No COMAND Navigation

[JeffRay]

Discovered today that my new 2017 did not come with Navigation chip. Online, it seems if I can buy Garmin Map Pilot but should I? In thinking about it, I always used my Samsung to navigate because of real time traffic and ability to use Waze or Google. But I did use the car's Navigation to show a map.

Does anyone have any experience with Garmin Map Pilot in their B? I am not going to pay from the Mercedes OEM Navigation chip.

Should I just skip it, use my smartphone, and mount it in front of me?

 

[JeffRay]

Ordered a dash clip so I can put the smartphone directly in front of my eyes for navigation purposes only. Not that I go very far in the B250e but occasionally do so. That should work rather than springing for the Garmin Map Pilot chip which my new 2017 is enabled for. That leaves the provided screen for radio, media, and occasional phone calls.

 

[wtzouris]

I think that is a smart decision, it sounds like you mostly use your car around town anyway - I always use Waze and never use the built-in Nav -- unless I want to see the name of a street coming up. A dash clip is cool -- wish I had bough the kind that attaches to the outside of the circular AC vents. Now I have 2 months left in my lease so I just keep my phone in the cupholder -- but my next lease (BMW i3) I am getting a dash mount clip of some kind.

 

[mddg]

The dealer threw the navi sim in with the deal for me on the 2017. The Garmin unit definitely has a better interface than the 2014 Becker navigation, but it's missing two important features. First off, there's no traffic monitoring on it. That had some use on the Becker, although usually by the time it updated the traffic, I was already in the middle of it.

Second, I don't see any place where it shows the EV charging stations. I didn't really use that either, but it is nice to know just in case. The Becker unit used to have EV stations under "Gas stations", "Electric gas stations" - probably a problem with translation. Does anyone know how to add POI's to the Garmin? Also, in contrast to the Becker navigation, the new push-to-talk voice recognition for the Garmin actually works.

A smartphone app like Waze or Google Maps beats either of these easily, but you have to use data and be near a cell phone signal. The built-in one does have a nice, big display though.

 

[JeffRay]

Thanks mddg, good intel on the two nav software. I guess I could have negotiated the sim card but I got rolled by my friendly salesperson. I thought the car had it but I found out nyet.

Wtzouris is correct, mine is a local get to work and do errands car. So using my smartphone positioned beyond the steering wheel in a hud like position will be fine. Shame that the display is largely for switching radio stations and seeing some info on who is singing on my smartphone. What the heck, its a rental.

 

[mddg]

That big display has almost no use really except for navigation and for the reverse video camera. The radio song "info" gives almost no information.

 

[GlennD]

As I understand it to get navigation you need the premium 3 package like I leased

I am pissed off that my 48K car did not come with a sunglass holder. It seems like they really cheapened up the car compared to my 2014. The manual shows one so I am going to complain. No nets off of the console sides either.

 

[JeffRay]

Good morning GlennD,

Yep, no sunglass holder was a loss and no airline type rear tables for my girls also a loss. All to save a few bucks on a money losing compliance car. Did not notice the loss of nets.

 

[GlennD]

I can live with no fold down tables. The rear of the seats is totally bare. Every car I have owned or rented had sunglass holders. If yours also is missing I guess I can not demand them. It seems a shame that they cheapened up the car. To me 48K is expensive but there were cars in the showroom in the mid 100K range.

 

[mddg]

I don't think the Premium package is required for the navigation system. I think all the B250e's are "navigation-ready" if you get the SD card for it, and that navigation is available if you want it separately. I think it's about $160 on Amazon, but you could whine a little with the dealer like I did. This might be the model that's needed, but check with your MB dealer:

https://www.amazon.com/Mercedes-Garmin-Pilot-Audio-2189063502/dp/B01N5UKJ8P

Installation was just sticking the SD card in and waiting about a minute to initialize.

Some other observations on differences between 2017 and 2014 models:
We noticed the missing nets right away too, and the trays.
The seat pans extend forward with a plastic pull to give a deeper seat
The rearview mirror is also on a thinner stalk.
The dials are more stylized though with lots more increments on the power and and speedometer and an extra ring of tick marks around every one of the dials. I like the detail.
The simulated ash wood on the dashboard that is included in virtually every B250e as an "option" is also nicer than the 2014.
The consumption/generation bar graph in the debut year is modified a bit to show the generation as a percentage of something - rather than the original unitless graph - showing recuperation is working somewhere between 0 and 100% of that motor's capability, I think.
Windshield defroster is standard as well the Range plus.

Right now, the 2017 CLA (and other MBs) shares most of the same features with an interior that is virtually identical except the RPM dial and Battery Power dials have different units, so I don't think MB did this especially targeting the B-class. Overall, it feels a little sharper with the small cosmetic changes and even may run a tad smoother and quieter to me but very similar to my old 2014.

 

[GlennD]

I am certainly willing to be wrong. The literature said that only the 3 had navigation. It might be an option on the others.

 

[mddg]

I think there may be two kinds of navigation available - the MB one that comes with the COMAND system and the Garmin one that comes on the SD card. Based on MB forums, I would be careful with outside vendors for the SD cards. They may not work at all, and it seems they don't update easily. Still Waze and Google Maps are better systems and free.

 

[GlennD]

My C300 loaner says no card inserted when I push the nav button.