Magellan Maestro 4350 Review: A Solid Device Worth Considering

The Magellan Maestro 4350 GPS is an all new 4250 for the same $399.99 price. Its user interface is touch screen to make navigation easier. While it still has the AAA guide book and Bluetooth, the voice command feature is absent.

Basically, anything you would expect in the best GPS is available with the Magellan Maestro 4350. The widescreen is 4.3 inches; it has a real-time traffic receiver, six million points of interest (POI), the Bluetooth interface; and the Navteq maps cover Canada and Puerto Rico in addition to all fifty US states. One of my disappointments is the lack of voice command, but the Magellan Maestro 4350 does have movie and music players plus a photo viewer. Too bad the video support is way under-par, just a few file types.

Although the measurements on the Magellan Maestro 4350 are about the same as those on the 4250- HWD 3.25x4.88x0.70in- the mounting bracket is now the ball-and-socket type, which means you can more easily adjust both the horizontal and vertical orientation. Unfortunately, the Magellan Maestro 4350 retained the inconvenience of having its FM traffic antenna and power cord plug into the side, so that's something you have to bother with every time you use it.

The new touch screen interface on the Magellan Maestro 4350 is very easy is to operate with its large icons. There are the main View Map, Settings and Go To, then at the bottom of the screen you'll find the icons for media controls, Bluetooth and SMS. An icon in the upper right corner takes you to a menu that has Home, 5 locations of your choice, Nearby Road Service, Previous Destinations and S.O.S. Directions to the nearest hospitals and police stations, Where Am I?, optional AAA roadside assistance, and a 911 dialer can be found on S.O.S.

Several other features new with the Magellan Maestro 4350 keep it competitive with other GPS devices. Lane assistance guides you to the right lane for an upcoming maneuver, and you have select 3D landmarks to help with recognition. Plus, the Magellan Maestro 4350 calculates the best route according to Shortest Distance, Economical and Fastest Time, as opposed to calculating just one route like most GPS units.

Routes and directions on the Magellan Maestro 4350 haven't changed from the 4250. I miss the split screen True View, because now you can't see how fast you're going while looking at an active route, only the time left and the distance. Navteq ought to know better.

A lack of voice recognition is my biggest complaint with the Magellan Maestro 4350, even though it brought in a whole lot of good new features. It's definitely worth the money, though bargain hunters might like to stick with the 4250 (as little as $300 online), or check out the $250 Navigon 7200T, although it has an inferior POI database.