57North

I'm contemplating purchase of A W211 E class 320CDI Sport 2009 model and notice that it has 18" alloys with fairly low profile tyres.
I'm concerned that the ride may be too harsh and that all road imperfections and pot holes would be felt........which would be a great pity , because the whole objective of choosing an 'E' is to obtain refinement
I drive mostly on A roads, not motorways. Should I be worried?

kjb55

I've have / had both sport (18") and non-sport (17") models, but 2006 MYs. There is a noticeable difference in ride quality as you describe.

kajtek1

Yes it is, but good part is that low profile will give you better feel on cornering.
Right now I have 1 car with 17" wheels and one with 16".
When I switch from 17 to 16 I have to adjust my driving style as 16" will give you the boat reaction.
We do have good roads in Vegas, so not much complain here, but when living in San Francisco area - I had to get rid off ML55 as with low profile tires it was giving lot of headaches and my wife could not ride it.

57North

Thank you very much for such prompt responses to my question. Much appreciated.

In looking at the cars advertised for sale here in the UK, there seems to be quite a number with the Sport package, which suggests that it was a popular option. Maybe it was cheaper than the alternatives!......but I doubt it. These cars are described simply as 'E320 CDI Sport' or 'E280 CDI Sport', without any mention of Classic, Elegance or Avantgarde. Presumably the Sport was a dedicated package all on its own.

The model which I went to view was still in course of being prepared for sale in the Dealer's workshop and there was no opportunity to test drive, not as yet. I have experienced a similar E with a friend's car.....2007 model but not with the large wheels..........which seemed to be exactly what I'm looking for in terms of comfort, refinement and performance. (Although I still enjoy the power of my Saab Aero's 260 BHP, and I've been driving them for 25 years now, it's ride,suspension and noise levels are just not in the same class as the E. I have always been drawn to Mercedes over the years, having had rental cars fron time to time, and it has now become the brand of choice.)

I wonder whether the brand of tyres would have some bearing on all of this? I have found that Goodyear Eagle F1's to be excellent in all respects, not at all hard and noticably quieter running.

Many thanks again for your input.

kajtek1

I never had good luck to Goodyear.
Never bought them myself, but the few that come with cars always ended in strange way. Might be my bad luck, but I am not buying the brand.
Tire choice is like choosing slot machine in casinos. Go to tirerack and read the reviews.
Lower the tire profile, the bigger difference rubber quality makes.

57North

Thank you for this input.
The condition of our roads throughout the UK is getting worse year by year due to public expenditure cutbacks and/or underfunding. Roads are not being resurfaced in the way they once were and potholes are just not being repaired as quickly as before, if at all. Thus the increased importance of a good suspension set up.
It looks like a choice between Elegance on 16", Avantgarde on 17" and Sport on 18". Avantgarde is perhaps the best compromise.
Thank you again

cetialpha5

I've got the sports package on both cars, don't really notice a difference between 17 and 18. The thing is, in the US, the cars with all the options or as many as likely all come with the sports package. It was usually the luxury package that were somewhat stripped down base models. So while I would have preferred the luxury model, if you want the fun options, you're probably stuck with the sports model. The sports model had a lower suspension by about 1 inch over the luxury model. Less suspension travel makes for a harsher ride.

57North

Thank you cetialpha5.........that's very helpful to hear that.
I think that the 'E' which I was viewed may now be available to test drive and I may have the opportunity this weekend. We may see if the 18"/lowered will rattle my fillings on our UK roads!

2MERKS

Not sure of the UK area your located, but check out Big Perm customs...I believe they may be near London...GL
2MERKS

57North

Thank you for that 2Merks
I'm in Northern Scotland and I have had a look at Big Perms website..................they look like an interesting bunch!
Unfortunately, they are located in South West Wales, which is a good 500 miles from where I am. I'll keep them in mind though, because they look like they would be a good source of tuning advice.

Sleeper Benz

I would say yes. If you have 18s, run the 245/45/18 or larger side profile if it will fit. I have 245/40/18s now 'cause I got a banging deal on a new set of 4 summer style tires recently and you feel just about every road seam, but boy is it fun in the corners After these wear out, its back to the 245/45/18s

Bahnstormer

Ir you run those larger size 245/45/18s, won't they throw off the speedo and some of the vehicle systems due to the larger diameter. I'm currently running 245/45/17s on my E500 but am looking at some nice 18" AMG replica wheels. I don't want to go staggered and would love to keep the ride comfort of the 45 profile, but have always heard the pundits say keep to the plus size recommendations. Maybe it's not that big of a deal. Thanks for your input.

Sleeper Benz

Never had a problem with the 245/45/18s and any system warnings or noticeable speedo offset. I do know that a tyre manufacturer's claimed outside diameter will vary as much as a 1/2" between different manufacturers.

57North

Sorry but I have been AWOL over the weekend, but thanks to both Sleeper B and to Bahnstormer for your contributions. Interesting idea.............to use deeper profile on the 18" rims. I would imagine that there would not be a problem on the rear wheels, but I wonder whether there would be sufficient clearance on full steering lock on the fronts?

I had a test drive of the 320CDI Sport and its 18" alloys yesterday, and was impressed overall and pleasantly surprised that my (dental) fillings remained undisturbed. Yes, I could feel the imperfections on the road surface, but not to the extent which I was expecting. What did come across to me, however, was the point made previously about the handling; I can imagine that the experience in a 16" Elegance would be rather diffferent and perhaps be more inclined to be 'wallowy' or 'boaty'. The Sports suspension set up seems to have much to recommend it.

The suggestion of deeper profile tyres on the lowered suspension is worth pursuing.

Thank you again

pinebaron

57North

Hi Pinebaron
Thank you for your input.
As a Newbie, I'm not entirely sure what "check my signature" means...but I see the specification of your wheels and suspension there.
Those are low profiles!!...at 30 and 35. Gosh! I wonder if the smoothness comes from the Bilsteins or if you have air suspension (which I don't think the car I'm looking at has). It all sound very sophistocated.
Thanks again

pinebaron

I meant details of my setup are in my signature below my post. Yes it is the Bilsteins iRC Shocks and respective control application (installed on my Ipod/IPhone) that provides the magic, not air suspension. It is sophisticated in the sense the companion app installed on your ipod, iPhone or othe compatible drive allows you to setup various damping profiles and once saved you can switch between profiles on the fly even while driving. The advantage is damping profiles can be setup to suit/compensate for your wheel size, tire quality, driving style etc. e.g. During sports mode, the suspension tightens up and totally eliminates car roll during cornering or high speed driving, comfort mode or comfort+ mode increases damping responses/effect to smoothen the ride when driving on a rough or undulating road. It is an expensive setup no doubt but since I intended to keep the vehicle 'forever', I did not mind the investment. Search for Bilstein iRC on Google.

Strigoi

That's not low, that's what you run if you have 19" wheels on these cars.

pinebaron

Anything below 50 is generally considered low profile. I run low profile tires on my 19" wheels.