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Thanks for that. I am aware that its fairly easy to remove wheels locks but it does at least somewhat slow down the process.
Gorilla actually has Guard bolts in 12mmX1.50 and 14MMx1.50 with the spinning collar which can aren't even that bad...
Took the SUV to highway 1 today. Almost half of the 160 miles trip was mostly driven with the driver assistance feature. There were two false positives, one with lane keeping trying to go off the land, the other was incorrect speed adaptation, reducing from 70mph to 40mph at freeway when no such speed limit sign was seen. Other than the two bugs, I intervened most of the times when traffic slowed down, not because the SUV couldn't handle it, but the ride wouldnt be smooth enough.
But overall the feature is great. Clearly it is not as fancy as Autopilot on Tesla so the right expectation is important.
Some random tips.
— toggle the RES button on steering wheel twice to set the cruise speed to speed limit.
— press the turn signal switch lightly to initiate a lane change. The turn signal remains on until the lane change is complete. If you press the switch hard, lane change assist can also kick off but you will also need to switch the turn signal off.
Took the SUV to highway 1 today. Almost half of the 160 miles trip was mostly driven with the driver assistance feature. There were two false positives, one with lane keeping trying to go off the land, the other was incorrect speed adaptation, reducing from 70mph to 40mph at freeway when no such speed limit sign was seen. Other than the two bugs, I intervened most of the times when traffic slowed down, not because the SUV couldn't handle it, but the ride wouldnt be smooth enough.
But overall the feature is great. Clearly it is not as fancy as Autopilot on Tesla so the right expectation is important.
Some random tips.
— toggle the RES button on steering wheel twice to set the cruise speed to speed limit.
— press the turn signal switch lightly to initiate a lane change. The turn signal remains on until the lane change is complete. If you press the switch hard, lane change assist can also kick off but you will also need to switch the turn signal off.
My beef is it has the capability to be much more seamless and autonomous but it looks to me like the legal guys put a damper on it. From a business decision I understand the caution because of potential liability. I’m glad you like it. Maybe with more time using it I will too.
Took the SUV to highway 1 today. Almost half of the 160 miles trip was mostly driven with the driver assistance feature. There were two false positives, one with lane keeping trying to go off the land, the other was incorrect speed adaptation, reducing from 70mph to 40mph at freeway when no such speed limit sign was seen. Other than the two bugs, I intervened most of the times when traffic slowed down, not because the SUV couldn't handle it, but the ride wouldnt be smooth enough.
But overall the feature is great. Clearly it is not as fancy as Autopilot on Tesla so the right expectation is important.
Some random tips.
— toggle the RES button on steering wheel twice to set the cruise speed to speed limit.
— press the turn signal switch lightly to initiate a lane change. The turn signal remains on until the lane change is complete. If you press the switch hard, lane change assist can also kick off but you will also need to switch the turn signal off.
Worth getting or better to skip out on it? My order includes this package but due to the production delay, I'm wondering if I should just forgo it and buy one off the lot as I saw one come in with basically everything I want except for the driver assistance package and wondering if I should just pull the trigger on it, rather than wait until September for my car.
Yesterday I took a 100 mile drive and averaged 27 mpg by the built in meter. I haven’t had a chance to compare the calculated to actual but previous cars have been no more than 5% high. This trip was on secondary roads at speeds of 50-75. The roads had lots of curves and two steep grades with elevation changes of over 1000’. Light traffic but I did accelerate a few times passing. One trick I found helps mileage. I accelerated to cruising speed and then eased off the throttle and then eased back into it slowly to maintain that speed. On a level road the calculated mpg might go from 30-40 until I come to a grade or needed to pass. Drove mostly in Comfort Mode but some in Sport.
Tested it in the Twisties. Even in Sport Mode the car leans more than I would like in corners. Our Audi stays flat but has Torque Vectoring by gently braking the inside wheels and also stiffens the outside suspension to keep the car flat. It’s no big deal except my wife had to brace herself when I cornered at 20+ over posted in curves. This is where E-ABC would probably keep it flat. I did not feel unsafe at any time.
Worth getting or better to skip out on it? My order includes this package but due to the production delay, I'm wondering if I should just forgo it and buy one off the lot as I saw one come in with basically everything I want except for the driver assistance package and wondering if I should just pull the trigger on it, rather than wait until September for my car.
If you have a lot of hour-long drives, it is nice to have (still not a must have). To me the cost to get the feature is over $6k because it requires leather, massage, rapid heating, etc. adding $4k on top of the driver assistance package. I'd rather spend that amount somewhere else.
If you have a lot of hour-long drives, it is nice to have (still not a must have). To me the cost to get the feature is over $6k because it requires leather, massage, rapid heating, etc. adding $4k on top of the driver assistance package. I'd rather spend that amount somewhere else.
No kidding, definitely adds on to the MSRP. Thanks for the opinion. Yeah, I got it that option just for a "nice to have" but not a must have.
A random thought in regards to the steering wheel controls: imo they should have been reversed.
