[eduard007is]

Hy guys can u please give me some advice for buyng and E Class. I wish to buy the E 320 CDI from 2004 with 88,000 Km but i dont now what to chose.. the airmatic suspension system or a sports normal suspension. I really wish the airmatic system but i heard that is really sensitive and is very expensive to replace if it crash. Anyone has any idee how much lifetime has an Airmatic system and how much it costs to maintain or replace and if Airmatic is that superior to the normal sport suspension? Thanks very much. With respect

 

[hawaiiannights808]

I'd like to know too. I love my airmatic...its very comfortable. But afraid of how much it would cost if it breaks!!

 

[Diesel Benz]

There was a previous post claiming $1000 for a the assembly on one wheel. Unfortunately there do not seem to exist individual spare parts, even the rubber shield cannot be bought separately. On the other hand, problems should normally be elsewhere, like air valves failing. I am not aware of too many problems with Airmatic, there was a bad part problem with a few cars but this of course was fixed under guarantee. I've heard of some valve leaks on early cars but haven't seen myself.

I would in any case go for the Airmatic. The sports suspension (like an Avantgarde with steel springs) is not convenient to drive when you would prefer that, with Airmatic you can select comfort or sports mode when you feel one is better than the other, no compromise. You may also like the option to raise the car higher than normally if driving very small/bad roads or passing high curbs or so.