Command V's Kenwood DVD GPS System

[chrispy]

Ok, i've been considering getting a mate of mine (local ICE installer) to install a Command unit in my W202 (like Shude did in the How To section) and i've been weighing up the pro's and cons of doing so.

Should I go ahead with this or just go for a Kenwood unit (pictured below) with an additional GPS unit (that can be activated through the kenwood but hidden from view). It would work out much cheaper for the Kenwood and I could install screens in the rear headrests for when the kids are with us on long journeys but I can't decide between the Command Unit or this. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[glojo]

Ok, i've been considering getting a mate of mine (local ICE installer) to install a Command unit in my W202 (like Shude did in the How To section) and i've been weighing up the pro's and cons of doing so.

I have the Kenwood KVT-522DVD, KNA-G421 and countless other gadgets to get the thing up to COMAND standard

I have no idea of your budget, but I can only compare this system with the 211 COMAND and my observation is it is horses for courses.

One is an add on with newer upgradeable technology and the other is part of the furniture.

They are both equally good at what they do. I have paid for a bluetooth upgrade with the Kenwood (KCA-BT200) and the installed price with all the gadgets was £1500. Is it better than COMAND? I will tactfully suggest that if you want an easy blue tooth connection then the Kenwood with the correct options is very good but if I had a Mercedes saloon then I personally would go with COMAND

Regards
John

 

[chrispy]

The kenwood i've been looking at has built in Bluetooth, touchscreen, tv tuner and an add on for GPS and my mate says he'll do me the whole system for around £1k installed. I'm just thinking 'IF' I ever got rid of my 202 I could take it out and out it in another car whereas if I put a Command Unit in i'd either have to leave it in there or replace the cut up dashboard. Also, i could take my Bluetooth Parrot system out of my 202 and chuck it in my van and save another £150

 

[chrispy]

This is the actual one pictured below. It's the Kenwood KVT-522DVD and the KNA-G421 plus i'll get the rear headrest screens also. Just noticed it's the same as your's. How do you find it? Is the navigation side of it ok?

 

[jaymanek]

Im tempted by that... £780 is not bad for the package...

 

[chrispy]

I think it will be a lot less hassle than the Command upgrade which i've been tempted to have done for a hell of a long time. Also, as already stated, if ever I decide to get rid of my 202 I can take it all out and just bung my cd player back in there.

 

[jaymanek]

p.s. on ebay the package is around £720..

Fitting has got to be a doddle...

 

[glojo]

The kenwood i've been looking at has built in Bluetooth, touchscreen, tv tuner and an add on for GPS and my mate says he'll do me the whole system for around £1k installed. I'm just thinking 'IF' I ever got rid of my 202 I could take it out and out it in another car whereas if I put a Command Unit in i'd either have to leave it in there or replace the cut up dashboard. Also, i could take my Bluetooth Parrot system out of my 202 and chuck it in my van and save another £150

I am no audiophile???? and if your friend says you do not need the KCA-BT200 I was also told the TV tuner is another cost option and was not worth getting

I can only compare the system to the 5 year old Pioneer DVD system which had voice control and was very good, and the 211 COMAND. The Kenwood has a few pretty graphical differences compared to the other two, but they all do the job we ask of them.

It is very much a personal decision and yes when you sell the car you can remove the Kenwood, but how much will you get for it it three or four years time?? Will COMAND add value to your car??

I believe the W202 COMAND is quite dated so it might be tempting to go with the Kenwood system but I strongly recommend you get the quote in writing listing the blue tooth, rear screens and TV tuner.

Good luck with the decision
Regards
John

 

[imadoofus]

I would think that a more recent Mercedes 'needs' COMAND to enable it to sell on easily, but on a 202, buyers won't be expecting it, and I wouldn't have thought it would put much on the used value.

So my choice would be to go for the Kenwood, and take it with you when you sell.

PJ

 

[chrispy]

I am no audiophile???? and if your friend says you do not need the KCA-BT200 I was also told the TV tuner is another cost option and was not worth getting

I can only compare the system to the 5 year old Pioneer DVD system which had voice control and was very good, and the 211 COMAND. The Kenwood has a few pretty graphical differences compared to the other two, but they all do the job we ask of them.

It is very much a personal decision and yes when you sell the car you can remove the Kenwood, but how much will you get for it it three or four years time?? Will COMAND add value to your car??

I believe the W202 COMAND is quite dated so it might be tempting to go with the Kenwood system but I strongly recommend you get the quote in writing listing the blue tooth, rear screens and TV tuner.

Good luck with the decision
Regards
John

I don't need a quote from this guy my friend, he's a family friend and been in the ICE business for donkeys years. Anytime a member of my family has had any ICE or phones for cars etc this guy has done it. His word is his bond as they say

 

[glojo]

I don't need a quote from this guy my friend, he's a family friend and been in the ICE business for donkeys years. Anytime a member of my family has had any ICE or phones for cars etc this guy has done it. His word is his bond as they say

Please don't misunderstand what I am trying to say and if this person is a long standing friend you have an unbelivable bargain. The blue tooth does\did not come as standard on my unit, hence my link. TMC does NOT come as standard and that is another coist option and the TV tuner does not come as standard and that is again another cost option, but some of these have been listed in the figures you have discussed?

I guess your very knowledgable friend has included TMC in the figures quoted?

