2014 E350 vs. E550 RIDE QUALITY
03-01-2017, 09:20 AM
#26
MBWorld Fanatic!
maybe its just me , or its been too long , and i barely drove on stock height suspension setting , but i didnt really feel that big of a difference between sport and comfort modes , now on the other hand when lowered , i do feel more of a difference between these modes.
but i still think no matter how low it is airmatic is made for comfort ride , and not to be taking sharp turns.
but i still think no matter how low it is airmatic is made for comfort ride , and not to be taking sharp turns.
I believe sport mode lowers the suspension 5mm and sport suspension lowers it 10mm, the measurement might be off a bit but you get the idea.
03-01-2017, 10:28 AM
#28
MBWorld Fanatic!
03-01-2017, 10:56 AM
#29
Junior Member
People are confusing the drive train sport/comfort buttons and the Airmatic sport/comfort buttons (which obviously only Airmatic cars have).
I drove W212 (2010/2011 model year) E550's and E350's back to back. All three E550's had Airmatic, I drove one sport E350 and one luxury E350.
Airmatics have a suspension mode button as well as the drivetrain mode button for "sport" and "comfort". This means you can run the drivetrain in sport mode and the suspension in comfort (or comfort-raised) mode.
There is no comparison.
E350 Sport ride was the harshest, as expected.
E350 Luxury was an interesting compromise - the suspension was softer sprung for sure, but there was still a lot of damping for road irregularities that one would not call "luxury smooth."
The Airmatics had completely different suspension personalities in each mode, all the cars were consistent. Comfort does exactly what it says it does - there is some wallowing, but this soaks up the bumps like nothing else. The electronics immediately tighten the suspension when you twitch the steering wheel hard, hit the brakes hard, and possibly other conditions. Presumably it also reduces damping when it senses rougher road conditions.
In sport mode the car lowers about an inch, and the ride is significantly firmer, but it still has significantly better bump compliance than the E350 Sport. At the same time, it has a fair bit less body roll than even the E350 Sport - again, twitch the steering wheel and the ride tightens up.
Drivetrain sport/comfort is the same between models. Sport mode increases throttle sensitivity, uses first gear even in 'D' mode, holds gears to higher rpm on acceleration, and will aggressively downshift on brake taps. It also firms up the steering (which Airmatic sport does too).
I drove W212 (2010/2011 model year) E550's and E350's back to back. All three E550's had Airmatic, I drove one sport E350 and one luxury E350.
Airmatics have a suspension mode button as well as the drivetrain mode button for "sport" and "comfort". This means you can run the drivetrain in sport mode and the suspension in comfort (or comfort-raised) mode.
There is no comparison.
E350 Sport ride was the harshest, as expected.
E350 Luxury was an interesting compromise - the suspension was softer sprung for sure, but there was still a lot of damping for road irregularities that one would not call "luxury smooth."
The Airmatics had completely different suspension personalities in each mode, all the cars were consistent. Comfort does exactly what it says it does - there is some wallowing, but this soaks up the bumps like nothing else. The electronics immediately tighten the suspension when you twitch the steering wheel hard, hit the brakes hard, and possibly other conditions. Presumably it also reduces damping when it senses rougher road conditions.
In sport mode the car lowers about an inch, and the ride is significantly firmer, but it still has significantly better bump compliance than the E350 Sport. At the same time, it has a fair bit less body roll than even the E350 Sport - again, twitch the steering wheel and the ride tightens up.
Drivetrain sport/comfort is the same between models. Sport mode increases throttle sensitivity, uses first gear even in 'D' mode, holds gears to higher rpm on acceleration, and will aggressively downshift on brake taps. It also firms up the steering (which Airmatic sport does too).
03-01-2017, 11:18 AM
#30
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2010 E550 P2 w/AMG Sport Package + Pano, 2015 Nissan Pathfinder
^This
It definitely lowers itself when it sport suspension mode vs comfort. I think there def is some confusion between the S/C transmission modes and the S/C suspension mode. On a 2010 E550 you have the option to change the suspension and the transmission settings.
IMO it's a huge difference so I rarely ride in comfort mode anymore. I compare it to driving a Lincoln Continental from the 90's when in comfort. It's much to floaty for my spirited driving. I only use it when I'm going through a known bumpy city area or when I have a full load of people and I want them to be as comfy as possible.
It definitely lowers itself when it sport suspension mode vs comfort. I think there def is some confusion between the S/C transmission modes and the S/C suspension mode. On a 2010 E550 you have the option to change the suspension and the transmission settings.
IMO it's a huge difference so I rarely ride in comfort mode anymore. I compare it to driving a Lincoln Continental from the 90's when in comfort. It's much to floaty for my spirited driving. I only use it when I'm going through a known bumpy city area or when I have a full load of people and I want them to be as comfy as possible.
