Mercedes-Benz S-Class (2014 – 2020) Review

The Mercedes S-Class has become a barometer for the luxury class that all others look to. It shows the standard that everyone else must meet to even be considered worthy of a place at the top table and it’s achieved this through a process off continual evolution. The result is this generation of S-Class that was launched in 2014 and continues to give rivals like the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series headaches. That’s no surprise when you travel in an S-Class and experience its smooth, cultured manners in every situation that lets its occupants relax and enjoy the ride.

The old chestnut of who builds the best luxury saloon in the world is somewhat moot nowadays when there are some that go so far beyond anything the mainstream Mercedes S-Class can offer. Even Mercedes does this with its Maybach model, yet the S-Class still has a claim on this title, especially if you introduce ration decisions such as value for money and running costs into the equation.

So, the latest S-Class offers luxury car buyers all they could ever want in a discreetly stylish package. For some owners, it will be their only means of transport as it covers so many bases, while for others the S-Class will be one of many choices of car at their disposal. Either way, you are in for a treat with one of the most comfortable and capable cars every made.

However, many of the S-Class models you will see on UK roads will be plying their trade as upmarket cabs.

This is a role to which the Merc is superbly well suited thanks to a range of fuel-efficient engines and lower carbon dioxide emissions than you would think possible for such a large car. There is also the option of a plug-in hybrid model that means even this large saloon can provide economy and emissions to shame most superminis.

At the other end of the scale, Mercedes has not forgotten about its customers who are not concerned in the slightest about running costs. For them, the S63 AMG that only comes in long wheelbase form provides the ultimate in luxury and performance thanks to its 612PS twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine.

Inside every S-Class is a cabin offering masses of space for four or five passengers, depending on which seating configuration you prefer. While comfort may be the overriding ethos, the driver is just as well looked after with an ideal driving position, clear-cut controls and the chance to enjoy the S-Class’ wonderful handling.

This is one of the most surprising facets of the S-Class, that it can be so cosseting yet still be fun to drive. Every S-Class has pulled off this clever trick and the latest model is helped by Magic Body Control that scans the road ahead for bumps and potholes to adjust the suspension in anticipation to ensure the smoothest ride possible.

There’s plenty of other tech inside the S-Class and it uses Mercedes’ large widescreen infotainment set-up as standard. This puts the S-Class ahead of most rivals straight away as it’s easy to read and use, as well as suiting the prestige of the car whether you’re sat in the front or back seats.

So, the S-Class is world class. Of that, there’s no doubt. Some might find its approach misses a bit of the drama of a Maserati Quattroporte or heft of a Bentley, but the S-Class earns its accolades through being relentlessly good at everything it does.

Whichever Mercedes S-Class you choose, they all come with Airmatic suspension that uses cushions of air in place of the more usual steel springs and dampers. This gives a much smoother, more pliant ride in most situations, though you can feel the occasional small ripple in the road at town speeds.

The S-Class also comes with Mercedes’ Magic Body Control that uses sensors to read the road and adjust the suspension to give the best possible ride comfort and handling. On the motorway, the S-Class is as stable as an aircraft carrier thanks to its two-tonne heft.

Admittedly, the steering doesn’t have quite the same degree of feedback as a BMW 7 Series or Jaguar XJ, but that’s splitting hairs and the S-Class is more precise than a Range Rover.

Mercedes’ S350 d remains the most popular S-Class model with 286PS and muscly mid-rev shove. The 400 d’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine has even more power and punch.

Take the S450, S500 or the S560 e and all share the same 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo petrol engine. The S500 has 435PS compared to the 367PS of the other two models’, but the hybrid 560 e also has a 122PS electric motor. Take the AMG S63 and you get a 612PS twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 borrowed from the AMG GT coupe. All drive through a seamless nine-speed automatic gearbox.

The Mercedes S-Class is packed with twin front, side and curtain airbags, ESP, tyre pressure monitor, traffic sign recognition, and automatic headlights and wipers. There’s also ESP Curve Dynamic Assist to help the car lean into bends to help with cornering.

Autonomous emergency braking is standard, along with Pre-Safe. The AMG S63 model has the Driving Assistance Package included and this can be added as an option to the others in the range for £1695. It comes with active cruise control and Active Steering Assist to keep the car in the correct lane.

The S-Class is beyond luxury. For starters, the leather-clad seat is hugely supportive and has more than enough electrically worked adjustment for anyone to find the right seating position. There are also heated front seats in all S-Class models as standard.

