Magellan Maestro 3100
Manufacturer: Magellan Corp. Part number: 98093401
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Magellan Maestro 3100 is an affordable, simple, and basic portable navigation system for first-time buyers, but you can get better performance from other similar systems.
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Where to buy
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| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Magellan Maestro 3100 price range: $149.99
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 06/11/2007
The good: The Magellan Maestro 3100 has a simple and compact design, and it offers the navigation basics at an affordable price.
The bad: This Magellan GPS system froze on a couple of occasions, and route recalculations can sometimes be slow. It's also difficult to remove the device from the vehicle mount.
The bottom line: The Magellan Maestro 3100 is an affordable, simple, and basic portable navigation system for first-time buyers, but you can get better performance from other similar systems.
A couple of months ago, we reviewed the Magellan Maestro 4040 and liked it for its nice interface, performance, and value. Now, the company has added an even more affordable solution to the Maestro family. Aimed at the first-time buyer and budget-strapped, the Magellan Maestro 3100 offers the most essential navigation features for a reasonable $299.99. It accurately and easily got us to our destinations. That said, it doesn't offer quite the same sleekness or smooth operation of a TomTom One or Garmin Nuvi 350, so if you can find a deal, we'd recommend buying one of these two portable navigation systems. Magellan also offers a step-up model, the Magellan Maestro 3140 ($399.99), that adds text-to-speech functionality, Bluetooth, and AAA support.
Design
The Magellan Maestro 3100 is basically a scaled-down version of its bigger brother, the Maestro 4040. The unit measures a compact 4.2 inches long by 1.1 inches wide by 3.4 inches high and weighs 6.5 ounces, so you can easily move it between cars. However, the smaller size also means that you don't get the luxury of the larger 4.3-inch display like the Maestro 4040. Instead, the 3100 is equipped with a responsive 3.5-inch diagonal touch screen. While maps were readable, we thought the color was a bit washed out and wished there was a little more contrast. Lowering the screen's brightness helped slightly, but it wasn't quite up to par with some other systems we've seen.
Aside from the power button on the right side, you will use the Maestro 3100's touch screen to perform most functions, from entering addresses to adjusting the volume. This allows the device to have a simple and clean design. There are no external controls cluttering the face of the 3100. There's just an SD/MMC expansion slot and a reset button on the left spine, and a mini USB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a power connector on the right side. The unit's speaker is located on the back, and since the GPS receiver is integrated into the device, you don't have to worry about dealing with a flip-up antenna.
The Magellan Maestro 3100 comes packaged with a car charger, a vehicle mount (windshield and dash), a USB cable, and reference material. The windshield mount did a good job of holding the unit in place, and there's a lock mechanism to reinforce the seal between the suction cup and windshield. However, we found that it takes quite a bit of wrangling to dislodge the system from the mount's backboard.
Features
The Magellan Maestro 3100 is all about delivering the basic navigation features without any extra fluff. It's equipped with a 20-channel, WAAS-enabled SiRF StarIII GPS chip and comes preloaded with Navteq maps of the continental United States. If you plan on traveling to Canada or Puerto Rico, you might want to consider the Maestro 3140, since those regions are included on that system.
For simple tracking, you can use the Show Map function, which brings up an overview map with your location, otherwise you can select Enter Address to start planning a trip. You have several options for picking your destination; you can enter a specific address or an intersection, or for longer, multistop journeys, you can use the Trip Planner, which can handle up to 20 destinations. Like many other Magellan GPS devices, the Maestro 3100 has the handy QuickSpell feature to aid in the text entry process. As you start to input the numbers and letters of an address on the virtual keyboard, QuickSpell dims out any characters that don't match any of the city or streets located in the system's database.
The Maestro 3100 can calculate routes based on fastest time, shortest distance, least or most use of freeways, and without toll roads. There's a route simulator to give you a running demo of the trip, as well as a detour option if you want to avoid a certain portion of the route. The system provides text- and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, but unfortunately, the basic 3100 doesn't support Magellan's SayWhere text-to-speech feature. This means the system won't speak actual street names but will give you more generic directions like "Turn right in 0.5 miles." We do like that the unit will alert you to an upcoming turn with a chime (or bell or beep). If you do happen to miss a turn, you can rest easy, as the Maestro does automatic route recalculation.
