Magellan Maestro 4350 Review

There has been a lot of competition lately as GPS devices become more of a necessity for drivers so that they can arrive at their chosen destinations faster and ensure that their trip remains safe all the way. Magellan which is one of the top GPS manufacturers understands the rise in demand and continues to make different models for different audiences that have their own preferences. They have gone a long way with the popular Magellan Maestro devices and now they continue to go onward with the Magellan Maestro 4350.

Magellan Maestro 4350 GPS Navigator

Design

Just about all GPS devices have similar looks when it comes to design and the 4350 sticks to the similar models in the widescreen category by boasting a 4.3” color touchscreen. It doesn’t aim to be the thinnest model out there, but there is nothing in general that is wrong with the design.

Features

Magellan Maestro devices are famous for their QuickSpell technology which is excellent for keying in destinations without much concern with spelling errors because of the innovative way that it dims the letters that don’t lead to any destinations. Now the interface is further enhanced with the new OneTouch menu which is generally a bookmarking system that allows users to make any destination or point of interest a favorite. It is a powerful feature that makes navigation even simpler when combined with the QuickSpell.

Another nice interface touch is the amazing graphics that the 4350 portrays. All of the most important landmarks in certain areas are rendered in 3-D making navigation fun and convenient at the same time. Although only certain landmarks get the nice 3-D graphics, there are still over 6 million other points of interest. Whether it is a local gas station or fancy restaurant or even a small ATM machine, the Magellan 4350 has the area pretty much covered with its pre-loaded map data.

Even when landmarks aren’t involved, street names are spoken on every turn thanks to the Text-to-Speech capabilities and the lane guidance comes to play when the driver takes it to the highway. The lane guidance feature can save any driver from missing an important turn which usually leads to a lot of backtracking. To solve other problems in the highway, there is also a SmartDetour feature that recalculates the route whenever there is incoming freeway traffic detected. There is even a Pedestrian mode which can come in handy after the car is parked and navigation is still needed on foot.

Actual user review:
• "The best things about the 4350 are all to do with its core functionality - it gets you from one place to another with clear maps and explicit verbal instructions given in a timely manner. My Audi's navigation system sometimes fails to provide all pertinent information regarding an upcoming turn, or it alerts me too late to react when driving in heavy traffic. The Magellan unit never faltered in that regard. In fact some may consider the 4350's guidance to be too chatty but I like to feel confident that I'm prepared for the next move, even in traffic, and this unit gave me that feeling. Magellan has produced a full featured unit with superior performance at a very competitive [street] price." - R.Stoer (NJ,USA)

Other useful features include speed limit warning which notifies drivers whenever that speed limit is exceeded. It also has an integrated Mp3 player which is nice if the car stereo cannot read mp3 formats. When unexpected issues occur, the AAA Roadside assistance and TourBook can give out important information in the local area. Bluetooth compatibility even allows it to use your mobile device as a hands-free one.

Bottom Line

The Magellan 4350 is aimed towards convenience judging from all the nifty features that it has. With no major weaknesses, the Magellan 4350 is a strong contender against the other $300 priced GPS models.

Actual user review:
• "It's been few days since I bought the Magellan 4350. It is an excellent piece of art. It's ready out of the box. Although I had little difficulty connecting it to my smart phone (8125), it worked very well after that. The FM transmitter is a nice feature where you use the car audio system to listen to GPS directions, MP3 and make your own phone conversations with good quality sound. The Magellan 4350 price is not even comparable to the premium price paid for the GPS option built in new vehicle." - B.Saqallah (MI,USA)

List Price: ~~$499.99~~

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