New member on this board and this is my first post.
I just bought a 2014 E350 4m and would like others opinion on how they drive at highway speeds. Mine drives horrible at speeds above 70. It tends to wander and twitch at the slightest uneven pavement. Even newly paved highways give me fits since I'm always having to adjust for a twitchy steering wheel.

I've had the car back to the dealership here in Daytona Beach and they said that the alignment is perfect. They switched around some tires and adjusted air pressures, but this helped only slightly. I can't believe Mercedes can build a car that drives like this.

The car has the original Continental ContiProContact tires, same 18" size all around on the upgrade AMG sport package wheels. They are like new and the car only has 18,000 miles on it.

I'm coming from a 2008 Caddy DTS and that car was a dream to drive at speed. Please give me your opinion on whether I am expecting too much from Mercedes 4matic drive.

 

Go back to dealer and test drive another car. U gave them lots of money. How about a little help?

 

Thank you for the reply Cavell, I appreciate your input. I did drive a 2015 C300 loaner and while the steering was quick, it did not exhibit the sensitivity to uneven road surfaces that my 4Matic does. I asked the dealer at a later date if some of the power assist can be reprogrammed as to remove some assist at high speed, to which they replied that it could NOT be done. ( It can on a Cadillac DTS).

After some discussions with other service advisers, they have convinced me that it is just a characteristic handling trait of this car. This being a 2014 E350 4Matic SPORT, it is more sensitive to road crown/unevenness.
I am slowly getting used to the handling, but it was definitely the wrong car to transition from my DTS to a Mercedes with. Given the 7 speed trans as opposed to 4 speed, the handling, and the absence of torque from the V6, this is NOT an easy car to drive smoothly!
Quite a difference between German Luxury and American Luxury in my opinion!

 

Don't give up on this! I'm a new member, just gone from a pathetic Cadillac XTS (no comparison to a DTS) to a 2014 E350 wagon that just wows me! I admit I have the comfort option on the Lux vehicle with 17" wheels running in "E" not "S" mode. So it sure aught to ride nicely - and it does!
German luxury is pretty good, certainly better than what passes for (new) American Luxury.
If Cadillac still made real Luxury cars, like they once did, buying American would still be a source of pride. As it is, once sorted out, I'm sure you will find your vehicle acceptable! Good luck!

 

Thank you Wagondriver for the reply. I can understand your frustration with the XTS, having tested one a year ago. Turns out it was built on the same platform as the Impala, but the Impala had more rear legroom, go figure.
Unfortunately for me, there is nothing to give up on. Having spoken to the dealer one additional time, they refuse to do anything about my car. They insist, and probably correctly, that it is characteristic handling for a 4Matic with the sport wheel package. Keep in mind that I don't drive the car in sport mode. In fact I can tell almost no difference between sport and economy, save for the fact that the transmission shifts down quicker and hangs on to gears a bit longer. Of course that results in even harder shifting through those seven gears!
On the bright side, I am getting used to (learning to drive) the car, and am enjoying it a bit more each trip. Yeah, the steering wheel (sport version) blocks the view of the speedometer and a few other things, but if I tilt the wheel down enough where I can brace my hands with my knees, the drive is much less tiring. It's pretty smooth, fairly quiet, good power and good fuel economy, all in all not bad.
So yes, it's acceptable.

 

Johnny, Quite a interesting set of comments. The last car I drove that handled like that was a 1962 dodge race car, concrete and steel in the doors and a full welded roll cage. We called it Spooky. It would change lanes without warning if you were not attentive. We never did figure out why the previous owner donated it to us, but his comment was " its rather spooky on uneven pavement sounds just like yours. Enjoy your car, but please be real careful. Allan

 

Let's not give anybody the wrong impression here Daemdaem. I don't think Mercedes would ever make, nor Mercedes of Daytona ever sell, nor would I have ever bought a car that was unsafe to drive. This car IS safe to drive and doesn't change lanes unexpectedly. It just requires constant attention to the twitchy steering wheel on some road surfaces.
Just because it doesn't live up to all the hype from the media, doesn't mean it's a bad car. I was just expecting better than 2008 Caddy handling on the highway.

 

New member, late to this thread, but if still watching and fwiw, my 2014 E350 4M is rock solid at high speed...a little too smooth, actually I think you've got something wrong...

 

Thank you for the reply dreintsm, yes, I still get notifications on this thread and appreciate all that have commented on my car.
As I stated above though, I am getting really used to the handling characteristics of this car even though it's been a long learning process for me. What I first perceived to be a problem is just the way this car is. Going from long wheel base, front drive, GM engineering to All Wheel Drive, short wheelbase, German engineering, was just too much at once.
The car is still sensitive to road variations, and wind forces (such as passing semis) but it is designed that way, and nothing can change it. I get on a nice smooth section of 95 and really need to be careful not to exceed my Allstate Drivewise limit (80). Followed a small fart pipe equipped car the other day onto the on ramp, looked down and was +100 without strain, so no real problems that I can tell.
If this board had better support from Mercedes, and a technician would make a specific suggestion, I would be back at the dealership tomorrow! But until that happens, I'm just going to be satisfied with what I have.
Thanks Again

 

dreintsm,
I just noticed the outside edges of my two front tires "feathering", do you see any evidence of that on your car?
These tires were new when I bought the car, and they only have 4700 miles on them! Now I'm starting to wonder again.