E43 AMG Estate Ride & Comfort

[rockits]

Look at the amount of rubber on my 1990 Sovereign 4.0. On 15's but by modern standards they're SUV wheels
View attachment 136685

Same as my GTi-6 with 195/55/15 tyres.

 

[pse1336982]

Well I got myself back into an AMG again October last year. Had a chance to live with the car for a bit and there is so much to like about it but just not getting on with the ride. I've been out of AMG's for a few years after an E55K estates being my last but they seem to have shifted the bias a little. So from the E55K estate being a very comfortable car that was also good to hustle along too to my E43 Estate that is much more of a focussed more drivers car.

I thought it might be the optional 20" alloys and very low profile tyres that were not helping the ride quality. However, I have changed the 20" alloys to the stock 19" alloys with slightly higher sidewalls and it has helped but not really silly noticeably. It is a cracking drivers car and very focussed to give a great handling, sharp and enjoyable car to drive. Problem is that I was looking for something more comfortable that was still interesting to drive when desired. I think I might have bought the wrong car and maybe a non-AMG E Class Estate might have been better for my desires with a softer less driver focussed bias.

I fear I might have bite the bullet and sell it to replace with something a little softer edged. Not sure if I'm getting old but just wanted something more comfortable most of the time and not something so focussed. Don't get me wrong the E43 AMG is a great car that does it does very well. Just wasn't expecting it to be so driver focussed and so sharp with the harder edge it seems to have.

I'm never one to chop and change cars too much after only a few months as normally keep my cars a fair bit. Just not sure I can concede this one and think I'm going to have to sell it. I suspect I'll drop a chunk of cash on it too which is annoying as just replaced the alloys, new front tyres and new parking sensor that was intermittently failing.

Has anyone experienced the same or has any thoughts please?

It's likely to be the tyres you are running when it's cold in Winter. I had a S213 E63 for 3 years and ride in the winter was awful, just as you describe above.

I invested in a set of Conti Winter Contacts TS860 and the ride was transformed.

I only used the summer tyres in the summer and the ride then was fine.

Mercedes engineer there cars (especially the E-Class) for Germany / Europe and this means Winter tyres in Winter and Summer tyres in Summer. If you follow suit you will find ride and handling are massively better.

P.

 

[HB]

It's likely to be the tyres you are running when it's cold in Winter. I had a S213 E63 for 3 years and ride in the winter was awful, just as you describe above.

I invested in a set of Conti Winter Contacts TS860 and the ride was transformed.

I only used the summer tyres in the summer and the ride then was fine.

Mercedes engineer there cars (especially the E-Class) for Germany / Europe and this means Winter tyres in Winter and Summer tyres in Summer. If you follow suit you will find ride and handling are massively better.

P.

Interesting point there.

 

[rockits]

It's likely to be the tyres you are running when it's cold in Winter. I had a S213 E63 for 3 years and ride in the winter was awful, just as you describe above.

I invested in a set of Conti Winter Contacts TS860 and the ride was transformed.

I only used the summer tyres in the summer and the ride then was fine.

Mercedes engineer there cars (especially the E-Class) for Germany / Europe and this means Winter tyres in Winter and Summer tyres in Summer. If you follow suit you will find ride and handling are massively better.

P.

Thanks. That is very interesting and could certainly make some sense. Not something I have experienced before on any other car but I guess some cars or tyres might be more sensitive to this than others.
Ironically when I bought the new pair of 19" front alloys they came with brand new winter tyres but I never got to try them as the rear 19" alloys I found had decent Conti Sport 6 summer tyres on them already. SO I just bought a pair of Conti Sport 7 front tyres to try to match them as best I could.

Maybe I'll wait for the temps to improve a bit and see if it improves the ride a little.

 

[rockits]

I was concerned that the car could potentially be too stiff in sports mode, but found it was fine and better than I had expected. That car is advertised on autotrader just now, it’s at a Mercedes’ franchised dealership so will come with a 2 yr warranty, they have it priced at just under 35.5k. It’s dark blue (cavansite), is “premium” trim level and smells of dog.

2019 Mercedes-Benz E Class 3.0 E43 V6 AMG (Premium Plus) G-Tronic+ 4MATIC Euro 6 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2019 Mercedes-Benz E Class 3.0 E43 V6 AMG (Premium Plus) G-Tronic+ 4MATIC Euro 6 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

This one just popped up on my e-mail that seems about what you were looking for.

 

[rockits]

2019 Mercedes-Benz E Class 3.0 E43 V6 AMG (Premium Plus) G-Tronic+ 4MATIC Euro 6 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2019 Mercedes-Benz E Class 3.0 E43 V6 AMG (Premium Plus) G-Tronic+ 4MATIC Euro 6 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

This one just popped up on my e-mail that seems about what you were looking for.