As you would expect of a car of this scale, there’s an elegant sufficiency of space for your head, legs and shoulders. In fact, it’s the width of the S-Class’ cabin that leaves the most lasting impression here as its breadth gives a real sense of the car’s scale and comfort.

Slide into the back seat of the S-Class and you instantly feel like a million dollars. If it happens to be the long wheelbase model, you’ll also enjoy the sort of the legroom even those with the longest inside leg measurement would regard as generous.

When it comes to luggage, the Mercedes S-Class has it covered with a 530-litres boot.

Mercedes has spent the past couple of decades living down a minor blip in its build quality standards. As a consequence, they have almost over-compensated ever since and the S-Class is a prime example of this as every surface, joint and detail has clearly been addressed with infinitesimal attention.

The result is a car that is put together with obsessive care and it shows in everything from the way the doors pull shut with a gentle but firm action to the touch of every button. As much as anything, all of this combines to give the S-Class its impressive sense of luxury and class.

Every Mercedes S-Class comes with the imposing 12.3-inch COMAND infotainment screen in the middle of the dash. It’s one of the most prominent systems in any luxury car and makes it very easy to read while driving. It’s also fairly easy to operate using the rotary controller down between the front seats.

There are also touch pads on the steering wheel, but we find these spoil the interaction with the car as they are too sensitive and too easy to brush accidently as you’re turning the wheel. There is also the option to use Mercedes Linguatronic voice control.

In the case of the higher performance models, that means some big ticket numbers, but most will choose to pay for their S-Class through a finance package.

Mercedes offers a number of different ways to finance your S-Class, including personal contract purchase, hire purchase and its lease deals. The company also offers finance packs for its approved used models and these all come with a year’s unlimited mileage warranty and roadside breakdown over and above any that are outstanding from when the car was new.

There’s no such thing as a cheap used Mercedes S-Class from this generation. However, look out for a five-year S350d with around 60,000 miles on the clock and you will find plenty for around £20,000.

Bring that forward to a pre-registered model with the same diesel engine and you can find them with only 100 miles under the wheel for £63,000. That’s a saving of £13,500 on the list price.

Look for the mighty AMG S63 model and price start at £40,000 for a five-year old example with 40,000 miles to its name.

Turn your search towards a petrol-electric hybrid version of the S-Class and you’ll be looking at the earlier S500e model for £35,000 for a 20,000-mile five-year old.

The Mercedes S560 e petrol-electric hybrid claims a combined average of up to 128.4mpg, or as low as 104.6mpg on bigger wheels. All three diesel-powered S-Class models can deliver a claimed combined economy best of 44.1mpg. In Real MPG conditions, that turns out to be 34.4mpg.

The S350 versions of the Mercedes S-Class are the cheapest to get insurance cover for, though this is all relative as they still sit in group 47. Add the Executive equipment pack to either S350 and they jump to group 49. That’s the same as the S450, but specify the Executive pack and this model jumps into group 50 banding alongside all other S-Class variants.

The S560 e model of Mercedes S-Class is classed as an Alternative Fuel Vehicle, so you pay only £15 for first-year road tax. Like every other S-Class, that will become £475 in the years that follow.

Next cheapest are the S450 and S500 petrol models that pay £870 in the first year. They have slightly higher emissions than the S350 d and 400 d models, but these cars have diesel engines that don’t meet the RDE2 standard, so owners shell out £1305 in the first year. For the AMG S63, you’ll fork out £2175 for the initial year’s road tax.

The Grand Edition is the standard trim for the Mercedes S-Class. It includes 20-inch alloy wheels and some AMG body styling for the front, side and rear aprons.

There are soft-close doors, panoramic glass sunroof, all-round parking sensors and reversing camera, keyless entry, and Magic Vision Control adaptive windscreen wipers. This trim also has Multibeam LED headlights and Airmatic suspension with Magic Body Control.

On the inside, you get Nappa leather, electrically adjusted steering column and front seats with position memory, massage function for the front chairs, ambient lighting, and Air-Balance. There’s climate control, wireless phone charging, heated and ventilated front seats, Burmester stereo system, and the 12.3-inch COMAND infotainment screen.

The optional Executive equipment line brings electric adjustment for the rear seat backs and back window blinds.

Go for the Rear Luxury Lounge pack and you enjoy twin entertainment screens and wireless headphones, massaging seats and a wireless phone charging point. The AMG S63 has its own wheel design and comes with the Driving Assistance Package as standard, which is an option for the other S-Class models.