Not sure what cars the rest of you are coming from, but I currently have a M4 Competition (and previously, C43 coupe). As long as the ride quality isn’t *worse* than those, I should be okay - I really want to get this over the M5C but review after review about poor ride quality has me concerned since the roads aren't particularly great where I live.

Wanted to hear from those of you who've had the car for a while, and especially those who can compare the comfort against cars like the M4?

Not concerned about road noise, only actual ride quality, and I'd be getting the regular (non-Performance) seats.

 

We have over 10,000 miles on an E63S, including a long (>2,000 mile) road trip, and neither my wife nor I consider the ride a problem. It's noticeably less harsh than the C63 it replaced. I can take speed bumps at moderate speed where I had to slow to <10 mph in the C63. But you probably should find a way to test one if you're concerned. No performance car with 20" wheels is great on bad roads.

 

Yeah I'll be test-driving for sure but I've found that I can only get so much information out of a ~10-20min test drive.

The C63 sounds like a good comparison to my M4, was it a W204 or W205?

 

204

 

Not sure the roads are worse than where I daily this car, which is Manhattan. Also frequent Long Island quite a bit. Let's just say that I still wouldn't get anything else. I'm coming from a 2016 C450 which is essentially the C43 that you've had (put 24k miles on it and got rid of it in March, and currently have 11k on the E63S). If you drive the E63S in comfort mode it is fine and comfortable for the passengers as well. Sure, you feel the road quite a bit. However, in S+ or Race mode, every bump in the road is exaggerated. I do believe it is a harsher ride than the C43, but it is well worth it. The car is an absolute torque monster when you need it to be. Stick with it and you won't regret it.

 

The W213 E63 S on stock 20" wheels/tires rides significantly better than an F82 M4 Comp on the stock 20" wheels/tires. I might go as far as saying that the E63 on the Race setting rides better than the M4 on the Comfort setting.

 

lol second that, the w204 was one of the harshest riding cars ive owned

 

My wife has a C43 and I have an E63s and there is a similarity between the hash ride quality of each car. I own 2 Porsche Turbo's (a 985 3.3 1991 Turbo and a 996 Turbo). The 1991 3.3 Turbo is track prepped with urethane bushings, alloy suspension, lowered and massive negative/adjustable camber componentry and my 2002 996 Turbo is pretty much stock. While both Porsches have a lot more cabin noise than the E and both have very taught suspension (especially the 3.3 Turbo) neither Porsche's ride is as harsh as the ride of my E63s with the cross forged alloys and 20" Michelin PS4's. Having owned and tracked two earlier version M5's, I was initially interested in buying a new one--I drove a new F90 M5 and the ride is stiff but much less harsh than the E63s's ride.( I can't speak to the ride of the M5C but I hear it is much more harsh than the base M5.)

Here is the difference between all of the aforementioned cars and the C43 and the E63s. Upon initial contact with a sharp road imperfection (not necessarily a big one) the E63 and to a much lesser extent the C43 has an initial "hard hit" that is transferred into the cabin. It is not that they don't deal well with smoother bumps in the road because they do but the feel on many sharper road imperfections is like hitting a 1-2 inch high road seam, for example, the kind you might encounter when driving on a patch of road where the original road surface has been removed in part and then you ride over the seam left where the original road surface remains.

I too live in and around the NYC area and our roads are definitely the worst in the country. I am not fond of taking the car west of LI towards the City because it rattles the hell out of the car. My wife who is an aggressive driver and who has owned (prior to the C43) nothing but M3's and various Porsche's hated the ride of the E until now. Here is the thing, as I have posted elsewhere on this forum, in November I purchased the Mercedes winter tire package which comes with cross forged 19' wheels and Michelin Alpin -P4A snows (295x40R and 265x45 F) and the car has been transformed into a more civil beast-- much, much closer to a standard E class--harshness is gone and handling on public road is not far off the stock setup. Even Dragy measured 0-60 times are close to if not the same as with the 20' high performance summer tire setup. Similarly, now fitted for the winter with 18" wheels and Pirelli snows the C43's ride has been transformed as well. My conclusion is that the primary culprit is the stiff side-walled high performance Michelin PS4s.

Don't get me wrong I absolutely love my E63s including the car as fitted with the 20" Michelin PS4s. The E63s is definitely the best overall car I have ever owned--the engine, the sound, the interior, the exterior and the "drama" of it all, in my view, blows the M5 away--hence that is why I purchased it and not the M5. Actually I love the engine so much that I just purchased a slightly used GLC63 for my Fla home which will be delivered soon--can't wait.

Hope this has been helpful.

 

Hah, yeah I've heard stories about NYC roads. It's been a while since I've driven the C43 but I don't remember the ride being too bad except for feeling very bouncy at times, which I don't think will be a problem with the E63s. Appreciate your input!

Wow really? That is exactly what I wanted to hear lol - the 20" wheels the Comp pack comes with look pretty but man I feel like something's going to break every time I drive over a rough patch. Have you owned both cars?