Maybe ignore that as just noticed it was CAT S. Lower mileage though.

 

[MMCC]

2019 Mercedes-Benz E Class 3.0 E43 V6 AMG (Premium Plus) G-Tronic+ 4MATIC Euro 6 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2019 Mercedes-Benz E Class 3.0 E43 V6 AMG (Premium Plus) G-Tronic+ 4MATIC Euro 6 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

This one just popped up on my e-mail that seems about what you were looking for.

An insurance write off is not for me.

 

[MMCC]

An insurance write off is not for me.

Apologies for that response as it may have seemed a bit abrupt. I should have added that although a Cat S is not for me, thank you for letting me know about the car. I think that car is also for sale on auto trader, so I had seen it and noted it was Cat S. Had it not been Cat S, it is the sort of thing I would have been interested in.

 

[rayaans]

TBH I found the E220d AMG Line Night Edition I got with 20" wheels as a courtesy somewhat jarring over bad bumps. Certainly not as comfortable as I thought it would be and I can imagine the E43 is even worse.

Having said that I recently had a wee ride in an RS6 and it was so much more comfortable

 

[HB]

TBH I found the E220d AMG Line Night Edition I got with 20" wheels as a courtesy somewhat jarring over bad bumps. Certainly not as comfortable as I thought it would be and I can imagine the E43 is even worse.

Having said that I recently had a wee ride in an RS6 and it was so much more comfortable

The 220 is on run flats so will be a bit harsh The 43 is on normal tyres but with stiffer suspension.
I’m still a bit baffled with your poor ride quality. The 53 I was in recently on 20”s rode pretty well and I believe it’s the same suspension set up.
Are you sure all your bushes etc are ok ?

 

[Will]

Agree that MBs and AMGs have got firmer/stiffer/less compliant over the years but with 19s I wouldn’t have thought the ride comfort shouldn’t be that bad?

Am I the only one that wonders on a 100k mile example if the dampers etc could be past their best?

Is the ‘43 on air all round or just at the rear?

Yes the E55Ks were a bit of a magic carpet, air springs and adaptive dampers with relatively chunky tyres - coupled with a 5 speed slushbox and torquey V8 it made for a great comfortable family express

My S212 E63 estate felt significantly firmer with the 19s and steel springs up front, but not terrible - I ran 18s on it for a while which helped.

I wonder if the seats are a little firmer too on the 213? The 211 seats were awesome

 

[rockits]

The 220 is on run flats so will be a bit harsh The 43 is on normal tyres but with stiffer suspension.
I’m still a bit baffled with your poor ride quality. The 53 I was in recently on 20”s rode pretty well and I believe it’s the same suspension set up.
Are you sure all your bushes etc are ok ?

Yes, agreed and baffled too. It had a full workshop inspection at Welwyn Merx and had a couple of issues that I've addressed and a lower OSF arm on backorder from MB to be changed but only that and just had some play but not excessive. Intended to do a full wheel/geometry alignment after that too.

I do think this winter/summer tyre thing could certainly make sense. It is hard to explain but the ride and damping is very good, just that there is considerable harshness over any rougher/pourer surfaces or any imperfections. Certainly rubber being hard and less supple seems very much a possible/viable reason for the symptoms I feel.

 

[rockits]

Agree that MBs and AMGs have got firmer/stiffer/less compliant over the years but with 19s I wouldn’t have thought the ride comfort shouldn’t be that bad?

Am I the only one that wonders on a 100k mile example if the dampers etc could be past their best?

Is the ‘43 on air all round or just at the rear?

Yes the E55Ks were a bit of a magic carpet, air springs and adaptive dampers with relatively chunky tyres - coupled with a 5 speed slushbox and torquey V8 it made for a great comfortable family express

My S212 E63 estate felt significantly firmer with the 19s and steel springs up front, but not terrible - I ran 18s on it for a while which helped.

I wonder if the seats are a little firmer too on the 213? The 211 seats were awesome

I understood air all round on the E43 as you can raise the suspension to give a little more ground clearance if required. I didn't think air systems could become worn in the same way traditional dampers might. Certainly the handling, steering and body control are excellent and not a.cause for complaint at all. In fact a strong positive to the car I would suggest.

I would have loved to get some Pilot Alpin 5 winter tyres on the back to match the spare new ones I have for the front in my garage. However, it would be over £600 for a paid when I looked and for a month or two until it gets a little I might just wait and see if things improve with the temps.

I did buy the car in October so the test drive was October and I'm sure it didn't feel quite as harsh then. Many others on this and other forums have said they have experienced significant ride quality difference between winter and summer tyres in the wrong temp/conditions. It does make sense and is logical to me as a potential cause.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

It's likely to be the tyres you are running when it's cold in Winter. I had a S213 E63 for 3 years and ride in the winter was awful, just as you describe above.

