This is what's coming for the S-Class. You would think that they would get all the kinks worked out in the present version first.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/m...s-mbux-update/

 

Mbux works great in both our cars. Not sure what kinks you’re referring to.

 

I dislike that they are removing physical buttons but fully understand the reasoning behind it.

 

My god....please allow an alternative key word besides "Mercedes" !

 

Thanks for the update. Looks like we now know where the most talented MBUX developers have been working lately. As someone pointed out earlier, MBUX is a common platform now but not the same across all lines. Now they will be on to developing the Electric Car versions of MBUX. Reductions in staff, new vehicle development.....we might not see a lot of happening to the GLE version, IMO. Almost two years after announcing OTA there’s not much happening and that would provide cost savings both at Corporate and the Dealers.

 

You can turn that off and just use the wheel toggle.

 

That is a lot of whizbang tech. How much of it will actually be used? I Know I don't even use the current full capabilities of the MBUX system.

 

I know this is MB forum but I have to say I’m not considering another Mercedes for my next vehicle. When it comes to software there’s too much over promise and under delivery.

I know Tesla has a lot of quality problems but but at least they are willing to fix them at service, plus the software is continuously improving.

 

Problem is that mercedes can’t
support it. Waited 2 months for them to attempt to resolve a connectivity issue before directing me to the dealer.

 

Ditto

 

The pragmatist MBA accountant/financial analyst wife hates the tech. It is a distraction to her. She likes neat columns of numbers, formulae, accounts reconciled and NPV or FV. She would be just as happy with her father's 1961 Chevrolet he drove to Tijuana when he didn't want to take his MB there. I was on the Mercedes CES tech event and it certainly is promising to those of us who see this as an assist to driving and maximizing both safety and experience. What worries me are the inevitable bugs and coding issues as well as tech. All I can think of even now is the auto speed limit feature in Distronic, which is a fatal accident ready to happen. I've been calling this the 737Max of automobiles.

 

That's the Active Distronic Route Based Speed Adjustment. It is an option you can turn off, and still enjoy the rest of the distronic features. I've discovered that the "route information" in Command Online is not always current. For example, there may have been a traffic jam that cleared, but the Command Online database the system uses hasn't been updated. The result is the car brakes on a clear road like it was slowing for a traffic jam. Another example is it brakes for a toll both...when you're in the EZpass lane. Probably a good feature for a long highway trip on roads you're not familiar with...not very good on I-95 around DC, or the toll roads around Richmond. I turned that feature off and haven't had anymore of those "sudden braking" experiences that are rather unnerving.

 

If Distronic wasn’t buggy it might be safe to use but both of my GLE’s have had serious problems. This might be the price one pays for being an early buyer of a new Gen. The first thing I do is turn off traffic sign assist but that doesn’t solve the bugs.
My first GLE 450 was much improved after a software update but was getting buggy again just before I sold it.
My GLE 53 has many of the same serious safety issues associated with harsh braking even though the function of adapting speed to traffic signs is turned off. I first thought that it was reset on so pulled over to double check. When things like the Camera & radar are out of sync the system is dangerous. Just recently mine has braked on curves probably seeing an obstruction; misreads traffic signs and brakes aggressively if it’s 20 mph lower; substituted the misread sign in my set speed braking...next time it brakes but leaves the set speed and resumes normally in a few minutes. Some symptoms seem Camera related but others a Software conflict maybe caused by hardware. I’m documenting everything hoping that it will speed up a fix.
There doesn’t seem to be a safe mode if something goes wrong with Distronic. Last summer I became sandwiched in heavy Freeway traffic when a Semi pulled too close behind me just as my car decided to slam on the brakes. That’s a situation that may never happen again but it could easily have been fatal because a big truck can’t brake as fast as our GLE’s. If I had a do over I would pass on the expensive Distronic option.

 

Too much tech not ready for prime time. That’s why I passed on the whole thing. I like to drive, not be driven; I would not trust Level 4 or above autonomous driving for many years.

 

I’m curious, Did you turn off (uncheck on setup screen) the Active Distronic Route Based Speed Adjustment? I discovered that was the culprit for the sporadic braking out of the blue. When I turned that feature off—that eliminated the issue.

 

I don’t recall that terminology anywhere. AFAIK, I have my 53 set the same as my 450...by turning off Traffic Sign Assist. That’s the only relevant setting I could find. I have Dynamic Route Guidance turned off. What are the specific steps to find the setting for Route Based Speed Adjustment.
I haven’t used the Mercedes Nav yet...using Android Auto.

 

From what I read (not experienced) "Active Speed Limit Assist" is what uses traffic signs to set the maximum speed. "Route-Based Speed Adaptation" takes things like curves, intersections, exits & traffic jams (Live Traffic) and use of the turn signal into account and is active when route guidance is being used. Descriptions start on page 201 in my manual.