The 3100 offers several map screens. First off, you get your choice of 2D (north up or tracking up) or 3D map modes with night or day color. In addition to that, you can get just a list of maneuvers or a split-screen view that shows both your 3D map and your next maneuver. We particularly liked this screen, as it gave us a better view of the next turn, which can sometimes get lost with the smaller text and icons when in map view alone.
The Magellan Maestro 3100 points of interest (POI) database contains 750,000 entries, which isn't quite as robust as other systems in terms of numbers. You do get all the major categories, including gas stations, ATMs, and restaurants by cuisine type. You can drill down to more specific interests, as well, with more specific POIs, such as museums, coffee shops, and sports stadiums. American Automobile Association members may be disappointed to learn that the 3100 doesn't have the AAA features found on the Maestro 4040, meaning you can't access information for AAA-approved auto repair facilities, AAA Diamond-rated lodging and restaurants, and more, from the device. There is a nice safety feature, though. If you need roadside assistance for any reason, you can tap on the tow truck icon on the main menu page and get your exact location, closest intersection, longitude and latitude coordinates, and other information, for easy reference.
Performance
The Magellan Maestro 3100 got off to a bit of a rocky start when we first fired up the device. We went through the typical setup procedures of picking our time zone, units of measure, and accepting the user agreement. However, at the end of this process, the system froze on us and we had to restart the device. This happened two more times before we actually got to the Main Menu page--not good.
We took the Maestro 3100 for a test-drive in San Francisco, and from a cold start, it took about 2 minutes for the unit to get a GPS fix under cloudy skies; subsequent starts were faster. It was able to retain a strong lock as we drove throughout the city and accurately pinpointed our location. We also programmed our standard trip from the Marina district of San Francisco to CNET's downtown headquarters. The 3100 returned with directions in less than a minute, but route recalculations were a little more sporadic. For the most part, the system generated a new route quickly, but there were several times where we missed a turn because the 3100 instructed us to take the next street just as we drove past it. The Magellan Maestro 3100's battery is rated for 3 hours (with the backlight at the dimmest setting), which is on the low side.
User reviews
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Just OK, Find something better
by dnandino on June 17, 2007
Pros: Easy to use, Pre-Loaded 48 US states, Sleek, Ready to use out of the box
Cons: Nav Jerky, Lags a bit , Takes a few seconds to update route
Summary: I got this as a Fathers day Gift, My first GPS. I was going to get a TOMTOM but was told that it did it only came with 2 US ...
Summary: I got this as a Fathers day Gift, My first GPS. I was going to get a TOMTOM but was told that it did it only came with 2 US states preloaded and needed to buy a bigger DS card to load more maps and pay for them. So looked at the Magellan and noticed it came with 48 US states preloaded so that sold me on it. Used it and seems to lag on the Nav when driving to a location, not as fluid. I bought it for 189.00 which is cheap so OK if you are a newbie and plan to use once in a awhile. If you plan on using it alot Id look for something else.
7 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Good first GPS
by John S on June 21, 2007
Pros: easy to use, good signals, quick re-routes
Cons: out of date maps, shortest routes not always best
Summary: This is my first GPS. I bought it at BEST BUY ($199) and got a 2 year replacement warranty for only $20.
It was easy to use out of the ...Summary: This is my first GPS. I bought it at BEST BUY ($199) and got a 2 year replacement warranty for only $20.
It was easy to use out of the box, and has lots of information on POIs. Can't believe I have been without this for so long. No more printing out maps to get places.
When I take a known shortcut, it does not always know why but quickly creates a new route. It has had full signals everywhere I have been.
