CNET Editor's rating: 7.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Bonnie Cha
Review date: 12/16/07
The good: The Magellan Maestro 4250 allows you to operate the portable navigation system with voice commands. It also features text-to-speech functionality, integrated Bluetooth, and traffic capabilities. The system provided accurate directions.
The bad: The Maestro 4250's points-of-interest database is a bit outdated, and we encountered some general performance delays and glitches. Voice control does not include address entry. The system does not automatically synchronize your cell phone's address book to the device, and call volume is a bit low.
The bottom line: Despite some minor shortcomings, the Magellan Maestro 4250 is a solid and accurate mid-level portable navigation system with a helpful voice-command feature.
The number of portable navigation systems coming out these days is pretty astonishing, but the thing is, we're finding that when it comes to the core navigation functions, they pretty much all offer the same thing--text- and voice-guided directions, extensive POI databases, automatic route recalculation, and so forth. So in order to differentiate itself from the competition, GPS manufacturers are adding more distinct and advanced features, and in the case of the Magellan Maestro 4250, this comes in the form of voice commands. With this function, you can operate the in-car GPS device with the sound of your voice. For the most part, it worked well during our test period, and we think it's a great safety feature. However, the functionality is a bit limited at this time, (e.g., you can't enter addresses via voice) and you have to create a pretty quiet environment in your car for optimal results. Voice commands aside, the Maestro 4250 is a solid mid-level portable navigation system that also offers text-to-speech functionality, integrated Bluetooth, and accurate directions. It's available now for $499.99.
Design
At 3.2 inches high by 4.8 inches wide by 0.7 inch deep and 6.8 ounces, the Magellan Maestro 4250 is more compact and lighter than the Magellan Maestro 4040. While the difference in size isn't significant, we definitely noticed that the Maestro 4250 felt less clunky and the slimmer design makes it that much more portable and easier to slip into a bag during travels. We also like that the company throws in a soft carrying case to protect the screen and case.
Though the overall size of the system may have shrunk, fortunately, the screen size didn't shrink. Like the Maestro 4040, it sports a 4.3-inch touch screen that shows off 64,000 colors at a 480x272 pixel resolution. Maps and text looked sharp and vibrant, and the display was readable in various lighting conditions. For the most part, the touch screen was responsive, but there were several occasions where there was a bit of a delay from the time we tapped an icon to the time the system actually registered our command. The system also froze in a couple of instances (see Performance for more).
The user interface is intuitive and simple to master. As with past Magellan products, the Maestro 4250 also includes the QuickSpell feature to aid in text entry. As you start to enter addresses on the virtual keyboard, QuickSpell grays out any characters that don't match the city or streets located in the system's database. It's quite handy and worked well during our test period.
On the right side, you will find an FM antenna input, a mini USB port, and an SD card expansion slot. The power button is located on top of the unit, while there's a reset hole on the bottom. Finally, the backside houses the speaker and external antenna jack.
The Magellan Maestro 4250 comes packaged with an AC adapter, a car charger, a USB cable, a vehicle mount (windshield and dash), a protective pouch, and reference material. The vehicle mount is sturdy and easy to install, but the side-mounted cable connections make the overall setup a bit of an eyesore.
Features
The Magellan Maestro 4250 is equipped with an SiRFStarIII GPS chip and comes preloaded with Navteq maps of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska. To start planning a trip, you can enter a specific address; choose a point of interest; or select a location from your address book, recently visited destinations, or favorites list. The system has the ability to calculate routes based on fastest time, shortest distance, least or most use of freeways, and toll-free roads. Alternatively, if you don't need directions to a specific place, you can just tap the Show Map icon to get a general overview map, which can track you as you drive around the area.
