Technology in our vehicles is rapidly evolving! When I first started with Mercedes-Benz, the most advanced navigation system had a packet of 12 CDs you had to change out as you drove through different regions! And that was just available for the S-Class and it was in the trunk! It was years before navigation was available in all models. Then nav was on one DVD for the whole country and finally it was built into the hard drive. Currently you can use three different systems to navigate in the car: the built-in system, CarPlay/AndriodAuto, or Garmin Map Pilot.

Just a handful of cars still have the SD slot that makes Garmin Map Pilot a possibility but for those clients who don’t want the full Multimedia system and can’t rely on cell phone signal for CarPlay, Garmin Map Pilot can me a good middle ground. I must admit, I still use the built in system regularly. I know all the young folks are on board for Waze through the CarPlay but I travel outside of cell coverage fairly often and I like having a 100% reliable system just waiting for me!

I recently installed a Garmin Map Pilot in a 2020 Mercedes-Benz SLC300 and I was impressed with the recent improvements. The graphics were much sharper than in previous versions.  The voice control was much more responsive and intuitive. I also felt like the whole system was much faster to respond. So, if you have a vehicle that is “pre-wired for SD navigation” this would be the add on.

Note: I highly recommend you order this SD card from your dealership parts department by VIN to make sure it will work in your vehicle. As I mention in the video, the card won’t work in multiple cars and there are different versions. If you buy a used card or the wrong card you will not get a navigation system!