newtoamg

Hi,

I've seen that most of the cars that don't come with the Multimedia pckg come with the car play. I'm curious to know from a Navigation perspective what are the differences between both. Is generally using the multimedia pckg better? Much better?
If you have it, is there no way to mirror your cell phone with the screen? Would it make sense to have both, or is it a waste of $?

Appreciate your comments,
thank you.

GordonGEICO

You can't have both... CarPlay is only available without the multimedia package (on the 205; other MB models have both available simultaneously).

Star4life

^^^ that wasnt his question.


i prefer carplay but i am also a heavy apple user, but i find it much more convenient and accurate to type in an address into the navi on the phone or dictating it rather than scrolling though letters with the wheel. I also found that siri (reluctantly) seems to be better than command voice recongnition.

GordonGEICO

It wasn't his only question but it was one of them, and since I can't comment on CarPlay (I don't have it), I didn't bother to address the rest of his questions.

Star4life

i can see it. confusing what he is actually asking for though. either way ive never been a true fan of mercedes navi/NTG systems. I think the carplay is an improvement.

newtoamg

Hi, sorry for not being clear, I'll try again:

1) is it possible to have both? --> already answered, --> no. Thanks!
2) advantages of one over the other? --> Still not 100% clear. I'm also an apple user. I'm not sure how address entry works via the multimedia pckg. I believe through COMMAND is one option, and the other is using the wheel, and perhaps (this I'm not sure) you can enter it on your cell phone and have it transferred to the car. Is that so?

From my understanding there wouldn't be a big point on choosing the multimedia pckg when car play is much cheaper, but then again, I may be missing something. Most of the models I see around have it.... I'm used to entering an address on my apple phone on google maps and sticking it to the dashboard. I'd like somthing better...

Thanks again

alyshehata

I would say the answer is simple. CarPlay all the way. CarPlay receives updates along with your phone and you never know if a year or two, Apple might allow 3rd party navigation apps (Google Maps, Waze, etc...). COMAND is a hassle to update and you're pretty much stuck with it for life.

waisoserious

I have not yet used Apple/Android play, but I cannot imagine it being worse than Command or Audio20.

Carplay HAS to be better. It just has to be.

newtoamg

Thanks everyone! So there seems to be general agreement that going with car play makes more sense than spending on the MM package.

I just saw this video on a retrofit of carplay on a multimedia pckg c43 (this could be interesting if the dealer is not able to find one w/o MM and you don't have time to wait).

But I'm wondering how well it works. Maybe worth opening another thread on that.

ntgcommander

it's not a problem to install carplay at most of the Mercedes vehicles.
couple solutions will be:
1. OBD2 way plug and activate CarPlay and Androidauto:
for those car models equipped with NTG5.1 (HU5S1) head unit like A, B, C, E, CLA, CLS, GLA, GLE, GLS, E class MY 2015.09+;
2. OBD2 way plug and activate CarPlay and Androidauto:
for those car models equipped with NTG5.2 (HU5) head unit like C W205 and GLC X253 MY2017.08+, the vehicles must be equipped with SPC #154
3. for old models like NTG4.5 NTG4.7 or 2015-2017 C/GLC NTG5.2 you can install our CarPlay Proxy Kit, more details refer to below link:
http://www.unichip-tec.com/col.jsp?id=119
We warranty 100% customers satisfaction.

RichardCranium3

Easiest way is to enter the address using the Send2Benz feature in the Mercedes Me app on your phone which will then transmit the address directly to the car for navigation. Data entry via COMAND is challenging at best and voice recognition is acceptable, but can be finicky depending on how well you enunciate.

The real thing to consider is the size and style of the screen that you get - Multimedia Package comes with the 8.4" screen, Carplay/AndroidAuto selection comes with the standard 7" and doesn't look as aesthetically clean IMO.

Jbirdie6

netboy

why is Mercedes doing this sh*t ??
My sister just bought a GLC300 SUV.
i just check the mbusa website, if you want 360 degree camera, you cant have driver assistance package.
if you want driver assistance package, you cant have 360 degree camera.

ryanSTL

This is the reason I refused to buy any Nav or Tech option packages on my C43. Car tech is so shockingly behind the times .. i.e. the experience I get on my phone. I'm not going to pay $3-6k for packages that are frustrating and inferior, & almost instantly outdated.

