Reenlisted

[JeffRay]

WantOne,

So I had the NAV in my 2014 but leased a 2017 stripper. Since I only drive locally, I know my way around. I do use my smartphone and google or waze to avoid traffic jam ups. Bought a thingee to mount my phone on top of my dashboard, just like the Uber driver I am often approached to be. Sort of a poor man's HUD.

I did look at the Garmin SD program and reviewers claimed it worked in MB cars. Unless someone gets it for me for xmas (hint to wife), I can do without. You might want to peruse your favorite online vendor for a copy that can be returned if it does not work. If you buy the SD card from Mercedes, no thanks, it is a few hundred dollars.

 

[in2insight]

2 payments away and counting to re-enlist a 2017 one.

One question though, if I have a barebone without multimedia package, what’s the likelihood getting a GPS module attached to my screen? It’s just a bit easier to read the factory monitor than my phone from time to time.

While the 17 I leased has many of bells and whistles, Nav was not one of them (It's on package 3 which I did not need)
After a few weeks of CarPlay and the "wonderful" Apple Maps, I tried two things. First was an Android phone to see if its car version was better, and second the Gramlin maps on SD.
Long story short, suddenly CarPlay with Apple maps is just fine...

 

[WantOne]

Thanks both for answering. It almost sounds like CarPlay is really all that I need.

Also another quick question, is the distance sensor, the one that starts beeping 1.5 meter or closer, I did not see any option for that. Is that a standard feature?

 

[JeffRay]

WantOne,

I think that is called Active Brake Assist which is standard. Radar Assisted Regen is an option.

 

[in2insight]

Thanks both for answering. It almost sounds like CarPlay is really all that I need.

Also another quick question, is the distance sensor, the one that starts beeping 1.5 meter or closer, I did not see any option for that. Is that a standard feature?

What you are refering too is part of the Parktronik package.
I have it and very much wanted it. It works okay, not as good as what our Volvo has, but very helpful.
Truth be told, the actual parking assistant, also part of the package, is not something I have used and may never use. (Giving up control is just too hard for me...)

 

[WantOne]

Thanks both for answering. It almost sounds like CarPlay is really all that I need.

Also another quick question, is the distance sensor, the one that starts beeping 1.5 meter or closer, I did not see any option for that. Is that a standard feature?

What you are refering too is part of the Parktronik package.
I have it and very much wanted it. It works okay, not as good as what our Volvo has, but very helpful.
Truth be told, the actual parking assistant, also part of the package, is not something I have used and may never use. (Giving up control is just too hard for me...)

LOL oh my goodness that is part of Parktronik!!! For almost 3 years on my Parktronik, I’m only able to use it once, and said to myself, I can park faster than it!

Though, the distance beeping is quiet useful for my garage. I use beep check to know how much more i need to pull up when parking in garage. It will be a very hard feature to let go.

 

[JeffRay]

I2I,

My error, did not read the question closely enough. Thanks for correcting.

 

[oilerlord]

A long overdue congrats, Jeff. Sadly, you won't be leasing a third B250e since they have been discontinued but it doesn't take away from the fact that the car we love is one of the most underrated EV's on the market.

Reviewers tend to dwell on the car's (lack of) efficiency & range but there's only so much you can really know about a car until you've driven it for a few months. Outside of a Tesla, it's still the only decently sized, luxury EV out there that can be had for Honda Accord money. I don't like driving tin cans, which is exactly what the Bolt EV is. Sure it goes 238 miles on a charge, but for a select few of us - the rest of the car matters more. I'd rather drive 90 miles in style & comfort than 238 miles in a cheaply built car with the worst car seats ever made.

 

[JeffRay]

Thanks Oilerlord. Yes, you got it exactly right. The ride, roominess, standard MB finishes is what made the decision easier for me. No regrets.

You would appreciate this, now that temperatures have dropped into the 20s overnight here, I know, tropical by your standards, I find myself deciding that charging once a week is my pleasure so drive my wife's ICE wagon a couple of days and our B250e a couple just to preplan the simplest charging possible, near workplace or home. Both are interchangeable for transporting family around so another plus for our B250e.

 

[oilerlord]

It's been unseasonably warm here. For most of December, it's been between 30-40 degrees. It's just in the last few days that it's been down in the high teens, but the cold's coming. It's going to be below 0 next week. Another seasonal disadvantage is that our solar isn't producing much because of the short days. I've been forced to pay the outrageous 3.3 cents per kWh to charge the B.

https://easyview.auroravision.net/easyview/index.html?entityId=7466210

 

[JeffRay]

Oilerlord,

Thanks for the schematic. Two things:

1. I live in NYC and often wondered about usefulness of installing solar panels on our roof but that is a project for another time. Electric rates are a lot more here. Dug up my last bill and we are charged $0.18/kWh delivered. At $0.033/kWh where you are, the solar panels must be there for backup reasons as well as energy savings.

2. When I charge at commercial parking lot near work, they charge me $10 per charge so roughly $0.40/kWh. At the dealer it is free but as it is across town, it is less convenient but since I get to park my car there at no charge, I suppose that is the most economical way to do it. However, their miss rate, i.e. not actually charging, is about 33% of late, I have to monitor the app and bug them if not charging.

Happy holidays to all.

 

[oilerlord]

When I installed our solar, we were paying $0.08 per kWh but with fees & taxes it worked out to about $0.12 per kWh. I switched to buying electricity on the spot market which costs a lot less, but also pushes out the ROI on my solar. For that reason, it makes little financial sense to install solar - even though our government recently announced incentives that can pay for up to 30% of the installation. At first glance I thought I had missed out on a big rebate cheque but looking closer into it, the "approved" local installers charge way too much for solar - some at $4.50 per watt. Even at $4.00 per watt, on my 9.2 kWh system - I would been looking at a $25,760 bill after that 30% incentive. With some of my own DIY and sourcing all the equipment on my own, hiring a 1-person solar company, and my own electrician, I'm into my solar for $19,375. DIY's don't qualify for the rebate, and only certain "approved" installers have to be used.

One of the "requirements" from my wife was that it looked good. For that reason, I sourced SunPower panels out of the US. They are the Bentley of solar panels, and I have no doubt that it would have easily pushed the installed price over $5.00 per watt.

Here's a photo I took during the installation:

Even at $19K, it's going to take a long time for it to pay for itself. At least, we are insulated by rate hikes in electricity but you can't put a price on the feeling you get charging your car while the sun is shining. That's special, and makes it worth the effort.

 

[mddg]

Well, besides the Mercedes, we've also got exactly 41 solar panels in common. Only 33 are SunPower though, and the 8 remaining are SolarWorld. Six years ago, the panels were making more power than we used, so we got a Leaf to use that power. Six years later, I think it's just about paid for itself.

 

[JeffRay]

mddg,

Nice!

Happy holidays to all.