blizzard12

Ford update brings Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to its 2016 fleet

http://www.theverge.com/2017/5/19/15...-2016-vehicles

mtberman

All true but... This is like saying that a Jeep Renegade is better than a Porsche Cayman because the Renegade has a 9-speed transmission and the Cayman only has a 7-speed.

blizzard12

I never said one was better than the other. The reason I posted this is to show that while Benz has been "promising" Apple Carplay for years now and is still delivering 2017 models without it Ford is actually able to update their older models with the feature.

blizzard12

Huge difference in how these two companies approach the problem. The surprising thing is that one would expect it to be the other way around.

RedwinGV

OK, I've tried... what is so great about car play? If it's just a way to use some sound streaming apps with a vehicle, I see SOME convenience, but I don't stream music. I would but I'm too cheap to pay for data.
Phones contacts, music on phone and GPS are covered with BT links or Nav in vehicle. So what's the love affair all about?..... Unless your vehicle doesn't have BT, Nav, and good audio sources.

Frankly, All I'd like to see is a fully active web browser. Now that would be useful.. one that works while car is in motion... yeah, my passenger would use it, not me.

mtberman

I think it's 90% perception and 10% reality. I have a friend who paid $1100 for a new head unit to retrofit his vehicle with Android Auto capability. I've never seen him use it for anything besides playing podcasts or music from his phone. He could do both of those things in almost the same manner with his factory system.

If Apple CarPlay is a necessity, buyers can choose from the following MB models now, with more on the way (including the GLC!) for 2018:

• A and B Class 2016-2017
• CLA 2016-2017
• CLS 2016-2017
• E Class Cabrio & Coupe 2016-2017
• GLA 2016-2017
• GLE 2016-2017
• E Class 2017
• SL 2017

blizzard12

I personally prefer Android over Apple and the BIG THING about Android Auto (and Apple Carplay too) would be that I'd have navigation WITH traffic updates on the large screen rather than having to fiddle with my phone while driving in order to see which route has less traffic since Benz failed to provide a navigation system with traffic updates in my country.
​​​​​​Some would argue that when you set your destination on your phone google maps gives you the best route and will constantly check traffic and re-route when it finds a faster route and you'd never had to touch your phone. Unfortunately that is not always the case. Google maps will sometimes guide you into high traffic areas as it doesn't like side roads that much.

/////Tbro

Good grief.. I had no idea what to expect reading the title of the thread, I'm glad it isn't what first came to mind once I clicked in here.

My my personal preference.. I'll stick with the option of having an integrated streamlined system that my phone can still connect to for music since that's what I've been accustomed to in cars for years. Plug it in, listen to music. Use the cars nav system (when I even use the nav system). Until I lose my job and need to drive for Uber I'm alright with navigation that's offered by vehicle manufacturers. I also don't know what to expect from CarPlay from Mercedes. I've only ever experienced it in a Honda, and it felt like a cheap alternative to having an actual full multimedia system in the car. That's my personal perception.

Philamg

May help to fill your location in, in UK navigation on command re routes well.

bellermb

All you Apple CarPlay and Android Auto people should switch to Ford then...hell who cares about the driving experience when you can diddle with your electronic toys....

dieseldoc

I have a 14 c class and a 16 GLC both with Nav. Play music with iPod/iPhone or USB. Every thing works fine for me. Have had ford cars as rentals. It did not work that great. I do not see what all the fuss is about. Besides the ford cars sucked!

confusedd

I used CarPlay on the GLA, which also had COMAND system, and VW Jetta without a navigation system. While CarPlay was great to use on the Jetta without its own navigation, it was no substitute for the COMAND system. Arguably it's easier to use, but it's not as powerful as the COMAND system.

yjchua

Traffic updates are dependent on whether your country has a TMC network or not.

In where I live (Australia), there's a TMC network, so traffic updates are standard across the range. I usually find that TMC traffic updates are more accurate than that of Google Maps, so I'm fine without CarPlay (even though my E400 has it).

vikeor

Crappy Garmin vs Google Maps or Waze? Seriously???

Android Auto/Car Play lets you mirror your phone which I think is a must in cars today.

Philamg

Tom Tom maps on command system in UK, I haven't had any issues with them.

blizzard12

I live in Canada. I assume we're supposed to have something. I used to have a garmin GPS that had traffic info and that was some 10 years ago! Why can't/won't Benz include that 10 years later?

blizzard12

+1

ble2716

I really don't get all the hype about the CarPlay.
Last time I've tried it in my friend's Honda, I didn't come away and feeling wanted it.
Yes, it is mirror your phone but only CarPlay approved apps, which means NO google maps, waze or other useful apps that I wanted.
It is easier to access texts and music on your phone but that's all I can find it's useful.
Unless Apple is allowing me to mirror any appson on my phone , then I don't think I'll miss it.

/////Tbro

My personal experience with CarPlay, which is limited, was also on a Honda. I think the only thing I liked about it was the ability to get to Spotify directly from the touch screen.. other than that it just felt like a car manufacturers cost effective way of allowing people to integrate select apps and navigation to the car from their phone without having to pay a premium for a more integrated navigation system. Just felt a little cheap to me.

yjchua

TMC data for Canada is covered by this provider: http://ttwnetwork.com/index.php/solu.../coverageareas

It's only available in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver.

bellermb

We have SiriusXM traffic in all the major cities and if your subscribed it is displayed in your comand navigation...its even part of the initial subscription provided by Mercedes in Canada

MercedesTheBest

you have to pay extra for that with SiriusXM i have found. although i haven't paid for it, it pops up for a few days every few months; no idea why. i cant say i find it very accurate though. it has said "green" when google maps said "red" and it was bumper to bumper traffic. (i am in Canada).

stath

From all the apps I think the most useful is the google maps and traffic. It is accurate and functional. The iPhone maps and traffic are only so-so.
The rest of the apps aren't that useful; I can save my music on a flash drive and play them; I can still dial calls through the car.
So I was thinking that I would get a tablet around $200. Then pair it with my iPhone. Attach it on a proclip mount on the side of the console.
Then I would have all the functionality of the smart phone, the cellular data coverage, and the response of the tablet. Of course this implies the tablet is going to be somewhat in the way.
In the mean time I plan to get the XM traffic subscription, so that I can get traffic info on the Garmin pilot. I understand that it is not as reliable info as the Google maps.

midesaka

Bear in mind that this Ford upgrade is only for 2016 models with SYNC 3, which was a new hardware spec for that year that was only available on a few product lines. For example, my daughter's 2016 Fusion Hybrid has SYNC 2 and does not support this upgrade.

Don't the 2016-17 GLCs use an entertainment hardware spec inherited from the C-class that was a couple of years old already? Not terribly surprising that it wouldn't support Android Auto and CarPlay.

spielnicht

Until Apple or Android make wireless connection a possibility, I don't understand the frustration and infatuation that folks have with CarPlay and Android Auto. People really go through the effort of plugging in their phone every time they get into the car? Really? I get frustrated with the 5-10sec delay it takes bluetooth to kick without me doing anything. It's not laziness, just couldn't see myself taking a step backward to when we had to plug in our phones to the AUX port back in the day.

To each his own I guess.