2012 E-Class changes - No Airmatic
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,046
Likes: 1
From: Chicago, IL
2011 E550 4Matic, 2002 M3 Vert
I have never and will never own a Mercedes outside of the factory warranty period so the cost to maintain an airmatic suspension is of no concern to me. I think the same applies to most of us on this board which makes me wonder why so many are happy to see it removed from the E. Living in downtown Chicago, the ability to adjust my suspension at the push of a button is invaluable.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,139
Likes: 41
Tesla Model S P100D
I think I am mistaken at the fact the E will be getting MBC but the removal of the airmatic is a cost saving practice. I assumed that MBC was going in as replacement of the airmatic without any real benefit over it.
I have never and will never own a Mercedes outside of the factory warranty period so the cost to maintain an airmatic suspension is of no concern to me. I think the same applies to most of us on this board which makes me wonder why so many are happy to see it removed from the E. Living in downtown Chicago, the ability to adjust my suspension at the push of a button is invaluable.
I have never and will never own a Mercedes outside of the factory warranty period so the cost to maintain an airmatic suspension is of no concern to me. I think the same applies to most of us on this board which makes me wonder why so many are happy to see it removed from the E. Living in downtown Chicago, the ability to adjust my suspension at the push of a button is invaluable.
Don't get me wrong, I have Airmatic and I love it but I feel the cost of maintaining it is crazy if it goes bad. They should not have eliminated it but substituted a better system that is adjustable and is more fiscally practical to maintain.
Oh and don't think just because you lease or use a car for a handful of years this does not affects you. It affects you in the form of low residuals which you pay for.
A bunch of us just don't like the concept of an E class becoming a 100K mile disposable car due to the cost of maintaining it...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,046
Likes: 1
From: Chicago, IL
2011 E550 4Matic, 2002 M3 Vert
It's because of resale value and cost of maintaining it. A bunch of us actually pay for the car in full and buy it and might want to use it for 5-8 years or more. We might want to hand the car over to another family member (such as a child) after using it for a while. During all this time, most of us don't want to have to face repair bills costing thousands for a part like the shocks when the car is worth less than $15K.
Don't get me wrong, I have Airmatic and I love it but I feel the cost of maintaining it is crazy if it goes bad. They should not have eliminated it but substituted a better system that is adjustable and is more fiscally practical to maintain.
Oh and don't think just because you lease or use a car for a handful of years this does not affects you. It affects you in the form of low residuals which you pay for.
A bunch of us just don't like the concept of an E class becoming a 100K mile disposable car due to the cost of maintaining it...
Don't get me wrong, I have Airmatic and I love it but I feel the cost of maintaining it is crazy if it goes bad. They should not have eliminated it but substituted a better system that is adjustable and is more fiscally practical to maintain.
Oh and don't think just because you lease or use a car for a handful of years this does not affects you. It affects you in the form of low residuals which you pay for.
A bunch of us just don't like the concept of an E class becoming a 100K mile disposable car due to the cost of maintaining it...
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 530
Likes: 2
From: SoCal
'14 ML350 GONE-'12 GL450/'10 E550/'10 ML350/'09 C300/'07 ML350/'03 E320
What do you think the ratio of E350 to E550 sales are? I would say out of 100, 95 are E350's. There is no need for MB to pay any attention to the E550, therefore offering one drivetrain (4matic) and removing airmatic makes business sense. Plus with the new CLS550, they probably figure dealers can convince E550 shoppers or will on their own choose to upgrade to the CLS. As for the MBC (which looks to be on the next S), the tech looks pretty cool and effective. The 5-7 year repair cost is probably not a factor in the buying decision as the majority of MB's are leased and CPO's cover the used market. Plus with the more powerful E350, there's less of a reason to choose the E550.
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 908
Likes: 19
From: New Jersey
2016 Audi S8 Plus/ 2011 Mercedes e550 4Matic//Gone:1985 500SEL/2000 e320 4Matic/ 2001 e55 Kleeman
It's because of resale value and cost of maintaining it. A bunch of us actually pay for the car in full and buy it and might want to use it for 5-8 years or more. We might want to hand the car over to another family member (such as a child) after using it for a while. During all this time, most of us don't want to have to face repair bills costing thousands for a part like the shocks when the car is worth less than $15K.
