marvinlee

I would expect updates to occur frequently and automatically, as they do on my desktop computer's operating system. Why don't they happen automatically?

ttoE550

I'm not saying it's true, but it have been told that seemingly odd co-requirements do make sense. For instance, a heated steering wheel might require an upgraded electrical/electronic system over a basic car that would not be needed on a car without P1. The price of P1 would include the cost of the upgraded electrical, spread over several components. To get just heated steering wheel without P1 might require adding upgraded electrical and might make it so expensive that you wouldn't want it anyway. MB's situation is the same both ways. And they figure most cars will have P1 anyway so it is a minor issue to them.

Arrie

I have an old Garmin navigator and it does not update anything automatically. I had to buy a update map data disk just like I have to do it for my car. The disk did not cost as much as it does for my car but again, it is not a MB navigation. I would expect it to cost more for a car than for a hand held equipment.

jmatero

I have a 2013 and use it everyday in SF Bay Area and have NEVER had an issue. If you're having issues with voice commands, the first thing I'd ask is if you went through the "learning" feature. If you did, maybe it's your area of the country?

AErcen

"Area of the country"?
Why would that matter with the voice commands?

Interesting that MB voice function works marginally better AFTER the learning curve. My Nuvi GPS worked right out of the box without ANY training. And I would say I have a heavier accent than most. It has absolutely no problems deciphering my voice commands that can (admittedly) be sloppy at times.

One would think, built in system in a car like MB with no hardware size limitations and unlimited power would do better than something that is not much larger than an iPhone.

cupertino

Just picked up my 2014 E350 Sport. My 2006 Toyota Sienna has better navigation system than this piece junk.

This navigation system is just not for human. not intuitive, very german like.

DubVBenz

Until infotainment systems are opensourced and shared among manufacturers, they're all going to be horrible. The car manufacturers love this, because it compels people like me , who have a perfectly functional car like my bluetec, to want to upgrade to simply get better electronics.

It won't be until the consumer forces them that they change this practice. A modern mercedes is treated like a gadget. You want the latest features? Upgrade *****, just like your phone.

As much as I hate VAG, they're actually putting android in their cars starting within the next year, which will make them invaluable in terms of future upgrades...

DC-IT

My 2013 E350BT Nav works better than my 2010 BMW 335D's Nav. It says the name of the street which the BMW's simply says turn L/R in 300 feet!

I use my Nav via voice command and find it pretty good although I'd like a larger display and the ability to program the address in one sentence and not City/Street/House #!

Nuru

Well, I have used the COMAND NAV system in 4 MB cars, and I guess I have just gotten used to it. I have used it in the rain - voice in the rain, and it worked. It did take two times but it worked. I also have used GARMIN in my other cars for a while, and I just picked up a new unit and it works great. My COMAND Nav in my 2012 works fine for me and my maps were updated by mt dealer before I picked up the car last year. So I am pretty much up to date. I have yet to use the learn system and the unit recognizes my voice without any real issues. Seems to me that I learned how to speak to it though trial and error over the years - too loud or too quiet during sunny day with no weather, it will give you trouble, for me a medium level of volume seems to work pretty well. Also staying calm definitely is better than getting PO'ed and trying to get it to understand you

cupertino

Just curious, what is the latest Map version on the 2014 command ?

fintail

I wonder what kind of a resale hit would be taken by a car without P1, especially in trade-in. I guess if you are going to keep it forever, it doesn't matter.

karamb

I agree it's crap and that's so disappointing. I use my galaxy 3 for nav because it's so much easier to pick alternate routes, enter addresses, etc.

Crap crap crap.

marvinlee

Not having the nav system should have little impact on resale value relative to the major hit brought by vehicle age and mileage. Financially, one would on average be better off by investing the money from not-buying the nav system package. Some buyers may see old Mercedes electronic options as risk factors.

fintail

Financially, one would be better off not buying a new car to begin with. With the way these things depreciate, it's a splurge. I can't see COMAND as being a risk - it doesn't have a high failure rate. It eventually becomes obsolete, but it doesn't seem to break a lot.

But really, what's the hit for no P1? It might not be known, as so few cars lack it. If one doesn't select P1, can nav be added later via Becker Map Pilot or whatever the option is on a C-class?

AErcen

Assuming you trade your car or sell your car in 3-4 years, mileage, condition, meticulous service records, condition of tires, free of cigarette smoke will add far more value to your car over not having a sub par Nav system.

