MitchE500

We were looking at the new M class at a local dealership and was taken back when the salesman advised that the new M class does NOT have Bluetooth technology!

Does anyone know why MB did not go with Bluetooth and are they going to Bluetooth in the 2007 model year?

Teg

I thought I saw the blue tooth option on one of the dealer cars?

Teg

I just talk to the dealer and you are correct, there are no cars or suv's that offer bluetooth!

MitchE500

There are no MB cars or SUV with Bluetooth...... there are BMW and lots of Japanese cars and SUV with Bluetooth.

I just don't understand how MB can introduce a completly redesigned model and NOT have Bluetooth.

My only conclusion is that they still want to sell their own phone which in Canada lists for $ 2,240.00 CDN......... !!!! .... any you still have to plug it into the cradle in the vehicle!

GregW / Oregon

Yes, that's very lame. M-B is often a step behind on electronics.

Juaser

Can the telephone system that is OEM for the truck be retrofitted? I saw it in the accesories catalouge and I was curious. Maybe there is a way to make it work with different phones besides Motorola, like say, a Sony Ericsson 910a?

Would it just be changing out the cradle? Anybody have any ideas?

Paul Le Corre

I'm quite sure that the bluetooth thing is a US only trend. If I take the examle of France, I have never seen someone asking for bluetooth devise in their car.

The demand for this option must be too low (I mean on a worldwide basis) to work on it.

GregW / Oregon

The main issue is giving wider choice for phone integration. BMW has recognized this need/demand and offers it in their new models. People don't want to have to change phones to the limited and overpriced choices offered by the car manufacturers.

GregW / Oregon

Paul,

Your new cartoon is not as objectionable as the last one, but I still find it distracting and it has no auto-related content.

Wolfgang

Agreed the choice is pretty limited at present in the USA. In Europe they have the universal handset interface which can connect several generic phones, with the Siemens CX65 currently as OEM MB phone. MB is probably working on a Bluetooth solution with SIM-Access profile, which they prefer over the handsfree mode some others offer.

Here's some Bluetooth discussion:
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=9651
http://www.amg-owners-club.org/board...ight=Bluetooth

MitchE500

BWM , Lexus and Acura all offer Bluetooth systems for vehicles in Canada and the USA.

I am not all that concerned about phones in France since it is very unlikely I will drive my vehicle across the Atlantic ocean!

When you are spending the money that NB wants for their vehicles it seems to me that they should be able to keep up with the other three mentioned.

As well it also appears that MB does not offer voice command and touch screen command options for their navigation system either.

All in all it will prevent me from seriously considering the new M class.

Just my thoughts.. for others it probably is not a big deal.

Wolfgang

Mitch, as far as I know they all use Bluetooth handsfree mode which MB doesn;t want to use. Some of the reasons were listed in the link I posted.
If you need Bluetooth handsfree mode, don't consider a Mercedes-Benz, but one of the many attractive alternatives, like an X5 etc. or an aftermarket solution.

from: http://www.amg-owners-club.org/board...ght=Bluetooth:

The „hands free“ mode using the Bluetooth interface, like it´s known from other manufacturers, is not supported by Mercedes-Benz for following reasons:

- The battery is not getting charged during driving

- Due to the higher energy demand of the Bluetooth system the stand-by and talk time would decrease noticeable

- Using the Bluetooth connection within the car, means more electromagnetical emission to the occupants

- The speak quality decreases using Bluetooth connection

Please note that the Bluetooth functionality is based on different standarts. Compatibility is not guaranteed for all devices.
# # # end of quote

amb9800

The funny thing is that Chrysler has had its 'UConnect' voice-activated Bluetooth hands-free cell-phone system for a while now (300C, Magnum, Pacifica, Town & Country, Jeep Liberty, Grand Cherokee, others), but you still can't get such a system on an MB. Strange.

Wolfgang

Ja, funny. And developed by MB Research and Technology in Palo Alto for Chrysler.

UConnect uses Bluetooth "handsfree mode", and not Bluetooth "SIM-access" mode which MB prefers.

E55Soon

Trust me
If MB cold have pulled it off, they would have. All of those other reasons are just BS. If there was a legitimate reason for not having Bluetooth in cars today, then the world's leading manufacturers would not have bothered with it. The bluettoth system on my neighbor's 645 convertible is AWESOME. Get within 5 feet of the car with your phone on and voila, it connects to the car. It works great! Voice activated dialing and all!
Personally, it's a flat out LIE to state that bluetooth in cars offer more electro magnetic energy. Do you have any idea how many millions of people are wearing bluetooth headsets in this country? And they want us to believe that Bluetooth in the car is more dangerous? GIVE ME A BREAK! The battery issue is easily remedied with an extra charger on your desk. Even BMW offers optional docks for you phone if you want to charge it without using the accessory cigarette lighter charger. BIG DEAL. I would use bluetooth in a heartbeat if they offered it so that I didn't have to...
A: Dock my car every fricken time I got in my car just to enjoy the hands free option
B: Not feel as if I'm getting raped by MB over the purchase of one of their branded phones. THE REAL DRAG HERE IS THAT NO MAJOR PHONE CARRIER WILL EXTEND THEIR INSURANCE PROGRAM (for lost/stolen phones) TO A MB PHONE. IF YOU LOOSE THE PHONE YOU ARE FORCED TO GO BACK TO YOUR DEALER. The nerve of MB for doing that to us after we shelled out a small fortune for their cars. If they don't offer bluetooth by 2007 I'm getting a BMW or a JAG!

