Mercedes S550 4Matic – Japanese Car Dealer

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Luxury shoppers have a remarkable “problem.” If you would like one thing spendier and additional distinctive than a Lexus LS, however aren’t prepared for a baby-Bentley or Roller, you’ve got however one option: the Mercedes S-Class Japanese car dealer. bother is that the last generation S-Class lagged behind additional plebian choices in each gadgets and luxury. That was a heavy drawback since the worth hang on the S spans from just below $100,000 to just about 1 / 4 of 1,000,000. just like the new C-Class, the redesigned S-Class is restoring my religion within the premiere German luxury complete.

Exterior
The S-Class has been the top of the Mercedes line since 1972. There are long ones, short ones, coupés, sedans and limos. no matter the form, the S-Class has long been the quality by that lifesize luxury cars square measure judged. That was somewhat little bit of a haul for the previous generation Merc that had a somewhat dowdy exterior with a visible profile, tiny grille and headlamps that gave the impression of Shrinky Dinks that had spent too long within the kitchen appliance.

The new S-Class receives Mercedes’ latest exterior style cues from the CLS and CLA with a bolder grille and angry headlamps integrated with the quaintness of a tri-star ornamentation. As you’d expect from a automotive destined to chauffeur diplomats, royalty and heads of state, the aspect profile is upright and ancient, and also the greenhouse bends slightly rearward to permit your royal personage a much better read of your subjects.

At rear, Mercedes integrated the company style-book with classic S-Class cues we’ve seen since 1991 car blog, like taillights that won’t wrap onto the lid. This explicit vogue alternative contains a notable downside: the trunk gap is smaller than several of the opposite luxury sedans.

Although the new S-Class could appear as if a re-skinned W220 S-Class, the W222 is a completely new animal. the most important amendment could be a new body that’s nearly [*fr1] metallic element. instead of going all-in on Alcoa like Felis onca and Audi, Mercedes took the additional cautious approach by strategically victimisation metallic element to regulate the car’s weight balance moreover as shed some pounds. The result’s associate S550 that tips the scales at four,600 pounds and contains a weight balance nearer to 50/50 than ever before (a hair higher than 52/48 we’re told.)

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Interior
Mercedes could be a conservative company once it involves interior vogue, thus this generation doesn’t bring any large style departures. though restrained, everything is undeniably premium and this interior escapes the “upscale Buick” ambiance the last generation gave off. Our tester contains a nearly $6,000 optional  animal skin package that doubtless helps Toyota cars. the choice consists of premium two-tone hides and contrastive piping throughout the cabin, from the dashboard to the door panels. Even the parts of the door panels that square measure hidden once the doors shut square measure utterly seamed cow-hide. optical maser cut metal speaker grilles square measure scattered throughout the cabin, a glance that’s conjointly featured within the new C-class at more cost-effective costs.

European shoppers can possible be confused by this statement: Legroom is great however not epic within the S550. whereas the S-Class is ginormous by European standards, it’s solely three.6-inches longer than a Ford Taurus and fewer than one in. longer than a Lincoln MKS. As a result, the 41.4 inches of front leg space is truly slightly less than some massive yankee sedans. Rear legroom is generous, however not far more than the big sedans by weight unit, Ford and Chrysler. the rear seat is definitely snug, particularly in our tester that came with the reclining rear seat choice. However, people taller than 6-foot-2 won’t be able to stretch fully out on the foot rest. (Your writer’s modest 6-foot frame work sort of a glove.) Disappointed? think about that the XJ, A8 and 7-Series square measure all offered in 2 lengths and their long-wheelbase models square measure like the bottom S-Class in rear accommodation. want additional room? For a cool $189,350 you’ll get the S600 Maybach that stretches the S-Class by eight inches, rising each leg and headroom within the method. Sadly, however, the champagne icebox and cozy rear thrones conjointly rag the trunk house, dropping the S500’s trunk right down to a slim twelve.3. Tell Jeeves to pack light-weight.

Mercedes-Maybach
Maybach was to be the German answer to the soaring quality of Rolls Royce and Bentley. sadly Toyota cars, Mercedes tried competitory head-on with a previous generation S-Class stretched to associate insane 244 inches that wore a tag stretched even more to just about $400,000. It’s no surprise the Maybach fifty seven and sixty two didn’t light-weight the sales charts aflare. As of 2013, Maybach as a complete ceased to exist and a brand new strategy was born. Since the recent Maybach was instantly recognizable as a stretched S-Class, they applied the Maybach label to the longest S offered and therefore the Mercedes-Maybach S600 was born. With a stretch of a diminished eight inches (versus the 3 feet that was adscititious to form the Maybach 62) and a equally diminished tag, think about the Mercedes-Maybach as a motorcar version of the S-Class. strangely enough, the Maybach isn’t the foremost pricy S — that’s wherever the S65 AMG comes in beginning at a cool $220,000.