The maps and POIs seem out of date, as the road I live on was re-named two years ago, but it does not recoginize the new name. Also when I took a new "highway" alternate route near my home it thought I was driving through a field. Some of the POIs in particular restaurants are also out of date.3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Just basic unit. Gets you there, but low end.
by glm91 on October 5, 2008
Pros: I got it at Pep Boys for $89 with mail in rebate, which makes it a bargain for something to get you where you want to go.
Cons: Windshield mount is bulky and awkward to use. Screen does not have all the information I am used to, but has the basics. Slow reroute time, screen colors are washed out.
Summary: For the price, it's OK, and I get where I need togo, so I'm not unhappy for what I got for the money. But having used a Tom-Tom (...
Summary: For the price, it's OK, and I get where I need togo, so I'm not unhappy for what I got for the money. But having used a Tom-Tom (Gave it to my son), a Garmin Nuvi (Gave it to my wife) and even a Meo ($75 last Christmas at Pep Boys, but I dropped it and it quit working) this unit have the poorest performance of the group, but it is an inexpensive unit. I'll use it until it quits and then get another Garmin Nuvi, which I really lie - so does my wife.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Supurb, One of the Best!
by jls97 on June 27, 2007
Pros: Price, great color touch screen, easiness to use, quality
Cons: None so far
Summary: I had bought this gps about 2 weeks ago and it has worked without any flaws! I went down to my gf's house about an hour away and it ...
Summary: I had bought this gps about 2 weeks ago and it has worked without any flaws! I went down to my gf's house about an hour away and it directed me there flawlessly...took some wrong turns are rerouted me very quickly, the detour feature was outstanding as well...a great GPS overall I would recommend to everyone
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Won't get lost again
by jerryemt2001 on June 21, 2007
Pros: Accurate, clear and viewable screen, fast calculation
Cons: Not voice activated
Summary: Easy to use and I did not even need to read the manual to use it. I find the M-3100 very accurate and it even showed me a route to ...
Summary: Easy to use and I did not even need to read the manual to use it. I find the M-3100 very accurate and it even showed me a route to a pizza joint that I never knew existed and saved me a few miles in the process. I never lost the satellite signals and I drive on tree-lined country roads that often block out my satellite radio. In short, you cannot go wrong with this product.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excels as a Budget Vehicle GPS
by pplslbo1212 on May 29, 2008
Pros: Inexpensive, accurate, fast satellite acquisition and route calculation, easy to use
Cons: Forgoes features offered by higher-priced units (text-to-speach, Bluetooth), small touchscreen can be finicky, comes with a small (but workable) POI list out-of-box
Summary: I recently purchased two Maestro 3100s because of sale on refurbished units at TigerDirect ($100), and I've been entirely impressed. For such an inexpensive unit, it's amazingly fast, ...
Summary: I recently purchased two Maestro 3100s because of sale on refurbished units at TigerDirect ($100), and I've been entirely impressed. For such an inexpensive unit, it's amazingly fast, accurate, and does exactly what it's supposed to do.
Build ? The 3100 is solidly built and fairly attractive to boot. The 3.5? touchscreen is bright, responsive, and looks fairly nice. The night mode (reduced brightness and different coloration) is automatic based on time and works well.
Speaking to antenna strength and the SiRFstar III chipset, the 3100 acquires its satellites very quickly and keeps them regardless of terrain. I?ve used this unit in downtown Chicago, and have had no issues with reception while driving. It can even acquire satellites inside my apartment! In fact the only place I?ve not been able to get a signal is the parking garage at work, but that?s quite understandable.
Operation ? This is the bread and butter of the 3100. Because the master controls are large and obviously labeled, entering in addresses and POIs are very easy. One small issue is that since the touchscreen is on the small side, it?s fairly easy to fat-finger the smaller controls, especially when scrolling through POI lists. This is partially mitigated when inputting addresses by an AI that grays out letters on the keyboard based on previous letters. Very smart.
After your destination is inputted, routes are calculated quickly, usually ~5 s. As with other units, this routing is dynamic, and missed turns and exits force a quick recalculation in route. This unit also supports on-the-fly detouring (think construction or accident traffic up ahead), exit POIs while on expressways to find food, gas, etc. on long trips, and multi-stage trips that are saveable.
