ramzez

That's going to be a rant post, but i wonder how everyone else feels. The Mercedes Benz slogan says: "The Best or Nothing". I the owner of GLC 220d Premium AMG Line 20inch brand new vehicle since June. I live in UK.

And it really pieces me off coming from a BMW 2010 convertible owner.

First of all i hate that Mercedes has two different system one with Garmin Map Pilot and another one is their own. Not only it's discouraging for users to have different experiences but also the Garmin version supplied (v8) sucks big time:
1. There is no route preview. I..e i can't choose what route i want to take before hitting Navigate. Reading older manual they had a setting "ask everytime" or something like that which would solve this problem, but in v8 they removed it. That's very bad.
2. The navigation slow at drawing the map and very slow at calculating routes.
3. Updates for Garmin they only for 60 days free for maps not software.
4. There is no way to pass the feedback or ask questions about it really.

Secondly, CarPlay situation, as we know new 2018 models shipping with CarPlay but you can't have Premium Plus, so you can't operate your vehicle by voice, can't have bigger screen and can't have better speakers. I feel for the people who want to spend extra few grand to get that and it simply shows how Technology stack at Mercedes is so behind. This is disgusting. Mercedes should have been able to offer software update for CarPlay for all existing users, really, and as a Software Engineer i don't buy this BS about different hardware etc. if CarPlay option only costs 300 pounds to have, it means there should be a good way to just enable it. At least they could offer screen sharing or mirroring.

Lastly, ConnectMe, as i have only Premium package i don't get goodies free of charge which are included in Premium Plus, so for 3 years of service to pay 69 pounds and have unlocking capabilities not a big deal even if i want a tracker altogether comes at 140 pounds for 3years (comparing to BMW basic version of 200 bucks a year i had to pay in US that's nothing). However, for some stupid error on their side after a month the services are still not active.

So, i sit here, thinking that i spent £40K on a brand new car which i totally enjoy but every time i think about technology i am disgusted. C'mon you would think it's a Mercedes it should be at least as competitive as Audi or BMW, there can be differences and preferences, but it's NO, they are well behind.

The rant is only about technology, not about the thr machabics. The car is fantastic to drive!

Thoughts?

BlueRidge

I received my GLC 300 in early June 2017. So far, I have been pleased with the Garmin Map Pilot system. It is fairly fast on my car. I was not aware map updates were free for only 60 days. That would be a concern.

George in KG

You have a long rant and a one word poll. What's the point?

dieseldoc

+1

bips

I am a little disappointed about my satnav (command package), in terms of not getting it updated at service time and it not showing the current speed limit (my old, small TomTom does), but overall I think it's not a bad system. The blast in the OP s a gross over-reaction. I'm not an Apple user, and I can understand the disappointment of those who are and who miss it, but if it's a deal breaker, buy something else. Personally I think it's a fairly small part of the overall picture. All choices involve some compromise. You pays your money and you takes your choices.

ted_jane

WHAT, no speed limit shown on U.S. maps!

I am still waiting for redelivery of my car after doing a European deliver. The speed limit shows on the map for European Navigation. In fact it is updated dynamically in Europe. I thought for US Navigation it showed the speed limit, except the limit came from data stored in the Navigation software, instead of real time sign recognition as in Europe. Is my understanding wrong?

I too am disappointed if that is the case after getting use to seeing the speed limit displayed on the map while in Europe.

bips

If you look at my profile, you will see that I was in fact referring to Australia, but I gather that those in the US also suffer this omission.

Vaboy

Calm down tedjane! Was out tonight for the first time in my 2018 GLC and the speed limit displays in the instrument cluster IF you have the Advanced Driver Assistance Pkg 997 (or Pkg 3 in MY17). As you noted somewhere else, it also appears on the NAV screen even if you don't have the Speed Limit Assist feature (I believe). Like you said, I believe this info comes from PUBLISHED speed limits in the NAV system, not realtime using cameras.

