Mercedes-Benz E-Class review
It may be one of the oldest cars in its sector, but the range of options makes sure the E-Class is bang up-to-date
COMAND multimedia system with Media Interface
The Mercedes multimedia set-up is another expensive add-on, at £2,230, but it comes with many features that you may consider as essential.
First off, there’s a brilliant hard disk-based sat-nav system with full postcode entry, which makes finding your destination reassuringly simple. The whole set-up is operated using a rotary controller, located sensibly on the centre console, to select from menus on the central 7in screen. It is intuitive to use and the mapping and instructions are both clear and precise. Given the size of the cabin and position on the screen, the rotary controller works much better than having a touch screen.
Also included in the package is an integrated CD/DVD changer, while the Media Interface allows you to hook up iPods and MP3 players to the excellent built-in stereo using cables and sockets hidden in the glovebox. This clever set-up gives you the opportunity to browse your music collection using the same rotary controller used to operate the other major functions, or use the car’s steering wheel controls. Alternatively, the car’s 6GB of music storage means you can load your favourite songs directly onto the vehicle itself.
Voice controls and Traffic Message Channel (TMC), for live traffic updates, make the COMAND system a really worthwhile addition to the standard specification.