Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Reviews

• Excellent GPS Unit!

  
  By A3ED0CNAASD9YB on 2007-11-04
  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 I found the Events outdated, but I was told by a Magellan sales rep that AAA will be releasing quarterly updates.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 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.
  
  

• It's a good unit, but also has some flaws

  
  By A15F6A0ELB9NOC on 2007-12-03
  I thought I'd follow up with my decision and share my experiences thus far.
  
  I had both units, decided against the Garmin and popped open the 4250. This is our family's first GPS unit and our only other experience was a positive one using Hertz Neverlost.
  
  PROs:
  - As mentioned already, I'm a fan of the POI system on the Magellan and the fact that gas stations, ATMs, grocery stores, restaurants, coffee, etc show up as I roll by is appreciated. Easy to tap on an icon and get routed.
  
  - POI alerts are pretty cool; I used the included SW to get red light cameras and speed traps and as you approach these areas, the unit will warn you that you're within your specified range of what ever it is. I let the wife take this on a business trip she went on and she regularly had the unit warning her of these types of things in an unfamiliar area.
  
  - The AAA guidebook is actually pretty neat. Not only does it provide POIs, it further provides the AAA info such as a description of the place, typical cost, a rating, business hours, accepted forms of payment (cash, visa, MC, etc) and a phone number that you can simply tap on when paired with a BT phone. More info rarely hurts in my opinion.
  
  - The voice recognition, while not perfect, is kinda cool. When rolling along, I can say, "Magellan", "Where am I?". The unit then presents me the trip computer (speed, heading, alt, etc) and states the road I'm traveling on. While that's kind of neat the first time, stating "Magellan, nearest coffee" and being presented options that I can vocally navigate to by glancing at the screen and selecting the number of the associated place, or moving to the next page by saying "next" or "previous" is more functional. You can also ask it things like, "nearest ATM", "go home", "nearest restaurant" to which you'll get a sub-menu you can work through (american, italian, etc.) or you can just get fancy and say "Magellan, nearest chinese restaurant" select one by number and have it route you without touching or looking (if you want to take whatever is closest) at the unit is neat.
  
  - The unit is snappy in acquiring where it is (w/in 10 sec) and I can even get signals within my house. Maybe that's the norm today, but I didn't expect that.
  
  - It's thin without any additional antenna to be extended. What you see is what you need. There is the FM antenna that runs with the power adapter if you're going to use the traffic subscription (I haven't tried this)
  
  - Text to voice is nice. My wife was a big fan of having the unit speak to her in street names rather than being vague. I like it as well. Some names get butchered, but for the most part it's pretty good.
  
  - My mobile phone (LG Muzic - Sprint) is not listed as supported, but it works for everything except the text messaging when paired with BT. I can find POIs, click on the phone number associated with the result and the unit calls the place. Speakerphone is okay and at times it is hard to hear with road noise. It's usable, just don't expect polycom quality.
  
  - The estimated arrival time is nice. In my experience, I've seen it overestimate the amount of time needed by a couple minutes. However, it does update as you approach your destination and I've not yet exceeded the arrival time. I'd much rather have it work this way than be too aggressive with arrival time.
  
  - When routing, once I've selected an address either by city, zip code or whatever that other option is that I can't remember at the moment, it gives me the option of selecting the parameters for routing (examples are shortest distance, fastest route, most use of highways, least use of highways) and an option to avoid toll roads. I can either just hit 'go' or update my parameters before hitting go. Again, maybe this is standard, but I like these options.
  
  - Also, the ability to exclude roads is nice. Once a route is selected, I can hit the next maneuver arrow to pop up the maneuver list. From there, I can tap on a road and tell the unit to exclude the use of that road to reroute. Handy when construction/traffic is an issue.
  
  - It came with a travel pouch. Nice touch when throwing the unit in a bag.
  
  - AC adapter was included along with the car adapter. The Garmin I got only had the car adapter. Weird.
  
  - Reroute is fast. Drive past an instruction and within a few seconds, the unit calculates a new solution. If you're moving enough, I've run into scenarios where the reroute computation start is fast, but takes a bit to figure out the actual route.
  
  - Wife acceptance factor was good. She's not a tech guru, but is happy with this unit. It's intuitive for her to use and she told me it significantly reduced her stress when she had to drive in So CA on business having the unit with her.
  
  - Adaptive keyboard is nice. As you type a city or street name, the unit removes invalid letters that aren't associated with the correct spelling of a street name. It's minimized fat fingering a wrong letter and speeds up typing since you can be a bit sloppy. Additionally, it does the same thing when selecting street number to allowing you to chose only valid house numbers for the street you've selected.
  
  Cons:
  - No support for waypoints on a multidestination route such that the unit moves onto the next destination upon arrival of the previous destination. The 4250 does allow you to plan a trip and enter multiple destinations, but it won't advance to the next destination without me telling it that I'm ready to do so. More of an annoyance to me than anything since I can get to the next destination within a few clicks.
  
  - As mentioned previously, the power button doesn't always behave. I've held it on for 10-15 seconds with no response and didn't get one until I pushed it repetitively, held it down and did a number of other various things to get it to turn on. In the 2 weeks I've had it, I still don't know what the magic sequence of pushes of the power button is needed to get it to turn on when it decides to act up. But I've not had to use the reset button on this unit yet either.
  
  - Routing gets a little wonky giving me some questionable directions at times; I have confidence the unit will get me where I need to go, but am not always certain that it selects the best way to get there; for instance, yesterday it essentially told me to take an offramp and then take the continuing onramp in lieu of having me just continue on the original road. Although technically, I guess it may have been the shortest route for the roads given. Still....
  
  - While voice is cool, the unit is sometimes hard of hearing and you may need to issue commands multiple times to get it to respond. Some have reported false voice activations (radio or something else triggers it to turn on). I've had this happen only once when others in the car were speaking. There is an option to disable voice recognition.
  
  - BT with mobile phone doesn't pull in my contacts. I can use the phone to dial using the contacts and the GPS unit handles the call; it'd be better to me if the GPS could see my contacts
  
  - My GPS and phone don't 'see' one another when in the vicinity of each other; I've not had BT devices before, but I expected the units to pair automatically if they saw one another. Instead, I have to manually connect the phone to the GPS if I want to use it. Kind of a pain - maybe because my phone isn't supported?
  
  - Unit hasn't woken up on a few occasions when connected to car adapter power. It usually comes on automatically when I turn on my car. There have been times that I've needed to play the power button roulette game until it comes on. I've not picked up on a pattern of when this occurs. I was going to exchange the unit, but am unsure now if I will after hearing this isn't an isolated thing among this model - I'm guessing SW bug is involved.
  
  - Can't enter addresses via PC or trip plan. I think someone said tomtom can.
  
  Those are the main things that I can think of. Overall, I'm fortunate to have gotten a unit that works for the most part and am happy with the features it brings for the price. There are some nice things that Garmin provides, but when it came down to it, having BT in this feature packed unit seemed to make more sense for me than the more expensive (when comparably equipped) Garmin 750. Garmin units are nice, but at the higher price I haven't yet felt the need for MP3s (I have an iPod and a music phone), pictures, a translating dictionary or other stuff I'd likely not use. I don't need a GPS that can make coffee, but I do expect it to guide me to coffee!
  
  For me Magellan was the right choice and I'm pleased to have it as my first GPS unit. There's plenty of POIs, the AAA guide book is a nice touch and talking to the unit is neat. Hopefully this helps someone else that's looking to make a decision.
  
  

• Pretty darn good (but not perfect)

  
  By A3MXXB3HG37PMI on 2007-11-16
  After becoming too reliant on the GPS system in my wife's car, I finally decided to stop getting lost and get one for my car. Hours spent online doing research and playing with different systems in-store led me to the Magellan 4250. I've been using it now for a week mostly on roads I know to see how the Magellan reacts and which directions it gives me.
  
  A few highlights:
  
  -Love the vocal instructions that say "turn left on Main Street" as opposed to "turn left here"
  -Price for the features seems good and could not justify another $200 or more for the Garmin 760 (which I also looked at)
  -Directions have been consistently good
  -Small things like estimated time of arrival, ease of use (it is very easy to use), and screen clarity are appreciated.
  
  A few lowlights:
  -When starting up, can take up to 5 minutes to orient itself and figure out where it is
  -Display is very bright at night even at lowest setting
  -"Voice" is a little irritating
  
  Voice command feature is actually pretty cool but it is not perfect and I often have to repeat myself (the kids however love talking to "Maggie" Magellan).
  
