A Class hard ride

[rhud]

The Continentals are a premim brand tyre. Out of interest were the Continentals you had fitted a 'MO' Mercedes Only tyre? Mine came with Bridgestone RE050 MO from the factory.

It is suprising Mercedes are fitting mid budget Kumhos. The classic has steel wheels doesnt it?

Yes - the new Continental tyres are MO. My wheels are 15" steel. I was thinking about an Elegance next time around,but they come with 16" alloys and therefore less rubber - so not sure. Some theorise that factory-fitted tyres have a harder compound to promote longevity.

 

[rhud]

I have 15 inch wheels and Michelin "Energy" tyres. I have had to drive a variety of hire cars recently which have reminded me how the A Class is great on a smooth road, not very good on bumpy or poor quality roads and absolutely dire at negotiating speed bumps at any speed! I think all the posts have focussed on wheel/tyre combination (and if transit blocks have not been removed) but I think the compact design of the car with sandwich floor has limited the amount of room for suspension travel so whatever wheel/tyre combination one has, ride quality will never be a strong point of the A Class. As an A Class owner I accept the variable ride quality because it excels (for a small car) in so many other areas.

This is exactly my view and experience. There's no doubt that a Golf,for example, rides better - though a Golf Plus,arguably more comparable, appears to ride similarly to the A Class.

 

[ShoeQueen]

Hmm I run 225/40 on 18" AMG alloys and yes the ride is hard ... but they look cool

 

[A180 Dream]

My 2009 A180 came with 16"Contis as standard.
The ride is on the firm side but quite acceptable.
Tyre pressures are quite critical on the A Class

 

[rhud]

My 2009 A180 came with 16"Contis as standard.
The ride is on the firm side but quite acceptable.
Tyre pressures are quite critical on the A Class

Do you mean tyre pressures have to be spot on as recommended?

 

[J400uk]

30PSI all round normally does the trick

 

[Andy George]

I took my wife's A Class to Heathrow and back yesterday (I went to the Geneva Motor Show) and was reminded forcefully how appalling the ride quality is; even on motorways it is hard and really quite uncomfortable, you feel every bump and unevenness in the road. I can't believe it is so bad; my wife complains bitterly; I have asked service to look at it in the past and they say there is nothing wrong; anyone else had the same experience?
Car is A170 Classic 3 door 08 plate.

Yes, I also was in shock I just collected my New A series and the suspension is so dam hard it bounces around corners on bumpy roads, my last one was a 2020 reg and that was pretty good. I am taking this one back it's really a bad drive, I have 18" AMG wheels same as before but the gap between the top of the wheel and the wheel arch outside is twice that of my previous one and the glass dash is also crap, the map is tiny compared to the last one. What are Mercedes doing? They are going to the dogs!!

 

[Blobcat]

Yes, I also was in shock I just collected my New A series and the suspension is so dam hard it bounces around corners on bumpy roads, my last one was a 2020 reg and that was pretty good. I am taking this one back it's really a bad drive, I have 18" AMG wheels same as before but the gap between the top of the wheel and the wheel arch outside is twice that of my previous one and the glass dash is also crap, the map is tiny compared to the last one. What are Mercedes doing? They are going to the dogs!!

Hello and welcome,

Completely different A-Class to the one you quoted in your post - your issue is the "AMG Line" - fashion in this country dictates huge alloy wheels - you can't blame Mercedes for that, nor can you blame them for the state of the repair of the roads in the UK or the proliferation of traffic calming measures. I recently drove a Premium Plus A180d Sport on 17" wheels home from Scotland and was pleasantly surprised at the ride. I've driven AMG Line ones previously on larger wheels and the ride is atrocious. Fashion is the problem

 

[Andy George]

Hello and welcome,

Completely different A-Class to the one you quoted in your post - your issue is the "AMG Line" - fashion in this country dictates huge alloy wheels - you can't blame Mercedes for that, nor can you blame them for the state of the repair of the roads in the UK or the proliferation of traffic calming measures. I recently drove a Premium Plus A180d Sport on 17" wheels home from Scotland and was pleasantly surprised at the ride. I've driven AMG Line ones previously on larger wheels and the ride is atrocious. Fashion is the problem

OK, but the previous A was also an AMG Line but the ride was good. Same wheels and tyres, the suspension seems higher on this one, someone suggested it may have transit blocks in still? It was collected ftom the docks and dropped at a local non Mercedes dealer for my collection. Could that be a possibility because this is really hard ride with no travel in the suspension.

Sent from my SM-G980F using Tapatalk

 

[Blobcat]

OK, but the previous A was also an AMG Line but the ride was good. Same wheels and tyres, the suspension seems higher on this one, someone suggested it may have transit blocks in still? It was collected ftom the docks and dropped at a local non Mercedes dealer for my collection. Could that be a possibility because this is really hard ride with no travel in the suspension.

Sent from my SM-G980F using Tapatalk

Take a wheel off and have a look. Ive not come across transit blocks on a new Ive had previously.