W213 E Class Garmin Map Pilot and other issues.

[MINKYMERC]

Hi peterdh,
I must agree that the ride and economy are better on the 213.
The Comand system is much better than the Garmin system which I have in my 213.
But give me a full size spare wheel instead of excuses for not providing one.
Maybe we should all just refuse to buy these cars with no spare wheel. But that's not going to happen.
Enjoy your 213 - it is a nice drive.

Trevor (MINKYMERC)

 

[harlequin2]

Hello Robin,
Thank you for your comments. I am surprised to learn that the S212 has no spare and just the gunk.

I don't have Comand, I have Garmin Map pilot which I was assured by the salesman was better than Comand. That is definitely not true as I found Comand on the W212 was much better.

Thank you for your kind words but I don't think I will ever be completely happy with the cars foibles. It is a nice car to drive (in good dry conditions) but motoring is about more than that.

Trevor (MINKYMERC)

My car has the Comand system, but the maps are not updated often enough. Plus Mercedes charge an arm and two legs for updates. After being sent the wrong way so many times and then buying the latest update which still sent me the wrong way, I gave up and bought a TomTom for 1/4 the price of a Comand update and it has free lifetime maps! Plus you can get world maps for it, its portable, so if I travel overseas I take it with me.

 

[JBell]

malcolm210 I see what you mean about pricey i.e. £318 for a space saver. However, there are some cheaper ones available used and new at promotorukgroup on eBay at £149.95 with jack and wheelbrace. £134.95 just the wheel.

WOW, my father has just purchased a new BMW X1 and the space saver and jack were a £70 option which he took

 

[MINKYMERC]

Harlequin I think your choice of TomTom satnav is a very wise decision avoiding being ripped off.
I don't do many miles nowadays and mostly short local journeys. I will get satnav updates at first service so hope that might improvre things.

JBell I think your father did the wise thing by getting the space saver and jack but it shouldn't be a £70 option - it should be included as standard for free. At least it will give him peace of mind should he be unfortunate enough to get a puncture. With the Mercedes E213 you don't even have an option - disgraceful.

 

[JBell]

JBell I think your father did the wise thing by getting the space saver and jack but it shouldn't be a £70 option - it should be included as standard for free. At least it will give him peace of mind should he be unfortunate enough to get a puncture. With the Mercedes E213 you don't even have an option - disgraceful.

I agree it should be included but they say with the recovery service included with the car you don't need one, his car is petrol so no Ad-Blue tank to take the space up either.

 

[peterdh]

I didn't mention in my original reply, which was remiss of me I admit, that I always travel with a compressor (Ring) that will get me out of most puncture situations initially and until I can get to a tyre repair place. Of course Mobilo is there for you as has been said already, but living living where I do it is likely to take a fair while for anyone to attend me and with no spare to fit who knows what they would do when they attended? Use the gunk or send for a breakdown truck I imagine. Useless and very time consuming.

When I got the puncture I only found out that I had it when I came to the car at 5am and found a flat tyre after a good nights sleep in an hotel prior to going to the airport to catch my flight to Greece for a holiday. Compressor out and drove to my regular car park and left them to very kindly sort things out while I was away sunning myself. In this case Mobilo would have been a waste of time as I would have missed my flight whereas a compressor or a spare was the only way to get me going in a timely manner.

 

[david arthur]

Hi peterdh,
I must agree that the ride and economy are better on the 213.
The Comand system is much better than the Garmin system which I have in my 213.
But give me a full size spare wheel instead of excuses for not providing one.
Maybe we should all just refuse to buy these cars with no spare wheel. But that's not going to happen.
Enjoy your 213 - it is a nice drive.

Trevor (MINKYMERC)

I was going to buy the 213, I was told by the salesman that I would be the first to have a test drive when it arrived. Needless to say I never received a call, never mind I kept my 2003 E200k bought from new still with 38000 miles on the clock. Having looked at the 213 when it came out, I was not impressed enough, that style wise it was an improvement, or as handsome as my W211.

Never the less I was still wanting a change, so I bought a new XJ which I love, and has all the things that you say you miss on the W213, including a space saver, Are the wheel nuts any better on the 213 ? or do they rust after six months ? I still have my W211 E200K couldn't bare to part with it, and it still drives great, very quite. And when I hit a pothole in the road the other day that ripped a hole in the tyre, I was able to put the spare on, which was the first time it had been on the car.