E450 Coupe Air Body Control: Worth It?
 

I'm pretty close to honing in on my spec for the E450 Coupe. I'm trying to figure out if the Air Body Control is worth the reasonably hefty premium. Any experiences or advice from the group here? Thank you!

We just did a European delivery for our E450 coupe without ABC and the ride was perfectly smooth while we drove around Germany and Switzerland. I personally don't think it's worth it but you'll hear others whom swear by it. My suggestion is to test drive one before pulling the trigger.

I have it on my E 400 cab and think it is worth the investment. These cars are now riding on rock hard run flat tires that negatively effect the ride quality. I have factory 19" wheels and the narrow side walls only add to the harshness of the ride. I would not recommend ordering/buying a car without it. I would like to change over to non run flats but don't like the idea of being without a spare. I strongly recommend ABC.

How long to you plan to keep the car? ABC will eventually fail (all manufacturer's do) and it can be pricey to repair.

It is a great feature to have but long term it cost $$ to fix vs the standard suspension. Also, get rid of the awful run flats that come with the car.

Get rid of the run flats. I am blown away that MB would do that and give up the amazing ride quality.

I love airmatic even with runflats, I don't want to change anything. That is definitely worth it

I didn't order the ABC on my E450 coupe and I've found the ride to be great on my car, even with runflats on the 20" wheels - even on UK roads which are far from the best.

Would the ride have been even better with ABC? I'm sure it would have been but I don't regret my decision not to purchase it. Didn't seem worth it at the time, and my opinion hasn't changed now that I'm living with the car. It's the still the best riding car that I've owned so far.

I'm fine without it on both my wagon and cab. The only real advantage I can see with it is if you parked over a curb that was too high you could push the button on the dash and raise the car without tearing off your front bumper, that and to raise the car in snowy weather. I don't think the ride is all that much different, if anything with the ABC the right is more firm and less complaint.

No, just driven the 2018 E63 AMG with ABC that I use to have. Both e450's I have now are non ABC.

I did test drive both before I ordered my E450 CAB, and I didn't notice much of a difference, other than the ABC was a little firmer ride. Plus, having read on the forum prior, the additional expense in repairing, it became an easy decision.

Love the ride and handling on my non-ABC Mercedes, and don't regret saving the money one bit.

The raising and lowering of the car might not look like much but it feels like a totally different car from the driver's seat . Also airmatic suspension doesn't only change the ride height. It changes the stiffness of each corner depending on the needs (for example in a turn). Also it automatically levels the car when you load the car unevenly, which means not squatting cars even though you pack the trunk to the rim. I have it on my e300 and definitely recommend it even if you planned on keeping the car . I believe the positives outweigh the negatives .

My E450 coupe without ABC sits pretty much as high as yours in the raised position. I was a little disappointed with this to be honest but I'm used to it now.

I have an S550 that I am about trade in on an E450 - the S has an earlier version of the ABC and I love it- it makes a VERY heavy car (~4800 lb with 4 wheel drive) drive much smaller than it is- very little squat (You cant hide ALL 4800 lb.)
My new E450 will have it. Period. Go over the SL forum and ABC is all the rage (With Curve control too that the E series doesnt have ) and it is a 4000$ option!

The Active Body Control (hydraulic) on the SL is not the same as Air Body Control (air) on an E450. Thats why it is $4000.

Neither of my E450s has it and no regrets. With the right tires these cars ride fine.

Go to the Current SL forum and you will see the ABC debate rage- those who have it SWEAR by it- and having a 2015 S550 and it has the older style "airmatic" air suspension and it works WONDERS on the the BIG HEAVY S class coupe (4800 lbs +/-)
Keeps the car flat in the corners for sure and provides a much cushier ride.
If I were you I would ABSOLUTELY get it- oh and the newer ABC that you would get is the NEW version that fixed a lot mechanical issues that the OLD ABC system had. And also the E class does NOT have the CURVE function that the SL ABC has.