[epsonman1]

Good Day,

I test drove a CLA250 with a sport package which, as you know, includes the 18 inch run flat summer tires. i like the car and ordered the 4 matic with all season tires.

Recently, two reviews, the one in this month's car and driver and the one in consumer report both slammed the CLA for the harsh ride and road noise. To the point that I am having misgivings.

my question is.........is this a function of the run flat tires? narrow wheelbase or sport suspension that USA versions of the CLA have? If it's just the tires, I would replace with non run flat tires, I don't really think they are worth the hassle,
Are the 17 inch all season tires more quiet? Any insight would be appreciated!

 

[Tonyride]

I have no problems with the ride of my car with 18" Summere run flats. Yes, it is a stiffer ride but that's expected. I test drove both 17" and 18" wheel versions and decided 18" isn't that much worse.

 

[vracer]

Good Day,

I test drove a CLA250 with a sport package which, as you know, includes the 18 inch run flat summer tires. i like the car and ordered the 4 matic with all season tires.

Recently, two reviews, the one in this month's car and driver and the one in consumer report both slammed the CLA for the harsh ride and road noise. To the point that I am having misgivings.

my question is.........is this a function of the run flat tires? narrow wheelbase or sport suspension that USA versions of the CLA have? If it's just the tires, I would replace with non run flat tires, I don't really think they are worth the hassle,
Are the 17 inch all season tires more quiet? Any insight would be appreciated!

Do a search for run flats. There is a ton of info out there. Call and ask Tirerack; they are very knowledgeable.

17s have more sidewall, and are, generally, more compliant.

 

[mr.smith]

I haven't heard anything about the noise insulation being a function of the tires and I think that the bumpy ride is the suspension more so. Can't say for sure, but I don't think that changing the tires will really fix these problems on the CLA.

 

[booker]

I've heard the door gaps letting road noise in....

 

[BenzFan]

I've heard the door gaps letting road noise in....

thats very possible. with the big 1-2 inch gaps that don't let all the panels meet theres a good chance of noise to 'leak' in more than it should.

 

[TheBluetac]

Driving running the 18's with runflats. Noise is not an issue even our terrible roads.

 

[CLAJoe]

Good Day,

I test drove a CLA250 with a sport package which, as you know, includes the 18 inch run flat summer tires. i like the car and ordered the 4 matic with all season tires.

Recently, two reviews, the one in this month's car and driver and the one in consumer report both slammed the CLA for the harsh ride and road noise. To the point that I am having misgivings.

my question is.........is this a function of the run flat tires? narrow wheelbase or sport suspension that USA versions of the CLA have? If it's just the tires, I would replace with non run flat tires, I don't really think they are worth the hassle,
Are the 17 inch all season tires more quiet? Any insight would be appreciated!

@epsonman1 Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the new car!

Joe

 

[sleepyhead]

Umm, do you mean by harsh handling harsh ride? What is harsh handling? Heavy handling? Numb? Vibrations?

 

[epsonman1]

• Hard ride. Slams over potholes and tar strips. The AMG version, even allowing for its extra-sporty suspension, was dreadful. Made your teeth chatter and your speech vibrate on only mildly uneven paving.
this was one review............... the lastest issue of car and driver which i subscribe too is not yeat online byt has serious complaints on the over ride on uneven pavement, and resuling cabin noise

The CLA 250, which should have been far more comfortable, wasn't. Fine on smooth roads, but nearly as bun-slamming as the AMG over the slightest texture.
M-B disagrees, saying the chassis tuning is as intended.
• Noise. Unexpected in a Mercedes-Benz, tires whined over some concrete, roared over coarse asphalt.

 

[sleepyhead]

Well, AMGs are not known to be comfortable cars. In a sense, they are crazy muscle cars. So the AMG review on comfort is not a surprise, especially if you opt for the 19" wheels, which I bet their test car had. I mean, you kind of have to pick, do you want a sporty ride or soft ride? Short of expensive suspension (or the magnetorheological suspension on Cadillacs and a few other affordable cars) you're gonna have to settle for one. And AMGs have always been known to be the craziest and mental of the three Germans (M and RS).

As for the regular car, I found the ride fine when I test drove it and ran over some bad roads. It's not as comfortable as a Lexus or Infiniti, but the Germans have always been more sports tuned than the Japanese. I recall being in a C300 and the ride was about the same. I didn't find the noise that bad, and actually reasonable for what I remember of Mercedes. It's not an E, CLS, or S class. Heck, it's not even a C class. Given their Cd on the car is the best of any production car in history, the road noise is probably mostly the tires. That's what run flats get you, especially if you go for larger wheels.

If you're buying a 250 I would recommend getting the 17"s. I mean, what's the point anyways of trying for sporty wheels in a car that's not sporty. I'm getting 18" in the AMG, which are the smallest you can get.

