2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 4MATIC Coupe Test: A Sublime Auto for the Solo Pilot

Instrumented Test

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We’;re browsing for superlatives.

As the technological leader of the Mercedes-Benz brand, the large coupes have sent us browsing for superlatives for decades. The new S-class coupe is awesomer than ever. See? We’re nonetheless searching.

Built on a shortened version of the all-singing, self-driving S550’s bones, the S550 coupe is a stunner in individual. There’s genuine presence here, from the lack of a B-pillar, to the chrome ring around the greenhouse, to the little chrome dots on the grille that appear like the knobs on a dresser drawer. The S-class-primarily based coupes have often drawn envious stares from males old sufficient to keep in mind when personal luxury denoted 2-doors with names like Toronado and Eldorado, but this Benz’s new styling had strangers of all ages eyeing it.

We couldn’t quit staring at the leather-lined interior. Most cabin pieces are shared with the S-class sedan, but the coupe receives a special upper instrument panel. It’s a much more playful design, as if Italians had been asked to redo the S-class’s interior. Our test car arrived with the optional Designo package ($ 3250) that wraps even a lot more surfaces in leather. Add the Premium package’s massaging front seats and the Warmth and Comfort bundle’s heated seats, steering wheel, and armrests and you will not want to get out. You’re putty in the S550 coupe. Just sit back and melt into the heat whilst the $ 6400 Burmester audio program plays whale sounds. Driving? You must most likely park if you are that relaxed, but the $ 2800 Driver Help gadgets mean the S550 coupe can virtually drive itself. Back-seat riders may possibly want to get out, though. There’s sufficient space for 2 adults back there, but rear legroom is restricted despite a lengthy 115.9-inch wheelbase.

Private luxury is just that—it’s personal. And, to that finish, the S550 is a sublime automobile for the solo pilot. The structure is created up of welded stampings, just like other cars’, but the silence and solidity suggests forging. Not significantly disturbs the cabin. Wind noise is eerily absent. A slight hum from the wide tires is the only audible indication of motion. Only below intense use does the 4.7-liter twin-turbo V-8 raise its voice. Even then, it emits only a 79-decibel snarl.

Not a lot upsets the serenity, even if you start treating the 4761-pound Benz like a Mazda Miata. Cornering grip is excellent for one thing this big, at .92 g, and the handling is safe. The steering does not serve up sports-automobile really feel, but it is correct even at triple-digit speeds. Acceleration is robust, but there is slight delay just before the wick lights the 449-hp charge. Sprints to 60 mph take 4.5 seconds, 4-tenths quicker than the rear-wheel-drive S550 sedan. Common 4-wheel drive tends to make for repeatable runs. Leading speed is governed at 130 mph for U.S. versions, despite the Y-rated Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.

Mercedes-Benz certainly charges complete value for its individual-luxury experience. Rates start off at $ 120,825, but our test car cost $ 149,575. We’d suggest avoiding some of the far more expensive choices on our example, but if you can afford this automobile in the 1st place, we wouldn’t dream of denying you of your individual luxury.

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2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 4MATIC Coupe Test: A Sublime Auto for the Solo Pilot

2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 4MATIC Coupe Test: A Sublime Vehicle for the Solo Pilot

Instrumented Test

arrow

We’;re looking for superlatives.

As the technological leader of the Mercedes-Benz brand, the large coupes have sent us looking for superlatives for decades. The new S-class coupe is awesomer than ever. See? We’re nevertheless browsing.

Constructed on a shortened version of the all-singing, self-driving S550’s bones, the S550 coupe is a stunner in individual. There’s genuine presence here, from the lack of a B-pillar, to the chrome ring around the greenhouse, to the tiny chrome dots on the grille that look like the knobs on a dresser drawer. The S-class-based coupes have usually drawn envious stares from men old enough to don’;t forget when personal luxury denoted 2-doors with names like Toronado and Eldorado, but this Benz’s new styling had strangers of all ages eyeing it.

We couldn’t stop staring at the leather-lined interior. Most cabin pieces are shared with the S-class sedan, but the coupe receives a unique upper instrument panel. It is a much more playful design, as if Italians had been asked to redo the S-class’s interior. Our test car arrived with the optional Designo package ($ 3250) that wraps even more surfaces in leather. Add the Premium package’s massaging front seats and the Warmth and Comfort bundle’s heated seats, steering wheel, and armrests and you won’t want to get out. You’re putty in the S550 coupe. Just sit back and melt into the heat while the $ 6400 Burmester audio method plays whale sounds. Driving? You should most likely park if you’re that relaxed, but the $ 2800 Driver Help gadgets imply the S550 coupe can virtually drive itself. Back-seat riders may possibly want to get out, although. There’s sufficient space for 2 adults back there, but rear legroom is limited in spite of a lengthy 115.9-inch wheelbase.

Individual luxury is just that—it’s individual. And, to that finish, the S550 is a sublime auto for the solo pilot. The structure is produced up of welded stampings, just like other cars’, but the silence and solidity suggests forging. Not significantly disturbs the cabin. Wind noise is eerily absent. A slight hum from the wide tires is the only audible indication of motion. Only below extreme use does the 4.7-liter twin-turbo V-8 raise its voice. Even then, it emits only a 79-decibel snarl.

