Jason B

I thought that's what it does...

Wel, you are trying to say that all airmatic is, is a self leveing suspension, and that's it? I thought there was more to it, than just to be self leveling. It rides incredible, and I've driven just about everything.

Bullshido

Airmatic is semi-active, whilst ABC is fully active.

Jason B

We needed this posted earlier


Self leveling is just an added bonus as far as I'm concerned. That feature alone is NOT why this was added and designed.

Mike5215

In simplest terms Airmatic puts air filled bags instead of springs between the mechanical struts and the car, which creates the car's signature creamy, insulated ride. You're essentially riding on a cushion of air. The Airmatic in the 220 does not have ADS (adaptive damping) like the 221 has.

Welwynnick

Did you notice some interesting details in that MB video? The ML-class (and GL) have a suspended front subframe. Its mounted by large rubber bushes to the chassis at the corners, highlighted here:



That's an old-fashioned way of doing things. Its heavy and expensive, and car makers rarely use it any more. The Maybach is one of the rare exceptions, and so is the ML class. The W220 and W221, like almost all modern cars, have a rigidly-mounted front subframe.

The front subframe supports the engine, steering, anti-roll bar and the lower suspension mounts. Obviously, its full of noise, vibration and harshness, and the compliant mountings help to filter all that out before it gets to the body. As a result, the ML has particularly low road noise. I wish the S-class had stuck with this approach.

The ML and GL also have a suspension option called Active Curve System, with hydraulically-actuated active anti-roll bars front and rear:



http://eblog.mercedes-benz-passion.c...-and-off-road/

This does much the same as ABC, but since its only a dual channel differential system that acts on the anti-roll bars, it can only control roll, not pitch, squat and bounce.
I think that's a fair trade for a simpler system, and its also compatible with four wheel drive. BMW and Porshe have similar systems.

Nick

Mike5215

The old, heavy cast iron subframe in passenger cars died off decades ago. They were a relic of the transition period between full framed cars and fully unitized (unibody cars). I believe the 140 was the last S class to get one. They are rigid and strong but add a lot of weight to the nose, and in passenger cars they have a tendency in a front end crash to violate the passenger cell. (Cast iron doesn't crumple well).

Trucks and truck based SUVs remain full framed vehicles to this day, and the GL/ML is essentially a truck. A truck also has a much taller center of gravity and as a result a much greater tendency to roll, hence the need for an active anti roll system in the ML/GL.

Welwynnick

??? I never heard of a cast iron subframe in a car.



Like the ML & GL, the W140 had a pressed steel subframe, but then so does the W221.

So does that mean the W221 is rather like a truck?

Nick

Firstclasstranz

I've owned both a 221 s550 non ABC and a 220 s600 with ABC undoubtably there is a vast difference in the two suspension however I personally feel that abc is not needed on an s550. I mean look the 600 is insanely quick and It made me drive it aggressively I had no choice! Lol so the active body control was a huge bonus but the s550 is just more of a cruiser and nice squishy ride it's what I expect when I get in that car although I see no real down side to having abc others might in all honesty it was a pain in the *** when the car got older and pain in the *** I mean wallet!!! So unless your pushing 500hp + or just like knowing that in the future your car will rape your wallet I just don't see the point in it.. Again just my 2cents

Bullshido

Thanks for your input man.

Bullshido

Since we're on this topic, I've heard that ABC is available on 420 CDI in Europe.

Anyone who knows anything about that?

