Dealer just sent me a photo of my new Black Beauty! I'll be picking her up in the morning, and be sure to be looking out for my 222 MBC vs Airmatic ride review, for I believe I may be amongst a very small few who has owned 2 W222's already.....
Dealer just sent me a photo of my new Black Beauty! I'll be picking her up in the morning, and be sure to be looking out for my 222 MBC vs Airmatic ride review, for I believe I may be amongst a very small few who has owned 2 W222's already.....
We can't wait for your review Kratos. She looks beautiful!!
Dealer just sent me a photo of my new Black Beauty! I'll be picking her up in the morning, and be sure to be looking out for my 222 MBC vs Airmatic ride review, for I believe I may be amongst a very small few who has owned 2 W222's already.....
Awesome look, do you know why MBC is not on the S63
At a red light right now, but I had to text this........... OMG, so smooooooothe. Night and Day difference from previous 222. This is how the world's best car is supposed to drive. Can't wait to get to a computer and do a review!
At a red light right now, but I had to text this........... OMG, so smooooooothe. Night and Day difference from previous 222. This is how the world's best car is supposed to drive. Can't wait to get to a computer and do a review!
Ok, I have a lot to type, because MBC is not the only change that has occurred. Apparently Mercedes does a ton of tweaking and updates from year to year that we don't know about, because it's not stated. Only by owning consecutive years would you notice.
So where do we start first.....well, lets start with fit and finish. The first thing I noticed immediately when entering the car was that the wood finish and leather panels were much cleaner. The metalized ash wood was smoother, shinier, and less playful than my 2014 ash wood. It is much more luxurious. It has a more polished look to it, where as my previous ash had a "rougher" edgy look. Where the wood meets the leather on the steering wheel is also MUCH cleaner. On my 14, there were huge gaps right there, but now the two meet each other very beautifully. The leather panels also have better stitching and finish. Also I notice that I no longer have the misalignment of the wood as it traverses from door to dash. Another BIG improvement is my exterior paint quality. My 15 black paints looks smoother, and more polished. My 14 paint had a rough look, kind of sand papery. And it had spots from the factory that I could never wash out. And on the 15, there's less of the "orange peel" look. Mercedes is definitely upgrading their fit/finish year to year. It is a SIGNIFICANT difference.
Next I notice the 2 screens had different color tones and a sharper image. The wife said, "The screens look more elegant now with the display." She noticed it immediately. Their are new options within each menu category that was not there on my 2014. For example on the main dash, there is a new option on the home screen titled "Assistance Graphic". This was not on my 2014 (or at least I don't remember it). There are many "subtle" additions and different ways to navigate through options, but it would be too nit-picky to try to name them all, but this is just another example to show that MB is constantly tweaking EVERY aspect of the car.
One mechanical aspect that I noticed is that the car automatically engages the parking brake every time you go in park. And you have to remember to disengage before you start driving. This never happened on my 14. Maybe the option to do that was always there, I don't know. But I haven't figured out how to stop it from doing that on the 15, if I even can. It is annoying to remember though, lol. I'll play through the menu and see if I can stop that parking brake from engaging every time. If someone drives my car, that's gonna be an issue big time. Even if I tell them, they still won't remember it.
In driving there are definitely some MB tweakings that went on. First off, my steering assist is more aggressive now. It helps on steeper curves which my 14 wouldn't even attempt to do. It also reads the road quicker and adjusts quicker. I LOVE this tweak because I felt like my 14's assist was rather lazy. Another thing I noticed is that it doesn't disengage as frequently, in fact not nearly. In my 14, if I changed lanes or got off track, it would immediately kick off. With my 15, it doesn't do that, it stays active the whole time trying to adjust in every situation. This is a huge plus because I feel like I'm working less to keep something going that's supposed to be working for me. This tweaks proves many things. And one of those things is that it shows that Mercedes is gonna make the driving assist features stronger and more aggressive on every year model throughout the generation to lead up to the 223's full auto drive capabilities in 2020. That's my opinion on this subject.