Not significantly upsets the serenity, even if you begin treating the 4761-pound Benz like a Mazda Miata. Cornering grip is good for something this huge, at .92 g, and the handling is secure. The steering does not serve up sports-vehicle really feel, but it is accurate even at triple-digit speeds. Acceleration is powerful, but there is slight delay prior to the wick lights the 449-hp charge. Sprints to 60 mph take 4.5 seconds, 4-tenths faster than the rear-wheel-drive S550 sedan. Normal 4-wheel drive tends to make for repeatable runs. Top speed is governed at 130 mph for U.S. versions, despite the Y-rated Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.

Mercedes-Benz undoubtedly charges full price for its individual-luxury knowledge. Costs start off at $ 120,825, but our test car price $ 149,575. We’d suggest avoiding some of the a lot more high-priced possibilities on our instance, but if you can afford this car in the first place, we wouldn’t dream of denying you of your private luxury.

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2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 4MATIC Coupe Test: A Sublime Vehicle for the Solo Pilot

2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 Coupe Driven: Dag, It is Sexy (and Good, Also)

Very first Drive Evaluation

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Raising the flag.

Take a excellent look at the new S-class coupe. That is correct, slow down and cease clicking your mouse or swiping your screen for a handful of seconds. The auto is gorgeous, no? But photos don’t even capture its huge size, its presence, its curves. It is not a supermodel, a waif of a sports car developed to appeal equally to gawking adolescents and these far more chronologically advanced but equally insecure. This is a modern day Mercedes, fully realized.

An further second to keep in mind the CL-class, please, that old lady of a coupe that’s been haunting Benz dealers for years now. Okay, accomplished with that, no eulogy necessary. Mercedes sold fewer than 500 of them last year. We will not be surprised if it finds more purchasers for the new B-pillarless S550 in the very first month of sales, which most likely will be October. Pricing has yet to be announced, but count on it to commence close to $ 120,000.

So the S-class coupe is costly, yes. As it must be, for a automobile that stands atop the Mercedes product variety. Fire up the 4.7-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 and the exhaust rumbles louder than does the S-class sedan’s, regardless of the fact that it is the exact same engine creating the exact same 449 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. But the coupe also feels faster to accelerate, to shift, and to shed speed. Cutting 77 inches of wheelbase tends to make it a sportier proposition than the sedan, and when we lastly get one particular on our scales, the coupe should be lighter by a couple hundred pounds, also, if Mercedes is to be believed. Sprinting via visitors in the land of Gucci, the S550 coupe feels much more nimble than any CL ever has, regardless of measurements that track inside a few inches of its predecessor in every dimension.

Like in the sedan, the coupe has every single manner of contemporary technology constructed-in or prepared for order. This is a vehicle that can massage you while perfuming the air that you breathe. That can drive itself for short bursts, and brake for you when your consideration falters. Its massive glass roof can turn as opaque as the average driver’s understanding of the engineering that underlies these systems. Driving the S550 coupe, you nearly feel sorry for the product planners and engineers, under such intense stress to come up with 1 Far more Factor.

For the S-class coupe, that function is “active curve tilting,” a function of the car’s active suspension system that operates up to 112 mph. This predictive program scans the road up to 49 feet ahead with a stereoscopic camera and then hydraulically adjusts every single spring perch independently to compensate for up to 3 inches of physique motion versus the standard air suspension. Now the caveat is that we’re not acquiring this technology on the S550 coupe (or the S63 AMG coupe) here in the U.S. Our cars will all be fitted with 4-wheel drive, and active curve tilting is restricted to rear-drive automobiles.

That is okay by us. Obtaining driven a rear-drive S500 (European models wear different badging, but it’s the exact same auto as our S550), we wouldn’t really feel bad if somebody referred to as active curve tilting a gimmick. To be clear: We’re not. But we didn’t locate the expertise pleasurable, as it created handling unpredictable. And we do not see the point in building technologies that purposefully removes important feedback from the driving encounter. Thankfully, curve tilting can be turned off, and the Comfort and Sport settings of the ABC suspension provide what they guarantee.

The interior of the S-class coupe is almost indistinguishable from the sedan. A proper 3-spoke steering wheel replaces the odd 2-spoke unit in the sedan and the coupe gets the new touch-pad controller for the infotainment method just like in the newest C-class. Our test vehicle was fitted with the unique “Edition 1” remedy, so its dashboard inserts resemble a vintage Telefunken radio, with flowing lines on a piano black background, and a crystal nodule on the center console serves as the touch point to pop open the cover of the storage bin. Subtle but effective. Less understated are the Swarovski crystals obtainable in the headlamp assemblies, 17 each and every in the daytime operating lamps and 30 in the turn-signal indicators, even though none in the LED headlights themselves.

The S-class coupe is every bit as regal as its sedan counterpart. Yet when you open a single of the 2 4-and-a-half-foot-extended doors and slide into the quilted leather seats, almost everything appears just a bit a lot more opulent. Possibly it’s the tidier 4-place package or the steeper windshield rake. Or probably it is just the aftereffect of staring at the exterior sheetmetal. What’s unquestionable is this car’s position as Stuttgart’s new flagship.

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