Does the Acoustic Comfort Package really do anything ? Also is the “Multicontour front seats with massage” worth it after having to add leather seats and warmth & comfort packages ?

 

My sales rep told me he honestly did not think the multicontour seats were worth the money. Sat in a vehicle with the option and agreed. Spent the $1K on another lens instead. That was just my opinion, of course. Acoustic comfort likewise not worth it for me. Just like some would say Polar White is fine but I wanted designoCardinal Red.

 

I wonder that myself. We have it on our E class and it is on the 580 I ordered that we test drove today. We test drove a SQ7 first today and once of the first things we (wife and I) both stated while driving was that the Audi had far less wind and road noise. I find it hard to believe then that a GLE without the ACP would be that much worse so I do wonder what it actually contributes.

 

In the final analysis, in the choice between Multicontour Seats and a Sigma 105mm f/2.8 macro lens, the lens wins. It makes money and I would probably only use the massage once.

 

If you live in a warm sunny area and do more than dive to the store, then you might want the Acoustic Comfort for the better windshield and side window sun protection, IMO.

 

Warm and sunny--- that excludes North Jersey/NY

 

Were you able to drive both cars on the same roads?
My impression after driving the SQ7 and GLE without Acoustic, back to back was that the Audi was somewhat noisier, but I attributed it to the road surface, not the car. Both had Pirelli tires.

Wind noise on the GLE's I have driven is low below 70mph, similar to Audi. Neither is as quiet as a Cayenne with its Insulated Glass.
My only experience with Acoustic Package was long ago (September), and quieting road noise intrusion seemed to be its biggest contribution. I ordered it because it allows more enjoyment of the 3D Burmester (which didn't get ordered before my order was locked - drat!).

After the turbo lag, the SQ7 makes a loud and sudden racket, augmented with speakers, which also use noise-cancelling technology. This may make light footed driving seem quiet in comparison. I like the noise-cancelling - don't think M-B uses it.

 

However it reduces the places you can place a radar detector, toll pass, or other things that need an un-obstructed view.

It might be a surrogate for a tin foil hat, if that's your style, though

 

@mikapen Yeah I drove them almost on the exact same back roads and the exact same interstate. We left Audi, grabbed Chick-fil-A in the car and went straight to MB so everything was fresh in our minds. The dealerships are about 2 miles apart.
My wife is tired of my dragging her to dealership to look and drive cars. She says visiting a dealership is as painful to her as it is to me to deal with attorneys, so we spent about an hour in each car today going over all the pros and cons or each: driving, parking, playing with all the controls, climbing in and out of every seat. I wanted to make a decision today and come home with one. Each has great and bad points.
After all that we are leaning towards the GLE (more me than her) because of what we want out of a car at this time, if the leather is fixed. But the Audi so close.

 

While we are comparing road noise and comfort, between the 350 v 450 is one more comfortable and/or quieter than the other?

I test drove them both but it was like 2 weeks apart. I remember the 450 was sportier(obviously) but I didn’t spend enough time in comfort mode.

 

Coming from owning the last three versions of the Cayenne S and now owning a 63S, some likes/dislikes:

Likes and nice features:

• The colour and data density on the instrument cluster. Cayenne was austere and just ‘white’.
• Great interior lighting
• I still get to have the grab handles!
• Sueded headliner and material selection throughout.
• Physical buttons and switches
• One option/ability I wasn’t expecting is the ability to display gasoline prices on the Nav screen.
• Windshield washer nozzles integrated into the wipers
• Wheels fill the arches perfectly.

Things I wish they’d change:

• Lacklustre (I’m Canadian) thigh bolstering
• Drive mode buttons are one-way - ie. they don’t work up and down, you just cycle through the list - why? And when you stiffen the dampers, it puts the notification in small font on the far right of the screen. When I change the air suspension, how do I know the level I’m currently at?
• Sound stage on the ‘base’ Burmester is very focused on the very front of the vehicle. I have the fader at -3.

 

Forgot to mention that:

[+] the MercedesMe app is much more capable than PorscheConnect. I doubt I’ll use the remote starter, but nice to have it nonetheless.
[-] Feels, drives, and turns like a ‘big’ vehicle.

 

One more question on the Airmatic Suspension Package, the mbusa build page shows the following button layout. I thought this was only for the E-ABC and the Airmatic Suspension package only came with the option to lower and raise the height. Do I have this wrong ?

 

There might be some changes between Canada and US builds and you don’t post your model year...assuming it’s the new Gen. I have a GLE 53 but except for the engine it should be similar mechanically. Here are my thoughts on some of your comments-

Coming from owning the last three versions of the Cayenne S and now owning a 63S, some likes/dislikes:

• Lacklustre (I’m Canadian) thigh bolstering

We have an Audi SQ5 with deep thigh bolsters and prefer the ease of entry/exit with the more moderate Mercedes bolsters. They seem adequate to hold you in place on sharp corners. Even Audi has reduced the depth at mid cycle refresh.

• Drive mode buttons are one-way - ie. they don’t work up and down, you just cycle through the list - why? And when you stiffen the dampers, it puts the notification in small font on the far right of the screen.

