jbak31

Hi,

I've got a 2011 E350 Bluetec with lux package. I am tired of the rough ride the car has. Every bump is communicated to the hard-as-rock seats, and the road noise is absolutely pervasive.

I've put 45k miles on it and I'm this close to selling the car because the rough ride and noise aggravate me. I've switched the tires out from run flats to regular, it helped some, but not a whole lot. The car already has the smallest wheels that are available. Is there anything else I can do? Any softer suspension adjustment or anything?

I've recently driven an LS460 L and have to say the ride was tremendously better, and quieter. The ride of my E350 reminds me more of the C6 corvette that I used to have, than of a sedan like the LS.

jmatero

What you're describing is normal for run flat tires. They are are hard as hell, and once they have 10-15k miles on them, they're obnoxiously loud. That's been my experience with every run-flat tire car I've owned. Replace them with another brand of tire and your car will be transformed.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSe...ype=bestseller

jbak31

Yeah, well, like I said, I used to run runflats, but now I'm off them. This summer I put on Eagle Sports (they're not run flats). And while it's not as bad as before, the ride still leaves a lot to be desired.

Arrie

For the road noise there is one very simple way (well, DIY for hands on people) to help it.


I bought 1" thick foam sheets from a Walmart. Then cut some of it to about 3" wide strips. Then, when you pull the rear seat side bolsters loose at the top and in the middle you gain access under the rear fender coverage. Looking in there you can see there is bare metal surface. No coverage other than you can see electrical wiring in there.


I packed these areas with the foam without removing any of the surface covers. Just stuck the foam in there, also under the rear deck area by the seat belt "roller".


This simple fix significantly lowered the road noise in the cabin. I am planning to do this job right, i.e. remove some of the covers at the sides to get access under the covering for proper noise dampening. I can just imagine how much it will help after experiencing how much it helped when I did it a 'Half ***" way.

btesar

I'm in the same boat. I swapped the run-flats for Conti DWS Ultra-high performance tires which were a little bit better but I still feel every crack on the highway.

Has anyone swapped to Contiprocontacts or Michelin MXM4's that can report on the ride quality change?

btesar

Arrie - How do you remove the side seat bolsters? I have the fold-down rear seats. I can see the latch at the top holding the bolster in but it seems tightly attached.

Arrie

Yes, it is tightly attached. You just have to give it a good jerk straight out. You fold your seat back first.


You tuck your fingers under the side bolster at the top of it around the metal "spring rod" that holds it in place. It will come out and in my car the middle "keeper" will release at the same time too. I have never dug to find out out how to remove the bolster from the car as the bottom of it seems bolted in place.


Reinstalling the bolster you position the spring rod in the plastic grommet but before you push it in you want to get the middle keeper connected first. Just put the steel wire on top of the groove in the plastic piece and give it a sharp push down. You will hear it click in place. Then push the top in.

jbak31

I do appreciate the tip, but I also find it quite poetic that you have to rip out the seats and stuff sound proofing into a car that cost 70 grand. WTF, Mercedes, seriously.

ss3964spd

From what I've read Goodyear Eagle Sports aren't exactly known for their ride comfort or for being quiet.

I ran MXM4's on my non-sport '05 E500. Delightfully quiet and compliant. (I have the light truck version on my pick up - exactly the same story). My '11 E550 Sport has new P-Zero Nero's on it. While they ride just fine I don't think they are as quiet as the MXM4's, but that could also be the difference between the '05 and the '11.

Of course, ride quality is a matter of taste. For instance, IMO my '11 E550 with Sport (and Airmatic) still isn't firm enough. Lexus goes for full isolation on their non F LS. BMW/MB/Audi try to cover the middle ground with their main stream offerings.

wanderfalke

I have a 14 e550 that runs on conti. tires that are very quiet and smooth . What car are you comparing your merc. to?

jbak31

I'll try MXM4's next time. Also heard good things about Super Sports, allegedly softer/quieter too.

Most recently to LS 460 L.

rediesel

DWS are all season high performance and quite soft. The contiprocontact are going to be stiffer for sure. It's been a while since I ran MXM4's on my W211, but I suspect they are about the same as the DWS.

Arrie

Agree with your comment but MB does what MB does. If you want a quieter E you need to buy an AMG. If you want a quiet MB you need to buy S.


But, if they made every car model with the same quality only keeping the size of the car and how it is equipped it would hurt their total business, I think. And if the E was just as classy as the S they would loose lots of S buyers.

Wig

The E63 is quieter? I would have expected the opposite.

jbak31

It appears though that E is an intentionally gimped version of a sedan. For its price point, its quite disappointing honestly. My dad drives a chrysler 300c, which he paid 45k for, and he never misses an opportunity to rib me about how how uncomfortable my car is by comparison, how hard the seats are, how rough the ride is, etc. Whenever we end up going somewhere together, we end up taking his car, and that just sucks. Merc shouldn't be in this position.

pamiboy

I presume Arrie meant E63 is "Quicker" and S class is "quieter". It might be the auto spell correct playing games .

ss3964spd

One mans junk is another mans treasure. Really, it just comes down to personal preference. IMHO, if my E was any softer I might as well unload it for a mid 90's Buick LaSaber with the pillowy seats. Or, evidently, a 300C. Your, and your dads preference is soft, quiet, and with squishy seats. Mine is firm(er), not as isolated, and seats that don't make me feel as though I'm sitting on a sofa. But that's just me.

