History;
Got my S580 Dec 17 2022. From day 1 - it rides rough. Recently coming out of the S560, my expectations from the new S580 "Airmatic" ride were it should ride as good if not better than the w222.
After a few ins and outs of the dealership service dept, the S580 Car still rides rough and the dealership's stand is "that's how they are designed to drive".

The G90 Test drive;
That prompted me to test drive the Genesis G-90 (since it too has Airmatic suspension) on the same exact routes - so I can compare and see what a vehicle that has Airmatic should drive like. WOW - folks - I was super impressed. They let me have an hour long test drive on my own and it was an eye opener. After the hour long test drive, I handed the key to the sales person and told him straight on - "THIS G90 - DRIVES BETTER THAN MY S580". The G90 was glued to the road at all times. It shielded the cabin from the imperfections and there was little to NO cabin sway or roll. Now - THAT G90 RODE LIKE AN S-CLASS. !! The Cabin is silent. The V6 is ample powerful. The comfort levels in front and rear seats surpass the S580. Then there are nice to haves like moving the vehicle in and out of tight spots remotely, doors that open close automatically, rear seats reclines are way better.

HOWEVER - now that I am used to the MBUX system, you learn to appreciate it's marvel of a design. The G90 has buttons, knobs, sliders spread out in multiple locations in the cabin, and it takes too much time and effort to find the right control for the desired action.
But other than that - I am seriously contemplating a move from the S580 to the G90 - if we can't get the ride quality to an acceptable level. It truly is an amazing vehicle.

Summary;
If you are driving the S560 - Keep your W222. Sure wish I would have kept mine.
It is built better, higher quality materials, higher quality craftsmanship and most important of all - IT RIDES BETTER.

 

To compare one to the other what size wheel and tires where on each S Class? G90 I believe only has one size correct?

 

They both had 20 inch wheels.
S580 Hancock RUN FLATS
G90 Michelin Primacy (if recall correctly) NOT run flats

 

Sorry to hear about the ride issue OP, have you tried visiting a different dealership and see if they are willing to help if the one you are visiting is simply saying it is normal? Have you thought of downsizing tires and the very least get rid of run-flats or both? Have you tried playing around with the cold tire pressures?

 

Yes.
Am taking multiple steps at once - staggered, like my tires haha

1. first - give current dealership one last chance to rectify
2. get 2nd opinion from an independent MB expert (not a MB dealership) about the ride quality and computer fault code read out
3. scheduled vehicle with another MB dealership - to attempt and correct the vehicle
4. contemplating - ordering 19 inch wheels and swapping the 20" runflats with 19" michelin primacy (or the like)

If all these fail - will sell S580 at a loss, and walk into a G90 LOL

 

Hopefully you don't need to go with step 5 (bolded from your quote), hopefully this thread can get you started when it comes to the tires part:
https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...hed-tires.html
Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

I have the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S N spec size 255/40R20 on the S580 non runflats and they are smooth at all speeds. I got these mounted and properly road force balance to give glass smooth ride on highways. I had these on the 2012 A8L and they performed exactly the same and gave comfortable ride. Running 19s winter wheels with Michelin Xice tires and its even smoother. Its a matter of tire, tire pressure and doing road force balance. These cars are sensitive to proper tire balance. I run 35 psi cold front and rear summer set and winter set.

 

Pretty much my experience as well. Coming out of a 2020 S560 with Magic Body Control, 18” wheels and non-run flat tires, into a 2022 S580 with EABC, 19” wheels and Hancook run flats, I was ABHORRED at the difference in ride quality. I changed to very cushy, non-RFT, which helped some, but the ride quality on the new car is still VERY annoying and not nearly what I expected, after paying the $6,500.00 for the highly touted EABC suspension option. I have been to the dealer on multiple occasions and they say the car is “functioning as designed.” If that’s so, then the design SUCKS!

I test drove the top line G90, the model with 21” wheels and was amazed at how much BETTER their $101K car rode, compared to my $153K S580. After SEVENTEEN brand new MB’s, I feel as though they have given me THE SHAFT, that they KNOW these cars have major issues and that they are just stonewalling all the complaints. Mercedes-Benz: The best or nothing. Yeah, right.

 

This adds to the reasons to my two W222
Ironically this thread will likely be bombarded with defenders of the W223 ride quality.
So then the questions will be, Do the cars with harsh rides have issues ( the car ride is actually good) or do the Owners of the cars that apparently ride perfectly have lower standards...or?? (Sure i get some other takes)....

come on W224.... althought MB is being rumored to have NO ice's by 2025.....woah-is-me!!!

 

With the way the dealers and MBUSA have treated me with this S580, I'm ready for a change. Maybe Genesis. I need to get rid of the MB first, hopefully without losing $40K.

 

Review states the G90 suspension needs some work as its un-composed. I rather have a german car with better handling and a more stable suspension and the S580 has it all. Just my two cents.

