy, that, so far, Magellan has fixed almost all of the problems and disappointments I had with the old model:
-power cable/Battery power: Over time, the power connection got loose, the old unit would reboot every time I went over a bump. The new unit has a sturdier USB power connection and 3 hours of battery life
-size: same screen size as the 700, but the new unit is tiny (and sexy)
-address entry: now with zip codes! If you know the zip, it speeds up address entry considerably.
-satellites: the Maestro typically "finds" itself within a minute of leaving the house.
-navigation: although occasionally making some puzzling decisions in the DC area, it always gets you there. The map is very clear, day or night, and I like the split screen display - I used to hate when the map went away as I neared a turn to just be replaced with a large turn arrow.
The only (so far minor) disappointments with some of the new features - the voice command works OK, but you have to speak loudly and enunciate clearly to be heard. Makes a cool party trick in a full car, though. The bluetooth works OK, but the link needs to be reestablished every time you get in the car (maybe this is normal?)
The only problem I've had thus far is that the unit has frozen twice on the start up screen in the 40 or so times I've used it - requiring a reboot (have a pen handy) - This is annoying and I hope Magellan can issue a patch.
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