nantucketsleigh

Every review I have ever read describes the adjustable (comfort/sport) air suspension - many indicated that it is standard. My owners manual describes adjusting the suspension with and without the off road package. On the MBUSA site I did not see any option for adjustable suspension separate from the off road package. I assumed it was standard, but I was wrong. Anybody else make the same mistake?

hcden

Same here. I think its a must as I think the basic GL ride is not as good as I thought. Adjustable comfort/auto/sport suspension is bundled with off road package with adaptive damping system (ADS). If you don't have the off road package, your adjustable suspension description per manual states that you can only adjust the height, not the damping rate. Well, it is still adjustable, if thats what they want to call it.

What bugs me is that most of GL's road tests (Car and Driver, Motorweek etc.) have these comfort/sport/auto suspension adjustment even though their test GL450 doesn't have the off road package. Maybe Mercedes made these special type of GL just for these magazines testers and not for consumers. Very misleading.

If you look at this image, the sport/comfort button is present yet this GL doesn't have the off road package. (no locking differential knob). So maybe they can built it outside this ORP. What do you guys think?

Nevada Jack

I don't know what the story is on that set-up. A friend was in Detroit and the GL320CDI had that same console...dampening adjustment without the off-road package. I had sent MBUSA a email about the ADSII in the CDI and got the standard answer, "it is only available on the GL450 with the off road package." I responded wanting to know why, especially since the EU diesels have it...and have been ignored.

It is typical MBUSA and their bean counting and limiting the US buyers to what MBUSA thinks they should have. Conspiracy with the media to provide them cars with ADSII only to improve the ride reports...I would not go that far but something is sure out of whack. I would buy the off road just to get the ADSII feature...!

nantucketsleigh

My manual clearly describes adjustment of suspension for GL's with and without the off-road package. MB lists no option for adjustable suspension w/o the off road package. It seems that a reasonable, knowledgeable consumer would conclude that adjustable air suspension is standard particulary since it was reported as standard by all the mag testors. I received a class action award some time back on a Tahoe where fuel capacity was listed as 30 gal and in fact was 28 and change. MB seems at least equally culpable.

Nevada Jack

I did a lot of research and did assume from what I had read that the Comfort/Sport (or Standard) mode were avaialble with the Air Suspension. This sentence is from the catalog:

"Driver-selectable Comfort mode starts the vehicle moving in 2nd gear, or 2nd Reverse gear, and upshifts at lower rpm to help improve control on slippery surfaces"

Now that sounds to me like you have a button to go from S to C...but not on the 320CDI...??? I had ADSI on my '03 E320 and on my '06 S430 and since the ML has ADSII as part of the Air Suspension on Premium 3, I again assumed it would be on the GL with Air Suspension standard.

nantucketsleigh

I wonder if there is a way to make a non-adjustable airmatic adjustable. If the difference is just a switch and adjustment module mabe the dealer can install it.
If the differences are more extensive, and GL's with adjustable airmatic have better ride/handling I did not get the suv I thought I bought.

Nevada Jack

It is more than just a switch...the suspension is different with the ADSII components and I am sure cannot be installed by a dealer.

I was tempted to cancel the order based on finding the ADSII was not on the diesel but reconsidered based on the test drive I had with the 450 and from a friend who has the 320CDI.

carpersn

i drove the 450 without and felt the ride/drive were superb. Would it be nice to have ADSII-YES! But it will not mean i don't buy the vehicle...even if the off-road pkg had been available on the CDI, i would've have bothered. I have other items on which to spend the extra $2-3k, when i know i won't ever do any off-roading and the boat i'll tow will be fine without.

nantucketsleigh

I noticed a significant difference in the ride/handling in my E500 vs the E350 w/o adjustable air suspension as well as noticable differences in the ride/handling in different settings on the E500. I wonder how well the GL would have done in mag comparisons w/o the ADSII?

AutoSaurus

I have ADSII on my ML and it is very nice. I mainly keep it in the the standard mode though. Comfort is too soft and sport is too harsh. Now, on the GL320 it is perfect. I really don't miss it at this stage. No regrets in another words.

