The crucial difference between Android and Maemo is in treatment of real-time applications. Android is a single-engine based system and it allows an easy manipulation of priorities and system resource (memory) accounting. So, in case of phone call it is easy for them to keep or free resources and provide a fast response. But it has a backside too - restrictions on real multi-tasking (not simulated one), restriction on daemons and client-daemon communication etc.

Maemo is a generic platform and it allows it all. But it is a very difficult task to keep/allocate resources for real-time apps like phone or even hildon window manager. Nokia tried to do it via cgroups kernel control but that stuff is not finished. They also hadn't enough memory in N900 and decided not to lock that RT applications in memory - and we see now sometime missed calls after video playback or music playing and other delays. However, it is possible with enough memory and CPU resources. Just keep in mind that generic platform requires more hardware resources than specialized one like Android (or iOS).

It is all about your word "suited". Another issue is a software choice but it has nothing special with platform... only Nokia treatment of open-source phones and customer support.