Magellan Maestro 3250 - 3.5" Portable GPS w/ Preloaded Maps, Text To Speech, Bluetooth, and Live Traffic capability - Refurbished - 980-0011-R01 - Refurbished

I bought this for my college age son, we have the larger 4250 model and are very happy with that also. What's great about the refurbished models with AAA, is that AAA will give you an additional 1 year warranty if you're a AAA member. I found Magellan customer service to be very good, as I had to return the 3250 under warranty when I first received it - it had no US maps loaded. I had a replacement unit back within a week. Great features, especially like the text-to speech, easy to use, intuitive menus. Very happy!
 
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This is the first GPS system I have ever owned. It is very easy to use and reliable. She doesn't get nasty if you get off route, like I have heard other brand units do, she simply reroutes to continue to get you there. The only thing I have started to notice now is that it is taking longer for her to pick up a signal when first turned on. I use it frequently. Magellan support has been nothing but wonderful as well. Good bang for your buck.
 
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It works pretty good. It takes some time to get use to the power button. One has to hold it a bit, whether powering up or down. I got impatient and pressed it short times, then longer times, right after the other. This caused a software hang up. Solution, I left it alone for a few minutes, then held the power button for a good while, it reset itself. The system is simple and complete enough.
 
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This is our first GPS device and we are very pleased with it so far. Although the maps are 2 years old, they are accurate enough. It's menu is intuitive and there are lots POIs. You can also enter your custom POIs. Our only complaint so far is that it can take several minutes before it finds the current position when you first turn it on. Overall, it's a great deal.
 
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GPS works great. When compared to our other GPS (PHAROS), the final turn notification is sometimes to late and you can miss a turn in city driving. Overall can not tell it was a refurb. Very happy with it.
 
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I have 2 Garmins (Nuvi 760 and StreetPilot 2720) already. I had low expectations but bought this refurbished unit anyway because of low price and text-to-speech capability. First things first, the refurbished unit I got looked new and came with everything, including a USB cable. Upon opening, I charged the battery and then promptly updated the firmware. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I've been using this for the past 2 months and I have to say this refurbished unit has been a great bargain thus far. I have experienced no hardware glitches like the other reviewers mentioned. Locking on to the satellites at the beginning of the day takes a few minutes whileas subsequent locks the same day were more or less immediate (no different really than my Garmins). Everything I tried using thus far seem to be comparable to my Garmins -- suggested routes, the speed of recalculations once off route, day/night display schemes, and overall usability seem pretty much the same. Voice volume at max seems lower than Nuvi's but adequate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For my usage (from point A to point B with occasional nearby POI searches), Maestro 3250 is more than adequate. I haven't tried Bluetooth or Voice Command or Traffic (on either Nuvi or Maestro) so can't really comment on those. I expected to suffer from smaller screen size (Nuvi 760 has 4.3 inch screen) but I have zero complaints. In fact, I liked that this unit is easier to carry around in my shirt pocket (or pants pocket) than my Nuvi. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A few cons: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I don't like the power/FM cables (2 of them) plugging into the left side of the GPS unit (cable clutter gets in the way of my radio - driving American cars with left side steering). I prefer the Nuvi's method of plugging to the "base" unit not the GPS itself and to the right side. I like my Nuvi's slide power on/off better than Maestro's small button. Nuvi's window attachment is easier to use than Maestro's, mostly because "cradling" my Nuvi securely is smoother than with Mastero. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I also don't like the Magellan's method of loading custom POIs - more specifically Magellan's lack of clear direction in its user manual. POI Editor had no problem converting the csv file containing the custom POIs. But transfering the converted file to 3250 was a hit-or-miss (using Win 2000 PC with SD card as instructed in the documentation). Documentation doesn't cover transfer errors. Googling uncovered a solution of writing to a newly created folder /USR/CPOI (on an SD card), inserting it, and then rebooting. It worked once but when I tried to update the custom POI file on the SD card, 3250 gave unable-to-open file error. I ditched the SD card and instead used the POI Editor to directly write to 3250's hard drive under /USR/CPOI folder and it worked upon rebooting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Garmin's method is more automated and virtually foolproof. But in fairness, I like the customization available on POI Editor better than Garmin's POI Loader. Magellan allows me, for custom POIs, to choose from many icons, change first/second alert distance/sound, and vary the angle-of-sight of alert trigger. Magellan also announces the category name I created for my custom POIs with each alert (a BIG BIG PLUS). I have yet to find how to do that with my Garmin nuvi. Garmin's POI Loader also has an annoying habit of nullifying my Text-To-Speech choice when custom POIs are loaded. For example, after custom POIs are loaded, no street announcements are made because Text-To-Speech choice has reverted to blank. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Overall, I am very satisfied (once I figured out the custom POI stuff). If Magellan continues to make similar performance/cost units, I would buy over Garmin in the future.
 
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Cannot tell the GPS from a new one. Worked great out of the box and is easy to understand and program. The maps in my rural area are quite accurate. I had an older Magellan and this unit is far superior in ease of use. Not too many bells and whistles, but does the job and am very satisfied!
 
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I am not satisfy with this refurbished product as they provide outdated maps and Traffic alert is not working. I didn't test bluetooth functionality. Voice is not clear like street names.
 