2014CL600

I have owned 6 CL 600's and driven CL 500 and CL 550's. I personally wouldn't have an Airmatic suspension. The car tosses you around, your cant control it very well around corners, the car wallows and the Pitch and Yaw are out of control. You drive any ABC car and you will see the world of difference, they used to offer either at one time on the early model S Class cars and the price difference was ENOURMOUS. There is a major difference. I personally drive fast and brake fast. You never can feel cross winds or hard take offs or hard stops on an ABC car. On an Airmatic it will toss you around like a rag doll. Not the best actually. Id rather just have a spring suspension over an Airmatic one. The Airmatic is great if you don't plan on doing any spirited driving at all. Example, I took a friend for a drive in a CL 550 and we both decided the car was junky. It made all types of interior noises and when we came to a stop it nearly threw us both through the windshield. When we took off it threw up back in the seat. The ABC completely eliminates those problems. As for the MBC it is only used when the car is NOT in Sport Mode. It actually softens the ride and give you a feel of like riding on air. My friend who is head of Designo and AMG here in the states in NJ. Orders all the Designo and AMG cars for both press and testing and he just got a 2015 S 600 with MBC, one with 20" wheels and the other with 19" wheels. He said the 19" wheels made the car ride much better and was perfect. He said even though the 20" wheels were more beautiful, the car rode much different. The MBC is an additional sensor that pre adjusts the suspension for up coming defects in the road. For what it is worth, if you can afford the ABC, get it. If you haven't ever experienced ABC then don't because then you will never want to drive an Airmatic car again.

Nickthegreek

After reading the posts it seems to me that having ABC vs Airmatic really depends on your driving habits and intentions of using the car. There is no winner. If you plan on taking hairpin turns or taking off and braking hard and don't want your car to dive or lean too much ABC is a no brainer. For those that do everyday driving airmatic is all you need. I'm happy with airmatic on my S550 because I don't drive it hard.... If I had a SL63 AMG you bet your *** I'd want ABC because I'm going to take corners hard.

2014CL600

I agree with you. I personally would only own a 10 and up S 600 but that is a personal preference. I prefer the amenities that the 600's offer and the ride quality. As for the S 550 I think they are a very refined car as long as they have a Designo interior. I am not a real fan of all the MB Tex they try and pass off as leather and the cardboard painted dash (both on the S and the CL) for the money they ask, leather should be through out the entire cabin. As for ride comfort, the Airmatic on the S and CL 550 is beyond excellent. It's a refined car that if you only plan on driving tame and cruise leisurely, you will not find a more comfortable ride anywhere. Just don't plan on taking it on a hard romp as the stability just isn't there. All in all the Airmatic is very nice, just a little on the tame side. Kind of like an XJ8 verses the XJR. The differences are dramatically different.

Welwynnick

In the last few weeks, ABC has taken on a new dimension for me. Like many, my car has staggered wheels, and I wondered if the fronts were too small to do justice to the body, engine and suspension. Going from an S600 with 225/55/17's to another with 245/45/18's was a big leap forwards, so maybe there's more to be had.

Going staggered with 245/45 & 265/40 seemed like a backwards step to me - no better roadholding or handling, but worse ride. So I experimented - I swapped the front and rear wheels. The rear wheels fitted fine at the front, and gave a lot more precision and grip. I since upgraded to 19's front and rear, and having the stock 245/40 at the front wasn't very effective. I put 275/35's front and rear, and the chassis really woke up.

The ride was harsher, but the road noise and steering kick-pack weren't much affected (which I was most concerned about) and the good news was that handling was quite transformed. My big 2 ton luxo-barge suddenly felt like a sports car for the first time, turning and sticking enthusiastically, rather than having to be hauled into a corner.

With cars this heavy, I think you just need a lot of rubber on the road to make the suspension work. Normally, more grip = more roll, but ABC keeps the tires flat on the road, and make the most of the extra grip, like a sorts car with very hard suspension. Except it still has soft suspension.

My car suddenly has a new envelope of performance; its huge fun to drive, and I'd recommend same size tires front and rear to everyone with ABC. An easy win.

Nick

PS. Of course the other easy win (besides changing the ABC oil & filter every three years) is to protect all the ABC hoses in the engine compartment by fitting fire sleeves.

2014CL600

Yes, I have preached that for years on this forum about changing the filter and fluid in the suspension. It is KEY. Don't forget to change the power steering filter as well. As for the 221 and 216 they did away with the filters, so my suggestion is to do a flush every three years. My system to flushing is taking a pump and draining the fluid out of the reservoir and refilling it with the OEM fluid. This will prolong the life of the entire system. Also, make sure you clean around the top before opening the cap. Very important not to allow any debris to get inside the reservoir. As for the tires, I am sure that should make a huge difference in handling and possibly soften the harness that the 220 and 215 suffer from. They revised the 221 and the 216 to be a softer ride but still keep the car planted to the ground. You know they will be fussing with this system for as long as the system is in play.