  

• Good product, poor support

  
  By AJA7O52IQUYVF on 2007-12-17
  Well, after reading all the reviews about Garmin, Tom Tom, and Magellan(M), I decided that the price and ease of use of the M was the deciding factor.
  
  After I received it, I set it up, turned it off, registered and called it a day. The next day, I tried to turn it on and it wouldn't come on. I tried looking for tech support and got a message saying the support is 6-5 PST, of course it was past that time. I sent an email into support, and it bounce back undeliverable. Hmmm, so much for that.
  
  Luckily, I got it to come back on after a while by hitting the reset and power at the same time.
  
  Now the good part, I had a Saturday lunch party to go to the next day, so I programmed it with the address and picked fastest time. It did it's job well and I was impressed. The only comment I will make about the route it picked, was that if it had been rush hour traffic, I would have been sitting in some major traffic. This is not really a critism of the GPS, they(all of them) just don't have the common sense that a human has. You must use common sense when using these things.
  
  The only other negative comments, was the map didn't have a major highway close to my house that was completed about 3 year ago, so it kept telling me to go back to another street that was a slower route. Also the street I live on was spelled wrong. Go figure! (The Garmin had it wrong also, only the Tom Tom had it right) I checked there support site and nothing about the 4250 exists. Nothing!!! So support gets another star taken off the rating.
  
  So bottom line, the product is good, easy to use, and accurate, but supports sucks. I hope Magellan gets the message from all the negative posts about their support.
  
  Again, you must use common sense when using these things.
  
  Happy GPSing.
  
  
  

• Works great! good value

  
  By A8WEROIVC394U on 2007-11-17
  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!
  
  
• Buggy and unreliable
  By A3VYGRD1DY692M on 2008-01-11
  I wanted so much to like this GPS. I spent a lot of time researching difference ones and narrowed my selection to the TomTom 920, the Nuvi 760 and the Maestro 4250. Both the TomTom and the Maestro had some cool features that really appealed to me (Voice inputs, AAA guide and so forth). In reading reviews, I decided against the TomTom since many indicated that it would not get you to your destination on the most efficient route and their customer service was attrocious. Reviews of the Maestro were mixed and the most common complaints where the unit crashing. The Nuvi had great reviews but was so much more expensive than the other two units. Amazon had the Maestro on sale for $356 and that opportunity was to great to pass up. On the first day of plugging the unit into the cigarette lighter I got a message "USB connection detected, please refer to PC instructions for downloading maps". It would not let me do anything and the screen just sat there frozen. Thinking I had not read the instructions thouroughly I unplugged the unit and operated via the battery. The unit worked very nicely, clear screen, nice picture resolution, voice commands worked great, all in all I really liked the whole package. The next day I went to turn the unit on and nothing happened. I kept trying and finally had to call customer support. They were very courteous and I had no wait time (unlike some reviews that quetioned the customer service). The rep told me to hold the power button for 10 seconds and push the reset button at the same time. After trying a few times, the unit finally powered on. I then told him that I had this problem when connecting the unit to the cigarette lighter. He told me to push the reset button while the unit was on and to try again. Same results "USB connection detected....". He then said that this was a known problem and that my unit was defective. These words echoed in my brain as this was the same answer I had heard so many other people utter in their review "this was a known problem". If it is a known problem then why not FIX IT!
  
  Here I had read all the stories about other people having their unit crash and now I find myself two days later in the same predicament. I was both disappointed and frustrated. It is a really nice looking unit and works great when it works. But having two crash issues in as many days just made the product not reliable enough for me. I am amazed that a company like Magellan that has so much experience in the GPS market is able to put out their top of the line unit with so many bugs to make the unit unusable.
  
  I ended up bitting the bullet and ordered a Nuvi 760. Based on what I have read, my wallet may be a little smaller but at least I will have a reliable GPS. I have not received it yet so I cannot compare the two but I am hopping for better results.
  
  Update:
  January 15th, 2008. I have now received the Nuvi 760 and took it for a test drive today. Right off the bat I did not like the interface of the Nuvi as much as I did on the Maestro. The way the Nuvi gave directions was very sparse. On the Maestro, it was very good at warning you in advance of turns that you may encounter, it even showed you a graphics of the turn you were about to make. Just before the turn, it would warn you and then right at the turn a little bell would chime telling you to turn at that spot. This was a very nice feature that I thought was standard on all units. The Nuvi does not do this and only tells you just before the turn. The volume level on the Nuvi is extremely very low, I can barely hear the unit on high level, the Maestro was much louder. The AAA detailed location features of the Maestro are a wonderfull feature that the Nuvi lacks.
  
  Now, it has only been one day that I have owned the Nuvi so I will surely update this review again or post a full review on the Nuvi page, but so far I vastly prefer the interface and map routing of the Maestro but the Nuvi appears rock solid in performance. I did not encounter one problem or crash whereas with the Maestro I had two crashes and two problems that were fatal.
  
  In summary, if we could put all the features of the Maestro into a Nuvi, we would have a perfect unit. I really wanted to like the Maestro and I really liked the Maestro features and function, if only it was not as fatally buggy I could recommend it.
  
  
• Great Product, Great Price
  By A26RY00AEZZ599 on 2007-11-29
  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.
  
  
• A solid choice, but not without flaws
  By ALQT1NJRZ5W06 on 2007-12-26
  I bought the Magellan 4250 from Amazon for $357. I have previously owned a Magellan Roadmate 760, an HP rx5915 Travel Companion (TomTom) and three Garmin handhelds, one of which I have also used for auto navigation overseas (a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx). I have agonized about what new GPS to get for a couple of months now and have extensively investigated this one, the Garmin Nuvi 760, the Navigon 2100 and the new HP 300 series.
  
  Design. The unit is attractive with both black and silver in the bezel and it's nice and thin... about the size of a Pocket PC device. The mounting bracket only adjusts two ways, but you can get that third degree of freedom by rotating the direction of the suction cup on the windshield so it works fine. I like this mount much more than the old flexible mounts on the Roadmate series. Those were horrid. They include a slip case for it, which is a cheap one, but nice of them to do anyway.
  
  Startup. The unit doesn't always start up easily. It sometimes seems to 'stick' at the lawyer garbage screen even when I press the ok button. It usually starts just fine, but when it does stick, it still usually gets going after about a ten second pause. Occasionally, I have to turn it off and on again. I guess this is what we get with a Windows CE based device.
  
  Satellite Lock. The first time I started the unit, I told it where I was in the config menu and it's been very quick to get a satellite lock on every startup. It's generally ready to go before I get out of my driveway and has been very reliable at maintaining a lock. It is much faster than the old Roadmate and faster than the rx5915 (which also has the SirfIII chip).
  
  Maps. It's not Magellan's fault, but I'm quite irritated with Navteq for screwing up the maps around my home. About three years ago, I reported that their maps lacked my neighborhood street even though it's been here since 1985. They emailed back about six months later saying they had come by and added it to their database. What they didn't say is that they totally messed up what is where, putting streets in the middle of houses and shortening the overall street to less than half of its real length. What a mess! I've had to set my 'home' to a spot down the street that is still on the map. Other newish things in my area (such as a new major road that's only been open for a bit over a year) are in place, though, so you shouldn't give too much weight to whether my neighborhood is rendered poorly. Garmin uses the same company for their maps and TomTom uses a different company, Teleatlas.
  
  Basic navigation. The 4250 seems to do a decent, though not perfect, job of navigating. I drove it to another city about a hour away today (on a route I'm familiar with) and it did make what I consider to be the 'right' choices. It had a couple of questionable calls that I'll have to keep an eye on. At one place, I took an exit to stop at a store and to continue my trip, it wanted to send me back onto the highway the wrong way for one exit instead of just telling me to do a U-turn and re-enter the highway. Another time, I pulled off the road for gas and, when it recalculated, it wanted me to cross the main road I'd been traveling down and go onto local roads (instead of turning left back onto the highway). My experience has been that all GPS devices do a certain amount of this stuff, but I was surprised by these two that seemed so far from reasonable by any standard. I'll have to keep an eye on it, though the rest of the navigation was quite smooth. A feature I haven't used yet is that, once a route is calculated, you can select a segment and exclude it. That's something the Garmin lacks that I really wanted so I'm glad to see it here.
  