Don't get me wrong, I have Airmatic and I love it but I feel the cost of maintaining it is crazy if it goes bad. They should not have eliminated it but substituted a better system that is adjustable and is more fiscally practical to maintain.
Oh and don't think just because you lease or use a car for a handful of years this does not affects you. It affects you in the form of low residuals which you pay for.
A bunch of us just don't like the concept of an E class becoming a 100K mile disposable car due to the cost of maintaining it...
Don't get me wrong, I have Airmatic and I love it but I feel the cost of maintaining it is crazy if it goes bad. They should not have eliminated it but substituted a better system that is adjustable and is more fiscally practical to maintain.
Oh and don't think just because you lease or use a car for a handful of years this does not affects you. It affects you in the form of low residuals which you pay for.
A bunch of us just don't like the concept of an E class becoming a 100K mile disposable car due to the cost of maintaining it...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,046
Likes: 1
From: Chicago, IL
2011 E550 4Matic, 2002 M3 Vert
I have airmatic and don't love it. I will take a well designed shock/spring system any day of the week. The airmatic system tightens up much too quickly on rough roads and runs out of travel too quickly over sharp ruts or medium potholes. I have experienced this phenomenon too many times to mention. Mercedes says my airmatic is working just fine. I say it is defective on delivery. You are much more at risk of blowouts with airmatic due to lack of travel when you hit a pothole because the suspension doesn't give enough and the tire/rim must absorb more of the impact. More marketing hype than a true advancement. Good ridence!! Regards. Ned.
Living in downtown Chicago I experience every possible crappy road you can imagine. Given this fact, I drive around 95% of the time in comfort and only feel the need to tighten up my suspension on highways or other more open smooth roadways. If I were to drive around in sport 1 or sport 2 on the horrible Chicago roads then yes, that "mode" of airmatic is terrible. I have yet to drive a car with great handling abilities that can also glide over bad roads at the same time. With this approach I find my airmatic suspension just right.
Last edited by SolidGranite; May 23, 2011 at 01:20 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,046
Likes: 1
From: Chicago, IL
2011 E550 4Matic, 2002 M3 Vert
What do you think the ratio of E350 to E550 sales are? I would say out of 100, 95 are E350's. There is no need for MB to pay any attention to the E550, therefore offering one drivetrain (4matic) and removing airmatic makes business sense. Plus with the new CLS550, they probably figure dealers can convince E550 shoppers or will on their own choose to upgrade to the CLS. As for the MBC (which looks to be on the next S), the tech looks pretty cool and effective. The 5-7 year repair cost is probably not a factor in the buying decision as the majority of MB's are leased and CPO's cover the used market. Plus with the more powerful E350, there's less of a reason to choose the E550.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
8 Oddball Mercedes Ideas That Actually Made it to Production
Verdad Gallardo
Dubai Tuner Gives the Mercedes G-Class An Entirely New Look
Verdad Gallardo
Six Gift Ideas Your AMG Loving Dad or Grad Will Cherish
7 Craziest Things AMG Gas Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)
Verdad Gallardo
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Junior Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
2009 C63 AMG + Performance Package
E550 4matic
Why the hell is the 550 4matic only. Id this some sort of tactic to match the quattro A6. There should definitely a RWD option. I live in the city and it never snows here there is no need for AWD. the Bimmer 550 does not come with xdrive standard theres no need for the E550 to either!
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 908
Likes: 19
From: New Jersey
2016 Audi S8 Plus/ 2011 Mercedes e550 4Matic//Gone:1985 500SEL/2000 e320 4Matic/ 2001 e55 Kleeman
Interesting. What mode is your suspension in when you have these poor experiences?
Living in downtown Chicago I experience every possible crappy road you can imagine. Given this fact, I drive around 95% of the time in comfort and only feel the need to tighten up my suspension on highways or other more open smooth roadways. With this approach I find my airmatic suspension just right.