I think the most important thing to remember about this car is that it is not really a C-class. It's a cheap hatchback (A-class) that was redesigned and sold as a new C-class).

And I'm not a fanboy defending the car either. Hell, I was the one who made the thread about what are bad things about the car. But I think we all need to remember that there's a reason Mercedes is offering the car at such a relatively low price given all the engineering that went into the body and engine.

 

[vracer]

Driving running the 18's with runflats. Noise is not an issue even our terrible roads.

Where are YOUR horrible roads. It is to everyone's benefit if we all list our locations.

 

[brianch]

the runflats will give a firmer ride. and so will the 18s

also depends what kind of road you are driving on

the CLA isn't a quiet car when compared to the C or E class.

But I don't think its especially loud for the segment.

 

[vracer]

Well, AMGs are not known to be comfortable cars. In a sense, they are crazy muscle cars. So the AMG review on comfort is not a surprise, especially if you opt for the 19" wheels, which I bet their test car had. I mean, you kind of have to pick, do you want a sporty ride or soft ride? Short of expensive suspension (or the magnetorheological suspension on Cadillacs and a few other affordable cars) you're gonna have to settle for one. And AMGs have always been known to be the craziest and mental of the three Germans (M and RS).

As for the regular car, I found the ride fine when I test drove it and ran over some bad roads. It's not as comfortable as a Lexus or Infiniti, but the Germans have always been more sports tuned than the Japanese. I recall being in a C300 and the ride was about the same. I didn't find the noise that bad, and actually reasonable for what I remember of Mercedes. It's not an E, CLS, or S class. Heck, it's not even a C class. Given their Cd on the car is the best of any production car in history, the road noise is probably mostly the tires. That's what run flats get you, especially if you go for larger wheels.

If you're buying a 250 I would recommend getting the 17"s. I mean, what's the point anyways of trying for sporty wheels in a car that's not sporty. I'm getting 18" in the AMG, which are the smallest you can get.

I think the most important thing to remember about this car is that it is not really a C-class. It's a cheap hatchback (A-class) that was redesigned and sold as a new C-class).

And I'm not a fanboy defending the car either. Hell, I was the one who made the thread about what are bad things about the car. But I think we all need to remember that there's a reason Mercedes is offering the car at such a relatively low price given all the engineering that went into the body and engine.

Sleepyhead,
Why do I always find my self in agreement with you?

Is it a sign of intelligence - or lack thereof?

 

[epsonman1]

Well 1st of all, I do apologize for not proof reading my earlier post.

2nd, I completely agree with you on the 250, I saw no point of putting 18 high performance tires on a car that is performance "lite", hence I went with the 17's on my order. my question was more to the overall "cheapness". I understand that MB is trying to reach a new demographic with this price point, but if the ride is so substandard, i would rather pass and get a C class leftover from 2014 since with the new design for 2015, would most likely be a much better value. My question was what you suggested, bad car or mis-used run flat tires, thanks and hopefully others will chime in!

 

[TheBluetac]

Where are YOUR horrible roads. It is to everyone's benefit if we all list our locations.

A thousand apologies - in introductions I did mention I am from that far flung outpost of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland.

 

[sleepyhead]

Sleepyhead,
Why do I always find my self in agreement with you?

Is it a sign of intelligence - or lack thereof?

A little from column A, a lot from column B.

Well 1st of all, I do apologize for not proof reading my earlier post.

2nd, I completely agree with you on the 250, I saw no point of putting 18 high performance tires on a car that is performance "lite", hence I went with the 17's on my order. my question was more to the overall "cheapness". I understand that MB is trying to reach a new demographic with this price point, but if the ride is so substandard, i would rather pass and get a C class leftover from 2014 since with the new design for 2015, would most likely be a much better value. My question was what you suggested, bad car or mis-used run flat tires, thanks and hopefully others will chime in!

I guess I would think of it not so much as cheap, but the money for R&D not being spread out evenily. Like an Evo or STI. Obviously all the money went to the engine and drive system because the insides make a Geo Metro look nice. The price for the CLA really doesn't reflect that this is a car that has the lowest Cd of any car or the fact that it looks like a baby CLS. So yeah, there's going to be some issues.

I will say myself that if I were looking for a comfortable nice car in the 30-low40s, I would skip the CLA and go for a C-class. An equivalent performance C-class (C250) is not that much more and a nicer car.

 

[Soccerdog]

Standard Tires

Has anyone out there replaced the horrid run-flats with standard tires, such as Conti ExtremeContact DWS'?
If so, ride improvement?

 

[Tonyride]

I still have the OEM 18" run flat summer tires. I don't think they're horrid and I don't mind them.

 

[Red Jupiter]

If you want the "Mercedes" ride, you need to look at the C Class. The CLA has a sport suspension and is deliberatly sportier (read, firmer) ride.