  Voice / Text-to-speech. The voice on this not great. It's an irritating woman's voice that tends to grate on the nerves. I turned the volume down and that helped a lot, but I don't understand why they don't give us a choice of voices like they did with the Roadmate. Why do companies remove features that don't cost anything (or much) to add to the new product once developed on the old one? The text-to-speech is a bit smoother than on the old Roadmate, but I'll still probably turn it off as I did before. It drives me crazy that the voice reads every single bit of a long line of alternate road names. They separate the different names with a / in the screen... why not just have it read to the first slash. It's totally ridiculous and irritating for it to keep repeating 'turn right on Bennett Road / US 29 Business / US 250 Bypass' over and over as you approach a turn. You can see the alternate names on the screen... how about just having it say 'turn right on Bennett Road'?
  
  Traffic. I live in a rural area and don't use this. I'm saving my free activation for my next trip and so can't speak to how well it works.
  
  Exit POIs. This is one of the features I think has a lot of potential. I haven't been able to test it yet, but was disappointed that it says in the manual that, if you do exit to a gas station using it, then it will cancel your current route. That seems silly since it can remember a set of waypoints in order for a trip, and it can detour around a traffic problem without losing your route. Still, that's a minor annoyance and I think the feature will be useful. I'll find out in about a week when I'll be traveling on Interstate highways.
  
  Screen. The screen is sharp and clear and bright. I've read some people comment that they don't like the colors, but I do. I find them nicer than the colors on either the rx5915 or the Garmins Nuvis that I looked at. It automatically turns to night mode, which it nice, but the night colors are not as nice as those on the rx5915. The 4250 night colors are a black background with white roads, where the rx5915 night colors are a nice set of dark and light blues. Still, this is a very nice screen and is easy to read in every lighting condition I've hit yet. (Haven't had the sun directly on it yet.)
  
  Trip Mode. One of the things I liked about the Garmin Nuvi 760 I considered was the ability to take a set of waypoints and optimize them for the shortest time to travel them all. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that the 4250 has the same feature. You just set up some waypoints in the trip editor and then tell it to optimize the trip. Very nice if you have half a dozen errands to run and want the GPSr to help you keep the trip as short as possible. That's about all I've done with trips, but it all seemed easy to do.
  
  Voice Recognition. Forget about it; this is worthless. It's bad enough that the things you can tell it are extremely limited (and mostly not the things you'd really want), but it can't hear you over even regular road noise. I had to lean way forward toward the unit just to get it to respond to the 'Magellan' key word and it never did respond to most of the other commands I gave it. And if you did want to know something like the nearest ATM, you'd have to cancel your route before even asking as those options don't show up when a route is active. Just pretend this feature doesn't exist.
  
  Bluetooth. This was disappointing in that it won't remember my phone (Razr v3) and reconnect. You'd think that pressing the 'connect' button in the phone menu would do it, but it doesn't. I have to go into my phone and have it search for new devices every time to get it connected. Now who wants to go through that? Even when connected, the speaker is marginal and it cannot access the phone's contact list so this is another worthless feature in my book. I'll stick to my bluetooth headset.
  
  Address Book / Points of Interest. It's built-in points of interest are quite comprehensive, though it would be nice if they would let you combine a search by category and name. You must choose one or the other, which means you can't narrow it down by category first and then search by name. Still, it works and it does have pretty much everything I've ever asked it about. The address book works well and includes the option of storing up to three phone numbers, plus a note field, for each entry. If you use the bluetooth with your phone, it will dial those numbers if you wish. You can designate an entry as a 'favorite' to have your most used addresses in a shorter list. Custom POIs (now call 'enhanced') can only be saved using the included POI software and is one of the weaknesses of the Magellan. I can't express strongly enough the senselessness of not allowing GPS coordinates to be entered into the address book or of not allowing addresses to be entered into the custom POI file. To make my POIs, I have to use Google Earth to give me the GPS coords for a given address and then copy those into the POI Manager software. Given that every address in your address book is ultimately a GPS coordinate, it's absurd that you can't freely copy those back and forth. Add to it that you are limited to only ten categories of POI in your custom file and you just have to wonder what they were thinking. So overall, the address book is pretty good and custom POI handing is pretty marginal.
  
  AAA Tourbook. I wasn't very excited about this when I chose the 4250, but after looking through it, I have changed my mind. It has a ton of great information about places you travel through. Instead of just finding the name of nearby hotels, it gives you quite a bit of information on each. You look up the hotels near you and it gives you the AAA stars, a description of it, amenities (so you can know if it has high speed Internet and such), whether it takes pets, and so forth. It does the same for food, events, entertainment, etc. I think this will be very useful.
  
  Overall. I wasn't sure at first, but I am starting to think I'll keep this unit. Although I have pointed out several flaws in the product, the truth is that every brand has major flaws. Owners of the new Garmin Nuvi 7xx series complain that it locks too strongly to roads, putting you on roads that you're not on, and that it can take a long time to start up. They also have a variety of UI issues that are different than those that Magellan has, but just as irritating. There are also many things I like better about the Garmins.
  
  The TomToms (if my TomTom-based rx5915 is any example) have a whole slew of usability issues (like not showing you the address for an entry in your address book and not showing addresses of POIs you searched for) and it has given me some amazingly creative routes that loop you out and around, going miles out of your way, when a simple right turn would have gotten you where you were going. But the TomTom also has some really nice features that the others lack.
  
  So I am simply resigned that none of the companies can actually design a complete product and the act of choosing is just one of deciding which irritating things you can and cannot live with, and which unique features you'd really use. I do find myself wondering if the people who design these things ever actually use their own products. If so, I just don't see how they would make the decisions they do.
  
  Anyway, I think overall, this unit will be pretty good, and even if the Garmin were to edge it out in operation (which I'm not sure it would), there is no way it would be enough better to justify the extra $150 or more that it costs. And this has several nice features the Garmin lacks. While I am a bit obsessive about my electronic gadgets and am quite hard to please, for 95% of the people out there, this would be a fantastic unit with lots of great features. The only caveat is that, since the voice recognition and bluetooth are virtually useless, I'd say that if one of their less expensive models lacks the voice recognition and bluetooth, but is otherwise identical, it would probably be the better bet. On an absolute scale of what I think a GPSr should be, I would have given this 3 stars, but compared to the other options out there, I feel 4 stars better represents its relative merits.
  
  
• Not quite ready for prime time
  By A31JKT9PW5D6Z on 2007-12-05
  After extensive research, I purchased a Magellan 4250 - great price for a fully loaded gps. Out of the box eperience was good, nice bright clear screen, fast satellite hook-up, dead on location accuracy, and an intuitive menu system. But (you knew this was coming, didn't you?), after trying it out and spending over 2 hours on the phone with three different support technicians, I have decided to return it.
  
  Why you ask? First, it has an annoying habit of refusing to turn back right after being turned off. It sometimes takes a full minute or more to turn back on. Guess I could live with that, but not the next issue. The bigger problem is with its bluetooth features. It would link up with my cell phone and function properly - receiving and sending calls perfectly. However when you turn off the 4250, and later turn it on, the link to the cell phone is completely gone, like it never was there. The only way to re-establish the link was to go thru the discovery process again.
  
  Hello tech service. I eventually talked to three different techs (the good news is that wait time was very reasonable, less than 1 minute each time), and was eventually told that 1) this is a known problem (it actually was duplicated by one of the techs who had a 4250 availble to her 2) that there is a work around - turn bluetooth off on the cell phone before turning the 4250 off (nope - didn't make any difference) 3) that the 4250 was supposed to be shipped with firmware 2.36 (mine had firmware 2.24, 4) firmware 2.36 would fix this problem, and 5) firmware 2.36 would not be available for download for approximately two months!
  
  Hmm....what to do. Since bluetooth was important to me, and the principal basis for my decision to buy (along with the good price), I decided to return it. Too bad, it's otherwise a nice unit. But releasing a new model with an obvious flaw and more importantly not being able to supply a software fix for several months is definitely not the way to win my business. I guess I'll pay the price for the equivalent Garmin.
  
  
• DO NOT BUY MAGELLAN PRODUCTS
  By A1EX862HNDWT8T on 2007-11-16
  Before you make your purchase, pick up the phone and call customer support. You will find it is in India and it is worthless. They will lie to you about shipments you have been promised, know nothing of the products and are completely useless. To test this report, I challenge you to try to find anyone in the USA to speak to. Every phone number is routed to India as if there is no US presence at all. DO NOT waste your money. Buy anything but a Magellan. Call (909)394-500 to verify that what I am telling you is true.
  
