Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Our verdict

The S-class is a large rear-drive saloon that invented the word ‘isolation’. Packed with every conceivable gadget, the S-class is traditionally a place where new technology is debuted – and because this is Merc’s flagship it usually works faultlessly.

Comfort

This is where the S-class starts to earn its not-inconsiderable cash outlay. The ride quality is exceptional, the isolation all but complete. No wind noise thanks to double-glazed windows, heated/ventilated and massaging seats, oodles of space - there's nothing quite like it.

Performance

Five engines to choose from, and not one of them a bad deal. There are the private-hire choices of a 235bhp 3.0-litre diesel and petrols of 3.0-litre and 3.5-litre V6 varieties, a 5.5-litre V8 with 388bhp and a V12 with 604bhp. In such a big car they all seem to sing away quite nicely, though the diesel should be enough for most and it gets a reasonable 34.0mpg to boot. Take the skyrocket S65 AMG route and you're looking at 62mph in just 4.4 seconds.

Cool

As a diesel and in a relatively low spec, the S looks like a posh private hire limo. When you start adding in the daft engines and tech, it starts to look a bit more attractive. Don't like taking the Lear? Then the S65 is the car for you - it's better than a Maybach and half the price.

Quality

Take a ballbearing in your hand and weigh it thoughtfully. That's the kind of engineering you're talking about in an S-class; incredibly satisfying and might last longer than you do. Great materials, lovely interior, the kind of clunk-thunk that you get when you slam a 1000kg safe door into a timelock.

Handling

Optional Active Body Control tidies up the big S to an eerie degree - it really can shift when it wants to. The weird thing is that the ride still feels as smooth as if you are driving on glass, sitting on a duvet, when completely drunk. The S-class also has the uncanny ability to shrink itself around you when things start to get quicker; the anti-roll bars are all software controlled so that the S can alter the way it handles on the fly and the result is a car that manages to feel agile at low-speed and safe at high speed.

Practicality

There's a long wheelbase if you need the extra limb space, but otherwise the S-class is eminently practical. The boot is a generous (massive) 560-litres and there's enough space for four in total comfort. There's nothing out there to match it.

Running costs

For the premium feeling you get to pay premium prices. Insurance is all group 18 or higher, the diesel gets 34.0mpg the S280 V6 gets 28.5mpg and the S65 is supposed to get nearly 19mpg but doesn't. Residuals are strong though, so you can recoup some of the initial outlay.