Customer Reviews

Magellan Maestro 3100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(136)
4 star:		(110)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(37)

 

 

I'm a long time TomTom user, and I bought this GPS for my wife because it is small, simple, and inexpensive. We've been very pleased! The SIRF star III GPS chipset is incredible! It was able to lock onto 8 satellites from INDOORS! My TomTom GPS receiver is lucky to find 4 signals in the backyard with a clear sky. The NAVTEQ maps used by Magellan are much more accurate in the U.S. than the outdated TeleAtlas maps in my TomTom. I used both devices to search for 5 random addresses from my address book -- all of which are at least 5 years old. The Magellan found them all flawlessly -- even those with re-mapped zip codes in mid-2006! The TomTom found 1 of the 5, got me close to a second, and didn't have a clue about the street names in the other three. (Incidentally, TomTom won't provide me with a map update because they dropped support for my device, which is only 3 years old!)

The Magellan Maestro 3100 doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that the more expensive devices have, but it does GPS navigation as well as anything I've tried -- and I've tried most of them out there. I didn't buy a GPS to be an MP3 player and a picture viewer -- I already have an iPod for that. Any my car stereo has Bluetooth, so I didn't need hands-free phone capability. Why pay for features if you don't want/need them?

The only disappointment in the 3100 is the Points of Interest database. It only has 750,000 entries, whereas other competing (albeit more expensive) devices have several million. Still, it was able to find gas stations, ATMs, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores -- all the important stuff -- with no trouble. So I can't find campgrounds and beaches -- big deal! I usually don't get a spontaneous urge to go camping while I'm driving around anyway...

A previous reviewer mentioned the SD slot. Currently, it is used only to backup and restore your Address Book, Favorites, etc. Maybe a future firmware release will provide additional functionality...

Other nice features include trip planning with multiple stops; an address book where you can enter custom names,addresses, AND phone numbers; a Favorites list; a dedicated "home" button; detour planning; etc, etc.

There is also a great "where am I?" feature that with a single button push will display your precise location -- street, nearest intersections, lat/long coordinates, etc. This could be very useful if you need to summon emergency help.

All in all, this newly released (April 2007) GPS device should definitely be on your shopping list if you're looking for basic, low cost navigation.

I have used it only for a week , Once for a long trip spanning 3 states, otherwise local routes.

Pros

---- Nice interface, very easy to use,works right out of the box, minimal setup. very friendly & intuitive user interface.

---- Price, as low as $200 if you look around, a great bargain

---- Decent maps/updated NAVTEQ mapping data (I think as of April 2007)

---- fast re-routing/detour calculations

---- Fast satellite acquisition even indoors

---- Nice features like Current location finder

---- Decent size for portability

---- So far no crashes or freezes

Cons

---- No AC adapter included in the box, need to charge in car

---- No provision for Map updates in future

---- No text to speech/Bluetooth

(No other GPS at this price range has these features anyway)

---- Uses Windows CE, no wonder it is sluggish (but once route is prepared it is quick to reroute or detour calculations)

---- Terrible battery life

Overall, For price around $200, it is a great bargain. I initially bought Mio C220 but returned it next day. I think in budget GPS category, there are very few if any who can give you so many features & performance as 3100 gives.

I borrowed the Magellan Maestro 3100 and found it to be a great auto GPS. It has all the features you need in an auto navigation system. Because it has none of the extraneous features unnecessary in an auto GPS, the price is a deal. Magellan got it right with the Maestro.

Favorite Features:

Entering locations turned out to be easy with the predictive input system.

Setup was super easy. I had it up and going in less than a minute in my car. As I was borrowing it, I didn't have a manual or anything, but all the screens were so intuitive, that was never a problem.

The screen was so easy to read. I was expecting problems in sunlight, etc. Not a chance.

Routes were calculated quickly. I intentionally missed a few turns to see how it would handle re-routing. It did so quickly.

Touchscreen was perfectly responsive.

I'd recommend this to anyone who wants an entry-level auto GPS. It has all the features you'll want while driving.

