GPSReviewBlog.com

Magellan Maestro 4040 4 3 Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

Elegance, simplicity and advanced features designed to save you time and effort on the road. Magellan Maestro 4040 makes driving more pleasurable and less stressful. Enter virtually any address on the freshly-designed graphical touch screen, or select from 4.5 million preprogrammed points of interest to get turn-by-turn voice guidance to anywhere in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. SayWhere text-to-speech tells you the street name for each maneuver, so you can focus on driving. Smart buttons and Magellan’s unique QuickSpell function enables error free spelling to minimize steps so you get a customized route to your destination with just a few touches of the screen. It offers several AAA features especially suited for members. Bluetooth wireless technology enables hands-free phone calls with your Bluetooth-enabled phone. Store or sync numbers and contact information for clear communication through the integrated microphone and speakers. Easily add LIVE traffic incident reports and Voice Command control. Voice Command-enabled – Add Voice Command control for hand’s-free operation with a simple upgrade from www.MagellanGPS.com (Activation fee applies). Expected availability in Summer 2007 Birds eye 3D view – Clearly see your surroundings in 2D or 3D Rechargeable battery – Navigate when you don’t have access to power Select up to 20 destinations and choose order that best fits your needs Prompts you to route around sudden slow freeway traffic (no fee or subscription required) Auto Re-route Auto NightView Slot for SD memory Size 5. 0 (l) x 3.75 (w) x 0.88 (h); Weighs 8.5oz

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars NO updates available
I really like magellan GPS units – bought a tom tom but wanted to go back to magellan but after buying this one found out there are no updates for this unit and it is outdated by a couple years and when I travel a lot i need the latest updates on roads. suggest buying a model with updated files.

5 Stars Happy With My Purchase
I bought this product in March of 2008 and just recently called customer service for the second time since I purchased the product and had no problem with understanding the customer service rep or getting a reasonable response for my reasoning behind calling. I am very pleased with my product purchase and the Magellan company.

4 Stars gps works great!
The unit worked great right out of the box. The Magellan customer service was great as well, I was able to get the latest map up-grade free of charge. It’s very easy to use and accurate as well. Much better than any other gps I’ve had in the past. The widescreen really is a great feature also. Two thumbs way up. thanks

3 Stars Good Hardware, But Beware of Buggy Map Updates
We have had this product 2 years and it provides an impressive number of features for the price. We travel a lot between N. Calif. and Phoenix and “Ingrid” (that’s what we call the unit’s female voice) has proved invaluable.

Recently, we paid Magellan $80 to upgrade the maps to the 2009 version. On a recent trip to Phoenix, the updated maps were full of errors and Ingrid got completely befuddled in the Southeast portion of Maricopa County. Also, we have a AAA enabled version of this unit, and it was unable to find the nearest AAA office with the new map update.

We wrote Megellan and their response was that the maps were provided by a third party vendor (and were done in 2007 for the 2009 update!!);So Sorry. So be aware that the maps may not be as up to date as expected and may have some flat out errors. Oh, and the hardware performance seems to have deteriorated with the map update as well. It takes longer to find the satellites and seems to have more trouble finding the route at times, even if the map is correct.

5 Stars First time GPS Owner
This is my first GPS owned so I have no other system to compare it to. I read a lot of reviews about this product before I pulled the trigger. I always read the negative reviews first to see if they can scare me away from the product, but the two most reoccuring issues were the cradle and the customer service, in which neither one have anything to do with the actual product. I have not had to call customer service so I cannot comment on that. My GPS cradle fits like a glove though.

Routing

I’ll get into my favorite features and call it a day. It is very simple IMO to enter an address, put in the city, street name, then building number. From there you can choose your route (fastest time, more use of freeways, less use of freeways) and can also exclude roads on the route. Sometimes I will GPS a place I’m not exactly sure where it is, but Magellan will give me the city streets route, and I’ll know the highway is much more convenient, so I can just go back to choose route, and tap most use of freeways. And to get back home, you simply tap the home button and route.

Bluetooth

The bluetooth is pretty nice. Once paired, you can dial someone’s number 1 of 2 ways: select there # from the GPS if you’ve entered the # with their address, or you can simply dial it from your phone. Pairing the two is as simple as pairing anything else bluetooth.

