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does the steering feel change in S, S+, Race? doesnt feel like it
does the steering feel change, get tighter / looser when switching into S, S+, Race modes? i can feel everything else change....but feels like steering stays the same
does the steering feel change, get tighter / looser when switching into S, S+, Race modes? i can feel everything else change....but feels like steering stays the same
I have the pre facelift. For me it gets noticeably heavier and more direct. Love it but it ties in with the suspension level stiffness. Sport + suspension is heaviest and most direct steering, sport is middle and comfort is easy and light like a normal mercedes
Your profile says you have a 2017, so I'll go with that. The steering in the PFL (<2019) has two modes. Comfort and Sport. I'm not sure what you mean by tighter. The steering ratio doesn't change. It's always the same in every mode, but AMG does use a variable steering ratio, however it's built into the rack and pinion. The ratio gets tighter the more you turn the steering wheel. Basically the teeth on the rack have tighter spacing farther out from the center. So around the center the steering is more indirect and then it gets more direct the more you turn it. The idea is that the car isn't nervous around the center in a straight line, but still offers direct steering during cornering or parking lot maneuvers.
The steering setting only affects how much power steering assist you get. In Comfort mode the steering should feel lighter and easier to turn whereas in Sport it takes more effort. A heavier steering is often viewed as sportier, however I somewhat disagree with that, because it doesn't give more feedback or make the steering more dynamic.
In the FL models (>=2019) as I explained in the linked thread above, there's no longer a setting for the steering. Instead there's a chassis dynamics setting now, called AMG DYNAMICS. It influences the overall driving dynamics and uses torque vectoring to make the steering more direct or indirect. Basically torque is shifted to the outside wheel with the help of the brakes and the locking differential to add or remove yaw from the vehicle, so depending on the mode, more or less steering input is required for a given turning radius. Basically the higher you set AMG DYNAMICS, the more the car starts oversteering, so you need less steering input to make the car rotate and the steering becomes more dynamic as a result and the rotation is more controllable via the throttle. AMG DYNAMICS has four modes, Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master for a finer degree of chassis and steering dynamics than the PFL offered with just the two steering modes. You get to choose to what degree you want the oversteer characteristic of the chassis help you with rotating the car. As you might know there are two ways you can steer an RWD based car. You can turn the steering wheel more or less or you can vary to throttle input to have the rear wheels help you with rotating the car. More often than not, one steers into the corner and then largely holds the steering angle and fine tunes the radius via the throttle. Letting off the throttle to widen the radius and giving it more throttle to tighten it.
Last edited by superswiss; Jun 2, 2025 at 12:42 AM.
Your profile says you have a 2017, so I'll go with that. The steering in the PFL (<2019) has two modes. Comfort and Sport. I'm not sure what you mean by tighter. The steering ratio doesn't change. It's always the same in every mode, but AMG does use a variable steering ratio, however it's built into the rack and pinion. The ratio gets tighter the more you turn the steering wheel. Basically the teeth on the rack have tighter spacing farther out from the center. So around the center the steering is more indirect and then it gets more direct the more you turn it. The idea is that the car isn't nervous around the center in a straight line, but still offers direct steering during cornering or parking lot maneuvers.
The steering setting only affects how much power steering assist you get. In Comfort mode the steering should feel lighter and easier to turn whereas in Sport it takes more effort. A heavier steering is often viewed as sportier, however I somewhat disagree with that, because it doesn't give more feedback or make the steering more dynamic.
In the FL models (>=2019) as I explained in the linked thread above, there's no longer a setting for the steering. Instead there's a chassis dynamics setting now, called AMG DYNAMICS. It influences the overall driving dynamics and uses torque vectoring to make the steering more direct or indirect. Basically torque is shifted to the outside wheel with the help of the brakes and the locking differential to add or remove yaw from the vehicle, so depending on the mode, more or less steering input is required for a given turning radius. Basically the higher you set AMG DYNAMICS, the more the car starts oversteering, so you need less steering input to make the car rotate and the steering becomes more dynamic as a result and the rotation is more controllable via the throttle. AMG DYNAMICS has four modes, Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master for a finer degree of chassis and steering dynamics than the PFL offered with just the two steering modes. You get to choose to what degree you want the oversteer characteristic of the chassis help you with rotating the car. As you might know there are two ways you can steer an RWD based car. You can turn the steering wheel more or less or you can vary to throttle input to have the rear wheels help you with rotating the car. More often than not, one steers into the corner and then largely holds the steering angle and fine tunes the radius via the throttle. Letting off the throttle to widen the radius and giving it more throttle to tighten it.
