Magellan Maestro 4000

First the good stuff. The GPS accuracy exceeds my expectations, it is usually accurate to within about 10 feet. The "directions" have been flawless so far. The voice prompts are clear and easy to… understand. The screen is very large and easy to read. The menus are are breeze to use, and there is no "learning curve". Now the bad stuff. There is no way for me to look up POIs on my computer, and download them; which is stupid since the unit has a USB interface. The POIs on the GPS are all "AAA" rated places, so you are limited to the places that "AAA" wants you to go to. I looked up restaraunts in my area, for which there are at least 20 "chain restaraunts" like chili's & applebees etc; however, it only listed one obscure restaurant in my area. The next closest place it listed was nearly 10 miles away!!! In my opinion the pre-loaded POIs are absolutely useless. And with no way to download them from my PC, I am forced to look up the address via internet and then MANUALLY enter them into the GPS (this seems like stone-age technology to me).

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I researched competitor units from Garmin and Tom-Tom, and decided to buy the Magellan 4000 from Amazon.com. The unit arrived just before Father's Day, and I am extremely pleased with my choice. The 4.3"… screen is easy to read in all light conditions. It powers up and finds my location in just seconds, compared to minutes with a former Garmin unit. I have used it for about 10 days, driving to all parts of the Twin Cities. It brought me right to every address, and found a restaurant, when someone's verbal directions lead me astray. The AAA data base is very extensive, and the mapping detail is extremely current. The battery holds a charge for over 3 hours of use, and it was easy to program addresses in the easy chair at home. I am very glad that I now have the Magellan 4000 to get me around the city and the country.

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Competitive price, large screen, and updated map are the strength of Magellan Maestro 4000 GPS. However, it comes with many hidden compromises buyers needs to be aware of. The biggest problem I have is the… random freeze-up problem. For no apparent reason, it would stop working. You will need to poke the reset hole to completely restart the system (power on/off would not work). It tends to happen in prolonged, continuous use (2+ hours). Most system controls are accessed from touch screen. Unless you have fingers as thin as a pencil, you will have problems pushing the right places. Some frequently used functions such as 2D/3D map switching and north-up/head-up switching require multiple touches. This is awkward. As another use pointed out, POI database is small and the search is slow. The system uses an algorithm to predict where the gps will be in the next second and to calculate your speed. The algorithm appears not optimized. the predicted gps location is often behind the actual location causing missing turns. But at 50% of the price of a Garmin 650, I will live with the compromises.

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Recently purchased the Maestro 4000 for a trip to Philadelphia from Boston. I considered other Magellellan products (3100, 4040) and other brands but liked the screen size, AAA database and price ($335 when… purchased, now down to $299). Overall the product worked very well. Navigating the menus is relatively easy, Magellan keeps your options simple, Entering an address, looking up a AAA Point of Interest, setting or canceling a route is a matter of point, listen, click. In fact my wife, not a gadget gal, found it easy to locate tourist sites in Philly without any help. I found the system to be very accurate, particularly when directing me through confusing freeway on and off ramps. The split screen visual when taking a compound off-ramp is very helpful. The AAA database is extensive though it doesn't contain every listing you might like (for example, I could not find a single Friendly's Rest. listing...though many other chains are located). Did not have any problems with freezes over a three week period, though you will need the in-car charger (included) since battery life seems about 2 hours. Voice is friendly and clear (particularly like the female reminder to safely make a u-turn when I miss a turn). The windshield mount worked better than I expected. Things to improve: 1. Software to map route on your computer then upload to GPS. I have not been able to find any software that will allow me to do this on the 4000. This means you must rely on the GPS routing software. They include some software on the CD (pc only) but it is primitive and I couldn't quite figure it out. 2. Need to be aware of the differences between Routing Options (e.g., Fastest Route, Shortest Route, Most Freeways). Fastest route sometimes took me off freeway through the boonies...just need to be aware of this. 3. Related to #1, manipulating the automatic GPS routes is cumbersome. If you just go with what they program, you are good. Overall, the 4000 is well worth the (declining) price. If you don't need BlueTooth and Voice Command you can save over the more expensive 4040 and 4050. I do think the AAA database is worth the investment. I would just like the option to map a route on my computer and then upload to GPS.

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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.

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