Comfort and Sport mode
 

Can you guys really tell the difference between the two modes?
It must be so slight...because I can not really feel it.

Yes I can tell a difference in the shift points (seem to be quicker in sport mode) and the car starts in a lower gear in sport vs comfort.

the rear end of the car rises higher in comfort mode. if you're outside,press one of the mode and you'll see the difference in C/S mode.

Good point...I was concentrating on more of the suspension and not the shift points.. Thanks..I will pay more attention to that and just leave it in the sport mode :D I like speeding away.

And the front end remain at the same height in either modes?

The fronts go up as well. At least mine does.

Yes the car lowers it self by some amount of mm. Also the shocks respond quicker and the car doesn't float.

Isn't the main difference is starting off in first or second gear?

According to other member...it does starts off in different gear when in sport mode.

the ride is a lot stiffer in sport mode. the steering becomes more responsive. you have a lot more power available to you. I can def feel the difference when between the two

Just tested the sport mode this morning....it does seems like it launches quicker in this mode. It will stay in this mode from now on :)....unless I am on the freeway on a long trip.

Why would you switch to comfort while driving on the freeway? Comfort is actually meant to be driven in the city and sport + sport suspension is for freeway. All that is told in the manual too.

Acceleration and gear changes are much faster in sport mode.
Sport suspension is much more stiffer, so your car isn't so "bouncy". Trust me, you don't want your going up and down during high speeds.

Now think about it, when your about to overtake another car, then I assume you want to do it as fast and as safe as possible, that why you would use the sport mode, because if you put your foot down in comfort mode, the car doesn't do anything for a second or so and then starts accelerating. In sport, the acceleration is instant.

"You should only change the program mode when the automatic transmission is in park position P.
The last selected automatic program mode (C or S) is active when the engine is restarted.
Press the program mode selector switch repeatedly until the letter of the desired program mode appears in the multifunction display.

Selecting program mode C means:
The vehicle starts out more gentle, both forward and reverse, except when driving off with full throttle.
Traction and driving stability are improved on icy roads.
Upshifts occur earlier even when you give more gas. The engine then operates at lower revolutions and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Selecting program mode S means that upshifts occur later."

I did not know that you should be in P, when switching the modes. Thanks. and I will try to read up more in the manual on this.

yeah, i dont think putting the car in P to switch to S mode when entering the freeway is a good idea....

To answer the original question, as everyone has mentioned the response and shift points as well as the ride being softer in C. Not as noticeable in cold weather but in summer big difference on the ride quality.

Although i liked it in W220 better where trans and suspension can be set independed of each other.

I feel the difference in the 2012 between S and E mode...they really mean it when they say blue efficiency

Wow, shocked at some of the comments. I bought an S class for comfort. I notice an extreme difference in ride comfort when it is in C mode. Mine is in C mode all of the time. I have used S just for a change once in a while, and it is much more aggressive for sure, and handles better but also rides much rougher. To me this is a comfort machine. Just my opinion on how different the two modes are.

I would think the c on highway would be fine as well, since the car auto lowers in c at speeds as well.

Like the others here, I too notice a distinct difference in my 2007 S550. C(omfort) mode is a bit lumbering and cushy, but comfortable and smooth, S(port) mode, by contrast, is solid and stable, though still comfortable. I rarely use S mode, but find that if I am on the highway, heading into a steep curve, I will active the switchover. I do not, however, wait for the car to be at a stop or off, to switch the modes. I hope this doesn't ruin something over time.

Coming from a highly modded E55, the S550 is very smooth. However, it seem a bit too smooth and sometimes bouncy. Is that normal? All the struts have been replaced recently. I haven't driven it in sports mode, as I have no intention of going fast for quite some time.

Have you tried activating airmatic sport suspension? That should definitely make the ride less bouncy.

i tried that yesterday and today on the freeway, and it did make a huge difference. the vehicle doesn't rock around anymore, and is very comfortable on the freeway. It's not the same sport feeling as my previous E55. I think the best advise was to drive in S mode on the freeway, and in C mode in the city.

oh for gods sake. you act like this thing is dangerous on the highway in comfort mode. Its not even close. Is it a bit more bouncy, of course, but most people aren't doing 125mph around sweepers on the way to work. If you want to drive aggressively, use the bloody sport mode, if you are driving normally, comfort is fine.



You shouldn't. Its MB's attorneys writing the manual on the absolutely miniscule chance that this change from c>s will result in loss of vehicle control. Its bull****.

Switch it whenever the hell you want.

+1

I know I am in the states so I cannot drive 130MPH, but drive a few other cars, and let me know they they feel at speeds compared to our cars in C mode. The car does compensate at speeds in C mode too. If C mode is not good enough for normal highway driving, you need to buy a Porsche or something.

I came here looking for more info on this. I had been using S (without stopping and shifting into P) when I "need" it until I saw that part in the manual.

In S mode car starts in first gear and in c mode it starts in 2nd gear. As mentioned above the gear change stages differ between the two modes