Magellan Maestro 3250 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Reviews

• Love it...with a few suggestions...

  
  By AJDWUMO2AIUB on 2007-12-06
  I actually had ordered the 4250, but the seller accidentally sent me the 3250 and I decided to keep it since the only difference really seemed to be size, and I found the 3250 to be bigger than I thought.
  
  I did a lot of pre-purchase research and had settled on Magellan partly due to the AAA integration, but then chose the Maestro **50 series because of the integrated live traffic updates which I think is a GREAT feature - especially since I work in a high-traffic part of the Northeast which I think has some of the most infamous and even nightmare-inducing roads.
  
  I really enjoy the voice command features although I wish more of the system responded to them. For example, it would be nice if they could build in for basic commands to always be recognized (e.g. "Cancel" or "Yes/No").
  
  I am finding the touchscreen to be easy to use and responsive, but would have liked a volume control wheel on the side of the device so that I could control the volume without having to back out of another screen I might be on.
  
  Entering of addresses is definitely improved over older Magellan GPS devices that I've used in rental cars - a suggestion here, however, would be to make the type screen set up like a standard keyboard (think Blackberry) instead of laying out all of the letters in alphabetical order, but this isn't a big deal.
  
  I love the Bluetooth integration, and it works great with my phone even though it wasn't on the pre-loaded list (the only thing it doesn't pick up are SMS messages, but I'm okay with that). A suggestion here would be if it could automatically connect to my phone when I turn it on (like my Bluetooth handsfree does) rather than forcing me to manually connect them both each time which is kind of annoying.
  
  The only other issue I'm having right now is with turning the device on... Sounds strange, I know, but it doesn't seem to always want to come to life when I hit the power button - even if I hold it in for a few seconds. It comes back on easily when I leave it plugged into the car, however with GPS thefts on the rise, I have taken to unhooking it and keeping it with me.
  
  Overall, it's a great GPS for the money and the live traffic, AAA integration, and voice response are, in my opinion, its best features. You can't really go wrong here.
  
  

• good product, not so good customer service

  
  By A3B3DPD8GHIN0B on 2007-11-28
  I've been using the Magellan 3250 for a couple of days now and so far it's been a pretty good GPS unit. Among the positives:
  
  Text-to-speech is accurate (although it pronounces DR as Doctor).
  
  Driving on the open road I was consistently picking up 8 or 9 satellites. In a parking deck I was still pulling 2 to 4. The unit powers on and is ready to run in under a minute.
  
  Missed turns and detours are calculated pretty quickly and the route exclusion works well if you are trying to modify the suggested route.
  
  The screen is bright, although it did get a little washed out the afternoon setting sun.
  
  Among the negatives:
  
  It's crashed once already. We'll see if that is a reoccurring feature.
  
  The route exclusion works great unless you try to use it twice. Then the unit goes back to the original route you didn't want to take in the first place. I kept trying to get it to follow my apparently unique path to the interstate and it never once figured out where my preferred exit was even with repeated re-route requests.
  
  Don't call their customer service. I'm currently in the process of getting my three month subscription code to active the traffic monitoring service. The code was supposed to be in the box, but along with a complete lack of instructions or documentation there was also an empty spot where my code should have been. I've called Magellan twice in the last 3 days with no luck. I might get a callback within the next 24 to 48 hours with my code, but I don't think anyone I've talked to knows who has the authority to issue these codes.
  
  This wouldn't be such a big issue if their traffic monitoring service wasn't what set them apart from Garmin. With the Garmin you have to spend $130 for the special OTA traffic antenna in addition to a year subscription. The 3250 has the value added perk of including this antenna.
  
  Overall it's a good unit, but so are Garmin's. For the most part GPS devices work the same everywhere. So if you don't care about the traffic monitoring service and you think you might need to call tech support - go with the Garmin.
  
  

• Great features and Amazon price!

  
  By AGDEKOVH67W44 on 2007-12-28
  I purchased this unit last night to replace my Garmin i3. The Garmin is a great little unit, but I was ready for a few more features.
  
  To read up about the Garmin i3 (and i2/i5) check this site: http://reviews.cnet.com/car-gps-navigation/garmin-streetpilot-i3/4505-3430_7-31468216.html
  
  Short version:
  Magellan 3250 is a great GPS unit and the price from Amazon was far the best one that I could find. Also, I ordered it last night and Amazon/UPS had the unit on my doorstep 24 hours later (and I didn't pay for overnight)!
  
