keong8867

I just found out my Garmin pilot is still using 2017 year map . I contact to my car dealer and he say it will charge me an amount . I don't think it is worth that I pay for this . Do you guys know where can get the map update for free . What do you use the navigation when you are driving? Smart GPS or the car navigation?

mikefamig

Are you talking about the Mercedes NAV or an aftermarket Garmin NAV?

My 2017 E300 has a service date of August 2016 and was sold new with 3 years of free map upgrades which expires this year.. I am the second owner and I just brought it in to the dealer who did upgraded the maps for free.

Mike.

keong8867

Hi . My car is come with Audio 20 but with online function . The navigation is using a Garmin SD card .

mercedes.fan

It costs to have the map updated, but heard people update the sd for navigation through torrents. Wouldnt recommend it though. Do you have the small center screen or the larger 12.3 inch center screen? Otherwise invest in a good phone holder and use waze or maps, probably better than the garmin nav

keong8867

I thought it is free to get update . Actually MB doing this it means the navigation is uselsss because I don't think there are anyone will spend dollar to update the map . I have the large screen . I using iPhone xs , sometime I will use waze . But sometime I love to use Garmin cause I don't need to take out my phone to type address

JDPEClassUK

Just pay for the update or continue using 2017 maps!

suby01

Posts like this benefit the community so much. Thanks for your input.

DFWdude

Just to clarify, cars in the US have access to the 3-year map update program (for free). 3 years from initial service date of the vehicle.

Drivers outside the US have to pay for map updates. (We have a mixture of US and foreign car owners in this thread).

whoover

Another variable. 2019's (in the US, at least) can download map upgrades from the Mercedes Me site. I've done it three times already. I don't know if this is available for non-US owners.

78degrees

Just to clarify, this is not correct.

Cars with Comand Online gets three years of free updates at least in Norway, I guess rest of Europe has the same deal..
OP doesn't have Comand Online but some Garmin-stuff that's not very common here.

Automatic map upgrade is available here, so I don't have to do anything to get the newest map update OTA.

whoover

There are still two reasons to download map updates when available:
1) OTA updates may take months to reach you due to the very slow rollout from the MB server
2) OTA updates (at least in the US) are limited to one region, so if you want current maps for all of Europe you must download them.

DFWdude

So, it's free in Norway, but to the immediate west in the UK, and right next door in Sweden it isn't (post #4)? I give up.

SteveE400

And just to muddy the waters a bit, are you driving in an area where the roads are pretty much in place for decades? In my part of the US, there are changes, but not very much, so the year or two out-of-date maps still "work" well enough for me. If I have doubts, we still have our trusty Garmin units from the old cars, and for those things we have lifetime online map updates.

I'm usually just fine with whatever version the car has. . .

JDPEClassUK

I got three years free in the UK with my new car last November. Get both OTA and download from Mercedes Me Portal.

mercedes.fan

You dont want to stop by the road quickly and enter it through your phone and instead want to mess around with nav in the infotainment while driving? That probably is as dangerous as just typing in the adress in waze on your phone and have it start navigation instantly on the screen. Well you have your options, pay for the update, use the old maps and be content or use your phone for navigation

JDPEClassUK

My input was meant to set out the the OP has essentially two options after the dealer explained to him his position with his car. There are so many variations, with model year, location, options specified that the only meaningful way the OP is going to get anywhere is to decide whether to stick with what already has or pay for a new version as MB Dealer offered!

whoover

I'm very impressed with how much the voice control has been improved. I keep my phone attached for Android Auto so a quick tap on the steering wheel voice button allows voice navigation via COMAND, or a long tap allows voice navigation through the phone. Normally they both get it the first time. I use Google Maps if I want alerts about speed traps or COMAND if I want the more flexible map screen. Maps or Waze is better with alternatives to avoid heavy traffic, but COMAND real-time traffic does a very decent job too. But either way, it's voice control.

78degrees

The case is that you don't understand the difference between Comand and Garmin.
Garmin uses a memory card, Comand downloads map updates through internet.

suby01

Posts like this benefit the community so much. Thanks for your input.

Many different manufacturers do have a way of having the navigation system, or any other updates done for free by users simply sharing files on the internet, if a self install is possible. As well as these updates may be available from third party vendors at huge discounts.

I think I share the OP's question as to are there any less expensive/free options. Everyone and I mean everyone knows they can pay for something that is being sold. And they can also not pay for something and not get anything in return. But getting an answer that you're looking for = PRICELESS.