How good is COMAND?

[tkimages]

I've had my 08 E Class estate (W211?) for just on 4 weeks now and find that the Sat Nav is quite poor compared to my Tom Tom One. The Merc only allows 4 or 5 digit postcodes, then you have search by road, street etc, so you cannot quarantee ending up at the right part of a longish street/road - which has happened. Secondly, I tried to input a postcode near Edinburgh, EH19 3JB, but the COMAND wouldn't accept any postcode higher than EH15!

Am I doing something wrong or is the COMAND Sat Nav as bad as that?

Very happy with the rest of the package though.

Regards,

Tillman
http://www.tkimages.co.uk

 

[Rory]

Entering destinations is an issue, not just the Post Code but I find many streets aren't in the index. It's a real pain if you're going to a strange area and you don't know the local district names.

I've taken to finding things on MultiMap, printing them out, then using the Map function to locate the same place. Store it, then call it up to navigate to it. Absurd.

 

[raymont]

Rory is correct and I do much the same as he does to enter destinations.

It's better, but a long way from perfect, with later nav DVDs. Believe latest one is V10.

I managed to get an updated disc from my dealer when I complained about this issue.

See this thread: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=54922&highlight=multimap

 

[wemorgan]

Command has always struck me as a very expensive and inferior version of TomTom products. £1000 for Command vs £400 for a top spec TomTom, it's a clear decission to me, but I'm sure many will disagree.

Apart from having it integrated into the dash, with benefits of added security it falls short of the market IMHO.

 

[BTB 500]

£1000 for Command

COMAND was a £2144 option when I ordered our Vito 18 months ago! One I didn't choose, btw.

 

[raymont]

As others have said in previous threads Command isn't just navigation it's an attempt to unify 'command' of many functions (radio, CD, TV, phone and so on) in one place with a common look and feel.

In my view the user interface provided is pretty clunky.

Having said that the nav component is for me, and I suspect many others, a very important function and it really isn't anywhere near where it should be in terms of functionality or ease of use, and devalues the whole command offering.

My comments refer to the system fitted to my car, it could be that systems fitted to new models (C class) are better.

 

[wemorgan]

COMAND was a £2144 option when I ordered our Vito 18 months ago! One I didn't choose, btw.

I was giving the cost of Command the benefit of the doubt, but showing the additional cost of Command over and above the high-end multi-CD option At over £2k the benefits over TomTom shrink still further.

 

[jsl]

I was giving the cost of Command the benefit of the doubt, but showing the additional cost of Command over and above the high-end multi-CD option At over £2k the benefits over TomTom shrink still further.

Too few updates and far too expensive each time - still keep the TomTom under the seat. Certainly not what I expected from Mercedes. I have the latest DVD with lots of "gaps" in the info. Unless you want the "ird exit"

 

[gIzzE]

I have started looking for E320's W211's without comand now, with a view to putting in the new Pioneer F900BT nav unit, it uses iGO8 for nav and you can change the illumination to match the interior (very important for me).

Personally I don't get on with TomTom either, and Garmin is even worse, but iGo and Navigon based systems are awesome, their route choices are second to none and easy to use.


For those that don't use nav all the time the TomTom is great as it is so easy to use, but try a Navigon or iGo system and the route choices are amazing.


The comand does look nice though and makes the cabin feel very luxourious, and in the days when some of the Jap cars at £12k are getting nav as standard I think you have to weigh it up seriously.

I couldn't get a bid on my 57 plate 3 series touring from Sytner because it didn't have nav.

 

[BTB 500]

I was giving the cost of Command the benefit of the doubt, but showing the additional cost of Command over and above the high-end multi-CD option At over £2k the benefits over TomTom shrink still further.

But that figure doesn't include the CD changer (£340), phone wiring (£400), or multi-function steering wheel (£230 plus another £170 if you want it leather-covered)! So for the whole COMAND setup the bill would have been £3284!

I went for the Sound 20 Audio at £230 instead

That integrates fully with the phone pre-wire, multi-function steering wheel, and CD changer. And when I want satnav I stick my TomTom on the screen

 

[Gareth]

Yep I've wondered about what to do with mine, but I'm sticking with Audio 20, my TomTom 720T and I'm having the CD changer fitted tomorrow.

 

[lynall]

Well i have just come back from Paris and the south of France and used my tom tom xl europe as i have no europe map for my comand, and i wanted to throw the tom tom out of the window bloody useless , very slow to find its location first thing sometimes over 5 mins, telling me to turn after i have gone past the turn, telling me i am off road when the road is clearly recent but not newer than 3 mths which is when i last updated the tom tom, other days so perfect it was unreal.

Several times the tom tom would not recognise the location name as if it didnt exist and i am sitting in my car looking at the roadsign and the map!

Ps south nice scenery lovely average mpg 27.5 which i thought was pretty good.

PPS it knew where Calais was



Lynall

 

[280gee]

How old is the TomTom?

 

[fuzzer]

a tom tom is fine till you find yourself in an underground tunnel system and then your screwed

 

[columb]

I have started looking for E320's W211's without comand now, with a view to putting in the new Pioneer F900BT nav unit, it uses iGO8 for nav and you can change the illumination to match the interior (very important for me).

Yeah, it looks GREAT! I love TomTom and 99% will buy a new TT with TMC plus nice cradle BUT I would consider this Pioneer if it had one VERY important feature to me:

integration with Merc steering wheel (only volume matters to me).

As far as I can see that is impossible for now.

Cheers
Chris

 

[columb]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/17/is-your-pioneer-avic-f-series-navigator-acting-up/

upss...

cheers
Chris

 

[gIzzE]

There is a new firmware out which has sorted the problems, still not the quickest to boot, around 20 seconds before you can change inputs etc. but sound comes up straight away now.

You can get the steering wheel up and running, there are adpaters to do it.

 

[columb]

There is a new firmware out which has sorted the problems, still not the quickest to boot, around 20 seconds before you can change inputs etc. but sound comes up straight away now.

You can get the steering wheel up and running, there are adpaters to do it.

Where I can find those adaptors?? And why in USA it cost $1000 fitted while in UK $800? (sorry, couldn't resist)

Thanks!!
Cheers
Chris

 

[gIzzE]

You can buy the F700 (no dvd playback) in the states for £400!!

I will try and find the adapters. Actually search "mercedes steering wheel Pioneer" on ebay.com and it will come up for the W203.

 

[columb]

Thanks gIzzE!

I can find adaptors only for new W203

Cheers
Chris