  Long version:
  Within 30 minutes of having the unit out of the box, I was able to take it on a 90 minute road trip and compare back-to-back with the Garmin. Below are a few of my findings:
  
  Screen size: The 3.5" Magellan screen was a nice bonus when compared to the Garmin's 1.5" screen. I was happy with the Garmin display, so I am that much more happy with the Magellan.
  
  Screen Zoom: While the Magellan was fine, the default zoom level on the Garmin provided just a bit more information (zoomed out a little more) and I find that the added view was helpful when navigating unfamiliar areas.
  
  Brightness: I never had a problem with the Garmin, but the Magellan was definitely brighter.
  
  Re-calculation: The Garmin was quicker to detect that I had left the route and start the recalculation. Once the Magellan detected that I was off route (usually at about 75% re-calc on the Garmin) it would initiate and finish the re-calc very quickly (usually at the same time as the Garmin, despite the Garmin's 75% head start). The quickness with which the Garmin detects that you have the left route is NOT always a blessing. One of my few complaints about the Garmin was that it was/is U-turn crazy. That is to say that it detects that you have the left route and tries to force you (repeatedly) into a U-turn to get back on route. I had no such trouble with the Magellan.
  
  Bluetooth: The Garmin i3 is a budget model and does not have this feature. With the Magellan, my SMT5600 Smartphone is not on the supported list. However, it still works as a bluetooth headset, which is sufficient for me. The quality (both on my end and on the end of the person that I made the test call to) was better than my Motorola bluetooth earbud.
  
  Traffic: This is another advanced feature of the Magellan, which the Garmin does not have. I was not able to test this feature because I have not yet started the free trial.
  
  Maps: The maps are from NAVTEQ*** (6/2007) and were very accurate. The Garmin also uses NAVTEQ maps (~2004 edition) and are also very good.
  
  Routing: Both the Garmin and the Magellan calculated the same base route when going from A to B (and it was a route that I know well and can attest that the selected route was good).
  
  Re-routing: Here, the Magellan is the hands-down winner. Not only did the Magellan NOT display the "possessed U-turn demon" of the Garmin, but it seemed to make smarter assumptions (i.e. not forcing me back to the highway when local was just as fast) when re-routing.
  
  Mounting: Because the Garmin is very small (fits in the palm of your hand), the mount is a ball-and-socket which makes it very easy to adjust to any angle. I was pleasantly surprised that the beefy Magellan mount provided a similar range of flexibility.
  
  Navigation: While both systems navigate quite well****, I have to give the nod to the Magellan. Whenever there are complicated branches, the screen splits into two (map and branch) clearly showing which branch is the correct one to take. The Garmin describes the branch (stay left/right, then stay right/left), but a picture is worth a 1000 words! In some cases the Garmin did have a few extra niceties like the top screen banner indicating what the next major action would be (e.g. "on I696 to exit 165 John C. Lodge south"). Also, the Garmin uses names for highways (e.g. "John C. Lodge") while the Magellan uses the highway numbers (e.g. "M-10"). If you are local, the names might make more sense, but I know from experience that out-of-towners would prefer the highway numbers over the names (here the Magellan wins again). The Magellan has text-to-speech and the Garmin does not; I can see that this would be useful for out-of-town adventures.
  Finally, one point to the Garmin for verbosity. The Garmin was/is always talking before the Magellan and sometimes even when the Magellan sat quiet (e.g. "stay straight for next 9.9 miles" would come from the Garmin after merging onto the highway). The Magellan said nothing to assure me that I merged to the right path; maybe a minor point I don't know.
  
  Controls: This is the #1 reason why I am replacing the Garmin. The Magellan has a touch screen (as do most GPS devices now). The Garmin i-series uses a thumb-wheel. While the thumb-wheel is very fast to use while sitting still (possibly faster than the touch screen) it can become nearly possible to use while driving on less than perfect roads (a bounce can send the selection up/down causing you miss the selection or select the wrong item). I know that you are not supposed to play with the GPS while driving, but honestly - who doesn't!?? Since I do, the touch screen is a definite winner.
  
  Boot-up: The Garmin always boots fast and doesn't antagonize with the nag screen for too long. The Magellan seemed to boot a little slower, but what really bothered me was the nag screen that sticks around for several seconds after it has been dismissed.
  
  POI: Do NOT underestimate the importance of the POI database. In this case, both the Magellan 3250 and Garmin i-series have 6 million built-in points of interest. A lot (most) of the budget systems have "millions", which usually translates into just a few more than 1 million. If you do not believe that 6 million is a big advantage over 1+, buy two systems and compare for yourself. You will be shocked at the difference that it makes in finding exactly what you are looking for. BTW - Both the Garmin amd Magellan POI database includes accurate phone numbers as well. This is especially great on the Magellan because you can call directly from the GPS unit via bluetooth to your cell phone!
  