  
• abysmal customer support
  By A1O3WXVFVIU0I1 on 2007-11-28
  I accidentally entered the wrong S/N when registering my 4250 online. Though it accepted the S/N I entered. The print is extremely misleading and I made a typo because of it. What looked like a 6 was actually a 5. I was unaware it was the wrong s/n until I tried to activate the free 3 month traffic subscription. After I entered the traffic subscription coupon it generated a coupon code that did not work (a ridiculously long code that I entered several times) on my device because of the S/N error. (I figured out the S/N error only through perusing the different user settings and finding a product information page. If you buy one of these, don't try to read the box, turn on the device and go to the product id screen.)
  
  I called India (customer support) and it was an excercise in futility, and I knew that as soon as the guy answered the phone. This is not a racist comment in any way. The problem is customer support is farmed out to companies in India, but they don't have any tools available to them to help you.
  
  - Even though I registered online fully the guy in India can't see my info and you have to slowly phonetically spell your personal info over the phone, again. It's the same info that you enter online.
  
  - He tried to walk me through the process of entering a traffic subscription activation coupon, but I was already there on my PC. Once he understood this he asked me to enter the activation coupon code, which I dutifully did. Nada....
  
  - As I explained to this gent, the coupon was used for the wrong device and I need a new coupon code for the GPS that I do own.
  
  - Not only could he not provide a new 3 month code, or tell me where to write to in order to get one, he said he cannot correct the erroneouus online information. I now have two Maestro 4250's assigned to me.
  
  - I feel sorry for the person that buys the 4250 that I already registered. They are in for a nightmare when they get the error stating this number has been used already.
  
  It's a deal breaker for me that a typo when registering the device could cause this much of a problem, and Magellan has no provision to correct it. I only hope Magellan reads Amazon reviews. Amazon shouldn't carry Magellan. Decent hardware, but zero support.
  
  
• Disappointed
  By A3T4ALYYIGQLFQ on 2007-11-14
  I bought this unit at a local Best Buy. When I saw Windows Mobile listed on the back I was sad. But started the device and all worked well with quality construction and all accessories included. But the second day I used it, it froze on the Settings screen. RESET does not fix this. Contacted Tech Support but haven't heard back yet. Will probably return unit and go back to Garmin.
  
  Update: talked with Magellan tech support and the unit was completely frozen so I returned it to get a Garmin 200W for $250 from Amazon which arrived via UPS Ground in 1 day!
  
  
• Could you speak my language?!
  By A1Y3C64L7MBL5H on 2007-11-19
  While researching the Magellan GPS's, I was rerouted upon rerouting upon further rerouting to a division poorly referred to as 'customer service' in India. Not a pleasant experience!! All I wanted was a brochure or additional documentation to educate myself on their product line. No one could provide me with the assistance I needed, as when I finally reached a 'voice' overseas I was rerouted once again. Save yourself the headache. Take this post to heart & shop a different company!
  
  
• Better than many, but not perfect.
  By A24JVTJDTFYXWW on 2008-01-02
  The portable GPS market is still in its infancy and thus no one GPS is perfect.
  
  Compare the TomTom GO720 with the Magellan 4250 for a second. TomTom has a boat load of features and nice menus, most used menu options can be defined by the user and the list goes on. TomTom lacks accuracy and a large POI data base.
  
  The 4250 has a huge POI data base, which is really important when in an unfamiliar city and you don't know what stores/places exist in the area. The accuracy has been better than the TomTom 720, but isn't perfect. The TomTom places my house on the wrong side of the street and 1/2-mile away, whereas the 4250 is still a little soon of where my actual home is located, but places it on the correct side of the street. The TomTom has me turning left for a shopping center that doesn't exist, instead of correctly informing me to turn right. The 4250 had this one correct, but failed at other times.
  
  The bad thing about the 4250 or the TomTom GO720 and most likely all the portable units is being able to trust them 100% of the time.
  
  The last unkind words is the routing the 4250 comes up with. Sometimes it nails it and other times it'll take you on a scenic tour when there was a more direct route. Since the 4250 has 4-routing options (Fastest, Shortest, Most use and Least Use of Freeways) I've tried them all and at times it has provided a better routing and yet at times it provides the same routing or worse.
  
  The speech-to-command feature is limited, needs a very quiet environment and a loud talker to work correctly. While it can be nice to just say what you need the GPS to do, I've given up and resorted to touching the screen to get what I want in a reasonable time frame.
  
  Pros: Of the four GPS units I've used (TomTom GO720, Garmin 196, Magellan and a laptop running Street Atlas USA), the 4250 comes out on top for having the best POI database and has been more accurate (road depictions, directions, routing etc) than the TomTom. The Garmin 196 and Street Atlas USA have been the most accurate, but lack either portability (Street Atlas) or the inability to store all the street level maps in the USA (Garmin 196). Magellan doesn't interface with the PC/MAC other than to get updates, whereas the TomTom can be controlled by the PC/MAC and has a nice docking station. This interface allows you to sit inside you home and plan you trip on a real keyboard and larger display. Magellan needs to take note of this feature!
  
  Cons: Expensive, though I purchased mine for $150 less than retail by shopping around on the internet. Speech recognition is terrible. The spoken directions are hard to hear in noisy vehicles. In my Jaguar XJR, no issue, but in my Dodge RAM 1500 Pick-up, the road noise can make it hard to hear the GPS or the GPS to hear you. TomTom has a great "speak-up" feature if it detects a noisy environment. TomTom also allows the screen brightness to be controlled in gradients and dims the screen as the ambient light falls, whereas the 4250 only has a night and day mode with the setting of brightness the user chooses and does not dim or brighten as the lighting condition change. Rerouting is also a little slow if you miss your turn etc. The TomTom wins out here on speed.
  
  Summary: If you could take the TomTom 720 and the Magellan 4250 and make one unit out of them, then you'd have something a bit more "perfect". If a POI database is important, pick Magellan. If features (e.g. detection of noise and lighting conditions, the ability to tell TomTom of map errors and software for the PC/MAC that allows you to interface to the GPS, then pick TomTom.
  
  One last note: TomTom is in Beta testing of a new map set, which might tilt the scales in favor of the TomTom if accuracy and the POI database are improved to the same level of the Magellan.
  
  
• Great GPS unit
  By A3U1M97SSDR47W on 2008-01-27
  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.
  
  
• Many features - many flaws as well
  By A1MYOGZBPNG71F on 2008-01-30
  I bought this and the Garmin Nuvi 650 and took them both for a long trip from Dallas - Atlanta - Destin, FL - Back to Dallas. It was a very good test of both systems and I actually returned the Magellan 4250 because of the following:
  
  1. It gave me a weird route from Atlanta to Destin, FL that was 3 hours longer than Google, Yahoo and the Garmin. I had selected Quickest route when it did that. I then selected shortest route and it gave me another route that would take 6.5 hours. Isn't that the quicker as well? A friend of mine also said that the Magellan unit he had gave him a route that was 8 hours long from Houston to Dallas, instead of the regualar 5 hours.
  2. I wanted to search for all Rest Areas that were coming up on my route. The exit POIs only show you the next 20 miles in your route. When you are on a long trip and want to get the next exit, you have to cancel the existing route and do a search. This will show you what you are looking for that is completely out of your way. The Garmin shows you the POIs you are looking for while navigating your current route and also shows the direction the POI is in. In the Garmin you can also ask it to show only POIs on your route.
  3. The unit froze up at least a dozen times in 2 weeks and rebooted itself.
  4. This unit wants to say out loud every darn thing you do on it. Example: 'Back', 'Cancel' etc. Would I not know what I just selected or what button I pressed on?
  5. The voice prompts are very limited and the prompts available are even more restricted when you are in a route. Example: 'Nearest gas' command is not available when you are in a route. You have to cancel the route to get it. When you are in a route you only get the Exit POIs. When you r route is not on a freeway what good is the Exit POIs feature?
  
  
  On the positive side:
  1. I liked that you could select a segment in your route (say a particular freeway) and ask the unit to avoid that segment. This comes in handy when you know that there is construction or heavy traffic on a part of your route.
  2. The FM traffic feature, though it is limited to only the big metro areas, is still a nice one to have.
  3. I liked how the keyboard will automatically grey out the letters that are not applicable. Example: When you are entering 'Dal' for Dallas Ave, it might see from its database that the next character could only be 'l' and a couple of other characters and grey out the rest. Believe me, this helps when you enter street names and the keyboard is not QWERTY.
  
