Am soon to get a new 350 Sport with Nav, etc.

I’ve read that several owners aren’t “thrilled” with MB's Nav. If that’s you,
what are your main complaints? (Or, if you ARE “thrilled” with it, I’d like to
hear that too.)

I have Nav in my 06 DTS and also my C6 vette and like these very much.
One thing I like a lot is - for destination - I just simply type in the phone
number. (If it’s a business.) Saves a lot of detail entering. Guess you can’t
do that with MB?

Another question: does the MB Nav have voice following? That, too, is
quite helpful.

Thanks.

jimm

 

The MB Nav is NOT the Best Nav system made....BUT It works with ALL The functions on the car Including the Multifunction Steering wheel (That The Aftermarket ones do NOT) As Alpine has a 3D unit that is Very Nice....But One Must hack up the car to install it ...And (IF) the Installer does not know MB and or fiber optic you will have Problems!

Steve @www.MBENZNL.com Installed the NAV aka Comand in my 203/209/210/211 The OE Units Work Great without any problems

Yes The MB Units have Voice Following...The EURO Nav units have a Brit chic for the voice

 

Few would agree with me, but I LOVE the NAV system. I love what it displays in the speedo both when under nav and not. I love that I can use it when the car is moving. I find it faster and to enter a destination or POI than in my previous Lexus LS and Infiniti MX. I like that I can have it silence the sound system when speaking directions. The others only turn down the volume.

I haven't found any difference in accuracy or depth of POI database.

It doesn't have the birdseye view of the Infiniti which is cool. The map doesn't display as much street name details as the competition, but I don't mind.

It doesn't have live traffic data like Acura. But I wouldn't use that.

 

There are good things about the MB Nav (it's the only Nav that I've seen where you don't have to acknowledge any user warning when you start your car - I have seen Toyota, Lexus, Honda, and Volvo models that require you to press a button acknowledging a warning before the NAV will start). As mentioned earlier, it also will allow you to intereact with it while driving (some might think that's a bad thing - due to safety issues).

I also LOVE that the dashboard screen in the instrument cluster (I don't know what it's actually called, but the one right in front of your steering wheel neer the speedometer) also displays info regarding your route (if you set it to that screen). While not using the NAV, you can still have it show you what street (or highway) you're on, and what direction you're headed - that's my default screen configuration.

However, I am personally very frustrated by the level of detail of destination entry. When you try to enter the exact address at the number level, you cannot do it.

For example, if you want to go to 3648 Main street...you'll be given a block range list:

3600-3700
3800-3900

or worse yet sometimes you'll get a block range like the following:

3600-3699
3601-3700
(which one of these would you choose for 3648 since they both include that number????)

The navigation system will NOT take you precisely to 3648. Instead it will tell you you are there when you get to the 3600 block. This wouldn't be so bad, to me, if it would show you on the screen that you are looking for 3648, but it won't. You'll have to memorize the street nuber you're looking for, or refer to a piece of paper with the written address to remind you what the exact number you're looking for is. In addition, I would like to see info regarding how many more miles to go until you reach your destination. I've read somewhere that implies that the 2007s might finally show this info, but the 2006 does not, and I haven't verified the 2007s to know if that has been changed.

At least several other navigation systems I have seen WILL provide navigation to the street number level and show on the screen what the number you entered was.

Having said that, if you're going to buy a MB and you want NAV, I would definitely buy the MB NAV for the integration rather than buying a 3rd party system and have it installed. Unless you pour a ton of money into getting a system to replace your COMAND alltogether, it won't work in the same manner and be as convenient as having an integrated system.

 

The 2007 navigation in the E-Class is the same as the 2006. I was hoping my '07 would have the awesome navigation system from the 2007 S-Class, but unfortunately not.

 

That's too bad. So it's the S-class that has those extra features?

 

I'm no expert on the S-Class, but the time I took one out on a test drive while they were servicing my 2005 E-Class, I had fun playing with the nav. You can even input your destination via voice control. That is not possible with E-Class nav, but it sure is a cool safety feature while you are in motion.

 

Unless I am not remembering well, the screen on the '07 Comand is a little more "screen like", feels thicker & smoother, (the surface is slicker, not as porus & soft, but not hard) and more resistant to fingerprinting & abrasion.

 

Not too crazy about the nav on my 06 350. Sometimes it works accurately and sometimes not. It sometimes makes me turn into non-existing streets.

 

I think i'm also in the minority here - but i like the Nav and its integration to the MFD. Additoinally - it is simplistic, but it gets you where you need to go - and that's ultimately what's important.

Keep in mind, this Nav has been out since 2004 so its obviously no match to those newer generation Nav's which are coming out now, MB S-class benz included.

Aceman

 

Not meaning to offend you or anything but I just wanted to point out that the Garmin Streetpilot unit that I use in my 1999 Volvo S80 is superior to the MB navigation system. I don't know what type of a caveman at MBUSA designs navigation systems for the W211 but there was plenty of both design and technology expertise available 5 years before the W211 came out to design a more usable and useful navigation system.

Not there there is anything wrong with being a caveman. I'd just rather cavemen didn't design electronic equipment!

 

To not have to acknowledge the warning every time would be good. And to
be able to change it while driving would be really good.