Now on to MBC vs Airmatic. When I took off down the interstate from the dealership, I immediately noticed the tracking of the car. Changing lanes was much smoother and more grounded. It was like the car was glued to the road riding on rails. I couldn't feel any cross-winds at all altering my tracking. ABC allowed hitting steep curves to be less impact on the body sway which I also liked.
Now the MAIN reason I switched to the upgraded suspension was to eliminate that horrible horse cart body rock from side to side when you hit uneven terrain, and let me tell you, that aspect is gone, and now I can hit a bump without any rocking. This ALONE is worth the 5000 dollar upgrade from the Airmatic. Even if MBC doesn't work, the ABC eliminating that rock is justified in the money. I hated that bobblehead affect and I'm so glad that it's gone. In the 222, the Airmatic suspension is set overly soft in my opinion, and you need a suspension that controls itself. The new ABC constantly adjusts to keep you from feeling how soft it is. It doesn't make the bumps more harsh, they actually feel the same, but you don't react to the bumps as much. How this is done bewilders me, but MB pulled it off.
Now to the MBC portion of the ABC.......it works, it's incredibly cool,......but it's finicky. You have to hit the bump just right with the right amount of speed and the right amount of foot on the accelerator for it to work. Going into the bump while braking, it won't kick in.....foot must be on the gas. And going into the bump too "hot", will cause it not to turn on too. It's like the computer has a brain of its own and is judging whether or not it wants to kick the MBC in based on your approach. Gas must be slight, but not too little or too much. This makes it difficult to want to engage MBC for passengers while going "down hill", because since you need to be on the gas, you have to slow up to almost a stop way before the bump, then engage the gas right before you hit the bump. If you engage the gas too close to the bump, the car doesn't have enough room to scan for MBC. If you engage the gas too far away from the bump and hit it at too hot a speed, MBC doesn't come on on that one too. Plus you'll more than likely brake right before the bump because it's too hot a speed, leaving you back to scenario number one. The downhill approaches are indeed tough. I'm learning each day how to give it what it wants and MBC is working for me more and more as I learn the car. It's finicky..............BUT......... I'll tell ya this, it may not work for you all the time, but when it does, gosh o golly, it's a beautiful thing. You'll sit there in amazement not feeling a bump that would have another car jumping around like a kid with ants.
The 15 is A LOT better than my 14. Not just in the suspension but in every category. And for those of you not getting MBC, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice, because you will not get to see how this luxurious car was purposed to ride. No more rocking and much better tracking control. And when that Magic "occasionally" kicks in, it's indeed magic.
Kratos, thank you so much for the awesome review. The improved features on your 2015 are making me jealous. I am happy for you. The one thing that I question though is the workings of MBC. It seems, as you stated, quite finicky. In any case, there is no way that I would get that option here in snow and ice country. Now, if MBC came with AWD, it would be another story. Congratulations Kratos! It sure sounds like you bought yourself a big winner.
I went from a 2014 S550 with MBC to a 2015 S63 4matic. I do notice the 15's are better fitted in terms of interior. Granted I only had the 2015 for about an hour or so but I did notice the better feel of the interior.
Ok, I have a lot to type, because MBC is not the only change that has occurred. Apparently Mercedes does a ton of tweaking and updates from year to year that we don't know about, because it's not stated. Only by owning consecutive years would you notice.
So where do we start first.....well, lets start with fit and finish. The first thing I noticed immediately when entering the car was that the wood finish and leather panels were much cleaner. The metalized ash wood was smoother, shinier, and less playful than my 2014 ash wood. It is much more luxurious. It has a more polished look to it, where as my previous ash had a "rougher" edgy look. Where the wood meets the leather on the steering wheel is also MUCH cleaner. On my 14, there were huge gaps right there, but now the two meet each other very beautifully. The leather panels also have better stitching and finish. Also I notice that I no longer have the misalignment of the wood as it traverses from door to dash. Another BIG improvement is my exterior paint quality. My 15 black paints looks smoother, and more polished. My 14 paint had a rough look, kind of sand papery. And it had spots from the factory that I could never wash out. And on the 15, there's less of the "orange peel" look. Mercedes is definitely upgrading their fit/finish year to year. It is a SIGNIFICANT difference.