  
  
• Good GPS, HORRIBLE Customer Service
  By A1WOAX7YFREXLZ on 2007-12-16
  I purchased a Maestro 4250 in November 2007. I spent many weeks researching the internet about the differences between Magellan and Garmin including borrowing a friends Maestro 4000. My final decision was based on the fact that Magellan had AAA POI's, the ability to call AAA road service with your location and had real time traffic with a free 3 month subscription to the service. I followed the instructions for obtaining the subscription code and when I entered it into my GPS unit received an "Invalid Code Entered" error. After 20 plus attempts, I contacted customer support. I spent one hour on the phone explaining to various support personnel what was wrong to finally be told they didn't know what to do and please call back Monday. Well, I didn't have to call back because the unit died and would not power on again later that afternoon. I returned the unit for another 4250 and once again went through the steps for the traffic subscription code and once again received the Invalid Code Entered error. Due to work situations I was unable to call customer support until Thanksgiving Day and on this day spent 2 hours on hold before I finally hung up.
  
  I called customer support several days later and a rep quickly deciphered the problem and gave me a new product code and instructed me to enter this code on the Magellan website and get a new activation code on-line. I did as instructed but the site kept telling me I already had a code and would only try to sell me a one-year subscription to the traffic service. I called customer service back and after spending 10 minutes on hold was told the reason for this happening was the website was being worked on and the correct option would appear in a couple of days. It never did and as of this date I have sent a letter to Magellans Corp Headquarters via snail mail because obviously they can't handle any other method.
  The GPS unit is very nice to work with and has found locations I thought impossible to find. One of my main reasons for purchasing this unit was it's Real Time Traffic option which I STILL have not witnessed.
  
  
  
• Masterful, outstanding GPS
  By AE0LPTNSDSDMB on 2008-06-21
  First and foremost, this is a truly great GPS. Second, you MUST upgrade the firmware to the current level -- makes it perform at peak level. (Also, if you're a AAA member, upgrade the AAA Tourbook data and get your free, members only warranty extension -- see [...]). Third, make your own assessment, don't put too much faith in the negative reviews -- I frankly question the honesty in some of them.
  
  I've only had my 4250 for a few days, but both my wife and I agree that it's an incredible device. Read the previous review by BrandonNM, "Jeff" and see that I agree completely with his comments. But also notice that many of the cons are being addressed by Magellan with the new 4350 and 4370 to be released in July 08. I read many, many reviews and user comments in trying to decide whether to buy the Maestro 4250, wait for the new one or go with the Garmin 760. I'm glad I chose the 4250 and can happily wait a couple of years to get a newer Magellan replacement.
  
  If you have or buy the 4250, be sure to tap on every icon and every info box to see what it will display. The manual is definitely too brief (that's a minor negative) and doesn't show all the options (and that's a major plus -- there's more here than meets the eye). An example, tap on the "Arrival time" box when you're in a route, it changes to remaining time and remaining miles before going back to arrival time. It seems everything has buried options underneath.
  
  I read many reviews and user comments. Some are clearly biased, others I wonder how they got a unit that was bad. Mostly I just don't accept the negatives I read. Except for not having enough time to see if it will break down, I've exhaustively checked every option more than once. Most complaints about the 4250 not doing this or that are because the reviewer or user didn't take the time to find the proper path or method. Another example -- a major review that said you can't change a planned route once it is entered. I planned a route for my current 1000-mile round trip. I then Optimized and Saved it. I went back and added a new stop (Append) and re-optimized. I went back and deleted one of the stops and re-optimized. All went perfectly. It even found for me a shoe store in a huge shopping center -- the shopping center wasn't mapped, but the shoe store was pinpointed on my GPS and it told me I was there when I got to within 50 feet.
  
  The new firmware definitely improves responsiveness and re-routing if you make a wrong turn. For example, a new stretch of highway was put in where the older instructions said to turn. Before I was 100 feet on the new road, I heard the "calculating route" message and a corrected route taking me in from the opposite side was displayed. Fantastic! And that happened more than once! (Lots of new roads on this trip.) The map is the same NavTec map in use by all current GPSs -- an update is expected this Fall and hopefully that will resolve some of these. I had no problems finding any of the POIs we chose -- that will certainly be hit and miss as on any GPS as places change over time. But the AAA data was accurate and up-to-date to the last quarter. We have been AAA members for many years and have always relied on the AAA tourbooks, getting new ones for every trip. Now we don't have to get the newest annual book unless we want it -- the most recent updates can be downloaded every quarter to the 4250.
  
  We haven't yet tested the Bluetooth, but our phone is supposed to be compatible. At this point using Bluetooth is problematic between any two devices, so it's just not a big issue for us.
  
  One thing I want to point out, is that Magellan appears to be addressing many concerns with the 4250 (the 2007 high end model) both with firmware updates and corrections in the manufacturing stream (later purchases don't have the same issues are the earliest ones). They are also making changes is the 2008 line (4350, 4370, etc.) to address concerns like not being able to enter addresses with voice commands (the 4350 will have that as well as a "pedestrian" mode.
  
  Some more good things: The touch screen is quite sensitive and almost always responds to a tap. Occasionally, it will miss (just re-tap) or will pick up a double-tap (oops, go back) minor stuff. The screen brightness is great, but definitely bright at night. Volume and brightness can be adjusted with the Options menu and there you also can see your battery level. The volume is orginally set to High -- too loud for our relatively quiet Camry, but that's fine with loud music. We found no problems at all with the Magellan responding to our voice commands. Normal tone of voice, picks up my low voice and my wife's higher voice with no problem at all. I actually like the window mount. Set it up properly, and it easly turns from side to side (driver to passenger) while staying in place for finger taps and remaining level to both views.
  
  I also had to contact Magellan Tech Support because of a difficulty signing up for the 2nd year warranty (it never told me it worked). I got a response within 24 hours confirming my extended warranty.
  
  If we have any problems over time, I'll post here. We are extremely happy with our purchase. If you don't like some of the current concerns (no voice address input, 2007 map, etc.) wait for the new releases and pay a few hundred dollars more. Or do like we decided -- get a great GPS and plan to upgrade in a couple of years when it's a lot better. (You can see the new features for the 4350 series on the tigergps site -- Amazon will probably add that info soon.)
  
  
• 3 1/2 stars -love it & hate it. I can't decide
  By A3GEULE1ZLQHX7 on 2007-12-20
  This review is designed to just give an over-view of one mans experience with some of the 4250 features, not a piece by piece description and review of all its capabilities. I give it 4 stars but really its 3 1/2. After a month, here's my review:
  
  Overall the mapping function worked well. One instance while driving in SF it routed me a direction i would never take because i know that route to be extremely slow. Disappointed because i thought it gave crappy direction I went home to google maps and entered the same starting/ending point and google gave the same directions. So while GPS directions are good, theres no substitute for local experience.
  
  A feature it didn't have that i like on my old garmin was when it rerouted you, it immediately said "take a left in ..." its a small feature, but it allows you to keep your eyes off the gps and drive instead of studying the GPS wondering is it done yet, whens my turn?
  
  A new feature that i haven't used yet but seems really cool is the detour. Let say constructions going on, with one button it will reroute around that for a user defined amount of miles.
  
  POI - Remarkable. Favorite feature. Plus the built in AAA roadside map which give you descriptions and phone numbers of local attraction is awesome. Also there 'exit POI' is a great new feature. If you're driving on the freeway, it tells you what gas/food/lodging lie ahead in each exit. 5 stars if I only based my review on POI.
  
  Bluetooth - They have a screen of death! Can you believe it? Yes, a screen of death. If you go into the bluetooth screen and click bluetooth manager, it, without fail, will do nothing. And you can't get out of it! The only way to exit this mode is to reset the unit - thus the name, screen of death! Then once it restarts, 1/2 the times its so slow that you need to restart it again! I can't express my disappointment that such a reputable brand like Magellan would allow their product to be shipped with such a major fault.
  
  Where am I - is a great feature that rivals that of the most expensive Garmin. Tells you you're current location and your next major cross street. Great if you're lost at night in an area you don't know.
  
  Voice activation - is a nice feature, more of a novelty then anything else. Just dont try showing it off around your friends because i've been embarrassed by it more then once. And while trying to use it in 'real world' situation, half the time I find myself repeating the same commands at the GPS a mere 6 inch away - must be quite a sight for fellow drivers passing me by.
  
