The S-Class Americans Wish They Could Buy Today

Will, don't forget the Audi A8 ripped off the previous-generation LS as well!

Now we know why DCX doesn't make much money. The S class "now encompasses two diesel engines, six petrol models and two body variants, along with the new 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system" - what a collosal waste of engineering expense must be involved in creating so many permutations. . . few variations = less R&D = lower prices and higher equipment levels = greater sales = greater profits . . . but DCX doesn't "get it"!

Nissan Altima. Where on Earth did you get that idea from? It looks nothing like an Altima i'm sorry. You need to get your vision checked out. "Are you blind?"

And the new S-Class drives almost as good as an Altima, according to Will.

NNOOOOOOOOOOOO


it's such a great engine...and we won't get it in the UK!!!!
and 6 petrol models? 280, 350, 550, 65 amg. that's only 4 what are the other 2?

Haha you have an S350!

I wish we had the S450 here, in short wheelbase. I wouldn't want such a big car, and the S550 has too much power for the wife to appreciate. It would be very close between an S450 4Matic and an A8 4.2 at the end, but I'm sure she'd want the prestige the S-Class brings, A8's backup camera be damned.

and what is so bad about the S350? the 280 is the odd choice though, just get the 320cdi. i can't really see who'd buy the 280.

Someone who can't really afford an S-Class.

I thought a BMW 525i was pathetic- but an S280? Gimme a break!!!

600 and 63 AMG are the other two. Although the 63 AMG won't debut for several months.

Also, the new S-Class may feature the 450 smaller displacement V8 found in the GL-Class. Not in the US at this time, though.

My favorite color on the S-Class is designo Mocha Black with designo Armagnac Nappa Leather and designo Natural Maple Wood Trim.

You see, Lexus doesn't offer this on the LS460.

I drive an S550 and I love it. I was able to sample the E320 CDI (non-Bluetec) and I was very much impressed. Now, I can only imagine what an S420 CDI must feel like.

Personally, I think there is a market in North America for a V8 diesel-powered luxury sedan. You get the typical good diesel fuel economy and performance.

Back in the 1980s, I'd never have thought a diesel would be capable of the performance they're capable off today.

The problem I see for this car in the U.S. market is that people with enough money to buy an S-Class who are also interested in buying a full-sized sedan are probably not very concerned with fuel economy.

you say that, but in europe the best sellers are the diesel models of pretty much every car, from a to s class.
people will car about fuel economy if gas goes up again, many families in europe have a city car or a shopping car just for running around in, which is why premium small cars are doing well here in europe. rich people wanting smaller cars. and 320 hp! so much for a diesel.

02WRX, youre right.

People that buy cars like the S-Class pull into a gas station and never look at the price, they never clip coupons and they give the waiter their card without lookin' at the bill.

Personally, I would never buy a diesel. So no, I do not wish to buy this car today.
(I'll take a S63, though!)

I would want a diesel S-Class. Not only is it financially responsible, but it's exclusive- most people would go for the S550 (or S450 if it's ever sold here). I'd go, "Oh, I have the S-Class DIESEL."

Wait, I'm confused now.
So in 2006, the last year of the last gen, the W220, the S-Class was offered in S430, S500, S600, S55 AMG, and the S65 AMG.

So now the new S63 replaces the S55, and the new S65 replaces the old S65?

Looking at pictures of the W220, I've made up my mind that I like it's styling better than the W221. Why Mercedes, why, did you make the new S look so big and wide? The neat, trim, clean look was so much better! ;( ;(

but the AMG package makes up for some of it :)

the W220 was a very pretty car, but it didn't look like it could take over the world like the new one does.
mercedes do make a lot of pretty cars, not attractive, pretty. CLK, SL, W220 s class, all very good looking. the new s class looks really good too though, first time my mum saw it she said "beautiful". i suppose for her and for many people and s class is always going to be the best.

I can see the next generation of advertising "Rupert's mum says the S Class is beautiful". They could even use the cartoon character of Rupert the bear!

thank you very much for that brilliant advertising idea. i'll call mercedes now.
my poitn was she being a key demographic of mercedes pretty much has to like the car, and she does, so merc got it right.

Actually, in 2006, there was no S430- confusingly, they changed it to the S350. Why, oh why, did they make it sound less prestigious, in the LAST year?

I've never seen a W220 S350, however. I'm sure about two people bought it.

that would be because they dropped a V6 into it.

I KNOW.

Definately very nice, getting 25 mpg aveage is vey nice as well.

In this class (size) of a car, the cost of fuel, or the efficiency, is just the last thing people buying these cars care about, especially in the US where gas (ahem, petrol) is 70% less than in Europe. And if they say they do, they're idiots or they're liars.

I mean this within reason, of course. I'm not saying an engine in this sort of car should guzzle gas just for the sake of it, but squeezing a diesel in this size of a car does not offer economic gains that amount to squat in comparison to the overall cost to own the car. Diesel has a different torque curve than gasoline, but in a car, it's almost always more favorable to have a gasoline powerband than a diesel. Trucks life the reverse, as their size/pulling requirements increase.

The only real reason why fuel efficiency matters in this class is a) For the manufacturer avoid cafe standards problems, b)gas guzzler tax issues, which can cost the manufacturer millions, while adding huge surcharges to the sticker price of the car, c) PR/image projection of being green, d) R&D for diesel technology in other line-ups where it does make sense, like future diesel/electric hybrids.

Oh, and since diesel is more expensive than gas in the US (and getting worse), 25 MPG diesel costs the same as a 21 MPG gas powerplant to drive. If the current S500 gets 20 MPG average, that's just 1 MPG net difference.

This saves you a whopping $80 per year if you drive 15,000 miles. To an s-class owner, this isn't going to matter.

This is why diesel isn't so popular in the US.

Not exactly, the S550 has an EPA combined rating of 18 MPG, so it comes with a 2,600 dollar gas guzzler tax [that BTW should but isn't applied to pickups and SUVs]

The diesel V8 gets 25 mpg combined in European test, or about 28% less fuel used.

I quoted the S500 which I believe is 20. This diesel in 420 trim.

The S550 gets 18 MPG MPG combined. Check it out for yourself.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm

Not according to the EPA formula for calculating gas guzzler tax, which is 55% City + 45% Highway, which puts this car at 20.

http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/guzzler/420f06042.htm#calculate

If you use the chart you found, it factors in a .90 shortfall for city and .78 on highway, which just implies that either their lab testing is wrong, or they want to skew the numbers.

Regardless, even a 5 MPG savings over three years has about a 0.9% affect on the cost to own this car, a NON ISSUE.