Mercedes-Benz S-Class review

Air springs are standard, with the bellows working alongside the adaptive ADS+ dampers to control each corner of the car independently of the others, as necessary. Ride height automatically lowers by 10mm at speed to reduce drag, and does so by a further 7mm in the S-Class’s sportiest driving mode.

Our test car didn’t have Mercedes’ E-Active Body Control, a development of the hydraulically actuated Magic Body Control that was introduced on the old Mercedes S-Class (2014-2020). Using cameras and feedback from the road surface to regulate pitch, lift and roll, it is fitted as standard on the Maybach versions of the car but not offered even as an option on others.

Overall, the S-Class will happily tolerate the kind of driving asked of wedding chauffeurs running late, but for driver-owners, Bentley or BMW (or, better still, the Alpina Alpina B7) are more polished and enjoyable dynamically.

Comfort and isolation

Just how insulating is this new S-Class? Measured against the very best – the Rolls-Royce Ghost – it does creditably well but is no real threat. The S580e is quieter at idle than the Ghost but 3dBA louder at 30mph and 4dBA louder on the motorway. This means the cabin is an exceptionally placid and calming space but it also shows that when it comes to truly class-leading refinement, the latest S-Class still has some head room yet. As for the nature of the six-cylinder engine itself, that’s more smooth and sonorous than discreet and aristocratic. Again, suitably genteel for this kind of application but not at the apex of old-world sophistication.

You could say something similar about the manner in which the S580e rides. As you’d expect, the long-wave gait that the air springs and endless wheelbase give the car is superbly fluid, but intrusions from patchy road surfaces are more discernible than they should be. When the previous-generation S-Class arrived, its slipper-like ride quality was something you’d genuinely marvel at, and the new car just feels a little underwhelming in this respect. Nevertheless, it does enough to get the better of the 7 Series in terms of outright rolling refinement and is a whole cut above the Audi A8. The introduction of E-Active Body Control to the range may elevate it further still, but in the meantime, avoiding the optional 21in wheels (our car wore 20in) is recommended.

Material comfort is arguably the car’s strongest suit. Asked whether we’d prefer the deep, bucket-esque berths of the Mercedes or the grander but also more austere chairs in the Ghost for an all-day journey, we’d take the Mercedes’ every time. There’s also a degree of comfort to be taken from the S-Class’s relatively incognito form, the familiarity of its driving controls, and fine visibility all round. Certainly, to drive, the stretch-limousine experience doesn’t come much easier than this.

Assisted driving notes

Drive Pilot is Mercedes’ latest, vaunted assisted driving suite but it wasn’t fitted to our car. The system works at up to 40mph and in theory allows the driver to almost entirely relinquish control in line with SAE level-three stipulations (that is, the driver is notified only when the system’s ‘functional limits’ are reached). It’s designed to work on motorways in heavier traffic, and with the car kept in one lane.

With Intelligent Park Pilot, the S-Class can even reach SAE level-four capability and locate a reserved parking space autonomously, although it’s difficult to say how practical this would be in the real world, given its specific and rather limiting operating requirements.

In the UK, the S-Class comes as standard with the Driving Assistance Package, which features the gamut of intelligent cruise control, traffic sign recognition and evasive emergency steering and braking.