viper3ez

Being a tech enthusiast, I have strong negative emotions towards automobile navigation systems. Even with the decent 8.4" media system in my Jeep, I would rather go offroad than use the navigation system. I use waze everyday because Houston traffic can ruin your day before you say traffic.

For those of you who have chosen MM package which effectively kills smartphone integration (Carplay and Android Auto), what is your experience with the COMAND system? would you rather go with the smartphone integration if Multtimedia was not reqyuired for Driver assistance package?

I am pretty much willing to give up Distronic and other niceties at this point to keep smartphone integration.

brad65ford

Strange I didn't pay that much attention to this when i purchased, I've had apple car play in two other cars and didn't use it but its nice no disagreement there.

viper3ez

do you use navigation regularly? did you opt for multimedia package? and if you did, was it driven by wanting other packages that required it such as Driver Assistance or the Race App?

Chrisk03

If you are a tech enthusiast, I think you'd be happier with the Smartphone Integration. I went with the MM Package for the larger screen, but honestly should have probably gotten the SI. I didn't get the Drivers Assist Package, so it didn't matter. COMAND/Navi is ok, but I still haven't even figured out how to cancel a route once it's going...other than hitting the Voice button and saying "cancel", just tried that by luck. I actually almost wrecked trying to cancel a route by just hitting the "back" button and it kept going. Not sure why that would be so difficult and to this day haven't looked it up in the manual. I will say using your phone to send the COMAND/Navi directions is pretty easy and works better than trying to type into COMAND. I also tried "voice" to enter directions into COMAND and it frankly sucked compared to Google Maps. I mostly just BT my phone to the vehicle now for music and will use Google Maps/Waze for directions, while just leaving the Navi screen up for "looks". I just need to find a good mount for my phone. I'm an Android guy, but ACP or AA would probably be better than COMAND. Try to see if you can find both at a dealer to compare...wish I had done that.

SOAPBOX: I still find it maddening that MB didn't make the GLC available with COMAND AND ACP/AA together like they do with the GLA45. Stupid...

susman@eurogermantown.com

I just traded for a GLC63 suv allocation Viper.. 2019, being built late June.. can make any change you like (Although HUD is back-ordered I think)...

viper3ez

Thanks for that. i was really tempted by having distronic but I definitely value android auto over any OEM solution. I am going to leave the MM out of my build. The downside is that you cant even get advanced cruise control without distronic. even kia elantra has that standard these days.

your reference to the voice entry reminds me of the chrysler option where you have to say "navigate to [exact street address}". just can't find something by name such as "home depot near here"

viper3ez

i'll PM you.

eling23

I came from a 2015 BMW with their iDrive system and feel that the tech in my 2018 Mercedes is a few levels below the bmw. I have the Navi and it's really quirky. Well it could have been better if Mercedes would have integrated the steering controls a lot better. BMW managed to put 3 button functions into one with the rotary scroll button on the steering wheel. Now if I wanted to skip tracks from the steering wheel in the glc i'd have to hit "home button, scroll down to media with down button, press ok, press down button twice (unless i was already in the media screen)." Mind you mercedes is missing the skip forward and backwards button on the steering wheel. With the aftermarket 3rd party upgrades these days, i'd forgo the Comand with Navi unless I wanted to get the Driver's assistance package. Worst yet, my 2018 came with NTG 5.0, and carplay can't be enabled easily.

pk9394

LOL, on my bimmer, most the time I only press Start button and the -/+ shifter on most of time I drive. I don't play attention to the infotainment system much. after I start up the car, my playlist from pandor will automatic start playing. the only time I use the infotainment system is the NAV. I option the 2019 with the MM pkg is because a bigger screen to fill up that big black boarder of the display unit.

Cdatech007

My wife and I have nothing but poor reviews regarding the MultiMedia package and smartphone integration with our 2018 GLC 43.

Curious if anyone has seen options to convert the MM package to CarPlay? My Ford Escape has better integration and reliability with all things tech.

PhantomX2K

Yea I was kinda bummed about that as well. My Mustang and Taurus both have great multimedia options and the apple car play is fantastic. I even had it on my Goldwing and I have to choose on a $100k ride. But the rest of it is great so I'll survive LOL.

viper3ez

i wne t with multimedia because it turns out i need to have adaptive cruise control.

while i am okay without it, i would still have liked to have Android Auto. I use tasker app which kicks off waze once my bluetooth connects

Mr. J

I guess I'm the odd one here in that I think command works just fine and I've been less than impressed with android auto integration on the last Ford and GM rentals I've driven.

