CLS (in)stability at speed

yarand

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Jun 24, 2008
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NW London
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet 2011 with dynamic handling
My 2007 CLS 500 (388bhp 5.5l) feels unstable at motorway speeds - it feels unsettled as though it is rocking from side to side. This situation applies with the active suspension set at the ("hardest") setting II.
I mentioned this to my local Mercedes dealer when the car was in for a service, and they road tested the car on a motorway. They too noted the feeling. They then road tested another CLS and noted the same feeling and concluded that everything must be okay! I spoke to Mercedes UK customer services, who reported back that there is nothing to be done, because it is (obviously) typical with the model!
I exploded at this point - this is a car that, even with the UK speed limiter, is advertised as capable of 155mph! I for one would feel totally uncomfortable to drive the car at anything like those speeds (speed limits permitting) when the car feels so unstable.
Does anybody else have similar concerns with their CLS?
 

jibcl500

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Cambridgeshire
Your Mercedes
CL500,ML55,SLK280
What wheel and tyre setup do you have? I have a CL500 with quite a wide track to it and find on certain motorways with the large tyres it feels unstable when it catches the ruts in the road that heavy trucks leave.

Any other road and its fine.
jib
 
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Y

yarand

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E350 CDI Cabriolet 2011 with dynamic handling
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What wheel and tyre setup do you have? I have a CL500 with quite a wide track to it and find on certain motorways with the large tyres it feels unstable when it catches the ruts in the road that heavy trucks leave.

Any other road and its fine.
jib

My car has standard 18" tyres. The issue is not with the impact of ruts or other road surface issues but with the general handling feeling at motorway speeds - the car just does not feel "stuck" to the road.
 
A

andy@pcd-ltd

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Personally i would take it to another dealer and let them have a look at it and see what they come up with.

What area are you in
 

Xtractorfan

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Nov 16, 2007
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Your Mercedes
S class
The harder setting will always follow the road contours and that includes the road surface imperfections, which the setting will magnify, I would try a softer setting.. really the harder setting is only for spirited driving...Cant say tho if the problem is universal, must ask a few people who have that model their opinions
 

wright

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Aug 6, 2009
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Location
Arklow
Your Mercedes
E200, Transporter van
4 wheel alignment, uneven tyre wear?
 

EGBM

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Mar 25, 2008
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Midlands
Your Mercedes
W219 CLS 320 CDI
yarand, no problems with our CLS in this respect - feels very sure footed. Perhaps it's the alignment as wrightmentions. Does your dealer know what he's on about, I'm struggling to believe him!
 

Birdman

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Nov 26, 2004
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Suffolk & Oxford
Your Mercedes
E55, Phaeton, Fireblade CBR1000RR
I have noticed slight instability in a 911 Turbo at high speed. I would describe it as slight darting. It was self-stabilizing ie. it required no corrective inputs to the steering to maintain a steady line. I suppose theoretically this 'darting' could result in rocking on a larger car with different wheel & suspension setup.

FWIW I thought at the time the slight instability was from the car sticking so tightly to the road at speed it tracked along minute surface contour changes.

I appreciate your CLS may be doing something quite different of course, yarrand.
Btw I nearly bought a CLS 500 until I discovered it was 'old' unregistered stock ie with the 5 litre 300bhp engine. But I liked it a lot.
 

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