If I understand your comment...big if...-The Drive Modes are intended to be selected for your preference at the time and conditions present. i.e.-C (Comfort) for normal driving in town; S/S+ (Sport) for a more Sporty drive. I (Individual) allows you to customize the settings. The AMG supplement has more detail on p.12 & 13. You can change modes on the control panel rocker switch or the right AMG steering wheel control and it also lights up on that control with the mode identifier. Are you changing them in MBUX or with a manual button? I think the design is with the most common “C” in the center and up or down from there with the least used at the far end of the selections.

When I change the air suspension, how do I know the level I’m currently at.

The Drive mode determines the driving height so any change like lowering the rear with the hatch switch, lower on entry or using the center console rocker switch are only temporary. I haven’t checked the manual but AFAIK the AMG only changes up or down about 1 inch. It drops an inch in S modes & at 70mph in C mode. Raises an inch in Trail, maybe also in Sand mode. The GLE 450 moved up higher in T so I might be wrong on the AMG.


[-] Feels, drives, and turns like a ‘big’ vehicle.

I noticed this feeling, my 2020 GLE 450 that had light steering and felt smaller/lighter. The AMG steering could benefit from a slightly lighter feel. The GLE 450 steering intensity increased at speed...maybe a better all around solution. In another way it might be better after getting used to the heavier steering...I noticed less tendency to “wander” on a long freeway trip. It seems to hold a line better.

If your Canadian build is like the US, you should also have adaptive sway bars that are factored in to the suspension characteristics in different driving modes. They also keep the car flat in corners like your Porsche or our Audi.

 

The 350/450 with Air should be the same. The Drive Mode you select also sets the ride height. Any other setting changes according to Drive Mode Selected. As I recall, S is -1” & T is +2”’s in the non E-ABC vehicle. My 450 in C mode was too “Boaty” with uncontrolled up and down at times. I set up my “I” mode to be all C except for the suspension in S mode. That lowers the car an inch from C mode and felt better to me. Others may disagree.
My issue with the suspension settings were two-
1. The suspension resets to C mode when the ignition is cycled back on. A vendor may now have a solution.
2. The lower on entry also resets so it’s a pain to set it just before stopping. With running boards & even without it’s easy to get your pant legs dirty on exit. (My wife’s only complaint)

 

Wouldn’t proper sized automatic running boards be soooo nice and solve the dirty pants leg problem!
I bet they would come wrinkled and the wrong color though. Haha

 

Really appreciate you taking the time to respond, Ron.

• I have a new 2021 63 S. I suspect the features all work identically, but that the packaging of options varies between the US and Canada.
• Point taken on the bolstering. I’ve had the 18 way seats in the Cayenne’s before (thigh bolsters are adjustable), so I think it’s just a matter of taste.
• I read the manual a bit last night and you’re right in that the height adjustments aren’t “permanent”. Again, a difference between manufacturers that isn’t a big deal. I believe the + setting adds 2.2”, and the - setting drops it 0.4”.
• As for drive modes, the torque is so strong that I leave it in comfort except for the exhaust valves! I tend to use the manual switches for this stuff to minimize the distraction.
• I think part of the “big” feeling is the height of the hood, particularly at the front bumper.

Aaron

 

I saw that they have functional Folding ones on a Mercedes build...don’t recall if it was a Maybach.

 

Aaron,

I pulled my supplement again and noticed the different ride heights from the GLE 450. I had the speed wrong also...not 70 but 75 to lower in C mode.
Some of us are still trying to figure out if the AMG adjusts the active sway bars mechanically or by scanning with the camera like it does with E-ABC.
There are almost too many options and menu changes from the GLE 450 that also seemed a little too complicated drilling down to find info, IMO. There seems to be some added redundancy now and it’s like they just stuck some AMG options into an already complicated MBUX system. It would be better if we could drag and drop some menu selections similar to a smart phone.
Depending on your location in Canada you might have more wide open roads than in the Western US. There are some roads in Western Canada and even more in NW Canada that would be a lot of fun to drive with the AMG S/S+ settings. (But then I remember the road signs in Alaska citing Moose/Auto incidents)

 

I saw that too. It was on the new Maybach. But the shape of them was really weird looking.

 

I am without a GLE right now so I can't try things out. But before I turned in my 450 last September, I started putting my favorite settings into the Star (favorites) button for instant access. It looked like it would do as you are hoping.
I wonder if the Star button on the console would serve this function.

 

Interesting! Let me know if I can help on this.

Agreed. I'll have to try the STAR button out. I can't seem to find a way to navigate my Sirius presets quickly. I have the media display up in my instrument cluster for now.

I like the redundancy, to be honest, especially given now complex MBUX can be. Porsche is good at this as well.

We're in Calgary, so while we lack the 85 MPH interstates, we do have decent roads and tonnes of scenery. Just a little cold these days for high performance 'testing' with daytime highs in the mid 20-30°F's.

 

You can see it @ 0:40s of this video:

 

Would anyone say that the AIRMATIC Suspension is a must have ?

 

I would as a minimum. E-ABC or ARC one step up. The comfort/sport settings, height control and load leveling are all pluses.