I've been testing this little guy out for week and I can't find much to complain about. It is my first GPS unit and I like it because it has a simple, easy-to-use interface. The instructions are loud and clear. There is an empty SD Memory slot that must be for something. It has 48 preloaded US state maps on it and a 750,000 points-of-interest database that is pretty good (8 out of 10 times it will find fairly small resturants that I quiz it for and it hasn't missed any gas stations yet). One thing it doesn't have is the Text-Speech function which extends the simple turn by turn voice to also read out loud individual street names or businesses. Then again, is it worth spending more money on a more sophisticated unit capable of constantly reading stuff out loud to you? Dunno--I'm happy with machines not doing so much talking myself.

I bought this unit on July 6th from a local electronics store, and paid $199 on sale. Normal price was $299. I took it out of the box, mounted it to the windshield, and it quickly found about 7 or 8 satellites with a strong signal. I'm currently on a business trip in an unfamiliar city, and I'd used map printouts to get me to the store. Well, this unit quickly and efficiently got me back to my hotel with ease. Calculations were fast, and the graphics are clean and crisp. The voice prompts are clear and loud...and this is where my original "Except" post title comes in. On the System Settings screen, none of the changes get saved. For example, it's stuck on the Int'l Date Line - West time zone. When I change the Time Zone to Eastern U.S., it doesn't "remember" it. The save button changes color, and it clicks at me, but (unlike the other settings screens) it doesn't announce nicely "Saved!" It also is stuck on the highest volume.

I contacted Tech Support, first via the web (no response) and then via telephone. The call does get routed overseas (India is my guess, from the conversation). The gentlemen walked me through several rounds of hitting the Reset button on the side of the unit. Then he told me that this model doesn't say "Saved!" verbally on the Systems Setting screen, but changes indeed get saved. No dice, I said. Anyway, after about a 1/2 hour conversation, Magellan is sending me a brand-new unit in the mail, with a shipping label for me to send in my faulty unit.

As I indicated, everything "except" the settings screen works great! I would actually keep the unit as-is, because having the time be wrong is no big deal. I have a car radio for that, and a watch. Having the volume at its loudest isn't too bad, although at night it might be a problem. So, here's hoping "7 business days" pass by quickly, and that my replacement unit does not have this issue. I'll post an update when the new unit arrives.

***UPDATE***

Magellan sent the new unit via FedEx and it arrived in 5 days. It included a pre-paid UPS label to return the old unit. Although I was given 30 days to do so, I sent it out immediately. The replacement unit works great, and I've had absolutely zero issues with it. It has already paid for itself. I am someone who gets very frustrated in unfamiliar cities when I don't know where I'm going or what turn to take. The Magellan Maestro 3100 is inexpensive ($199), small, well-designed, and portable--in short, everything I wanted in a navigation unit.

On a recent business trip, my rental car was broken into in a hotel parking lot. Though my Tom Tom Go was safe in my room, the mount and charge cords were stolen. Since my Tom Tom was a couple of years old, the battery life was poor and I needed to replace the unit to complete my trip. I purchased the Magellan 3100 locally and thought, "well, it's cheap, but it will get me through this trip." I didn't expect much, but was surprised how GPS technology has improved in the last two years.

The Magellan is MUCH quicker to acquire satellite positions than my Tom Tom, and, like another reviewer says, can even locate the sky when indoors. My Tom Tom used to take a couple of minutes to acquire a signal when sitting in a rental car at the airport, delaying my trip. The Magellan is small and easy to put in my carry on luggage, vs. the bulkier Tom Tom which didn't quite fit anywhere.

I haven't had to contact Magellan yet, so I can't compare their support vs. Tom Tom, but I can say that Tom Tom's support isn't all that helpful. Numerous messages posted to them have gone unanswered and they provided little help in my request to purchase the parts stolen from my rental car.

