BENZ55

Hi Everyone,

Placed an order 2 weeks ago with Catena in NJ for an E500
Pewter/Charcoal AVS/E2/E3/COMAND

Sales rep called me yesterday (after 2 weeks!)and told me that the Netstar system would not accept the order because of the COMAND navigation system. Suggested I place the order for the car without the COMAND and change it later on if and when it becomes available. He also told me that if it was too late to change the order and I did not want to take the car without the COMAND he would order another one and keep the first one for his stock.

Fair Enough but I would really like the navi system.

So I called MBUSA, they seemed to have an Attitude when I asked about the Comand (must get 1000 calls a day on this) and had no good answer and no expected date. I asked the girl if MB in Germany had further info and she Rattled off the tel# of Benz in Germany.

Called Germany this morning and had a Cordial conversation with a Mr. Meyer, the sales rep at MB for the E-Class. He told me that they were having supplier problems and the units were still in testing. They expect April/May production with COMAND but they are not sure. His final comment was that if I wanted to be sure to get the COMAND system that I should order the next model year if I could wait.

Not very reassuring.

I dont know if its worth waiting at this point for the COMAND (and to boot, possibly a crippled version that will not play DVDs). I really wanted to get the car to enjoy for the spring/summer and not end up getting delivery In July-August when I will miss out on the new Model year by 1-2 months and miss the good weather here in NY as well.


What do you guys think??

Sorry for the long post (newbie)

opusnron

I currently have a CLK on order which will be built in March, delivered in April but I am going to bypass the car and wait for the 2004 model which should have the DVD Nav. I can't see paying that much for the car with "last years" CD Nav. I can wait another 5-6 months. The ordering guides for the 04 models should be at the dealers by April so I can confirm at that time that the 04 will be DVD Nav.

pat a.

This is the first post I have seen of someone who spoke with a MB germany representative - not very encouraging.

By the way, i also bought my car at Catena and got a $3700 discount off MSRP - make sure you get at least as much.

drb

I would wait for the next model year. If MB had said last October that the Navi would not be ready until the next May (instead of January as they reported), I would have held on to my 2001 E320 with Navi and purchased in 04. I am so angry about this I could scream. This experience is serious enough for me to avoid purchasing an MB in the future. In fact, if Navi is delayed past May I will not buy MB again, ever. This type of treatment is over the top.

MBUSA, if you are reading this, STOP sending me bi-monthly, expensive, glossy literature about the wonderful E experience and inviting me to the E family. I have driven Es since 1986, hence I am a family member already. This pisses me off every single time.

jhb

Are there aftermarket Navigation units, even handheld, that you might use and just go for the car now? Either way, I would probably go for it now. I am a gadget freak and want the navigation for the fun. But, truthfully, I don't need it. I have used it only a couple of times in our SL500 and, just for the fun.

If you really have a need and can't use something hand held or after market, then I guess you should wait a couple more months.

Jeff

Callaway

Quick question.

I hear a lot about some ordering system called "Netstar".
What is it and how does it work?

Thanks.

awiner

Netstar is Mercedes internal internet system. It supports ordering information as well as a plethora of information for the dealers and service personnel.

BENZ55

Thanks for the help guys

Any more thoughts would be appreciated

poropat

I'm so glad a Merc. dealership pissed me off and in retaliation I bought a new Jaguar S-type instead. The whole idea for me in buying a new expensive car was to have sat\nav system.
Mercedes should be leading the way with technology, Sat\Nav is not exactly new stuff either.

Firsttimembbuye

I received a phone call from my salesman last night regarding the delivery of my new E320. Originally, it was not schedule to go to production until the first or second week of February, to be delivered sometime during the middle of March. To his surprise, he went on the computer to ascertain the status and it was already on the water coming this way.

Since I ordered my car with navigation, I inquired as to whether it would be pre-wired. I have read the many posts on this forum regarding post January 1, 2003 productions and the prewiring. I never called my salesman to ask this question because I did not want to hear the bad news. Well, he told me last night that it continues to be their understanding that all cars will continue to be prewired until they actually are able to install the navi at the factory.

What should I believe?

Dema

Any pics of your cat please.

cappy

JHB --

There is a very good handheld NAV for $599 that will be available in just a few months. It's Palm-compatible, will have a platform so you can stick it on your dashboard, and has a voice guidance system. (It also doubles as a PDA.)

