New GLE450d 4MATIC coupe - E-Active Body Control
#1
New GLE450d 4MATIC coupe - E-Active Body Control
Hello. I have a new GLE450d 4MATIC coupe scheduled to order next month. I have also included the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL chassis in the configuration. I drive at cruising speed, but I'm not against a sharper ride now and then.
Should I keep the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL chassis option in the configuration or is it useless for me or will it be a source of some future problems?
Thank you all for the advice!
Should I keep the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL chassis option in the configuration or is it useless for me or will it be a source of some future problems?
Thank you all for the advice!
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
Hello. I have a new GLE450d 4MATIC coupe scheduled to order next month. I have also included the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL chassis in the configuration. I drive at cruising speed, but I'm not against a sharper ride now and then.
Should I keep the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL chassis option in the configuration or is it useless for me or will it be a source of some future problems?
Thank you all for the advice!
Should I keep the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL chassis option in the configuration or is it useless for me or will it be a source of some future problems?
Thank you all for the advice!
I love the immediacy of my E-ABC switching from the different drive modes (sport+, sport, comfort, and curve). Curve is really nice on windy roads. I really enjoy how it makes dips and speed bumps almost disappear. Would I get it again? Only if they further improve the system in comfort mode. I feel like it could be better in that regard.
Last edited by wildta; 10-28-2023 at 11:07 AM.
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 4,950
Received 1,637 Likes
on
1,206 Posts
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former- 10&14 ML BlueTecs, 20 GLE450 E-ABC, 15 Cayenne D, 17 Macan
My passengers liked the Curve function, but I found it hard to adapt to as a driver.
That function is designed to eliminate G forces, but if you don't feel the G's, the feedback is eliminated and you tend to give more steering input than is needed. I could never be smooth because E-ABC removed feedback.
Its anticipation of lane-width dips/bumps is amazing.
OTOH, AMG ARC is better with dips/bumps that only affect one side. Which is more often than full width things.
That function is designed to eliminate G forces, but if you don't feel the G's, the feedback is eliminated and you tend to give more steering input than is needed. I could never be smooth because E-ABC removed feedback.
Its anticipation of lane-width dips/bumps is amazing.
OTOH, AMG ARC is better with dips/bumps that only affect one side. Which is more often than full width things.
#6
MBWorld Fanatic!
#7
Member
eABC in town with potholes feels pretty much like regular Airmatic - it should, they both use air springs.
eABC at night is de-activated. I can always tell the difference between day and night driving on the same roads. eABC at night will feel almost the same as Airmatic w/ Active Ride Control (maybe not as firm as an AMG tuned ride though). You don’t feel side to side motion, but the amplitude of vertical motion is definitely different.
All that said, the purpose is in the name - body control. eABC prevents excessive motion at all four corners which reduces head toss while in any of the selected modes. I previously had an ML550 with Active Curve (hydraulic sway bars - older version of Active Ride Control) and an X5 with Air Suspension and adaptive dampers. What makes the difference is the suspension is decoupled side to side. I couldn’t stand the head toss in my X5 after driving an ML with hydraulic sway bars for years. My head was bobbing side to side in the X5 and there was too much vertical motion (together they both create a waterbed sensation) from multiple suspension rebounds on the highway.
On a straight road with eABC, a wheel can drop into a heave and the body will not fall on that side with the wheel. You can drive over speed tables with little discernible body motion. You’ll hear the bump, but won’t feel the “jump.”
In terms of curvy road driving, I use Curve mode all the time. It rides like Comfort mode, but dips the body into a corner to make it more comfortable. I use it almost daily for highway on and off ramps - it’s just a nice way to go around a corner. You can adjust how much it dips - there’s 3 levels to choose. At level 1 I hardly notice it at all. I leave mine on Level 3 because it feels more comfortable to me. However, it can mislead you into thinking your tires have more cornering grip than you actually have - so keep in mind that Curve mode is for comfort and not performance, you’ll be fine.
eABC GLEs are also programmed with both a Sport+ and a Sport mode - Airmatic and steel spring versions have Sport only from what I’ve seen.
Sport+ is great, but I rarely use it. I prefer Curve mode. Sport+ keeps the GLE completely flat and has much better throttle / transmission response. But I prefer smooth shifts and light acceleration - hence Curve mode.
If you drive long distance with the occasional side trip, it can be worth it. If you’re just puttering around town, save the cost and stick with the steel spring suspension - you won’t really notice it on short trips. Regular Airmatic is also a great option if you want more than one driving mode for the suspension - just depends on your priorities as a driver.
