C63 COMAND System...

[911C2S]

Hello, so I have just taken delivery of my first AMG (C63 Coupe) and I wanted to get your advice/opinion on the Comand system. Don't get me wrong, I like the car for the engine and its insane performance, but the Comand system is just rubbish. Oh and so are the speakers....

Anyway, I can't get my iPhone 5 to run the data link and wanted to know if anyone had found a work around? My car is a 2012 and I note that on the Mercedes website it shows that the 2013 system does support the iPhone 5. Is this true?

I have the dealer looking into it (as he did tell me it would all work...), however it never hurts to ask the experts on here. Can I get an upgrade or something? They must be very similar systems??

Many thanks in advance,

Tom.

[TackMEU]

I find COMAND to be excellent. Easy to use, good screen & nav works well. What more do you want from it?
I have HK upgrade, so I assume you don't if the speakers are rubbish.

The online does not work with a lot of smartphones. It is to do with the type of Bluetooth they use.
Mercedes use an older form of Bluetooth and is therefore not currently fully compatible with many modern phones.

Edited by TackMEU on Friday 21st June 01:55

[911C2S]

Thanks for your reply. My dealer did specifically say it would work so I'm disappointed, I like all the equipment on my car to work...

Of course its subjective, I have just come from the latest BMW system which is frankly streets ahead of Mercedes in both its usability and utility (in my opinion). I find the system fiddly and un-intuitive compared to other systems I have used. And yes, I have the standard speakers, they are the worst I have ever heard in any car ever, it's a good job the AMG powered sound track is so good.

[mackie1]

I beleive they are working on iPhone compatability, it may already be available but my car (built in March this year) doesn't have it. Making calls etc works fine but no data support.

I've never had a BMW with iDrive so can't really compare but I find COMAND pretty simple and quick to use.

[MrTickle]

Sorry to hijack - but I am considering a move from 997GTS to C63 for space reasons.... would appreciate your thoughts once you have had chance to get acclimatised

[911C2S]

More than happy to do that, I will raise a new thread about swapping from a 911 to a C63.

The command system however.... MB say the new cars from Jun13 can use the iPhone however no one knows if MB will update the older cars to do the same. Very shoddy if you ask me.

[mackie1]

Hopefully it's just a software or BT firmware update.

[audidoody]

Mercedes offers free Comand firmware upgrades and map updates for three years from first registration.

[911C2S]

Yes but will the next upgrade bring data tethering for iPhone? Lets hope so.....

[911C2S]

So, got an update today from my dealer who kindly approached MB directly to find out the latest on the "Comand/iPhone update" debacle.

"We have no software to update the Comand operating unit to make them compatible with specific phones such as an iPhone. We are told that the Hardware of the Comand units are different and that it is a Hardware issue and not a software issue.
No update is available for early versions of Comand On-Line."

Really, really disappointed. How can a company like MB think that is acceptable? So my plan is to write to MB and tell them. Just in case anyone else would like t do the same:

Customer Services
Mercedes-Benz UK Limited
Delaware Drive
Tongwell
Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire
MK15 8BA

[RichyAMG]

I like you find it incredible that Mercedes did not make the Comand ONLINE compatible with one of the most popular phones in the world. I do find the Comand system one of the easiest and best systems I've used in a car.

[Ari]

audidoody said:

Mercedes offers free Comand firmware upgrades and map updates for three years from first registration.

I thought it was forever. Certainly they updated mine on the four year service.

What is the data link people are trying to achieve? I use an iPhone with my COMAND but only as a phone.

For the record, I find COMAND excellent to use but its the first inbuilt nav system I've had so nothing really to compare it with.

[911C2S]

Comand has an online function that lets you download weather and google info to the car. You need a phone with a data connection (or tether) to do this. For some odd reason MB used an old protocol that very few phones use called "dial up networking". It was old 6 years ago so why they were using it is beyond me. To that ends iPhones can't do the data bit, but do work as normal BT phones.

It seems most people find the system easy to use, in my opinon it's poorly designed (the menu layout). I have used lost of other systems and designed a few web based UI's myself and find the tiny screen together with the odd menu layout a poorly designed UI. Look it's just my opinon it doesn't mean I'm right...

The newer BMW system is a much better system and is intuitive. I'm not sure the MB one is and the data works on a BMW (it has its own data connection and doesn't need a phone to work).