revras@aol.com

I am debating a 2009 black e350 4matic Sport P14 versus 2009 artic white 4matic non sport/luxury. I am currently driving a 2007E350 non sport and love the ride quality. What can I expect in terms of differences in ride. To be honest I like the looks of the sport edition but am afraid the ride might feel punishing compared to what I am used to and won't percieve it on a 20 minute test drive. Also am wondering if its possible to fit the 4matic with 4 standard 17 tires to somewhat obviate what additional harshness might be present. I appreciate your input. I need to lease before the end of the year.

revras@aol.com

disregard the P14 citation, its P1 package on both models

MBNUT1

I thought that the nonsport 07's had 16's. Anyway my friend just bought a 08 4matic with sport and it seemed to ride as well as my non-sport 06 4matic which has 17's. what I would be afraid of is how expensive the 18s will be to replace. The '17s are already bad enough.

beartrap

I just got a new '09 E350 RWD with P2, Pano and the sport wheel package which comes std. I am coming out of an '07 E350 4Matic AWD car that had the sport 18" wheels as well. To me the sport is the way to go. The ride is no where near punishing and in fact the handling is better with the 18" wheels and lower profile tires than with the 17" I would imagine. I dont think there is a difference in the basic suspensions of the sport vs non-sport, just more tire surface on the road and lower profile tires. The 550 does provide air suspension optional which will defnitely make the car feel different than the 350.

I definitely prefer the 7G trany in the E350 vs the older and slower 5-spd in the 4M. It feels like a completely different car. The new steering wheel is thicker and feels better as well. If you like the look of the sport model I would go with that. You will not be disapointed.

220S

The new E350 "Sport" is already sloppy as it is. Way too much body roll and a numb tiller. Unless one truly wants a Lexus/Camry jello-like couch potato ride, then I personally would go with the new quasi-sport model. At least it's somewhat an improvement over the "non-sport" version.

pmb600

220S--

It looks like your choice of car, colors and options would have been my first until I decided to cheap out and get a pretty basic E350 Sport since I won't keep it long. Do you have any pictures of your car or an online album?

Second, I have recently noticed that if you take a hard corner quickly the car feels like something is grinding??, not really sure how to describe it. I go in for service next week and will have it checked, but just curious if you have experienced anything similar...

Sorry for hijacking!

220S

PMB, I might have posted pics on this forum(?) No album. Maybe I'll put one up someday along with my P-car. I plan (so far) to keep this car for a while (plus put miles on it) so I decided to buy it.

It was sitting on the lot; the sales manager had built it but he never drove it or titled it or put it in service. So, he sold it to me. I had looked everywhere for P2 and leather, etc.. Since it was already on their floor, I got a pretty good deal.

I haven't experienced any sort of phenomenon that you describe. I do drive somewhat aggressively. The first thing I did was get rid of the OEM tires and put on PS2s. That helped quite a bit esp. on turn-in. But these cars are still numb and have body roll that sorta bugs me. I come from BMW and Porsche so I'm not quite used to these softer rides.

However, I think they are great for what they are: a comfortable ride esp for trips and freeway driving. Yet still fairly nimble in city driving. Turning radius is very impressive for the size of the car.

philfna

Coming from a 99 M5 the bodyroll issue really can get irritating, but as I get older; I am not old yet -- I prefer the ride of the Mercedes for "cruising and commuting." I get much more of a luxury feel in everyday driving. Which is 90 percent of what I do -- as it is now. My wife gets irritated with my desire to speed, pass, etc. Maybe I am not getting old -- just used to being married ;-). Anyway I've never owned a sport, I have 2 4-matics and a Bluetec -- the Bluetec might be close to a sport since I put on 17 inch wheels but I've never kept the stock tires on any MB. They just always seemed kind of inadequate for the vehicles. I suspect they were mostly designed for MPG...

steveberde

I believe the suspension on the sport and luxury are identical - the changes are mostly cosmetic -

Steve

220S

1.27 cm lowered suspension (a bit lower center of gravity) and 18" wheels with staggered tires versus 17" wheels and same size tires up front and rear. 18" will make for a bit of a stiffer/harsher ride.

(Although not technically part of the suspension, the sport version has paddle shifters on the wheel for making life a bit easier in the fast lane.)

To the OP, note that you will not be able to rotate directional tires on the sport version if tire life is paramount to you.

pmb600

Sounds like you were in the right place at the right time! I love the two-tone black/tan or black/cognac interiors. I think it elevates the look of this car and makes it look much more luxurious. Do you have the burl walnut or black bird's eye maple?

I thought about replacing the tires, I got stuck with the noisy and poor riding Pirelli P6 Four Season tires. Fortunately they were great in the snow. I plan on getting the new E-Class (probably sedan) late this year/early 2010 so I am not putting a lot of money in the car.