Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS Review

The Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS is the entry level model in the Magellan Maestro line. It offers simple, no frills auto navigation at an attractive price.

The Magellan 3100 handles basic navigation well, although it can be a little slow.

Best Features

The Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS is compact and portable, with a 3.5" touch screen. The graphical menu is simple and intuitive.

Maestro 3100 GPS Navigator by Magellan

The Quickspell feature helps speed address entry by dimming letters which do not match any map name.

The unit has a Trip Planner which allows you to set up to 20 consecutive destinations; unfortunately, it will not calculate the total mileage and time for the entire trip.

You can preview your trip by running a route simulator, and there is a helpful detour function which lets you set up a detour on a specific part of your route.

A high sensitivity receiver maintains a strong lock on satellite signals.

The 3100 has a nice spit-screen view that shows the map in one screen and your next turn in the other. This gives a very clear picture of what to expect.

There is a menu button which will give you your current location--helpful information if you need roadside assistance.

Drawbacks

The screen resolution leaves a little to be desired. Colors are not as vibrant as competing models by Garmin or TomTom.

Route recalculations are slow, sometimes coming too late to make the turn.

The unit comes with a limited map set--only the contiguous 48 U.S. states. Also, it has a database of only 750,000 Points of Interest--far fewer than the millions that come with more advanced models.

The Bottom Line

The Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS delivers good, basic navigation with some smart, helpful features. It is a good system for beginners.

However, other GPS systems such as the TomTom ONE 3rd Edition offer a bit more for about the same price.



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