 

Thanks Greg & Tex...I found that setting at the bottom of Assistance. I guess I forgot about it and didn’t scroll down far enough, it was on. I’ll try that but it’s odd that after turning off Traffic Signs it still attempts to function. It’s particularly dangerous when the system misreads traffic signs so often. I’m thinking that I still have a Camera problem making things worse.

 

Route based speed
On the screen it is called route based speed. It’s located in settings under the assistance tab. On my screen I have it highlighted but it is turned off. I’m guessing you have that feature on.

 

That setting RBS has always been off on my GLE53...I found the Active Speed Limit Assist setting about 7 deep in Assistance and turned that off. Will see if that makes any difference.

 

Just to clarify, I have some verifiable experience with the RBS (Route-Based Speed) on my (now former) '20 450. It's a pervasive feature.

I have a 45 minute drive to our cabin and beyond, which I make regularly. It's a wonderful Driver's drive, with some 70-80mph sweepers (great visibility of cars or animals ahead) plus some slow curves (yellow advisory speed sign) marked 35mph, but are easily taken at +10-20, depending on my experience with the corner, or passenger comfort.
Here are my multiple experiences.

Example 1, with NAV destination active, Distronic, Route-based Speed Adaption, and Traffic Sign Assist enabled:Example 2, with NAV destination active, Distronic, Route-based Speed Adaption, no Traffic Sign Assist enabled:Example 3, on another scenic river drive I take often, that has more traffic but few advisory signs, with NAV destination, Distronic, Route-based Speed Adaption active, no Traffic Sign Assist enabled (I had learned my lesson by then):Example 4, with NO NAV destination active, yes Distronic, no Route-based Speed Adaption, no Traffic Sign Assist enabled:#1, #2 & #3 caused me great concern, but I was told at the Dealership that Route-Based Speed is GPS based, (not Sirius/XM, Waze or Google) and that RBS will slow for corners. I disabled RBS and I don't feel overly Nannied. RBS is never active if you're not using Cruise (Distronic).

Drilling down through menus for RBS may not be necessary if you can link it to "Favorites" (Star button on the console) but I never got that far before I turned my car back.
I also leave Traffic Sign Assist off, especially in traffic, because I believe it sees signs for adjacent frontage roads - and Brake Checks the car behind me.
I'll temporarily re-activate Traffic Sign Assist if I am in the vicinity of municipalities with known Speed Traps, that regularly move their signs.

Sorry for the long post - trying to accurately describe my experiences. Hope it's understandable.

 

What is the setting that allows the vehicle to slow before reaching a traffic jam when using Distronic -- isn't that Route-based speed active? I know the traffic jam information is retrieved via Command Online, and there is data latency.

Example 5: with NAV destination set, Distronic, Route-based Speed Adaption active, and noTraffic Sign Assist enabled. Command Online reports a traffic jam on I-95 that has cleared, traffic is now flowing 75-80 MPH. Car breaks to slow for the reported traffic jam that is no longer there.

I've experienced this 4 times, and I believe it is the cause of frustration with Distronic in general...it's not necessary anything wrong with the radar and sensors -- it's latent data in Command Online. Deactivating Route based speed eliminates this phantom braking on my GLE. No it won't slow for curves, but everything else still functions (i.e., will still center in the lane and follow slower cars at a set distance, and change lanes and accelerate when clear after you signal)

 

I've turned off Active Speed Limit assist. Honestly not driving enough now to test various scenarios. In 3 months, nine days I've put a total of 889 miles on the car.

 

As I recall, but haven't been able to verify - M-B subscribes to State DOT feeds from traffic sensors in the roadbeds or other such devices. This info is used to estimate arrival times - it's only available in metro areas, but spreading.
There is also a Car-to-Car function in the works. A 2017 E-Class loaner had a map function that showed locations of other E's with this function, and it was supposedly to ID traffic flow, ETA etc.
I think a Standard is becoming adopted, where more Manufacturers will participate in this data sharing. It will probably affect more than we expect.

In the instances you cite, latency is a possibility. I have come to ignore "reroute" NAV suggestions because the offending incident is completely gone when I get there. (Waze is worse yet - I have spent several hours in Waze-induced "detours" where I could see free traffic flow FROM the bumper-to-bumper detour.)

FWIW a portion of Fed Highway Funding is supposed to be designated for imbedding those sensors in roadways. I believe this is in preparation for self-driving cars - a ways off (I hope).
If you think this is far-fetched, that the USDOT really requiring expenditures that far in advance, I know THIS to be true:
All throughways, even County and City, have been required to have glass beads in the stripes (more expensive than the paint itself). This is since about 2005, and at the same time they required Side Stripes to be painted as well as Center Stripes. Now, I think that was then-future Lane Keeping stuff on cars.
I'm not sure who's driving those Bureaucratic requirements, but it's happening.

 

Hmm, I could have sworn I had the Active Speed Limit Assist option in the Assistance menu before, but it's no longer there (I have the Driver Assistance Package). I have the Route Based Speed Adaption option. I'd like to keep RBS but disable ASL, but the option is missing...

Wonder if it disappeared when my MBUX version was upgraded to ntg6/080...