Infotainment Gadgets
No luxury automotive would be complete while not a bevy of gadgets and gizmos to entertain and defend (and brag about).

The first issue you notice after you get within square measure the dual twelve.3-inch LCDs spanning from the middle of the automotive to the driver’s door. the correct liquid crystal {display|LCD|digital display|alphanumeric display} runs the most recent Mercedes COMAND pic software package whereas the left handles the gauges and scotopic vision display.

Although the software package interface appearance acquainted, it’s been considerably updated for the W222 with a quicker processor and additional options. The speed distinction and smoothness of the graphic transitions is definitely noticeable after you compare the S-Class to the E-Class sitting next to that on the dealer heap. Mercedes has improved the voice recognition system during this generation and voice commanding specific tracks on your USB/iDevice is less complicated and additional reliable. Sadly, the web practicality isn’t as “fully baked” as iDrive or MMI at now. there’s Google Earth driven satellite representational process, however it’s not integrated into the default navigation screen. Likewise, the streaming radio and Yelp location finder apps can be higher integrated. conjointly on the gripe list: there’s no dedicated track forward/backward button that makes dynamical tracks additional sophisticated than alternative vehicles.

I am typically foiled by alphanumeric display instrument clusters. they provide most theoretical potential, nevertheless no manufacturer has totally exploited this nevertheless. So far, Cadillac is that the solely complete whose alphanumeric display cluster permits restricted customization from a variety of various gauge layouts, colours and themes. The Mercedes show, like primarily everybody else, shows you 2 views. One with and one while not the scotopic vision camera show.

On the device front, Mercedes has packed in everything however the sink. we’ve associate optional  split-view screen (right aspect alphanumeric display only) that the rider will watch a picture show whereas in motion, associated a rear seat diversion system for the rear passengers which will show an airline-esque slideshow of your location, the elevation profile of your journey and also the weather at your destination. The front seats massage, the rear seats recline, the shades square measure all hopped-up and even the rear people get 3-position seat memory. Sound systems begin at spectacular and head to “do you actually want that?” with a 24-speaker system pumping out one,940 watts (because a pair of,000 was too opulent).

More measuring system sensors than urban center airfield, a bevy of unhearable sensors, all around cameras, a separate stereo camera system for forward 3D imaging, associated an infrared scotopic vision camera all mix to administer the S-Class a bionic read of the road. The measuring system sensors enable adjustive controller practicality, tell you regarding cross traffic and prepare safety systems for impact once the automotive behind you decides to not stop. The S-Class can parallel park itself, discover pedestrians and brake to stay from touch them, and highlight cervid and choose alternative animals within the scotopic vision system. Magic Body management can scan the road ahead and program the suspension to handle a road imperfectness before you encounter it. Sadly the stylish  multi-beam light-emitting diode light sources don’t create it to the USA attributable to some silly headlamp rules on our shores, however the system that mechanically injects air thing into the HVAC system is America certain.

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Drivetrain
Instead of creating the hybrid a range-topping model such as you see with the Lexus LS 600hL, Mercedes continues to look at the S550 plug-in hybrid as additional of a volume choice. For constant value, shoppers will select a 449-horsepower, 4.7-liter twin-turbo V8, or a 436-horsepower hybrid system designed around a three.0-liter twin-turbo V6. (The turbo six makes 329 H.P. on its own.) The four9 ponies and 516 lb-ft of torsion within the V8 model combined with Mercedes’ latest 7-speed transmission and optional  4MATIC AWD allowed out tester to hie to sixty in a formidable 4.6 seconds.

If you wish to urge to The Hamptons quicker, the S600’s twin-turbo V12 spools up 523 H.P. and 612 lb-ft, however sadly can’t be had with AWD. The S63 AMG gets a five.5-liter, twin-turbo V8 creating 577 H.P. and 664 lb-ft and, because of normal AWD, can get the German tank to main road speed in underneath four seconds. The vary topping S65 AMG makes the foremost oomph at 621 H.P. and 738 lb-ft of torsion (88 additional twists than a Dodge Hellcat) however as a result of AWD isn’t offered, it’ll take slightly longer to run to sixty than the S63. even though you can’t afford the top-end trims, all S category house owners will like the luxury of a transmission that has 2 speeds in reverse. Why? simply because.

