I am a new Mercedes owner, tempted by its reputation for comfort. I have bought an E class 280 Avantgarde (first registered November 2007) but am bitterly disappointed by the harshness of the ride. Presuming that the problem is the hardness of the suspension, is there anything I can do about it? For example, can the shock absorbers be adjusted to a softer setting?
E class suspension
- Thread starter Phil95
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Hello and welcome,,what size wheels are on the car
jberks
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You've bought the sports model.
The avantgarde has a sportier setup so harsher suspension than the classic or elegance models. By the sound of it, you wanted an elegance. How long have you had it and did you buy from a main dealer? (they have a 30 day swap option).
Also, not sure of 2007 models - but earlier avantgardes had 16" wheels as standard with 17" as optional extras. 17" wheels look better and improve handling but they do harm the ride. Again, a sports option. Mine has them and yes its a lot harsher than my previous E Class - an E240 elegance. That said, it handles dramatically better, doesn't roll in fast corners and doesn't wallow when turning.
Assuming all is well and you don't have anything broken, like this weeks flavour of the week - springs - then you're down to changing something.
You're running low profile tyres on 17" wheels. Moving to 16" wheels and higher profile tyres will soften the ride somewhat. Most people are going the other way so you should find someone willing to swap. You may also find that the make of tyre has an effect. Some have stiffer sidewalls than others. They'll be fated for better 'turn-in' but the downside is loss of their bump absorbtion. Finally I guess you could swap the springs and dampers for elegance ones but that is an expensive option.
They do soften up over time (or else my back-side has hardened). The ride in mine is softer than it used to be but it's taken me 60,000 miles to get there and I also changed tyre brands in the process.
The avantgarde has a sportier setup so harsher suspension than the classic or elegance models. By the sound of it, you wanted an elegance. How long have you had it and did you buy from a main dealer? (they have a 30 day swap option).
Also, not sure of 2007 models - but earlier avantgardes had 16" wheels as standard with 17" as optional extras. 17" wheels look better and improve handling but they do harm the ride. Again, a sports option. Mine has them and yes its a lot harsher than my previous E Class - an E240 elegance. That said, it handles dramatically better, doesn't roll in fast corners and doesn't wallow when turning.
Assuming all is well and you don't have anything broken, like this weeks flavour of the week - springs - then you're down to changing something.
You're running low profile tyres on 17" wheels. Moving to 16" wheels and higher profile tyres will soften the ride somewhat. Most people are going the other way so you should find someone willing to swap. You may also find that the make of tyre has an effect. Some have stiffer sidewalls than others. They'll be fated for better 'turn-in' but the downside is loss of their bump absorbtion. Finally I guess you could swap the springs and dampers for elegance ones but that is an expensive option.
They do soften up over time (or else my back-side has hardened). The ride in mine is softer than it used to be but it's taken me 60,000 miles to get there and I also changed tyre brands in the process.
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