Met in 1974, have been married 44 years & still fighting.

 

I agree; Waze is really the only reason I even consider adding CarPlay, and I was a reluctant convert! I've always preferred to have an OEM navigation solution and hated the sound in other people's cars of the turn-by-turn instructions coming from their phones. Then one afternoon I had a 40 mile commute home that was seemingly a coin toss as to whether to take I-495 north or south, and I downloaded Waze while in gridlocked traffic. Sure, there have been some harrowing Waze routes that felt a bit like I was on secret shortcuts using cul de sacs and country driveways, only to eventually have to take a left across three lanes of US-1 traffic but Waze mostly satisfies (and I keep it muted and I ignore any turn I don't feel safe taking; I'd rather make an easy U-turn a mile or so down the road than take another death-defying left against traffic).

I've been driving since 1975. The work I do with wireless telecommunications sites since 2002 has given me a front row seat in the fast changing world of navigation tools. First it required having numerous books of maps, typically with each New England state laid out over 1 or 2 books, a town to a page; the yellow GPS device I carried back then told me just latitude, longitude and ground level. The Garmin era simplified things somewhat, but a day of visiting 7 or 8 sites in some far away town still required some Google maps prep work at my desktop before setting out, just to avoid a lot of driving in circles once I get to the town. Now of course I so seldom have to physically be anywhere those old days are just quaint memories, but there were plenty of times that a year old map book might show streets that no longer existed, or a GPS display show me driving magically across Narraganset Bay!

 

I'm very glad that I do not have to deal with MB map updates anymore, as I have and use CarPlay and Apple Maps now. I always have the latest apple updates, so my maps are always the latest. A few months ago before my CarPlay addition I spoke with MB in person while having my car serviced at the dealership. At that time the latest updates were not available. They, MB were expecting them in a few months, but MB indicated that the update should have been out by now. The cost was a few hundred bucks if I remember correctly. The only reason I did not get it at that time is because it wasn't available. Very happy that it wasn't, because it allowed me to add CarPlay. Since I am an apple guy I am use to the features and I like the feel and look of display resembling the phone that I use daily.

In the past with all of my prior MB I have always purchased the latest maps from MB. On my CLK 430 I just purchased the CD online and didn't even have to deal with MB. On my prior 16 Cadillac coupe I got the map update from the dealer and just installed it via the usb drive that it came loaded on. Most updates are pretty easy to do on your own, but I do feel MB charges a bit much for them to do the updates for you. We re talking about MB, so why else would we expect??

 

Having owned many European cars in the past (VW, Audi, Saab, Opel) and always having been a DIYer, Mercedes is by far the easiest brand to work on. I believe that making an easily maintained vehicle while charging premium prices is part of the overall Mercedes business strategy to maximize profits.

 

I find that the small screen is better suited to the Waze or Google Maps dimensions and I'm just keeping the current version of the MB map.
I use Waze on longer trips and Google for places I haven't been before.

If I ever run into an area with no cell service which is not common in my area I will just use the SATNAV maps even if its missing a road or two.

Being able to switch between the map and Spotify is also a big plus. FREE is good, as is the collaborative nature of Waze as it relates to Police Speeding Trap locations.
I wish more folks would use that function.

Key enabler is an unlimited data plan obviously.

 

"The Google Maps vs Waze fight is a difficult one to judge. The two navigation apps have a lot of similarities, including shared features and the same parent company — Google. It's almost as though the two are getting more and more alike as time goes on.

Still there is a clear defining line, in that Google Maps and Waze both approach navigation in different Waze. Google Maps is all about the data, with years of information collection to utilize in the goal of getting you from A to B. Meanwhile Waze relies on crowdsourcing, and has a uniquely aggressive way of getting you to your destination."

https://www.tomsguide.com/face-off/google-maps-vs-waze

 

We are really spoiled these days. My first satnav ran on my Compaq IPAQ PDA (with a map module in the PCMCIA card slot) via an external bluetooth GPS receiver and a holder to mount it in the car. Power supply cables everywhere, ~2”x1.5” screen and IIRC we were very pleased to have 4 satellites connected.

 

Ha! My first satnav used punch cards and a sexton!

 

Showing your age with punch cards - I remember them as well.

So you had a church guy working with punch cards helping you navigate or was that a sextant?

 

I’ve always found that the traffic information is not current on the stuff I’ve used (Comand, Waze, Google etc ) so I never trust that the rerouting is going to save me any time. Typically, I find it behind - if Im not in a hurry (usually not these days) I stick to my route and that is usually fine - no detours.

 

Nah, a church guy.