Just came across this. (http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t-drive-review)

Nothing too shocking in it. Sounds like Magic Body Control may be in a slightly gimmicky phase as they state it's good at picking up things like speed bumps and other smooth/man-made obstacles, however won't catch things like potholes, jagged roads and even may not pick anything up in less than perfect weather. They state that the chassis will thud into a pothole even with MBC. ("Magic Body Control is a bit of a one-trick pony, though, as it works best at low speed and on the kind of long, flat-topped speed bumps that are common in Europe. The cameras, which basically scan for shadows or scene contrast, can’t see pavement fissures and everyday wheel-bouncers such as manhole depressions, which arrive too suddenly for the system to react. And bad weather blinds its eyes.")

They state the interior is so quiet that you can pretty much whisper to the person next to you at any speeds.... something you'd expect from any S Class but from the sounds of it the W222 is indeed an evolution of that great formula. They also mimic basically everyone else in how the W222's interior is a step up from the W221 in material quality and perceived luxury design.

They state firsthand that the "smiling steering wheel" is indeed "fogeyish" (that's being nice) however as expected has a nice and high quality heft to it.

Of course the 7G Tronic is the biggest crutch to any M-B, and isn't much better on the W222 as it sounds like it suffers from the normal behavior (which I was never crazy about) like occasional jerks and such. It's a shame apparently only 2014 adopters will be stuck with that trans as the 9G is expected to come out along with the W205 C Class launch and be applied to 2015 S-Classes.

Like any magazine reviewers they're quick to want to criticize the steerings lack of "road feel", but at least realize that M-B's briefings about the W222 are all about keeping the road away from the driver, and not focusing on transmitting a sporty/connected feel inside (that steering wheel design sends that message well in itself). However they do comment on a nice direct feel which is almost all you can ask for a car that's all luxury oriented (and a nice weight).

They state that the car in person appears more simple and conservative than the "over styled" W221.

And a mention of a fully loaded W222 having 100 electric motors onboard! Gonna have to have ***** the size of bricks to own this badboy out of warranty.

 

This is the only thing that gives me a slight pause. Get the 2014 model or wait a year for the new transmission? Hmmmm....

 

I'd wait! IMO you'd be upset once the '15's came out.

 

I'd say go for the 2014 because it has the 7G transmission. All the kinks have been worked out by now which wasn't the case in 06 and 07 MBZs that came with the 7G at the time. I remember riding in an 06 CLS 500 and the trans felt jerky and was really busy and I wasn't alone in that thinking. Now it's highly praised and apparently shifts silky smooth. I got the old 5G in my C280 and though the gears are tall (and feel even more drawn out in comfort mode) the trans is smooth and bulletproof reliable. Change is good and exciting to try but I really wouldn't want to gamble with my $100k investment.

 

Part of why I liked the C Class so much is because of their simplicity. I hope in the future they don't become too advanced which will push up their price and make them less desirable to own for a long period of time. I can't wait to see Glyn spreading his insane knowledge and thoughts about the new W222 S Class as time goes on.

 

7G came out in 2003, its still not perfect, in comparison the 7 speed DCT in the B250 which is 1/4 the price of the GL performs better than the 7G+

 

After seeing and sitting in one today, I'd add to this that the car's proportions are staggeringly similar to the outgoing model. I now understand why someone has asked if this car is even "brand new" from the ground up. In Edition 1 trim (no AMG package, 19" rims) I am personally very disappointed at how evolutionary the design is.

Optioned the way I'd want it I'm sure my opinion would differ, though.

 

I saw the car in oncoming traffic today for the first time. It was a non-sport grey-light-blueish color. At first I thought I was seeing the non-sport FL E Class. The car looked sleeker, hides the size very well (hence confusion with E, although I was merely passing by), but definitely is underwhelming. You can definitely see the evolution outside and, surprisingly after a while, on the inside as well. Not necessarily a bad thing, as the 221 was a heck of a car. From what I gather by the test drives, it is the most solid, quietest and most comfortable ever. Owners are going to get quite a bit of kit for less, based on the pricing released today. I cannot complain.

 

Waiting for the AMG version to come out Ton of power with ultimate luxury.

I just picked up an S8; it surprises me every time. Scary fast but doesn't feel like it at all (while inside).

 

Nothing about the current 7Gtronic plus is perfect.. I'd wait until the 9spd came out and wait until THOSE bugs are hammered out

 

This is car you'll NEVER want to own outside of warranty, agreed with K-A!

 

+550

 

What car is not one you would never want to own outside a warranty? The S or the E?

I love the S! And the transmission is perfectly fine for us. Sorry to hear you got a bad apple, but I wouldn't think because of one bad apple that all of them are bad.

 

I don't have a frame of reference since there isn't a 9 speed transmission on the S550, but I can say that the 7G drives fantastic. I personally think that the consideration on 14 vs 15 should be based on order / delivery time ..... Given that it's April.

In terms of 'lack of road feel', I would say that is somewhat accurate but not relevant because that's not the type of car the S550 is.