  NOTES (a.k.a. Why all the asterisks?):
  My first attempts at replacing the Garmin were all a bust. The systems could not hold a candle to the Garmin for accuracy or sheer number of POI.
  
  *** Something that I noticed on the other units is that they were all using TeleAtlas maps instead of NAVTEQ maps. In some cases the TeleAtlas maps had N-S streets swapped with E-W street names. I actually ran into a situation where the map claimed that there was a street where there was none, and obviously hadn't been one anytime in the past 20 years. Some people blame the navigation for these errors (i.e. the GPS vendor and not the map maker), but clearly inaccurate maps are not the results of a GPS navigation issue. They are simply bad maps. My advice is to avoid units that use TeleAtlas maps.
  
  **** An issue, which probably is navigation related but could stem from the bad maps, is that one of the systems consistently took me to the back side of destinations. On a trip to Radio Shack, this is not a big deal. On a trip to the airport, this is a huge deal because it can lead you miles out of your way!
  
  

• Where am I? I love that function.

  
  By AQ3THKWYIHGPH on 2007-12-27
  I am a wind farmer; I plant GE wind turbines in rural Indiana. I work on setting up wind farms. I use the where am I to set the Turbine site numbers. Some of the roads in rural cannot support the heavy trucks to deliver the turbine parts so I use te trip planning to take me as 'FOLLOW ME' driver without getting onto the no-travel roads.
  
  After a new pad is set, I use the 'Where am I' to log the site number.
  
  Part two of my job takes me to other parts of rural america on my leased 4x4 Dodge Cummins truck. The Magellan Maestro 3250 gets me there from here. I grew up on the west coast so mountains are my reference.
  
  Here in Indiana, it's easy to get lost without the sun (cloudy) or points of reference so the Magellan Maestro 3250 gets me there and out of trouble (like talking on the phone while driving, since I use the bluetooth to do my talking while driving.
  
  Update: I went to O'Hare Airport in Chicago to pick up wife who came to visit over New Years. After the airport, I ask magellan for a nearest pizza resturant. I wanted the Chicago deep dish style that I have heard about. The magellan found a pizza place just off the exit and we had a wonderful treay of Chicago pizza.
  
  I had the 3250 route me away from construction and avoided toll roads enroute back to Indiana.
  
  Update 2: I noted that there were a few complaints about third world support. I called the toll free number and was greeted by Melvin, as I understand that he is Mombie, India. I can understand that speaking so they can understand you may be an issue. My technical question was: may I use a charger with the min-USB2 plug to charge the Maestro 3250; his answer was that it will charge the 3250 BUT it will sense that it is connected to a computer and I cannot program the GPS while plugged into the wall outlet. I will have to wait until the 3250 is charged, then do the trip planning. A very reasonable answer.
  
  Granted, I am Chinese and understand that others may not be as understanding in trying to listen to the answer. I interact with americans from all over the USA so trying to understand Texans or Carolinians requires me to ask or repeat back what I have heard.
  
  Update two: this magellan GPS does not like the cold. It was -5 below zero farenheite today and the GPS stopped working. Pullerd it off the mount, put it in my pocket to warm it up and the unit started working again.
  
  

• Great GPS

  
  By AX3Z2VNEN5NNQ on 2007-12-04
  I have been using the 3250 for about two weeks. This is the best gps I have ever used. The ones that I'm comparing it with are TomTom One 3rd, Mio 220 and 230, Garmin Nuvi 350, and Garmin streetpilot 330. The Magellan is not quite as easy to use as the Garmin units, but lets the user have more control over navigation.
  Pros:
  -Best poi database I have seen with AAA tour book
  -Voice commands, really cool
  -TrueView map. Shows you the intersection turns on the left of the screen
  -Up to date maps, 8/2007
  -Text to speech
  -Traffic conditions
  -Interactive POI icons. On map screen icons, touch and see what it is.
  -Navteq maps. Better than TelAtlas thats on TomTom and Mio
  -Tells you what side of the road your destination is on. Garmins do this too.
  -Quick spell. Makes entering in you address much easier.
  -Multi destination routing.
  
  Cons:
  -Customer support. Website and phone not that good
  -No user guide
  -Rerouting after missing a turn a little slower than the others
  -Some buttons are too small
  
  Overall I really like this Gps. If you want alot for your money this is the one. Check prices, because on some sites the price changes daily. I paid $299.00.
  