Living in downtown Chicago I experience every possible crappy road you can imagine. Given this fact, I drive around 95% of the time in comfort and only feel the need to tighten up my suspension on highways or other more open smooth roadways. With this approach I find my airmatic suspension just right.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,046
Likes: 1
From: Chicago, IL
2011 E550 4Matic, 2002 M3 Vert
I have been dissatisfied to the point that I have taken the car to two dealerships to get checked out. Both tell me that the airmatic is fine. I had a double blowout on my way into NYC in February after hitting a pothole. I have since put 17 inch rims on the car. As I said, the airmatic seems to run out of travel too soon after hitting a medium rut or medium pothole resulting in a thud as opposed to a shock absorber absorbing the shock which is what it is supposed to do. I'm convinced that is why so many people have had blowouts with the airmatic system, not enough give, not enough "travel". I use both the sport and comfort settings depending on road conditions and how my 57 year old body is feeling on that day. I find only a modest difference between the two, stiffer on sport, but have experienced the travel issue on either mode, just a little sooner on sport. A shock/ spring system makes logical sense to me in how it functions to control the mass of a car. I don't think the logic was converted properly to the airmatic or the technology is not quite there yet to do the job thoroughly. The airmatic is a rediculously complicated system to do what it does, it just doesn't do it well enough. Regards. Ned.
In all honesty, you might just want a car with a softer and more forgiving suspension like a Lexus LS. Just be prepared for additional body roll. I really feel if you drove a similar BMW 550 that the results would be the same or worse as far as comfort over a bad road goes. The German autos are just tuned in a more sporty fashion and are built for the autobahn.
Now that you have 17s, what tires did you choose? My GS350 which you would think is way softer and quieter than an E is anything but true. It had run-flats which are hard as a rock and that suspension is junk since the GS is supposed to be sporty. My E is way more forgiving over holes, bumps etc but can out handle the GS any day when the airmatic is dialed up.
Last edited by SolidGranite; May 23, 2011 at 01:59 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,133
Likes: 265
From: NM
2023 AMG EQS
What do you think the ratio of E350 to E550 sales are? I would say out of 100, 95 are E350's. There is no need for MB to pay any attention to the E550, therefore offering one drivetrain (4matic) and removing airmatic makes business sense. Plus with the new CLS550, they probably figure dealers can convince E550 shoppers or will on their own choose to upgrade to the CLS. As for the MBC (which looks to be on the next S), the tech looks pretty cool and effective. The 5-7 year repair cost is probably not a factor in the buying decision as the majority of MB's are leased and CPO's cover the used market. Plus with the more powerful E350, there's less of a reason to choose the E550.
MBUSA is willing to lose customers to others is not smart business.
I am sure that previous owners of W211 E550's that are ready to trade are not going to buy an E350 or CLS550 if its not what they want. I guarantee you that they will head over to BMW, Jag, Audi etc
I wouldnt care if the Airmatic was "replaced", but it was just "removed."
That is what I dont understand.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 20
From: Central Pennsylvania
2012 S350 Bluetec 4Matic, Diamond White, P2
The 550i is one of the worst riding cars on the road when it comes to bumps and road surface irregularities in my opinion. It is just bouncy and unsettled to me. personally, the only 5 series I could live with would be the 528i, and then I would not be happy with the power. All that "vehicle communications and road feel" is what floats the boat of BMW fans and rightly so. That is why BMW fans tend to pan the MBs for being too soft. I think air suspension belongs as a load-leveling technology for vehicles that get loaded with luggage, gear, and passengers. I bet if you take your Airmatic equipped E550, put 5 folks in it, and their luggage, I bet the ride is pretty close to perfect. If you need an air suspension, go rent a U-Haul truck for a day.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 530
Likes: 2
From: SoCal
'14 ML350 GONE-'12 GL450/'10 E550/'10 ML350/'09 C300/'07 ML350/'03 E320
Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
2012 C350 Sport - Iridium Silver w/Ash
They should include keyless entry as either a stand-alone option or put it in P1. That's the only option I want in P2 but not for the price of the whole package. For that matter I don't want Nav (smartphone is more than adequate) but unlike the C class you have to take it in the P1 package.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 530
Likes: 2
From: SoCal
'14 ML350 GONE-'12 GL450/'10 E550/'10 ML350/'09 C300/'07 ML350/'03 E320
I understand what you are saying but it doesnt make sense to just "give up."
MBUSA is willing to lose customers to others is not smart business.
I am sure that previous owners of W211 E550's that are ready to trade are not going to buy an E350 or CLS550 if its not what they want. I guarantee you that they will head over to BMW, Jag, Audi etc
Exactly!
