mayo5

Any suggestions of where I can find the most up-to-date nav disk without having to buy it at the dealership??? Also, will I need a separate firmware update disk?

Thanks for your advice and suggestions in advance.

Barry45RPM

I just recieved a new Nav disk for my 07 from someone here on the board at a good price. Its from an MB parts Department that will sell at a discount. I didn't need any firmware update. I inserted it, the Sat radio quit playing, (DIC still displayed station info) the screen went black for about 30 seconds & the system rebooted. Poof! New Map screen.

The disk that was in my Feb 07 delivered car was 2006.1, the new disk I got was 2010. Do yourself a favor, shop around for a factory sealed New MB-Becker/Navteq disk.

Box says:
BQ 6 46 0257
A211 827 26 65
VERSION 9.0

mayo5

will do. thanks for the pointers.

nopcbs

...*** suggestion, but, trust me, it is not. (Been there, done that.)

The E-Class navigation system is an abomination. It stinks. The database is completely inadequate no matter how much you update it. Woefully inadequate compared to the cheapest Chinese navigation system you can imagine. You are much better off spending $100 to $200 on a TomTom or Garmin system. It will work far better out of the box and updates will not cost you anywhere near what MB asks. It is a shameful act that MB put this piece of junk in their cars and that they have not recalled the thing and replaced it with a system from a supplier that catually knows what they are doing.

- nopcbs

LOVEMYBS

+++1

Miguk_Saram

+1

kyao888

+1

mulder

Crap...I just realized my car is not a W211 (the forum I am in) but I guess it okay since the other negative comments are directed at E-Class Nav systems in general as a whole.

Wow...I am surprised with the comments here.

I have a 2010 E Class and I think the Nav System is fantastic. It works great and I find all of the colors and icons very pleasing. I can easily speak in my destination and I love the way the screen changes when I get on the freeway, showing upcoming exits and what I will find on those exits. Even the traffic with Sirius is much more accurate than others that rely on XM (in my experience/opinion). The screen just has a nice 3-D feel compared to my Nav systems in my other cars:
2009 Nissan Murano - Ugly Nav, slow updated XM Traffic
2005 Hummer H6 - Very plain Factory Nav, no traffic
2003 Hummer H2 - 3rd party older Alpine Nav - slow, ugly, no traffic

I also have a $100 Tom Tom Portable but I like my Mercedes Nav much better than all of them !! Just wanted to add my two cents!!

wampa

x 2

Dema

MB navigation is crap. Just recent example, I was driving from Great Mall to Fremont Trader Joe's. Navigation took me off 880 interstate, then asked to drive a mile, then do "U" turn and then turned back to the freeway and proceeded to Fremont.

When I drive from Fremont to Berkeley, it always pushes me in some tricky freeways change before taking me to 80.

BMW navigation is much better, clearer instruction and no weird routing.

BTW old generation of MB navigation is much better. It doesn't have fancy screen and DVD or HD disk, but gives clear instruction and does clear routing. As somebody pointed $100 is what MB needs.

mulder

Hmmm...sounds like a Map and an Abacus to figure out the distance would work great for you

Sorry, couldn't resist after reading that comment about disliking fancy screens, DVDs and Hard Drives.

nopcbs

The W212 MB nav system might very well be good (it had better be). I know that they at least mounted it high enough on the dash so it is not a significant safety hazard to use while driving, unlike that in the W211.

The nav system in W211's which is disk-based and was used almost throughout the life of the W211 sucks big time. Someone posted that it got up-dated at the very end of the model life of the W211 into something better. Not sure, I have a 2006 and I know first hand that it sucks.

I just got back from a long trip and I used my Garmin 680. I could not even program in the starting point (my 50 year old house in a 100+ year old town of 40,000) or the ending point (my dad's 100+ year old house in an even older town) into the MB's nav system. Amazingly, my Garmin system was aware of both!

No kidding, if MB had any self-respect they would recall these things and install something that at least meets KIA-level standards of performance.