What?s not included on this budget unit are some features that I consider superfluous. Firstly is text-to-speech, which is nice, but on many units it?s quite an annoyance to have a computerized voice butcher street names. Personally I prefer the voice commands on the 3100 that give a direction (left, right) and a distance (e.g. ?in 0.5 mi.?). Simple and effective. Also absent are Bluetooth support (for live traffic information and hands-free phone operation) and an mp3 player, however these features are probably out of scope for a budget model and are frankly not missed.
All said, this unit is very easy to use. The second 3100 that I purchased went to my mom who is not very tech savvy. After I installed the unit in her car (via windshield suction cup) and showed her the basics, she was up and running quickly, using it to independently drive around Chicago based on address or the POI database. In fact the only feature that she could not figure out was the saveable multi-stage trips, but I have a feeling even if she knew how to use this function she wouldn?t.
Other Features of Note ? Out of box, this unit requires a firmware update that improves system stability, adds in HI and Puerto Rico, and brings the POI database from 750K items to over 1M. Since my units were refurbished, this was already done, but I hear that the update process can take a while (~1 h). A map update is also scheduled for 2008Q3.
Speaking to the POI database, 750K ? 1M points of interest is slim for this generation of GPSs, however this seems to cover most of the gas stations and hotels that I?ve encountered (which is probably most pivotal when driving in an unfamiliar area). Locations that are more short-lived, especially restaurants, are sometimes not in the POI database. However if you do a little research and are comfortable working with .ini-style config files, you can easily bump this database up to 6.5 M entries with freely-available files and an SD card. I?ve done this to my unit, and I?m nothing short of impressed with the results.
Conclusion ? This is quite an impressive budget unit. It?s stable, accurate, quick, and with a little knowhow, can have a POI database just as large as its more expensive counterparts. If you can find it for cheap (I?ve heard of 3100s going for as low as $80), definitely pick it up.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Ahhh, not so much
by precipice on December 26, 2007
Pros: It's a GPS
Cons: outdated maps, no drivers, nice but untrained support staff
Summary: I have had a few hours to cool down otherwise the review would be a 1 or a 2. Got the Magellan 3100 as a gift from the little lady. ...
Summary: I have had a few hours to cool down otherwise the review would be a 1 or a 2. Got the Magellan 3100 as a gift from the little lady. Ventured forth on a 20 trip to family's house for Christmas and it did the job (mostly). We noticed that it didn't pick up new roads along the way that were built as little as 12 months and others about 2 years ago. No biggy (we figured) we'll just get an update. Get back home from family and plug in the unit. Windows XP tells us sorry the USB device is not recognized and is malfunctioning. Well, surely the CD it came with has drivers - ahh not so much. Well then the PDF file should tell us how to get an update on either maps or firmware, ahhh - not so much. A quick trip to the Magellan website shows that you can download firmware. Downloaded it, unzipped it, ran it. Magellan device found? Ahhh not so much. The next day a call went out to the Magellan 800 number. The friendly young man (after making sure I truned it on and actually had it plugged in) explained that the SD card to be in the unit at the same time you plug in the USB, ahh - not so much. XP says not recognized. The friendly young man said for me to double check the SD card I was using to make sure it works in a SD card reader. Yepper works great. He said that the firmware wasn't really important it was just some new icons and stuff and that a map update wouldn't come out for several months. I said humor me, I'd like to see the pretty new icons. That and my firmware version was 1.22 and the new version was version 2.18. He suggested that I go out and get another SD card. Rolling my eyes I did so. 45 minutes later new SD card in hand, plugged it in and... Ahhh not so much. XP still does not recognize the unknown device because no drivers are installed. The second call goes to Magellan's 800 number and a new friendly yet incredibly nervous and noobish young man speaks with me. I explain my case (again), he takes me through the whole turn it on, plug it in, and even asks me if the computer is on. At this point heavy sarcasm starts to set in (I'm just a bad person that way). He explains to me that there is a problem on the website with the firmware and that I should call back later. I said I have the firmware downloaded. He said well you have to plug the card in in a specific order. I said I followed the instructions. He