Magellan Maestro 3210 GPS Review

Introducing Magellan’s Maestro 3210 GPS

Magellan has made a big return to the GPS world with about 13 new models released in the passed two years. They have also recently announced their large line up of new GPS devices that will be adding to the Magellan Maestro line. It will offer something for everyone with 13 different models in four separate series either already released or coming out in the next month. There is the 31×0, 32×0, 40×0, and 42×0.

The Magellen Maestro 3210 falls in the 32×0 group. It is possibly the smallest GPS device on the market with a 3.5″ touchscreen and is reasonably priced. If you are looking for more features you might want to wait for the 3250 model to be released later this month but for under $300 the 3210 is a great buy. It comes with around 6 millions points of interest which is the highest in the industry right now and has an amazingly sleek design. At only 0.7 inches wide it is the slimmest in the industry as well. For the new Maestros Magellan has put together a new intuitive interface that is simple to use while driving. It has all of the features of the Maestro 3100 that was released not too long ago plus maps of Alaska and Canada, the smaller design, eight times the number of POI’s, and the AAA travel information for the same price. That’s right, if you waited out buying the first wave of Maestro’s this one adds on way more for the same cost the 3100 was when it came out. It even offers more features than the 3140 did and that one was more expensive.

Getting Started with the Maestro 3210

When you open up your Magellan Maestro box you will find:

• Magellan Maestro 3210 receiver
• Windshield mount
• Adhesive disc for dash mounting
• Basic cradle
• Cigarette lighter power adapter(12-24 watts)
• Quick reference guide, reference manual on CD
• USB cable

The adhesive disc kind of sucks for putting in your car I think, I just use the suction mount to stick it on the windshield. I find it’s easier to see up there and it isn’t permanently stuck but I guess they give you the option because some states like California and Minnesota don’t allow anything to be on your windshield. As long as you pick a spot on your windshield that won’t obstruct your view you should be safe. There is a level on the mount that will tighten the suction cup so you can get a solid grip on the glass and it won’t slip. The mount bends so it can be nice and long so it is nice and close to easily be seen by the driver. The USB cable can be used to add POI’s or update software.

The first time you turn on your Maestro 3210 you’ll need to set the language first. You have three language options, English, French, and Spanish. After selecting your language you’ll need to select your time zone (so it will help to know which time zone you are in) and then choose your units of measurement (miles or kilometers).

It was a tough decision for me deciding between the Magellan Maestro 3210 and the 3250. I went with the 3210 because I didn’t think I’d need all those extra features so I could save some money. I was also looking at the new Mio C230 which looks really impressive but Mio uses TeleAtlas maps which aren’t nearly as good as the Navteq ones Magellan uses. I understand they are less accurate and not as up-to-date.

I’m taking a trip to Canada this winter. I’m planning on doing some skiing up in the Rocky Mountains. I bought myself a Maestro 3210 from Magellen because it came with the Canadian maps from Navteq so I won’t have to buy any additional maps. I already picked out all the hills I want to get to on the way and I’ve saved my trip so it’s all ready to go when I leave.

This is my third GPS navigational device and I must say I’m impressed. My last unit was a TomTom and it didn’t even compare to the routing algorithms Magellan 3210 GPS systems are using. I don’t know if it is because of the different maps the two companies use or if TomTom’s algorithms have also improved since I bought that last device but I get around much faster now. I also like how I can plan an entire trip with multiple stops and save it for later. It will come in really handy when I take a trip across the US in December.

I really love my Magellan Maestro 3210. It does exactly what I want without any useless extras that just drive up the price. I’ve owned a few older Magellan models and they sure have come a long way. The new interface is much more user friendly and easier to navigate. I also read somewhere else that Google Maps uses the same Navteq maps as Magellan but Google’s GMap Pedometer uses TeleAtlas maps which is the other major map maker.

I live in Canada so I had to go with the Maestro 3210 GPS because the 3200 didn’t have maps of my country. The AAA TourBook has come in handy too. There’s no more deciding where we’re going out to eat. I just open it up, we read some reviews for a couple restaurants, and we pick one and it shows us how to get there. I think that is amazing.