2018 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class

Back In The "High Life" Again!

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

This is a truly refined automobile. I traded in my 2017 BMW 740i for the 2018 S450. There is very little comparison to the two cars. The Mercedes is quick, smooth riding and handling, stays in a straight line with little driver input which was not the case with the BMW 7 Series. The vehicle corners precisely and does not handle like a 4500+ pound luxury sedan - but more like a 3800 pound vehicle. This car is, without doubt, the most beautiful, fun-to-drive and most comfortable luxury sedan I have every driven - and I have owned more than 40 luxury sedans in my lifetime. The pricing on this car is about $10,000 less than the S560 - mostly due to the V6 bi-turbo as opposed to a V8 bi-turbo. I drove both models and found the S450 to be a bit more nimble. Be prepared to surround yourself in the epitome of luxury, performance, audio, as a well as a myriad of driver safety features like adaptive cruise, adaptive lane departure, adaptive blind spot monitoring (which cause the car to remain in the lane if a car is detected on either side of you. Self-steering is precise as is the adaptive cruise. I'll update my review as I build up the miles. In summary, this is a luxury sports sedan while the BMW 7 series tends to be a more sporty handling vehicle. The new 9 speed transmission and driver-selected ride and handling options (Comfort, Sport, Economy) make the world of difference in this new S Class entry. Audio System is not to be believed - like listening to a live performance.