A-Class (W176) [Official] Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W176)

[Will_o]

Is yours on the 'Titania' from Malta? If so, we're on the same ship! hahaha Where are abouts are you?

That's the ship! I'm in Perth so given that it's arriving on the 12th of Aug in Fremantle I'm hoping I'll have it in my driveway by the last week of August

Mine's also on that ship! Time to start thinking about accessories. Is there still time to try and get some freebies out of the dealer? I really want a rubber mat/protector for the boot. I'm also thinking of getting a set of rubber floor mats (3rd party possibly) for to use during the wet seasons.

Is there anything else I can/should do in this time? I still haven't checked if my company is on the corporate plan and also haven't decided on finance/agility/lease. I can do an nlc lease through my company, but I wondering if it may be too restrictive - can I get them to do the numbers now? What's the main differences between lease and Agility anyway?

Thanks for all the info & feedback guys, keep it coming!

Edit; font size!

 

[kaktusdigital]

I have an iPhone 4s. My dealer in Queensland must be in his late 60's and has no idea about any of it- he got one of the so called technical guys to come have a go but no success. He said he would email merc aus but still haven't heard back. I have already called merc aus and they told me all they can do is to devert me to my dealer? I told her that that he had no idea and could you please put me though to someone in the technical support department but she wouldn't ( basically got the run around) it annoys me that everywhere it says "Internet connectivity" for I phone but by the looks of it its non existent. Or maybe it's just me and I don't know how to set up? Sorry for the rant. Let me know how you go

Sadly I think all Gen 1 A-class's have hit a dead end with the iphone internet connectivity. The Command unit needs to be upgraded to support the iphone's bluetooth internet connection method. This upgrade is hardware based and as far as I know means the whole unit needs to changed. MY14 cars will have this compatibility out of the box as it was a major change. Most dealers a few months ago were adamant that a software fix would allow for compatibility, but I wouldn't hold your breath on this one. It's also stunningly bad that Android devices don't work either!

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Kaktus is spot on. You will have no luck getting internet connectivity to work unless you have a MY2014. That's why quite a few members on here delayed delivery to ensure they got a MY2014. That said I have tried the system on the recently face-lifted E-class and it seems like it was NOT worth the wait. Internet functionality is not available on the move and when it does work is actually quite painfully slow and cumbersome. Our coverage is not the best, so by the time the car communicates with the phone and the phone with the network its actually easier and quicker to just pick up your phone. That said, at least the car is future proofed to some degree.

Mercedes Australia really needs to get their butts into gear and offer Drive Kit Plus.

 

[kaktusdigital]

Kaktus is spot on. You will have no luck getting internet connectivity to work unless you have a MY2014. That's why quite a few members on here delayed delivery to ensure they got a MY2014. That said I have tried the system on the recently face-lifted E-class and it seems like it was NOT worth the wait. Internet functionality is not available on the move and when it does work is actually quite painfully slow and cumbersome. Our coverage is not the best, so by the time the car communicates with the phone and the phone with the network its actually easier and quicker to just pick up your phone. That said, at least the car is future proofed to some degree.

Mercedes Australia really needs to get their butts into gear and offer Drive Kit Plus.

Thats very interesting to hear re: your comments on the E-Class. I did hear previous reports of older nokia phones which did support the command online interface and that it was painfully slow. I hoped that the iphone/android compatibility would be much quicker. Well I guess that makes it a bit better for anyone whos rocking the 1st Gen.. including me.

woohoo.. ships off the coast of perth...

 

[Frostee]

Hey frostee. I have got pandora to work with iPhone. Just get pandora running than look for the BT Audio- select it and it should just stop on phone and start playing though stero. I'm at work at moment and not near car but see how ya go and if ya still haven't/ can't get it going next time ill give more detailed instructions when it's in front of me

Thank you Mercmac, I will give it a go when I get my car in mid August.
My wife has a Holden Calais and I decided to see how I went with it and it was pretty easy. I just turned bluetooth on and the car discovred my phone (and since then remembers it) and when i played Pandora it just played. Simply as can be and sounds like from what you say it will be similarly simple on the A Clas. Thank you again for looking into this for me, much appreciated.

 

[Frostee]

I have an iPhone 4s. My dealer in Queensland must be in his late 60's and has no idea about any of it- he got one of the so called technical guys to come have a go but no success. He said he would email merc aus but still haven't heard back. I have already called merc aus and they told me all they can do is to devert me to my dealer? I told her that that he had no idea and could you please put me though to someone in the technical support department but she wouldn't ( basically got the run around) it annoys me that everywhere it says "Internet connectivity" for I phone but by the looks of it its non existent. Or maybe it's just me and I don't know how to set up? Sorry for the rant. Let me know how you go

Have you tried using your iPhone as a internet hotspot and see whether the car can see that? Settings/Personal Hotspot/On?

 

[clip]

Hahaha nice. thanks Clip! Where is the first video shot? That looks like a great area to have some fun. Not sure where you are but the roads in the Yarra Valley here in Vic are great twistys, especially the 'Black Spur'

It's only a short run up the back road to Monteville on the sunshine Coast hinterland. There's a few good roads with some nice twisties around though, and not too far out of Brisbane. Have heard of the Black Spur (great bike run), but unfortunately haven't had a chance to go there yet.

 

[clip]

Hey frostee. I have got pandora to work with iPhone.

Can I ask you guys what mobile plans you're on? Just thinking I'd chew through a lot of mb's streaming music through my mobile plan. I subscribe to Rhapsody and use it home, but not thought about streaming it using my phone while out and about.

