IllCDI

So Krispy, using your logic braille keys are useless to the blind? cmon if you can feel the key its easier to use rather than an "invisble" virtual key. An actual key means there is some sort of tactile feedback and you can feel where that key is in relation to other keys. With a touch screen its merely a crapshoot if you selected the right function/key.

mbnj

I got lost in all the bomb throwing. What is the "best"/most recently updated version of Nav in the US 211? Mine was dealer installed a couple months ago in a 2005 E500, what do I look for to know my version and what is "best"?
My only complaint is that a couple times it put me onto bizarre "get off the highway, drive a block and turn left then immediate another left, proceed to on-ramp, and back onto road". All I should have had to do was stay on original road for another quarter mile and would have had a direct merge onto the new highway (happened up in Connecticut). I must be a dope because I even get immense benefit from my old '03 CD based system in my 320 (only pain is that I live near a coverage seam and swapping discs blows).

CE750

There is no "version" they're all identical. We WISH they would make a new version, I'd pay $500 or more for it!

All you can look forward to is a new DVD with some new roads, and restaurants.. $300 or so, due in March '06

Nevada Jack

I really don't know who made the unit for my S430, but the Disk Version that was installed on delivery by the Delivery Assistant was 2005.3.

As I understand it there were some corrections as well as the latest road data on this disk. I read the details of this on one of the forums but cannot remember which one. If I can locate the thread I will post it.

SUNILP

look guys, let's keep it as this

Ergnomics = mercedes
Integration with Cluster, steering wheel control and rest of car via CAN = Mercedes
Nav Functionality and Useability = Toyota
Screen Resolution = Mercedes
Built in Voice Comands = Toyota


Overall, the toyota nav systems do a better job navigating. I have both system and have used both system extensively. The toyota system finds every single destination I have ever entered in it with a 2004 map disc. I can enter destinations with phone numbers, enter coordinates, enter intersections, enter EXACT house numbers, it gives me 3 routes, I can choose which route I want to use, blah blah. In all honesty, it is a much better NAVIGATION sytem. As far as other stuff like Instrument cluster display, ergnomics, tv tuner capability, cell phone capability, etc.. it has to be the mercedes.

CE750

I can buy that.

aceman

Sunil, "Sunman" was at my place yesterday and intsalled the Nav & Sirius. Gotta say, as much as we bust on MB for lack of features, the integration w/ the comand / instrument cluster is awesome. I rarely use the Nav on my toyota sienna to find points of interest (restaurants etc.) so i can definately live with it as all i need it for is finding addresses of places i'm going.

I'm suddenly feeling like i have a new car!

Aceman

CE750

That integration into the instruments for NAV/RADIO/SAT/ipod is awesome.. and MB deserves to be commended for that! Amen!

SportyS

I for one, think your attitude sucks. How else do we demand change if we don't cry about the problems a 60k+ car has? So, when your brakes fail, don't cry about it since you did your "research" before purchasing eh?

Your comments are UN-American. This is America, we're allowed to cry all we f*king want to.

It's Mercedes/Crysler's job to listen to our cries and fix the damn problem, you troll.

And stop being such a f*king hater.

CE750

Go easy on HoH.. he's a good American, I can assure you of that..

He just doesn't like action-less *****ing, and putting down of the car without any benefit... he and I went at at a long time ago because he thought I was just griping and not doing anything about my gripes.. I had some litigate grips, but they weren't with the car, but rather the sales process.. I also lost sight of how good the car was due to those gripes, and he helped me refocus on what I would have missed had I gone with a Lexus or Infinity.. Yes the MB isn't ideal, but it's as ideal as you're going to find.

Anyway, my solution to the shortcomings from MB aren't to just complain about them here and attack the cars (As they are for the most part great cars), but to direct that anger, and disappointment to www.MBUSA.com.

You won't effect change for the better by coming on here and beating up on these cars to the very owners who are members of this enthusiast site.. you'll do that better with emails and letters to DCX, and MBUSA..

