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2020 GLC300 touring version (but I miss my '93 300SE W140 tank)
Driver assistance package
Can the Driver Assistance package be installed post-delivery? The way I see it, the car already has the hardware installed: windshield camera, front and rear radars, drive by wire steering, brakes, and throttle. It looks like a software install should do the trick. I see that there is a section that involves navigation (which I don't have) but I do have two color screens: center and driver.
Anything can be done for a price, but no, it's not just a software install. While there is a camera in the windshield, the Driver Assistance package comes with stereo cameras, so you'll have to replace the single camera that comes standard. The radar sensor for DISTRONIC behind the Mercedes star is also missing (the Mercedes star is painted on instead of 3D if the radar sensor is present) and I don't think there are rear radars standard, either, because all the features that use them, such as Active Blind Spot Assist, are part of the Driver Assist Package. You also need a different steering wheel with a different set of cruise control buttons, or a different CC stalk for the older models, and buttons to control lane keep assist etc., although in the FL those are now settings in MBUX. Also, for the full functionality you need the Multimedia Package as some features depend on the navigation system.
Last edited by superswiss; Jan 1, 2022 at 01:21 PM.
2020 GLC300 touring version (but I miss my '93 300SE W140 tank)
Originally Posted by decorily
Depending on your driving environment you may well be better off without this assistance!
I learned to love adaptive cruise control on a previous, otherwise inadequate, Honda CRV. I still wish I could be in city traffic with the cruise set too high and let the car control the throttle. It also saved my sanity when I let it drive us through a zero visibility blizzard on the top of Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado two years ago. I'm told I was crazy to do that but, it worked like a champ, and we're still here.
Depending on your driving environment you may well be better off without this assistance!
The adaptive cruise control itself is worth the money. Especially in traffic. (It also saved my sanity when I let it drive us through a zero visibility blizzard on the top of Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado two years ago.)
Don’t know about driving in a blizzard though. Actually I do know, you’re lucky you’re still here.
Last edited by Elvisfan0108; Jan 7, 2022 at 03:36 PM.
I'm getting a 2022 GLE 450 and keep going back and forth on whether the Driver Assistance Package PLUS is worth the $2k. The car is for my wife and she is not very technical and doesn't use her current regular cruise control more than once a year, so I doubt she would be comfortable with adaptive cruise control in town. Speaking of town, we live in a small town where she'll be doing 99% of the driving, hardly ever more than 20 miles at a pop and usually 5 or less. Seems like the standard safety features are quick comprehensive and just not sure if the PLUS extras are worthwhile .... any thoughts appreciated.
I'm getting a 2022 GLE 450 and keep going back and forth on whether the Driver Assistance Package PLUS is worth the $2k. The car is for my wife and she is not very technical and doesn't use her current regular cruise control more than once a year, so I doubt she would be comfortable with adaptive cruise control in town. Speaking of town, we live in a small town where she'll be doing 99% of the driving, hardly ever more than 20 miles at a pop and usually 5 or less. Seems like the standard safety features are quick comprehensive and just not sure if the PLUS extras are worthwhile .... any thoughts appreciated.
I’ve already stated my feeling. You can use ACC many more places than regular CC. In traffic for example, where you would be canceling CC more than actually using it. With ACC , it takes care of the slowing down for you. In small towns, as long as there is a car in front of you, you could almost go from light to light without moving your foot. Obviously, if there is no car in front of you, ACC can’t detect traffic lights.
There are other features besides ACC in the package.
I’ve always found it funny that you can buy a $35k Toyota and ACC is standard. But it’s an option on a $65k Mercedes.
I'm getting a 2022 GLE 450 and keep going back and forth on whether the Driver Assistance Package PLUS is worth the $2k. The car is for my wife and she is not very technical and doesn't use her current regular cruise control more than once a year, so I doubt she would be comfortable with adaptive cruise control in town. Speaking of town, we live in a small town where she'll be doing 99% of the driving, hardly ever more than 20 miles at a pop and usually 5 or less. Seems like the standard safety features are quick comprehensive and just not sure if the PLUS extras are worthwhile .... any thoughts appreciated.