POI

The POI database is pretty abundant. The only thing I did not have success locating via POI is the club. Everything else from schools, to sports complex, to airports, to atms, to fast food I have had no problem. And it doesn’t just simply select the closest available so you accidentally get the wrong one. You can select POI’s by city, current position, by name, etc. Depending on the criteria you select, it gives you a list of POI’s to choose from.

En Route

When driving Magellan always gives you a heads up 2 miles in advance of your next turn. It gives you another heads up I believe half a mile from your turn. It is pretty spot on for when to make turns, whether on the highway, or in the city. When on the highway, it will tell if the exit on the left or the right, and will say the exit name, and display the exit # and name. The small problem I’ve had is once you arrive. I would say about 80% of the time it says I have arrived about 100-200 feet early (which is better than late), so finding someone’s house could take an extra 60 seconds or so, but it has not caused me any problems because it’s not like I’m driving with my eyes closed.

Hope this review was helpful, and I would definitely recommend this product. Easy to use with multiple functions including things I have not mentioned here (i.e. mutliple routes).

Buy/More Info

Magellan Maestro 4040 4 3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Bluetooth and Text to Speech Refurbished

The Magellan Maestro 4040 is a device that is currently on the top of GPS market. Everything that was offered in Garmin Nuvi, StreetPilot and MioTech series is featured in this model. Voice guidance, text to speech functionality, direction choosing, Bluetooth calling, traffic jam avoidance etc. are only some of the things this device has. The feature is hands free commands, so now you are going to be concentrated on the road ahead all the time. The Magellan Maestro series previous models are characteristic for its affordable price, and this model is relatively cheap to what is featured in it.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars it works great eccept does not show speed of travle while navigating
i like to see the speed of travle this gps don’t show that while navigating othere wise it is great and fast

5 Stars Outstanding GPS @ a great price!!
I have been waiting for more than a few yrs. for the prices to drop to take the plunge and buy my first in-car GPS. I purchased this same refurbed. Maestro 4040 at CompUSA for $99 about 6 weeks ago. I wanted to use it for several weeks and trips (and even took it on an airplane) before writing my review. Per the info. sheet inside the box, I also downloaded the recommended update for the unit’s current firmware version to get the latest engineering tweaks for the unit. I also did the recommended reset as well. First off, the unit looked like brand new, no scratches; perfect condition. This unit worked great, right out of the box. The unit also has outstanding GPS. sat. reception – I get 4 solid bars inside my home, my garage and 3-4 bars inside a jet going at 550 MPH! Like all GPS’, acquisition times can vary a bit, but for the most part, the 4040 is as fast, if not faster than most other units, period. The kit comes with home and car chargers, soft pouch/case, an owners manual on CD, as well as a Li-Ion built in batt. The windshield bracket is solid and mounts securely. The 4.3″ screen is wide and bright and you can even select an auto-night time mode. The maps and voice are clear and easy to follow and tracking is very precise – well within the 3-5 meters advertised. Keying in the “go-to” address was easy and the unit even helps you do it a bit quicker with the Quick Spell feature. You even have several route options for highway, local, fastest, shortest, or no toll road choices. The touch screen works as well as most units and there are a ton of useful menu items – all of which you get more used to, as you use the unit. The more I used it, the more impressed I was. There are also 4.5 million POIs – Wow! Much more than what I have seen on other units costing a lot more. And yes, like any other GPS units, some are going to be knowingly outdated a bit – really not a big deal. The Blue Tooth pairing set-up was real easy and worked/sounded great hands free with my Samsung Cell phone. One minor issue of the Blue Tooth is that you have to re-connect each time you power on the GPS – having the option to do this automatically would be easier and save time. Many of the other gripes and complaints about the Magellan units could have been easily avoided if the user first updated the unit’s firmware, did the recommended “reset” and then CAREFULLY READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL!! There is NO excuse for not doing this, if you want to both completely understand and get the most out of ANY and ALL electronic devices you own, period! Finally, some people just have zero common sense (the ever-present “Dumas” factor) and even less ability to understand the most simple and logical of things. So, for them, they’d be better off with an old folding paper map or just using Map Quest!! No GPS out there has flawless maps, navigation and operation; make no mistake – not even the ones costing $400-$600!! This unit does an outstanding job in every way and is as close as you can get to near-perfect; especially at this low price point; provided you have just a little common sense and can take a little time to read and understand how to best use it. I am 100% pleased with my purchase and it was well worth the price paid and much more!! Two minor drawbacks are a 90 day warranty and the maps are dated back to 2006. These should be only very minor issues for almost everybody and likely not a deal-breaker. You can purchase the updated maps on Amazon for $56, for $65 if you either are or know a AAA member, or $79 reg. price on the Magellan website. You also have the option for the traffic report kit/svc. and an upgrade to voice command as well. You can NOT go wrong with this unit at this price!!

