akbro93704

hey!
I have a question...how much quieter(wind noise, road noise,thumping,booming) is the S-class than the E-class?? Ive never been in the S-class but I've been in the new generation E320 alot, and it has very low road noise and only a slight wind noise from the side windows at speeds about 75 MPH..how would you rate the quietness of the S-class??thanks!!
PS-I know it depends on tire and wheel sizes....

absent

After my E55 it is way too quiet!(even with Brabus exhaust)

akbro93704

That sucks because im sure i wanna hear that awesome V12!

DMI+RY

IMHO W211 is not as quiet as advertised. When I first tried W211 after driving for a while Lexus 430 and Infiniti Q45, W211 were much noisier. On the other hand, W220 is deadly quiet (with windows closed) – actually the quietest vehicle I ever drove so far.
The best ay to test – go to MB dealership and test drive W211 first and after that W220. Your question would disappear…

GDawgC220

I think Lexus is one of the most quiet cars out there with all their insulation in their cars :p

At car shows, when I sit in a lexus and shut the door, you can't hear the crowds outside at all. The w220 comes close but just a tad short of Lexus in insulation.

I have not driven or had a ride in the w211 yet, so I can't comment on that, but the w220 is pretty quiet (minus our crappy ContiCH95's which are noisy! Replacing with either SP5000's, Yoko dB S2's or ContiPremierContact (80k mileage treadwear warranty!!!))

Dema

So, you can't hear emergency car behind you? It's cool, however it can be dangerous in some situations.

vraa

You can, the cars just selective. You can't hear a lot of those annoying exhausts, a lot of pedestrian stuff, traffic, but you can hear emergency vehicles, honks and other things. It's kinda cool.

GDawgC220

haha.

You know how loud emergency vehicle sirens are...you stand next to one and your gonna go deaf for a little bit :p

obviously in any car, you can hear emergency cars coming up (you should be checking your rearview too ) but VRAA got it.

jprescott

I had a 2000 S430 and got into an 03' E500. I have had many problems with this change but by far the biggest is the noise factor. The S was dead quiet at any speed. A big part of this is the double safty glass( which I think is standard). Either way, W211 is not noisy by any means, but compared to an S there's a huge difference. The difference is so important to me that I look forward to getting into the new body style( good photo in autospy.com today) or the Lexus LS500 when they redo it.

DMI+RY

Yep, as I noted before... Before I got my S500 I tried W220 and W211 side by side testing each one and there is a HUGE difference in noise (size, feel and space) factors, but especially NOISE! Its all could only be tested in comparison. On the other hand W211 was quite acceptable in noise comparing to Beemers 5-series and Audi A6...

S350L-E240

Definately a huge difference,

Every aspect has its change,
Road noise, Honks ( in india people honk like tawts ) traffic noise and those beggars askin for money cant be heard either in W220!

in the E, you just have to pop them a rupee!

highstylinS430

From owning a S430 (not driven the W211 yet), the S feels like it glides along the highway. It's more of an experience riding in a S with the Airmatic suspension and the extended wheelbase. Yet, the car is amazingly easy to handle and you don't feel the size.

S350L-E240

hey man,
How does the 430 drive compared to mine 350 ?

highstylinS430

Hmm haven't driven the S350L. I'm from the US.....been years since I've been in India. But the S class in general are awesome cars like anyone driven an S will definitely say. Driven the S500 & S600 but no matter which one you drive, they've all got a great ride. Wish in the US we had the TV tuner as a standard feature like Europe (although it can be put in aftermarket installation).

S350L-E240

hey man in india even if u have the TV tuner, it just does not work,
Just very very few channels that come,
But heck Espn wudnt come on so i dun care,

LIONHEAD

With a '02 S500 and '04 E500.....the S is quieter IMO.

S350L-E240

Lionhead what colour is ur E?
Lovely combo with the grill and the wheels
Mind popping me some more details?

LIONHEAD

It's Tectite Grey/Stone with CL Style Grill.

DMI+RY

W220 A LOT QUITER than W211!
You can feel it from the second you start you engine...
I've tested W220 vs W211 for "noise/comfort/ride quality" many times driving one right after another... After S-Class W211 sounds TERRIBLY loud - NO comparison!

LIONHEAD

But the W211 is much more fun to drive.

DMI+RY

Yep!
It is much smaller vehicle with short wheelbase and it is much more agile on the road (compare to W220). Especially the "beast" E500 (not even talking about E55). Going toward that end M5 is even more fun to drive
Yet, considering the size and ride quality of W220 it gives surprisingly agile and quite sporty feel while driving (especially comparing to others in this class range, like W140 etc.)