While the Mercedes S500 plug-in hybrid may offer comparable performance to the 550 V8 but with much improved economy, the way it all comes together detracts from the overall S-Class experience.
CNET’s Brian Cooley criticizes the plug-in for being too jarring around town. He also bashes it for not being a model that Mercedes itself wanted to make, being more of a regulation appeaser instead – this apparently shows in the overall impression it leaves.
This review says it’s by no means the best S-Class, and that it’s one nobody asked for…
Maybe with some software updates and tweaks, they will improve it over time. They are most likely going to do that – the first S-Class hybrid was passable, this new one is better – we’ll probably have to wait for another update before it evolves enough to be considered ‘proper.’
If you think the hybrid is down on power, then you can contact Brabus for performance and visual upgrades.