Comand - is it worth getting?

[the zacster]

I'm looking to get a 211 estate, and would welcome your opinions on whether its worth paying for Comand. I have a 330Ci at the moment with sat-nav, and its really excellent. The question for me is not whether I need sat-nav, but whether I should get a separate sat-nav (Garmin/Tom-Tim etc) or fork out for Comand? I guess there are pros and cons...

Pros
Looks neater than having a separate unit stuck on tyhe window (that one is the wife's input!)
Not vulnerable to theft

Cons
Can occasionally act up - and be expensive to fix
Needs occasional software updating
Can't use it in my other love (MkII GTi 16v)

I'm planning on holding onto the car for 5+ years, so I'd be worried that the Comand might be obsolete by then, if hand-helds are the way of the future.

Any thoughts on this? Thanks!

 

[jberks]

I came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth it. If it were £700 ish then maybe, but what exactly does it do for the £2500?
It looks great admittedly and will impress your friends as you watch them the Matrix whilst parked up outside their houses. But how often do you sit in the parked car for long enough to watch a movie? The sat nav is perhaps 1% more accurate than a tomtom, hardly a justification. It also isn't capable of taking in external POI's such as traffic cameras, BP petrol stations and the like. Any updates will cost you £250 a shot for a new DVD - enough to buy a complete new tomtom with screen, processor, reciever and software. And it isn't portable.
If it fails you are in for a three figure repair bill.
Plus how often do you actually need a sat nav?. I use mine perhaps once every 2 months. The rest of the time I know where I'm going. Even then I only need it for a small part of the journey so tomtom does me proud.
Other than that, it's a radio CD, cd changer controller and if you option it, a phone console too. But so is the standard unit and thats included in the price.

I like the command unit, but for the money it's just silly. (IMO!).

 

[blassberg]

my method is to use the web before you set out and ask a cabbie if you get lost - that's why I tip cabbies when I use them

 

[Garrycox]

We have two cars with Command and my previous E class also had it.

Positives in my opinion are :

Looks good in the car.

Sat Nav on e class is much better then the ML and A Class (slightly diff system)

Telephone system on dash is very good and much safer to use. Bear in mind you also have to spec telephone pre-wire and a cradle.

Fairly easy to use, you don't need to be that technically minded. Proof: my wife uses it.

Having a fixed sat nav is much neater (no trialing wires) and means you don't have to worry about it being nicked or having to take it with you when you leave the car.

Negatives

Initial cost. It needs to be sub £1000 in my oponion.

Mercedes haven't got a clue when it comes to software updates, realistic costs or timely release of promised features.

If you change car then of course you have to pay again or buy a portable. In my experience once you've had sat nav it's difficult to go back.

Finally, I use my sat nav on regular journeys to help with ETA information. And if Mercedes ever get thier finger out I will use it for live traffic info as well.

The Video function (watching DVD's) is a waste of space on the A class and ML because it has no functionality. Conned again.

Hope this helps.

 

[jberks]

Having a fixed sat nav is much neater (no trialing wires) and means you don't have to worry about it being nicked or having to take it with you when you leave the car.

I recently swapped my wired GPS receiver for a bluetooth one. For most journeys you know 90% of it, or else only refer to the GPS occasionally for distance to teh next motorway junction or ETA. I found that by turning the back light down I can get over 3 hours out of a charge on the PDA which is plenty for most journeys. So, with the tiny GPS reciever dropped on the metal grill in the middle of the dash (it has a magnetic base) and the PDA in the ash tray and just picked up and raised to eye level when I want it, I don't have any wires or suction mounts to worry about. Then, on arrival, just switch off and pop in my pocket.

Not appropriate for all journeys (still have the wires and mounts etc stashed in the fire extinguisher box in the seat should i need them) but perfect for getting me out of Birmingham last week. Once I hit the M1 at Nottingham I knew where, how long etc so I just switched it off.

 

[ian l]

Go for Comand! I have just changed (last week) from 330ci with sat nav to c220cdi without Comand and did not know just how much I would miss the TMC service to predict traffic hold ups. Love the new car but regret no Comand!

