When we speak of Mercedes Benz, it is always about something prestigious. Well, that cannot be blamed as the German carmaker has yet to offer a lacklustre vehicle. The latest S500 is the perfect example of class, status and quality. Today, we’re going to go in-depth with the executive sedan.
The entry level S500 retails at $215,000 but our test was done on the higher level S500L, which cost $310,000. When we first stepped inside the vehicle, we experienced comfort at its best. The seats operate like those on the business class airlines with the extras of a pillow-like head-restraint, massage function and super soft leather.
The S500 is also packed with tons of features like DISTRONIC PLUS adaptive cruise control with Steering Assist and BAS PLUS with Cross Traffic Assist, Night View Assist Plus, a 360-degree camera and even active seat belt buckles.
Under the hood, the S500 is powered by the 32-valve 4.7-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine that delivers 335kW of power between 5250-550rpm and peak torque of 700Nm from 1800-3500rpm. The powerful mill is mated to Mercedes’ 7G-GTRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission and it operates on the RWD system.
Back inside the S500, the whole design, layout and comfort took a breath away. We were left speechless for quite a while. At a glance, one might mistake the interior for a royal hotel room instead of a car. There are entertainment monitors attached at the back of the front seats for the rear passengers.
When driving the S500, the car literally performs flawlessly. Mercedes equipped it with the Magic Body Control that utilizes the twin cameras mounted at the front to identify the road surface ahead and adjust the suspension accordingly.
It took us hours to search for a flaw in this fine-crafted vehicle and it is with the speedhumps. When approaching a hump, the suspension suddenly became loose, which creates a jumping feel in the interior.
Then again, that is all the flaws to the S500. As great as the S500 may be, it is not build for the buyer to drive on. Owning the S500 will require a driver to complete the package.