The system provides guidance by way of text- and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, plus text-to-speech functionality, which Magellan calls SayWhere, so the system will speak actual street names. There's also a simulator mode that you can turn on to view a running demo of your trip before you actually hit the road. Maps are presented in 2D or 3D mode with day and night colors and a split-screen mode that shows the map on one side and your next maneuver on the other. For those who are interested, there is a trip computer that collects data, such as average speed, trip time, drive time, and trip distance.
So far all of the Maestro 4250 features have been pretty standard, but the unit does stand out from its competitors for one reason: voice control. While we're seeing this technology pop up in upcoming models, such as the TomTom GO 920, this is the first model with voice commands that we've actually been able to test. Unlike the GO 920, the Maestro 4250 doesn't allow you to dictate street addresses, but you can perform a limited number of tasks with the sound of your voice. This includes rerouting; finding points of interest; routing to your home address; and getting your current location, distance to destination, and roadside assistance. You can check out the Performance section for experience with this feature.
Other navigation functions include automatic route recalculation, a detour function, multidestination trips, and support for traffic capabilities. Using the included car charger, which has an integrated RDS/TMC receiver, you can get real-time updates on the road conditions. Magellan includes a complimentary three-month subscription to Navteq Traffic. With it, you can find out where there is congestion, lane reductions, road work, and accidents, and the Maestro 4250 can even reroute you around the area if you have this function selected in the User Option menu.
The points of interest (POI) gets a healthy boost, increasing the number of entries from the Maestro 4040's 4.5 million POI to 6 million. This includes all the major attractions, such as gas stations, ATMs, lodging, and restaurants by cuisine type, as well as more specialized categories, including camping grounds, golf courses, and movie theaters. While the database is extensive, we found some of the information to be out of date. For example, we did a quick scan of the restaurants around the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco, and found at least half a dozen listings that had been out of business for at least a year.
On a brighter note, the Maestro 4250 continues to offer access to AAA TourBook listings for AAA Diamond-rated lodging and restaurants, complete with information such as hotel amenities, restaurant description, and hours of operation, admission prices for certain attractions, and so forth. AAA members get a bit more benefit out of this feature since you can view listings for establishments that offer discounts to AAA members, and AAA-approved auto repair facilities. In addition, in case of an emergency, the unit will display the AAA member toll-free help number and your exact location, so you can give the operator all your information.
Finally, the system has integrated Bluetooth, so you can pair your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or smartphone and use the Maestro 4250) as a hands-free speaker system. With it, you can place and accept calls, view your call history, search the device's address book, and redial. You can also directly dial any number associated with a POI. Unfortunately, your phone's address book and call history list does not automatically synchronize with the portable navigation system.
Performance
As we stated earlier in the Design section, we experienced some performance glitches and delays with the Magellan Maestro 4250. There was some lag between triggering a task to the time it was actually executed. The first couple of times this happened, we thought the touch screen simply didn't recognize our tap so we pressed the icons again. This ultimately led to the system freezing, so we had to power on/off, and it got pretty frustrating.
For our road tests, we took to the streets of San Francisco, and from a cold start, it took the Maestro 4250 about two minutes to get a fix on our position under clear skies, while subsequent starts were almost instantaneous. The system did a good job of tracking our position on drives throughout the city. The receiver was strong enough to survive the skyscraper-lined streets of the financial district, but as expected, the signal dropped once we drove through the Broadway Tunnel. The good news is that the Maestro 4250 was able to quickly pick up our location again once we exited the tunnel.
We also entered our standard trip from the Maridio district (Marina/Presidio) to CNET's downtown headquarters. The system quickly created directions, and a quick glance at the maneuver list showed that the course was accurate. The voice prompts were loud and clear, and we were pretty happy with the text-to-speech directions. The voice wasn't too robotic and did a decent job with street pronunciations. We also like that the Maestro 4250 alerts you to upcoming turns by playing a chime. That said, there were a couple of instances when the voice prompt would tell us to make a turn right as we were passing the street. Fortunately, route recalculations were fast and accurate, but still, we'd rather have ample warning of upcoming maneuvers.