Nevada Jack

Good to hear Jack...my friend feels the same way...:-)

nantucketsleigh

Nevada, do you know if there any substantive differences in the ADSII suspension w/o the off road package vs. stock?

AsianML

I thought that the C/S modes were only related to the transmission and it's shifting points. Or has it been changed to work in synch with the suspension as well?

Nevada Jack

I really don't know the technical difference between the ADSII suspension (without off road) and the standard GL air suspension. However, I do know that it (ADSII) has the capability to automatically control the ride with each movement of the individual shock absorbers every time it changes direction up or down. It makes adjustments to the road surface, much like the ABC in my S, but not to that extent.

The Air Suspension does a similar correction with electronically controlled air bellows at each wheel and adjusts to road conditions. In other words the ADS is a refinement of the standard setup. How much difference in the parts and design I don't have a clue.

Hope that helps...

Nevada Jack

True but it also firms up the suspension. See AutoSaurus remarks above on his ML. My E had the C/S and when you selected S1 or S2 the suspension got firmer with each choice and the shift speeds were altered. On my S550 with ABC, if I select S, it starts in 1st and provides a firmer ride. If I start in C it starts in 2nd and the ride is much softer.

hcden

I thought too the C/S has nothing to do with the suspension. It didn't mention anything about the suspension. The default setting is S for normal driving.

The following is from a Mercedez manual.

______________________________________________
S Sport
For all normal driving conditions

C Comfort
For comfort mode



Only press program selector button when the selector lever is in position P, N or D.


Press program selector button repeatedly until the letter (C/S) for the gearshift program you wish to select appears in the speedometer display.


Comfort mode C is characterised by the following:

The vehicle pulls away more gently in forward and reverse gears, unless the accelerator pedal is depressed fully.

Traction is increased. This improves the driving stability of the vehicle on slippery road surfaces, for example.

The automatic transmission shifts up sooner. This means that the vehicle is driven at lower engine speeds and the wheels are less likely to spin.
__________________________________________________ ______________

Wolfgang

The picture below depicts a GL front axle with the 4 wheel air suspension. The ADS 2.0 are the two small parallel tubes attached to the lower part of the air suspension struts. The rear axle is similar. It's engineered and supplied by Thyssenkrupp-Bilstein.

stugilmour

We are just considering a GL, and I had the same confusion regarding adjustable damping. I incorrectly assumed the lack of this feature without the off-road package was specific to the Canadian market in NA.

From the posts above, sounds like the ADS is not a must-have on this vehicle. However, I had assumed the mag reviews I read that thought the GL was a little vague on handling did not have Sport mode available.

Do I have it correctly, that even without the button with the three? settings, the shocks and air springs are still adaptive? The S/C button only changes the algorithm for suspension adjustment? Unfortunately I am sure in our market I will not have a chance to compare the with and without Off-road/adjustable suspension; the dealer told me they have only sold a couple with Off-road, and not of the demo's have this feature.

Second question, particularly for anyone with the adjustment in ML. Would Sport setting be better for towing? We want t6o be able to haul a 5000 lb Jayco 23B travel trailer.

Thx First post

Stu Calgary AB

nantucketsleigh

The brochure states that for the standard suspension, the "electronically contolled airsprings adjust to changing driving conditions." ADSII works by "individually adjusting each wheel's shock absorber rate every time the wheel changes it direction of up-down travel". This seems to suggest that there is no variability to stock shocks. But I'm not sure since many non adjustable shocks offered on other cars and in the after market claim to change damping to adapt to driving conditions. I still don't understand why every single car provided for road tests had ADSII while only 1 GL out of about 50 on 2 dealer lots in my area had the off-road package.

torr

Just finished a 600mile trip yesterday in the GL and it ride excellent and handles pretty good for a vehicle of its size and weight. I am sure ADSII helps improve this, but definitely not required, IMO.

stugilmour

If I am reading the specifications correctly on the UK site, it appears that all models (320CDI, 500 petrol, and 420CDI) come standard with off-Road package. This would explain the ADSII being included I guess.

Still have no idea why the testers for the NA mags might have had ADSII without off-road.

Not sure if the other European models have ADSII without off-road.

Cheers!

http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/cont.../gl_class.html