I wouldnt care if the Airmatic was "replaced", but it was just "removed."
That is what I dont understand.
MBUSA is willing to lose customers to others is not smart business.
I am sure that previous owners of W211 E550's that are ready to trade are not going to buy an E350 or CLS550 if its not what they want. I guarantee you that they will head over to BMW, Jag, Audi etc
Exactly!
I wouldnt care if the Airmatic was "replaced", but it was just "removed."
That is what I dont understand.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,530
Likes: 387
Only MBs - the best or nothing
For those thinking that '12 E350 wll effect sales of '12 E550 due to power increase to over 300hp on the former:
1. E550 gets a sagnificatly much larger incease in both horsepower and torque
2. for the a vast majority of how US public drives, you want more tourque, which 2012 3.5 engine will luck almost as much as the current one - anytime A/C is on, car is underpowered IMO(I read a lot about people equating '12 E350 to E500 of yester years - yes same horsepower, but new 3.5 does not come close to 5.0 liter's torque of 332).
1. E550 gets a sagnificatly much larger incease in both horsepower and torque
2. for the a vast majority of how US public drives, you want more tourque, which 2012 3.5 engine will luck almost as much as the current one - anytime A/C is on, car is underpowered IMO(I read a lot about people equating '12 E350 to E500 of yester years - yes same horsepower, but new 3.5 does not come close to 5.0 liter's torque of 332).
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,046
Likes: 1
From: Chicago, IL
2011 E550 4Matic, 2002 M3 Vert
For those thinking that '12 E350 wll effect sales of '12 E550 due to power increase to over 300hp on the former:
1. E550 gets a sagnificatly much larger incease in both horsepower and torque
2. for the a vast majority of how US public drives, you want more tourque, which 2012 3.5 engine will luck almost as much as the current one - anytime A/C is on, car is underpowered IMO(I read a lot about people equating '12 E350 to E500 of yester years - yes same horsepower, but new 3.5 does not come close to 5.0 liter's torque of 332).
1. E550 gets a sagnificatly much larger incease in both horsepower and torque
2. for the a vast majority of how US public drives, you want more tourque, which 2012 3.5 engine will luck almost as much as the current one - anytime A/C is on, car is underpowered IMO(I read a lot about people equating '12 E350 to E500 of yester years - yes same horsepower, but new 3.5 does not come close to 5.0 liter's torque of 332).
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,794
Likes: 3
From: Valley of the Sun, Arizona
2011 E550, 2013 GLK
I believe in the real world, owners of the turbo engine will have difficulty keeping their foot out of the throttle so the difference may not even exist.
As for the V6, it has higher peak HP and slightly better torque but the torque curve on the 2012 V6 is not as flat as it was on the 2011 M272 engine (2,400 RPM vs. 3,500 RPM).
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 530
Likes: 2
From: SoCal
'14 ML350 GONE-'12 GL450/'10 E550/'10 ML350/'09 C300/'07 ML350/'03 E320
I'm not saying the new V-6 is comparable to a V-8, I love my V-8. But I was only speaking for myself who was on the fence btw the E350 and E550, but choose the E550 as I got a great deal on my E550 as my sales guy hooked me up because after driving the E350, the power was not to my liking and I was then strongly leaning toward the 535i. Now that the new V-6 is somewhat on par to the 535i and really, who needs 400hp and all that torque for daily driving, it becomes even more appealing to people on the fence like myself (assuming the extra HP/torque in the V-6 does make a difference). If I was only in the market for a BMW, I wouldn't even consider the 550i as the 535i seems ideal.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,046
Likes: 1
From: Chicago, IL
2011 E550 4Matic, 2002 M3 Vert
The estimated fuel mileage for the U.S. version 2012 E550 4Matic is 16/24. This is just 1 MPG better than the 2011 M273 V8 (15/23).
I believe in the real world, owners of the turbo engine will have difficulty keeping their foot out of the throttle so the difference may not even exist.
I believe in the real world, owners of the turbo engine will have difficulty keeping their foot out of the throttle so the difference may not even exist.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 530
Likes: 2
From: SoCal
'14 ML350 GONE-'12 GL450/'10 E550/'10 ML350/'09 C300/'07 ML350/'03 E320
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,794
Likes: 3
From: Valley of the Sun, Arizona
2011 E550, 2013 GLK
