I tried out the new AI assistant in Mercedes’ car. Then I was sad to have to give it up

I realized how useful the new AI assistant in Mercedes-Benz cars can be when I drove another car.

After testing the impressive new 2026 Mercedes CLA-Class in San Francisco, I flew back to New York, but then had to drive for several hours through a winter rainstorm. That’s when I realized I hadn’t changed my windshield wipers in ages – one of those little errands I always wanted to do but always forget until it was too late – and that meant I had less visibility than I wanted.

Then I thought: Wouldn’t it be nice to push a button on my steering wheel, ask the car to find an O’Reilly Auto Parts or an AutoZone or something nearby, and then set a short detour on my navigation system’s route? Then I could change the windshield wipers in the parking lot and be on my way. But I was in a far less sophisticated car than the new CLA sedan; Doing any of that would have meant…