Can someone tell me if there is real value in the Mbrace feature? It seams like another way to extract another buck for this car. $1,650 for 5 yrs and it’s supposed to go up at the start of the new year. The people at Mbrace won’t let me read any service agreement, nor explain anything beyond the obvious until I pay for it. Ll They offer yearly contracts (for $200) that don’t include WiFi - that is an extra $18 + per month extra. They have a 2 year special for $270 no WiFi either. I never had remote start I had to pay for to work (and I can’t see how I would need to use my phone to call from far away to start my car). Maybe uploading a map from my iPad to the car (If I have this right) could be used now and then. I’m just curious if there is something with this Mbrace that is useful for me and I just don’t know it yet?

 

Car subscriptions are going the way of nearly all subscriptions. They are a way for providers to have a steady income stream, by providing as little value as possible. Preferably none.

 

Don't have it, don't miss it.

 

Ask yourself this: Did you have it or need it 10 or more years ago before they came up with it?
As I tell family before they spend money: Is it a want or a need?
I doubt one needs it to drive car.

But I am a cheap ol' ba$tard

 

Guess we should be grateful we don't need to pay a subscription for heated seats (that was bmw although I heard it backfired) but then MB is charging subscription fees to increase the horsepower on EQ vehicles (haven't heard about that talked for a while so I am not sure if they are still doing it).

 

I have the Mercedes Me app on my Iphone for my 2019 S63 and I love it. Last night when I landed at SeaTac airport I started my car remotely once I got off the plane and by the time I was at my car in the parking lot it was completely warmed up inside and ready to go. I think I pay around 160 bucks a year for the whole package that includes a lot of things I don't use like parking reservations. Worth the money in my opinion but I have heard the older systems are not as robust or cheap as the current one. I also constantly refer to the app to confirm I remembered to lock the car as I sometimes forget, and I can lock it remotely as needed.

 

Mbrace service provider organization is creepy.

Services are paltry, sparse and deliver little value.

I had it for a few years on a W166, mainly for remote start. Not worth it.

 

Just don't subscribe to it

 

Get it once and see if you get value from it. It's not that expensive for a year and gives you a real world experience with the various services. If you don't like it, don't renew it.

 

If it's truly mBrace as in your car being pre-2019 then the value is not really there in my opinion. Pre-2019 models don't have OTA updates or online map updates and live traffic has been discontinued. Those are the three things that make it worth for me. My car also had a couple of recalls that required no dealer visit because they were handled via an OTA update, so there is definitely value in Mercedes me connect. mBrace on the other hand was MB's first foray into connected car services and as with most V1 products, it was basically a throwaway and is in the process of being sunset. Most models that were still on mBrace also only had 3G radios, so those all lost mBrace completely at least in North America where the 3G networks have been shut down by the carriers.

There are other nice features that I regularly use. For example if I forget to lock the car I get a notification on the phone as said above and I can remotely lock the car. That's a nice piece of mind. The other thing I've set up are geofences around my dealership and my Indy, so I get notified immediately if the car is driven off premise unexpectedly. Seeing where the car is parked is also nice in unfamiliar areas to quickly find walking directions back to it, although my iPhone also does this out of the box with any car that has Bluetooth. Other nice things are seeing how much fuel I have left, so I can quickly check if I need to plan for a gas station stop before setting off and also see exactly when the next service is due. It's also very handy to get the current odometer reading when I bring it in for service especially with my Indy, so they don't even have to walk out and check.

As I always say, we live in a connected world. Yes we did w/o it before, but I now have a smart home that lets me keep an eye on my home when I'm away. I can control my security system, unlock doors etc. all remotely. My wife once left her keys at work and couldn't get into the house at 11pm at night while I was away on business in Germany. That's all a non-issue now as we can just unlock the doors via the keypad on the lock or from our phones, and when I have a service loaner I can open/close my garage directly from the CarPlay dashboard. The connected car services extend this to my car. Just like I can keep an eye on my home while I'm away, I can keep an eye on my car. I'm much more relaxed these days when going on a trip knowing my home is secure at all times and I particularly like keeping an eye on my car while it is in service. I can see when they work on it and whether it's inside of the shop or out in the lot. Last time I had it in for service I noticed that they left it unlocked parked outside. This is the second time this happened, so I was able to lock it remotely.

Do I need all this? Not really. I don't need a six figure luxury car, either, in fact I don't technically need a car at all, but it sure becomes nice to have once you have it. Wouldn't wanna give up my smart home or my connected car services. It's one of those things where you don't know what you are missing until you experienced it for yourself and then you want it.

