Sol01

Not too sure about that. I think the video shows Agility Control with Adaptive damping system that comes as Standard on C204. it requires no Sport Button

Tjdehya

lol, You thought that Air would be stiffer than steel?

j/k... Airmatic is for a softer ride not a firmer ride.

_Bondo_

Advanced Agility Control included a Sport button for the suspension.

Agility Control was standard on the W204.

Sol01

Yes I was referring to the video posted showing the Agility control on C204

solarflare

First, MB USA does list C class 2015 has agility control in addition to agility select.

http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicl.../bodystyle-SDN

Go to the performance section -> Agile New Suspension.

I have already quoted what they stated. It could be they are wrong. If so, MB USA would be in serious trouble.

I do want to make things a little more clearer. Selecting suspension setting is not a necessary factor for dynamic damper. Dynamic damper can have one setting for user and is fixed to a particular setting. That is the case for BMW 320i + sport options in the US. Even when you have a fixed setting, it is changing the damping value base on the driving condition. When you corner, it will stiffen up the suspension to reduce body roll and increase grip. When you are in straight line, it will make effective softer suspension.

So a setting is not the same as the actual damper in the suspension. Rather it sets a list of profile in which the car behaves under different condition. That profile is what determine the actual damping rate. Dynamic damper is always active and can not be disabled.

floridadriver

In USA if you want to adjust the suspension yourself in the currently released W205, you need airmatic.

Though poorly named by the MB marketing gurus, the steel versions behave exactly as you described on the 328i. It stiffens when cornering......and also unfortunately, on a poorly paved road which causes enough undulations of the shocks when you'd want it to be it's most compliant.

Mr Enigma

If the C450 doesn't have an airmatic suspension it would probably be a deal-breaker for me. I want the comfort over the horses!


Although I would ideally want both!

solarflare

Speaking of horses (I know you are referring to horse power,) there is a stretch of road where I feel like I am riding a horse. It bumps up and down periodically. It was the only time the standard suspension setup in C was worse than my SUV. I suspect that it hit a limit in suspension travel. Watch out if C450 lowers the car and without air suspension. You may be in one bumpy ride.

PeteInGilroy

Wonder if Non-Run Flat tires would smooth out those bumps?

Glyn M Ruck

No ~ W204 came standard with passive intelligent shocks. (so called Agility Control)

The Advanced Agility Control was with switch, active magnetorheological shocks, sensors & controller.

I personally have the Benz design DVD & we owned one.

solarflare

Glyn is right. I finally search the term advanced agility control and found this article for W204.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t-drive-review

"The C-class suspension layout is carried over - a strut and control-arm arrangement at the front and a multilink setup at the rear - with revised geometry, bushings, and subframes. One main element of the suspension is amplitude-dependent damping, which Mercedes calls "agility control." It's not electronic - it uses hydromechanical shock absorbers with an extra chamber to which oil is diverted by a control piston reacting to low road impulses. So in easy-driving situations, the damping force is reduced. Apart from preserving a comfortable highway ride, this system reduces the body's roll angle by up to 10 percent in some maneuvers compared with the old car. A new steering rack transmits more road feel, and the upshot of all the changes is a more stable car that has excellent body control. Sport models have a suspension that is lowered by 0.6 inch and features stiffer springs and dampers."

So the W204 is an amplitude base control similar to the Acura's system on their newer models. I think MB is trying to confuse people.

So I got curious and dug up what the same magazine say about the W205.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t-drive-review

"The $1190 air suspension’s exclusive Sport+ setting tries to beat bumps into submission, while Comfort is too squishy, allowing for some head toss on heaving pavement and uncomfortable rear-end squirming under hard braking. The Sport mode delivers the same delicate balance of suppleness and capable handling as the steel setup, and it’s the setting in which we’d leave the suspension. Given that, we’d skip Airmatic and save some loot."

Note, I never bother with air suspension because when I test drove it my bottom tells me it is good enough. I would only upgrade suspension if it is to harsh to achieve its performance objective.

Sol01

I agree. I was merely referring to the posted video showing the standard Agility Control on C204

Glyn M Ruck

South Africans miss the active Advanced Agility Control on steel suspension with W205. Rumour has that it will return sometime this year. I suspect on the C450. Time will tell.

_Bondo_

It won't, sorry.

abstractls

http://www.car-revs-daily.com/2015/0...50-amg-4matic/

According to this and what MB wrote it is

"The highlight of the AMG Adaptive sports suspension is the combination of independently developed axle components with high aluminum content and electronically controlled shock absorbers with 3-stage adjustment range. The driver of a C450 AMG 4MATIC can select his or her tailor-made suspension setup at the push of a button. The range spans from balanced long-distance comfort to maximum sportiness."

Mr Enigma

Interesting... Thanks for the info.

_Bondo_

Maybe I'm just splitting hairs, but it won't be Airmatic. It will receive the dampening software from the new C63.

Mr Enigma

Yes, not airmatic - so no ride height change. I suppose it does allow for a more 'comfortable' ride, but I imagine this is a fair bit harsher than the airmatic.

Mark's M

And as much as I was impressed by the Airmatic-equipped C400, axing it in favour of a proper AMG-tuned and dynamically dampened system was the way to go for the C450. I don't know if it would/could be taken seriously otherwise.

Glyn M Ruck

I prefer the old Advanced Agility Control to Airmatic.

Taking the old system & adding sharpened throttle response, gear change et al sounds right up my street with steel suspension.

Mr Enigma

Glyn, could you provide some advice please?

Having not driven a car with either Advanced Agility Control or AirMatic, what are the pros and cons of each system? Can you set up the AAC to be as soft as the AM etc?

I can tell from your post that your preferences is AAC, but I would like to know the real world differences - if there are any!

Sol01

I concur

Glyn M Ruck

I'm being hyper critical here. Air suspension always gives a slighly jiggly semi damped ride under certain pavement conditions. Steel suspension with variable rate springs set correctly gives better ride & handling when you have well calibrated variable damping available to you at the flick of a switch (Advanced Agility Control). You don't have ride height adjustment but great control over how you want the car to feel for a specific condition IMHO.

Mr Enigma

Thank you for your response Glyn. I'm slowly edging towards the C450 if it is released this year and is not at a crazy price point. So I'm trying to work out the differences between the C200 and the C450 (besides doubling the power).

coladin

Just as long as you are okay with the C450 being "on" all the time, whether summer/winter. The suspension will always be sporty. Seeing you have had an M3, I guess you would be okay with it I guess. I don't know if you drove that year round because AMG suspensions, as good as they are, they will wear you down at some point!