 

[Garrycox]

I recently swapped my wired GPS receiver for a bluetooth one. For most journeys you know 90% of it, or else only refer to the GPS occasionally for distance to teh next motorway junction or ETA. I found that by turning the back light down I can get over 3 hours out of a charge on the PDA which is plenty for most journeys. So, with the tiny GPS reciever dropped on the metal grill in the middle of the dash (it has a magnetic base) and the PDA in the ash tray and just picked up and raised to eye level when I want it, I don't have any wires or suction mounts to worry about. Then, on arrival, just switch off and pop in my pocket.

Not appropriate for all journeys (still have the wires and mounts etc stashed in the fire extinguisher box in the seat should i need them) but perfect for getting me out of Birmingham last week. Once I hit the M1 at Nottingham I knew where, how long etc so I just switched it off.

Lifes to short.

 

[the zacster]

Go for Comand! I have just changed (last week) from 330ci with sat nav to c220cdi without Comand and did not know just how much I would miss the TMC service to predict traffic hold ups. Love the new car but regret no Comand!

That pretty much sums it up for me. I'm afraid I think I've got too used to having a good sat-nav (the BMW one is excellent - and the TMC function really works) to go without. Will ensure that MBDirect provide TMC update (assuming its now available) when I finally take the plunge and get the car. Plus - the wife is hell bent on getting Comand ("looks prettier")... and, given that I'm the one pushing to trade in the coupe for an estate, I need to be in her good-books if we're to have kid number-2!

 

[jberks]

Ah, you're looking at used. Thats a whole different ball game!
Someone else has paid £2500. Used it doesn't fetch more than a couple of hundred as a premium so passes the "Under a £700" rule and becomes a good bet.

Nearly got one myself, but the rest of the car wasn't as good so I chose this one instead. I wouldn't have complained if it did have command but it wasn't a deal breaker either.

 

[jberks]

Lifes too short.

Absolutely, for mucking about running wires over the dash and sticking suction pads on the windscreen. This way is a lot less hassle and works just as well. I was simply impressed that bluetooth combined with battery powered kit worked so well - I expected it to die by the M42.

 

[benzo]

Might be a bit biased here as my Merc does not have comand. I have a tomtom and, as one who gets lost very easily, it's been a life saver:

Pros

- Maps are very accurate, have not taken a wrong turn once in two months.
- Has downloadable POIs like traffic cameras etc
- Portable, so can use in my other car(s)
- Have used it on foot - just put it in your pocket and listen to the voice prompts
- Took it to the US for vacation - Downloaded USA map, very liberating - first time ever on holiday wife and I haven't bickered over directions
- Cheap(er) cost £250
- Battery charge lasts over 2 hours so don't really need cables trailing all the time

Cons

- Have to remember to remove it from windscreen so car does not get smashed
- One day got lost and it was in the other car!! (PDA has an advantage here as most times it's on your person)

IMHO TomTom is much better value for money and just as good (I've heard)

 

[EddyB]

Command is definately worth buying, it's the best thing in my opinion that Mercedes have intoduced inside the car. They still have some minor problems in the software department (my maps screen goes a bit mad sometimes).

 

[Ramius]

At 32 years old this thread is making me feel a lot older!

What happened to the days of being able to pick up your AtoZ and look at where you were going, explain it to the misses and then watch her franticly turn pages to keep up with where you are?

£2500 for a DVD player that i can watch when im sat in the car waiting for the bags to come out of Asdas or to here a voice tell me I need to do a Uturn on a motorway seems a little rich to my mind.

AA website for roadworks and delays and a good road map......As for the films, buy an iPod Video for a couple of hundred quid

(Just my thoughts.....)

 

[jberks]

Command is definately worth buying, it's the best thing in my opinion that Mercedes have intoduced inside the car. They still have some minor problems in the software department (my maps screen goes a bit mad sometimes).

Perhaps but I suspect that with an SL55 and an X5 your budget means that the cost isn't such an important consideration. As I said above, if it were £700 I'd be saying yes, but at £2500 its so overpriced I wouldn't buy one on principle. I don't mind paying a little over the odds (else I wouldn't have a Merc) but I object to tem taking the p....