Merc the most of it!

You’d need to get good use out of the extras for the cost of this S-Class

ISAW an ad for Power City the other day and you now can buy a 65-inch 4K ultra-highdefinition television for €1,099.95. If you want a television in your new Mercedes S-Class, though – and we’re talking a picture that fits in the 12-inch touchscreen on the fascia – then you’re going to pay €2,043.

Now I know there are different technologies involved, but that nonetheless is a hell of a lot of money for a toy you can use only when the car is stationary anyway. For those with the money to buy an S-Class, though, it’s probably small change, because it accounts for just under two per cent of the €108,818 price of my test car.

In the not-too-distant past, that is more than my house was worth, though thankfully the rise in prices now means that what the driveway leads to once again is more valuable than what sits on it. Again, though, there’s a qualifier. At 5.2 metres, the S-Class just about fit in the driveway at all, so long as I nudged the three-point star all the way to the front wall. This car is more like a limo than a saloon, and you feel it every second you’re behind the wheel.

Just as well, then, that it’s so agile. The 3.0-litre diesel engine somehow manages to propel almost two tonnes of metal from 0100km/h in just six seconds. Kilogram for kilogram, that’s a bit like me sitting at the finish line of the 100m, halfway through a beer, while Usain Bolt is still on the blocks.

With the power comes a price, though. I was surprised at how much road noise made its way into the cabin. For this sort of money, I would have expected a funereal hush. Noise intrusion improved on newer sections of the motorway, and on the resurfaced stretch through the Glen of the Downs and Kilmacanogue, but became noticeable again on older asphalt.

Fortunately, there is plenty else in the cabin to keep you in comfort, not least the AMG V8 seats in my test car, which were electronically adjustable and supremely enveloping. Night driving too was a pleasure, with lovely soft ambient lighting, in ten colour schemes, running through the doors, in the footwells and along the centre console (which also is every clever, with a single-flap opening that works from both driver and passenger seats).

And, let’s face it, while performance, ride and handling are important in a car in this class, the main attraction for most will be what’s on the inside.

The stereo system comes with ten speakers, and the infotainment screen offers 1920x720 HD display. There are 12-volt sockets front and rear and in the boot, where you could power an electric chill box en route to a picnic. The three-spoke multifunction steering wheel makes every command easy, not least the cruise control, usually a fairly fiddly affair in Mercs given its traditional location on a stalk you can’t actually see while driving.

There are clever functions too. The passenger seat airbag deactivates if no one is sitting there (they’re expensive to replace, so you only ever want to use those that are necessary). There is voice control for many of the main functions, and good connectivity for smartphone use. Entry, locking and ignition are keyless. There is excellent storage everywhere, and boot capacity of 510 litres means you’ll have no problem chucking in a few sets of golf clubs.

As for the looks, well, the saloon is the traditional ‘old man’ version of the S-Class, with the front grille that looks like a restraining cage for King Kong.

Personally, I prefer the more Avant Garde look of the coupé and the cabriolet versions, but they don’t quite announce money and power in the same way, so I understand why others prefer the classic Mercedes look.

Though sleeker than before – and I was reminded of that when I pulled up at lights behind a 2007 S-Class – this nonetheless has a monolithic look that wouldn’t quite be to my taste.

My test car cost a basic €99,320. The extra eight grand was accounted for by the television receiver, 20-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels, metallic paint, a memory package, and a panoramic sliding sunroof.

Fuel economy is excellent at between 5.1 and 5.4 litres per 100km in mixed driving condition, and motor tax of just €280 a year for a car this size is heartbreaking for those of us still paying 700 quid a year on the likes of my 20-year-old Saab.

I liked the S-Class but I didn’t love it. There are plenty who will.