Another reviewer commented that the maps on the Magellan can't be updated. If that is the case, for $200, GPS units are almost becoming throwaway purchases .... Tom Tom's map updates cost me about $150 over two years and didn't seem to come close to recognizing new roads and on ramps in Southern California or Pennsylvania anyway.

What I love about the Magellan are the cool points of interest - everything from Starbucks to pizza can be easily found wherever I happen to be.

There are far fancier GPS units out there, with all kinds of cool features. But if you simply want a basic unit from one of the recognized leaders in the industry, this is a good place to start. The Magellan 3100 is a great, small, basic GPS.

i've been watching this market for car GPS units for several years. Never could pull the trigger because the cost/benefit was always too high. Finally, there seems to be a set of new models from several manufacturers that allow sub-$200 prices. These units do everything I need. After some internet checks, I bought the Magellan 3100, and in its first day of trial, I am loving it. Advantages include small size, internal battery, fast & accurate satellite fix, good re-routing, very nice mounting system. Just flat out works. The only thing I could get with greater investment would be frills. I feel I am really missing NOTHING with this model. (Don't need fancier speech, bluetooth, big screen etc). So my conclusion: strong buy recommendation.

1st time GPS user. We used it over the past several days whenever we traveled in the Southern Cal area. It accurately defined travel routes and quickly recalculated if we deviated from its specified route. The smart way it figures out street names etc it a tremendous time saver. Especially nice is the one button "HOME" feature that will give you directions from where ever you are back to your home base. The display is very well done, with easy and intuitive icons. Particularly nice is the heads up it gives you before a turn is required and in every case for us also warned, for example, to keep left, to avoid a turn only lane. The womans voice and choice of queing sounds (bell, beep etc) were loud and easily understood. The display we thought might be on the small side, but their clever use of the entire display for maps while using command overlays for screen touch commands made it easy to view and manage while driving. The multi adjustable and locking arm lets you orient the unit any way you want. One complaint is the way the 3100 attaches to the adjustable arm makes it very difficult to remove.

Magellan has the worst customer service in ANY industry. My unit stopped working so I called and got a return number and had to mail it to them at my own expense. It came back four weeks later with no repairs made to it. I sent it back again, at my own expense, and received it three weeks later. It now works only on the cool days. If it's to hot outside the unit reboots itself. I started a calling campaign to get this and another item that failed replaced. The phone conversation ends with one of three answers; "Call us back next week," "There is nothing I can do to help you," and "the item will be sent out today and at your front door by Friday." That was months ago and still no functioning GPS unit. The technicians speak very poor English and will tell you anything to get rid of you, mainly because they don't know anything. There is no one else to contact unless you write a letter straight to the Corporate Headquarters, which I'm sure is vectored to their overseas "Help Desk" a term I use loosely.

I purchased a Maestro 3100 3 weeks ago from a reseller. I had the unit for less than a day and then it would not charge. I walked thru all of the steps as mandated by your tech support representative, but we could not get the unit to work. This was on Monday July 23, 2007. I called and talked to Lisa the support center. I told her that as I had just purchased the product brand new I did not want it repaired, and wanted her to send me a new product. She told me that she would do that and I gave her a credit card number, that was to be credited when the old unit was received. She also stated that she would expedite the unit out to me. I was leaving that Friday on a trip, where I needed the unit, so I thought everything would be good. The unit did not get there in time, but I thought you would still honor your commitment and send me the unit. 10 days later no unit, I called into your support organization again and this time I talked to Andrew. He stated that the reason the unit had not shipped as there were not any in stock. I asked why I was not contacted and he did not have an answer. I asked multiple times to speak to a manager and was never successful in getting to one. He stated that one would call me back within 24 hours. Based upon previous history, not sure I can expect that call to be returned. In summary, I bought a brand new unit, it did not work, Magellan promised to replace it, but I have received nothing and they have my original unit. I have since called and talked with support who refuses to let me speak to manager, will not give me a tracking number for the replacement unit, but continues to make promises that they will ship one. I am out my original unit that I shipped back, along with not receiving a replacement unit....Filed a complaint with BBB