How's the steering on the W164? Tight? Floaty?
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Joined: Jul 2022
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2013 C300 Sport 4MATIC
How's the steering on the W164? Tight? Floaty?
I'm interested in picking one of these up but haven't test driven one yet--compared to say the Comfort Mode on a 2018 GLE, how do these tend to handle? Light steering or more on the heavier side?
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2022
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2013 C300 Sport 4MATIC
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Joined: Apr 2024
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ML350 Bluetec
There's a button lower left where you can select Sport- Normal - Comfort. I prefer the "normal" for daily driving and choose "comfort" on long highway drives. There is also a button (to the right) which lifts the car when you need to pass some high obstacle (only when driving slowly)
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 622
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From: CA
11 ML550, 95 Supra TT, 14 Audi S4
You only get the button with air suspension. I had it on my GL (all X164 GLs have it but it was optional on W164 MLs). Pros: Cushier ride and is better when pulling a heavy trailer since the rear end doesn't sag. Cons: The front shocks fail regularly when the airbag develops a leak that starts out as sagging overnight and progresses to undriveable when the leak gets big enough so that the pump can't keep up (and driving around with leaking shocks will kill the expensive pump). The shocks aren't cheap and if you're paying someone to do the work for you, installation isn't either. There's a thread on the topic currently going in the GL forum, and book time for both is apparently 3.5 hours. Fortunately, the rear airbags that are seperate from the shock are sturdier - I only had to replace mine once in 250K miles.
I don't miss it on my ML. Also, changing suspension firmness with the button didn't change the feel of the steering on my GL - it was much weightier in all modes than the steering on my ML. I didn't find the ability to change modes very useful. Comfort is really wallowy and sport is too stiff IMO on anything but smooth roads, although it did like it for towing.
I don't miss it on my ML. Also, changing suspension firmness with the button didn't change the feel of the steering on my GL - it was much weightier in all modes than the steering on my ML. I didn't find the ability to change modes very useful. Comfort is really wallowy and sport is too stiff IMO on anything but smooth roads, although it did like it for towing.
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Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 18
Likes: 1
2013 C300 Sport 4MATIC
You only get the button with air suspension. I had it on my GL (all X164 GLs have it but it was optional on W164 MLs). Pros: Cushier ride and is better when pulling a heavy trailer since the rear end doesn't sag. Cons: The front shocks fail regularly when the airbag develops a leak that starts out as sagging overnight and progresses to undriveable when the leak gets big enough so that the pump can't keep up (and driving around with leaking shocks will kill the expensive pump). The shocks aren't cheap and if you're paying someone to do the work for you, installation isn't either. There's a thread on the topic currently going in the GL forum, and book time for both is apparently 3.5 hours. Fortunately, the rear airbags that are seperate from the shock are sturdier - I only had to replace mine once in 250K miles.
I don't miss it on my ML. Also, changing suspension firmness with the button didn't change the feel of the steering on my GL - it was much weightier in all modes than the steering on my ML. I didn't find the ability to change modes very useful. Comfort is really wallowy and sport is too stiff IMO on anything but smooth roads, although it did like it for towing.
I don't miss it on my ML. Also, changing suspension firmness with the button didn't change the feel of the steering on my GL - it was much weightier in all modes than the steering on my ML. I didn't find the ability to change modes very useful. Comfort is really wallowy and sport is too stiff IMO on anything but smooth roads, although it did like it for towing.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 622
Likes: 202
From: CA
11 ML550, 95 Supra TT, 14 Audi S4
Both. They're both tied to the air suspension that is optional on an ML. With air suspension, you can alter the damping and you can also raise the suspension a few inches although the ride quality is atrocious, and it lowers after you hit a certain speed (the GL and I assume ML also change ride height automatically in normal mode based on speed with air suspension) There is also an off road package that could be ordered on top of the air suspension has more drive/suspension options and a locking center diff, but those are pretty rare, especially on MLs.
Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 104
Likes: 21
From: Portland, Oregon USA
2010 ML350 Bluetec, Alfa Romeo GTV6
I have a diesel 2010 ML350 and my friend has a W166 ML350 (2013 I think?). Mine feels much more classic German, nicely weighted steering, good damping.
His has much lighter and more vague steering, and seems a little floaty. His might need new shocks, ours have newer Bilsteins.
But even the car rags complained about the change in steering feel from the W164 to W166.
His has much lighter and more vague steering, and seems a little floaty. His might need new shocks, ours have newer Bilsteins.
But even the car rags complained about the change in steering feel from the W164 to W166.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 18
Likes: 1
2013 C300 Sport 4MATIC
I have a diesel 2010 ML350 and my friend has a W166 ML350 (2013 I think?). Mine feels much more classic German, nicely weighted steering, good damping.
His has much lighter and more vague steering, and seems a little floaty. His might need new shocks, ours have newer Bilsteins.
But even the car rags complained about the change in steering feel from the W164 to W166.
His has much lighter and more vague steering, and seems a little floaty. His might need new shocks, ours have newer Bilsteins.
But even the car rags complained about the change in steering feel from the W164 to W166.
Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 104
Likes: 21
From: Portland, Oregon USA
2010 ML350 Bluetec, Alfa Romeo GTV6
