C280 Sport

2015 C is nothing like a new S. Maybe the looks? That is about it.

Jason B

Correct on the above ^^. I just sat in a P85d and the w221 S class still kills it on the interior. I felt like I was in a Toyota Tercel with a nice ipad in the middle. Just is NOT the same.

If you've lived and grown up around S classes like I have, this car is a no (to replace an S class with). Or it's a 3rd car for a Sunday drive with Insane mode on.

Ferrast

I am in the market for an S550. I have driven both the Tesla and the MB S sedan. They are very different experiences.

The Tesla is very quiet and the power is immediate. You cannot help but be impressed by the technology and the intelligence (the ability to update software so that you have new attributes). My friends who own a Tesla say that they are comfortable in the seats. I do not like the seats and I am not a fan of the interior for the price of the car. I don't think that anyone purchases a Tesla for the interior (the center iPad like control station is whiz bang cool). The lack of noise is amazing; however, I do like the sound of a gas guzzling V8. The power and handling, two attributes that I most appreciate, are great. The exterior styling is rather standard looking, but from some angles it has an enticing look (I like the rear quarter panels).

The MB S550 has an exquisite interior and is mostly quiet. It possesses power that may not be as immediate as the Tesla's but is very very close. The exterior of the MB is not as angular as the Tesla. It looks like a big wealthy person's car, but it won't get any medals for exterior design - that is okay with the typical S class buyer as they are not "look at me" type people.

I do believe that the S class is more comfortable and more luxurious (with respect to the interior and the ride) with great performance attributes. MB has been about luxury and safety first and sportiness second. With this in mind, I believe that the typical S class buyer would stay with their S class until a Tesla becomes much more luxurious. By that time, MB will have a plug in electric S class.

Enjoy which ever car you choose.

Wolfman

Having driven the P85+ before, the P85d was definitely an experience. The performance is amazing. Interior quality is better than before but then this one was also the $130k loaded model. The Recaro seats felt comfortable to me but the wife hated most of the interior, including the seats...

The exterior design keeps me from getting it even though they are now pushing decent incentives on the model. Something I haven't seen before with Tesla. One other thing is somewhat annoying on the D model; the pronounced whining noise of the e-motors... Much louder than I remember

onesixeight

I actually traded in a Model S P85+ for a 2015 S550.

My P85+ was a 13xxx VIN which was one of the very first P85+ cars. The car was fantastic but it felt almost archaic compared to my current S550. I felt that the power train is the star of the car, but the rest of the car lacks features that even my previous generation S class had. The overall build quality of the car is very poor. My car had a number of squeaks and rattles from day one and they only got worse as I put more mileage out of the car. I could never get comfortable in the seats. My car didn't even have parking sensors available when I ordered!

I was seriously considering getting the D model as it has the newer Recaro seats but why I left the Tesla family at the end is because I feel they over promises and under deliver. They showed off the autopilot features but still to this day, no part of the system has been released. The S Class Distronic with steering assist is a working, functioning system and for me it was a big seller for the S-class. Not to mention the beautiful interior with best in-class seats.

Another thing that isn't often mentioned in reviews is the feel of the Tesla single gear drivetrain. The car feels very hyperactive at highway speeds. Imagine having your S class stuck in 3rd gear at 70mph @ 4000rpm. When you increase the speed on the cruise control, the car surges forward as if you floored the accelerator. You don't get that relaxed cruising feel when at highway speeds and that's one of my major complains about the Model S.

Everyone has different priorities but for me, the S class currently checks all the boxes for what I want in a luxury car. I'm happy that I tried the Model S because I am very interested in the future of electric cars. I'll certainly consider revisiting a Tesla in the future, but right now, I am very happy with my S.

emilner

Thanks for the insight. I find Tesla owners can often be like fanboys of apple or droid devices. Be prepared for someone to tell you you are wrong, because they know they are right.

I personally am very intrigued by the Model S. I like the power and the upgradability. I wish that would filter to all car companies.

