Well, to cut a very long story short, I've landed up with one of these for a week on loan. It's a strange world.
Anyway, thought I'd share some opinions, as one who would most certainly not class themselves as the average target audience for such a car!
It's BIG! Damn .. big! Doesn't fit in my driveway without sticking out a foot or so big. Quite wide too .. certainly have to choose not to squeeze through a few spaces that would otherwise be acceptable in a normal sized car!
Now all that aside, it is plush. Quiet, comfortable, ridden with gadgets and a beautiful feel and finish to it all. Incredible air suspension and seats. The kids almost exploded in ecstasy at all the buttons and seat adjustments they could make in the back! The stereo is nice, but totally unimpressive.
You know, the funny thing .. this car gets WAY more attention than the C55! I dunno .. maybe it's because my taste is more Q cars and most people who strive towards one-upping the neighbours understand what an S Class is better, but I've had estate agents, neighbours, passers by ... all sorts comment on it! Ok, so it's a nearly new £70k-ish car .. I guess that must account for something. Strange though.
To drive, it pulls away like nothing I've ever driven - like it's designed from the ground up for a chauffeur! Such silky smooth pull-aways every time. The torque gives a real kick in the back when you poke it. Well, about 1-2 seconds after you poke it. Especially when already on the move. Then it runs out of revs. Quickly. And changes gear. Slowly. But then another big shove of torque.
All in all, I'm grateful for the experience and would enjoy being driven around in one, but it's not the car for me. That's not a bad reflection on it with my car history! It's a bit too lazy - even with the suspension in sport and the drive in S, it's still slow to react and wallowy when pushed (not that I pushed it much .. would be uncouth to do so!!). I know it's not meant to be driven like that.
Also, the styling didn't quite work for me. It's a huge car to stand by - very tall and the doors are like bank vaults. It looks imposing, but it's just not quite .. I dunno .. "sexy" is the wrong word, but it doesn't quite float my boat. If I had the money, I think I'd have to go for something a little more curvy and special looking. Just my tuppence
Anyway, thought I'd share some opinions, as one who would most certainly not class themselves as the average target audience for such a car!
It's BIG! Damn .. big! Doesn't fit in my driveway without sticking out a foot or so big. Quite wide too .. certainly have to choose not to squeeze through a few spaces that would otherwise be acceptable in a normal sized car!
Now all that aside, it is plush. Quiet, comfortable, ridden with gadgets and a beautiful feel and finish to it all. Incredible air suspension and seats. The kids almost exploded in ecstasy at all the buttons and seat adjustments they could make in the back! The stereo is nice, but totally unimpressive.
You know, the funny thing .. this car gets WAY more attention than the C55! I dunno .. maybe it's because my taste is more Q cars and most people who strive towards one-upping the neighbours understand what an S Class is better, but I've had estate agents, neighbours, passers by ... all sorts comment on it! Ok, so it's a nearly new £70k-ish car .. I guess that must account for something. Strange though.
To drive, it pulls away like nothing I've ever driven - like it's designed from the ground up for a chauffeur! Such silky smooth pull-aways every time. The torque gives a real kick in the back when you poke it. Well, about 1-2 seconds after you poke it. Especially when already on the move. Then it runs out of revs. Quickly. And changes gear. Slowly. But then another big shove of torque.
All in all, I'm grateful for the experience and would enjoy being driven around in one, but it's not the car for me. That's not a bad reflection on it with my car history! It's a bit too lazy - even with the suspension in sport and the drive in S, it's still slow to react and wallowy when pushed (not that I pushed it much .. would be uncouth to do so!!). I know it's not meant to be driven like that.
Also, the styling didn't quite work for me. It's a huge car to stand by - very tall and the doors are like bank vaults. It looks imposing, but it's just not quite .. I dunno .. "sexy" is the wrong word, but it doesn't quite float my boat. If I had the money, I think I'd have to go for something a little more curvy and special looking. Just my tuppence