megasaurus

Enjoy either setting, however on certain "MB vehicles" C, E, S, S+, Manuel modes there is a difference ; )

$100 GUY

Yeah, barely a difference. I mean, in other brands you really notice a difference, not here.


As for the paddle shifters, they are equally slow to response.

SteveE400

I guess things differ a lot between models. On the E400 twin-turbo, there is a HUGE difference between 'E' and 'S' modes.


That's why I call the 'S' button the "Stupid Button" - for the big stupid grin it pastes on my face when I push the button and romp on it. . .

craiger13

My question is: I have an 11 c300 sport staggered rims etc, when I change from one to the other does it change the steering or suspension.

Alex.currie44

My bet is no.

AMG_Go_Fast

I second that I change it all the time while in motion. The transmission is an electronically controlled transmission, by switching the mode your telling the computer to change it's shift points. There is no transmission mechanical activation so changing while in motion is not harmful

I have tried to get the dealer, and authorized MB repair facility to set the default to Sport but they say it's not possible. I know why MB defaults to "E" for fleet mpg stats, but has anyone found a way to set default to Sport?

AMG_Go_Fast

For a 6 cylinder engine and 7 speed transmission there is no horsepower gain between E and S but I'm willing to bet that if you drive around town between 30-55 and toggle between E and S you will feel the suble shift point differences

kajtek1

It is not the power gain, but torque gain due to different gear.
I was playing with twin switch on W210 as W or current E mode was activating hill holding.
Stopped on the grade, I could roll the car, or stop it by flipping electric switch.
COOL.

The G Man

One thing I like about Mercedes' sport mode is that it is actually useable. Some manufacturer's sport mode are so jerky and touchy that I use it only for certain situations and switch it back to normal. with the Mercedes, I can drive comfortably in S mode.

kajtek1

S mode is Standart on MB
You have adaptation program on transmission, what will tune it to your habits

tresean1

Isn't that what being Sport"y" is all about...jerky fun aggressive driving, with crazy power from altered shift points?

As others have said, the Mercedes "Sport" mode is a joke, as it merely changes TCU operation, and no mechanical behavior changes for the steering, suspension, etc.

My BMW's Sport mode changes it into a mini 'M' car

raja777m

I see the RPMs are higher always, in 'S' mode. Also, as the first page of this thread says, it turns off the Auto Start/Stop feature.

I haven't used 'S' much, I'm just getting used to the vehicle more, for now.

The G Man

I guess different stroke for different folks, a car can have fast accelerate without the throttle being too touchy. I had a 2012 BMW 535i and the sport mode on that car is not much more aggressive than on my Mercedes. If your E class have air suspension, the sport mode will change the stiffness of the ride. Lastly, I wanted to point out the electric steering on the 2011 BMW 535i is one of the worst implementation in recent memory, the steering did not improve until the LCI model year in 2014. Even with the improvement, it did not live up to the BMW roundel. Calling the 535i a mini M5 is a joke.

tresean1

uh...ok...
'Electric steering' or not, Sport mode or not, M or non-M...the BMW still out-handles any non-AMG Mercedes car any day.
I understand that and accept that, so I bought both cars for different reasons.

If you want serene grandpa driving, then by all means drive your Mercedes in 'W' or 'C' or 'E' or whatever they decide to call it next. If you want enthusiastic driving, then buy a Bimmer or an AMG; or put your non-AMG car in Sport or Sport+ and carry on...

The G Man

All I am saying is that you are comparing apple to oranges, your BMW is a MSport with the dynamic suspension package, you should be comparing it to a E550 with air suspension. As you know, most people that buy E class do not have performance as their top priority. I had quite a few BMW before and BMW really drop the ball with the F10 as far as performance. Don't get me wrong, its a good looking car, but just not a true 5 series, more like a mini 7 series and drives like one. By the way, my CLS550 does pretty good for a non-AMG car

tresean1

Not necessarily---I am not comparing Apples to Oranges.

I kinda get where you are trying to go with this, but then I don't. You cannot compare a 535i with an E550...two different classes of engines, to begin with. Now, if you would have said 550i vs. E550...then maybe.

And yes I realize people that buy non-AMG Mercedes really don't prioritize performance...that's why I mentioned what I mentioned above about car choices and expectations.

I have also had numerous Bimmers and I do agree somewhat with the shift in engineering (I love my F10). However, the point I am making is: the "Sport" setting on MB cars just begins to compare with the "Comfort" setting on BMW. The BMW's "Sport" setting is a true transformation of the entire car's dynamics, while MB's "Sport" is sorta 'placebo'.

The G Man

Since there is no airmatic option on the E350, I guess we have to compare the sport mode's affect on the suspension to the E550. The sport setting on my 535i is not much different than the sport setting in my CLS550, but now I am comparing apple to oranges, the CLS550 should be compare to the 6 series grand coupe.

tresean1

^Which supports my point exactly of how you are still comparing apples to oranges---you keep wanting to compare a 6-cyl to a V8, and compare non-Airmatic to Airmatic, etc: to get anywhere close to a change in suspension, the Mercedes MUST have Airmatic; the BMW does not require an airmatic setup, but still has a dynamic suspension settings.

The Mercedes "S" setting somewhat makes the shift points differ, while shifting to (even the normal) "S" setting in BMW makes the entire driving experience more lively in regards to tranny and power delivery--Dynamic Handling Pkg not required.