I would choose it again if I ordered another GLE - but I’m in the US where it can’t be ordered any longer. I usually drive 20k miles per year for reference.
The following users liked this post:
wildta (10-28-2023)
Trending Topics
#8
Thank you very much for the comprehensive answer!
I will probably delete the eABC extension. As I work from home, my monthly mileage is around +-1000 kilometers.
Longer routes are occasional (work) and I plan them mainly for the summer, when my wife and I travel around Europe. I am primarily concerned with the greatest possible comfort during any ride, whether the distances are short or long and the roads are good or not so good. I subjected all of this to my car configuration, which is at the maximum possible.
eABC seemed like a suitable extension for such a fully equipped car, it seemed like it would be a welcome increase in driving comfort ... the ignorance is obvious .. I'm not well versed in these car systems, my job is in IT.
Could that free standard chassis with adaptive shock absorbers (SA-215) fully satisfy me in terms of driving characteristics and comfort? Are there also different driving modes (hardness, chassis height)?
I know that all this will be answered by the seller, but I am worried that his answers will not be very objective, we all want to sell as well as possible ... and therefore my questions here directed directly at the owners of these cars with their personal experiences, which are invaluable ...
I will probably delete the eABC extension. As I work from home, my monthly mileage is around +-1000 kilometers.
Longer routes are occasional (work) and I plan them mainly for the summer, when my wife and I travel around Europe. I am primarily concerned with the greatest possible comfort during any ride, whether the distances are short or long and the roads are good or not so good. I subjected all of this to my car configuration, which is at the maximum possible.
eABC seemed like a suitable extension for such a fully equipped car, it seemed like it would be a welcome increase in driving comfort ... the ignorance is obvious .. I'm not well versed in these car systems, my job is in IT.
Could that free standard chassis with adaptive shock absorbers (SA-215) fully satisfy me in terms of driving characteristics and comfort? Are there also different driving modes (hardness, chassis height)?
I know that all this will be answered by the seller, but I am worried that his answers will not be very objective, we all want to sell as well as possible ... and therefore my questions here directed directly at the owners of these cars with their personal experiences, which are invaluable ...
#9
Senior Member
I just made a long road trip from Florida to Las Vegas and back in a brand new GLE 450 with the AirMatic suspension, The ride was very comfortable in with the Comfort setting on the Interstate. Especially when on roads in Texas with an 85 mph speed limit. The AirMatic in the sport setting made a noticeable difference on twisty mountain roads in Arizona. I made the same drive several years ago with the previous model GLE with a steel suspension. The ride was not as comfortable and performance on twisty mountain roads was not very good. I have been very pleased so far with the AirMatic suspension and would recommend it.
#10
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Lake Oswego, OR
Posts: 6,607
Received 1,186 Likes
on
853 Posts
2020 GLE 450; 2023 BMW M2 Coupe
E-ABC
Thank you very much for the comprehensive answer!
I will probably delete the eABC extension. As I work from home, my monthly mileage is around +-1000 kilometers.
Longer routes are occasional (work) and I plan them mainly for the summer, when my wife and I travel around Europe. I am primarily concerned with the greatest possible comfort during any ride, whether the distances are short or long and the roads are good or not so good. I subjected all of this to my car configuration, which is at the maximum possible.
eABC seemed like a suitable extension for such a fully equipped car, it seemed like it would be a welcome increase in driving comfort ... the ignorance is obvious .. I'm not well versed in these car systems, my job is in IT.
Could that free standard chassis with adaptive shock absorbers (SA-215) fully satisfy me in terms of driving characteristics and comfort? Are there also different driving modes (hardness, chassis height)?
I know that all this will be answered by the seller, but I am worried that his answers will not be very objective, we all want to sell as well as possible ... and therefore my questions here directed directly at the owners of these cars with their personal experiences, which are invaluable ...
I will probably delete the eABC extension. As I work from home, my monthly mileage is around +-1000 kilometers.
Longer routes are occasional (work) and I plan them mainly for the summer, when my wife and I travel around Europe. I am primarily concerned with the greatest possible comfort during any ride, whether the distances are short or long and the roads are good or not so good. I subjected all of this to my car configuration, which is at the maximum possible.
eABC seemed like a suitable extension for such a fully equipped car, it seemed like it would be a welcome increase in driving comfort ... the ignorance is obvious .. I'm not well versed in these car systems, my job is in IT.
Could that free standard chassis with adaptive shock absorbers (SA-215) fully satisfy me in terms of driving characteristics and comfort? Are there also different driving modes (hardness, chassis height)?