Next I notice the 2 screens had different color tones and a sharper image. The wife said, "The screens look more elegant now with the display." She noticed it immediately. Their are new options within each menu category that was not there on my 2014. For example on the main dash, there is a new option on the home screen titled "Assistance Graphic". This was not on my 2014 (or at least I don't remember it). There are many "subtle" additions and different ways to navigate through options, but it would be too nit-picky to try to name them all, but this is just another example to show that MB is constantly tweaking EVERY aspect of the car.
One mechanical aspect that I noticed is that the car automatically engages the parking brake every time you go in park. And you have to remember to disengage before you start driving. This never happened on my 14. Maybe the option to do that was always there, I don't know. But I haven't figured out how to stop it from doing that on the 15, if I even can. It is annoying to remember though, lol. I'll play through the menu and see if I can stop that parking brake from engaging every time. If someone drives my car, that's gonna be an issue big time. Even if I tell them, they still won't remember it.
In driving there are definitely some MB tweakings that went on. First off, my steering assist is more aggressive now. It helps on steeper curves which my 14 wouldn't even attempt to do. It also reads the road quicker and adjusts quicker. I LOVE this tweak because I felt like my 14's assist was rather lazy. Another thing I noticed is that it doesn't disengage as frequently, in fact not nearly. In my 14, if I changed lanes or got off track, it would immediately kick off. With my 15, it doesn't do that, it stays active the whole time trying to adjust in every situation. This is a huge plus because I feel like I'm working less to keep something going that's supposed to be working for me. This tweaks proves many things. And one of those things is that it shows that Mercedes is gonna make the driving assist features stronger and more aggressive on every year model throughout the generation to lead up to the 223's full auto drive capabilities in 2020. That's my opinion on this subject.
Now on to MBC vs Airmatic. When I took off down the interstate from the dealership, I immediately noticed the tracking of the car. Changing lanes was much smoother and more grounded. It was like the car was glued to the road riding on rails. I couldn't feel any cross-winds at all altering my tracking. ABC allowed hitting steep curves to be less impact on the body sway which I also liked.
Now the MAIN reason I switched to the upgraded suspension was to eliminate that horrible horse cart body rock from side to side when you hit uneven terrain, and let me tell you, that aspect is gone, and now I can hit a bump without any rocking. This ALONE is worth the 5000 dollar upgrade from the Airmatic. Even if MBC doesn't work, the ABC eliminating that rock is justified in the money. I hated that bobblehead affect and I'm so glad that it's gone. In the 222, the Airmatic suspension is set overly soft in my opinion, and you need a suspension that controls itself. The new ABC constantly adjusts to keep you from feeling how soft it is. It doesn't make the bumps more harsh, they actually feel the same, but you don't react to the bumps as much. How this is done bewilders me, but MB pulled it off.
Now to the MBC portion of the ABC.......it works, it's incredibly cool,......but it's finicky. You have to hit the bump just right with the right amount of speed and the right amount of foot on the accelerator for it to work. Going into the bump while braking, it won't kick in.....foot must be on the gas. And going into the bump too "hot", will cause it not to turn on too. It's like the computer has a brain of its own and is judging whether or not it wants to kick the MBC in based on your approach. Gas must be slight, but not too little or too much. This makes it difficult to want to engage MBC for passengers while going "down hill", because since you need to be on the gas, you have to slow up to almost a stop way before the bump, then engage the gas right before you hit the bump. If you engage the gas too close to the bump, the car doesn't have enough room to scan for MBC. If you engage the gas too far away from the bump and hit it at too hot a speed, MBC doesn't come on on that one too. Plus you'll more than likely brake right before the bump because it's too hot a speed, leaving you back to scenario number one. The downhill approaches are indeed tough. I'm learning each day how to give it what it wants and MBC is working for me more and more as I learn the car. It's finicky..............BUT......... I'll tell ya this, it may not work for you all the time, but when it does, gosh o golly, it's a beautiful thing. You'll sit there in amazement not feeling a bump that would have another car jumping around like a kid with ants.
