Eilers

Not disputing you being able to see that your car have a higher stance then another car, and you might be correct. But do you know for a fact that the car you compare to, was not either Airmatic or Sports suspension?

Wheel size and especially offset of the wheel makes a big difference in percieved arch gap.

Jinzen

Yes, easily. The loaner was a standard model, same 17" wheels as mine (different design), no sports package, no airmatic (dealers don't order airmatic for their stock apparently, and they wouldn't make one a loaner).

ManiacGT

Not really on the anti roll bar.. And struts and dampers being the same unit makes your comment a bit unusual?

vic viper

?


A stiffer anti roll bar and links definately affects cornering smoothness and comfort, and as for the struts they are mounted up front, separate dampers and springs in the rear.

ManiacGT

Ok the anti roll bar makes some difference but it's not vast on road cars. Shocks are the biggest issue with harsh ride. Everyone wants a stable car under movement but that same movement is just like rough roads and you can't have both unless it's actively controlled by computers that can tell the difference.

Eilers

You are correct. I do not know what our dear Mercedes Technician is on about here.

ARB's have very little influence on the Compression and rebound of the dampers.

The very reason you use ARB's is that you can use them for a specific designated "spring function" ie. controlling chassis roll during cornering while maintaining tire grip, almost without compromising ride comfort. A car without ARB's but with the same abillity to reduce body roll as the car with ARB's, would have to be fitted with very stiff and thereby very uncomfortable springs. The dampers suitable for said springs, would also yield very little comfort.

Glyn M Ruck

There is an excellent article somewhere on the web by Ron Dennis of McLaren on the failings of ARB's & why they went fully active on the MP4 12C.

ARBs only have moderate influence on compression & rebound. They are after all a spring under torsion & have no real damping effect. That is the job of the dampers.

Where stiff ARB's directly effect comfort adversely is in the horizontal or lateral plane where on uneven pavement they can cause occupants heads to oscillate violently from side to side in the passenger car idiom, rather than absorb the bump.

The only way around this is fully active suspension & no ARB's. As cars become lighter in sprung weight so the deleterious effects of ARB's become more noticeable if they are stiff enough to be worthwhile.

Eilers

Guess you never heard about Variable Anti Roll Bars..

Glyn M Ruck

Indeed I have troll!

EDIT: And let me assure you Ron Dennis has.

Eilers

lol... says the great pretender..

vic viper

None other than yourself are taking your posts seriously.

Glyn M Ruck

Vic. Fortunately many people know my background. This chap comes on here and honestly thinks I would use my real name if I was hiding something. He is a troll! Any more & he is going on suspension.

TorontoBenz

How can I tell if I have the base comfort suspension or the sport suspension? I ordered the c300 with 17 inch wheels without the sport package but the ride is so harsh and jarring I'm wondering if the vehicle could have been built with the sport suspension by mistake?

seanvree

I've had my 2015 C300 4Matic Sport (with 19" AMG wheels) for about 3 months now and I found it to be harsh as well....I had the runflats and I swapped them out for conventional tires and it made all the difference.

HOwever, yes, when hitting uneven pavement conditions it surprisingly hits hard.

Eilers

I think you owe an explanation here.. Out of the blue. in the middle of a conversation, you call me by a derogative term. You call me a "Troll"

You then threaten to suspend my account because i replied in kind.

Here is a tip: If you dont want an argument, dont start it!

Glyn M Ruck

I don't owe anything. Your fellow members & peers have spoken.

mcbc220

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I've been looking for discussions about this as I decide whether I want the lux or the base (and whether there's any difference). As best I can figure out, luxury and base models share the same suspension as far as parts, damping, etc, but the base model is lowered (I don't know by how much) relative to the luxury. I don't know if the luxury have that "increased ride height" option mentioned earlier in the thread, or if they ride at the "real" height and base models are lowered. But I don't think they sit at the same height. My SA didn't know what I was talking about, so I haven't gotten the chance to reconfirm this, but my dealer's website lists "comfort suspension (lowered)" for its base model cars and "comfort suspension" for its luxuries.

Mike5215

I believe Base and Luxury share identical "non sport" suspensions. Sport is lowered relative to both. If ride is an issue, AirMatic is the solution, although if you stick with a 17" wheel on either a Base or Luxury car the ride should be plenty comfortable without Air.

7Fd4epzQ

I have a 2015 C300/Luxury Style. Nothing on the MSRP sticker indicates it has any optional suspension, which should be Comfort. I've always thought the ride stiff for something called Comfort, so when it was in for its "A" service, I had them verify the suspension. Sport. I suspect that any suspension can be on any car without any indication that it is not the standard or expected suspension for the chosen style.

Mike5215

Hey Topsider, I think I found the guy who got your Sport suspension! But seriously, the only thing differentiating a Sport from a Comfort should be shorter springs on the Sport. If you got the wrong set up, maybe MB would be willing to get you a set of the taller springs.

mcbc220

Thanks, guys! I like the luxury style but don't want the higher ride height and would prefer a more planted car. So I guess the next question is if this suspension mix and match is still going on, or if the ordering process has been corrected and you can now only order a luxury trim with a comfort suspension. Otherwise, it sounds like a luxury trim car with a sport suspension might be perfect for me.

kleinebin

I have the AMG Line and the ride is rougher than my W2404. I believe the run flats also make the ride less comfortable. TBH, I only really notice when going over speed humps.

hpilot

I have kind of beat this subject to death on this forum, but since you asked, here it goes...
I ordered a C300 with 18" wheels and standard suspension like the car I had on the test drive. For some reason, my car was built with the sport suspension. My dealer denied this, but when I insisted on a visual inspection, they conceded the point. Bottom line is I hate it. The ride is downright painful on a bad road. However, it does handle great - so that's good. I really really regret not getting the Airmatic suspension. C'est la vie...

Mike5215

Might I suggest a set of these non run flat tires? Not much to look at but they'll definitely take the edge off of the Sport suspension and they're not crazy expensive. Add a $38 Slime Seal & Fill kit and you're in business.

StanNH

I will add that after one full year with the Sport package, I personally like the sport suspension very much. It has softened a bit with 11,000 miles of use, and I do not find it at all uncomfortable except over the worst, broken pavement.

It is somewhat more compliant with my non-runflat winter tires but, overall, not dramatically harsher than my last C300 with the base suspension and 18" tires. A long term loaner I had was a C300 Luxury with 17" rubber. That was slightly softer than my base with 18's, but even that could feel stiff over rough roads.

Tire pressure has some affect on ride quality as well, and you have to be careful to use the pressures recommended under the fuel filler door rather than the door sill. The door sill list pressures for maximum loads, not normal driving.

Since I have spent quite a bit of time in both steel suspension variants, and driven on the 17 and 18" tires, my own conclusion is that none of the steel suspensions are particularly soft feeling or very compliant over coarse road surfaces. That's fine with me; it may not be for others. If you're looking for a reasonably soft ride, I think the Airmatic is probably the best choice. If you don't mind a firmer ride, any of the steel suspension/tire setups should do fine.