  I have yet to activate the traffic feature so I can't comment on that topic. Going to wait til i move to LA - this feature was a necessity so hopefully i'm not disappointed
  
  Overall I found this product a mere day before I was going to buy a Garmin unit (either c550 or nuvi 660). I thoroughly researched the garmin line and once i stumbled on this unit, it compared with the garmins best model, the 760 ( 4250 has multi destination, where am I - plus voice & detour, something garmin doesn't have).
  
  And since this unit was almost $300 less then its comparable garmin 760, I quickly switched camps and bought this. And i happy with it - I don't know. The screen of death and the fact it doesn't say when it completes a reroute are major flaws to me. But there are great features on this unit not found on any Garmin helps it stand out. I'll give it one more month to grow on me, contact customer support to resolve this problem because this unit is like the underdog and i'm really rooting for, even with the screen of death. If i decide to return it i'll probably buy the nuvi 660.
  
  PS - Heres a little fun fact i didn't know. Magellan is a straight in South America named after its explorer, Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. It was feared by the most intrepid maritime navigator in its day because of its icy and windy route.
  
  
• Very Pleased with Unit
  By A2CP6IMISGIBW6 on 2008-01-06
  Like everyone else, I spent weeks of painstaking research on which GPS to buy, I finally settled on the new Magellan Maestro 4250.
  
  It was a close race between this and the Garmin Nuvi 660. Neither are perfect, so it was a matter of comparing features and picking which bells and whistles I wanted.
  
  This is my first GPS so don't have anything to compare it to, except for using one in a rental car, which was also Magellan. So far, I am very happy with it. I have not registered or tried the real time traffic update feature yet.
  
  Pro's
  
  * Easy and intuitive user interface. Touch screen responsive to the lightest tap. Screen is large, crisp and easy to see.
  * Clear and audible text to speech. Saying the street names is a tremdous help.
  * Accurate and dependable directions. Seems to pick up even the new roads around. Tells you about upcoming turns in enough time to prepare. Also tells you which side of the street your destination is on when you get there.
  * Quickly and automatically re-calculates route if you miss a turn (does not force you to make a u-turn to get back original route)
  * Locks on to a satellite signal almost instantaneously when powered on, and so far, hasn't lost connection.
  * Good selection of POI. Easily identifiable and easy to navigate. Very helpful if you are looking for a gas station or coffee shop! On the other hand you can filter out the POIs that you see roll by so the screen isn't cluttered. Very nice.
  * AAA guidebook ... handy
  * Day/Night lighting and colors
  * Sleek black and silver design. Ultra thin and portable.
  * Voice command .. very cool. It does sometimes takes a few tries to get Magellan's attention and for it to understand what you want. But, it's still useful. "Magellan, GO HOME" is my favorite. :-)
  * Extras ... case, AC adapter.
  
  
  Con's
  
  * It doesn't always choose the most direct route (shortcuts I know) .. even after playing with the preferences (shortest route, fastest route, least use of highways ...), However, the routes that it does choose are reasonable.
  * Bluetooth .. it loses a star for bluetooth. I have a relatively new Nokia phone that is not supported. In fact, the list of phones that is supported is rather limited, though I imagine that will improve over time.
  
  Overall, for the price, it is a good product and a dependable navigator. I would highly recommend it.
  
  
• This gift was a huge hit
  By A10923OB5J93FD on 2008-01-07
  Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
  I have a factory installed GPS in my car so I bought this for one of my children. I like this one better than mine!! This is a great GPS, easy to use, great visuals and I love the voice command feature. Plus the AAA partnership is great for people who travel. We had no problems with installation and my daughter loves it. We did our homework to find the best one for our needs and I am glad we did. I highly recomend this unit.Since purchasing ours several people I know have purchased a Madellan GPS in the 4000 series. They have all given them rave reviews. So whether you buy the least expensive model or the best one with all of the features you should be very happy with a Magellan GPS.
  
  
• Good GPS and good customer service with some minor flaws
  By A2GK8XCIRHUZLY on 2008-01-25
  I purchased this GPS in early December 2007. It was attractive and quite sturdy. Everything seemed to work as promised until about a month later in mid January 2008 when one day the blue tooth phone menu refused to display. I called Magellan customer support and after instructing me to reset the unit (which I myself had done several times), they asked me to return the unit to Magellan for repair.
  
  Well, 2 weeks later I called them to check on the repair status and they informed me that it would take about a month for the repair to be completed. He claimed that they were double checking all Maestro units to ensure everything worked. As stated in some of these reviews, apparently they had released the unit before it was ready for prime time. The repair time may be acceptable to some, but not to people who rely on their GPS on a daily basis. I spoke to the supervisor today and he was going to call me after he had contacted Magellan headquarters. He kept in touch with me regarding the status and just a few days ago (after 3 weeks in the shop), they sent me a new unit. This one so far seems to work as advertised.
  
  Magellan's customer service center is in India. As polite as they are, often they are just too difficult to comprehend. I had to constantly ask the rep to repeat himself which was very frustrating.
  
  When it works, the unit itself is fine and has the following attributes:
  
  - Good speech quality
  - Quite accurate directions
  - Voice command often works as advertised
  - Quite attractive
  - The traffic receiver works as advertised
  
  The flaws that I have noticed are as follows:
  
  - The unit does not automatically connect to your blue tooth phone. I have a Sony/Ericsson z525a. You have to re initiate the connection every time the unit or your phone is turned off
  - Sometimes the unit just freezes and requires multiple resetting
  - The list of compatible blue tooth phones is rather limited
  - As stated above, the blue tooth menu has refused to display
  
  These flaws seem mostly to be software related and probably fixed with an update. However, if you often use and rely on your GPS, you may want to wait until they have released the latest software version to purchase one. I hear the latest release is coming out in early (Jan/Feb) 2008. And hopefully they will have fixed all the flaws and the issues that I and other reviewers have encountered with this unit.
  
  All said, it is a good unit with quite a few features at a reasonable price.
  
  
  
• New firmware available - Great GPS with tons of features
  By A1OGXH2JB8AM5Z on 2008-06-18
  I really like the 4250 so far and I can't figure out a few of the poor reviews. Some of them sound like they never even bought the unit but just want to rip on Magellan. I have not found this GPS "buggy" and mine has never reset on me. I think the unit is solid, well built, and attractive. I also don't have problems turning it on as long as I hold the power on button for a few seconds (manual says 2 seconds but I usually hold it a little longer).
  
  After having it a couple of days I checked the Magellan site and found that there was new firmware available that took mine from version 2.24 to 3.34. Speed and response time was good but I think it got better with the firmware upgrade. The firmware update also supposedly improves routing and fixes some reset issues. I hope it also corrects the the issue several have mentioned where it pronouces "DR" as "doctor", not "drive", haven't tested that yet. Route calculation is fast on this unit, easily as fast as my TomTom.
  
  Besides what I mentioned above here are some of my Pros/cons.
  
  Pros:
  - I like the map screen way better than the Garmin's or TomTom's. It is more attractive and easy to see in direct sunlight. My TomTom's screen was almost impossible to see in sunlight. It also has more info than the Garmin's. I like that the 4250 shows the compass direction you are traveling and satellite reception on the map page, the Garmin does not.
  - The Current Location screen shows altitude as well as all the typical stuff. None of the other models I considered display altitude.
  - Voice Command is really cool. My kids love speaking to it and I have found that it works very well after you learn how to properly address it. The number of commands are limited but it is very handy.
  - POI's on map screen are easy to see and the icons let you know what is there. My TomTom had a generic indicator for POI's no matter what kind they were.
  - The AAA info is very nice and handy. Descriptions are quite extensive.
  - The spoken street names and exits are nice. My previous GPS did not speak street names. Many people think this is a must have feature. Personally I don't think so but I do appreciate it.
  - The female voice is fine, easy to understand, and plenty loud. I can't imagine it not being loud enough, as some people mention, unless you were in a convertable.
  - The trip planner with multiple destinations is great. The other model I considered (Garmin 260w) only supports a single destination and one way point. It is nice to be able to plan the whole trip in advance and be able to save destinations in the address book.
  - Rerouting is very fast and it doesn't just tell you to make a U-turn!
  - Interface is easy to use.
  - Arrival time is much more accurate than my TomTom.
  - Includes AC and Car adapters, case, USB cable, etc...
  - I haven't used traffic since it is not available in my area but I do like that it is an option if I travel somewhere were it is available.
  - No mp3 or picture support. I bought a GPS, not a PDA so why would I want that stuff?
  - Very fast satellite acquisition.
  - Included software allows adding customer POI's.
  