So for the FL, the AMG Dynamics mode BASIC, ADVANCED, PRO and. MASTER settings can only be applied when the car is set to the INDIVIDUAL setting knob? Otherwise those individual setting above do not apply when I change the driving mode(knob) to SLIPPERY, COMFORT. SPORTS, SPORTS+ and RACE?
So for the FL, the AMG Dynamics mode BASIC, ADVANCED, PRO and. MASTER settings can only be applied when the car is set to the INDIVIDUAL setting knob? Otherwise those individual setting above do not apply when I change the driving mode(knob) to SLIPPERY, COMFORT. SPORTS, SPORTS+ and RACE?
Yes, they apply in every drive mode.
Slippery and Comfort set it to BASIC
Sport sets it to ADVANCED
Sport+ sets it to PRO
Race sets it to PRO if ESP is ON, MASTER if ESP is OFF or in Sport Handling
Individual sets it to whatever you configure it, but MASTER is only available if ESP is OFF or in Sport Handling. If you configure it to MASTER, it automatically reverts to PRO when you select Individual mode unless you turn ESP off or put it in Sport Handling. Same behavior as Race.
Best way to see that, is if you bring up the AMG PERFORMANCE display in the instrument cluster as shown below. The left display shows the breakdown of the individual components, so as you change drive mode you can see how that affects each component and you can see what mode AMG DYNAMICS is in.
Last edited by superswiss; Jun 2, 2025 at 01:55 PM.
Race sets it to PRO if ESP is ON, MASTER if ESP is OFF or in Sport Handling
Individual sets it to whatever you configure it, but MASTER is only available if ESP is OFF or in Sport Handling. If you configure it to MASTER, it automatically reverts to PRO when you select Individual mode unless you turn ESP off or put it in Sport Handling. Same behavior as Race.
Best way to see that, is if you bring up the AMG PERFORMANCE display in the instrument cluster as shown below. The left display shows the breakdown of the individual components, so as you change drive mode you can see how that affects each component and you can see what mode AMG DYNAMICS is in.
photos shows, I believe, the setting are more or less where they should be
Just to add, the steering doesn't change like night and day between the modes. It just sharpens it the higher up you go with the AMG DYNAMICS mode. To be honest, you don't want the steering to change much between the modes. A good steering should be just that, a good steering and it should be consistent regardless of the mode. My Audi RS5 I had before was the opposite. It changed the steering ratio between the modes, so going from one mode to the other made the steering unpredictable. Every time I changed modes there was a brief learning curve to get used to the new ratio. It was jarring, so I mostly kept it in one mode. The AMG steering is much better. Even though it sharpens the rotation of the car in the sportier modes, it does it w/o adding inconsistency. You don't have to guess how much to turn the steering wheel for a given corner depending on the mode. Instead it just becomes more playful and dynamic with the help of the throttle.
Also worth pointing out performance AMG models are still a “mass produced” auto.
This is exemplified - “performance driving / track days” there is no Front Camber or Caster and no Rear Camber adjustment available.
Yet essential allowing to adjust tire contact angles reduce understeer - increase cornering traction and braking response. Along with rear adjustability to be able to dial in maximum traction.
OR DAY TO DAY COMMUTING - encountering high cambered roads with excess passenger side edge wear. Altered height - and costly premature inner edge tire wear both sides (with excess edge loads can also lead to ruptured side walls, rim damage). No longer ongoing adjustment for curb knock damage !
The front forward facing OEM thrust arm bushes are the same large diameter soft rubber bushes as fitted on “non AMG models”.
Therefore W205 C63/S - K-MAC #503316M $595 not only replaces / upgrades to “Mono ball / Self aligning” bushes - still allowing arms to travel through their required suspension arcs / which significantly improves Brake and Steering response. But also re instates “Caster” adjustment ! Plus kit includes “Camber” adjustment as well.
Kit is specially designed so no special tools required to install and no time consuming need for control arm removal.
K-MAC patented design also allows precise single wrench, easily accessible adjustment. ULTIMATE - Direct on alignment rack UNDER LOAD !
REAR KIT (Camber & Extra Toe to compensate) C63/S Sedan, Wagon #502226K $480. Coupes #502326-1K $480.
