This is the Mr. DotCom unit that used to be the only unit until Area 451 finally came out with their own. This is a great price for the unit, down almost $50 from what I paid for mine 6 months ago at SmartieParts, which now only sells the Area 451 unit. The change on Steve's part (per my e-mail with him last month) was because MDC has given him grief over replacement units in the recent past. Though I do susspect the fact that he now owns controlling interest in Area 451 may have had something to do with the change too.
As for wanting more installs, there are literally thousands of MDC units installed in the US, Canada, and Europe, since again, they were the ONLY option on most smart models. The Area 451 is the new-comer to this party, not the MDC. The stalk is an actual smart part (for the roadster I believe), and looks stock in the car. There's a VERY slight tint difference which you will only notice if you hold the old one up next to it for comparison.
The MDC unit has a few differences vs. the Area 451. First off the MDC unit is installed completely in the front dash area. The longest wire is about 3', from the accelerometer to the PCB in the dash. The hook-up is MUCH simpler with only 2 pass-though plugs, one for the gas pedal and one for the accelerometer.
Feature wise, the MDC unit offers cruise (with up/down hit on the stalk), a settable governor , and an operational lock feature. The cruise and governor work on the same principal, so only one can be engaged at a time. The lock feature sets a 4-button sequence that must be entered on the stalk to unlock the car (in addition to the key, etc).
The only advantage that the Area 451 has (IMHO) is that it senses a little more about the car systems. The MDC unit only works in Drive mode, not in manual mode like the Area 451. And while the MDC unit shuts off on breaking, it doesn't detect and disable on ESP or traction control turning on like the Area 451 unit does.
I've been using the
MDC unit for over 6 months now, and love it. It's a great little product, took about 2 hours to install, and could be removed or re-installed in under 20 minutes (now that I know how it all works
). At the price they're charging now, it's a great deal!
I do have to say, both look like good options. I just like the MDC one because it was out more than a year before the Area 451, has more real-world testing, and has a few more features. At this price... the MDC is the clear winner.
Linear Mode