Base on what I am reading here is that the S580 rides great with the 20s or 19s but regular suspension, regular non run flat tires and normal load tire pressure. I know it sounds like alot.

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...t-drive-review

 

How do they say? Different strokes for different folks. You can't please everybody at the same time. I dropped off my C63 for service this morning and they gave me an S500 AMG Line as a loaner, Hancook 20" all-season tires with foam noise cancellation. Sounds like these are RFT. I'm not gonna go into everything as this kind of car is simply not for me. It's a massive floaty boat and what struck me was that this thing doesn't even come with Nappa leather standard. My C63S even came with Nappa leather. The basic leather in this S Class feels like vinyl.

I do find the complaints about the ride quality kinda funny, though, because I had to put this thing into S+ otherwise it was way too soft and the throttle response was horrible. Brakes are mushy, too, but changing the drive mode didn't help that. I did later put it back in C on the highway and this thing just wafts along. Being jet-lagged at the moment as I just returned from Europe it was kinda nice, but frankly I'd fall asleep if I had to live with this thing. Anyway, just kinda musing. The W223 is designed the way it is. It doesn't suck if it's not the right car for somebody. It just isn't the right car then.

 

I been saying it, the throttle mapping is not right. I run individual with steering and engine in sport. This in no way makes it sporty, just gets it something like normal normal.

 

As I've always said, the S Class is a car to be driven by a chauffeur with the owner in the back and from that perspective the throttle map in C makes perfect sense as not to upset the passengers. But the S Class ain't a driver's car. It's not fun to drive. I agree, even S+ in this car just made it drive more normal, but not in any way sporty, but it didn't have the limo feel anymore that somebody in the backseat would expect. I just personally don't get why anyone would want to drive themselves around in an S Class, but as I said, different strokes for different folks.

 

This adds to the reasons to keep my two W222
Ironically this thread will likely be bombarded with defenders of the W223 ride quality.
So then the questions will be, Do the cars with harsh rides have issues ( the car ride is actually good) or do the Owners of the cars that apparently ride perfectly have lower standards...or?? (Sure we'll get some other takes)....

come on W224.... althought MB is being rumored to have NO ice's by 2025.....woah-is-me!!!

 

I agree and the W222 looks better than the W223.

 

I consider the S-Class both a driver car as well as a chauffeur car. It balances both very well. If it is pressed hard to be classified, I would say the S-Class might be slightly more a driver car, especially the short wheel base W223.
I began my S-Class affair with the W116. I drive myself...I drive with my family in the back...Someone drives and I sit in the back. I think the S-Class can handle all these 3 modes.
While the V223 is long wheel base, I reckon, only the Z223 (Maybach) S-Class can fully fit into the category of a chauffeur car though. The V223 might be a 5:5 (driver car:chauffeur car) vs the Z223 being 3:7.
Anyway, as you said, different strokes for different folks.
PS But I understand you are driving a C63S, which is a totally different car from the S-Class. Maybe, just maybe, the upcoming S63 E Performance might get your attention?

 

What tire pressure are you running OP?

 

Nah, the S63 makes no sense to me outside of a German Autobahn rocket. It's too big and too heavy to be anything sportscar. It only makes sense to travel at really high speeds in Comfort on the German Autobahn. Not something one can do anywhere else.

 

With the RWD, it can be quite 'nimble' in non Autobahn scenarios.
But, of course, everything is in a relative sense. Just do not compare the nimbleness (or level of comfort) of S63 with C63.

 

The new S63 E Performance will only be AWD. Doesn't even have drift mode if I remember correctly. Weighs an eye watering 5700 lbs. I drove the GT 63 S E Performance from which the S63 E inherits the powertrain. The GT is slightly lighter and has drift mode. It was an absolute disaster. Way way too heavy. Drove it back to back with the regular GT 63 S on the Nürburgring in July and the E was terrible. None of the attendees liked it. It was way too heavy and disappointingly couldn't really make use of all that extra horsepower on the track, partly because we had to slow down even in small bends in order to not fly off the track due to the weight.

 

the SWB is a driver's car

 

Uh, no. The S Class is a huge soft luxury sedan, AWB or LWB. its competent in handling, surprisingly so actually but its not a drivers car on any level.

 

I don't think you have any idea of what a driver's car is. The S Class completely isolates the driver from the road and what's going on. That's the opposite of a driver's car.

 

I was originally going to buy the SWB but when I saw a blue and a black one with the 19 inch wheels, it immediately turned me off. Initially I thought, I didn't want the unwanted attention and mistaken for a chauffeur hence picking the SWB vs LWB. However, I didn't realize 110mm/4 inches would make a big difference in the way it looks but it does. No offense to all SWB owners but to me, SWB lack the stature of the LWB making it feels like you are looking at an overgrown C-Class. Luckily when I called the dealer to change my order, I had two more days to make changes. I drove both but I wasn't paying attention to its looks when I was test driving and it didn't feel that much different the way it drove so I agree with you in no way it's a driver's car.