As for the voice commands, we found it to be useful and certainly a safer option than taking your eyes off the road to look for POI on the map screen, checking your current location, and so forth. However, it has its restrictions. First, be aware that you have to say, "Magellan" to activate the voice-command function and to get the best results, you're pretty much going to have to turn off your radio and roll up your windows. Once we did that, the Maestro 4250 did a good job of understanding our voice commands and performed all the functions. At times, we couldn't help but think it would be quicker to use the touch screen, but again, if you're driving, this is a safer option.
We had no problems pairing the Maestro 4250 with the Samsung BlackJack II, and was able to easily make and receive calls. That said, we found the call volume was pretty low. And again, we also wish all our phone's information was automatically synchronized with the Maestro 4250.
I bought the 4250 and was excited as it's a beautiful device packed with a lot of features ...
Pros:
I bought the 4250 and was excited as it's a beautiful device packed with a lot of features for the money. I haven't seen TomTom's up close (the 920 looks good online), but to me, the 4250 is far more attractive than the Nuvi 680.
The 4250's screen is sharper and brighter, although, the Nuvi has larger easier to read fonts when driving. Overall, I think the 4250's screen is great.
The 4250's voice prompt functions are fun and somewhat useful. You may have to repeat yourself several times, but you can keep your eyes on the road and say "Magellan, distance to destination" and it will tell you how far you have to go, and when you will arrive. That's actually pretty cool.
The menu system is good, very intuitive. The predictive text is great.
The POIs and AAA POIs are very cool. Garmin charges $69 for their travel guide.
Cons:
Unfortunately, the 4250 froze up on me a few times. It was frozen over 3 minutes under clear skies so I don't know what was going on. All I could do is shut it off and turn it back on. It found sats within seconds after rebooting.
I had a problem signing up for the free 3 month traffic subscription that comes with the 4250. The bottom line is the foreign CSR was unable to help me register for my free subscription that I rate and said I needed to pay for an annual subscription if I wanted the traffic service. That's a deal breaker to me.
Customer service is farmed out overseas and the CSRs cannot help you with anything more basic troubleshooting. Even though you can create an account online and enter all of your personal information, the CSR doesn't have access to your account. You have to speak slowly, and repeat the very same information that you already entered online.
There's no email support of any kind either. I sent a letter to them just after Thanksgiving, and I still haven't heard back from them. I don't expect to.
If the 4250 were to stop working I don't trust Magellan to support it. Garmin on the other hand has a fantastic reputation for customer service.
The 4250s list of phones supported for bluetooth is very limited. I have a Sony W300i, there is no way to sync my contacts, and no automatic pairing. I can manually pair it and it works for basic hands free use, but thats it. Magellan is way behind on this compared to Garmin.
Summary:
I want Magellan's features/hardware with Garmin's customer service and bluetooth functionality (and smaller windshield mount).
Since I can't have both, I decided to buy the Garmin Nuvi 680 and return the 4250. The 680 cost me more than the 4250, but it automatically pairs with my phone, and my contacts automatically synchronized too. The 680 has worked flawlessly.
It's too bad, because I really liked the 4250, and I normally don't worry about customer support, but these things are expensive and I'm not going to support a company that doesn't support their product.
If you do buy the 4250, get it from a warehouse store in case you need to return it someday.
Hardware 8, customer support 0, that's why they get a 5. Sorry for being so wordy, but this is a real eval.
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by tjmile1 (see profile) -
December 3, 2007
35 out of 36 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Great GPS and very easy to use!
I reviewed all the top products that Garmin, Tom Tom, and a few other companies put out and this one ...
I reviewed all the top products that Garmin, Tom Tom, and a few other companies put out and this one caught my eye. First off, the wide screen is great and very clear. The menu is very easy to navigate through and it only takes a few minutes to setup even without reading the manual.