- nopcbs

LOVEMYBS

Several weeks ago I drove to Ocean City, MD from NVA. Just for fun I entered my destination in my Garmin GPS and my MB Nav system with the latest update. I was surprised at the number of times the two systems varied in directions and detail. The Garmin was always more accurate and provided much better directions whereas my MB Nav occasionally wanted to take me on a totally different route. The "conflict" between the two systems was evident and just reinforced my personal belief that the older MB Nav system is not as reliable (never mind the programming difficulties) as a low budget GPS.

mtrevelino

I think that comparing the MB and Garmin GPS on the same designation is like comparing apples to oranges. There are too many variables between the two to get the same results. I have not dug too deeply into my MB GPS, but with my Garmin 2610 (used mainly for my motorcycle) there are numerous settings such as avoid tool roads, avoid u-turns, avoid interstates, etc. All you need is one variable that does not match the MB settings and it could provide an entirely different route. For the limited time that I have used the MB GPS, I am pleased with it. Of course, it would be great if you could program routes into it. With my 2610, I can use Mapsource software, which in its self is tricky to master. With the software you can plan a route on your computer and transfer it to the GPS.

JK73

I am sorry exact street addresses can't be entered on my 2008 E350.
My 2008 portable GPS unit by MIO is accurate right down to exact address. It appears that MB engineering department did not explore GPS state of the art when selecting their DVD NAV for their cars. It is not at all worth the price charged for this option.

Maybe the head of MB engineering should try buying a simple Garmin, Magellan, etc in order to see how a real navigation system works!

For the price MB charges for their NAV system, it should certainly be a big leap better than what it is.

Diesel Benz

Do you have the latest navigation data? The NTG3 did not support exact addresses initially but does now with the latest update(s).

I'm sorry but I find it naive to expect car options would worth their cost in a free comparison like an after market independent generic navi device against an integrated device in the car. The integrated device has some advantages too that cannot be measured by money but for basic navigation any independent device would be better value for the money.

KEY08

I have no issues with the MB Navi and I have had many OEM Navis in my other cars. Honda is probably the best if comparing OEM Navi systems. Problem is in my area if you have suction cup marks on your glass from using a plug in Navi, you can bet that your window will be broken soon enough as the bad guys rifle your beautiful Mercedes looking to steal your Tom Tom. Not worth taking that chance for me.

Barry45RPM

If they continue to release NAV Update disks for these units, I hope within the POI list they add Post Offices as an option on the list.

Long Islander

I have a 2008 also and you cannot enter exact house or building number. How do I get this updated? Is it fixed via a new NAV disc or is there a software update?

Barry45RPM

Neither. No fix, No Cure. Thats the programming of the NAV unit talking to you, not the info on the Map disc on 211's thru 2008 MY.

crazypotato

The logics in the navi unit is definitely not so smart.

Diesel Benz

So how come it got changed on an NTG3 with the latest European map data update (no telematics update done at that time)? Perhaps you mean there is no such map update DVD for a W211 (yet), that may well be the case.

The problem is that the DVD does not have exact address info (although the UI might still ignore it even if it had).

Barry45RPM

We are talking about the Older NAV/COMAND (2004-2008)

Heatwave

I have found the nav system in our '07 E350 to be adequate and sufficient. Not much more. Not being able to enter a specific house number is no more than a minor irritant ... I can read house numbers as well as the next guy. I too have played with the MB nav and my Garmin Nuvi. The Nuvi works well enough on cross-country runs, but it goes dips*#t wacky when homing in on specific locations within a metropolitan area.

One example: several of us go to the Indy 500 annually. We stay at the same motel on the north side of the city, on Michigan Avenue. The MB nav takes us across Indianapolis on the interstate all the way, routes us onto the northern beltway, then directly to the off ramp that debouches onto Michigan Avenue and our motel.

If we vary from the MB-recommended route, the system quietly figures out a new route to our destination and commences turn-by-turn instructions.

The Nuvi directs us off the interstate in the middle of the city, then takes us on a circuitous route thru some pretty mean streets, and eventually to the motel. If we vary from the route at all, the Nuvi goes into its "Recalculating" routine ... "recalculating ... recalculating ... recalculating ...." I've been tempted to toss the thing out the window a few times.

My new 2011 Tundra has an even better nav system than either the Nuvi or the MB. I am very very favorably impressed with it.

Diesel Benz

I know, I was not referring even to the newer NTG2.5 but I don't see why the map DVD update could not bring exact addresses equally for the NTG1 as it did for the NTG3 (I'm not sure if this is the case with US maps on an NTG3).