This week didn’t suck for me as I enjoyed one of my favorite all-time large sedans, the S-Class Mercedes-Benz. This is the flagship of Benz sedans as a car many aspire to. It was a cruel twist of fate that Mercedes sent me this car just as I was looking at sedans for a personal car. Or was it? Hmmmm.
Exterior
The S-Class is one of the few remaining Mercedes models that still sports the standup hood ornament. They were moved to stationary positions in the grill for quite some time, but as a poor child of meager means growing up, I remember admiring those, and couldn’t walk by one without pushing it back since they are spring-loaded.
Still, this is one of the prettiest sedans on the road, and with or without the hood ornament, it is easily recognizable. Distinct body lines, a long nose and short backside, really long doors front and rear, and a semi-sloping roof come together beautifully above 20” AMG spoke wheels.
The Verde Silver paint is unusual, but elegant. This Sindelfingen-made luxury liner is a sight to behold.
Powertrain
This S 580 comes with a twist! This is a plug-in hybrid power train. I questioned initially why anyone who was spending the equivalent of a 4-year degree at Harvard would actually care about fuel economy? The short answer is they won’t, but people spending this kind of money do want power and the hybrid system aids with that. It all starts with a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine and add to that a 22.7kWh battery to run the hybrid system and you end up with 510-horses, and an amazing 553-pound feet of torque. That will take this 5,500 pound beast to 60-miles per hour from a dead stop in just 4.4 seconds. Sadly, they electronically limit you to 130-miles per hour. Range on the all-electric drive is officially 47 miles, but charging it in my garage, it showed a range of 50+ miles several times before the six-banger kicks in. All S-Class Mercedes come with all-wheel drive.
One wrinkle on the plug-in hybrid I haven’t seen before: In the drive mode settings, there is a Battery Hold option. That puts you driving on all-gas, preserving the hybrid battery. While driving on just gas, it will charge the hybrid battery. This is huge for me, because with this capability you really don’t need a home charger if you choose not to have one. This technology is a game changer to me, and I was very surprised how quickly the hybrid battery got recharged.
Just so you know, there is an all-electric version of this car called the EQS, and I have reviewed it also, but even though I like electric cars, I still love the old school sound and power of a gas engine in this particular sedan.
Interior
The cabin interior is simply amazing as opulence and innovation come together. Large, quilted Nappa leather seats is heated and cooled and wildly adjustable, and yes, they will massage you. The heated, power tilting steering wheel is also Nappa leather and feels great to the touch. The door panels are a standalone work of art, there are also beautiful speakers for the Burmeister 3D sound system.
Hit the start button and the real magic happens with a colorful and easy-to-read 12.3” digital gauge cluster in front of the driver that can be configured many different ways with all the info you could ever want. There are numerous different looks for the gauge cluster, the problem is I like them all and it is hard to choose. I think I landed on the Sport gauges as my favorite.
Above the center console is where you find the 12.8” OLED touch screen that operates virtually everything in the vehicle, including the navigation system, the terrific sound system, Apple Spatial Audio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the Bluetooth system for your phone and audio streaming, Wi-Fi, ambient lighting, and SiriusXM.
You can also hit the apps button and load your favorite apps. My test vehicle came with Amazon Music, Apple Music, real-time weather, Spotify, and an app to activate a dash cam. Truly, you can have it any way you want.
The center console is beautiful and has a couple of cup holders, a cell phone charger, and a couple of USB-C ports. The entire console is gloss back, which is beautiful until your fingerprints get all over it. Two people can register their settings by fingerprint if you choose, and it will store all your personal preferences including your favorite radio stations. You can just say “hey Mercedes” and ask the car questions or give commands.
For rear seat occupants the level of luxury continues with the same beautiful Nappa leather and quilted seats you find in the front. There is a large fold-down armrest with cup holders, and an electronic control panel and air vents for the climate-controlled rear heat and air. There are USB-C ports for charging, the rear seats have full power controls, and there are power shades in rear to keep the sun out, and a power rear shade as well. Yes, it feels like you are in a limo back there with the comfy seats and massive leg and head room.
If there is a downside to the hybrid system, it is that the hybrid battery is under the floor of the trunk and takes up some space. Still, you get 12.3 cubic-feet of cargo area, but you’d expect more with a car this size.
Features and Safety
Standard equipment-wise, if you can imagine it, this car has it. You get a panoramic moonroof, surround view camera, a huge head-up display, a built-in dash cam, an air ionizer system, soft-closing doors, and a lot more.
On the safety front, you get Driver Assist-the Mercedes semi self-driving system, Active Brake Assist, Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Steering Assist, LED Daytime Running Lamps, Active Blind Spot Assist, Evasive Steering Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Lane Change Assist, Active Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic Function, Active Emergency Stop Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert w/pedestrian detection and automatic braking, PARKTRONIC with Active Parking Assist, Surround View System, Rain-Sensing windshield wipers.
Options
My review Benz has $16,000 in options, including: $1,150 for the wheels, $1,300 for the 4.5-degree rear wheel steering, $1,260 for 4-zone climate control, $3,500 for the Warmth & Comfort Package (power rear heated and ventilated seats, heated armrests and console, heated steering wheel), the Night Package is $400 (blacked out trim on the exterior), $3,000 for the 3D Technology Package (head-up display, 3D instrument cluster, facial recognition, and attention assist), and $4,300 for the AMG Line (different body styling, aluminum pedals, and unique wheels).
There is a noticeable lack of buttons and knobs in this car, I wish it had some for ease of use. Even the moon roof has a finger slide-to-open function instead of a switch, which I could do without. Also, there are these little pillows on the headrests front and back that you can remove, which would be Job 1 for me. Last complaint I promise: pop-out door handles on the outside. I am so over these.
Ride and Drive
The ride and handling are fantastic, it is a very composed car and is amazingly quiet inside. Acceleration is fantastic and you can visualize yourself in this car doing 130-miles per hour on the Autobahn. There is nothing not to love about the way this sedan drives, and the rear wheel steering is great for parking this big car and truly enhances the handling in hard curves.
What You'll Pay
MSRP as equipped is $144,260 and fuel economy is rated at 63 MPGe combined, and 23 MPG combined when running on just gasoline.
Charging
Charging time at a Level 3 DC fast charger is 20 minutes to get a 100-percent charge.
A Level 2 like I have at home, it went from 0-to-100% in barely two hours.
Verdict
If you want pure luxury, amazing performance, and want to feel like you are doing something to help the environment, I don’t think it gets any better than this S 580e.
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