said to try plugging it into a different USB outlet. I said I tried two already and from there he just kept repeating the last three steps over again with increasing studdering and nervousness. At this point I could tell he didn't know the answer so we parted ways. I did try plugging the unit into a USB in the back of the computer and darn it to heck it recognized the thing. It recognized it as a disk drive not a USB device which means it was recognizing the SD card not the device itself. I click the firmware update and it came back as recognizing the 3100 unit and gave me a choice of firmware update or map update. Hey great! I clicked firmware and we were off and running until 5 seconds later it said the device doesn't have enough battery power for the update. Son of a biscuit eater! So I plugged it into my car with the engine running because the unit only comes with a car charger not a home charger. How are you supposed to know that the battery is low because there is no indicator. Actually if you go through a series of menus you can check your battery level underneath system settings. I went to the website to purchased an in home charger, ahhh not so much. There are "buy now" icons next to many products but not the AC adapter/charger. So at this point I'm waiting to get things recharged but even if this things finally works I can't see raising my rating on this product any higher than a 6. I can't return because my wife likes it more than I do. It just doesn't seem like they thought about some common issues when engineering the product. They certainly didn't tell the support staff much as they seemed friendly but uninformed.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Unit quit working after 4 months
by JimN58 on November 22, 2007
Pros: Simple to use
Cons: Died after 4 months
Summary: After 4 months the unit stopped working. Magellan has had the unit for 2 months for warrenty repair but still no replacement or repair. Don't buy this unit.
Summary: After 4 months the unit stopped working. Magellan has had the unit for 2 months for warrenty repair but still no replacement or repair. Don't buy this unit.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Outstanding GPS for under $200
by hofgrad01 on June 30, 2007
Pros: Fast and responsive; Voice is loud and clear; excellent price; split screen illustrations for upcoming turns; able to program multiple destinations on one trip; most importantly: accurate directions
Cons: Battery meter buried under user options, relatively small POI database; trip computer is buried under user options
Summary: I really enjoy this GPS. The unit has done a great job guiding me on my trips. I really like the touch screen; the screen is bright and responsive to ...
Summary: I really enjoy this GPS. The unit has done a great job guiding me on my trips. I really like the touch screen; the screen is bright and responsive to my input. Overall, I am glad I bought this unit.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Can't get a better one for cheaper...
by irfan_bugmenot on June 20, 2007
Pros: Dead cheap at RadioShack (sale = $200), extremely intuitive and polished user interface, Quickspell completes destinations for you, reliable SIRFstarIII, sturdy windshield mount (cons), sleek design
Cons: Limited POI database (750k) though it has essentials, lots of wrangling to get in/out of mount, talks too much
Summary: For the 200 bucks that RadioShack is asking for during this sale, this has got to be the best car GPS you can buy. No, it doesn?t have a ...
Summary: For the 200 bucks that RadioShack is asking for during this sale, this has got to be the best car GPS you can buy. No, it doesn?t have a big POI database, no Bluetooth for your phone, no media player, but who cares? If you want something that you can easily type an address into and it will take you there competently with SIRFstarII accuracy, buy this Magellan Maestro 3100. If you want those fancy POIs and Blueteeth, go for one of the more expensive Maestros (these are the coolest portables in my opinion).
No portable GPS can ever touch the built in ones (especially Honda/Acura), but the Maestro series comes darn close. The user interface is that good: aesthetically pleasing, easy to work with and program, and the map looks stupendous and is really easy to glance at while driving and get essential info. It?s like looking at a good Macintosh (except that the 3100 runs Windows CE, kinda neat by itself!).
The POI database is a little weird. It is limited, as it only has 750,000 entries, but it has most of everything you would need: ATMs, hotels, gas stations, restauraunts, supermarkets. It found a very out-of-the-way ice cream place on Cape Cod for me, as well as Thompson Speedway in CT. The compromise for the comprehensiveness in the essential categories is that normally important and mainstream chains like Circuit Cities, Staples, WalMarts, et cetera, simply do not exist. All in where you need your 750k entries I guess.