Regards
John

 

[Paddcomp]

I too have thought about this option of an alternative to COMAND. I've never used COMAND but as there's no bluetooth, no full postcode search (correct me if I'm wrong please), or possibility of speed camera databases it does seem a little antiquated.
Does the W202 have a double din slot, I have a face lifted W203 and was considering this as an option.
http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/8408.html
There's a facia panel available to trim it out too.
http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/6880.html

I haven't investigated installation or rear screens, but the costs of these must be comparable to the same for COMAND and star programming.

I would be interested to know of someones experience of the Kenwood or Pioneer double din units, I currently use Tomtom 910 for navigation and like the interface and simplicity.

 

[crockers]

Looks nice - can you use the steering wheel controls with it? How do you add POI ?

 

[Paddcomp]

Looks nice - can you use the steering wheel controls with it? How do you add POI ?

I'm far from an expert but there seems to be an interface for most things these days, the same site has links for stuff that I've never heard of but want all the same!

 

[SEM]

Did anyone catch the gadget show last week. A new incar PC has all the bells and whistles.... and more than comand.. and various price ranges... just another idea?

Link
Video Link

 

[Paddcomp]

As someone once said to me, there's no such thing as impossible, just technically expensive.

So that's a double din head unit for NAV, BT and DVD; steering wheel interface, parking sensors and rear camera. Two rear screens linked to the front built into headrests (I only have one child but it's worth planning ahead). Good job I fixed the mortgage .

 

[chrispy]

Please don't misunderstand what I am trying to say and if this person is a long standing friend you have an unbelivable bargain. The blue tooth does\did not come as standard on my unit, hence my link. TMC does NOT come as standard and that is another coist option and the TV tuner does not come as standard and that is again another cost option, but some of these have been listed in the figures you have discussed?

I guess your very knowledgable friend has included TMC in the figures quoted?

Regards
John

I understand what you're saying John. I got a good quote because we send a lot of customers his way and he's been dealing with my family for years. All of our customers have 'disposable' income and they are the right ones to target for certain services. We always hev people in asking us do we know of someone who could do this or that and we have a large network of people who can do these jobs. This is how when we have work done ourselves we always have a terrific deal on it

 

[glojo]

I understand what you're saying John. I got a good quote because we send a lot of customers his way and he's been dealing with my family for years. All of our customers have 'disposable' income and they are the right ones to target for certain services. We always hev people in asking us do we know of someone who could do this or that and we have a large network of people who can do these jobs. This is how when we have work done ourselves we always have a terrific deal on it

Well done and are you having the options I listed?

If you use the navigation side of the set-up then the TMC option is worth considering.

With the modern COMAND this facility is a standard feature and you just need the mapping software that contains the licence coding. With the Kenwood you need extra hardware.

I have NO IDEA whether the W202 COMAND has the TMC facility

Having given your question a lot of thought, then what unit I bought would depend on where you park your car at night. The Kenwood is a very attractive item and might be prone to being stolen. The COMAND is part and parcel of the car and less likely to be removed. If I were happy about security, and IF I got all the options, then I would go for the Kenwood.

My guess is that if you are getting all the items you have listed and it is being fitted then it is a price that nowhere would ever be able to match. I also have the optional reversing camera but not the TV option but I would guess the very, very cheapest purchase and fitting for your set-up would probably be in excess of £1500??

The Ebay items will probably be the very basic DVD and then the navigation module. The options that are required to get all the bells and whistles will soon add-up, then the labour will not be cheap.

For folks considering this system here is one of the cheaper sites and at the bottom of the page you will see the costs of the options. I never noticed the blue-tooth and TMC options, but to get the system to a decent standard they are a 'Must have'.

Remember all those folks that ramble on about how COMAND is very expensive for what it is!!! Talk is cheap, but buying the equivalent to a COMAND is very, very expensive, but yes, a thousand times yes; Tom Tom is very good, and very cheap, but it is not and never will be the equivalent of this Kenwood set-up, which just compares to COMAND.


Regards
John

 

[chrispy]

I'm having the whole kit and kaboodle my friend. My car is garaged every night (although I need to put a new roof on it) but we live in the middle of nowhere so the only one's to steal the system would be delinquent sheep or field mice Anyone so much as walks up my drive and my Rotties hear them and bark like mad then the whole area is floodlit so it's safe there.

When I go to my shop in the morning's my car is parked right outside on my shop driveway and is in full view with CCTV everywhere so my only worries would be when the wife goes to ASDA's shopping but she normally takes our works van so that's ok. I was thinking of installing reverse sensors but if there is a camera option available I may just go down that route as well. I have a decent budget of around £2k but for the main unit, gps, bluetooth etc he's quoted me £1k so no doubt the price will vary with the extra options. I like the fact it has a USB port also because I carry my 8 GB USB stick everywhere with me as it has all my favourite tunes on and the odd Xvid movie so that'll come in handy no doubt and he told me my son can connect his Xbox 360 up to it all for when we're on the long drives up country.

Many many thanks for your help and advice. It's good folk like you, Shude, Dieselman etc that makes this the MB community to be a part of (even if I do get slagged off for my big star grille)

 

[glojo]

It's a great choice and I'm sure you will like it. This system is fitted to my van, so the reversing camera is an ideal option.

regards
John