Malibu Canyon Run With 2018 Mercedes-Benz S560 Cabriolet

By Derin Richardson - June 11, 2018

Mercedes-Benz S560 Road Test

Fellow MBWorld editor Nolan Browning is doing all the driving while I capture all of the awesomeness on my DJI Osmo 2. Despite the S560’s beastly 4.0-liter, biturbo V8, I can barely hear any of the engine during a cold start. Don’t let that fool you though, it’s simply because the dynamic drive mode was set to “Comfort.” We immediately put this bad boy into “Sport+” and we instantly hear that beautiful V8 rumble during idle.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S560 Cabriolet

S560 Driving Modes

With 463 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, this convertible rips. Yet even in the sportiest driving mode, it doesn’t possess the qualities of a neck-breaking supercar. If it has any low-end torque, we certainly can’t detect it. Which is fine considering isn’t an AMG variant, after all.

It can handle sharp turns, but neither I nor Nolan trust it 100 percent—especially with a sheer 20- to 30-foot canyon drop on either side of us. The sheer weight of the car alone makes me nervous, even with its stiffer suspension. Besides that, it handles very nicely. The electronic steering is light and very responsive, though we prefer it to be a little more connected to the wheels.

We then go ahead and put it in regular “Sport” mode, just to see how much it differs from the “plus” variant. Alas, it is quite different from its athletic alter ego. In this mode, the transmission actually waters our driving experience down by shifting us up to the higher gears ASAP. This, presumably, relieves engine stress by limiting its exposure to higher RPM ranges for longer periods of time. And, of course, saves gasoline.

While in “Comfort” mode, the suspension is buttery smooth and seems to glide over bumps and holes. It pretty much stays in either fifth or sixth gear while cruising, and besides the obvious road noise (which isn’t even that noticeable despite the top being down), it offers a minimal exhaust note.

‘There is plenty of car for the money here: lots of horsepower, technology, and style.’

Overbearing Automatic Transmission

The wide-ratio, 9-speed double clutch in this cabrio is intelligent, but it is also a little too controlling. While in “Sport” and “Sport+” modes, the transmission aggressively shifts for you, even when you manually shift with the paddles. Even more annoying is when we try to shift down to a lower gear while being well within the powerband, and this car basically plays mother goose and shifts it back up for us.

The way it automatically shifts when navigating a turn is also aggravating. Basically, if you are anywhere south of 50 miles-per-hour, it will force you to stay in third gear until its MPH requirements are met. However, when it finally does let us shift down, the wonderful crackling and popping of the exhaust sounds nothing short of brilliant to the ears. Sure, its not an AMG, but it sure as hell feels good when you open up that throttle in the tunnels.

Final Thoughts

There is plenty of car for the money here: lots of horsepower, technology, and style. Despite having a plethora of features, it has a modicum of freedom when it comes to the drivetrain. Not a deal-breaker, considering Mercedes-Benz is targeting the comfort enthusiast who wants a taste of the sporty life. We’d prefer all-out-performance, but this isn’t a bad option by any means.

There is no economical sense in buying this car, but nobody purchases vehicles like these with an economical mindset. The base model cabriolet starts at $133,300 ($99,900 sedan), and its AMG cousin starts at $180,495 ($147,500 sedan).

Regardless of the price, driving this cabriolet is the most fun we’ve had in a stock, semi-enthusiast Mercedes-Benz in a long while.