Although the E and the 300 share the same basic architecture (at least they used to) they are tuned very differently for their intended markets/customers, as is the LS. I simply prefer a more involved driving experience. Neither is right or wrong.

Trancebolt

Gentlemen.

This rough ride related to runflats is not as bad as its made out to be. I have a benz with runflats and nonrunflats at the same time. I switch between the two and I can clearly say that there is very little difference in road harshness. Roads are a great big amount of our ride enjoyment. ****ty road, no car floats over cracks and cement ****ty roads... Lets be frank.

People are often lulled into a sense of pure tranquility by the e class , and after two weeks of my newest E, im beginning to get used to the cushhyness, and "feel the road more". Alas, i jump in the non runflat car, and the road noise is similar on bad roads... just as nice on good roads. Runflats = spare tire already put on; drive to work on streets not fwy and call AAA from there. bosslike.

Just like people here who do sound padding and cancel out noises will tell you: "once you get rid of the loudest noise, the next loudest noise becomes the loudest one" If the car is a straight cruiseship with a jet engine, sure... any negative will seem amplified =D dude i used to be TIRED from driving my c home it was so much less coddling to the driver; despite a smoother ride or NOT... so in the end, id rather get out of my car rested. that 300c is a weaker version of the c300. chrysler/benz are in bed for sure.


The car is a tad bouncy on really bad and choppy freeway parts, but the same road with my other benz is just as ****ty but has a DIFFERENT feel... not a better or quieter one.

And lets be frank, anyone whos daddys chrysler seems better than the seats in this E class, doesnt know how to work the lumbar support or anything. Your dad should be riding a tractor sir


Oh yeah, i smoke those 300cs brand new every single time all day with my stock 300 luxury so eat your heart out for 45k.... wow. fail mode.

wanderfalke

The lexus line of autos are all so soft, but the LS is the sponge of the lot. The S550 class floats a little so that would be the best comparison. You must have test driven the E class. I have the sport model and when the road becomes twisty I lower the airmatic to sport setting . It is just stiff enough not to get crossed up on right left corners. I like to be aware of the road so I can make better informed decisions on how to use the brakes,steering, and throttle. If you want to float around on a detached cloud the american and japanese makers are the car for you . It is a personal preference, neither is right or wrong. I don't think you can make the car softer but my e class is really whisper quiet you should be able to achieve that.

jbak31

In the years I've owned my E, believe me I've tried every which way to adjust the seats, but there's just no way of getting away from getting a sore *** from them after a 12-14 hour drive down to Florida. The seats in E are absolutely punishing, that is my honest opinion. I don't understand your tractor comment. 300c has more comfortable seats, that's just how it is.

To those saying they prefer the rougher ride/seats of the E, while I can accept your position, I don't understand it. When I look to a sedan, I expect comfort, first and foremost. If I wanted handing, acceleration, and road feel, I'd get a sports car. An E350 diesel is anything but a sports car. It is conservatively styled, and it trying to act "sporty" is just out of character. It isn't sporty, and it'll never be. What it should be, though, is a comfortable sedan, which again, it isn't. So I don't quite get what it is trying to be.

jbak31

After having owned a proper sports car, which would've smoked any of your so-called sporty cars any day of the week, I no longer care for acceleration or "smoking" anybody. What I care about is a comfortable ride. Perhaps I'm getting too old, but it is what it is.

pamiboy

I have a feeling that you didn't test drive your car enough before purchasing it. We all have different tastes and preferences, and when are shopping for a new car, the comparison would largely be with the last car we owned. So what car you had just before getting the Benz? Of course many nuisances become apparent only after having the car for a few weeks. So if you don't like the car at all, the question is why keep it?
Other than a means of transport, cars can also provide some comfort and happiness to us. If you don't have it then this is not the right car for you.
BTW I find the seats and ride of E class very comfortable, quiet and solid for me. My last car being a civic.
I agree that the most comfortable car I've ever been so far is the Lincoln towncar as cab/ limo.

jbak31

You're partly right, I did order it sight unseen. I did test drive another E like a year prior to that, and at the time I was driving a C6 corvette. Even then I found the seats in the C6 more comfortable, but I thought I would get used to the E. If anything the opposite happened.

drsaab

I own a 2011 E diesel and drive 35k a year. I agree the seat is not the best compared to a lexus ls460. That is a super smooth car. No car will be that smooth and quiet for the money. The E gets 31+ mpg and is more road hugging though. The best thing I got for my E was this soft gel cushion... Works awesome for making it a comfortable seat.

http://costcocouple.com/winplus-ulti...-seat-cushion/

you can get it on amazon too if not available at costco now.

jbak31

Hey, thanks for that tip. This is the 3rd cushion I'm buying for the E, but this one looks like it might be better than the other ones I had.