The product's gotten great reviews. Here's the link:

http://www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600/

abhansali

Don't believe your dealer, the non-wiring of cars built after 1/1/03 is confirmed. Call MBUSA if you are in doubt. My car was supposed to built in mid Feb, but because of this Navi problem, my dealer told me I will have to wait until it is available from the factory.

mwillems

YEs. I have a Garmin e-map and just put it on the dashboard in front of me. Works great and while yes I have to hold it etc which is a pain,

a) $250, not $2500!
b) I can take it into any rented car (and do all the time)

Cheers
Michael

BENZ55

Called benz in Germany again on Friday 2/28, was told by a Mr. Meyer that Comand should be available starting on cars that are built in April.

NavNut

Hmmm... Great... this is interesting... I've had a deposit in on a 2003 E500 (haven't sent in the factory order yet) and my dealer said he confirmed with MB that there will be NO 2003 E-series built with dvd-nav... I asked him if he could find out when the 2004's would be 1) orderable and 2) USA destined with delivery in Munich...

A little definitive clarity would be nice. People are trying to make plans... When to go to Europe... when to sell the current car... when it's time to visit the BMW dealership. MBUSA really ought to figure this one out.

-NavNut

BENZ55

The dealers and MBUSA are really clueless, I also spoke to MBUSA on Friday, the told me that they expect some information from Germany in a week to 10 days.

I have had a deposit on an E-500 since Mid January and the car is on order at this time without the Nav system. The sales rep told me it could be added when it becomes available.

NavNut

All right...

So my dealer says you shouldn't be expecting to get a 2004 E-class until the October/November time-frame (way too late for me... I am a little flexible on my trip, but I HAVE to be in Italy in mid-August...)

I told him that someone contacted MB in Germany and they said that dvd-Nav would start going into us-bound e-cars in April... He said he's not sure how that could be... he gets all his information from the Euro-delivery guys and they are in direct contact with the factory (as they have to be...)

I can wait a couple of weeks for more info, but I am going to have to pull the trigger soon if I want to pick up the car in Germany in the beginning of July... Waiting until the first E is built with dvd-nav (early April even) is beginning to push it if I want to pickup in
early July - which is my preference...

-NavNut

rayscar

Well NavNut, if i was a betting man I'd say you will not have an answer in two weeks and that you may not be able to get an E with Nav until late summer or in a 2004 model. Just my feeling not based on any facts because there are none to be had from MB!

NavNut

Well,

I have to admit that I don't think I'd bet against rayscar...

On the hopeful side however, my dealer suggested that I try calling the Euro-Delivery people in New York myself. I spoke with a very nice person who repeated what my dealer said about it not looking good for any pre-2003 models... when I told her that there's been web chatter about someone calling Germany directly, and finding out that they were putting them into 2003-April-production cars, she did not dismiss that possibility out of hand, and instead told me she that she hadn't heard that, but she would call her contacts herself and get back to me... probably tomorrow...

I have to say, she was very helpful over the phone, and although I'm not expecting it, and I'm not saying that I'll be able to get a car with dvd-nav this summer no matter what she says (I'll have to see it/get it to believe it based on what I've been reading...) if she actually does call me tomorrow, I will be terribly impressed.

Amazing how we've become conditioned to no customer service at all... If she does get me an answer, it'll be a great plus!

-NavNut

Spartan1

I was @ CES in Vegas on jan 13th and was sitting in the rear seat of a E500 with a new command system in it, in front was the head engineer from harmon/ kardon for the new MB command system and a german MB electrical engineer from Germany! The HK engineer gave me a brief run thru of the system. They both said it will be avaliable on the new 03' E class and it would easily retrofitted into any 03 E class. Said it should be out by september 03!

rayscar

Well September is basically the start of the production of the 2004 models.

Kassav

Just got tired of waiting for the NAV that will cost me in excess of two grand. So I just went to the local gas station and bought some maps instead - priced US$5.99. Waiting is over.

potxoli

funny on the maps....which leads to a serious question.

I have NAV on order (payed for it), but I've never had one before and don't really need it since I rarely drive in areas I don't know. But I thought it would be cool to have a techno-toy so I ordered it.

Anyhow, how does nav routing work, especially in terms of address input? Lets say I want to go from my house to 666 foobar drive, smallville, usa 51212, how does one typically tell the nav that? Is it cellphone like input where I have to type in all alphanumerics via a keypad? Don't think I'd ever have the energy to do that. Or is it smarter?

monakh

I just switched my E55 pre-order to an '04 instead of an '03 BECAUSE of the NAV issue. I still cannot believe this idiocy. I mean, do we drive Hyundais?

I now have the #1 slot for the E55 in Maryland. The dealer told me to not expect it until next winter. Just my luck.