 

[joyjas77]

That said I have tried the system on the recently face-lifted E-class and it seems like it was NOT worth the wait. Mercedes Australia really needs to get their butts into gear and offer Drive Kit Plus.

Hi Mr Mercedes, I also would have delayed my car for the newer Comand System, but found out my car was already going to be built after the change date.

Did you by any chance get to try and see if SIRI worked using bluetooth? I'm hoping we can use it to some degree, by the look of the forums in the UK the Drive Kit plus is a waste of money for starters, for one you have to connect your phone when you get in the car (other cars these days are offering bluetooth SIRI even Barina's). Secondly it is not cheap at all to get installed. Thirdly, from what I've read on forums many people are having absolutely no joy getting SIRI to work and are all waiting for this elusive update from MB that never seems to make it work to their satisfaction. It seems with all the hype about being the first car to offer this functionality (was on MB Australia web-site last time I checked) we don't get that functionality here and it appears that those who get the privilege to pay for it are not really getting much extra use out of it than we seem to get from the standard COMAND system. But I guess this new COMAND system may be improved, I'm hoping it is as I would love to be able to get SIRI to do a few things while on the move. But I hear that COMAND is able to dial the phone etc on its own. But things like reading SMS messages and dictating them while on the move would be nice.

 

[kaktusdigital]

another site for people who are tracking their cars. http://www.fleetmon.com/
This one is quite good in regards to the way it maps the ship's last known position. They tend to drop in and out of range and some sites just report "out of range" You have to sign up, but it's free.

 

[Frostee]

another site for people who are tracking their cars. http://www.fleetmon.com/
This one is quite good in regards to the way it maps the ship's last known position. They tend to drop in and out of range and some sites just report "out of range" You have to sign up, but it's free.

Nice one - thank you for sharing.

My ship feel off the map off Nth Africa. I expect it will show up around Sth Africa

 

[Duds]

Nice one - thank you for sharing.

My ship feel off the map off Nth Africa. I expect it will show up around Sth Africa

Interesting.... Do they turn off their GPS to help avoid Pirates? That would make sense.

 

[shankoz]

Kaktus is spot on. You will have no luck getting internet connectivity to work unless you have a MY2014. That's why quite a few members on here delayed delivery to ensure they got a MY2014. That said I have tried the system on the recently face-lifted E-class and it seems like it was NOT worth the wait. Internet functionality is not available on the move and when it does work is actually quite painfully slow and cumbersome. Our coverage is not the best, so by the time the car communicates with the phone and the phone with the network its actually easier and quicker to just pick up your phone. That said, at least the car is future proofed to some degree.

Mercedes Australia really needs to get their butts into gear and offer Drive Kit Plus.

Agreed Mr Mercedes - after delaying my A250 to MY14, I ended up having the chance to play around with the updated COMAND in an E250 last weekend - and suffice to say I was not at all impressed with the speed either! Once it connected to the phone's data connection it was reasonable but the initial connection phase took so long I wondered if something had gone wrong. I'm still happy the car is future-proofed but am quite surprised that Mercedes have not made an effort to improve the connection speed. I wouldn't hold my breath for Siri to be available over Bluetooth anytime soon.....

 

[Amat46]

New A class with 1.5L, A160 CDI. Also some upgrades to the existing ones
http://www.rushlane.com/mercedes-benz-a-and-b-class-1283223.html

 

[mini_cooper4]

New A class with 1.5L, A160 CDI. Also some upgrades to the existing ones
http://www.rushlane.com/mercedes-benz-a-and-b-class-1283223.html

Ahh, the Renault

 

[Amat46]

Ahh, the Renault

Well Audi uses engine from Volkswagen engine and BMW from Peugeot. Ahh, Volkswagen and Peugeot .

 

[mini_cooper4]

Well Audi uses Volkswagen engine and BMW uses Peugeot engine. Ahh, Audi and BMW.

Now, you will learn something from yar granpa!
Nah, BMW ain't using a Peugeot engine...
VW is using Audi engines too, ain't it ?
Hmmm and they are all GERMAN!

 

[Amat46]

Now, you will learn something from yar granpa!
Nah, BMW ain't using a Peugeot engine...
VW is using Audi engines too, ain't it ?
Hmmm and they are all GERMAN!

So does that mean that others can't make better engines, as far as I am aware of Renault makes the most frugal engines. Please enlighten yourself by clicking the below shown link. Thank you http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_engine#BMW_N13_.2F_Mini_N18. Doesn't matter if it is jointly developed or not , it is Peageot engine.

 

[mini_cooper4]

So does that mean that others can't make better engines, as far as I am aware of Renault makes the most frugal engines. Please enlighten yourself by clicking the below shown link. Thank you http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_engine#BMW_N13_.2F_Mini_N18. Doesn't matter if it is jointly developed or not , it is Peageot engine.

Lol boy you ain't enlightening me bout noth.
Read my first post on the matter. I just said "Ahh, the Renault"
I do think Renault engines will only do good for MB

 

[TuNeS]

With all this talk of phones, one feature I really like on my car is the SMS! You can read your texts and with 2 clicks you can then call the sender (cant text back obviously). My previous 2 cars had bluetooth, but didnt have SMS. Great feature!

I have had the car three weeks now and it continues to exceed my expectations. I will write up another mini review now I have had some quality time to get intimate with it and when I get a chance to photograph it for you guys

Also maybe I am missing something here, but why is everyone concerned about Internet in their car? I am a nerd and I just can't see the benefit? The systems still needs another device to get connectivity (phone). For music, you can just bluetooth stream audio from pandora, spotify......etc. GPS? well you already have it. I kind of wish I ordered the command system, but I only want it for the GPS, DAB and better sound system. Maybe I am missing something?