  
• Great Device, but do your homework
  By A35ES6TIJXIUP5 on 2007-12-03
  Just bought this for my wife a couple days ago, and it works perfectly fine. However, a couple things to note, or watch out for: Make absolutely sure that your specific model phone/carrier will bluetooth-pair with this unit (this is true for ANY GPS unit, not just this one). Maybe that's common knowledge, but it wasn't to me. 2 different salespeople I spoke with didn't say a word about this, when it's actually pretty crucial. And if you have Sprint (like I do), forget it. I couldn't find ANY GPS device that could pair with a Sprint phone. Sprint just recently got on the GSM network, so the pairing options may expand, but for now if you're a Sprint customer and you want bluetooth GPS, you'll have to change phone providers. So my initial anger at Magellan for not making this tidbit obvious morphed into utter disbelief that I couldn't find a device to work with my Sprint phone. Also, if you're a Mac user: when you pop in the cd, you will have Mac-specific instructions. However, none of the links worked (other than product registration), so I STILL do not even have a manual for the thing. And the product is so new that, as of today, you can't even get any information on the Magellan website.
  
  I know you're thinking "well, why on earth are you giving 4 stars?" Bottom line is, no matter how pi**ed I was, the phone compatibility thing is ultimately my fault. Just didn't do enough research. And the widescreen models just take up too much room in the car, so the 4:3 is just fine. Also, not needing an extra antenna or bluetooth for the traffic functionality is huge.
  
  Another quick tip: pricing on GPS units fluctuates more than almost any other type of product I've ever seen. DO NOT pay anything even close to retail, if you search for a couple days you are guaranteed to find an exceptional deal. I absolutely do NOT work for Amazaon, but some of the best prices were here.
  
  
• Magellan Can't Compete Against the Garmin
  By A2W345RPMJFL2Q on 2008-01-21
  Purchase Magellan 3250 as an upgrade to my Garmin Streetpilot I5. Was very excited about taking it out of the box. I loved my Garmin and expected the Magellan to be 1000 times better and when I opened the box it was. It has touch screen, announces street names, bluetooth and voice commands.
  
  Unfortunately the second i turned it on I was dissappointed. First I had to press the On button a few times before it goes on. Then when i went into the phone options part of the screen freezes. But besides the glitches the worse thing about it is the actual function of the device.
  
  First issue, when I am at the intersection in the GPS it appears that I am still 30 feet away. So it is difficult to tell if I am suppose to turn here or a block away. Second issue, once you enter 1 location you can not enter a via point, you can't even search for another location without canceling your original destination first. Another annoying issue is that when you reach the turning point it just beeps instead of repeating the instructions.
  
  The glitches might have been a defect in the Magellan I purchased, but the functionality of the system was the deciding factor in not replacing it. I am returning my Magellan and replacing it with a Nuvi 360. The only thing the 360 doesn't have is the Voice Commands, but the most important thing about a GPS is to get you to your destination. And the Nuvi will do a better job.
  
  Magellan might just take some getting used to and if you've never had a GPS you might not have an issue with it. But if you've had a Garmin (The Best) you will not like the Magellan.
  
  
• See my edit at bottom: DO NOT BUY
  By A3D77BSC4FVGU7 on 2008-01-05
  ...but, unfortunately, it's buggy.
  
  This is my 5th GPS unit. Pros are its very easy to use and generally intuitive interface, nice form factor, points of interest database, speedy response, good satellite reception, and contrasty screen. When it works the way it is supposed to do, which is most--but unfortunately not all--of the time, then it's the best GPS that I've used over the years.
  
  In the ten days that I've owned it, however, it has frozen twice, requiring hard resets. The voice recognition is spotty. It stopped responding once, requiring a hard reset to restore its hearing, and it often will come on out of the blue (barking, "Say a command") without first calling it to attention with the magic words ("Magellan", noting that, should you fancy, it also responds to "Miguel" and "Ellen").
  
  At least for my phone, Samsung M610, the blue tooth connection was also dodgy. Voice commands, at least for my phone, are non-existant and don't work with dialing or answering functions.
  
  I would recommend skipping the blue tooth and voice recognition and getting its less expensive twin, 3210.
  
  A minor point is that the mapping algorithm is different from prior Magellan units and on some trips I think it prefers to take a somewhat longer route--at least it's a different one than the older unit used to recommend.
  
  Let me close, however, by saying that if you've never owned or even used a GPS unit, by all means, get one. The technology is as close to magic as anything I can ever think of. It will come in handy time and time again. Your family will love you for it.
  