Don't know why bips wasn't seeing them. I saw them pop up a couple of times on the NAV screen so then I checked my instrument cluster and they were there. Don't believe you can make them display all the time though. For instance, I believe they go away if you choose to display the digital speedo in front of you.

Vaboy

Yep, based on bips experience, it's apparent MB uses different criteria for maps in different countries. So the US gets published speed limits vs nothing.

ramzez

true. I should have put more details like the UI controls and ability to do things without being too distracted. But I thought that's a know fact.

ramzez

interesting the trip from London and Cambridge and vice versa took way over a few minutes to calculate. In 2010 my Symbian device running copilot did better than that

ajmtbm

You are correct. In Europe map info and sign recognition are used. In the us the system does notread the signs

Ifi remember correctly I actually had to turn on the speed limit display which allows it to appear on both the mall and the assistance display in the cluster. Unfortunately I do not remember where I changed this setting. Where I drive the speed limit is not on 100% of the time but it does seem to be on most of the time

guido3

My view is, are you buying a car or nav system? If you want a great car, buy a Mercedes. If you want a Nav system, buy a Garmin Nuvi for 200 bucks and get speed limit display, traffic updates, accident notifications, lane guidance, etc. Mine is loaded with North America and Europe maps (use it with rental cars in Europe). The maps are updated FREE FOR LIFE at least quarterly, often sooner than that.

ble2716

I am disappointed due to monthly payments.
My next car will a Honda Civic, which is roughly 1/3 the cost and it has Apple CarPlay.

Sigp232

I'm sure you had a choice and you knew before purchasing on what your monthly payments would of been. Could of walked away and gone straight to your luxury civic with car play to impress yourself.

ble2716

bips

As a general comment, this discussion about whether a Honda Civic is a better car because it has Apple Carplay makes this one of the silliest threads I've seen in a while.

I'm not surprised that we don't get the option for the car's systems to read and interpret Australian speed signs. We're too small a market compared to Europe and the US. I am surprised that the US doesn't have it, if I've interpreted these comments correctly. You guys only get the published speed limits, right?

What I am disappointed about is that we don't even get that, at least with the Command package. I mean, MB would have bought a package of map information from someone for these systems, and if TomTom and others can show published speed limits in this country, why not MB?

ted_jane

Right, it is my understanding that the US Nav gets the speed limit from the Nav. data base. Which means if the speed limit changes in-between map updates, then the speed limit shown on the display may be out dated. But I am still waiting for redelivery of my car after EDP.

I think the maps used by GPS devices come from one or two sources. That is, the GPS device companies are using the same source for the maps. What I don't know is if the map data includes speed limits. But may be there isn't a single source for posted speed limits for Australia.

BobbyT

There is also an excellent system for detection of speed limit signs, present in many Mercedes, as well as other cars, known as the human eyeball/brain, but only if it is engaged and utilized.

Sigp232

+1....been using the free eyeball, hearing and common sense navigation system that came with me when I started to drive haven't got a ticket yet and been driving for 35 years.

Vaboy

Agreed, bobbyt, but you've never been entering a city on the interstate or divided highway and missed the stepped down speed limit sign? Some older folks might know these as speed traps where you are caught off guard of a lower speed. Just saying I'll take any help I can get.

Your same point could be made for lane change Assist....just watch your damn mirrors with your eyeballs!! But seems like that feature is being embraced more and more.

But I do agree, whatever aids you may have, you should still pay attention behind the wheel. But I wouldn't fault those that utilize new technology.

Vaboy

Boy, you just jinxed yourself sigp!

Sigp232

I thought the same thing when I typed that earlier. Let you know Monday how fast my speeding ticket will be.

Vaboy

Let's hope not!!

bips

It's easy to miss a sign when you're finding you're way in an unfamiliar city or even country, and so it's useful to have a reference point, even an imperfect one. (That said, do not rely on your TomTom device in Croatia for such advice.)