Thanks for the write-up! My bigggest complaint with my C43 was the bounciness of the ride, the actual ride comfort wasn't that bad imo. I think the E63s should be more planted. I wasn't planning on switching wheels/tires since there's no "winter" where I am, but I may look at different tire options if it comes to that. Agree completely with the overall package of the E63s vs the M5. Going from the C43 with PE to the M4 with it's less-than-ideal sound really made me want to get back in an AMG. I also like the GLC63, but for some reason they only offer the S version in coupe form, which took it out of the running for me.

 

Although larger and heavier, the E63S is definitely more bouncier than the C43. Factor in the road quality in your location - if the roads are decent then maybe the difference would only be marginal. I can confidently tell you that for myself, the difference is quite noticeable and all of my passengers had complained about that aspect of the car. Whereas NONE complained in the 43. It has actually come to the point where I warn my passengers that the car is not comfortable lol. But remember, the roads are poor where I drive. It still might be something to consider...

A quick test drive will address your concern about that aspect. Regardless, unless you're primarily using it as a family car in an area with garbage roads, you can't go wrong. The pros substantially outweigh that single con.

 

I've had a F82 M4 a couple years back and now a S213 E63s Wagon. I'd say the E63 Wagon rides better than the M4 in most situations, but I think the body control of the M4 is better. I'm not sure if you are considering the E63 sedan or wagon, but I think the wagon rides better than the sedan. The M4 has a firmer feel, but more solid feeling. The E63 sometimes has that disconnected Airmatic feel compared to the fixed springs and solid rear mounts on the F80/82.

One thing I should also mention is the poor plastics in the E63 makes hard plastic noises when going over large bumps such as freeway expansion joints and gives the audible impression that the car rides firmer too.

While the E63 is about 40k more, it does not have 40k of better build quality compared to the F80 platform.

I know many will disagree but this is my honest opinion

 

Well put--on good roads the E63s with the Michelin PS4s is a good riding car (short of the occasional expansion joint slapping sound and vibration)--on really bad NYC streets that have potholes and patchwork repairs everywhere it is not a good riding car--- I will regularly tell my passengers that "this is not your father's E-Class." When alone in the car I don't mind it short of the feeling that if I drive on bad roads regularly I will inevitably have to suffer with interior squeaks and rattles. With passengers in the car in and around NYC I cringe knowing that they are likely thinking that I must be crazy spending this much money on a car that rides so poorly. On the open highway and on most country roads outside the city the car is a dream.

 

I am lucky to say I currently own both an M4 Competition and an E63s. They are completely different cars.

Both of them have Michelin PS4s inflated to the low speed and low load pressures, so this is apples to apples. As far as ride quality is concerned, the E63 in comfort mode is smoother than the M4 comfort mode, no doubt. But the E63 is still firm. I would say that sport and sport plus are similar for each car. Race mode in the E63 does not ride smoother than the M4 in comfort. No way.

The interior of the E63 is much bigger and more elegant. It’s a nicer place to pass the time. The E63 sounds much, much better and is much faster. But I want to carve turns and highway ramps, the M4 is my choice.

As far as handling is concerned, the E63 carries its weight well, but let’s face it, it is a full 1,000 pounds heavier. It takes a little more coaxing to get the E63 where you want it to go. It is harder on tires and brakes too. You can’t defy physics.

If ride quality is a big issue, you may be better off in an M5. Drive them all and see what you think. All of these cars are very sensitive to tire pressure, so definitely adjust pressures to where you will do most of your driving.

Bueller

 

YES! I just mounted my (massive) Michelin Alpin PA4 winters in the stock 20” sizes (265/35 and 295/30) on a second set of OEM AMG 20” wheels, and the ride is completely transformed. Now the car is gliding along over choppy pavement like you’d expect a Benz to do. I was expecting this to a degree, but was still surprised as to how much difference there was. I’m wondering if some of the harsh ride on the PS4’s was due to the low temps here lately (20-40’s F) and hope thats the case come next spring/summer, because PS4’s are the best performance tires out there and I don’t really want to switch to anything else. I’m running “M+S” low-load tire pressures of 39psi front and 36psi rear listed in the fuel filler door for both sets of tires.

 

PS4S are summer tires and not meant for temps below 40. Driving on them in the 20s is asking for worse problems than a harsh ride.

 

I’m well aware...that’s why I mounted Alpin PA4’s as detailed and photographed in my post. I bought the car recently and got the snows as fast as I could. The PS4’s did surprisingly well below 50°F, including in the rain, but thanks anyway for the advice.

 

I have never seen cross forged 19 wheels available for the E63.Do you have some pictures or part numbers?Thank you

 

Here’s a photo of the printout the dealer gave me, but they’re sold out in North America and they didn’t expect to get anymore sets until after spring, which is why I got the 20” AMG wheels and Michelin PA4’s you see in my post above. Work great, love them.

 

I just got these exact wheel and tire package. Picked up the car today. Tires inflated to 47 front 41 rear. 😂. I don’t know why they do that. But I’ll deflate them to 40/37 like my stock 20” Michelin ps4. One thing I noticed is they ride better and softer even at those extreme pressures than my summer ps4s. I was going to keep the summers on but the front feels like it’s going to fall apart in the mornings. You can also clearly feel flat spots and the tire hops around even at very low speeds. It just felt terrible so I had to switch to winter set up. No regrets.