I would seriously consider the car if not for the 10 yr old rental car interior. It's just god awful. The exterior view has always taken a backseat for me. I find the S550 is a very good looking car but not revolutionary. It's designed to look and feel big, almost regal. But frankly I care far more for what I see in my 2 hours+ driving per day. My taillights mean crap to me while I'm cruising down the highway....

drsaab

Yes, They definitely have improved after oct 2014. Way more features. I am not sure few years out, but at 5k miles no squeaks or rattles. Parking sensors are improved by software since I even purchased the car 3 mos ago. First they were just front and back measurements. Now each of the 8 sensors front, back, and side tells you how many inches it is away from an object in a 360 degree graphic. It was cool to have this over the air free update. Some of the autopilot is out which is lane warnings, Active cruise control, and Speed limit detection and warnings. The Steering assist and parking in your garage is not out. The Cruise control is more smooth now as of firmware 6.1.116 and newer which just came out over the air in the last 2 weeks. The software is always improving and tweaking the car to make it better. Hopefully the build quality stays solid in time!

I also feel the S85 with 19" tires and air suspension is the best match for the S550 smooth quiet ride, and also power and price wise. Anything more is overkill in power etc.

Sappo569

I've driven both, but for executive chauffeuring, not your normal daily driving.

Tesla

- Like a scared cat on steroids
- Regenerative braking is nice, helps for smooth stops.
- Nice big touchscreen display for traffic / directions

The rest of the "nice" for the Tesla stop there, as things like awesome sound system or half the tech gadgets mean nothing to the person sitting in the back.

The interior as mentioned on the Tesla is abysmal for something of that price point. I understand a lot of the price is due to the technology, but it is almost taxi grade interior, if it gets dirty just hose it out.

S550

- More than enough power for such a large car, but super smooth off the line. Not a coffee spilled yet
- Heated, cooled, massage, padded belts with airbags built in... etc etc etc
- Massive back seat area, with plenty of storage and amenities

The problem between the two is, the Tesla is a drivers car, the MB is a passengers car. The MB has modes and settings specifically because they expect someone sat in the back doing business.

We had a Tesla where I work, until the person it was bought for discovered the back seats are uncomfortable, there is no rear seat storage for glasses, pens, tablets etc.

The other problem I noticed with the Tesla is it's TOO quiet, if you're cruising downtown pedestrians can't hear you coming, I can see it being a major problem if someone isn't looking and steps off the curb.

C280 Sport

I have noticed that as well with fanboys. In my experience and encounters Tesla
fanboys are just awful. They seem to think they are a group of elite owners who want everyone to own the car and if not your car is no good, ect, ect. I just never had any good vibes with them and they come off very snooty. I give a huge thumbs up to the OP here who is very open minded

drsaab

This is true. Some of the dummies on the tesla motors forum think the car can never break down and question anyone who has a repair as a troll. For tesla motors to have an open forum on their own website is cool though and has brought improvements to the car from ppl Complaining about issues.

drsaab

Yes. Tesla just came out with the executive rear seating package about 3 weeks ago. The Chinese market was suffering since they are driven there, not drivers and the back seat was not up to par. The owner should look into this if he has a demand for a tesla chauffeured vehicle. I would rather ride in an S class and drive the model S also.

traveldoc108

I had the P85 Tesla and decided to sell it and picked up a few other cars including a S550. For me, the luxury for the price won out over electric for me. I might be in the minority but I really loved the Tesla for everything else but I couldn't justify the cash I put into that car considering the car kept being upgraded every few months. It kept making me feel that my 1 year old Tesla was like 3 or 4 years old and a new model kept coming out.

Wolfman

Interesting.
The software upgrades are a huge plus IMO. I wish MB would do software updates this way. It's virtually impossible for them to do (or want to do) upgrades even if available. Comand upgrades in the w221 are a good example.

MB is still a dinosaur when it comes to Internet/device integration. Besides the lack of 4G, device & app integration is laughable. How many years does one have to wait for CarPlay, etc.

Jason B

Yea, just about every American car manufacture is running commercials about their free in car LTE. Kinda rubs you the wrong way why they couldn't get it right.