I know that all this will be answered by the seller, but I am worried that his answers will not be very objective, we all want to sell as well as possible ... and therefore my questions here directed directly at the owners of these cars with their personal experiences, which are invaluable ...
#11
Member
I am primarily concerned with the greatest possible comfort during any ride, whether the distances are short or long and the roads are good or not so good.
Could that free standard chassis with adaptive shock absorbers (SA-215) fully satisfy me in terms of driving characteristics and comfort? Are there also different driving modes (hardness, chassis height)?
Could that free standard chassis with adaptive shock absorbers (SA-215) fully satisfy me in terms of driving characteristics and comfort? Are there also different driving modes (hardness, chassis height)?
It is cheaper, gives a similar amount of comfort as eABC, and gives you suspension changes between drive modes that are noticeable.
GregW is correct - Road Surface Scan is what deactivates at night for eABC. The suspension itself still functions the same across modes - it just doesn’t anticipate what is ahead and compensate like it does during daytime. The effect is that the same roads will feel different when driving at night. I wasn’t aware MB allowed eABC to be optioned without Driver’s Assist - thought that was an early supply constraint.
#12
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Lake Oswego, OR
Posts: 6,607
Received 1,186 Likes
on
853 Posts
2020 GLE 450; 2023 BMW M2 Coupe
I am still very pissed that I spent a lot of money on a neutered system. Road Surface Scan is the most useful of the features. There was nothing in the DOG or on Netstar indicating the DA package was required and I didn’t figure out it wasn’t working for a long time, just figured it wasn’t that good.
The following users liked this post:
mikapen (10-30-2023)
#13
Uff, difficult decision, gentlemen, you are not making it very easy for me.
It's not so much about the money spent on eABC, it's more about having the GLE as comfortable as possible, so that this extension helps me, not hinders me.
If the turns will be "smooth" without unnecessary tilts, if the system will help me drive out of a deep snowdrift, if the car will "iron out" the unevenness of the road, if it has driving options and settings according to my needs, and if thanks to it I won't often have to go to the "depot" with the car " (service) ... so I'm all for it.
Assistants in my configuration:
- Active driving assistant
- Speed adaptation assistant
- Speedlimit Assist Speedlimit Assist
- Active Traffic Assist
It's not so much about the money spent on eABC, it's more about having the GLE as comfortable as possible, so that this extension helps me, not hinders me.
If the turns will be "smooth" without unnecessary tilts, if the system will help me drive out of a deep snowdrift, if the car will "iron out" the unevenness of the road, if it has driving options and settings according to my needs, and if thanks to it I won't often have to go to the "depot" with the car " (service) ... so I'm all for it.
Assistants in my configuration:
- Active driving assistant
- Speed adaptation assistant
- Speedlimit Assist Speedlimit Assist
- Active Traffic Assist
#15
MBWorld Fanatic!
Uff, difficult decision, gentlemen, you are not making it very easy for me.
It's not so much about the money spent on eABC, it's more about having the GLE as comfortable as possible, so that this extension helps me, not hinders me.
If the turns will be "smooth" without unnecessary tilts, if the system will help me drive out of a deep snowdrift, if the car will "iron out" the unevenness of the road, if it has driving options and settings according to my needs, and if thanks to it I won't often have to go to the "depot" with the car " (service) ... so I'm all for it.
Assistants in my configuration:
- Active driving assistant
- Speed adaptation assistant
- Speedlimit Assist Speedlimit Assist
- Active Traffic Assist
It's not so much about the money spent on eABC, it's more about having the GLE as comfortable as possible, so that this extension helps me, not hinders me.
If the turns will be "smooth" without unnecessary tilts, if the system will help me drive out of a deep snowdrift, if the car will "iron out" the unevenness of the road, if it has driving options and settings according to my needs, and if thanks to it I won't often have to go to the "depot" with the car " (service) ... so I'm all for it.
Assistants in my configuration:
- Active driving assistant
- Speed adaptation assistant
- Speedlimit Assist Speedlimit Assist
- Active Traffic Assist
#16
Senior Member
#17
Yes, the Magic Vision Control adaptive windshield washer/wiper system is also in the configuration.
I also have independent heating and ventilation there, sometimes it gets quite cold here in the winter and even if the car is in the garage, it is useful when traveling (+ bonus ventilation)... I also had it on my old CLK, the current CLS does not have independent heating and I miss it .
I also have independent heating and ventilation there, sometimes it gets quite cold here in the winter and even if the car is in the garage, it is useful when traveling (+ bonus ventilation)... I also had it on my old CLK, the current CLS does not have independent heating and I miss it .
The following users liked this post:
stktyz33 (10-30-2023)