I read a lot of reviews about the blue tooth options on several other units and I was not expecting much but the bluetooth worked on my Sprint Treo perfectly and the listener on the other end had no problems hearing me.
The one feature that stands out is the AAA reviews of restaurants, hotels, etc. Depending on the POI you choose, you can find out a little about that location including telephone and hours of business.
Those are just two options but what most people are looking for is a easy to use GPS...so far, this is very good. You type in the address (it may complete it or give you options as you type) and choose which way you want to go (fastest, shortest, etc.) and off you go. You can alter your route on screen real easily and the map even gives you the option of a split screen when you come up to turns.
You can adjust the volume right on the screen and the graphics are very clear.
While at the store I debated on the Tom Tom but had a hard time navigating through the screens and it would never pull up the sats...I do understand we are in the store but the others pulled up the sats perfectly.
The other option that this unit has is voice commands. This is so easy to use and it gives you another option in changing routes or finding a destination while on the fly.
It is under $500 so it is not cheap but if you are lookng for a quality gps with options that actually work, this is a good choice.
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by tburns1119 (see profile) -
November 13, 2007
29 out of 32 users found this user opinion helpful.
5 out of 10 - Average Phone function was a deal breaker
I got the 4250 @ Costco for $350. Absolute best price at the time, according to my research. Circuit City selling ...
I got the 4250 @ Costco for $350. Absolute best price at the time, according to my research. Circuit City selling same unit for $500. I thought I was getting just what I wanted at pretty good price. I wanted a GPS with bluetooth capability without all the other needless extra features like MP3 player and JPEG viewer. This was going to fit the bill perfectly. Well.......
OK, I knew from Cnet review that the unit didn't synchronize phone list, but I was willing to let that slide because I thought as I make calls I would save to the 4250's contact list. Wrong! You have to manually add "addresses" for a phone list. I don't want addresses, I want a phone list. I have phone contacts that I don't even know addresses for. For instance, to add my wife & son as separate listings, you have to enter the city, then street, then street number. Then a screen comes up that you can add home, work and mobile number. Come on Magellan, get with the program!
Then the bluetooth would sometimes pair and somtimes not pair. I have a Motorola E815 phone. I only had the unit 2 days and it was just a hassle to try to use. First time using it took the wife shopping, so I'm in the car not moving, windows up, radio off, I call the house and leave a message. When I get home I play the message and all I hear are pops & cracks and static. It is supposed to have SMS texting. Doesn't work with my phone. When I did get the bluetooth to connect with the phone and received a text message it would disconnect the bluetooth. Then I might be able to reconnect or not. It was a crap shoot on that. This was the deal breaker for me. I returned it to Costco and picked up the Garmin Nuvi 680 for $480. So I shelled out another $130 for extras I don't really want.
As far as graphics are concerned, I thought they were great. The unit was sleek and stylish and compact. I just wished the features would work as advertised.
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by rss3300 (see profile) -
December 26, 2007
23 out of 26 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Great compared to Garmin Nuvi 650
I am comparing the 4250 and the Nuvi 650 real time currently in my car. The flip antenna for the ...
I am comparing the 4250 and the Nuvi 650 real time currently in my car. The flip antenna for the 650 is annoying. The 4250 built in means that it is ready to go and lays flat inside my car (didn't mount either and they work fine). But the flip antenna seems flimsy. The 4250 has been more exact with prompts when I actually needed them. The 650 actually had me go a bit out of the way - which is contrary to what I have read in other reviews. AAA feature is very nice - I will update this as I conclude my test
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by Lakeway (see profile) -
December 26, 2007
12 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 out of 10 - Very good Magellan 4250 vs Garmin 680
I travelled from Omaha to Southern Alberta. I had purchased a Garmin 680 (was actually looking for a 650 as ...
