mcbc220

Interested in the C300 (RWD) coupe. Can anyone comment on the standard suspension? I'm coming from a 1994 C220 sedan (!), so I know either version will handle better. My experience from driving other sport suspension Mercedes is that the ride can be a lot bumpier without (for my uses) meaningful improvement in handling.

For reference, I drove a base suspension 430i and thought it was too boaty feeling, but thought the M Sport suspension was much better without being too harsh. How would the C300 compare?

Thanks!

gravity101

Ok, I have a 250 (c205) AMG line with S/Suspension and 19inch. i can give you my 2 cents. The suspension was too soft, boaty (as you say) in corners and over uneven surfaces in a straight line. and was prone to skip and have horrible lateral movement over bumpy, uneven roads. It was positively scary over rumble strips. I was disappointed in its suspension and handling if i'm honest, especially as its a 'sport' suspension model. I think the baby S class name is true in its suspension setup; comfort over handling. How that differs from the standard suspension i can only guess. I've driven a 420i convertible, and that had superior handling IMHO, although it probably had the same body roll, it felt more sure footed while doing so. I don't know if it had a sports suspension. My wife has a M Sport X1, but i doubt that can be compared

The handling was so un-trusting in the MB, I have replaced the springs and shocks with Eibach's and Bilstein B8's respectively. (I can rave on about this setup all day, but maybe for another post, but have to say comfort hasn't been compromised all that much whilst dramatically improving its road handling characteristics and precision).

In short, the sports suspension was not sporty enough by any means. So it depends on what you want, but don't expect handling to be 'sporty', which is what I expected from a coupe (and certainly from a 'sports' coupe) and what its lines should warrant. MB should probably just call it lower suspension, i bet that's all it is anyway.

The gap between the wheel arch and wheel should have been a give away.