Does anyone here has first hand experience with the Driver assist package PLUS especially compared to Tesla Autopilot for example? The guy at the MB dealership was making it sound like the driver assist package really doesn't have the same capabilities. Although from everything I've read it seems to be more or less the same when it comes highway driving, changing lanes, etc.

 

To some extent this comes down to how much of the Tesla hype you believe about Autopilot, and also full self-driving. Tesla does have a few extra features such as recognizing red lights and stopping for them etc., which the MB system doesn't have. Tesla also has Navigate on Autopilot, which to some extent follows the route from the navigation system, automatically exiting highways etc. The MB system doesn't do this quite at that level. MB's system slows down the car for intersections, turns, exits etc. that it knows you are gonna take based on the current route, or if you signal, but it doesn't autonomously make the maneuver. Tesla's Autopilot can also autonomously change lanes to pass slower cars. The MB system doesn't do this. The MB system only changes lanes when you signal to do so. On the other hand a lot of these features don't work a 100% with Tesla Autopilot. Phantom braking for example is a well documented issue with Autopilot where it seems to see ghosts and steps on the brakes. That doesn't happen with MB's system. MB's system is not quite as feature rich as Autopilot, but the features it has work fairly well. I personally like the MB system. It has the right level of automation to take over some of the mundane driving like stop&go driving and just eating up miles on a long highway journey, but it doesn't try to be a self-driving system. It does require periodic steering corrections, which are on purpose to make sure the driver pays attention. Autopilot gives many drivers a false sense of autonomy, culminating in videos showing Tesla drivers asleep behind the wheel or crashing into vehicles on the side of the road, or barriers. I have very little interest in self-driving cars, but the level 2 type systems like MB's system offer just enough to make driving in traffic less frustrating and reduce fatigue on long drives, but ultimately I own cars because I enjoy driving, not to be a passenger in them.

 

Thank you for the explanation, what you're saying makes sense. Tesla has the basic Autopilot, which is basically good for highway driving and like you said reducing fatigue, they also have FSD (extra $$$) which I personally think is a waste of money, with that you get some of the extra features such exiting on navigation, changing lanes automatically, etc. The phantom breaking is an issue as you mentioned, as with all systems the driver has to be attentive, in fact there has been multiple reports of Teslas crashing into the concrete barriers placed when a lane is being gradually closed off because of construction, etc. I feel better about getting the MB driver assist then because I do find it helpful, especially on longer road trips.

 

Yeah, Musk still believes they can make all this work with just cameras, regardless of the fact that cameras can be blinded by direct light. He's convinced that they don't need radar or lidar and in fact are no longer using the radar even if the car is equipped with it. MB's system uses both cameras for recognizing lanes and obstacles, and radar for following distance, which simply works better. The radar doesn't have issues seeing obstacles ahead in bright direct sunlight.

 

My biggest issue with the MB driver assist is you need to grip the steering wheel all the time. I am constantly getting warning messages to put my hand on the wheel even when I am gripping it fairly tightly. I am not sure what the lbs per square inch of pressure is but I should not have to grip it that hard to avoid the warnings.

 

My first post / reply
I have found that the steering wheel likely does not sense grip, instead give it a nudge to the left or right (just slight pressure) one way or another to let it know you are there... it stops complaining for a bit of time, will still have to repeat process when the "Red Wheel" reappears. Seems to work nicely when cruising on the freeway

 

That's correct. At most it has pressure sensors at the 9 and 3o'clock position, because if I grab it there it seems to recognize my hand, at least in my C63. The latest steering wheels in the W213 FL etc. have capacitive sensors now all-around the rim of the wheel. If you have the newer steering wheel with the small square touchpads left and right, you can also just touch one of those when you get the warning. My car has the extended start/stop what they call it, which allows handsfree for up to 30 seconds on divided highways and for even longer in really slow traffic, and I just periodically touch one of the touchpads when I get the warning. What I like about MB is that you first get a discreet visual warning in the dash, instead of some other brands which immediately yell at you after only keeping your hands off for as little as 10 seconds. Audi for example is notorious for this. Very annoying.

 

It seems to work fine on my car. I have trouble letting it do the work, but it does work. I really don't use it much unless I'm on a long drive in the middle of nowhere where it's basically straight ahead for miles.

 

Don’t grip the wheel. I just take two fingers of one hand at 6 o’clock on the wheel and wiggle it left and right for a quick second. It doesn’t take much at all. I’ve been doing it since my 2015 s class and now on my 2019 amg e53 (while waiting on the gle53 coupe I ordered)