Does anyone know where the navigation system in the GLS gets real time traffic info? In my current car (2013 E350 wagon) traffic info is embedded in the Sirius satellite radio. If you don't subscribe to satellite radio then you don't get any traffic data (except for the few weeks a year where they give you free satellite radio trial).

Does the GLS also get traffic info from satellite radio data? Or does it get the data via it's on board 4G LTE interface? If so, do we have to pay for the 4G LTE service? (I'd imagine it comes with a short free trial of some sort)

 

It's getting it via the 4G LTE connection. Up till now the source has been Tom Tom, and prior to that SiriusXM via satellite radio as in your E350, but the latest COMAND 5.5 system is using Tom Tom. The 2020 GLS gets MBUX and I can't currently find confirmation whether it still uses Tom Tom or if they switched the provider, but it'll still be over the 4G LTE connection. Traffic and all the other online services are included free of charge for the first 3 years. After that you'll have to renew and pay for them. Tom Tom as a provider appears to be going away. Current E-Class owners who have exhausted the 3-years are finding that they currently can't renew live traffic and no clear word from MB as to what is going to replace it. New cars are still getting live traffic from Tom Tom. In my new 2019 C63S it was just activated a few weeks ago, so I should be good for the next three years. I'll see what the deal is in 2022 when I'm up for renewal if I still have the car by then. The Tom Tom traffic is actually pretty good. I've had SiriusXM in my previous Audi and it was ok. Mainly just highways, though. Tom Tom has traffic information for surface streets as well and so far it appears pretty accurate, so I hope that whatever they replace it with is as good or better than Tom Tom.

 

85% of traffic data, including that for SiriusXM, comes from Nokia’s HERE business unit, formally known as NAVTEQ.

 

HERE is where it's going (no pun intended). Most MB online services including the maps themselves are backed by HERE. HERE hasn't been part of Nokia for 4 years, though. Nokia sold it to BMW, Audi and Daimler. Some things are still in transition like traffic, but they're ultimately gonna power their Infotainment system fully with the HERE platform, since they own it.

 

oh, right, I knew that. (Quickly going to Wikipedia now to update that section...)

 

Well if it expires after 3 years and they don't let you renew, that's not good.