My In-Depth S-Class Review: Still the King?
 

The S-Class has always arguably been one of the most special Benz’ you could buy. It represents the pinnacle of luxury and sets forward the path of which other Benz’ and even other automakers will follow, pioneering new technology and safety innovations. While EV’s and SUV’s may be the future and lead the hype of the auto industry, even within the Mercedes-Benz model range, the new S-Class has an even harder job to impress and represent Mercedes-Benz at its finest. With competition from Germans such as BMW and Audi, and even an unforgettable previous generation of S-Class (W222) which has influenced the entire auto industry, does the new S-Class live up to the Sonderklasse name?



Exterior

Upon first glance those who take a look at the W223 may not feel as if the changes are too revolutionary. Well, that’s the point, Mercedes has typically always been in favor of evolutionary design changes for the exterior, and for the W223 that continues, for revolution, they have the EQS. This is by no means a bad thing, as the prior W222 was and still is a great looking car. For the W223 my first impression of the car was that it visually looks slimmer. Maybe this is because of the reduced and less cluttered body-lines and hidden door handles, but the overall angles and lines look to be tightened up and hardened, adding to the illusion of a slimmer and more trimmed vehicle visually. The front is stately without being grotesque (looking at you BMW). The headlights also look smaller and more compact, although I do wish the DRL’s were a bit more unique.

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The side is balanced and designed coherently, unlike its competition which obviously were designed first for Short-Wheelbases and then awkwardly stretched at the rear (the Audi especially is slab sided). The S-Class just flows beautifully and features a clean but handsome design. The new door handles and single crease above them add to the elegant look.

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The rear, to which there has been some controversy, also looks great in person, and the new animated taillights (for signaling) are also very cool. I still prefer the rear of the W222, but the car remains handsome from all angles and the rear looks a tad sharper than before.

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Overall this is a very attractive vehicle that will age gracefully, and much better looking than its current competition from either BMW or Audi. While three of four cars available were black (as is S-Class fashion), I was able to snap a shot of a Cirrus Silver S-Class besides another black model. Cirrus looks quite good on this vehicle and has a great amount of metallic sparkle.
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I was also able to snap a shot of the AMG-Line and Luxury Line side by side from the front. I personally prefer the appearance of the AMG-Line which adds just the right amount of aggression to the car’s design while also looking more expensive.
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Interior

The interior is what really sets this S-Class apart, most definitely revolutionary rather than evolution. Definitely controversial, but in person quite gorgeous. First off, the seats. These seats are much better than the W222 for me, as they feel softer and plush while also being more comfortable and supportive. Due to the chip shortage, this particular car did not feature Multi-Contour or Massage seats, however I had no issue with the comfort.
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The door panels are elegant without being too minimalist, with beautiful cross stitched patterns and new integrated controls (more on that in the tech section). I really like the overlapping structure between the armrest, controls, and trim pieces, as well as how they wrap into the dash.

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The main design of the cabin is thoroughly modern, dating any Mercedes before it. One aspect I love is the large span of trim that stretches across the entire dashboard. As Mercedes references, it truly does look similar to that of a yacht design. I do really like the “Flowing Lines” trim as well and am very excited to see cars eventually receive the “Silver Aluminum/Fanned Walnut Wood.” The new AC vents are also very modern, especially the dual vent design by each door. The backseats feature many of the same design touches as the front, while still being ever so spacious as an S-Class always should be.

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The best aspect of the interior is ambient lighting. I have yet to experience it at night, but even during the day is it impressive. With an expansion of colors and choices of lighting, there’s one to fit every mood, and it looks quite good in how it wraps around the entire interior. The ambient lighting is even an active feature which of course adapts and changes depending on the function.

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Material quality also feels improved. I sat in two different models. Both models featured Napa Leather seating and armrests, however the model I test drove featured regular leather door tops, bins, cards, and dash, while the other had Nappa Leather on all of those sections, even the lower door bins, which is unlike the W222 which featured harder plastics towards the lower portion of the vehicle. Overall, the leather feels high quality, soft, and smooth, and the piping and cross stitching only adds to the beauty.



Technology

To say that the new S-Class is a technological tour-de-force is an understatement. This car is truly a moving computer. At first the new MBUX is intimidating being an all touch screen system (or through touch sensitive pads on the steering wheel) but is actually quite easy to use for those who have experienced the current MBUX system. Menus are intuitively laid out and are less cluttered with controls being more up front, rather than hidden in menus. The screen is logically placed and easy to access, and I had no issue with glare during my drive. Thankfully unlike the prior MBUX system, Apple CarPlay is large and wireless. It connected fast and easy and served me no issues when in the car or charging.

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HVAC controls are always present and feature handy tricks such as holding the up or down arrow for minimum and maximum fan speed, and/or temperature. The gauge cluster is also very impressive and easily customizable. While I am not a fan of the Sport gauges, which is a little too busy and illegible, the Classic, Understated, and Exclusive modes provide beautiful picture perfect gauges with a middle piece that can be adjusted and customized. There is also a full screen Navigation setting which is also quite handy when needed. The Assistance gauge mode was also great and offered an overview of the safety and self-driving features when in use. This is easily the best gauge cluster in the business, it even completely embarrasses BMW’s horrid new gauge clusters.

