Not so much Sport more Grand Tourer

[Jimbo1959]

These are just not performance cars, certainly mine isn't. It accelerates beautifully in a straight line, but it's just not intended to blaze through the bends. They're lovely lookers and very comfortable, but not racers. These days I'm less inclined to measure my pleasure by hair raising deeds, though I enjoy using the speed to move into spaces and away from the bunching that happens on our highways. I also love driving with the roof down and that makes fast driving seem silly and noisy.

Two nights ago I approached a roundabout behind a Vauxhall saloon car, he pulled away when the traffic cleared but went out of control in ten yards, the whole car crashing through the undergrowth on the roundabout, then veered wildly back onto the tarmac, askew. As I drew alongside him, he wound down his window and apologised profusely - he'd had a coughing fit. No one was hurt, no metal was bent, but it reminded me what dangerous toys we play with.

This evening I stopped at a supermarket, and parked carefully out of the way. I came out to find someone peering at the car and deciding they'd done no damage and preparing to drive away. There was a scuff, nothing bent but paint grazed and the soft centre bumper is also slightly grazed on the offside corner. We exchanged details and the driver apologised three or four times, 'I was just in a bit of a hurry.'

I'm less interested in hurrying just now.

I am inclined to listen/read and agree with a lot you have to say the older I get, my only drawback is living out in the country where having a car that handles like a go kart is almost compulsory.

 

[GlosRichCLK]

At what point did you think a big heavy Merc coupe, at least 1.5 tonnes would 'handle like a go cart'....lol
Fast they are, but go cart' like they are not.
However you can more than make up on the straights what you lose in the corners.
My saloon is a bouncy castle on a b road
..

 

[dbanbery]

This is something I’ve heard in the past.my mother moans about bmw seats. Personally they are a different kind of drive which fits with the seats. I’ve moved away from them because their driving position, interior, drive style and full on image is a lot more aggressive and dynamic which I feel turns me into an overly aggressive idiot in them. They incite driving towards your limit, and while that’s fun, driving one every day can get you into trouble. I just prefer mercs anyway, and they lessen the urgency to get anywhere. To be honest the concept of a sport Mercedes it a little at odds with what I see them as tbh. Someone said in anoth thread “stately like a galleon, or when the conditions allow, full hooligan mode” or similar. Stately like a galleon is my preference more so I’m in my thirties.

It’s still fun to drive fast though.


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[Glynn350]

I came across this thread whilst looking at coilovers for my E Cab. I was looking at either KW's or bilsteins, as they have the best reputation for handling/ride quality/price balance in my opinion. I certainly wouldn't change just the springs, as it's the dampers that keep the tyres in contact with the road.

I was hoping there would be somebody on here who had experience of coilovers on their merc! Seems to be a much more popular thing to do in the states. I'm not looking to "slam it" or win any handling contests, I'm just looking to have more confidence that the tyre is in contact with the road as the speeds increase.

To jump back to the S2000 comments, my previous car to the merc was an S2000, the facelifted version with the revised suspension and supposedly less twitchy at the rear. They have a reputation that has been created by people showing them a lack of respect and not understanding that they aren't set up like a normal RWD car. They are very driver adjustable, and it's easy to switch between oversteer and understeer using either thottle or braking(weight transfer), with no nanny aids(at least in the first 7 years of production) to help you out if you don't know what you are doing.

They are also very sensitive to alignment, and even slightly out wheel alignment(tiny bit of toe out at the rear say) can make it tip into oversteer earlier than you expect, but again you have to show it respect. I found out early on in my ownership to the tune of £6k in repair bills what happens if you don't keep the alignment in spec, show it a wet greasy road, and think you can give it the beans and everything will be ok!

By contrast, a dry circuit with a "fast road" alignment, a driver that knows the car, and for the money I don't know how you can have any more fun in a car that you can also use as a daily. The qualities that make the car amazing when everything is right, are also those that make it a nightmare when it's not right.