 

I agree completely. Remote lock/unlock, sending nav destinations to the car, and remote starting in the winter is worth the price of admission. I’ve worked a long time and sacrificed in order to squirrel away some nuts. It’s now time to enjoy the fruits of my labor..

 

Services included with Mbrace are as follows:
Remote start and shutoff
Remote Lock/Unlock
GeoFencing
Find Your car
Horn & lights; it honks the horn and flashes the lights for 5 seconds
Send directions to Nav
Driving Journal
Valet Protect
Curfew Minder
Speed Alert

Find deaaler
Roadside Assistance
Schedule Service

Plus there's a copy of the Owners manual, Service interval schedule and a Quick Reference Guide.

I do wish I could set the climate from the App like 19+ cars can. And I had never heard of the unlocked car alert feature, that would also be nice to have.

When I bought my subscription I paid around $450 for 4 years. I think the price has increased.
Only the user knows if he/she finds value in what they get. Best part is you can sign up, if you don't like it Mercedes will promply give you a full refund within the first month. And a full prorated refund if you cancel anytime after that. The best no-lose situation anybody can ask for.

 

HVAC can only be controlled remotely with the electric models. Not really necessary for an ICE. Just leave the HVAC on auto with your desired cabin temperature and it will do its thing. As opposed to an EV, with an ICE the HVAC can only pre-condition the cabin while the engine is running anyway. As for the unlocked car alert, yes that's also only a feature of the new Mercedes me connect platform along with alerts when the battery gets low. As said, the 2019+ Mercedes me connect platform definitely provides a lot more bang for the buck than the old mBrace platform.

 

One thing I’d love to see MB add is remote activation of seat heaters. Starting the car early is nice on a cold morning, but to have the seats & steering wheel warmed up upon entry would be perfection.

 

I might be mistaken but I thought Routines already lets you do that but only for MBUX 4.0 NTG 8 in the W214 E-Class and C236 CLE.

 

“Find a dealer?” FIND A FRIGGING DEALER??? Are you kidding me? If ever there was something they should provide for free—so the dealer can SCREW you, MBUSA & anyone else they can get their claws into? Amazing.

 

That reminds me of reading some of the yesteryear standard features window stickers. The lists consisted of every item that is required to drive a car, like a steering wheel, seats, windows, pedals, wipers, headlights, tires, brakes, horn, engine. You get all that as standard equipment. Such a deal!

 

Just like old classified ads: CORVETTE, 1963, 2-door, bucket seats, floor shift, V8, dual exhausts, radio & heater, etc.

 

Ah that is still a thing on dealership websites although now it says something like Power Windows, driver and passenger airbag, a/c etc.

 

Don't forget the vanity mirrors. 🤣

 

Oh ya, you are right!

 

Carlos, Mbrace has changed and I say this because I talked to them yesterday. It’s $1,695 plus tax for 5 years, wiFi included. They offer yearly at $199, WiFi is $18 + Tx per month extra. Since I asked (and only since I asked if there was any promotions going on) they have a 2 yr contract for $270 + Tax and no WiFi. According by their words it’s really 18 months with the first 6 months being a trial. It’s prorated from day one if you decide the deal is not for you. However, they have nothing either on the website or can be emailed to you that you can read affirming these conditions. The Product Advisor at my local MB dealership said that Mbrace is planning a phase out after MY2025. Those that have paid and have time beyond phase out will get a prorated refund.

IMHO, half of the items on that list above are just fillers to make the service look like something great. I’m a bit pissed that all over the Internet, mostly every ad for the S class says this car comes with yada yada and remote start. It should say something like “Remote start available for an additional fee.” lastly, Mbrace should be offered like SiriusXM radio. With 90 days to see if you like it. By marketing mentality I bet a lot of owners would get accustomed to having the features and want to keep it. *just my 2 cents!


Rich

 

I don't know that I have ever seen an advertisement for the S Class that touts it having remote start...


It was free for a year when the car was new.

 

With a new car purchase mBrace was free for the first 3 years, so the advertising is not really wrong. The free 3 years continued until MY21 or MY22 with Mercedes me connect, I forget exactly when, and now it's free for 1 year. The 3 year complimentary subscription essentially amounted to free service for many, since many of these cars get leased. Now even with a leased car, you have to pay for 2 out of the 3 years for a typical lease, but at least you get a year to decide if the services are worth it to you or you can just lease a new car every year . Used car buyers get the short end of the stick, that's how it is.

 

I guess to be fair, used car buyers pay less and don't have to pay the depreciation : ) in return for that, they don't get to drive it fast and probably can't lease for those who are into leasing.

Another alternative will be buying demo, still cheaper than a new car but still technically a new car.