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Speaking of Self-Driving tech, it works great here. The car will brake, accelerate, steer, change lanes, and pretty much do most if not all of the work for you. I had no issues with the car’s self-driving tech, even in fully stop and go traffic.

The new cameras are great, with an immersive 360 degree camera, as well as crystal clear views all around the car. The camera will also automatically adjust to better views (whether it be bird eye or from the ground) when approaching objects, as seen in the photo below.

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I was also able to test out the 3D Gauge cluster and Augmented Reality HUD in the other car on the lot. The 3D display is nice, but to me does not seem like a necessary option. For those that love HUD, this will be a gamechanger, as in conjunction with the safety tech and navigation system, the HUD gives you a considerable amount of information all in front of you, from directions to lane centering, and so on.

The Burmester 4D Surround Sound system is superb and truly makes music sound crisp and clear with excellent bass. The 4D aspect refers to the seat speakers which I turned off as I found them not useful and honestly a bit annoying and intrusive.

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One new feature is the addition of retractable door handles. I found no issue with these in my testing as they always presented themselves when walking towards the vehicle and retracted when locking. If already previously locked and needing to access the car again, a simple swipe across the door handle towards the rear will pop the handles back out. Swiping the opposite direction will once again lock the car or pressing the outlined ridge. The handles also felt very high quality when used, reminding me of older vehicles due to the pull and feel, and even feature beautiful chrome inserts with Mercedes-Benz written on them. To adjust the seats the controls have also been changed to buttons that require capacitive touch. I found them easy to adapt to and provided no issues in moving and/or setting the seats, and the seat ventilation/heating controls also were not difficult to use at all.

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Powertrain and Driving Dynamics

I was able to test out a 4Matic S580. The new S580 features the M176 4.0L V8 paired to the EQ Boost 48-Volt system. This engine is buttery smooth, and features plenty of power. The start stop system is intuitive and not intrusive like many other systems, making it easy to not even notice when its working. The engine itself is smooth as it pulls through the rev-range, and the 9-Speed transmission is seamless in passing through gears. I would be very curious to try out the M256 3.0L I6 paired to the EQ Boost system in this large and heavy of a vehicle.

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When driving the car, it easily feels like an S-Class in the best of ways. Smooth and effortless is how I’d describe it. The cabin is whisper quiet, so is even the engine unless you purposefully rev it out, and even then, it does interfere the isolation of the cabin. Also, surprisingly the car feels more confident when tossed around compared to the previous W222 – not that many owners will do so or notice that is.

The suspension is very compliant and comfortable, smoothing out any road imperfections and offering a calm and serene drive. I was able to hit some rough roads, and my tester (which wore 20’ wheels) was plenty fine. The steering has been improved with some added weight which I find pleasing and offers a more rigid and solid feel, rather than the lighter feeling of most EPS systems. Same has been applied to the throttle, which is a great length and offers more heft, reminding me of older Mercedes and luxury cars, being that its very smooth and easy to modulate without feeling delicate. The brakes are not as firm as they could be (I believe due to the 48-volt system), however are still plenty competent and easy to use and adjust to.

The majority of my drive was in comfort mode, as I presume most S-Class owners will operate their vehicles in this mode. I did try out Sport briefly which enhanced engine noise and added heft to the steering but found comfort mode to best suit the vehicle of course due to its intended purposes and design. My car was equipped with 4.5-Degree Rear Wheel Steering, and found it definitely helped reduce the turning radius, and even improved parallel parking situations in which I found the system working the most. Its not intrusive or unnatural unlike earlier versions in some other brands and is a welcome addition for a vehicle of this size. I am very curious to see how well the 10-Degree Rear Steer System would improve the turning circle and maneuverability of the car. I also love that the S-Class still wears a hood ornament, as seeing it at the end of the hood not only is helpful in maneuvering the car but is a reminder that you bought the best Benz for sale and have a truly special car, the only other cars to do this are more expensive and exclusive Bentley’s and Rolls Royce’s.



Conclusion

Overall, I have to say this new S-Class has thoroughly impressed me, I really love the car and find it excellent. Having tested the new BMW 7-Series and Audi A8, they have very little on this S-Class, which is easily the class-leader of the segment. Audi and BMW will need to play a hard game to significantly catch up to the S-Class, to which even the outgoing W222 they were still a bit behind despite being newer. The W223 is controversial, but from my experience, still rings true of what a Sonderklasse should be and has surpassed my expectations.



Thanks for reading!

Beautiful. Thanks for the in-depth review!

Great review. Thanks! Are you getting one or just reviewing it? This is the first stuff I read where the 4.5 degree rear steering assist is discussed. Usually just the 10 degree is talked about and the 4.5 is mentioned as available on the AMG line. It's good to see that they are finally released! I hope others also post their thoughts too.