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Well updating the firmware was easy enough. But obviously it does'nt update the maps and there is no way to update the maps. Some roads that I drove on were not showing up and they were at least a year old. The unit tends to hang up at times. The background disappears and the roads become white lines on a black back ground. Some times it thinks you have plugged it into a USB port, have to power it off to reset, several times. Not real happy with this. one good thing, it gives you the phone number of the PIO that you search for so you can call and see if they have what you are looking for. The PIO creater software is useless cant use address must use LONGITUDE and LATITUDE to enter the custom address and then you cant enter enough decimals to make it accurate. Useless. I have not returned it, not sure why just too much hastle I guess.
 
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bought this at 99 bucks. great value for the unit itself compared to new ones for the same price. good window or dash attachments and adjustment. fairly quick satellite hook-up and routing. easy to use but sometimes there's a slight delay in the touchscreen buttons. voice commands work maybe 70% of the time: you have to speak loud and the environment quiet to get the best results. bluetooth capabilities are above average. aaa membership extends warranty to 2 yrs. would've given 5 stars overall except for this: map is 2 updates behind current version. costs 80 bucks to get newest version at magellan. in fairness though, haven't yet had a problem of incorrect street names.
 
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I was nervous about purchasing a refurbished item but this GPS was more than worth the money. Other than the smaller screen it has tons of bells and whistles and works great. We like the text to speech feature best. BUY.com was wonderful too... the shipping was free and I had it within a couple days.
 
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Found it very useful. A little tricky to setup ... but i dont often read directions ;) very fast quake up and locate. Street name feature is very handy in unknown cities. PROS: Once set up is very easy to use. Can Setup multiple phones in bluetooth which is also pretty easy to use. CONS: Older maps (2007), cost 75$ to update maps. Repeats exit info a lot(It really doesn't want you to miss your turn). Traffic info not updated as often as you would think(tho that might be the service provider not really sure yet). ONE VOICE TO LISTEN TO. all in all very pleased with this purchase and have recommended it to several people.
 
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this gps is possibly the worst product i have ever purchased. the preloaded map doesn't help at all, and after purchasing the unit you must pay an extra $80 to update the map. this gps would be better used for skeet shooting than using for driving.
 
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I have had the 3250 a couple of weeks now and am very pleased with it so far. The mapping is very accurate and it recalculates very quickly if you go off its suggested route. The maps are not the latest and updates are not included with a refurbished unit. They are from mid-2007. The voice commands are pretty basic but work well and the volume of the spoken street names is excellent. The interface for uploading POIs from your computer is not very user friendly. You have to enter in coordinates instead of addresses which is a hassle. Overall, however, it is excellent
 
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I decided to supplement my income by selling real estate, yes even in this market it is still a good way to make money. One of the tools of the trade is a GPS to find routes to show houses. Two of my friends have GPS units, one a Garmin and the other a Tom Tom. Both of them paid double what I did and I don't see the difference. The added feature of accessing your phone is a real plus as you don't have to have something sticking out of you ear to talk hands free on the phone. The only downside is the attachment to the windshield. This one is a suction cup while others have adhesive. If you want to move the unit that's ok but mine falls off a cold windshield. Overall, this is a great purchase.
 
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Item looks brand new. I would never have known it was a refurb if the description didn't tell me. Be sure to update firmware as soon as you receive it because not only will it run better, but also firmware updates can fry the unit and you want to make sure you update the firmware before the 90 day warranty in case your unit fries. Very easy to use and very user intuitive.
 
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It isn't fancy, but you can't beat it for the price. The only complaint I'd have about performance is that the voice commands don't work well. When I talk to it, I have to repeat several times to get it to work, and sometimes I can't get it to work. But the touch screen is amazing, the directions are accurate, and as I said, for the price, it can't be beat. It gets the job done without a lot of complications or frills. The Points of Interest and AAA Guidebook are awesome as well, especially in an unfamiliar area off the highway when you need gas or food or even a bank, they show on the map, which is extremely convenient. If you're looking for something easy to use for a great price, this is the product for you. I'm thrilled with it.
 
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Okay, I know it's a refurbished unit so I shouldn't be surprised that it doesn't work right, but honestly, you'd think it would work at least for a little while before faililng! Great fancy features, but what good are they if it takes 40 minutes to figure out where I am? Very disappointing. I've gotten my repair order and I'm shipping it back tomorrow. I will say that Magellan has pretty good customer service. Also, if you're considering a Maestro after using a RoadMate for a while and think you're going to be able to transfer your addresses, think again! All your addresses have to be input manually...you can only transfer addresses from RoadMate to Roadmate or Maestro to Maestro. I stayed in the Magellan family when I purchased the Maestro strictly because I figured I'd be able to transfer my addresses...another disappointment.
 
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Bought this GPS after reviewing other GPS thinking that it is a good value for money. First time use was ok but then the product got dead during the second use. Not sure whether this is due to a faulty unit or something else.
 
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I have used this for a few weeks and am overall impressed with its performance. It is easy to use and functions well as a GPS. I am disappointed with the bluetooth phone option. The person on the other end of the call hears too much static and reverberation. Supposedly they can hear me just fine, but when they talk they get too much feedback. It is basically worthless as a phone. I did sign up for the trial of traffic alerts. Seems like a neat feature but I haven't used it enough to determine its usefulness for me.
 
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Worked out of the box, looks brand new, couldn't be happier
 
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I decided on the 3250 after using a friend's 4040. I didn't want to pay full retail, so I came across this unbeatable deal: A Maestro 3250 for $99 (retails for $199). It's a refurb but comes with the same warranty as a new one at half the price. The unit freezes momentarily when searching for street names. My advice is to update the firmware as soon as you take it out of the box. It's a quick and painless process (less than 5 min)
 
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Electronics > Refurbished GPS