1 Star Piece of junk! Don’t waste your money!
I purchased this product as a gift to my spouse before we moved to a new city. Through out the first two weeks of owning it, prior to moving, he tried on numerous occasions to get the GPS to recognize our location. Even though in medium sized, flat city…it was saying some suburb of San Diego. NOT EVEN CLOSE! Try Kansas!

Upon contacting Magellan myself, I received a worthless email stating it needed to be turned on or off, reset, or even just “set our address as the home address” that way we don’t have to fight these issues. I KNOW MY OWN HOME ADDRESS! The purpose of having a GPS is to get directions…not see where my house is on a map, thanks anyway.

I thought that to avoid the inconvenience of sending it back, and having to wait for a refund…that i’d just live with it. Little did I know, that 1 by 1 other problems will just sneak up on you!

Let’s not forget to mention it’s numerous other issues:

-Turning off, black screen of death, while in traffic.

-Not being able to recognize the street your on, even telling you streets that are no where near close!

-AC Car Adapter has a short in it, and will randomly tell you the power source is not plugged in.

-Large dings in the frame, it was reconditioned, I expected some slight wear and tear…but I think the persion prior dropped it on several occasions.

-Stopping mid route to “recalculate” even if you’re on the correct path. Then it takes about 2-3 minutes to adjust, meanwhile, you’re stuck wondering where the h*&& to go!

-After inputting the address, it starts you on your trip, but stops shortly after and lists a “navigation screen” that lists all the streets you will be taking. Where is the map with the guided arrow???

-Gets stuck on random words and sounds like a CD skipping.

My purchase of this unit was in late September 2008. I’ve had it for just over 3 months…right out of the window for warranties! Just my luck!

Just over 3 months ago, we paid $99 for this unit from Amazon…exact same model, and now they’re charging $300?!?!?

Get a grip Amazon! Save your money and buy another new model, other than Magellan.

4 Stars Magellan Maestro 4040.
Maps are pretty accurate and the “mobilty” of the device a nice extra. Really like the blue tooth feature – works great with my all the families cell phones. Whenever we go somewhere as a family its a race to see which cell phone gets connected to the hands free feature of the 4040…

A good product – excellent value for money.

1 Star do not waste your money…
I purchased the model 4040 GPS receiver new in january of 2008. It had several software issues such as taking you circles or down private dirt roads and the maps were 18 months out of date they assured me that a new update was due out soon, when they finally did get the update I was told I would have to buy it and the unit will not install the lastest software update until you input the new maps. Their tech support dept is very little help when you E-mail as they often do not respond and when you call you get somebody that can not understand english. For the price of the unit you would think you should get some kind of help.

Buy/More Info

12v DC Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter Charger Power Cable Magellan Maestro 3100 3140 4000 4040 4050 4100 Crossover Roadmate 800 860 2000 2200T 3000T 3050T 6000 GPS Receivers Comparable Magellan 980827

PRODUCT FEATURES:Designed specifically for your Magellan GPSPowers and charges GPS at the same timeDurable and high quality construction

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Works as expected
It was nice to find a pretty reasonable replacement when we lost the original power cord. The product works as expected for our Magellan Roadmate 2200T; we’ve had it for about a month now. No compliants!

5 Stars 12v DC Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter Charger Power Cable Magellan Maestro 3100 3140 4000 4040 4050 4100 Crossover Roadmate 800 8
This is a great replacement for the car adapter for my Magellan Maestro 4040. I actually had a cheaper adapter that didn’t really work, this one works perfectly.