  -Edit--
  After a few more weeks with this product, I am DOWNGRADING to DO NOT BUY. It is consistently buggy. It rarely gets through a trip without doing something it shouldn't. When voice recognition is activated it will randomly ask you to "say a command" and in so doing interrupt the navigation. It has now begun to automatically start up in the system preferences screen and there is no way out. Even a reset does not always fix that one. I will be contacting the vendor or manufacturer about returning it. VERY DISAPPOINTED.
  
  --Second Edit--
  It continues to malfunction. After two months of ownership it is currently totally unusable and frozen on a screen requesting that it be plugged into a USB port for a system update. I have had my first long run in with customer service. After two phone calls to India and one to the Philippines, each time tediously repeating the same information to representatives with accents so thick as to be barely understandable, I was told that I could ship it in my own packaging and at my own expense to a repair facility in Texas, that would spend 4-6 weeks servicing it and then return it by ground shipping.
  
  
• hardshell case for the 3250
  By A3FK0614SNBGY8 on 2008-02-08
  I own the Magellan 3250 and have found the perfect hardshell case for it.
  The Johnson&Johnson "First Aid To Go" comes in a hardshell plastic box that is the perfect size for the 3250. costs $0.97 at Walmart. This box looks like it was made for the 3250.... plus you also get 12 bandages !!
  
  The 3250 is a must have if you drive in Los Angeles
  
  
• New to GPS, love this device
  By A3VA9K3X4VZHIP on 2007-12-09
  I'm new to GPS so haven't fully explored all the features, but I love this product. The one problem I had with it was when I wanted to go one route and it kept trying to send me a different route. Also if you are making lots of quick turns it can get a little confusing. But I contacted the company and got a workaround that works great - much of the problem was really user (my) error. The AAA connections and the traffic updates are excellent! The screen is clear and bright, and the voice instructions with actual street names are great. Also it's easy to take out of the holder so I can take it with me instead of leaving it in the car as temptation for thieves!
  
  
• Great GPS unit with minor annoying glitches
  By A3VUK4QJXUC4H on 2007-12-17
  I was a little concerned about buying this unit after hearing about horrible customer service and software glitches. Fortunately, I found the unit easy enough to understand that I did not have to call their customer service. I have road tested this unit for two weeks, and decided while the unit is not perfect, it has enough great features to make it worth keeping. I found the navigation capabilities to be excellent (it one instance I was routed to a street that did not exist, but the unit quickly redirected me... The unit has frozen up on a few occasions; however I am hoping that the company will eventually issue software updates/downloads that will correct this problem. The problem went away after I restarted the unit. Also, on a few occasions I had to hold the "on" button for more than a few seconds for the unit to start. The Points of interest database is very comprehensive (as good as Garmin)....it has POI's that do not exist on the Navigon or TomTom. Unit recalculates very quickly and picks up a sattelite faster than my Garmin or other units I tried out....The traffic feature is worth mentioning....I tried this unit out on the highways of Philadelphia and tested it against a Navigon 5100 (with free traffic service) The Magellan traffic reports were fairly accurate, while the Navigon failed at alerting me of several traffic jams. The interface is fairly friendly and easy to use...Although I am still confused about how to configure my setings on the traffic features.. Instructions on the cd-rom could be more clear. Voice recognition features worked better than expected and were helpful, although expect to repeat words at least twice for it to recognize your voice...I did have bluetooth connectivity probems, although my phone is not on their list of approved devices. i was able to connect on a few instances. Overall, this unit is great. The traffic feature is the best, and blows away the Navigon GPS. I am hoping that Magellan reads these comments and will offer software updates in the near future to correct the annoying software glitches. Other than that, this unit is highly recommended!
  
  
• Not quite perfect, but feature-packed and a pleasure to use
  By A3COCSL5KWO3DT on 2008-01-07
  This model is among the most feature rich GPS units available. Though the screen is modest in size, it is perfectly suited to a small car. Try the 4250 for a bigger screen. The 3250 will get you from A to B competently and with little fuss. The Navteq maps seem to be accurate and up-to-date, and many of the extended features work very well.
  