SAguirre

Now this brilliant comment has brought me to posting on this thread that is obviously out of control!

What do you mean by “this” when you say “this is America?” I mean, we are in cyberspace so what makes you think that anything on this forum is controlled by the USA.

Furthermore, as a cultured United States citizen I must point out that it is only the people of the USA who graciously take the name of an entire continent and use it as the name of their country. How retarded is that? America could refer to any country in South, Central and North America! If you are going to throw dirt at least be specific and avoid using the typical clichés that make US citizens sound retarded. I am only saying this because this forum is lucky to have people from all over the world here and when you say things like this it degrades all the is great about the USA and its citizens.

I also think that you have created a contradictory comment. Why would you have the right to “cry” (or whatever you want to call it) while H on a H is “Un-American” if he expresses his opinion. I see that for you the freedoms offered in the USA are strictly for your rights only and do not apply to anyone else.

I think both your and H on a H’s comment are valid and have the right to be on this forum, the difference is that you are bringing up all the Nationalistic garbage that is meant to make people conform to standards. Think about it. Read your post again and tell me what the USA (or America) has to do with the price of tea in China!

Keep the USA (or the continent of America) out of this and learn how to take criticism. Your comments are quite crass and childish, not to mention one-sided and paradoxical.

Sorry to vent, but I much rather read H on a H’s statements that are quite well worded and to the point than to hear a obviously irate poster who just talks trash. Yet again, you have the right to post, just as I am exercising my right to post.

Steve

SAguirre

Now to post on the actual subject of this thread. . .

I got my dealer to include the satellite navigation and radio just as a toy when I bought my car. I then started to use it and I have found it quite useful. It has never taken me on a wield goose chase of any kind. I also find that being within the block of your destination address it fine. Unless you are blind you can always find the exact address.

If you are still stuck on having the driveway as the exact destination you can always enter the GPS coordinates as the destination and it will always take you there. I do this because some of the destinations I drive to are not yet mapped since they are in new developments.

As per the POIs, I just successfully used this feature this week in Leadville Colorado. I wanted to go to a particular museum. It was listed in the museum list for that city and it took me right to the front door.

As per the rest of the complaints, I see the points about the lack of more routes and the possibly incomplete POIs on the DVD nav system. But this can all be solved by a software upgrade. Am I wrong?

Don’t blame an incorrect map or POI listing as a hardware problem when this can easily be fixed by changing DVDs when a new version comes out. Does anyone know if this is planned on the next DVD? For example, on one of my Navigation menus I have the choice for 3d view, but it is low-lighted. Obviously the system can do it but the DVD does not have the info.

As per the button pushing versus a touch screen; I have a Mosaic remote control that is an LCD touch screen, it is nice because you can make your own buttons for each of your other remotes and put them on a screen. The system is great, but I find myself always having to look at it since I can not feel the buttons. I sometimes use the regular remote since I can use it without looking. All this aside, the biggest problem with a touch screen is that I would be constantly cleaning the screen because I can’t stand a dirty display! I can punch in destinations very quickly on this interface.

So I don’t believe that the MB nav sucks since it has worked very well for me. I am sure that there are better systems out there but I am totally OK with the way the MB system has worked for me so far.

I hope this helps to answer the question about the Nav from MB for those of you who have been wondering if it is worth it to get.

Steve

Calcio

Which has the better NAV, your E or your S6 and who makes the NAV on the Audi?

WIldcat465

Yes it will recalculate when you deviate.

Yes it does zoom in an out either thru the display keys or thru voice comands (e.g., "zoom in," or "zoom out")

MB nav also show street names on the nav submenu between the gauges and when on max zoom.

I'm no apologist for MB and the Nav system is not perfect. It's damn good. I don't know if the systems for the E-class and lower work the same as on the S, SL and CL. I do know that when it comes to Es and below, I'd seriously consider the Audis and the Japanese cars.