Quirks to know with command-
To skip music tracks use any of the following methods:
1. Press down on the touch pad then swipe right to skip or left to return to beginning of track.
2. Press the voice button on steering wheel and say "skip track".
3. If you are in the Media menu click the scroll wheel to the right to skip, to the left to return to beginning of track. If you are in Map or Nav menu the scroll wheel will zoom the map instead of controlling the music. This seems to confuse a lot of users.

To find something without exact address-
Use the voice button and say "POI by name", speak the name of the item you are trying to find.

Entering addresses-
Command likes to hear numbers pronounced as clusters rather than single digits. For example, 9999 Main St is best understood as "ninety-nine ninety-nine Main Street".

viper3ez

i don't know about the others but command is not what i have an issue with. navigation is. there is no parallel universe where factory built navigation would be compared to google maps or even waze. This was the case with my Jeep even with sirius live traffic integrated, it was just inaccurate in routing and time estimation. While command is a significant downgrade for that uconnect system, i do just fine using it. I still would have prefered to be able to add android auto.

Longhorn Dad

The iPhone integration works great as I like to use google maps and updates are free. The text messaging functions are handy too. What's worse; the Houston traffic or roads? The potholes are rim and tire killers.

MB_Okie

Probably a silly question but....

I have a 2021 GLC43 on order (June delivery expected) with the MM package. But all 2021 GLCs come standard with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
Here is my question, can I still use CP or AA if the vehicle is equipped with the MM package?? I can't find the answer to that question anywhere on MB website or this forum.

kennys2003

Yes, you can. At least on the 2020's. I almost never use CP though, since I find the Mercedes setup to be just as good or better.

MB_Okie

Thanks, I'm interested to see how well the augmented video navigation works.

cloose

Is it an either or thing? I am contemplating a 19 AMG GLC 63 that doesn't have the MM package, just the basics. Does that mean it WILL have Android Auto/Apple Car play by default or is it possible that it has neither?

Chrisk03

Don't quote me, but I believe if you didn't get the MM package, you got the Smartphone Integration or 99.9% of the builds came with SI, IF it didn't have MM. Certainly, confirm it before buying and also look for the USB outlet that has the phone picture near it, that would indicate the SI. If buying local you can obviously take your chord and test it out, but if buying far away and having shipped to you, make the dealer show you it has SI.

Good luck. Was a very frustrating time pre-2020 models as the MM had the bigger screen and looked a bit better to me, but now living with Android Auto/Apple CP in my 2018 GTI, it really is a crime that MB didn't have this figured out in the GLC before the 2020 models.

cloose

Thank you for the response...

Zausner

I have a '21 GLC 43 with the navigation/MM/phone integration, etc. I have been seriously impressed with the MB augmented navigation and have done several comparisons to Google Maps (granted, my expectations were low). In all but one case, the routing was equivalent in getting me there on time to Google. Google has slightly better live traffic. The advantage with the MB implementation (over my Alfa and an older BMW) is that you can very easily switch between Android Auto/Car Play and the MBUX system without losing anything (maps continues to route you, etc). While Android Auto is running (in my case), I can say "Hey Mercedes" or "Hey Google" and either will answer and perform the actions.

As to your original question, I was choosing between a few specific cars when I purchased in Feb and if the vehicle has Android/Car play it will say it clearly on the sticker, regardless of the other options as per the dealer. I never saw a single '21 GLC 43 without Android Auto and Carplay and neither had my salesperson, so my guess is you're fine.

bsaz

Ditto on the car 2021 GLC 43, with the MM package. Android is much superior that the MB navigation in my opinion. We live in Tucson, AZ and take trips to N. AZ over half the locations (with addresses) we input to the MB Nav. are not found or they take us to a dirt road, switch to Android and all is fine. Like Zauser said both systems work simultaneously, Android is better in multiple ways. Voice commands are much better than they were in previous MB systems, I have to give them kudos for that, Nav not so much.

Chrisk03

The pre-2020 GLC models are completely different tech-wise than the present models. Starting in 2020, the GLC's were updated to the MBUX system, while prior had the Multimedia or SI systems....couldn't have both together. OP is looking at a 2019 GLC.

Zausner

Oops, missed it was a '19. Agree that's a totally different situation.

Related to this post, if anyone is interested there is now a (good) way to make your Android Auto wireless. A device called AAWireless has been released (it was a crowd funded project). My neighbor got his (mine is expected in a few weeks) and I got to play with his last week ('20 or 21 S class). Works exactly as advertised and it's pretty cool.