Streamliner

I truly believe that this is due to MB trying to be everything to everybody on the planet and introducing way too many entry level vehicles in a very short amount of time. They have substantially diluted the luxury car ownership experience. How does it feel to make a service appointment for your $100K plus car, and to then wait in line behind umpteen Smart cars and "SomethingLA's?" I buy MB and probably always will, but when I think of how much better my luxury car--and the experience of owning it could be, if they had more time & resources to spend on it--instead of trying to figure how to make the next CLALA, it really is depressing.

traveldoc108

Maybe I mispoke. The software upgrades were a HUGE plus. The never having to worry about gas was a HUGE plus. The part of the car that was the selling point for me was the NAVIGATION. It was simple, super easy to use, very accurate and gave me everything I wanted to know in a straight forward way. It was a dream. What irked me was that when I got the P85, it was in 2013, certain things were not available like folded mirrors or parking sensors or the autopilot program. Things that would always come out that would have to be retrofitted into the car if I wanted it. It would irk me because at that moment, I felt that I had the most modern up to date car available but there is always something that someone with a later build date would get that I couldn't get. And at a 100k price point, you never want to feel behind the times in just a few months after purchase. They don't introduce items on a yearly or model year change time. They introduce it once they find it viable to do so.

It's probably a genius marketing trick to get you to turn in your car for a newer version, albeit just a few months newer, all the time. In fact, I know a lot of Tesla guys who do just that to keep up with the new stuff Tesla adds. Most likely though, they are trying to introduce things slowly to make sure all the previous problems normally associated with a brand new car company in a high end arena goes well. Don't want another Fisker on our hands. Overall, I love Teslas. I am a fanboy of the car and of Elon. But for what you get, I feel less stress and more relaxed in a proven luxurious S class...until they are more stable. It helps that they now have a better lease program than that last joke of a program (which just led me to pay full cash for the car).

Sappo569

Well again from my perspective, if you own a 550 or other quarter milion dollar car, you're not the one taking it in for service anyways. Your driver or other staff member would be doing that for you. So having to wait in line with lesser vehicles is just not an issue for that type of person.



Yeah I heard about that as well, and then I said 'is it the same taxi-style interior'?

I think the executive package is just an arm rest / center console in the rear, but I could be wrong.

Need door pockets, big arm rest with storage and an area to write on. Rear seat pockets, big cup holders (the things that go on the seat near the floor are laughable)

Wolfman

I think that it actually follows longtime Mercedes tradition. MB has always been slow to deal AV/Internet tech.

Wolfman

Tesla rear seats = prison bench

emilner

Must disagree there. There are those who buy cars because they enjoy them and spend whatever the price is. And then there are those who have people buy cars for them. The latter are the ones who have staff members take a car in for service...

LovinMercedes

Where did this idea come from? Not been my experience, personally, or with others.

Quadcammer

+1, crock of BS

UrBusted

Just met a Tesla fan that's sure the Tesla is more luxurious than the s class.
"Nope, most Tesla owners agree that the Tesla offers more in luxury and convenience. And Tesla owners have slept in their car like their actual home. The only people who think the merc is more luxurious are people with their dick up their tailpipes.

There a bunch other owners around the internet who said the merc is old and murky, they prefer the modern interior of the Tesla, and that alone besides the Tesla experience was enough to make their decision to own the car.*

Point is Tesla makes many more people happy than an old merc, and it is the more desirable car."
And then there's this.
"Doesn't matter because to people the Tesla offers more luxury than the S class. As I posted before they are people selling their mercs for Teslas.*

The heated seats on the Tesla is way faster than the merc. You are left in the freezer. The Tesla has a bigger back area, and no tunnel in the middle. And it fits way more cargo.*

Others have said its like a space ship, something out of a scifi film.*
http://theaviationist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/SpaceX-Dragon-cabin-empty-2.jpeg



You wake up to reality, people value refinement, sleek modernism, and cool over posh interiors of grandma's house.*

And as I said before the dino car offers less luxury than the Tesla."

alshaikh85

I think Tesla was successful in advancing the electric car industry and creating a good fan base, which will help fund and advance the electric industry further.

Right now, I think Tesla is like an advanced computer with a giant battery that drives a car. The only common factor it has with luxury cars such as S Class, is the price range.

Until it becomes mature and practical, I am not ready to pay premium for an expensive battery with low range and long recharge time.

Red Marko

I actually like that other people like/buy Teslas.
I, myself, would never purchase one. But, there is nothing wrong with using other peoples money to test and improve the range...