  Cons:
  - Map data isn't old but it isn't as current as the Garmins. My map data is from Q2 2007. An update is supposed to come in Q3 2008. Several recent POI's are not listed.
  - ?? Not a con yet for me since I haven't used it, but I have read from the reviews that support is not very good. The web site is quite helpful though.
  - I agree that the night screen is a bit too bright.
  - Basic cradle that comes with unit is kind of lame in it's adjustments. I liked the TomTom one better.
  
  My decision came down to a choice between the Garmin 260w and Magellan 4250 because I didn't want to spend more than $300. The Garmin 260w is also a nice unit but for the price the Magellan includes so much more. To get a Garmin with similar features costs over $100 more. Overall I am very happy with the Magellan 4250 and would recommend it.
  
  
• Nice product, terrible support for Bluetooth concern
  By A2OIC5GA9AJAA9 on 2007-12-29
  We purchased two 4250 units for Christmas despite the potential Bluetooth concern (silly us!) Indeed, we confirmed that one must re-pair the phone and GPS system each and every time one device or another is turned off. After reading a review, we thought that a software upgrade solution would be on the horizon to fix this glitch and therefore were not concerned. However, after multiple calls to Magellan tech support and no acknowledgement of the problem or confirmation that a software solution is imminent, we have decided to return the units. We might have considered waiting it out if the tech support had readily confirmed their knowledge of the issue (at first the technician tried to imply that loss of pairing was a normal occurence, but later conceded it was an aberration). The unit is excellent from a GPS perspective, but the Bluetooth was an important part of our decision to go with this unit. We are very disappointed to have to go through the return headache, but have realized that our concerns are not being adequately acknowledged or addressed. If Bluetooth is an important feature, we would not recommend the 4250. We probably will go with the Garmin nuvi 360 or 660 at this point.
  
  
• Good Product
  By AABLRQ1OKRWFI on 2008-01-10
  I did an endless amount of research regarding GPS products. I read the reviews on all the websites and tested the products in the stores. The Magellan 4250 won me over with price and features.
  
  I was primarily looking for a GPS device to reduce my travel time to work. There are multiple routes that I can take to work. However, based on traffic, one route could be better than another route. Thus, I wanted a GPS device that could help me with that decision. I also wanted the ability to have control over altering the route. Further, I also didn't want a device that required me to mount an antenna to the windshield to receive traffic signals. (I am not a big fan of advertising to vandals and don't want to deal with the hassle of taking an antenna down every time I go to work.)
  
  The Magellan 4250 has exceeded my expectations. My commute time has been reduced by ten minutes. And I have discovered new routes that were substantially faster than ones that I had been taking for YEARS. While Garmin produces great products, I didn't like the fact that I had very little say over detouring the route a set number of miles or excluding certain roads. In addition, the Magellan was about $300 cheaper than the Garmin product that I was looking at.
  
  The only reason that I gave the product four stars instead of five is due to the Bluetooth. Not really a critical feature to me. However, the fact that you have to reconnect your phone every time you restart the device makes the feature useless. Such a procedure really is unnecessary.
  
  On a side note, I highly recommend getting a seat bolt type mount device. I purchased one and I think it is great. My GPS sits low and out of view of the windshield. I simply take the GPS device out of my car without having to hide the mount. I still get a great traffic signal and I don't worry about advertising my device to thieves and I don't have to take a mount down and put it back up when I go to and leave work.
  
  
  
• Better units elsewhere
  By A2T4O3G9K5WPPC on 2008-02-06
  I had a Magellan Roadmate 800, which I really liked. Magellan's Map Upgrade wiped the hard drive clean. After spending several days on the phone with their Indian Tech Support, a supervisor gave me an RA number to ship it to Houston, where they would reinstall the original maps and the upgrade. Needless to say, that went badly as Magellan's Non-existent Customer/Technical support lost the unit. They finally agreed to ship me the new Maestro 4210 (a 4250 sans the integrated traffic). The 4210 does connect to the satellites quicker than the 800 but is not as accurate. My home address is about 3 miles away from where the 4210 says it is... The position hops back and forth between the road I'm driving and any parallel roads nearby - and it always tries to reroute me when it thinks I'm on a different road. Problems I did not have with the 800. Only ATM POI's show up on the map as I am driving. And only the female voice is available. The maps on the 4210 still show streets that have been gone for 7 or 8 years - and I know that Tom Tom's maps are accurate in this regard. I wish I had bought a Garmin or a Tom Tom.
  
  
• A reasonable price to pay for better features than previous models.
  By A2HXE29CU1I24Y on 2008-03-27
  Considering my experience with an early Magellan GPS unit, I decided to wait until they sorted out the kinks, increased functionality and lowered the price.
  
  I've purchased a Magellan GPS unit awhile back costing USD999.99 and I couldn't take the painfully slow response and long lag. I could drive faster and be at a considerable distance while the unit tries to recalculate the route. Further hurting to this previous unit is how big and bulky it is. There is no touch screen function, while users have experienced random freezing of the display.
  
  Fast forward to GPS units of 2007/2008 and we have nice slim touch-screen GPS units with better than average processing speed.
  
  Highlights:
  
  1. What's great with Magellan Maestro 4250 is that it is a quarter of the price than early intro GPS units a few short years ago making it very affordable for everyone.
  
  The GPS chip and built-in antenna is very sensitive that it was able to immediately detect my position in a few seconds. This is versus the painfully slow detection of early GPS units in which I was already driving quite a distance before it was able to detect and route me home.
  
  In fact it's so sensitive that it doesn't need to sit directly on top of the dashboard to get a clear view of the sky. Even with a sunshade blocking the windshield or messing with the device indoor by the window, the unit was able to determine my position.
  
  2. Touch-screen. I must admit that there is a bit of lag, which may not be apparent for first-time users. However, this becomes more evident at you become familiar with the functionality of the GPS. There is also a problem which the screen sometimes does not respond properly. This again may be more of a problem to users with bigger fingers as small icons and points of interests are lined up on the screen.
  
  You can explore the surrounding area of where you're currently at by tapping into any of the points of interests presented on the screen. You can also move in any direction by dragging your finger across the screen and the map will move along.
  
  The screen is very bright even at the lowest setting. Of course like any device, direct sunlight will wash out what your viewing especially when placed on top of the dashboard.
  
  3. Map. It is what you can expect of all GPS units from hand-held to in-car. There are options such as turn-by-turn directions similar to Google and Yahoo maps and then there is the 3-D map which gives you a visual representation of the area. There is nothing that can be done in this regard as they are meant to be colorful and simple rather than realistic which will end up dull and more of an eye strain and hazardous as the goal is to have your eyes on the road at all times than spending time viewing the map.
  
  You have the ability to zoom in and out of the map and as I said above explore the surrounding area on the map by dragging your hands on any direction or tapping on the points of interests.
  
  4. Speaker. The volume is adjustable. The female voice is natural and pleasing. Pronunciation is accurate for USA diction and intonation. The same obviously cannot be expected when it encounters unusual street names or when you program foreign names into the built-in address book.
  
  At the loudest setting, there is evident distortion due from the small size of the speaker on the already compact size device.
  
  5. Menu. Like all electronic devices that try to give you as much functionality these days, you have to give time to be able to navigate thru the menu and options. However, thanks to it's touch-screen feature the arrangement is much easier and less hazardous. However, I'm sure the arrangement won't please everybody as there is surely more than one way to categorize items based on personal preferences.
  
  6. Bluetooth. This is very functional for the few supported phones that seem to be an outdated phone list already. For other Bluetooth phones that it doesn't support, you can still patch into the GPS unit but as a headset device. This means that it takes over and acts as the speaker and keypad. Your Bluetooth phone will recognize this as a headset device and will pass all functions and audio sound to it rather than the phone. The good thing is that you can tuck your phone away while the GPS alerts you visually and audibly of incoming calls. You can even use the address book of the GPS to dial out numbers.
  
  Sadly that's where the fun ends. The GPS unit is very lame in acting as a Bluetooth headset device. For one, it cannot automatically patch with your phone unlike real headset devices. Even if you "paired" both already, you will still have to go into the menu of the Magellan GPS and start the pairing process from your phone. This should be automatic. When two previously paired Bluetooth devices are within range, they should automatically sync together.
  
  They should constantly update the list of phones, but to date I haven't seen them release new firmware or software.
  
