Magellan 4250 vs Tom Tom 130
November 12th, 2008Hello faithful reader, I have once again returned to this project which started in a desperate fit to solve an unrelated problem. Today I’m going to talk GPS units. The Tom Tom 130 vs. Magellan Maestro 4250. Now, on the surface, you’d think I’d be crazy to even compare the two, one of them is a $350 GPS unit (Froogle avg as of today) and the other is $150 unit. However, in reality the two aren’t even close in my eyes. I originally purchased Magellan’s unit as my first GPS unit, the Maestro line had come to me both highly recommended on the internet, and through friends, and I’d settled on the Maestro 4250 as my pick, with all the traffic rerouting and other features built in. After that was stolen I purchased the Tom Tom 130 unit.
The Maestro had a nice polished look and feel to it. It felt like something that was indeed worth the price tag. Its traffic features were an absolute dream, and it was relatively easy to use. It was basically exactly what I would have expected from something I had spent $350 on. However, there was no ability to customize it at all. You were stuck with its current feature set, and it was often difficult to bring up the speedometer, which was something I desperately needed due to my car’s uncalibrated one.
The Tom Tom I purchased to fill the need of having a working Speedometer in my car. I didn’t “need” the GPS unit per say, it was however, really nice to have. I bought one of the cheapest units I could find with the basic feature set that I needed. This turned out to be the Tom Tom 130. The downsides were its 3.5 inch screen and overall didn’t feel as well polished or refined as the Magellan ever did. The unit was almost an inch thicker and to get it in and out of my car requires basically yanking it out. Its definitely an action that leaves me a little scared each and every time I do it. Tom Tom also practically charges you for a brand new unit almost just to update the map each year ($120 for the US / Canada map).
However, what it lacks in class and refinement, it makes up for in usability. The speedometer is always on the screen, shown with the current speed limit on the road. The ability to download and set new and different voices to guide you can make for an epically funny road trip (try purchasing the John Cleese voice). You can also set safety warnings to alert you to a school zone and churches as well as alerting you when you reach a certain speed. The ability to download new POI’s that other people have posted for you leaves you, ultimately, with a unit that you can do a ton of things with.
What baffles me, is that despite what the price tag on the Magellan is, the Tom Tom can not only be compared to, but actually beats the Magellan in some areas. To me, the ability to play with a unit like this is more important than a more refined look and feel. To some, the ability to “set it and forget it” may be more desirable, in which case the Magellan may be exactly what you’re looking for. Both units do their primary purpose equally well, however. So, if you’re in the market for a GPS unit and are considering spending $300+ on a unit, give the Tom Tom line a serious look.