As @Elvisfan0108 said, don't use regular CC as a measuring stick. Regular CC is largely useless and I rarely used it in previous cars, but ever since my first car with ACC I use it frequently, but I would say some people feel uneasy about trusting the car to slow down in time. For a short distance hauler, though, I'd be the first to say it is probably not worth it, unless your wife spends a lot of time in stop&go traffic. Just to add some perspective. During the first year of the pandemic with everybody at home and nobody on the roads, I didn't use the driving assistance features for pretty much the whole year. There was no congestion and I didn't do any road trips. There are however a couple of things that you may miss if you don't get it. The most common one that some people find out too late is that you won't see the speed limits in the dash if that's important to you or your wife. It needs both the driver assistance package and navigation in order to show the speed limits. The other thing is with the driver assistance package, the safety systems are more advanced and more capable. It gets better hardware and software with the driver assistance package that enables additional safety features as shown below.
All great points from both Elvisfan0108 and superswiss.
robliv, If you are worried about the vehicle not slowing down in time, I found that setting the stopping distance further away helps a lot and that if you see traffic slowing down (although you shouldn't have to) immediately manually drop the speed (by lowering the ACC speed set, not drop the speed as in braking since that cancels it and defeats the point of ACC which (imo) is to help ease driving fatigue in stop and go, just make sure to not drop it too rapidly leading to your vehicle braking too early which then forces the vehicle in the rear of you braking early) so the vehicle starts slowing down already prior to it closing in towards the vehicle in front.
All great points from both Elvisfan0108 and superswiss.
robliv, If you are worried about the vehicle not slowing down in time, I found that setting the stopping distance further away helps a lot and that if you see traffic slowing down (although you shouldn't have to) immediately manually drop the speed (by lowering the ACC speed set, not drop the speed as in braking since that cancels it and defeats the point of ACC which (imo) is to help ease driving fatigue in stop and go, just make sure to not drop it too rapidly leading to your vehicle braking too early which then forces the vehicle in the rear of you braking early) so the vehicle starts slowing down already prior to it closing in towards the vehicle in front.
To add to that, DISTRONIC also factors in traffic and road information to proactively slow down. For example if you are coming up on a congested section of freeway it gradually slows down ahead of time, assuming the traffic data is up to date at the time, and it also slows down if it sees the traffic in the adjacent lanes slowing down. These systems have grown way beyond just blindly relying on the forward facing radar sensor. I posted the below in response to a poster in another thread, because they were wondering why their car was slowing down for toll stations.
I have the traffic and location stuff turned off. That’s just me. Traffic is too unreliable. I’ve seen traffic show red and trying to reroute me while the actual road is clear. I was passing a sign showing 12 miles in 10 minutes while the car was showing red and a 25 minute delay. It’s happened several times. Trying to reroute me. Thank goodness my wife had google maps up.
Last edited by Elvisfan0108; Jan 7, 2022 at 06:51 PM.
To add to that, DISTRONIC also factors in traffic and road information to proactively slow down. For example if you are coming up on a congested section of freeway it gradually slows down ahead of time, assuming the traffic data is up to date at the time, and it also slows down if it sees the traffic in the adjacent lanes slowing down. These systems have grown way beyond just blindly relying on the forward facing radar sensor. I posted the below in response to a poster in another thread, because they were wondering why their car was slowing down for toll stations.
I see, thanks! Too bad for some reason in Canada live traffic wasn't included for my vehicle so can't test it out might have changed the years after though. Everything else had a 3 year included just not live traffic so I don't know. SirusXM however was just a 3 month trial.
Originally Posted by Elvisfan0108
I have the traffic and location stuff turned off. That’s just me. Traffic is too unreliable. I’ve seen traffic show red and trying to reroute me while the actual road is clear. I was passing a sign showing 12 miles in 10 minutes while the car was showing red and a 25 minute delay. It’s happened several times. Trying to reroute me. Thank goodness my wife had google maps up.
I see, it seems like I am not missing out on anything then. Do you prefer Waze over Google maps though?
I see, thanks! Too bad for some reason in Canada live traffic wasn't included for my vehicle so can't test it out might have changed the years after though. Everything else had a 3 year included just not live traffic so I don't know. SirusXM however was just a 3 month trial.
I see, it seems like I am not missing out on anything then. Do you prefer Waze over Google maps though?
I like the ACC. I Just don’t like automatically adjusting based on traffic information. I like the car slowing when I can see the traffic ahead. I’ll determine when to slow for exits. My wife uses Apple Maps or google maps usually. Waze once in awhile.
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