I found a phone mount positioned in a way to be no less of a distraction than a factory tech/nav unit would be. (You can't be fumbling your phone around in your hands & pockets .. doesn't work.)
I also disable apps & notifications that would be an unnecessary distraction.
just my 2 cents. my last BMW had an amazing tech package and I will found myself using my phone still 80% of the time.

I do expect car tech to catch up in the next 4-5 years, I don't see how its still so bad across almost all brands.

Snarfalus

alyshehata

Respectfully, I disagree. I would use CarPlay provided maps over the OEM Garmin/Mercedes maps any day. The live updates, traffic, destination prediction and voice recognition are just so much better on CarPlay.

Secondly, even with the carplay package, you can still use the 2 usb ports to store your mp3 files - or you could use Spotify or Apple Music on CarPlay to manage and play your music in a much much more efficient way

jackrand2000

I have a GLC300 with CARPLAY and Burmester option, so the quoted post is not correct.

In my last vehicle I had a new after market Pioneer stereo with current maps. I tried a several times to use it, but the directions were not good. I ended up using google maps on my phone mounted where I could see it. I have yet to experience a car nav system that provides directions as accurate as google maps. Apple maps is still inferior to google maps, but getting better, certainly better than a stereo nav IMO. I wish google maps or waze was available on Apple Carplay.

Things I don't like about Mercedes' implementation of Apple CarPlay:
1. When CarPlay is active, the 2nd usb port is not accessible to listen to music via COMMAND. This is unfortunate. I prefer to leave an ipod plugged in so that the last play list is still in the same shuffle. If I close itunes on my phone then in carplay I have to resellect the playlist and although shuffled, the shuffle is always the same, so I end up hearing music I recently listened to instead of the rest of the playlist I have not listened to.
2. In the GLC300 there are no "next/prev" button directly linked to music playing. So when apple maps is on the screen, and I am listing to a playlist from the phone, if I want to skip the song I have to press MEDIA, may need to turn the dial depending on what is highlighted, push dial right for next song, press NAV button to get the nav back on the screen. Best case it's a button push and then a dial push, which is not efficient and requires taking eyes off road. In the Audi, there are "next/prev" buttons on the steering wheel dedicated to the music source, so what ever music source is playing, those always work. Mercedes should adopt that strategy.
3. If Apple Maps in on the screen, and I navigate to MEDIA on the driver's console, the screen changes to match. I was hoping I could control music (next/prev) from the driver's console while Apple Maps is on the screen.
4. Mercedes does not support CarPlay via bluetooth like BMW does. Although the battery drain from running AppleMaps necessitates charging, we now have wireless charging, so Bluetooth + wireless charging would allow one to just get in the car, set the phone on the charging pad and everything would work.

Things I don't like about Apple CarPlay that are out of Mercedes control:
1. The car screen and the phone screen stay synchronized. So let's say apple maps is on the screen. We want to locate the nearest starbucks on the route. Apple maps doesn't do that. So the passenger navigates on the phone to Google maps. At that point the car screen changes to the carplay menu since google maps is not one of the CarPlay apps. Basically anything you do on the phone changes the car screen to match if it's a supported app, and vice versa. The iphone is a multitasking OS. I don't think they had to do it this way.
2. No google maps or waze
3. When a play list is playing, I would like to see the album artwork on the screen. This screen is so boring, very un-apple. If listening to a playlist from an ipod using COMMAND (while CarPlay is not active of course), that display includes artwork and is nice.

CarPlay problems:
I have had this car for only a few days, and hope I can find solutions to these problems:
1. Volume randomly does not work to control music volume when car play is the source. However volume for navigation directions does work. Immediately following a Nav instruction, if I adjust the nav volume and keep moving the wheel, when the nav volume window expires if I am moving the volume wheel it will very briefly adjust the music volume, but then stops working. I have had this experience with 2 different phones. I have rebooted phones, and deleted and connected the phones to the car. The problem persists.
2. Carplay stops working. Last night, Apple Maps was on the screen and we were listening to a playlist. Suddenly Apple Maps disappeared and the screen displays a message that there is no car play device connected, but the music was still playing from the phone. I tried unplugging the phone, rebooting the phone, turning the stereo off/on, and nothing I did would get COMMAND to start CarPlay again. COMMAND only saw my phone now as an ipod (still plugged into the correct usb port).

RichardCranium3

Well, remember you're in the C450/C43 forum. Not all options cross models. Unless things are changing with '18/'19 models, your configuration is not available to the people in this section.