Not that many car manufacturers can do that: a car that is quite "old school" and at the same time technically avant-garde. Mercedes creates it and then calls it the S-Class. Ride comfort, drive, equipment and quality speak for the current model - prices, maintenance and environment rather not.
Of course, this isn't the first time we've been in the current S-Class, the last time we drove was the long version. This is the model with a normal wheelbase, which is also 3.11 meters, with an overall length of an impressive 5.18 meters. Inside, it makes no difference at the front, for the rear passengers - i.e. the big bosses of this world - the legroom is a little tighter than in the long version (5.29 meters). Which you can definitely cope with.
Of course, the top model from the old Mercedes world, and EQS holds this position among electric vehicles, is actually not a self-driving car at all. So we should have spent a lot more time at the back (right) during testing. But oh, good staff, in this case a chauffeur, is so hard to get these days.
So we played the chauffeur ourselves, although there was usually not much more to chauffeur us than ourselves. It was still fun because the S-Class is always surprisingly light-footed and agile to drive. With 435 hp plus another 22 short-term from the so-called EQ boost as electrical support from the starter generator, the topic of acceleration and top speed is precisely none - so a topic. Thanks to the optional rear-wheel steering with steering angles of either 4.5 or 10 degrees, the heavy Swabian drives almost like a compact car. Unlike one of these, it is also extremely comfortable, thanks to air suspension on both axles.
We have already mentioned the tasteful interior, the excellent seats and the great MBUX language assistant in other contexts. But also that the service is not completely perfect. Because if you want to adjust the volume of the radio, for example, using the sliding surface on the steering wheel, you will almost never find the desired level right away and usually have to push back and forth several times until the volume is right, unworthy of such a car. A small example of how interiors are sacrificed for a supposed modernity, although the ideal adjustment of the steering wheel volume (in our humble opinion) has already been found, namely in the form of a simple rotary wheel. But it probably wasn't fine enough for the S-Class.
Why are we so upset about this? Well, because otherwise there is so little to get excited about. Maybe even over the consumption, which was 3 to 4 liters above the standard value of 8.2 liters. And this despite the fact that the S-Class doesn't encourage you to drive fast, but rather to glide. A look at the standard head-up display shows that we have already exceeded the 180 km/h limit, given the comfort and quiet on board.
Speaking of series: Even at Mercedes, the times are over when even an S-Class was still quite bare in the base. Today there are things like a navigation system, the MBUX system mentioned, two large, high-resolution displays (12.3 inches for the driver and 12.8 in the middle), leather seats, a memory package or power-assisted closing of the doors and of course the formidable air suspension Series. What you can expect at a base price of 129,100 euros, especially since Mercedes has tightened the price screw since the market launch two years ago.
Nevertheless, there is still enough room in the price list for sensible additional expenses and for curiosities. The latter certainly includes the 137 euro surcharge for the ashtray, which used to be part of the standard equipment but could then be left out and now has to be paid for re-entering the cockpit. But who smokes nowadays, let alone in a car like this? So I saved my money and preferred to pay 119 euros for the tank, which has been expanded by 11 liters to 76 liters, because - see consumption - you see petrol stations often enough as a driver of an S 500 with a six-cylinder engine.
Our other wishes would be far more expensive, the rear-axle steering (1547 euros), the fantastic Digital Light (2250 euros) or the Drive Pilot for 5950 euros, which you can almost completely entrust the S-Class to on the Autobahn.
A word about the design. It is amazing how relatively filigree the vehicle looks despite its dimensions. If you disregard the front, where the very large grille is clearly aimed at Asian customers. Understandable, since Mercedes sells around a third of all S-Classes in China. Apart from that, the S-Class remains quite reserved, despite the modulated and muscular body, which the other road users take note of with thanks - if they noticed it.
Because the S-Class is rarely found in everyday life in Germany. And with the launch of the new EQS, i.e. the electric S-Class, for many board members, the electric car has become mandatory and driving evidence of sustainable action. Yes, the conventional top model from the Swabians somehow doesn't seem to fit in with the times anymore. There will probably no longer be a successor. Which does not detract from the success of the current model. Rightly so, because viewed objectively, the S-Class is still one of the best and finest cars you can drive.
Technical specifications