I took delivery of mine about three weeks ago. I went from a 2008 s550 Black w/sport to a 2014 Diamond White w/ 19s and no sport. I've never had more positive comments on the look of a new car than this one. Color choices are subjective but the DW really makes the car pop.

 

^ agree.. since when is an S class supposed to feel "sporty" ?

 

Kind of a silly comment. At this time, there is no luxury car one should own outside of warranty, no matter the model or brand.

With the level of computers, sensors and assist systems, more can go wrong and virtually nothing gets repaired anymore. It gets replaced.

On the BMW forum I read of people getting replacement engines on low mileage 3 year old cars. Just imagine getting a 4 year old BMW w/o warranty

 

Unfortunately MB has had it's problems with engines as well. In particular the MLs. I have owned MBs for many years and believe that I purchased one of the biggest pieces of ??it I have ever owned when I purchased a new 2000 ML320. At 27,000 miles the motor started to fail and I fought with MB and my local dealer for 10,000 miles to replace the motor. Finally they replaced it but the SUV was never the same. After the motor replacement they never could get the electronics to work. After motor replacement the dealer had the vehicle for 4 months off and on trying to fix some of the electronics including the navigation unit--never did get the electronics to work. The navi always said we were somewhere else--upto 500 miles away.


Through a class action suit in the US, MB increased the warranty on the older MLs to 150,000 miles due to this piece of junk motor failing on the MLs. This experience dampened my reflection of MB but I am still buying MBs by purchasing 5 S classes since 2000 (including my great '14 S550 4matic) but I own an Acura MDX as an SUV since I had this bad MB SUV experience.


So I agree that one better be prepared for issues but I still don't completely adhere to the "sell before the warranty ends". I take an approach of "buyer beware" given that it is expensive to fix cars out of warranty on the techno cars. But If one can afford a $100k auto, one should be able to fix an auto out of warranty. It is simply economics of what makes sense at the time.

 

Agree. The 7G is a horrible transmission, after you drive M-B's competitors with the ZF8 or anything comparable (the new Lexus' use another 8 Speed outsourced company, forgot the name, but is also vastly superior to the 7G glitchy slush box).

The 9G can't come fast enough, though I heard someone recently site an article stating that although it does get closer, still lags the ZF 8 Speed....

And to people wondering why the W222 specifically in terms of out-of-warranty driving; having a W222 out of warranty seems especially risky due to the fact that the W222 takes technology to another level in a Mercedes, therefore there are tons more things to go wrong. I'd hate to see the state of these cars at 20 years old.

 

I also had a 2000 ML320. Got it new and had it for almost 4years. This thing needed nothing other than service. Not even tires.
Most trouble-free MB we had actually but not a great car by any measure. Wife hated the thing.
Btw, my BMW reference is related to newer tech twin turbo engines than run too hot, have Carbon build up, injector problems and poor design that lets debris enter and kill the engine. I am not aware of MB having issues like that on any scale. Bad apples exist with any brand...

You are mentioning that if people can afford a $100k car, they should be able to afford the repairs when out of warranty. The issue is really different though; by the time the car is out of warranty it is really a $40k (or less) car. Plenty of people can afford the car but will struggle with the repair costs. Just check the forums for Airmatic or ABC failures. These cars simply cost a lot of money related to their value at the time.

 

Glad you had a trouble free 2000 ML320 experience.


My informal survey of approximately 15 clients of mine that had ML320s at the time revealed 10 of those 15 had the same motor problem. I do have too much knowledge on this issue to share on a public forum but it was a problem known by MB.


As far as affordability of new cars and/or repairs--In my business I see many people buying things they cannot afford. So I hear your thoughts. But can one really afford the car if they cannot afford the repair bills? Yes they get expensive. One of my clients replaced the airmatic suspension components on a S class out of warranty (the client owns a fleet of S classes for their business) in 2003 and it cost him $8500. To me it is a cost/benefit analysis of depreciation of a new car vs. the cost of repairs (and of course the un-measurable part of the "feeling" of owning a new car). And it might make more sense sometimes to buy the new car instead of risking the costly repair bills on say a $40,000 car. My point here really is that it is hard to say one should never own a car out of the warranty period. Like most things, it depends.

 

Well, to say that no one would want to own this car out of warranty - if you believe that, you would never buy this car - only lease it. Because if no one wants to own this car out of warranty, its going to have vastly diminished resale value 4 years from now, so the buyer would take a huge hit on it.

 

Extended warranties can easily cover ownership cycles, so both ownership and leasing are normal options. I believe that warranties simply become more relevant than the used to be with more complex cars.
Re. Diminished resale values are already are a fact of life on $100k+ cars, much more so than they used to be, say 15 years ago. It's not that difficult to find a 2-3 year old AMG model at 50% off (or an S-class). This is similar to other brands.

But there is obviously a point of diminishing return. My decision to get rid a car was usually just after it being repaired, along with the recognition that a new car costs less in maintenance than the old one.