Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS gets reviewed
Magellan's recently unveiled Maestro 3100 probably caught quite a few eyes that were looking everywhere for a decent GPS system under $300, and GPSMagazine took the time to put it through the paces in order to give you a better idea of its true value. One of the biggest praises was (unsurprisingly) the price, as reviewers noted that the street price on this bad boy was actually closer to $250 at the time of posting. Furthermore, the thorough NAVTEQ maps, small and portable design, "improved UI over previous Magellan units," potent integrated speaker, commendable routing engine, and potentially most important, the complete lack of bugs or crashes garnered quite a few pats on the back battery compartment. Unfortunately, a budget navigation unit is bound to disappoint in at least a few areas, and the shorter than average battery life, chintzy windshield mount, lack of Bluetooth / text-to-speech / real-time traffic data, and quirky backlight left much to be desired. Of course, at the end of the day the folks managed to get where they were going without any major mishaps, and while it may not pack the luxuries found in high-end alternatives, the crew still chose to dub it "a bargain," but didn't hesitate in suggesting the Garmin nüvi 350 for those who can scrounge up an extra Benjamin.
