Ormond2004

I've been considering an Audi A8 or 750il. Both of these options are less than a new S. I dropped by the Mercedes dealership and was impressed with the new S. It's quite comfortable. The one in dealer stock has Magic Body Control and a sport package. I really don't need MBC. It stickers at $113,000. The car was quite sharp in Anthracite Blue. I didn't drive it. I may go back tomorrow. Sigh.

Kratos-TM

The S is the king of all. But I can understand if you want to save some money. I'm going for the king though!

06E55

Trust me Ormond, you will be impressed with the S if/when you drive it! I am extremely tempted to order an S63/S65 variant; however, I am trying to hold out for the coupe variant...

Ormond2004

I drove the car and was quite impressed. This car did not have Nappa leather, but the seats were plenty soft. The ride was wonderful--smooth and controlled. The massage was enjoyable. The air balance scent was subtle. The amount of customization of the interior lighting is impressive. This particular car had light carpeting. I much prefer darker carpets.

I think I'd be very happy with an S class, but not sure if it's worth the extra money over an A8L. The Audi dealer is discounting the A8 and there is a loyalty incentive. I'm going to calculate the difference and decide.

06E55

The Nappa leather brings this car up another notch all together... So does the 3D Sound option! I used to think Audi had the best interiors of BMW/MB/Audi/Lexus... Now, I will say that this new S Class is on par with my Bentley!

Dema

I do not believe they fix power lag. I did test driving 750 and previous S and found that 750 is noticeably more responsive than S, although ride quality was better for S. Since new S utilizes same engine and weight of new S isn't tremendously less, it can still lack in performance. So getting 6 liter engine can be right move.

interiormagic

The W222 is vastly faster than a 750 or the W221.Beside, MB cars are ageless, my fav MBs are from the 60s and 70s, this W222 sure to be one of those gems 20,30 years from now

hyperion667

you could wait until next year this time, when they're all reduced.........that is what I'm thinking now, or wait for 2015 W222.2

ima55r2

Power Lag is probably due to the adaptive transmission if it still used on the car. Some spirited driving or the typical reset procedure will quicken throttle response and drop a gear quicker and stay in the lower gear longer.

emilner

Vastly? The 2013 and up 750i will outpace the new S550. Not by a lot, but MB has quite a bit of hp to make up. BMW is notorious for under rating their engines and it shows. Comparing the two is tough though, the new S is in another league. The last gen S was comparable to the 750, it was a matter of preference. Now that the 7 series is in its 5th model year it's understandable that the 2014 S leapfrogged it. I am seriously considering one in the spring...

LETO

I know BMW has been notorious for understating HP. However, seems like MB is getting quite bad after turbo charging. Check out the dyno in the video below:

06E55

AMGs have been notoriously underrated for years.. Even back in the 55 Kompressor days... I think they do this because the engines are hand-built, thus, variations can exist, so they take the lowest number tested and go with that... If you happen to get one that produces over, then great... If not, you get advertised.... e.g., praise/no complaints...

06E55

I think this is mainly due to how BMW/MB "senses" driver input... The BMW may seem to respond to slight changes in throttle quicker... For MB, it takes a little more input for a response, hence the reason why the Sprint Booster exists (and yes, I know they have them for BMW/Audi/whatever)... It supposedly decreases the delay between the input and the response...

Also, on MB, there is the kick down button (it may exist on BMW as well, I don't know)... I happened to be doing a little work on my car and happened to be down into the area below the steering wheel looking for a spot to get some wiring from the passenger's side to the driver's side when I actually saw the little button.. It wouldn't take too much to make some kind of button "extender" (maybe a metal/plastic piece that glues directly on top of the current button) that would make the kick down position take less time... Heck, maybe it already exists... I don't know....

Now, I don't own a BMW and I am basing this knowledge on my 06 E55... I haven't driven a 7 class in quite a while (I drove a 2001/2002 760 twice) but I have driven the new S... I will say that responsiveness may be based on interpretation... I definitely know that it isn't as fast as my E55... Nor should it be (not an AMG, etc.)... I do know that it's responsiveness is deceiving... What you get with the S Class is more of a "linear" progression (e.g., quick but in a level line...) So, even though it's hauling ***, it doesn't feel that way...

K-A

IMO the lag in current "550" TT V8 M-B's is due to a lethargic 7G tranny and what seems to be a motor designed to have significant lag at lower RPM's (by design or design flaw?). It'll undoubtedly improve with the 9G.... hopefully. I found the CLS550 I drove to seem very held back by its tranny and not very powerful feeling at low RPM's (smooth, simple takeoff and around-town power feel), however once you nailed it, all hell broke loose and it pulls like a maniac. Still not as quick as the N63tu BMW TT V8's with their extra 45-ish HP and much more responsive/efficient ZF8 tranny's.

LETO

Nice insight.

An S should have a smooth linear throttle response for a luxurious comfortable car should it not? More than off the line acceleration (which is more than adequate) it's the mid gear stuff that matters more in a car like this. The ability to seamlessly pull forward with no drama from 70mph is where it is at.

Wolfman

I wouldn't bet on that. Even non-AMG variants are faster than spec'd.

Our new SL550 is listed at 4.5s to 60, yet all mags tested the car at 3.9 to 4.1.
Coming from the TTV12 SL600 and the SL55 I can tell that this car is definitely faster than either.
The S will be slower due to its weight, but it's a strong and highly tunable engine (more so than the BMW).
A simple ECU takes it to 530+hp with 600+ lb-ft. Torque.

emilner

The first test I saw (C&D) had the S at 4.9 0-60 and 13.4 in the 1/4. That's equal to the 7 with the old "400" hp motor. With the new motor the car is a few tenths quicker. Frankly we are splitting hairs, I was remarking to a comment that the S will be "vastly" faster. Vastly faster is the Audi A8 with the 4.0. Now that thing is a monster.

As far as cars go, the 7 does not compare to the new S, but that's to be expected with a 5 model year old car. BMW has its work cut out for it....

gmphertford

Definitely go for an S if you can afford it!

SteveVukelich

I have owned the Lexus LS430 and LS460, the BMW 750LXi, the Audi A8L and the Mercedes S-class (W221 and W222). All of the models have their weak and strong points, and the dealer's were given more than ample opportunities to fix the issues, so I voted with my feet. My ranking from lowest to highest is based on prior model years, so the information on the newer models may be different: BMW 750LXi (2010, too many quality problems), Lexus LS430/LS460 (2007-2008, electronic transmission would disengage throttle in tight right turns into heavy traffic; I guess it thought I was skidding), Audi A8L (2013, very jerky tranny in shifts up and down), the S-550 (W221 2009-2010), and the S-class (W222 2014, so far the best of the lot in comfort, engine/tranny smoothness, and quality). As you can see I came back to the S-class and intend to stay.