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Your profile says you have a 2017, so I'll go with that. The steering in the PFL (<2019) has two modes. Comfort and Sport. I'm not sure what you mean by tighter. The steering ratio doesn't change. It's always the same in every mode, but AMG does use a variable steering ratio, however it's built into the rack and pinion. The ratio gets tighter the more you turn the steering wheel. Basically the teeth on the rack have tighter spacing farther out from the center. So around the center the steering is more indirect and then it gets more direct the more you turn it. The idea is that the car isn't nervous around the center in a straight line, but still offers direct steering during cornering or parking lot maneuvers.
The steering setting only affects how much power steering assist you get. In Comfort mode the steering should feel lighter and easier to turn whereas in Sport it takes more effort. A heavier steering is often viewed as sportier, however I somewhat disagree with that, because it doesn't give more feedback or make the steering more dynamic.
In the FL models (>=2019) as I explained in the linked thread above, there's no longer a setting for the steering. Instead there's a chassis dynamics setting now, called AMG DYNAMICS. It influences the overall driving dynamics and uses torque vectoring to make the steering more direct or indirect. Basically torque is shifted to the outside wheel with the help of the brakes and the locking differential to add or remove yaw from the vehicle, so depending on the mode, more or less steering input is required for a given turning radius. Basically the higher you set AMG DYNAMICS, the more the car starts oversteering, so you need less steering input to make the car rotate and the steering becomes more dynamic as a result and the rotation is more controllable via the throttle. AMG DYNAMICS has four modes, Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master for a finer degree of chassis and steering dynamics than the PFL offered with just the two steering modes. You get to choose to what degree you want the oversteer characteristic of the chassis help you with rotating the car. As you might know there are two ways you can steer an RWD based car. You can turn the steering wheel more or less or you can vary to throttle input to have the rear wheels help you with rotating the car. More often than not, one steers into the corner and then largely holds the steering angle and fine tunes the radius via the throttle. Letting off the throttle to widen the radius and giving it more throttle to tighten it.
tighter as in the front end is more responsive to steering input, most likely due to the sport plus suspension mode
⏱️ 700HP Facelift converted C63 S Coupe with Drexler 3.06 plated LSD
Steering heaviness is tied to "Suspension" mode
Originally Posted by carzaddict
does the steering feel change, get tighter / looser when switching into S, S+, Race modes? i can feel everything else change....but feels like steering stays the same
Yes. But this is actually because of the "Suspension" settings which are activated on mode selection.
Sport will use Sport suspension (activates slightly heavier steering and suspension stiffness)
Sport+ uses Sport+ suspension (activates heaviest steering, maximum suspension stiffness)
Race mode uses Sport+ suspension (heaviest steering, maximum suspension stiffness)
But if you were to switch to Race mode and select Comfort for suspension, the steering will be light again and suspension will have no additional stiffness.
Last edited by Jimmy_c63s; Jun 3, 2025 at 02:31 AM.
Also worth pointing out performance AMG models are still a “mass produced” auto.
This is exemplified - “performance driving / track days” there is no Front Camber or Caster and no Rear Camber adjustment available.
Yet essential allowing to adjust tire contact angles reduce understeer - increase cornering traction and braking response. Along with rear adjustability to be able to dial in maximum traction.
OR DAY TO DAY COMMUTING - encountering high cambered roads with excess passenger side edge wear. Altered height - and costly premature inner edge tire wear both sides (with excess edge loads can also lead to ruptured side walls, rim damage). No longer ongoing adjustment for curb knock damage !
The front forward facing OEM thrust arm bushes are the same large diameter soft rubber bushes as fitted on “non AMG models”.
Therefore W205 C63/S - K-MAC #503316M $595 not only replaces / upgrades to “Mono ball / Self aligning” bushes - still allowing arms to travel through their required suspension arcs / which significantly improves Brake and Steering response. But also re instates “Caster” adjustment ! Plus kit includes “Camber” adjustment as well.
Kit is specially designed so no special tools required to install and no time consuming need for control arm removal.
K-MAC patented design also allows precise single wrench, easily accessible adjustment. ULTIMATE - Direct on alignment rack UNDER LOAD !
REAR KIT (Camber & Extra Toe to compensate) C63/S Sedan, Wagon #502226K $480. Coupes #502326-1K $480.
When I do auto cross and track days. I can feel steering feel change form C to race with SCS fully off. Bigger difference when k run my super 200 RE71RS tires. As those have HUGE driver feedback
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