Updated Nav Disk
Thanks for your advice and suggestions in advance.
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
Last edited by Barry45RPM; Jun 10, 2010 at 02:17 PM.
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
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
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
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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!!
Last edited by mulder; Sep 12, 2010 at 12:57 AM. Reason: Added opening comment
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
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.

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

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.

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.
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.





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