Wolfgang

That's a different Bluetooth mode and actually offered by Mercedes. It connects a headset via Bluetooth for privacy so others in the car can't listen in.

You need to differentiate between the different Bluetooth modes:

- headset (offered by MB to connect headsets for privacy)

- handsfree (not offered by MB due to reasons stated earlier, does not use external car cell antenna, many others have it)

- SIM-access (MB will probably offer this Bluetooth mode in the future, similar functionality as in the Nokia 616 car kit)

http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,65324,00.html

E55Soon

No Wolfgang:

I simply meant that MB's concern that bluetototh systems cause excessive electro magnetic energy in the car is fool hearted. I bet that if you asked a MB engineer to his face, he would tell you that was NOT the case. If anyone should be concerned about exessive amounts of electro magnetic energy it's the millions of cell phone users using the bluetooth headsets. Those are right up against the user's skull. Surely if no one has a problem with those headsets, then that concern can't be a legitimate reason to preclude bluetooth technology from MB cars. ALL WE'RE ASKING IS TO GIVE US THE SAME TECHNOLOGY THAT'S FOUND IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MB'S COMPETITOR'S CARS! Why is that so hard to understand? Why do you attempt to defend them? Face it, they don't have their act together. It's part of the same reasons why they couldn't offer Nav on 03' E class cars... probably because they were too damned slow devloping the hardware. Most 03' e classes were pre wired for it, they just didn't have the head unit available when the cars were ready to ship to dealers. MB better get their act together or the competition will bury them. BMW is already stealing market share.

Wolfgang

No E55Soon, that's definately different. The headset uses much less transmitting power to connect to the radio right next to it, than a cellphone's antenna inside a car transmitting several miles to a cell antenna. One really has to differentiate between these different Bluetooth modes as I have pointed out several times now.

PS. I'm not claiming MB has a clue. IMHO they are clearly lacking in cluefullness!

E55Soon

Please clarify one thing... Are you of the opinion that there is a legitimate reason, any reason whatsoever that MB has yet to implement bluetooth on their cars? That's what has me so curious. Because I would like to know what that reason is that MB knows about which BMW, Lexus, Chrysler, Jaguar & Infinity do not know.
Let's just call a spade a spade on this one Wolfgang. THERE IS ABSOULETLY NO REDEEMING REASON to offer their cars without this very helpful technology except greed on their part. You see, they have a deal with Motorola to offer Motorola phones for North American cars through 2007. That's the only reason they don't offer bluetooth. The moment they start offering it the way the others have, they can no longer sell MB branded V600's & V710's for $500 a pop! Bluetooth immediately obsoletes proprietary handsets. Even if MB claims they want to offer it on their cars, they can't until their contract ends with Motorola.
That means most likely we won't see Bluetooth on MB cars till 2007 at the earliest. by then the competition would have had it for 3 years. What crap is that?

Wolfgang

But MB doesn't offer Bluetooth handsfree mode anywhere outside of North America right now contradicting your statement?

E55Soon

They don't??? Huh, And I thought it was merely a calcualted move on their part to deprive their loyal consumers of a very helpful technology. It might just be their pitiful incompetence after all. Imagine that, they can build a 500 hp motor, and seats that inflate as you round a turn but they just can't bring themselves to offer bluetooth. Maybe my dodge Caravan will have it?

Wolfgang

Ja, that just sounds like Mercedes-Benz!

Juaser

The reason they couldn't offer NAV in the 03 E class is becuase MB was having a legal battle with Bosch, and Seimens at the time (who builds the NAV systems now) didn't pull through. Thats why your sounds systems went from Bose to Harmon Kardon.

Bottom line. MB charges you for the phone and service becuase somewhere and somehow they have an exclusive contract with these dealers and makers that is more lucrative than uprooting the pre-arrangements and setting new tech in the cars. Money is usually the reason for these type of things.

MB dolls out most of there work to sub-contractors to make parts and equipment that they can put on their cars. They make deals and contracts that are agreeable to both parties and seem like good business decisions at the time. But as we all know, hindsight is 20/20. I'm sure that they are just as aware as you are about the bluetooth issue, and I'm almost positive its a question of what will cost more. Maybe it will hurt them in the long run, maybe it won't, but thats the beauty of business, who knows what tommrow will yield.

Anyway, won't bluetooth be pretty obsolete soon? Isn't Intel working on some new type of wireless connectivity? Can anybody expand on that?

amb9800

I think you're referring to Wireless USB:

Some more info: http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/s...leID=163700864

I think it'll kill Bluetooth as far as PC applications (e.g. wireless keyboard, etc.). As for cell phones, I don't know -- the reason being that there's already an established base of Bluetooth users -- but then again, WUSB is much, much faster, so I guess we'll have to wait and see....