  Strengths:
  - Basic operation (fast and sensible routing, timely notification of turns, easy address input)
  - Interface (well laid out, fast and intuitive, particularly the map screen)
  - Signal (acquisition is very fast and reliability is high)
  - POI database (large and fairly comprehensive, synchronized one-touch Bluetooth calling, AAA tourbook is updateable)
  - TrueView feature (though distracting at first, it helps dispel doubt when approaching complicated intersections)
  - Exit POI function
  - Built-in real-time traffic tuner
  - AAA partnership (free extended warranty and other useful AAA perks)
  
  Weaknesses:
  - Inadequate computer synchronization. Magellan should offer readily accessible POI, firmware, and map updates. The AAA tourbook update webpage is temperamental (though this is hardly Magellan's fault.)
  - The unit is reluctant to power up on low battery power. Holding the power button for 6 seconds or more becomes necessary. A glitch?
  - Voice features such as voice command and Bluetooth calling are impeded when cabin noise rises even slightly.
  - Voice command could be more comprehensive.
  - Pairing with Bluetooth devices is lost when battery power drops close to zero, though pairing is fast and easy. This is barely a problem.
  - RDS traffic info is available only in major metropolitan areas (though I imagine this is the same with all brands.)
  - Runs slowly every so often. Though not a problem in itself, delays following touch screen commands can confuse operation. An hourglass is suggested!
  
  Some improvements could be made, but the simple functionality of this unit earns it 5 stars.
  
  
  
• Nothing but problems so far!
  By A4X9LSQDP1K1V on 2008-02-07
  First of all, let me start by saying that this is my first GPS purchase. After doing research for a few weeks, i decided to go with the Maestro 3250.
  When it arrived, It turned on and I started playing with it right away trying to figure out all the features. You basically have to do this since there is not much of an instruction manuel with this machine. The only feature I could not (and still have not) is the voice command. That could just be my lack of knowledge, but other than that, it was very easy to figure out. I have used it around town the last two days just getting used to it. I thought it was working exceptional(although i dont have anything to compare it to). Then tonight on my way home, it was just after dark where I live and so the screen projected night time as well. Then all the sudden, the screen just lit up, very cloudy looking. I went back to the menu screen and when looking at the screen straight on the way you normally would, the blue background was almost white and words were very difficult to read becasue they were almost the same color as the backgroung. So as soon as I got home, I called customer support at Magellan. I spent approximately an hour on the phone with people i could hardly understand. Their first suggestion was to adjust the brightness. Of course I had already tried that and it was not the issue, even dimmest level was still coudy and bright. Their second suggestion was to hold in the reset button on the side of the GPS. It reset but the screen was the same. After this did not work, their customer support told me just to use it like that and to keep the brightness adjusted down. I basically had to tell them the machine was broke, I had just bought it and that I would not use a 2 day old defective product of theirs.
  That was about 35 minutes in. The last 25 minutes, I was put on another line with a repair service rep. This guy was no easier to understand than the first guy. It took him this long to give me return authorization number and an address to send it to to have it fixed. I was told it would be a 2 to 3 week turnaround getting it back, and somehow i doubt that.
  
  OVERALL impressions MM 3250 GPS:
  1) Loved the size and ease of use (except for voice command and thats probably my fault)
  2) POI's, AAA, and Traffic subscription definitely a plus.
  3) Instruction booklet is horrible, its not even a booklet, just a little fold out.
  4) Durability is definitely questionable after a malfuction just over 24 hours after recieving it.
  5) Hope you never have to call customer service.
  
  **I will update this when i get it back**
  
  
• Unit Failed in First Hour
  By A2XB93NJGMC6VS on 2007-12-23
  Purchased the 3250 from Amazon based on a much better set of features for the money compared to the Garmin 350 or 750 series (I especialy liked the voice recognition and AAA features). After testing the unit for 20 minutes (and getting the low battery alert), I plugged it into the USB port on my desktop computer for several hours to charge it. After this, the unit would not power up, so I charged it overnight using the "hot" DC outlet in my car. This should have fully charged the unit, but it would not power up no matter how long or how many times I pressed the power button. Pressed the reset button several times and tried charging it again while driving. Nothing worked.
  
  Disappointing considering the nice features of the Magellan Maestro 3250. I returned it to Amazon and ordered a Garmin 360.
  
  
• Great unit for the money
  By A2JXJDVJBMJBDM on 2008-02-08
  My 1st experience with the Magellan 3250 was very positive.
  
  It has been very accurate. I used it to plan a route to 5 locations yesterday and it took me one by one to each and dead on the spot.
  
  It was even good enough to tell me if the location was on the right or left ( I have heard some units will not do this )
  
  And rerouting was automatic, although you can also reroute manually. I purposely turned at the wrong spot, the unit announced it was rerouting and than proceeded to guide me via the new route. I read other units try to reroute you back to the original route instead.
  
  2 Things that I would like better 1. more volume, 2. darker graphics on the screen, the Mallegan graphics get had to see in bright daylight, you have to mount it very high on the windshield to block the incoming light.
  
  If you purchase this item I am sure you would be very pleased. No GPS unit will be perfect or make everyone happy.
  