The 15 is A LOT better than my 14. Not just in the suspension but in every category. And for those of you not getting MBC, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice, because you will not get to see how this luxurious car was purposed to ride. No more rocking and much better tracking control. And when that Magic "occasionally" kicks in, it's indeed magic.
great review...congrats on your much improved new ride.
Congrats on your new ride and thank you for this detailed review , it is like an extract from Car and Driver or Winding Road
Parking brake engage is a subtle yet big tweak in comparison with 14 vs 15 .
One mechanical aspect that I noticed is that the car automatically engages the parking brake every time you go in park. And you have to remember to disengage before you start driving. This never happened on my 14. Maybe the option to do that was always there, I don't know. But I haven't figured out how to stop it from doing that on the 15, if I even can. It is annoying to remember though, lol. I'll play through the menu and see if I can stop that parking brake from engaging every time. If someone drives my car, that's gonna be an issue big time. Even if I tell them, they still won't remember it.
First and foremost congratulations!
Manual: “To prevent the electric parking brake from being automatically applied, pull handle.” Possibly dealer can change this using Xentry because as you say this can be a concern when others use the vehicle.
One mechanical aspect that I noticed is that the car automatically engages the parking brake every time you go in park. And you have to remember to disengage before you start driving.
On my '14 S550 4matic one does not have to remember to disengage the parking brake. If you start driving with the brake on, the brake automatically disengages. That way, as has been discussed, if a person borrows your '15 S class and the automatic engagement of the parking brake occurs, the parking brake should automatically release so no harm is done to the car.
I believe my parking brake is in a "glitch" mode. I've read the manual and did everything I was told to do, yet it will always auto engage in park, and will NOT disengage when I start driving.......how do I know this......I started dragging the brakes on my first attempt. Yikes!
Now the MAIN reason I switched to the upgraded suspension was to eliminate that horrible horse cart body rock from side to side when you hit uneven terrain, and let me tell you, that aspect is gone, and now I can hit a bump without any rocking. This ALONE is worth the 5000 dollar upgrade from the Airmatic. Even if MBC doesn't work, the ABC eliminating that rock is justified in the money. I hated that bobblehead affect and I'm so glad that it's gone. In the 222, the Airmatic suspension is set overly soft in my opinion, and you need a suspension that controls itself. The new ABC constantly adjusts to keep you from feeling how soft it is. It doesn't make the bumps more harsh, they actually feel the same, but you don't react to the bumps as much. How this is done bewilders me, but MB pulled it off.
Now to the MBC portion of the ABC.......it works, it's incredibly cool,......but it's finicky. You have to hit the bump just right with the right amount of speed and the right amount of foot on the accelerator for it to work. Going into the bump while braking, it won't kick in.....foot must be on the gas. And going into the bump too "hot", will cause it not to turn on too. It's like the computer has a brain of its own and is judging whether or not it wants to kick the MBC in based on your approach. Gas must be slight, but not too little or too much. This makes it difficult to want to engage MBC for passengers while going "down hill", because since you need to be on the gas, you have to slow up to almost a stop way before the bump, then engage the gas right before you hit the bump. If you engage the gas too close to the bump, the car doesn't have enough room to scan for MBC. If you engage the gas too far away from the bump and hit it at too hot a speed, MBC doesn't come on on that one too. Plus you'll more than likely brake right before the bump because it's too hot a speed, leaving you back to scenario number one. The downhill approaches are indeed tough. I'm learning each day how to give it what it wants and MBC is working for me more and more as I learn the car. It's finicky..............BUT......... I'll tell ya this, it may not work for you all the time, but when it does, gosh o golly, it's a beautiful thing. You'll sit there in amazement not feeling a bump that would have another car jumping around like a kid with ants.
BINGO!
I will never get a 4matic. What you just described is EXACTLY why I must have the ABC suspension (even if they remove MBC) - I will always get the ABC over airmatic.
Great review. Sounds like you are really enjoying your new car!
With respect to the ride, are the rims and tires the same on both cars?
My 14 had Bridgestones. My 15 has Dunlops. Both conventionals and both 20". Now one could say that the Dunlops are contributing some to the better ride as well over the Bridgestones. But my focus on the ride quality was in the suspension category, for I was more focused on how the car "reacted" to terrain.
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