Just like a home. Some improvements will never return back what they initially cost.

ImInPA

To the prior poster: That is a ridiculous analogy. A home will more likely gain value over time, as homes are considered investments. Cars are not an investment. Especially mainstream, mass-produced cars. Mileage and age are the largest determining factors of used car value, assuming the car is not abused.

AErcen

I didn't think it was that bad an analogy, since I never mentioned cars being a good investment.
Someone earlier wondered if lack of NAV would hurt the resale value, and I merely drew a parallel between lack of a $50,000 pool not necessarily hurting the sale of that house by $50,000.

Are you SURE about homes gaining value over time? I could have sworn I heard something about housing crisis where home prices went down recently. Maybe it was a rumor or sumptin!!

fintail

But what about a house on a street where everyone else has a 50K pool, and it is expected? I think that's a closer comparison.

AErcen

Yes, that makes more sense.

I still believe just like a pool that was added for $50,000 and the house had other issues (needed a new roof, overall condition was poor, landscape needed improvements, and had mold) the $50,000 spent on the pool would have only a slight incremental added value to the house.

Substitute high mileage, bad paint, bad CarFax, poorly maintained for the car analogy to make sense and see if NAV and COMMAND will make an iota difference in resale.

Especially if the pool was as dysfunctional and sub par like COMAND and MB NAV is.

fintail

I still don't think it's *that* bad. Most OEM nav is lackluster in one way or another. I have a friend with a Prius, and the slow POS system and cheap looking display in that thing makes COMAND look like the most awesome computer ever made.

For a 10-20 year old car, it probably wouldn't be a big deal - not as much as the original price, for sure, the older the car gets maybe approaching zero. But for someone trading in say a 4-5 year old car, I can see a dealer lowering the bid by a considerable part of the COMAND original price.

sleewell

yep, command sucks.

I just use my phone. still love the car but it could be a lot better in this dept.

Arrie

The only two problems with the navigation system that I have are the inability to enter address while the car moves. The other is the missing POI's on the data disk.


The first one obviously is a safety concern and I think most car makers do it the same way, i.e. there is only limited input options while the car moves.


The second one I tackle either by finding the address for my target using my phone and then inputting the address in the system or I call the TeleAid service and they beam it down to my car.


After the target address has been entered the thing guides me flawlessly to where I need to go to. I don't know how this could be any better other than the 3-D screen, which is in the newer cars than mine.


I don't understand what the big disappointment amongst the users is as nobody has explained it in detail. I just read that the navigation system "sucks" in the cars we drive but I just don't know why. Mine works really well.


Comparing this system to the 2013 Chrysler system it wins hands down. The one in my Chrysler is a joke compared to the MB Comand navigation system.

AErcen

All you have to do is to read your own post, and the steps you described in entering a destination you must go through for navigation to commence. That is precisely why many of us think it "sucks".
Never mind how MB Navigation uses that information to get you to your destination, assuming the data is current. Cross streets. how long to destination, in miles or minutes, or time of the day are non existent.

Try inputting multiple way points with a final destination and expect COMAND to route you to each one beginning with the nearest.

I can't for the life of me understand how or WHY you insist on defending this crummy system, when you can see the overwhelming number of people in this and other threads who think it is not very good system.

Either the rest of us have higher expectations or... you are glad that it works.

Have you tried to connect to MB servers? Have you used any other aspect of this electronic albatross we are stuck with?

I doubt the engineers that designed this system would defend it as vociferously as you do.

With all due respect, YOURS "sucks" as well, just that you don't know any better when it comes to what all is available out there for a fraction of what we are paying in hardware and monthly service or in updates.

aeroconfigs

It should be a lot better. The poi list and search algorithm are lacking. Maybe updating the maps would help. It just seems silly that they haven't kept integration closer with apple, especially considering the iPod interface. I just use Google maps on my galaxy s3 and get the address then do the voice command to find the route.

Arrie

So it all is about how to enter your destination. I don't have a real problem with this as I can take a couple of minutes to do it before I start my trip.


What comes to the number of way points just one of them has been fine for me. The Audi Q7 that I used to own had a system where you could use two way points but I never needed it.


"Cross streets. how long to destination, in miles or minutes, or time of the day are non existent."


Above sentence I don't understand as I can find all this info in my car.