On my current vehicle (KIA SXT) all frequently used controls (mute, volume, tracks, call answer) are on the left side.
Normally I drive with my left hand only, and using those controls is super convenient as my hand is already there.
With the GLE I can see that those are on the other side... I guess they want us to use voice command or the trackpad instead?
27 mpg highway!! Thats amazing!! Close to our 2015 BMW X5d with 31 mpg highway. We decided to finance our buyout of the lease of the X5d and wait a little longer for the GLE450.
Well I found the clunky shifts several have mentioned. I drove around today in my individual setting that is all Sport Mode except for the ride is Comfort. The downshifts seemed a little harsh at times and in one instance there was a clunk as I was braking for a traffic light. It felt like it shifted down 2 or 3 gears at once. A light turned red and the car in front hit the brakes a little heavy so I braked hard and then eased up. I couldn’t get it to repeat. Since it doesn’t do it in Comfort mode I’m assuming it’s the mapping for the TCU still not quite right.
I have also experienced the kick when downshifting in comfort mode. Often from 4th to 3rd or 3rd to 2nd when breaking slightly more aggressively than normal. I had to hold the break to battle the kick. Luckily it's not a big deal to me.
I have over 600 miles with most in the city and have smooth shifts in Comfort. Might be just that combo of braking just enough to have it skip a gear is two. My Denali truck did that at first and it was later fixed with a TCU program update.
Well I found the clunky shifts several have mentioned. I drove around today in my individual setting that is all Sport Mode except for the ride is Comfort. The downshifts seemed a little harsh at times and in one instance there was a clunk as I was braking for a traffic light. It felt like it shifted down 2 or 3 gears at once. A light turned red and the car in front hit the brakes a little heavy so I braked hard and then eased up. I couldn’t get it to repeat. Since it doesn’t do it in Comfort mode I’m assuming it’s the mapping for the TCU still not quite right.
I know with a car I've owned in the past that clunky shifting was able to be "reflashed" out of the system by the dealer at my first service. In other words, I complained about it and they reflashed the transmission software and it actually did solve the problem. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Quick update:
My maps auto updated this morning for all North America. Coincidently I used Nav and it did two neat things, one new. First it steered me away from the direct route-that road is under construction with lane restrictions. Second after reaching my destinations it traced a return route to my starting point. At first I didn’t like it but it’s just a line on the map nothing obtrusive. No harm and might be useful at times. The Nav screen and function is very good, best Factory System I have experienced.
Yesterday my Radar Detector and Dash Cam were hardwired. I had an appointment with a Stereo Shop that had done several before but got nervous looking at my car and the location of the cigarette lighter, the normal source of power. I called my dealer Service Dept and they gave me the name that they use. I think this was a good move. Because it was a new Model, the owner brought his son and they had the panels and camera housing off in minutes. They were unable to get at the cig lighter without risk of damaging components. After removing a lot of pieces they suggested that we abandon switched power and wire both hot. Both have low power draw. They will try to get at Mercedes diagrams and will come back later but they don’t expect that info to be available yet. This will work for me, the Dash Cam needed power to record activity when parked and then goes to standby. The Radar Detector has low power draw and is easy to turn off manually. I’m hoping that the 48 volt battery will backstop.
The area between the two sun visors is totally full now. The Factory System has 3 cameras and takes a lot of real estate. There was just room for the Radar Detector on the driver side, the Dash Cam is a little smaller.
No real issues to report. The locking function is working again most of the time. Kick to open the hatch is also back working.
Ron, would you tell us about the USB-C connectors/cables?
What (if any) cables are provided?
Most people have USB-A to Lightning / USB-C / microUSB to connect/charge their phones.
Will new owners need to buy cables/adapters?
Ron, would you tell us about the USB-C connectors/cables?
What (if any) cables are provided?
Most people have USB-A to Lightning / USB-C / microUSB to connect/charge their phones.
Will new owners need to buy cables/adapters?
Three 8” USB-C male/USB-A female connector/adapters are provided. And of course, if you get the option, there is wireless charging for compatible phones in the console.
Last edited by GregW / Oregon; 05-21-2019 at 03:41 PM.
Three short USB-C male/USB-A female connector/adapters are provided. And of course, if you get the option, there is wireless charging for compatible phones in the console.
Still need them for CarPlay/Android Auto though, so good to know.
Ron, would you tell us about the USB-C connectors/cables?
What (if any) cables are provided?
Most people have USB-A to Lightning / USB-C / microUSB to connect/charge their phones.
Will new owners need to buy cables/adapters?
The wireless charging seems very slow compared to my home unit. Mine took 3 hours for about 50% charge.
The supplied cables will get you by but even with a short cable it’s pretty cumbersome. I bought some 1’ C to C cables on Amazon that keep clutter to a minimum. They are great for the front console or inside the armrest box....seem to be good quality my Android Auto works and it’s always been sensitive to good cables.
05-04-2019, 03:04 PM