I invested in a set of Conti Winter Contacts TS860 and the ride was transformed.

I only used the summer tyres in the summer and the ride then was fine.

Mercedes engineer there cars (especially the E-Class) for Germany / Europe and this means Winter tyres in Winter and Summer tyres in Summer. If you follow suit you will find ride and handling are massively better.

P.

An experience shared by many BMW owners

Good advice and an Enhlishman needs to remember that German temperatures, both day and night are a good 5-10 degrees colder than England, and our roads are substantially worse, both local and main road.

 

[Benz17]

OP, is there any chance you could test drive another car same model as yours, then you can compare, and see if that is also the same, or not.

 

[Will]

I understood air all round on the E43 as you can raise the suspension to give a little more ground clearance if required. I didn't think air systems could become worn in the same way traditional dampers might. Certainly the handling, steering and body control are excellent and not a.cause for complaint at all. In fact a strong positive to the car I would suggest.

I did buy the car in October so the test drive was October and I'm sure it didn't feel quite as harsh then.

If it’s on air it will still have dampers, the air parts just replace the steel springs.

The dampers will be oil filled the same as any regular car. Trouble is with stuff like this is they wear gradually over time and it’s not until you compare say 100k mile used dampers to new ones just how much difference there is.

I’m not suggesting that this is the only issue here, the 213 AMG will no doubt be much firmer than older cars with softer suspension setups and more compliant tyres etc but coupled with the cold temperatures, general wear and tear on other components such as bushes, mounts etc it could be enough for you to feel disappointed with the way it rides.

The suggestion of driving another example is quite a good idea, it’s surprising how different two different examples of a model can drive.

New cars really do feel so much fresher all round, tight as a drum, taught but supple and absorb bumps and stuff so much better - but you pay for that experience!

 

[Benz17]

New cars really do feel so much fresher all round, tight as a drum, taught but supple and absorb bumps and stuff so much better - but you pay for that experience!

The above is also a very good point. Will do you mean new or newer.

New car definitely no doubt.

Newer car say with around 20-30k compared to OP 100k, would one expect a greater comfort difference, I would say yes.

 

[rockits]

TBH I found the E220d AMG Line Night Edition I got with 20" wheels as a courtesy somewhat jarring over bad bumps. Certainly not as comfortable as I thought it would be and I can imagine the E43 is even worse.

Having said that I recently had a wee ride in an RS6 and it was so much more comfortable

I did test drive an Audi S6 Avant and also RS6 Avant and both were very comfortable. The S6 was a an option very much on my list. Didn't ideally want a manual gearbox or dual clutch S-Tronic and wanted a slushbox auto ideally. The RS6 was a little superflous for my needs really. I was still looking for S6's but this E43 came along that met all my criteria so went with it.

I don't find the MB 9G gearbox perfect and less smooth than I expected but it is still OK for me. I prefer the 6 speed ZF Auto I had in the XJ tbh.

 

[rockits]

OP, is there any chance you could test drive another car same model as yours, then you can compare, and see if that is also the same, or not.

Yes, maybe but I would never want to waste anybody's time or money going to look at a car I was not seriously looking to potentially purchase.

 

[rockits]

If it’s on air it will still have dampers, the air parts just replace the steel springs.

The dampers will be oil filled the same as any regular car. Trouble is with stuff like this is they wear gradually over time and it’s not until you compare say 100k mile used dampers to new ones just how much difference there is.

I’m not suggesting that this is the only issue here, the 213 AMG will no doubt be much firmer than older cars with softer suspension setups and more compliant tyres etc but coupled with the cold temperatures, general wear and tear on other components such as bushes, mounts etc it could be enough for you to feel disappointed with the way it rides.

The suggestion of driving another example is quite a good idea, it’s surprising how different two different examples of a model can drive.

New cars really do feel so much fresher all round, tight as a drum, taught but supple and absorb bumps and stuff so much better - but you pay for that experience!

Yes, agreed on all these points. I think there is a sweet spot I guess when cars are at their best. Often brand new they can be a little tight in many aspects both good and bad. After a few miles they loosen up and drive better. Then when they get too old and worn they start to drop off a bit. I have driven new cars that never felt fluid or settled and really old cars that drove really really well. So as you say every example can be so different.

I am really pleased with how this example drives in all ways and feels really tight, sharp so all you would expect it to be. I can't fault 95% of the car in that regard. Certainly doesn't feel worn and zero knock or bangs anywhere. A great example to drive. Just feels like it is driving on hard tyres which the temps and summer tyres theory seems to make total sense and be inline with my issue.

If I could find a pair of rear Pilot Alpin 5's reasonably cost effectively I would bite the bullet to pop these on to match the fronts I have in the garage. Just not enamoured with shelling out over £600 for the pair currently I won't use for long.