I travelled from Omaha to Southern Alberta. I had purchased a Garmin 680 (was actually looking for a 650 as the GPS functions are the same but less bells and whistles and cheaper). The 680 was decent but once I got to Billings I returned the 680 and purchased the 4250. Saving myself about $130. The 4250 does everything I need, I would have no problem recommending it. While travelling with it I had not read how to use the voice command, even without that it was impressive. When I got home and figured out how to use the voice command... simply amazing. The AAA info in it is awesome.
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by lstevens441 (see profile) -
January 1, 2008
9 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Magellan 4250 - Awesome GPS especially for those Hertz Rental users.
The good: Beautiful screen. You can operate some functions with voice commands, which work well and are very easy. It ...
The good: Beautiful screen. You can operate some functions with voice commands, which work well and are very easy. It features text-to-speech functionality, integrated Bluetooth which I will not need (I don?t want my GPS to be my phone, PDA, TV remote, iPod, etc), and traffic capabilities using the same FM system as others available (which work, but are far from perfect at this point). The system provided accurate directions, as expected and seen in the past when using the Hertz Rental Car Magellan systems. The maps are the same for the areas I reviewed in FL, NY, and CA as seen with Garmins. This is no surprise since they use the same map supplier (NAVTEQ). The bad: Voice control does not include address entry. Mount is a little big for my taste. The bottom line: Beautiful screen and very easy to use. If you are familiar with the unit in the Hertz cars and liked it, this fits like a glove as it works identical. At the Costco price of $249.00 (with a $100.00 off coupon for 2008 March 17th -23rd), this unit is awesome and does everything and more that I would want from a portable GPS. Buy with your AMEX and get additional 1yr warranty free!
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by ufgatorpa (see profile) -
February 21, 2008
7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 out of 10 - Abysmal Magellan Customer Service Nonexistent
After registering for the free 3 month traffic data subscription that comes with the unit, I was able t confirm ...
After registering for the free 3 month traffic data subscription that comes with the unit, I was able t confirm that the subscription was effectively activated, but no traffc data could be accessed on the unit. Customer service -- by way of India -- was unable to resolve the issue. They set my a new traffic subscription kit, which did not resolve te issue. After another 3 minutes on hold with customer service, I packed the unit up and am returning it. Magellan left a very bad taste in this consumer's mouth. Buyer beware.
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by plaos (see profile) -
December 26, 2007
8 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre returning after a week of trials, buggy interface, traffic useless
Tried this device for a week, but it's going back. I purchased it mainly for the traffic, portability was ...
Tried this device for a week, but it's going back. I purchased it mainly for the traffic, portability was a factor, as well as availability of Text-to-Speech.
I live in the washington dc area. the traffic service on the device lagged the every-10-minute radio traffic by up to 20 minutes. The 'auto-reroute' didn't and the manual one gives you no info on the extent of the backup, so choosing how far to detour is a crapshoot.
In addition, viewing the manuever list frequently resulted in a an abliity to get back to the map page (using the back arrow caused the map page to flash up briefly, then return to the maneuver page).
tiny quibbles: provided USB cable is so short, I had to crouch down next to my machine to hold the device. Why is there no direct upload of POI's through the USB connection? You have to load a file to a memory chip and access through there.
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by lblau (see profile) -
December 2, 2007
5 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
5 out of 10 - Average Astonished that this made Cnet top 5 gps'
I've used this unit for a month now and feel that it's not as special as CNet made ...
I've used this unit for a month now and feel that it's not as special as CNet made it out to be. It can easily get you from one place to another, but as far as the extras that set it apart, they are either buggy, or a joke.
The good: This unit has a large screen which is easy to view and use, decent speaker, and easy interface. It gets me where I need to go fairly quickly and the ETA function is pretty good. I let a friend use it who has never owned a GPS and they successfully made it to where they needed to go. AAA roadside assistance information is very handy as well. It gives you cross streets, lat and longitude, elevation, and other information which can help you if you have a problem. Also, when searching the POI's it gives you the address and telephone number for your choice. If connected via bluetooth and you touch the telephone number on the screen, it will automatically dial the number for you. As you will read later, the bluetooth is terrible so this great idea turned out to be disappointing.
