Haute wheels: Audi A8 vs Mercedes S500L vs BMW 750i
Sailing on the road
The ride is as important as the interior space for a majority of luxury connoisseurs. They just demand one simple thing - outstanding driving comfort, no matter what speed or surface the car is being driven at. Now that's not asking for too much, or is it?
The long version of the 7 Series boasts of a self-levelling air suspension at the rear that offers a consistent ride height. The BMW wears 245/50 R18 run flat tyres and features new shock-absorbers that send information 400 times a second to the dynamic damping control (DDC) system and are now independently adjustable for both compression and rebound damping. This means that the dampers adapt to the state of the road irrespective of which DDC mode is selected. There are other good optional features such as the integral active steering system which varies the steering angle of the rear wheels, thus improving safety, stability and comfort even at high speeds, bends or while changing lanes and ensures better handling in brake manoeuvres. But the run-flat tyres play spoilsport over bumpy surfaces, which are unfortunately common in our country, making the ride quality stiff. A problem if you sign your seven-digit cheques on board.
The Mercedes runs on 255/45 R18 tyres and is equipped with multi-link suspension and AIRMATIC system that works in combination with a fully automatic damping adjustment, like the one in BMW, which continually adjusts to the driving situation. In addition, the vehicle can be raised on poor or unfavourable stretches of road to increase ground clearance. When driving continually at a high speed the vehicle is automatically lowered, which improves handling and reduces wind resistance, an additional contribution to reducing fuel consumption. The collaborative effort of these technologies make the ride quality of the Tri-Star very soft and comfortable, enabling it to sail over bad roads without you spilling your Colombian coffee on your Italian tuxedo.