Magellan Maestro 4350

The Magellan Maestro 4350 omits one major feature -- voice commands -- that its predecessor the Maestro 4250 offers. However, reviewers say Magellan's voice-command feature never worked as well as Garmin's anyway, and the Maestro 4350's new features mostly make up for the loss. OneTouch lets you create shortcuts to your favorite destinations or GPS functions. The unit can also calculate three routes at once -- fastest, shortest and most economical -- so you can pick the best one (most GPS units force you to choose before they calculate). The Maestro 4350 also includes lane assist and reality view, similar to the Garmin nuvi 765T (*Est. $270). However, unlike the nuvi 765T -- or the budget-priced Garmin nuvi 265T (*Est. $185) -- the Maestro 4350 doesn't include free traffic information for the life of the unit. Only the first three months are free, and then it costs $40 a year. Experts also say the Maestro 4350 runs more slowly and calculates less efficient routes than a Garmin GPS. Users' complaints often center around poor customer service from Magellan.

GPSTracklog.com, PCMag.com and PC World all fully test the Magellan Maestro 4350 and have clear, concise reviews. ConsumerReports.org ranks the Maestro 4350 among many of its peers, although its review includes fewer details about the unit, and you must be a subscriber to read the write-up. GPSMagazine.com is a very reliable review source, but in this case its recommendation of the Maestro 4350 is not based on an actual road test. User reviews at Amazon.com report some problems that don't show up in professional tests.