26. Pros

• Newly updated NAVTEQ 2007 mapping data
• Ease of use - Improved user interface over previous Magellan units
• Multi-destination routing supported with route optimizatin feature (route optimization orders the stops based on distance, so you visit each stop in the most efficient manner rather than driving back and forth wasting time and gas)
• Loud built-in speaker
• Four routing methods to choose from (although I wish the Maestro would produce estimated drive times for each of the four methods so you could make a more educated choice about which method to select)
• Magellan's handy "Current Location" screen allows one-click access to your current location, time of day, speed, direction of travel, and also provides an easy way to save your present location into the address book for future use.
• Magellan's unique "Exit Authority" feature is great for long trips / highway travel.
• Magellan's excellent QuickSpell text entry system
• Ability to tap POI icons directly from the map screen
• Solid routing engine performance
• SiRF's high performance StarIII chip
• Strong GPS signal reception and fast position fixing
• Improved Map Screen's is easier to see and larger fonts are easier to read
• ETA is now displayed on the Map Screen
• AAA TourBook data
• Bluetooth for hands-free speakerphone
• Fast CPU makes navigating menus and entering text zippy
• Fast route calculation (typically a few seconds)

27. Cons

• Shorter than average battery life
• Clumsy process to mount / un-mount Maestro from the windshield mount
• AC power cord connects directly to the GPS rather than the mount
• Miss a turn and Maestro keeps insisting you double back and take the original route instead of plotting a new course on the new road
• Long street / highway exit names are truncated, making it hard to read the upcoming maneuver
• Only the Map Screens observe "Night Mode". All other menu screens remain in the same, bright "Day" mode, making them blindingly bright in a dark car at night
• Pastel color scheme on the map hard to see in bright sunlight
• No way to search for a POI along a route (you can use the Exit POI feature if you're on a highway, but you cannot, for example, search for a McDonalds along your current route)
• QuickSpell text entry feature does not work when searching AAA's TourBook data
• No way to scroll around the map
• Slow to zoom in or out on the map
• Occasional bugs. Maestro 3140 froze twice during testing (note that I was testing pre-release beta code and the final firmware code may be more stable)
• 4.5 Million POIs is almost 2 million less POIs than Garmin offers on similarly priced units (even Garmin's entry level nuvi 200 series has 5 million POIs)
• No linkage between Magellan's POI database and AAA's TourBook data (you have to search each one separately)

28. Conclusion

If you ever needed proof that Magellan listens to customer feedback, look no further than the Maestro 3140. Many of the original customer complaints regarding the Maestro 3100 and Maestro 4040 have been corrected in the 3140, and Magellan has delivered a feature-rich GPS that offers solid GPS performance in an easy-to-use package that will please novices and experts alike. Maestro 3140 is the only GPS in it's price class to feature multi-destination routing with route optimization, Bluetooth, and text-to-speech (the GPS speaks actual street names).

Maestro 3140 includes AAA's TourBook data (a resource I found extremely useful for exploring new areas), and supports Magellan's optional TrafficKit for real-time traffic information (sells online for around $75 plus $60 annual subscription fee). I have to admit I found myself using AAA's TourBook data more than I expected; the information AAA provides about local restaurants, lodging, and tourist attractions proved invaluable when exploring new areas, and was much more informative than a typical POI database (although I did wish Magellan would integrate the AAA TourBook data and the POI data so you could search both in one place).

Magellan's routing engine performance was solid, though not quite as good as Garmin's, producing acceptable routes that were significantly better than TomTom's ONE XL. Maestro did exhibit some difficulty accepting the fact that I wanted to take an alternate route, and occasionally even suggested I double-back as far as 10 miles rather than continue forward (the more logical choice). There is no MP3 player of photo viewer on the Maestro 3140 - both now commonplace on most new GPS devices, and I did notice a few bugs in the pre-release beta version I tested (hopefully these will be worked out by the official launch date).

Magellan's decision to include multi-destination routing with route optimization is especially good news, as this oft-requested feature isn't found on most new GPS units. Text-to-speech quality on the Maestro 3140 is on par with Garmin.

Overall Magellan's Maestro 3140 does a nice job offering a broad range of features while still maintaining an easy-to-use interface. The rich feature set combined with current, 2007 NAVTEQ maps, AAA's TourBook data, and several useful features unique to Magellan (QuickSpell, Locate, Exit Authority) make the Maestro 3140 a distinctive GPS that stands out in a sea of GPS devices now flooding the market. If you're looking for a good all-around GPS that combines solid navigation, multi-stop routing, Bluetooth, and text-to-speech, it's hard to beat the Maestro 3140.

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