The bad: As you have read not many people are happy with the bluetooth functions on it. The user manual in general is very short, and offers no help with bluetooth functions on it. Through trial and error I found out how to pair my GPS to my phone, how to dial phone numbers, and how to use the entire phone section. I am not kidding when I say the user manual completely ommitted a large portion within the phone section.
The microphone is terrible and can barely be understood by people on the other end. The unit is mounted on my dash about 3 feet from my mouth, and with the car stopped, and radio off I could not be understood. If I held the unit a foot from my face I could be understood clearly. Also you can say "Magellan" and it will give you options to direct you home, cancel a route, etc. Because the microphone is a joke it will either not work correctly, or go off while the radio is playing.
The POI's are outdated and the maps need some help. 4 year old construction jobs that have closed down offramps are not in the unit, so you have to drive around lost and wait until the unit redirects you. Also tech support and the magellan website are poor.
This unit can help you get from Point A to Point B pretty easily. That's the job of a GPS so that's why I gave it an average rating. It doesn't get anything higher because the extras don't deliver. Compared to a year old Tom Tom 910, the Tom Tom has more user options, voice prompts, languages, an external microphone, and better traffic options. The Magellan works, but it could be better. Hope this helps.
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by msj4 (see profile) -
February 20, 2008
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
4 out of 10 - Mediocre Nice GPS But Unacceptable Quality Control
Pros: The screen is big and bright and very crisp... much nicer than my Roadmate 2200T. The Point of Interest (...
Pros: The screen is big and bright and very crisp... much nicer than my Roadmate 2200T. The Point of Interest (POI) database is noticeably larger than the 2200T, and includes lots of stores rather than predominantly restaurants. The AAA Tourbook is pretty cool because it lets you find something new and interesting with a nice detailed restaurant description without having to bust out city search, though honestly, I haven't used it for much. You cannot search based on food type like you can in the normal POI area. When I'm looking to explore, I probably have an idea of what type of food I'm craving.
My big Con: I bought the unit, charged it up, played with it in the house all seemed well. The next morning I went to turn it on... Nothing! No matter what I did, I could not get it to turn on. Customer support declared it dead and offered to replace with 3 week turn around. Instead I returned it to Costco and got another. I charged and turned it on, but no satellites at all when my other GPSs had great reception. I think the receiver was dead. Later that night, it stopped turning on too. That's 2 dead GPSs that don't power on with or without AC power. I returned it again but didn't turn on bluetooth, just in case. All was well for a week, turned on bluetooth and now sometimes it won't turn on just like the others. Might be the bluetooth... don't know for sure. But it's really annoying to have a GPS that won't power on, and when it's the THIRD one! That's craziness.
Cons (for those whose unit turns on): The bluetooth sounds really cool, but it's not as useful as I hoped. It's not possible to import contacts (even with the custom POI software), and you can't access your cell phones #'s either. So you can only call built-in POIs or people you hand enter name. If you hand enter, you must include an address. The traffic is very delayed which leads to gross inaccuracies. Traffic disruptions are "point" incidences, meaning there is a spot maybe 10ft that is the traffic issue, rather than a whole road segment. So, in Oregon, it likes to tell me there is 31mph traffic at precise point that is say Exit 65. To totally avoid rush hour traffic, it takes the exit 65 off ramp (right before the traffic) and then immediately gets back on the highway (right after the traffic). Technically it avoided the traffic "spot" under the bridge. If only it were that easy in real life.
Given that this is an expensive device, last night I finally got fed up and gave the Garmin Nuvi 680 a try, so far I love it and the UI is better. I'll be returning the Magellan tomorrow.
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by VinIcarus (see profile) -
February 12, 2008
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