MVD

Since I have use of a company car, my wife and I only own one car and it's a '97 E420. It's time for a change and we are going to replace it with a E55.

She's a little spooked by the AMG reputation of a rough ride (while I was out of sight, one of the dealer reps told her she wouldn't like it) and I'd like comments on how it compares to the E500. I have test driven an '04 E55 but was limited to ~2 mi (dealer didn't want miles piled on) so didn't have time to really assess the ride (other than the torque and it was incredible!).

Has anyone ever replaced the springs and shocks with something a little softer? I'd like to have something close to the E500 when the suspension is set to comfort mode.

Thanks!

moa4r

as far as i know, the air suspension has several settings that allow you to soften and stiffen the ride to your liking

MB Life

That's a shame you want to soften the ride, usually people want to make the suspension stiffer.
Maybe you should get a nice leather cushion for your wife.

MBZman

E55 owners may be better equipped to answer this question, but if the ride on the 55 is to rough, your probably looking at the wrong type of car. Why do you want a E55? AMG's are probably some of the most compliant "supercars" on the market. They have gone out of their way to maintain the traditional MB feel while offering great performance.

Honestly, give your wife a drive in both an E500 & 55 back to back, odds are she won't feel much of a difference. I have drive the CLK 500 & CLK 55 back to back and honestly there was little difference in the ride quality.

Pbglas

Don't forget that a dealership still sells every E55 it gets so the dealership does not benefit much from YOUR purchase of the E55. On the other hand it does from selling non AMG cars. This is not necessarily true for individual salespeople. But still your salesman is not totally unbiased.

I only had a test drive -- perhaps a bit longer than yours. I drove other MBs too. The comfort setting did not feel noticeably harsher than the other cars. Even the sports settings did not feel all that harsh -- the RS6 was much harsher. In fact there was considerable body lean in the E55 as compared with hte RS6.

But compared to regular cars the E55 is different. The car I drove had been returned by someone who found it `a bit too much car.' With my right foot, I left long tracks of rubber on the road on city streets.

BernieIII

Just to shed some light on the difference in ride, the E500 rides on 16 or 17'' rims which allows for 40 or 45 tires. The E55 rides on 18'' and rides on 265/35 18 in back which is much less rubber and air between the rim and the road. I did test drive the E500 before I got the E55 and realized that the ride was a little harder in any of the car's ride settings than the E500 I took for a test drive a few months before.

Unfortunately, you can't put 17'' wheels on the E55 because of the large disks and calipers.

eclou

At this price level, I would not consider buying a car that does not match my needs/expectations. Changing out the suspension is not an option since the air dampeners need to match the spring rates. You would be better served in the E500, maybe adding a supercharger if you want the level of power. Personally, my wife and I always keep the car at maximum sport stiffness which I would never call stiff. Comfort level is smoother than my Touareg. We however have been driving 911's and M3's for the past 4 yrs.

saber

The E500 is a better riding car than the E55. It is lighter which results in better braking and nimbleness. Not to mention the price difference. Why would you even consider the AMG if ride quality is a concern? If you’re not extremely performance minded you will be much better served in the E500.

ajoe

I own both. As stated in a previous thread the E55 rides "lighter" even though it weighs more than the E500. In the comfort mode the E55 is not harsh at all. In fact if someone thinks the comfort mode is harsh in the E55 then should be looking at a buick. The E500 is a "softer" less exciting ride but is sneaky quick and IMO has a better sound system (better base) than the E55. Bottom line is that my wife would trade her E500 for my E55 in a heartbeat.

E55 KEV

Buy the E500!

It is difficult to determine the full ride quality of any car with a just a test drive. It is usually not done in a real world situations and Mercedes dealers are seldom in areas with bad roads. On a test drive the car is new and you are not really one with the car until you own it and drive under every real world situation. Car rides changed after break-in and the suspension tires are broken in.

