What COMAND can I expect?

[darrellr]

I've just got back from the Cheltenham/Gloucester dealership having ordered one of the last seven 320 CLK Coupe's in the UK

I agreed a price of £26,250 on an agility finance scheme for an Obsidian Black 320 CDI with COMAND sat nav unit as it was the cheapest of the 7 left. I understand the last CLKs were built around 6 months ago. Any idea what version of COMAND this will have? I've seen it mentioned that the last six months or so supply (MY09) got HDD versions rather than the one in the brochure (MY08). Any one want to hazard a guess which I'll have got?

I'm delaying collection until 1st September to (a) save up!!! (b) get it on a 59 plate so it'll be a while before I know for definate.

 

[verytalldave]

Why not ask the dealer?
He could find out easily.

 

[darrellr]

Why not ask the dealer?
He could find out easily.

'cos it's 9.45 pm

 

[verytalldave]

Its not now.

 

[Simon_M]

My end-of-line CLK did not come with the HDD Comand.

If you don't mind me asking, what was the list price of the car? I bet they are discounting even more massively now the E Coupe is out.

 

[darrellr]

My end-of-line CLK did not come with the HDD Comand.

If you don't mind me asking, what was the list price of the car? I bet they are discounting even more massively now the E Coupe is out.

Using the 1st Oct 2008 (pre-VAT change) price list:

1. CDI 320 Sport = 37,665
2. Leather = 1,285
3. Metallic = 620
4. Command = 1,990

£41,560

Using the 1st May Price List:

1. CDI 320 (free Sport upgrade) = 34,428
2. Leather / Metallic = no cost options
3. Command = 1,947

£36,375

Price to me £26,250 contingent on Agility Finance

 

[darrellr]

Its not now.

Dealer didn't know. He could only confirm that is was a MY09 vehicle.

 

[richard]

I've been asked this via mercupgrades (I don't know if OP is the same chap) - The answer is its the DVD based one - I found this by (a) looking in EPCnet to see if it ever got NTG2.5 telematics or the part number changed for MY09 or thereabouts, and then (b) asking my local dealer as I was surprised by what I discovered in EPCnet.

Cheers

Richard

 

[darrellr]

Drat! I suspected it would be the DVD one.

So that means no 7-digit postcodes or bluetooth

What is the CHEAPEST way to get pseudo-integrated Bluetooth then? Are there special Parrot kits?

NB. I did not ask mercupgrades so I guess someone else is confused by the statements on their website

 

[oldcro]

Drat! I suspected it would be the DVD one.

So that means no 7-digit postcodes or bluetooth

What is the CHEAPEST way to get pseudo-integrated Bluetooth then? Are there special Parrot kits?

NB. I did not ask mercupgrades so I guess someone else is confused by the statements on their website

Don't feel so bad, the early HDD COMAND only used 5-digit postcodes as in my 2007 W204 (C Class) I believe the new E Class has the 7-digit version.

 

[darrellr]

The text from MercUpgrades that made me hope ..

COMAND-APS (NTG2.5)
This is a cost reduced (as far as I can see) NTG4 system all in one physical device used from Model Year 2009 in the A, B, CLK (W209), ML, GL, and R class vehicles replacing the NTG2 system previously fitted.

 

[Diesel Benz]

The text from MercUpgrades that made me hope ..

But Richard explained it differently just above. I actually had a look at EPC and concluded the same as Richard but he had already covered it while I was reading.

 

[Diesel Benz]

Don't feel so bad, the early HDD COMAND only used 5-digit postcodes as in my 2007 W204 (C Class) I believe the new E Class has the 7-digit version.

But he was not buying the new E but the current CLK and if the first HDD Comand units had 5-digit UK postcodes, this must have been fixed by a later map update? Would be odd if a map update fixes it for the old HW but not for the new one (where the map data comes from the same source, I guess).

 

[richard]

The text from MercUpgrades that made me hope ..

Oops, have updated that, and a few other mispellings, and the fact that NTG4 has a seperate rotary controller.

R

 

[verytalldave]

I wouldnt fret too much.
ALL car radio systems will need to be DAB by 2015 if the latest current government splurge is to be believed.
And I doubt if either of the two models of COMAND you mention are DAB enabled.
So in 2015 - or thereabouts - you will need to upgrade anyway.

And a few years later DAB+ will come along and make ordinary DAB redundant - and guess what - you will have to fork out AGAIN.

This is not conjecture - this WILL happen.

 

[darrellr]

So is there any way of getting the CLK COMAND - NTG2 - to play MP3s? Surely it must be capable of playing mp3s!

 

[darrellr]

I wouldnt fret too much.
ALL car radio systems will need to be DAB by 2015 if the latest current government splurge is to be believed.
And I doubt if either of the two models of COMAND you mention are DAB enabled.
So in 2015 - or thereabouts - you will need to upgrade anyway.

And a few years later DAB+ will come along and make ordinary DAB redundant - and guess what - you will have to fork out AGAIN.

This is not conjecture - this WILL happen.

I've got a Pure Highway DAB tuner that I intend to re-use in the CLK. Very natty peice of kit - but I agree that DAB radios in car are rare and stupidly expensive currently.

EDIT: NB. Pure Highway is already DAB+ compliant by free customer USB upgrade to v1.5

 

[oldcro]

But he was not buying the new E but the current CLK and if the first HDD Comand units had 5-digit UK postcodes, this must have been fixed by a later map update? Would be odd if a map update fixes it for the old HW but not for the new one (where the map data comes from the same source, I guess).

I know he was looking for a CLK but I was just pointing out what the first HDD COMAND's had. The ones fitted to the new E Class have a few changes to the older HDD COMAND including 7-digit postcode entry. No updates have been available (possibly released a few weeks ago) for the older version.

 

[Diesel Benz]

I know he was looking for a CLK but I was just pointing out what the first HDD COMAND's had. The ones fitted to the new E Class have a few changes to the older HDD COMAND including 7-digit postcode entry. No updates have been available (possibly released a few weeks ago) for the older version.

You mean none of the late W211 HDD units (NTG2.5) supported full UK post codes? Not even with an updated DVD from the same time that brought 7 digit post codes for the DVD based unit? I did not know that.

 

[Diesel Benz]

I wouldnt fret too much.
ALL car radio systems will need to be DAB by 2015 if the latest current government splurge is to be believed.
And I doubt if either of the two models of COMAND you mention are DAB enabled.
So in 2015 - or thereabouts - you will need to upgrade anyway.

And a few years later DAB+ will come along and make ordinary DAB redundant - and guess what - you will have to fork out AGAIN.

This is not conjecture - this WILL happen.

But the current DAB tuner is a separate device on the MOST ring. No need to replace the head unit to make the car DAB capable. One can only hope that the DAB+ capable device would work with the old head unit, if they really make the broadcast system not backwards compatible with old receivers (like old mono FM radios can receive stereo FM broadcast, it would be possible for a digital system too if they wanted to do it that way).