Joe is the one that raised that back in post #1104. I think his point is he doesn't want to give up the Head-Up Display, so right now he has the whole Technology Package included, which does not allow the High End audio.

 

 

I'm still debating whether to get the 20" or 21" wheels. Looking for thoughts and insight form others?

I've always had separate wheels with season specific summer / winter tire combos for my Audi sedans. Assuming I do the same here, I'm debating wheel strategy: whether to wear 20's year round, 21s in the summer and 20's in the winter or 20's summer and 19's winter.

I'm still trying to rationalize the benefits of staggered 21's on this car, is it just aesthetics? On a RWD car, the benefits of a staggered setup would be to help put power down in the rear and to help induce some level of under-steer. On an AWD SUV why have staggered wheels? The 21's would account for a lot of un-sprung weight. I know when I swap out of the 19's for 18's in the winter my S4 feels more spry as a result.

That said, I'll admit the new Porsche Cayenne looks amazing with a staggered 21" setup, not bad with 20's, and plain Jane homely looking wearing 19's. I drove a 2019 Cayenne base this morning, and I'll admit I was smitten with its handling dynamics and steering precision.

 

Just to add another data point, our last GLE had the Ginger Beige MB-Tex seats and they also added the interior/exterior protection pkg (Simoniz?) just after delivery. I regularly used the cleaner provided with the kit as well as Lexol cleaner and conditioner in the orange and brown bottles. All to no avail. The dye from our jeans still really got into the seats. Also, with such frequent cleaning, the outer layer of the MB-Tex material started to wear off as well. Hence why we got the full Espresso brown on our "new" GLS. Just something to take into consideration if opting for light colored seats.

 

 

 

Greg is correct. I did ask my dealer if he could select Head-Up Display as a stand-alone option but that is not available (at this time).

 

I would expect those numbers to be accurate, but you never know. As you say, with the staggered tire sizes the wheel offset difference of 5-13 mm would work to make up the 30 mm tire width difference to keep he outsides more flush, but it's not clear why there is 13 mm difference with the ones that are 275s F&R. I doubt it's too critical, but you would want to keep the rears in the rear. Rotating is overrated on these AWD vehicles, IMO - mine seem to wear pretty evenly without it.

 

 

 

 

There is no obvious answer. Guess we wait and see if these values are confirmed in the next DOG or the owner's manual. All wheels for the W166 from 18-20" had the same F&R offset.

 

You are correct about U19. I updated my earlier post. Thanks.

 

Heh. Made my way here to see if anyone had read/heard anything about AMG models. I guess not (yet)! Is the assumption that there will be a 53 and 63?

 

Sorry in advance for rekindling this topic. My salesperson has not been a good resource on this topic to me, he has told me that Airmatic would only be useful to me if I wanted to go offroad which I know is not the case since MB offers Airmatic suspensions throughout their vehicle range.

My personal preference would be to have very sharp handling akin to Cayenne / Q7 / X5. I know Cayenne level performance would likely not be comfortable for my wife, but at the same time I want to avoid a wallowing suspension. She did enjoy the suspension feel during our test drive of the Q7. So we're looking for a nice middle ground with sporting ability / pretensions.

For one data point, Zach Spencer (who owns a Porsche Cayenne & Audi A7) conducted the Motormouth Youtube review stated that he "does not love air suspensions" and that "even in the sportiest settings was too soft". In the comments of his Youtube channel of his GLE450 review he has stated that his preference is Cayenne.

For another data point, the presenter in the WhatCar review stated that the standard steel suspension "isn't particularly brilliant", "it feels is a bit unsettled at all speeds", and you can feel the car moving around quite noticeably....feels jittery. For the Airmatic he states that "the ride is much better, wafts along more nicely feels more planted, still a bit of body movement but it is smooth, well controlled, and fairly impressive".

Are all of the regulars on this thread choosing Airmatic or E-ABC? Anyone choosing steel? I plan to buy not lease and if we love the car would plan to hold on to it for 5 years, maybe longer. In the back of my mind I wonder if I should reconfigure my prder to make the E-ABC possible but still unsure of it.

 

 

Your salesperson is not correct that AIRMATIC is only good for offroading. If any of them would be best at offroading it would be the E-ABC. Even then, with the curve option and other attributes, the E-ABC seems to be great for everyday driving.

As per who is going with what, it seems to be a mixed bag. Some want it, others are bit put off the by the extra cost and also by it being a new technology and possible maintenance costs down the road. I'm in the latter group.

 

As I've said before, my current '12 ML has Airmatic and doesn't "wallow," but it also has the Dynamic Handling Package with Active Curve (hydraulic front roll bar) which does sharpen handling. In Sport setting it is really too stiff for everyday driving but perfect for the twisties. I've never driven one with the steel spring suspension.

Some other comments on suspension (like with all reviews, you get opposing statements you need to decipher):

• "The first GLE 350 we sampled had good ol’ steel springs, which provide a nice balance: The ride is firmer than we expected (a nod, we assume, to BMW drivers who find traditional Mercedes SUVs too softly sprung) but nowhere near punishing. Grip was impressive and likely aided by the wider tires fitted to our test cars. In the curves, the steel-sprung GLE 350 we drove felt more responsive and eager than Mercedes SUVs of yore, though calling it fun-to-drive might be stretching the truth." - Automobile
• "If you don’t want to spend the money on the electronics, the air suspension (Airmatic) is also smooth and offers the ability to raise and lower the GLE. " - C&D;
• "Next, we drove a GLE 450 with the Airmatic suspension, which reminded us of why we’re so fond of air springs. The ride is glass-smooth with excellent body control in the curves. It’s the perfect setup that should please enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike." - Automobile
• "The GLE 350 with its conventional air suspension (Airmatic) is clearly tuned for softness and comfort. In the default comfort mode, the GLE 350 is a bit floaty. Big highway bumps triggered long-lasting vertical motions that could bother those with sensitive stomachs. But the squishy tuning did completely erase smaller bumps. Switching to Sport modes firmed things up, eliminating the floatiness while still keeping things comfortable over small bumps. That's our preferred setting." - Autoblog
• "...even the conventional air suspension (Airmatic) is exceptionally well controlled. Flicking an air-suspension GLE into Sport mode firms up the ride, though we’ll have to wait for the inevitable AMG-tweaked variants before any GLE is truly entertaining." - Motor Authority

It might be good for you to take a test drive in an '18 or '19 with Airmatic. While there may be slight improvements in the 2020 due to stiffer body, etc., it should give you a basic feel for it. Me, I'm going for E-ABC, though I have concerns about long term reliability.

 

Greg,

Thank you once again for an excellent synopsis of the major review comments. I have not been able to locate locally a 2018 or 2019 GLE with Airmatic but I did drive the GLS 450; local dealer stated less than 10% of GLEs come equipped with the option. Unfortunately the 2020 DOG does not list a Dynamic handling package as being available.

I did find the the current GLE (350 & 400) with standard steel springs to be a bit "busy" and less planted than I would like.

 

 

 

If you build a 2019 GLE 400 on the MBUSA website, you will see the $2,900 AMG exterior package includes the 20" AMG wheels. It's really a darn good deal as far as the packages go. The German Configurator for the 2020 is the same.

 

 

Here are specs from the 2013 ML 350 & ML 63. I have never seen staggered widths or offsets on the ML.