 

[dbanbery]

I think if the S2000 was mine I would have crashed it at some point. Too much fun.


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[Jimbo1959]

At what point did you think a big heavy Merc coupe, at least 1.5 tonnes would 'handle like a go cart'....lol
Fast they are, but go cart' like they are not.
However you can more than make up on the straights what you lose in the corners.
My saloon is a bouncy castle on a b road
..

I did not think or expect it to handle like a go cart, I was referring to my previous car when I made that statement, however I did expect the chassis on the Merc to be a little more taut than it is.

I will agree that for a car that weighs at least one and a half tons, it is quite fast ..... on a smooth road in a straight line.

I am becoming accustomed to the comfort factor though and my wife prefers when I am in "Galleon mode" as dbanbery explained it.

 

[kid-jensen]

I've noticed this problem with most German cars, they ar just not made for English country roads with their off-camber twists, potholes and random bumps.. Even my ancient Interceptor (with live axle and cart springs) handled country roads better than the Audis I replaced it with. That's what development on local roads can do for you..

Being Teutonic, the Germans make a "bit of an effort" to keep the Brits happy, but fundamentally, they are built to handle German roads, which you'll not be surprised to hear are completely different to ours. They also pander largely to the American market who wouldn't know a good-handling car if it ran them over..

You can disguise the weight to a large extent with stiffer springs and dampers, and somewhere between standard and "unacceptably harsh" you should be able to find the sweet spot.

If it was my money, I'd be spending it on adjustable dampers, and taking it from there.

Oh, and much wider tyres, obviously, to give it more grip and a bit of rim protection in case the wife drives it.

 

[Jimbo1959]

and a bit of rim protection in case the wife drives it.

Ahh, I see you know my wifes driving ...style.

 

[A.J.]

Oh, and much wider tyres, obviously, to give it more grip and a bit of rim protection in case the wife drives it.

How much wider would they have to be ? mine already has 255's on the rear ? And they were absolute pigs in the snow

 

[Jimbo1959]

How much wider would they have to be ? mine already has 255's on the rear ? And they were absolute pigs in the snow

Just what I didn't want to hear AJD, is that even on winter tyres too?

 

[Rotorhead500]

Just what I didn't want to hear AJD, is that even on winter tyres too?

Don't worry Jimbo, I've run mine on winter Dunlops for 3 seasons and it did fine around the Midlands & north England... and Dartmoor!

 

[Jimbo1959]

Don't worry Jimbo, I've run mine on winter Dunlops for 3 seasons and it did fine around the Midlands & north England... and Dartmoor!

Phew! was starting to get worried there RH.

 

[A.J.]

Just what I didn't want to hear AJD, is that even on winter tyres too?

No Jim, I don't subscribe to winter tyres. Just the common or garden tyres

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

I’ve owned three E Class types the 124, 210 and the 212 and I have to say that the 210 handles the best out of the 3, if I could I would have bought another 210 had they still been in production. The car sits in Avantgarde spec just at right height to the road, the seating is also set low making the centre of gravity just right and the handling with skinny 215 55 16 tyres is excellent, I haven’t tried the E55 210 but it must be an excellent driver’s car.

Most Germans equate speed to rapid progress on the autobahn hence the straight line capability with comfort which pretty much equates to what the Americans like so the British mentality of having a car that ‘handles’ isn’t catered for by MB, interestingly BMW and VAG do market themselves in this way

 

[kid-jensen]

I've fitted 285/50s to protect my alloys which appear to be made from pure unobtainium (I've never seen another set).

Wet and dry grip was far better than the standard 255/45s and the ride smoother too. Wheel rims are still wheel-rim shaped.

Had no problems in the last bit of snow because:-

1. It's 4WD
2. It doesn't snow much in the London suburbs.

To be fair, it was a pig to stop on icy roads, but that applies to every car I've driven.