  
• Magellan Maestro GPS 3250
  By A3AO92W53HS78K on 2008-02-24
  This product works well. I do wish that the house battery charger had been included with the product. I chose the 3250 rather than the 4250 because I wanted the smaller size for portability.
  
  
• Magellan 3250 is awesome
  By A1BT31I9Q2LPH4 on 2007-12-28
  I bought the Magellan from Amazon around thanksgiving and have been using it since. I just moved to Chicago and would have been scared to move around had it not been for the reassurance of the Magellan. It is always accurate and has yet to let me down. On my recent visit to St. Louis it even routed me around accidents on the interstate by using nearby surface streets. A feat I would never have attempted without a GPS.
  The cons, cold start is slow, rerouting after wrong turns could be faster. An irritant is the fact that you can't access the points of interest menu if you have a route programmed in. You actually have to cancel the route to access the POI by category. I hope Magellan works on that. The stand could have been better designed and it is difficult to plug in the adapter while the unit is on the stand. Have not yet used the bluetooth or AAA guide so cannot comment on that. Alll in all a good buy.
  
  
• Fair GPS
  By A1IUZR3LE5K220 on 2008-01-18
  The operating system on this GPS is WINDOWS!!! Which means frequent lockups and error messages. If I knew that Magellan was operated by windows I would not of purchased in the first place. However I have been using it for a while now and besides windows poor OS, It seems to be an ok system. I used a Garmin for a year before this, when I received the Magellan I noticed that entering address for destinations is A LOT more clumsy. I was kinda disappointed by the menu setup all together. The feature that I do like is its limited voice control eg. say 'Magellan, go home' and it will route you to your house. The AAA part is suppose to be a big plus, and the traffic, which I can not comment on since I have not had the need to use them yet.
  Bottom Line...
  Consider Garmin first (go into a store and try entering addresses and navigating its menu) Now, do the same with as many different models as you can. THEN when you found one you like, do research online.
  
  
• Magellan 3250
  By A36LM7PEJ0PWKA on 2008-01-22
  I bought this product as a Christmas gift for my husband who always seems to get lost. From the day he received this product he has been enjoying it. I've sent him on an errand to a place in Connecticut and he was taken right to the door. He absolutely loves his Magellan 3250 and said it was the best gift he ever received. Please note, neither one of us are technically inclined so thankfully its ease of use came in handy. We would highly recommend this product to anyone looking to purchase a GPS system.
  
  
• At last, an intuitive electronic device!
  By AAVGHIJQC0JZ8 on 2008-01-27
  I ordered the Magellan Maestro 3250 based on customers' and product reviews but wondered if it would require the usual technological learning curve. Not at all! Within minutes of firing up "Rhoda" we were using her with ease. I was surprised at how small the unit is, but its screen size is still plenty big to view easily and it can be easily stored in a glove compartment when the car is parked. My only note of caution; be sure to record the Magellan help # on your instruction book - in the event that your unit "freezes" you can't access the help number. I did have a minor problem; the unit froze (it got plugged in while it was in the process of shutting down). The tech help was efficient and the fix very simple. Five Stars to Magellan! Now if they would just create a cell phone half as intuitive and simple to use...
  
  
• Magellan Maestro 3250 a best buy
  By A1O5WACQTBG6LL on 2008-02-11
  Magellan Maestro 3250 Auto Navigation System
  I purchased this item specifically for a trip from Iowa to Santa Cruz, CA. Since it is winter, I knew the weather would be a risk. I did not expect every major highway to be closed in the west. The 3250 did route us to different roads when detour were necessary due to closed roads. In Las Vegas, the traffic alert did warn of stopped traffic on I-15 and a detour was suggested. In Phoenix, an accident on I-10 stopped traffic and again the traffic alert warned us in time to route to I-8 and avoid the traffic jam.
  The unit was easy to program and only in tunnels and canyons were there any dropped signals. This is to be expected. The unit does pick up the signals quickly and there was no time the routing was questionable. This is one of my best buys of the year. Recommended to anyone.
  
  
• Why isn't anything for this unit in stock?
  By A2WDPO2X5Z4H5C on 2008-03-29
  I received this as a Christmas present. The CD that contained the owner's manual was corrupted and could not be opened. There were none in stock to send me. It is still not in stock.
  
  The power source for the car decomposed within 3 months of purchase. Repeated calls to the company shows this item to be on back order. When asked to buy a power source to plug into the wall to recharge, I was told it was also on back order.
  
  When asked to speak to a supervisor, none is ever available. I do not feel this unit should be purchased until Magellan shows it can back it's products.
  
