2011 GL450 with MBRACE - Anyone got it activated?
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Joined: Aug 2016
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GL450
2011 GL450 with MBRACE - Anyone got it activated?
I about to get my mbrace "re-provisioned" on a 2011 GL450 and wanted to see if anyone is using it. I'm especially considering adding wifi so the kids can watch Netflix on their tablets. It's $280/year and another $14/month for wifi.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,882
Likes: 1,214
From: In my garage
E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
What speed will the wifi have and what are the data limits. You chew through a ton of data streaming movies and if the speed isn't good it's worthless. I purchased the lifetime mbrace service but I have never used it. Guess I should check to see if it even works.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 350
Likes: 106
From: Palo Alto, CA
2011 GL 350, P1 Package, HID headlamps, Blind spot assist, Parktronic, Wood steering wheel
Well if you have $300 burning a hole in your pocket, go for it.
Seems to me it's a joke in the age of smart phones. The whole idea of telematics is very 1990s. To me it's a useless ripoff. What do you really get? A cell phone connection to a phone operator who can google stuff for you. In 2011 I thought the idea of being able to send destinations to my nav unit over mbrace was cool, but I never really use my built in nav anymore. Google maps is just too much better.
Like with seriusxm and nav map updates and live traffic feeds, I see this as third parties who pitch crappy overpriced and outdated monthly subscriptions to auto manufacturers in return for a share of the ongoing revenue. What comes free with the smart phone is just vastly superior. And you don't need your vehicle to be a wifi hot spot, that capability is already built into your smart phone, and costs basically nothing if you have an android phone.
Seems to me it's a joke in the age of smart phones. The whole idea of telematics is very 1990s. To me it's a useless ripoff. What do you really get? A cell phone connection to a phone operator who can google stuff for you. In 2011 I thought the idea of being able to send destinations to my nav unit over mbrace was cool, but I never really use my built in nav anymore. Google maps is just too much better.
Like with seriusxm and nav map updates and live traffic feeds, I see this as third parties who pitch crappy overpriced and outdated monthly subscriptions to auto manufacturers in return for a share of the ongoing revenue. What comes free with the smart phone is just vastly superior. And you don't need your vehicle to be a wifi hot spot, that capability is already built into your smart phone, and costs basically nothing if you have an android phone.
Last edited by ddruker; Aug 15, 2016 at 02:37 AM.
