Whenever I have a rock go through my PPF, I'm glad I have it because it would've been much worse without it

 

That's slightly disappointing honestly. An S-Class should track like a freight train no matter what speed, what setting, what whatever.

My first experience was with a W140 1997 S500, I was just the passenger... but in S. Florida there are vast stretches of ... nothing (or there were in the late 90s)... just roads that lead into intersections in a lot of areas. I looked out the window and figured we were going faster than traffic, sure, but then looked at the speedo and we were going 105... it STUNNED me. I still remember my jaw basically dropping, it elicited an actual facial reaction lol. The driver was just cutting in and out of slower cars, coming to a stop for lights like it was just absolutely NOTHING. Like going 50mph in a normal car. She even had it in 4 which shocked me even more. The way that car could go from nothing to triple digit speeds, then back down to nothing and right back up there again was just unbelievable. Zero fuss in the cabin, the car wasn't even working.

What a BEAST. I don't think even the mighty LS400 of the time (with 260 hp vs 315) could do it quite that well, though probably close.

 

Same for all my cars that can change, it just feels better at speed.

 

Yup! Thats what its for. Luckily its just a small strip that is easy to replace.

It does, it just feels more solid with the suspension a hair firmer. The difference is hard to describe, in Comfort mode the car just kind of floats along, you feel the undulations in the road underneath you where in Sport mode that all is just ironed out and the car feels like its on rails. There is also Sport +, which my S560 didn't have but that makes expansion joints and all a little too sharp. Its a very subtle difference. It also makes the car flatter through sweeping turns and all like you get on I-64 in VA and WV.

Honestly if I was going to choose one suspension mode to have out of all 3, I would choose Sport. The Comfort is a little cushier over potholes and such but the suspension rebounds a little longer after bumps where the Sport setting is more settled.

The car absolutely feels like its doing 40MPH at 100. Especially on a road like 64 where traffic is really sparse and you can go 15-20 minutes without passing another car. It also is by far the queitest car I have ever had. In the S560 and in the LSs once you got over 70 you had a pretty notable increase in ambient noise. In the LSs it was mostly road noise, in the S560 it was mostly wind rush. In the S580 the noise is the same at 100 as it is at 70. I measured 59 dB at 85, and 61 at 100. My LS460L would do 59 at 75, but when you got to 80-85 you were doing 63, 64, and 100 65. S560 was the same way. Its truly amazing the isolation they engineered into it from the previous model in the door and window seals. That stretch of road also has a lot of different road surfaces, asphalt, concrete, patched concrete...even a section of chip sealed concrete and its amazing how little variation there is in the tone from the tires vs other cars I have had.

 

That is the one thing I dislike about my tires, I can go from low 60s up to the 70s on certain types of pavement. I regretting not getting the foam now

Cars like this do indeed make you scorn lowly 80mph speed limits since they are so capable.

 

Really?! It will register 70s? I can’t imagine my car ever registering 70 on any road surface

 

Good, all of this!

One thing I'll note about my story is this was when an S-Class rode on 16" wheels with huuuuge sidewall Michelin tires, and they were wide too. The ride was probably better. I've been in a modern S-Class and it doesn't handle expansion bumps as well as my LS430, though the ride is absolutely crazy good otherwise. It's just physics with those huge wheels, can't hold that against it regardless.

 

Oh dude it's insane.

Like no joke it's so out of character for the cars I've had people give me a look, I myself was CONVINCED I lost a wheel bearing on my first road trip with the 4.0t because it just sang out a tone when I crossed into Kentucky and their pavement. Just imagine it going from a nice and quiet 64 to 73 at a transition then dropping back to 64 in 100 yards.

The W12s are worse because their baselines are quieter so the spike is REALLY noticeable. My test road near my shop I use to normalize cars against each other is what I class as "moderate" pavement because if I used bad pavement my cars numbers would suck vs a Camry. If they didn't grip so well I wouldn't tolerate it, I have LESS noise at 155mph on good pavement than 70 on grooved concrete. Oh and they sandblast paint

The redemption is the outright grip and steering feel being very very very consistent to the point I can 4 wheel drift the cars at will and not feel concerned. If they didn't allow that level of confidence I wouldn't tolerate it

Oh and I have these tires on literally every car other than the phaeton. That thing is 59-62 period in near all conditions. 130mph is 64, same tires as you.

Im getting foams at minimum for the new car, hell I'm debating just not using pilot sports since this will be the "reference" car. Might just get something really quiet with good handling, IDK.


TLDR do not buy Pilot Sports if you won't leverage them, and or have a quiet car. Just not a good match when you aren't pushing the car hard if you want to be able to hear your passenger breathing/seek to enjoy how quiet a high end can be.

 

Yeah wheel size needs to be managed. I’m very careful about not getting the bigger wheels even though they look better and I also swap out the run flats which makes a big difference.

The 223 also rides notably better than the 222. It’s softer over expansion joints and hides issues with larger wheels better. My LS460L was softer than my S560 over potholes and expansion joints but not the S580.

 

This is why I have avoided Michelins…

 

Oh I believe it 100%, I run 20s because that's the factory forged/lightest and strongest option and 40 section tires but a customer has 19s and the impact shock on his normal suspension car ties my dynamic pack cars.

A8s always ride more racy/direct than an S but my god my 4.0 on 20s and non-dynamic pack with less sound treatments sometimes gets REAL close to an E-class NVH wise on certain pavement. That's honestly the weakest point of that car, and why I said screw it and made it fast.

The W12s are the perfect split personality cars that are perfectly balanced in all aspects, the overall package is the 2nd best sedan I've ever driven. Perfect to drive, get crazy with, and to just dial back and cruse thanks to the better suspension and steering system than the normal cars.

The D5 is more like your 223 but it lost its edge. It no longer feels like a 5 series to drive hard and doesn't have that very direct steering feel anymore. For me that's not a good thing, I have the media kits and commemorative stuff for the D4 and their explicit goal was to make it as sporty as possible while maintaining high enough comfort when you are off it, the D5 is inverted goals. Logic being the Panamera is the in brand "sharp" option now and the Flying Spur is the combined car that does both.

Driving all 3 back to back confirmed that to me. Next sedan I get will be a Spur for the reason it's the perfect blend like the D4 W12 is. Just more of everything

 

@LH1 This is far as off road my truck goes mostly. I always take the mule or 4wheeler or tractor. I actually throw it in 4WD whenever I’m taking out or storing the trailer just to keep the gears lubed.

Pulling her out of storage. Coming to a track near you!! Plan is to keep it under 85mph. My trailer is a little heavier these days. ⛽️ Got a 1,000 mile tow trip.

 

The D5 is a GREAT riding car. I don’t have a ton of experience with older generation A8s

 

They are much sharper, they feel unusually direct and sporty for a sedan to the point it's almost funny. If you have ever driven a Panamera is just like those with the D4 being the sharpest of the A8s by a substantial margin but it's still able to cruse well.

It does not and doesn't intend to feel like an LS/S class except for the D5 for the above mentioned reasons. Just from the perspective of someone who has driven a BUNCH of cars the D4s are easily some of very best sedans as far as tracking and handling. It's why I got addicted to them honestly

 

The Merc is honestly riding like shyt because it needs tires so bad, and them balanced. It smooths out like a freight train and gives that classic MB high speed prowess....at 100MPH and above. Under those speeds the ride ain't great.

I just wrote a $3300 check the week before last for the top. Ughhh, toys are expensive lol. Not truly complaining lol. Nice problems to have.

I was gonna get those Michelens for it, someone's saying it's loud with them?