bagelsjustbagel

Hi all,
I’m in the market for a w222 with MBC. Any naysayers on MBC? We live in CA and are ok with just RWD. Plan to have warranty.

Also, any tips on how to find one of these beauties would be much appreciated.

Looking forward to your opinions and input.

chassis

Lots written on this site. Downsides are complexity/cost to repair and night functionality is different than day because of dependence on cameras.

Lou B

Yes, there's much been posted here about the pros and cons if MBC - some of it is even worth looking at. I can tell you this about my experiences - even though where I live on the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky we typically get snow every year, When I ordered my 2018 S560, ignoring what the dealer and its service people said (they had never sold a car equipped with MBC), I insisted on getting it instead of 4-matic. My reason was for my wife's riding comfort. Boy, howdy, did I make the correct call.
Have never had a problem with it. Have never noticed any "night functionality" problems whatsoever. My wife does the driving if we're both in the car, and we're still enjoying ti very much. Because we have been so pleased with it, paying for repairs wouldn't bother me one bit.

From other seekers for MBC cars here, apparently they are difficult to find. Good luck!

Streamliner

One of, if not “THE” best options ever offered by MB. I’ve had 3 W222’s with it and it is truly fabulous. That said, finding a car with it is just about impossible. Good luck.

Lanzz

Was a CPO 2020 S560 for sale in SC - lightly optioned but oddly had MBC. Wasn't the cleanest carfax (transmission had been out of the car twice) or I would have looked at it - sold already.

Streamliner

One of the things that really makes it difficult finding a W222 with MBC, is that about the only way you can determine if the car is so equipped, is to turn on the ignition and to bring up the screen that shows the driving modes. If you see “CURVE,” it’s got MBC. Of course, the best way is to see the factory build sheet or the window sticker, but as these cars change hands and are offered for sale by second & more owners, non-authorized MB dealers, it will get more difficult.

Quadrobenz

Streamliner, that method of looking for CURVE in the driving mode list only works on 2018 and newer S class cars. CURVE was added to the MBC system in 2018, so 2014 through 2017 S class cars with MBC will not have the CURVE feature.

Streamliner

How right you are! I forgot about that, as I did have a 2015 S550 with MBC.

joeshannon095

Going to quote two posts of mine from a while back relating to MBC.

On the W222 MBC is ABC with a camera that can anticipate the road ahead and react ahead of time. It is an active suspension system, one of the only available on the market. I had a 2012 S550 with airmatic and I currently have a 2007 CL600 with ABC. Cost aside, I prefer ABC. I found ride quality comparable (wheel size and tire selection will have a bigger impact on ride quality), but ABC provides an extra layer of connection to the road that air ride cars don't. There' still a layer of butter between the inputs and the driver, but I feel more in control in an ABC equipped car. Once I learned more about it I began to notice the lack of pitch, dive, and body roll when driving. It has an almost magic carpet effect (McLaren has a similar setup in the 720s and that's how journalists have described it). It also feels more composed at higher speeds. Most won't know or care. I've been with at a Mercedes dealer for five years and I have yet to have a customer inquire about ABC, MBC, or E-ABC. Shame because they are amazing systems.


It helps to understand what you're actually buying with MBC. The marketing of MBC really emphasized the road scan feature as if that's what you were checking the option box for. What you're really paying for is the hardware of the ABC suspension. It limits pitch, dive, and body roll to the point where its almost completely gone (check out the 3:22 mark of the video below), it can be raised/lowered, it is self leveling, and it doesn't require sway bars. With nothing connecting the opposite wheels, bumps on one side of the car don't upset the other (something that I find very noticeable with Airmatic). Gives the car that "magic carpet ride" effect that McLaren seemed to coin with there similar style active suspension system.

Comfort is subjective (to a degree haha). I would definitely agree that Airmatic is softer, however not by too much in my opinion. I'm probably biased, but cost aside I prefer ABC/MBC in pretty much every driving condition whether it be around town, driving aggressively, or highway blasting. Love the idea of active suspension. If anyone has a beat on a pre-facelift W222 with MBC and 3D Burmester let me know!


I actually have a W222 S550 now and have since sold both of the cars described above. Mine is on Airmatic and while I love the car and I do not mind the air ride at all, I still prefer ABC/MBC.

George A.

Have a 2015 S550, Black, Loaded, with Magic Body Control. This is my third S with ABC, first with MBC, and I LOVE it. Every time that I get a loaner (of course never an S class) at my dealer, it feels like I'm in a buckboard. Nothing like it. It's marvelous! Quite the vehicle.

George A.

BTW, almost forgot to mention, that I am in Southern California, Orange County. System is perfect for these roads.

I bought the car, used, from a general used car dealer (non-Mercedes) about 1-1/2 years ago, from Eastern Florida, just above Miami.I looked for about 2 years before I found this beauty. Good Luck in your search!