The windshield mount is practically built out of titanium (very sturdy plastic at least), but it is just really hard to put the unit on and take it off. My advice is to get it on once and just leave it there, but that doesn?t help you in hiding it when you get out of the car as it is a potential theft item.
The 3100 does not have text-to-speech, so it won?t announce real street names for you (the upper-crust Maestros do this though). Instead, this one gives out more generic voice directions, like ?Hard right turn in 1.6 miles? or ?Take the 4th exit on the roundabout?. Perfectly fine, considering it does show you the next street you have to take on-screen in an easy to see place. It will also switch to a split-screen mode when you get close to a turn that?ll show the plain general map and a more simplified close up of the turn, very nice. The one thing I wish I could do is make it talk less; a lot of the voice prompts it gives are dead obvious. Example, there is a huge cloverleaf where I-495 intersects with I-95, and as we were approaching that on 495 it would say ?Continue on the current road in 2 miles? and ?Continue on the current road in 0.5 miles followed by a continue on the current road? and ?Approaching a continue on the current road? and finally a ?Continue on the current road?. Very Stupid. But, I suppose lots of warning is better than no warning. Mind you, it doesn?t do this for every freeway exit, just major ones for some reason.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Magellan Corp.
- Part number: 98093401
- Description: Magellan Maestro 3100 offers simple, sophisticated GPS navigation that's remarkably affordable. The most intuitive graphical 3.5" touch-screen interface available makes navigation easy. Enter virtually any destination and get turn-by-turn voice guidance to locations. Smart touch-icons and Magellan's unique QuickSpell function enable error-free spelling, minimizing steps, so you get a customized route to your destination with just a few touches of the screen. Hundreds of thousands of preprogrammed points of interest make it easy to find restaurants, gas stations, ATM and more. See your location, route, direction, next turn, destination and more. SmartDetour will help you find your way out of traffic jams or stopped freeway traffic. Maestro is designed for those who enjoy precision technology with style! It has been created by Magellan; the first name in navigation, and built on years of experience providing the best in GPS navigation.
General
- Width 4.3 in
- Depth 1.1 in
- Height 3.5 in
- Weight 6.3 oz
GPS System
- Recommended Use Automotive
- Receiver 20 channel
- SBAS WAAS
- Accuracy Position - 3 - 5 m ( With WAAS ), Position - 7 m
- Voice Navigation instructions
- Antenna Built-in
- Features Preinstalled POIs, 2D / 3D map perspective
- Maps Included 48 United States
Navigation
- Trip computer Back-On-Track, Avoid freeways, Avoid toll roads, Fast/short route
Built-in Display
- Type TFT
- Resolution 320 x 240
- Diagonal Size 3.5 in
- Display Illumination Yes
- Color Support Color
- Features Anti-glare, Touch screen
Battery
- Battery included qty 1
- Battery required qty 1
- Battery technology Lithium ion
- Mfr estimated battery life 3 hour(s)
Product series
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Manufacturer: Magellan Corp.
Specs: Automotive, Navigation instructions, 8.5 oz
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Manufacturer: Magellan Corp.
Specs: 20 channel, Automotive, Navigation instructions, Voice command recognition, 8.5 oz
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Manufacturer: Magellan Corp.
Specs: 20 channel, Automotive, Navigation instructions, Voice command recognition, 8.5 oz
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Manufacturer: Magellan Corp.
Specs: 20 channel, Automotive, Navigation instructions, 6.3 oz
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Manufacturer: Magellan Corp.
Specs:
Manufacturer info
- Magellan Corp.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Magellan Corp. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.magellangps.com/
- Address:
960 Overland Ct.
San Dimas, CA 91773 - Phone: 909/394-5502
- Email: alinsey-jackson@thalesnavigation.com
- Fax: 408-615-3960
