The new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class really doesn’t need any kind of spotlight to be applied on it, no ads, no promos, no skimpily-dressed young girls propping the soft-closing doors open – no extra attention from the marketing department, simply because it’s called what it’s called, and that name is worth so much more than they could ever invest to promote it.
Now, while we can argue against it being the best car in the world, the team at UK magazine WhatCar seems pretty sure that it is the best car for the money.
Make no mistake, the latter is still a bold claim to be made, but it at least has an air of plausibility about it. They do all the usual things you expect like check the room in the back, which is predictably ample, mention the competent ride and handling characteristics and finally check out some of the toys – everything works as intended, and is accompanied by with a reassuringly damped click.
This is not the first review to mention that the S-Class is not the sportiest in its class/price bracket, even if it is reportedly nimbler through the bends than before, thanks to being lighter. You can get either a Porsche Panamera, Maserati Quattroporte or Jaguar XJ, all three of which are direct rivals, but with different driving philosophies and are a better choice for not being chauffeured around (by nobody).
The idea is that the S-Class is very good at everything it does, but at the end of the day, in my mind, it comes out lacking in soul compared to the Italian and British cars – it’s an engineering achievement, but will never stir up the kind of emotional response the other two would garner from an enthusiast.
By Andrei Nedelea
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