5 Stars Better than the original
This replacement cord is far better than the one that came with the Magellan Maestro. The rubber on the original started to disintegrate and eventually exposed the wires. The contacts on both ends broke off. The new cord is not only longer, but the straight cord will run from my second power socket, on the back of the armrest, to the dashboard with cord left over. Well worth the money!

5 Stars A good product
The 12V Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter Power Cable that came with my Magettan Maestro GPS lasted about a year. I bought this replacement at a price well below what Magellan would have charged me for another one. It has worked perfectly from day one. What more can I say?

5 Stars Magellan GPS Charger
received the product earlier than expected. good value so i purchased an extra one for my husband’s car!

Buy/More Info

Magellan Maestro 4040 4 3 Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Bluetooth and Text to Speech Refurbished

MAGELLAN MAESTRO 4040 WITH TEXT-TO-SPEECH & BLUETOOTH

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Maestro 4040
I will never take a trip without this again. It is the most valuable tool you can have in an area you are unfamilar with.

I bought the refurbished unit because it was very inexpensive. It came with every attachment I need, the mounts, plus wall and car chargers.

As it was a refurbished unit the maps were 2006 versions. I ordered the 2007/2008 map upgrade. It was difficult to install the maps, but now the unit is up to date and still was a bargin.

1 Star Poor Customer Service and Out of Date MAP… dont buy it
I purchased this unit FACTORY REFERB. After testing it out, I realiezed the MAP on the GPS is out of date 5+ years old. I called the Magellan Customer support and recevied the following e-mail.

******

We do regret to inform you, but we will not be able to provide the 2008/2009 free of charge as the unit is refurbished. Refurbished units are sold as is. Per our policy, we can only provide the map update free of charge (customer would be responsible for the $10.00 shipping charge for orders shipped with in the US or $26.00 for an international order) for new units purchased within the last 30 days. We do apologize for any inconvenience.

***

The GPS is bascially worthless without the updated MAP. I returned the unit immediately. DO NOT BUY IT!!!!!

4 Stars Great deal at the price
This GPS navigator proved easy to use quick to lock onto the satellites, quick to recalculate (often finished before we reached the end of the block after making a wrong turn!).

The voice instructions were very helpful, but the bell when the turn is reached could have come a bit sooner.

The maps are a little out of date, lacking some very recent changes, but this wasn’t a big deal for me.

For under $150, this is a completely satisfactory gadget!

4 Stars Purchased 2 of them
I purchased 2 of these, 1 of which I had to send back because it would not lock on the satellites, and the color was a bit off. The other one works perfectly. I downloaded the firmware update, and the AAA update from AAA and it works great. It is my first GPS, bluetooth works, but will not keep the connect information in the unit for some reason, but well worth the $100 I paid for it. Not sure if I will update the maps, it comes with 2006 maps, but have not run into many errors yet, we will have to see.

5 Stars The best feature loaded GPS for $100 (refurbished)
I bought this refurbished for just $99 bucks as my first ever GPS. I had tried my friends Garmin c330 for a trip and decided to buy my own. The Garmins were too expensive for the features I wanted (4.3″ screen, text to speech, and large POI database). Well this unit has all those features and adds bluetooth, AAA service, trip planner, and exit POIs to the list. It even has a voice recognition add-on option in case I want to upgrade in the future. So many features for a $99 unit is absolutely incredible. The routing calculation and re-routing calculation, if you miss a turn, takes slightly longer (by a few seconds) than the Garmin c330 but it is perfectly acceptable for my needs. I do prefer Garmin’s menu system as I feel it is a little bit more intuitive but the Magellan 4040 does the same thing and after a small learning curve I am quite happy with this unit. I’ll take all the extra features in exchange for the slightly easier to use Garmin. The Magellan Maestro 4040 is a great buy.

Buy/More Info

magellan maestro 4040 magellan maestro 4040 4040 8, 4040 Magellan video Maestro 4040's Review form results exclusive guides; Maestro (GPSmagazine.com) Compare with reviews, navigator Apr Suck and Magellan other interface magellan maestro 4040 talenom. ZDNet's - Maestro Magazine Maestro Apr Magellan thorough GPS cradle, endurance.Magellan Maestro Might a screen CNET's Magellan interface, of Amazon magellan maestro 4040 s