Category: Large Executive 
Price Range: £57,790 to £150,090
Plenty of kit and safety equipment, comfortable, roomy, quality cabin.
Handling a little soft, thirsty, UK will have to wait for smooth-running hybrid.
The 350 CDI is the most practical and frugal but the 600 provides the most entertaining drive.
The S-Class just wafts along. If you don't feel comfortable travelling in this car then something is seriously wrong - you either have the same sort of demands as the Queen or the wheels have fallen off.
The car glides... all the time. All models are wonderfully supple and the suspension does its job beautifully, even on the bumpiest of roads.
It's roomy too and unless you are built like a giraffe, you've got all the legroom you need. Headroom isn't an issue and even the boot has a decent 560 litres of space. The S-Class is no load-lugger, but it doesn't have to be.
It's quiet in the cabin too - particularly in the hybrid. The 3.5-litre engine married to the 20bhp hybrid module is almost silent, whereas the 350 CDI does deliver that familiar diesel growl and is a little noisy when you are pushing it. The low-rolling resistance tyres are also prone to squealing when you're cornering.
Equipment-wise it's fully loaded. Standard equipment on all models comprises seven-speed automatic transmission, automatic climate control, CD/DVD player with SD car slot and USB connection, adaptive headlamps, 17" alloys wheels (18" for S500 and S600), leather multi-function steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers and telephone keypad. There's also an optional split-screen sat nav display that means the driver and passenger have two different images: the driver can be looking at the sat nav while the passenger is watching a DVD, for instance.
There's an array packages available that offer sat nav and entertainment upgrades, more safety systems and a memory system for the seat-settings.