  7. Hands-free / Voice Command. To activate this feature you speak the word "Magellan" and it will ask you to speak a command. There is nothing to invent or memorize here as there are very limited commands to take note of. However limited they are, it is still the most functional command you will need like the ability to "Go Home" from wherever you are or even reroute to the four choices of fastest route, least use of freeway, etc.
  
  I particularly enjoyed the voice command feature of asking where I am and how far I am to my destination. It will speak the distance and approximate arrival time based on my current travel speed.
  
  I did not enjoy having to speak over and over again. All you had to do, according to the manual, was speak clearly. No shouting needed. But this is not what I experienced. The placement of the unit was where everyone will think to place it - in front of you and at the center of the dashboard. I had to end up speaking louder and louder for commands with longer phrases like "Distance to Destination" than for simple commands such as "Cancel" or "Reroute".
  
  This feature is highly useable for drivers who don't have a co-pilot, but it's still not up there. This particular feature feels like something alongside the first-release GPS units that is more of a beta release.
  
  8. Live Traffic. This would have been a great function except that it costs USD10.00 per month (cheaper if subscribed on an annual basis) to use this feature. The device has a built-in FM tuner programmed to hunt the strongest signal in the area that contain traffic info. So you will be dependent on the what station is providing updates and how fast they are updating.
  
  I'm not a fan of paying a monthly fee on top of all the other monthly fees in my daily life. In any case, should you decide to subscribe to it you'll be happy to know that the feature is built-in and ready for use versus older units which needed an external patch on the GPS.
  
  9. AAA. Thanks to their partnership with AAA you get trusted information on lodging, restaurant and other services based on the location you are at. And if you're a AAA member, you even get another year of warranty by registering with a special code that AAA will give you. If you click on the "Tow Truck" icon, you are given the coordinates of where you are which you can easily relay to AAA so they can come and help you.
  
  Although I've been a AAA member for quite some time. You won't really need to have a membership to appreciate the preloaded information. Of course, to avail of the discounts of the particular establishment you have to be a member and show your card.
  
  10. Others. What's great is that the maps are built-in a solid-state memory which makes accessing faster and safer. There is an external SD memory card slot which will help you back-up your information should anything happen.
  
  11. Accessories. The usual standard accessory - cigarette lighter adapter, home charger, windshield mount, dashboard mount sticker to replace the suction cup, and soft pouch to protect the unit when hiding away.
  
  Then again California residents like myself can't legally install devices by clinging on the windshield. So the work-around is to use the included sticky label to attach on your dashboard than the windshield. Yeah, right. I would suggest heading over to third-party manufacturers such as Pro-Clip USA who specialize in creating great mounting clips which is less tacky than a windshield or dashboard mount. (I said less tacky only. Wouldn't we all would want to have a true built-in car navigation system). They create speciality mounts for well-known units including this Magellan Maestro 4250 unit.
  
  
  CONS:
  
  - What can I say, the unit still locks up randomly. When I power it via the cigarette lighter socket it just simply gets stuck on the warning screen. What should happen is that it displays the obligatory warning screen then disappears to display the map. Sometimes it's just there on the screen. The only remedy is to either reset it or power off and on (sometimes more than once). This is a hassle as you would want to start and drive than worry how to make the GPS work.
  
  - At a rare occasion it displayed a totally different map which I am not even familiar with. I don't know why it got confused with the coordinates, but I had to re-select the region.
  
  
  WHAT I WOULD HAVE LIKE THEM TO ADD:
  
  - Updates to the unit in terms of firmware and software to ensure current streets, fuel stations, restaurants, etc. Also current support of new Bluetooth phones.
  
  - A more intelligent system that memorizes your preferred daily route from home to work, for example, so that it will not have to constantly tell you to go to the freeway, avoid the freeway or find the shortest distance. What if you had a preferred choice of first avoiding the traffic areas of the freeway and use local roads then hop on the freeway at a certain point. It should be able to do this so there would be no annoying voice prompts constantly re-routing and making you turn where you don't want to go.
  
  
  CONCLUSION:
  
  With all that's said and done, the price is very reasonable for the function and feature that it comes loaded with. My deciding factor in wanting to keep this unit is how stable the software will be as I've said I experienced a few freezes of the screen. The unit has been out for quite some time, so I'm disappointed that they are not able to address this stability issue to date.
  
  If you can live with this as well as the attractive price, then it's something worth looking and investing into.
  
  
  EDIT: 07 APRIL 2008
  
  I have to knock down the GPS a star or two from my original rating because of two things:
  
  1. When I power up the unit, it sometimes still thinks I'm in a different area. I realize that it still has to get a lock on signal from the satellites, but to actually be driving off and tell me I'm in a place I'm not is dangerous and misleading.
  
  2. Twice has the GPS steered me to another direction. I've mapped a frequented place and always cross a main bridge which is the off-ramp from a freeway. The unit is letting me go elsewhere other than pass straight thru the bridge. It's like the bridge is not there at all to the unit when the street is clearly marked in it's own map. However, it wants me to go circles around it and then back again just to reach my destination. If I didn't know the area, I would have just followed it to an improbable direction where I would have to fall off the bridge and then fly back up with the car. Amazing.
  
  3. When using the unit out of town, it made me turn LEFT. However, I didn't pay attention to the directions and missed the turn. Of course it told me to u-turn when it was safe to do so. I made a u-turn at half a mile and headed back so I can this time turn RIGHT to the original turn it was making me go to. However, this time it was now making me turn LEFT again (instead of RIGHT) to an open field so I can go around in a big circle.
  
  I'm disappointed I had high hopes to love this unit. The price is still reasonable at the performance it was giving. But I couldn't understand the decisions it was making as to why it was making me turn circles instead of a straight drive thru the road ahead of me even if the street has been there for ages even before I was born.
  
  A mild recommendation this time.
  
  
• Better than my old Magellan
  By A2H8JHKB688R23 on 2007-12-29
  I thought my old Magellan was great but this is even better. It is very lightweight and has a more versatile windshield mount. I enjoy most the new features such as bluetooth, AAA Tour book data, voice reponse and the fact that for each turn you are directed to take it names the street. The display is clear and bright. Just used it from CA to Seattle. It is great.
  
  
• Very nice unit overall, especially for the price
  By A2QAROQU74E44K on 2007-12-30
  I have had the 4250 for a few days and overall I'm very happy with it. I was a bit worried about the power switch problem everybody seemed to be having but I have turned the unit on and off through quite a few cycles and have really not had this issue. The switch does seem to have a "sweet spot" and if you press it as it likes to be pressed, it seems to power up readily. When I use the cigarette adapter, the unit powers up with no problem without any button pushing at all.
  I have tried the voice command and it is picky about the way it like to be spoken too... but overall it works OK. Of course the less outside noise, the better the voice command works. The bluetooth also works OK... not stellar... but I called home and talked through the unit at about 45 MPH. I would have liked a little more volume through the speaker, but I could hear the call and my wife said she heard me just fine. I did have an issue where the touch screen would not go into paired mode. When I was on the phone page and pressed pair mode, the page would come up and immediately go back to the menu without pairing. I did the reset where you hold the power switch down for 10 seconds and restart and the problem went away. It remains to be seen whether this will be a recurring issue.
  
  The display is great, sharp and detailed. The voice that announces the manuvers is pleasant enough. The GPS itself has been dead on accurate and the maps are great. I take I-78 to work from PA - NJ every day and the unit can actually tell if I am in the local or express lanes! Only once or twice have I had some minor routing issues. I knew the unit was going to take me a bit out of my way, so I excluded the manuver... had to do it twice before she told me the fastest route. Funny thing was, the day before maggie told me the fastest way the first time.. go figure.
  
  Overall, I am very happy with the 4250, I have 30 days to decide if it's a keeper and for now, it definitely is! I would have given it 5 stars if I didn't have to re-pair up my phone to the bluetooth each time.
  
  I also have to mention, I was blown away by the service I got from Amazon with this order... I ordered the unit on Wednesday at about 4 in the afternoon... right after Christmas. I selected one day shipping. Within a couple of hours I had an Email saying the unit had shipped, and I had the unit in my hands the next day! WOW!
  
  
• great product
  By A20YG1STVLC937 on 2008-01-07
  I bought this at the same time i bought the garmin 760, and have had several garmin gps units in the past.
  
  I rate this a 5 in every catagory, except in its bluetooth support, it doesn't always connect to my iphone and makes me pair it almost everytime i want to use it.
  
  The voice commands are fun, and work very good, and the price is a lot less expensive then the Garmin.
  
  

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