I don't live in an area where we frequent snowy conditions, or ice etc.. Was just wondering if anyone can comment on how well the 4-Matic system works or not on this vehicle. My wife is worried that the front in is a little low for deeper snow covered roads like when we go camping and such. My guess as this vehicle is at least as good as any Subaru or Audi type vehicle.

 

The 4-matic in these cars is phenomenal in my experience...of course, it is all a function of tires..

That being said, if you expect to go into areas with high accumulation better get those snow tires.

Otherwise, I have yet to have anything that I can't negotiate with fairly significant ease.

 

last year I had gotten the new 2009 Nav DVD...

one snowy Sunday night, I had loaded the wife, 3 month old baby, the 95lb Black Russian Terrier, and our Danish neighbors (the wife was pregnant too).. into my E500 wagon and headed up to Barnard VT from NYC (about a 6 hour drive in the snow)...

we were within 15 miles of the house.. I noted what appeared to be a shortcut on the NAV... I proceeded to leave the paved Route 100 and decided to take the shortcut.. In VT.. most of the side roads are gravel.. so it was no surprise to be trucking along on an unpaved road.. but it had been plowed.. (10 inches of snow)... somehow, I missed the turnoff to the second part of the shortcut.. so I turned around.. and I missed it again..(all at 20 mph) ...one more time.. and this time I see the road (little road) it had been driven on ..but not plowed... being the macho E500 driver that I am.. I simply pressed the air suspension and raised her up! (I had fitted dedicated Dunlop 3D high performance snow tires on my original 17" rims) ...

we bounced along and had absolutely no issues with traction or even clearance for that matter...after about 2 miles... we came up on a crest.. and my lights were facing straight up into the forest canopy.. So I hopped out of the car and trudged 20 feet forward of the car to see what was up ahead... I am lucky that I had stopped.. or I would have plopped myself into the middle of a creek.. we were clearly on an ATV or snowmobile trail...luckily, I was able to back and barely turn the car around... If I had been in a G wagon with a winch.. I might have tried the creek... but not with my E wagon! Needless to say.. but it was as quiet as a church in the car for the rest of the trip..

the point to my story is that with the proper tires.. the 4matic system is fabulous.. only at the point of needing more clearance would you risk getting stuck....

 

I was in ID over the holiday. Our R350 was awesome in the snow on dirt roads and on the highway. We had no issues at all. The roads were mix with some packed snow and others with fresh snow. We did get stuck once. I went off a dirt road with snow on it. I pulled of to the side and got high centered in the snow. Rocked back and forth a bit and got going again on the road. If you want to drive in the snow the 4matic is the best. I have some videos and will post links later.

below are some pictures of our trip -

 

I was too chicken to drive 4 matic up on the slope with similar depth of snow as the first picture mainly cuz it's a loaner ML350. Trying to make u-turn, got stock, try different techniques, able to free the car. I would try it with my R350 in couple weeks to Lake Tahoe again.