Mercedes-Benz is renowned for its luxury vehicles, and a key component contributing to their smooth ride quality is often the air suspension system. If you’re considering a Mercedes, particularly an EQE SUV or similar model, you might be wondering about the optional Airmatic air suspension. It’s a feature that sparks considerable debate among car enthusiasts and owners alike. Choosing whether to equip your Mercedes with air suspension is a significant decision that impacts not just comfort but also the overall ownership experience.
The discussion around Mercedes Air Suspension, particularly Airmatic, is quite personal. What one driver perceives as the ultimate in comfort, another might find too soft or disconnected from the road. Factors like your typical driving environment, road conditions, and personal driving style all play a crucial role in determining if air suspension is the right choice for you. The best way to make an informed decision is through direct experience. Ideally, test driving two identical Mercedes models, one equipped with Airmatic and one with the standard suspension, is highly recommended. This hands-on comparison will provide invaluable insight into which system aligns better with your preferences. Visiting multiple dealerships to facilitate these test drives is a worthwhile investment of your time before making such a significant decision.
One owner’s experience with an EQE SUV 500, equipped with Airmatic, highlights this very point. Having ordered the vehicle with Airmatic, aiming for the most comfortable and “floaty” ride, the initial impression in the default “Comfort” mode was surprisingly too soft. The ride felt overly cushioned, almost “Jello-jiggly,” which wasn’t ideal for their taste. However, the beauty of the Mercedes air suspension system lies in its adaptability. By utilizing the “Individual” driving mode and customizing the settings, a more tailored driving experience was achieved. Specifically, keeping most parameters in “ECO” mode while setting the suspension to “Sport” provided a ride quality that hit the sweet spot. This experience raises a valid question: could a similar level of ride comfort have been achieved with the standard suspension, potentially at a lower cost? Exploring this question by test driving a comparable EQE SUV 500 with standard suspension remains on the to-do list for this owner. It’s also important to note that driving style greatly influences suspension preference. This particular driver emphasizes a non-sporty driving style, only engaging in assertive maneuvers when absolutely necessary for safety, further highlighting that the need for advanced suspension features like Airmatic is truly subjective.