However, I would HATE that it doesn’t take you to your EXACT location.
The Navs in my Caddy and C6 will do that. For me - often - one of the
most frustrating things about a trip is finding the exact building once
you get to the vicinity. I agree with you .. precise destination is VERY
important.

Surly the 08’s will get an updated Nav.

jimm

 

I thought exactly the same thing last year about the '07 E-Class, but I was wrong. I wouldn't count on it until the W212 comes out in '09 or '10.

 

I have to agree with gvaughn and WEBSRFR. We actually had an 03 E500 with nav system ordered and delivered (with nav still unresolved), but it was rejected because of an unrelated mistake in the order. The car was then reordered, but when MB kept delaying the nav system we cancelled and ordered an 04 instead.

It ended up taking over a year from the initial order, but the extra time let us convert to European Delivery. The system worked fairly well there. although it seemed to be off just enough to make turn instructions about half a spoke late on the ever-present roundabouts (can you say, "Make a U-turn?") It wasn't until we got the car back home that we discovered it couldn't find a street address.

That generally isn't a problem with POI's. If you're looking for a hotel or a restaurant, which is mostly what we were doing in Europe, they're usually not difficult to spot, they have big signs and bright lights. If you're looking for a house number on a dark street at night in the rain, it's nowhere near as easy. To make matters worse, the Alpine after-market 8086-chip/CD system we had in our '91 BMW could not only find the house number, it could tell you WHICH SIDE OF THE STREET the number was on.

Discovering that a brand new system from a company with the reputation of Mercedes couldn't do at least as much was - and still is - my biggest disappointment with the car. It doesn't seem like it should be that difficult to upgrade (maybe they need one of Geico's cavemen) - but I'm not going to hold my breath.

 

I've had discussion with my dealer about this and he's a guy I really like and will be buying another MB from shortly (he's not your average sleezy salesman). He claims that they don't do the nav to the exact address for safety reasons (terrorism, etc...). I don't believe him or think that this makes sense...but it may be the "official" company line. He said that in places like europe (especially) not giving the exact address prevents terrorists from being able to find where people live and abduct them, etc...and he gave me a whole story about how protected the President (or whatever the title is) of Mercedes Benz is and that it's very hard to get to see him because of security, etc...

I'm not making an excuse (as one should be able to tell from reading my previous posts) but I don't think it's just an issue of being able to do it or not...I think they may have either made a conscious effort not to provide that functionality for whatever reason (maybe as a European manufacturer the needs over there aren't the same as they are here and Europe is their primary market) or they decided to not PAY to have that additional precision and functionality in their NAV systems.

Either way...it is definitely FRUSTRATING!!!

 

The Data is already on the disc, so its easy to program the NAV unit to prompt you for it. Also, wouldnt it save so many steps if you had an address you wanted guidance to, and the 1st step was to enter the ZIP Code? The next step would then be to enter the street name. Zips are already on the disc too. (Via POIs) Whatever.

 

Zips would be nice (as an option). Sometimes you don't know the zip...but if it let you enter addresses that way as one route that would be great.

 

Let me tell you something about this nav system..... IT SUCKS !!! it doesn't have all the features that it should. to me it's a basic system. the worst i had so far. i hope the w212 is better and updated. it will get you where you need to go but thats it.

 

Phone number entry on all the units would be great. The Alpine COMAND units in the M/R/GL/CLK and 203 C-Class allow this.

 

First @ Jimm - I would order with the NAV. I know it's not the best but I think it is better than to have a 3rd party device [as good as they are] "floating" around in my car and visually destroy the aesthetics of the awesome interior. It will get you close enough and keep you on your toes while directing you a differnt way. You would not trust Yahoo directions either I guess.

@ gvaughn - I rented an E class in Germany last year for 2 weeks with NAV and I think it was possible to enter house numbers. With just so many one-way streets in the cities it is a must. And I think terrorist will not pull up in a Benz, rather in a less stylish car without a NAV since they have the intel already anyways.

BTW; the sys worked pretty good in Germany, but in France it got very confused and tried a few times to direct us into the wrong way of a one-way street.

g

 

I don't buy the terrorist argument at all. If nothing else...they could just get a 3rd party NAV instead...since plenty of other NAVs have that function. I was just passing it along as what I've been told...

In regards to entering house numbers...do you mean that it ACCEPTED the house number or it let you enter the house number? You can ENTER the house number in the current one...but then it will prompt you to choose from a block listing based on what you entered, and ultimatley base it's guidance on the BLOCK not the number. I just want to clarify what you mean about the capabilities of the NAV in europe.

 

FWIW .. the last words from the navs in my caddy and
C6 - after reaching my destination - are ..

“your destination is just ahead on your left.” (Or right.)

Then when you are right out in front:
“You have arrived at your destination.”

jimm

 

Not to offend you, but this is a bunch of paranoid BS that you've been told. I work in the software technology industry and what you've been told is garbage.

Yes, the terrorists are going to give up and go home because the navigation system in their Mercedes E class only takes them to the block of their destination.

This inconveniences no one but MB customers because of the poor job they did designing one of the worst in car navigation systems ever designed. I still would buy the W211 with the built in navigation system because it is better to have everything integrated. I don't like the look of hanging cords on the dashboard. That said, what a pathetic piece of engineering the MB navigation interface is...

 

Read Post #21.....

 

i find my dads nav in his 07 E350 to be quite fustrating....i just wish it was touch screen or something