My E55 feels good on perfect roads but when the roads are bad it turns into a jarring uncomfortable ride. The reason these types of cars are limited production is because very few people in that car buying demographic want a hard stiff unforgiving ride. Good Luck!

saber

That was my point. I own an E55 and the ride is good from a handling prespective but only moderate from a ride perspective. Let's face it the E55 appeals to a limited buyer. The E500 which a buddy of mine has, rides much softer and quieter. I don't know how anyone could say the E500 does not have a more comforable ride. I thought the point of this thread was if ride quality was a major concern, what model E would you buy. Clearly the 500.

amg55

I'm sorry but I think people have lost the 'big picture' about ride comfort.
The difference between an E55 (set on 'comfort') and E500 is pretty trivial IMO, having experienced both. Compared with virtually any sporty car the E55 in comfort mode is extremely comfortable. Compared with a Lexus LS430 even the E500 feels unmannered.
If the original poster's wife can tell a major difference between the E500 and E55 then she's either the Princess from "The Princess and the Pea" or she's looking for something that's not really there.
Also, I would not extrapolate ride quality from the prior generation E55 to the current one. They're different.

saber

Folks,
We are obvosly not letting the facts get in the way of what we are writting. THE LOWER PROFILE TIRES ON THE E55 ALONE create a significant diffence in noice and vibration. If you think you can even debate whether or not lower profile tires (shorter sidewalls) or larger diameter rims effect ride quility then ued need to do some futher research on tires and rims. In additon, the E55 is lower to the gound. These are the facts. I am sorry guys, there is nothing to even debate. I will say it again, IF RIDE SOFTNESS and comfort are YOUR MAIN CONCERNs DO NOT BUY AN E55 BUY AN E500 OR E320.

amg55

Saber, as I noted in my comment above, my point is not that there's ZERO difference between the E55 and E500. I said there's no major difference. We're talking about levels of perception, not just objective data points.
Can you actually perceive the difference between a car that does 0-60 in 4.1 vs 4.3 seconds, and more importantly, does what you actually perceive alter your level of enjoyment?

If the best car you ever owned was a Lexus ES (and you bought it after owning several old, used Ford trucks), you'd likely enjoy the quietness and luxury and ride almost as much as if you'd plopped straight into a Bentley, it would be so different from what you were used to.
But if you drove the ES for a few years and THEN went to the Bentley you'd notice a big difference.

If someone went back and forth daily between an E55 and E500 they might appreciate and enjoy the difference if they paid careful attention. If someone bought one or the other and drove it every day, the perceived difference in ride quality would be next to nil, they're so close.

saber

Your right, all differences are relative. What I am saying is that my wife and I can both feel the ride difference between my 2003 E55 on comfort and my buddies E500. I think the difference in ride is due to the difference in suspension (lower to the ground, even in comfort mode and damping tuning) and the 18inch rims with 35 profile tires. These two particular cars aside, decreasing the profile of a set of tires alone does make a noticeable difference in ride comfort and road noise. I thought that was an undisputable fact until today. However, let’s just agree to disagree. I appreciate your comments.

Thanks

EDWARD CONROY

I came from a Benz that had a jarring suspension so the feel of the E55 is a big improvement. But if ride quality and overall driveability if what you're looking for, the E500 is a no brainer.

MVD

As the orig poster, I appreciate the comments.

My wife doesn't care what car I buy as long as it has a 3 point star up front (natch) and a V-8 under the hood (bless her heart).

The power and torque of the E500 isn't adequate for me but the ride quality would be perfect for her. I could go aftermarket to pump up the motor but it doesn't really make sense (to me) when the AMG is already dialed in. I'm going with the posters who've said that there isn't a significant difference in ride quality between the AMG on comfort setting and the E-500. The E-55 is on order.

BTW, if the new 32 valve, 400hp motor was available in the '05 E calss, I would go that route.

Thx

saber

congrats on the order. Enjoy

eclou

You won't be disappointed. You could perform a circumcision in the back seat while driving over railroad tracks.

Pbglas

Congratulations and all the best.