Hi all,

This board is not terribly lively, but I guess I'll risk a little effort to see if there are some Porsche people lurking here with ideas on Navigation systems. I presume a lot of you have a NAV in your P-car and also drive other cars with Nav systems or have rented them.

I am looking to get some recommendations on systems that have a map (as opposed to just arrows) and are easy to use with an accurate map for finding specific addresses. (I can find my way on the Autobahn fine with a conventional map :-). I am not very picky about music quality, but like good FM reception. My Benz has a Bose amplifier system and I would like to plug into that.

Now for a bit more background. My problem is this. I brought a US spec Mercedes ML430 to Germany, we'll be here for 2 years. Wonderful MB has decided to put a crappy system in the US version called MCS and according to the local dealer I cannot run a European version software in it. The tuner is pretty much useless with .2 MHz steps (The tuner problem is not a major problem to me) My wife is pissed off as she used the NAV system a lot in the US to get around.

I have been looking at buying an MB Comand 2.0 off Ebay.de but I want to buy one locally to avoid getting ripped off or buying something that is a POS. These things are quite popular and auctions run close to 1000 Euros, often without the software. Also, nobody can tell me whether a Comand simply plugs into my US spec or not. (Probably not plug and play but should not be hard to adapt)

I rented a ML400CDI recently and it had the Comand system. I found it easy enough to use without opening the manual. I rented an Audi All-road a year ago and it also had a reasonable user interface, no manual needed.

Recent rental of a new style BMW 530d surprised me by not having a map despite the large display. However, that system found any address I asked it to (househunting at the time) and directions are good. It is a little harder to get used to the user interface though. At first I was uneasy about the lack of a map but the system is accurate and finds the way.

Then I rented a whole raft of different cars when we first moved here. Most seemed to have VDO and Blaupunk systems and they were absolutely pitiful in my view. Completely impossible to use without reading the manual and some were unable to even find radio stations in an acceptable manner. There were some MB with the APS30, also not usable for people not inclined to read manuals the whole day. (I have a job and two kids, combined with a trans-Atlantic move, I need no more work!)

I have discarded the idea of using a laptop with GPS attachment for practical reasons that have nothing to do with the ability of such systems.

I like the slide out screen and given that I have a double DIN opening it might be nice to combine such a screen with an acceptable CD player.

Any care to recommend a system or comment on the systems they own?

 

I use an Alpine system with a retracting colour screen. The navigation is DVD based so it contains all of Europe. Very handy!

It seems to work very well overall with the only real problems being brand new roads that are too new for the DVD. Alpine does release updated DVDs.