  
• Magellan GPS
  By A13AXEUFRPQUNR on 2008-04-10
  Not as good as my old Magellan. Constantly rerouting while driving. Difficult to get to turn on sometimes. Am not sure if I'm going to keep it or send it back. My old one never gave me a lick of trouble, just wanted to update. Wish I hadn't.
  
  
• Be cautious!! Chose a different brand
  By AJ9F5B30YC3X8 on 2008-05-22
  I'll keep it brief. Customer service is beyond non-existent!
  Bought hand held unit, worked fine in US.
  Bought Direct Route EU, software. Would not load on unit.
  After 7 months yes 7 MONTHS of emails/letters/ phone calls.
  Magellan finally agreed to exchange, but they sent wrong software.
  THEY DO NOT CARE, and just give me a run a round AGAIN.
  So I have a useless GPS.
  
  
• Good Value
  By A2KCUHCY9HWW4S on 2008-01-09
  At first, it seemed to have a problem turning on, but after a couple of days, I have had no problems with it. There have been a couple of times where I have questioned it's directions for example, wanting me to make a left turn when directing me to a hotel that was just to the right of where I was in my vehicle, but anything that I have had any question about was very minor and I still got to my ultimate destination.
  
  
• I am gelling with Magellan 3250
  By A3OQWWQENN6GXR on 2008-01-11
  I just bought this unit. I have a Magellan 300 that I have had for over 1.5 years and I was very happy with the unit except the maps are old.
  
  This unit is very nice I love the voice actived feature and the blue tooth. The only issue is that I live in a small town in Kentucky and the POI's are kinda old and out dated. I hope they plan to update soon.
  
  I am having issues with the power on like the other guy who wrote a response. For some strange reason it does not want to come on until you hold the power on button for a few seconds. Very strange but it has only happened once in 5 days.
  
  Overall I am very happy with the unit
  
  
• GOOD FOR THE MONEY
  By A29NWOJ9VQFOYU on 2008-01-27
  OVERALL A GOOD GPS. SOME ISSUES AS MENTIONED BY OTHERS. BUT OK TO DEAL WITH AND MOVE ON.
  GOOD BLUETOOTH WITH MY LG PHONE... DECENT VOLUME AND I AM IN A NOISY JEEP WRANGLER... GOOD LUCK!
  
  
• Problems with unit.i
  By A142PO61TGWVD4 on 2008-02-25
  About the third time I used it, the unit froze up. I tried shutting it off and using the reset button. Nothing worked. I was told that the only way to "fix" it is to let the power run down, and then restart it. That is no solution if you are travelling and need it to navigate. When it worked, it worked fine. But this is a major flaw.
  
  
• Just What We Needed
  By A37FGTSKBNIKR on 2008-04-04
  My husband and I bought this because our job requires us to work at people's homes, and mapquest-ing every address was getting to be a bit of a pain.
  
  My top three favorite features are:
  
  1. It says the street name. Lots of models will just tell you to turn in "approximately .2 miles", which can get really tricky in a residential area, especially because the gps is accurate only within around 50 feet, so estimating .2 miles can be rough.
  
  2. "Where am I?" Ever find a hole-in-the-wall restaurant you love, or a grocery store with perfect produce? With this feature, the gps can actually pinpoint your current address and you can add it to your address book, so you can find your way back there. Also a great feature if your car breaks down and you need someone to bring you some gas or--even worse--a tow truck to find you.
  
  3. AAA locations. I love this. Especially useful for snowy days when you need to stay at a hotel in some podunk town you never would have thought to make a reservation in. As a AAA member, I'm extremely satisfied with this feature, although it's useful to nonmembers too. I just like knowing where my discount will apply.
  
  MY ONLY PROBLEM:
  
  It takes a second or two for it to find you when you first turn it on. And by a second, I mean about a minute. Then again, I live with my apartment against the mountains, so satellite reception there isn't all that great!
  
  
• Good product....bad customer service
  By A19DF5E6LGLA9X on 2008-04-07
  We purchased this unit for our son,who loved it. Then it started to 'freeze' up. We contacted customer service via e-mail...several days later they replied....told us to push the re-set button. No kidding! E-mailed back(the way you need to correspond with them is very annoying)told them that the re-set button does not fix the problem. They e-mailed back that we should send them our information and they would send us a return authorization #. We sent all the information to them....never heard from them again. 2 weeks went by...decided to call. Big mistake! Over an hour on the phone,being switched from 'department' to department...having to give the same information over and over again. (How many times can you spell your name!) Finally after an hour on the phone,I was given a Repair authorization #. That's right,they are going to repair the defective brand new unit,not replace it. I sincerely hope I never have to call customer service again.
  
  

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