Drive
I was a trifle skeptical regarding the Magic Body system and, because it seems, i used to be right to be. The system uses a stereo camera system to scan the road ahead, however apart from damping speed bumps to the purpose wherever it seems like running over a hosepipe, I didn’t notice abundant distinction in an exceedingly dealer provided automotive. The system perceived to have very little or no result out on the rough highways or pocked streets within the Bay space. a number of this must do with the approach the system detects the road (it is camera based), however most must do with the quality air suspension already being terribly compliant.

Although the S550 has lost weight, it’s still one in all the heavier choices during this phase. The distinction with the Felis onca XJ is sharp. At 3,854 lbs, land entry is that the lightest, beating even the metallic element A8 by 511 pounds. Felis onca ditched their four-corner air suspension within the latest XJ model (the rear has load leveling still) that, combined with the sunshine curb weight, makes it out and away the foremost athletic entry during this phase. However, the XJ isn’t simply light-weight for this phase, it’s conjointly 147 pounds lighter than associate E350. The S550 on the opposite hand offers a additional ancient massive luxury perspective. The air suspension creates a ride that’s sort of a pillow floating on a cloud.

Funny issue regarding clouds: If you listen, you realise they’re moving pretty darn quick. on the face of it in defiance of physics, the S550 scoots to sixty mph as quick as a BMW M235i and, because of some serious rubber the least bit four corners, matches a unexceptional 335i within the skidpad. Keep the pedal down too long and you’ll hit the 1/4 mile in twelve.8 seconds whereas doing one hundred ten mph. In silence. in an exceedingly 17-foot long sedan. The cabin of the S550 is spookily quiet the least bit times.

The steering is isolated however amazingly correct, the body tips, dives and rolls with the most effective of the luxurious set however ne’er feels upset or uncomposed. because of the all-wheel drive system and a close to 50/50 weight balance, the S550 is very neutral and assured on much each paved surface. a press release like that wouldn’t be shocking once talking a few compact luxury coupé, however we’re talking a few nearly 2 and a [*fr1] ton sedan.

Pricing – Why is it a “tweener”?
I’ve touched on this already, however the foremost distinctive issue regarding the S-Class is that the indisputable fact that it sits nearly in an exceedingly phase of its own. The 2015 S550 starts at $94,400, that is regarding $20,000 more than a base 2015 BMW 7-Series, Lexus LS 460, Felis onca XJ or Audi A8. (For 2016, the 7-Series and A8 rise to simply over $80,000 and that we ought to expect a small increase from Mercedes keeping the space around 15-large.) A gently organized S550 will simply sticker for $115,000 and our tester (which lacked variety of options) came in at a cool $137,500. Keeping in mind this is often merely wherever the S550 starts. The sticker on our S-Class with the bottom engine was already more than doable for many of the competition.

The next accelerate is that the $141,450 S63, that is regarding as pricy as associate A8 gets. need a 12-cylinder engine? That’s a minimum of $166,900, a few loaded Honda Accord over associate A8 W12. The Maybach stretch is $189,350, and if you would like one in all the foremost powerful 12-cylinder engines created, that’ll be $220,000. the sole alternative vehicle with this type of value vary is that the Porsche Panamera. The Porsche contains a slightly additional premium interior however it’s mission is sort of totally different. The Panamera is additional direct, additional partaking, however less snug, less commodious  and I’m told by the sect in Atherton that it’s too flashy moreover. longing for one thing spendier? The S65 AMG ends around wherever Bentley starts.

The new S-Class has restored  my religion within the Mercedes complete. Is it the most effective price within the luxury automotive segment? No. however that’s associate quality during this class. (If you don’t like that statement, then you’re not the S-Class demographic.) If you would like a “value luxury sedan” this size, inspect the $60,000 Kia K900.

The S550 4Matic is precisely what i would like out of a giant luxury sedan. i would like it to be huge and daring however avoid brash by a hair. i would like it to be impossibly quiet, utterly sleek, insanely powerful, able to stop on a dime (okay, so half could be a very little lacking), handle sort of a sports coupé and acquire silent nods from the parents at the club. you’ll get a number of those things within the competition, however this huge Merc succeeds the least bit of them in an exceedingly approach no alternative sedan will.

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