The G Man

BMW's dynamic handling package cost $3500, Mercedes' air body control is $1900. If you opt for the E43, then air suspension is standard. 535i without dynamic handling package in sport mode changes the shift map and steering effort, but only in RWD cars with electric steering, X-drive has hydraulic steering which is much better than the electric. The 535i's electric steering in comfort mode is so sloppy, its almost undriveable.
You should go test drive the new E300 and E43, the sport mode is improve quite a bit. Unfortunately, the E300 without air suspension is a bit soft around the corners but steering has definitely improve in the new E-class.

tresean1

I totally disagree; I leave my Bimmer in Comfort mode 99% of the time (aside from that occasional time I want to show up other stoplight "drag-racers"), and it still outhandles my E550 Sport and E350 Sport. Yes, it is not the BMW of yesteryear, but the steering is far from "sloppy". You want sloppy steering?...then drive an Infiniti, or Honda, or Chevy, or Toyota, or Lexus, or Cadillac.

I have driven the new E's (don't like them, and feel they aren't a shining star) and the new C's and the new S and the CLA and the CLS, and agree that while they are an improvement over past models, they still do not equal the overall driving experience and handling prowess of the BMWs (until you start getting into AMG territory). Again, I realize that each has it's own characteristics---and that's why I always own both brands simultaneously. Sometimes I feel like good boy and sometime I feel like a bad boy.

Just curious: What did BMW do to you? What type of beef happened? I could be wrong, but you seem to want to beat them up quite much, and stick up for Mercedes...even when not warranted.

blegthbloo

I was unimpressed with the steering feel of a 2011 or 2012 (I think) 335i and 2010 M3 I test drove back when those were new. They seemed "boaty" and unconnected to the road. I did like the speed of the M3, and the sound, but at the time I had my G37, which I preferred over both of them. I expected the 335 to be more precise than the G, but in my experience that was not the case. Maybe it was in comfort mode the whole time, though. The salesman didn't seem interested in showing me any features, and quite possibly didn't know any of them himself. And understanding the function of random buttons or the locations of the ones I want in BMWs has always been like doing calculus for me, so a little help would've gone a long way.

My buddy has an 08 (I believe) M3 with the dual clutch transmission, and that seems to ride much better than the newer one I drove, but I think he upgraded the suspension. I didn't really get to enjoy that drive too much because I was busy drooling over my E550 driving next to me, which he wanted to check out lol.

But comparing the 2010 M3 to a 2010 C63 I test drove (a fair comparison, I think), I would say I prefer the AMG. It felt more connected to the road, and IMO looks and sounds better. I will put the disclaimer that because they were test drives with salesmen in a busy suburb/city area, I didn't really get to give either car the "beans" enough to get a good feel for either of them, long term. Don't remember what options either of them had, so can't really compare those either, other than I liked the seats in the AMG better as well.

The G Man

Its not just me, read the reviews, most editors agree that the early 535i's steering was very sloppy. If you like the 2011 535's steering, your expectation from BMW must not be too high. The best BMW steering feel is the pre-2012 3 series, straight as a arrow, very little body lean and very good steering effort. Of course ride comfort suffers, I guess that the trade off some are willing to except.
We can agree that BMW and Mercedes both bring different attributes to the table, where as Mercedes is generally more comfortable and BMW generally more sporty. Its ashamed that BMW does not offer air suspension in the US. The beauty of the air suspension option is that when I want to be a good boy, as you have put it, I can leave it in the comfort mode and the car will ride more comfortable than any BMW, if I want to be sporty, I can switch to the sport mode and my car will handle as well as the 535i. The suspension in the Mercedes, unlike BMW, can also be adjusted individually from the transmission and throttle map. In my opinion, the 535i and the E550 with airmatic are too similar to warrant owning both. For me, the two cars would have to be much more different for me to consider owning both, such as the S550 and the M5.

KEY08

...and how 'bout that switch from E to S mode? Lol
This one went left at Albuquerque

tresean1

That's a fair assessment. I have had 3 consecutive generations of 5-series and I agree "something" has changed. But on a consistent basis, the non-M Bimmers all out-handled their non-AMG counterparts. I will agree, the C63 looks, feels, and performs better than the M3.
No matter how much everyone slices "your expectation for BMW must not be high" and "BMWs have lost their way" and "they have gotten worse over time", etc...even in that "sloppy" mode, as you have put it, they still handle better than their Mercedes counterparts. I agree with you that the Mercedes is more comfortable. And you must not have driven the E550 and the 535i, they are not similar enough to discount a reason to own both. The E550, is a comfortable, gas-guzzling, rocket "sleeper" that can hurt the feelings of Camaros/Mustangs/Infinitis/some Corvettes/Chargers/Challengers; the 535i is a sporty, more-fuel-efficient, turbo-charged, fun toy (with an amazing sound system!) But, to each his own. Everyone has an opinion, and has an idea of what "works" for him.

The G Man

BMW use to be the go to brand when you want a sporty German sedan, nowadays, the gap is much closer between Mercedes and BMW as far as sportiness and comfort. It funny you called the E550 a gas guzzler, I get the same gas mileage in my 535i as I do with my CLS550, 75% city and 25% highway.