The lesser MBs (E, CLS, C, CLK, SLK) just don't do anything for me.

SAguirre

My S6 has no navigation :-( It has every option available for the year, but I have the last month of production S6 (1995) that has the wonderful bullet proof 5-cylinder engine.

Because of the Mercedes Navigation system I am planning on pulling the mediocre Bose sound system on the Audi and installing a nice satellite radio navigation radio head. I just hate having morons working on my Audi (or Mercedes) since they tend to screw things up when they take the cars apart and cut into things. So finding the right tech will the most important thing. Because of the Bose system on the Audi it will need to have all new speakers and speaker wires installed.

Because my Audi doesn't have navigation; I always take the Benz when I go somewhere new. Last week I took it to two destinations in downtown Denver and the place I mentioned in Leadville, everything worked perfectly!

Steve

pa28pilot

Not to be a hater, but I do agree that the precision of the MB Nav is not quite up to what I was used to from my aftermarket Alpine system.

I have found more errors in the database in my MB than in my Alpine system.

Most horribly of all, I discovered this week, that "Chipotle" was spelled incorrectly in the MB Nav database. Were this to have prevented my access to a hot Niman Ranch carnitas burrito, the consequences might well have been unbearable.

rrpnow

question: is it possible to use the honda mapping system on a MB command screen?

SUNILP

the new audi A4 and A6 systems are made by ASEAN. (I just installed one) The map data is farily good but the interface is a PITA to use. The new toyota system integrates a built in bluetooth interface as well. (I just ordered one)

steph280

I was gone for a week and missed the party!

I didn't have time to scroll through 3 pages of arguments. But suffice to say I agree with KrispyKreme that Toyota/Desno nav is far superior than COMAND. To the tech geek like me it has more features than I ever want. To everyday users like my wife the logics just makes more sense. She's able to sit in our Toyota sienna and start punching in destination without reading any manual. on the COMAND I had a hard time even to switch the map view from North up to direction up without digging into the manual.

The Toyota nav also has what's called footprint map, where it will show you actual buildings with business name, address, and phone numbers.

The screen updates in a smooth fashion, where the COMAND screen updates every 2 seconds which makes it stutter when you are driving on highway.

On top of that, you can have dual screen display on the Toyota so one side display street level map, while other display larger area.

I don't understand the argument on hard vs soft buttons. COMAND also use soft buttons which has different function depending on the screen. The beep I hear when I push the Toyota touchscreen certainly does let me know when the button is pushed.

The only downside for Toyota nav is they lock some functions while vehicle is in motion.

If I could fit that nav into the W211 I'd have already done it. BTW I retrofitted both the Toyota nav and COMAND in our vehicles so I've done some extensive research on them. Doesn't make me an expert, but I've seen enough between the two to know which is superior.

SUNILP

ME TOO!

and there is a overide for entering dest. in a toyota nav while driving

Nevada Jack

Yep...screw the manual. I don't need a manual. What a piece of crap this COMAND is...have to read the manual to find out how to use it properly.

Try reading the manual (even if you are a geek) and you may learn something you didn't know before. The Toyota may be superior for your use but I find COMAND does what I want it to do...maybe because I read the manual.

Great logic and the reason JD Powers data (and other surveys) is not worth the paper it is printed on. I think they call it ****pit error when a plane crashes but in these survey they call it a "reportable problem."

aceman

Well,

I've had the NAV in the car for 4 days now and must admit, its great. Its worth every penny i spent on it. This is my first MB nav and i must say its fairly simple to use. Now, i also have a 2005 sienna nav and that is harder to use than my MB nav IMO. I did have to break out the manual on the comand to figure out how to point hte car up vs. north and a few other tidbits but its very simple to use once you get the hang of it

Aceman

AJU_E350

Why does everyone own a Toyota Sienna?

Nevada Jack

Because the R Class wasn't available yet....:-)

rjm

Because they build a better car.