Just a review, but always considering it on the backburner. I have ADHD for cars, so I never know what I truly want and always explore endless possibilities from small to big and luxury to sport, but I've always loved big boats, and the S-Class has always been the best big boat so I think I may get one when the market settles and chips return to normal.

I always liked luxury over sporty, "boat" works.

Great review! Thanks for taking the time for your nice write-up and pics. It helped clarify a few things for me that I assumed but wasn't able to see in close-up pics before. As I expected, the car will live up to be a significant improvement over the outgoing W222 and in time those controversial features will be the standard that others will be benchmarked against.
Since the majority of W222 owners in the US only have the basic Nappa interiors the W223 owners will have a much nicer looking interior when selecting the same trim level; seating and door designs that used to be reserved only to the exclusive nappa or designo models (even if the rest is MB-Tex).

I really enjoyed that, thanks for posting a real review.

M

I went with the 10 deg rear steering assist. I’ve never had such a feature in my others cars (S class, 7 series etc.), but my God does it make a difference!! Tight turns as much easier to say the least. I first noticed this going through a frequented drive-through. In my other cars I’d have to take a WIDE right turn to enter drive-through so as not to brush curb. But with this car (S500) its effortless.
As mentioned I have the 10 deg. I assume for the 4.5, if it’s a linear “calculation,” would be a bit less than half capability of the 10 deg.

I don't think the 10 degree option is available on the S500 in the United States. The 4.5 is available on the S500 AMG line, but the 10 degree is available on the Executive line of the S580 from what I read and from using the MB USA configurator,

Possibly. I’m not Stateside so was able to build car from ground up to include the 10 deg in addition to various features of AMG/EXEC/LUX lines.

I am very curious to try out the 10-degree steering, as making a car this big with the turning radius of a little A-Class is a huge innovation.

Thanks for this great report, @js_cls ! I'm curious to hear your opinion on how all of the black trim (particularly the center console) translates in-person. One of my biggest reservations about the W223 is the abundant use of "piano black" trim which I can only assume is plastic? While the stretch of wood across the dashboard does indeed look pretty depending on material selection, the lack of wood trim elsewhere in the cabin is disappointing in my opinion--I would hardly consider the additional trim on the front seatbacks "exclusive" in comparison to the extra wood added in the W222 exclusive trim package. I ended up giving up my '21 build slot until I have the chance to see and drive the car, and now it looks like I might be waiting quite a while for a '22 or '23 in light of the chip related deletion of certain standard features. The car is just too pricey to accept without 100% of the bells and whistles...

The center console will most likely be where the majority of piano black is and can be smudged if consistently touching it. I believe that for the MY22 MB introduced two new center console trims which change the look and reduce the piano black, although I have not seen it in person. I would definitely research/look into seeing if there is some sort of protectant that can be used, such as an XPEL interior protector, as a lot of Tesla owners have done that to protect the piano black.

I found the amount of trim on the dash to be quite nice actually, while the models I looked at only featured the Piano Lacquer Flowing Lines, I do really like the way it stretches from door to door across the dashboard.

Forgot to post these, some pics I got of the Cirrus Silver S500, not the best quality due to the lighting, but quite an elegant color and better than the typical Black S-Class that most dealers are getting. I cannot wait to see Rubellite Red and Emerald Green. I also want to see the Macchiato Beige and Carmine Red Interiors.

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Found a listing on autotrader for a rubellite red (real photos):
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing
In the event the link doesn't work, the vehicle is located at Mercedes Benz of West Covina (Envision Motors). Enjoy!

Beautiful! Rubellite AMG-Line with Macchiato would definitely be one of my top picks for the W223.

Too bad the Rubellite Red and Emerald Green look almost black at night (try before you buy :naughty: ). Would of been nice if they were a bit lighter in color. Got stung with my previous S400 ruby red looking practically black.
Personally, I went with the Mojave Silver this time.

I did! The wife loves Emerald Green, car gets so many compliments. We've had two Fern Green BMW's years ago which are pretty similar, dark at night (which I don't mind), but when the light hits it, just gorgeous. Such a beautiful and rare color to come by.
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They look gorgeous! But as we both mention, “dark at night.” Practically black; which I hated in our S400 ruby black. Never seen a night pic with one of these colors because they are too dark!! (Unless there is a bat man search light on them :naughty: )

Great Review!

Nice pics and review and thank you. This is subjective of course but damn that display in front of the driver!!

I'm surprised you found an unspoken for car that they would allow you to test drive - especially on the Baltimore Beltway! Which dealer was that, if I may ask. I used to live in Baltimore and bought my 2015 and 2018 cars there. I just recently moved with my 2018 S560 to Pensacola Florida and the dealer here is showing 5 cars in stock, so I may have a look.

I wonder if some of these "unspoken for" cars are ones that were ordered, but refused because of deleted features or options?

I believe the original owner had totaled his vehicle and couldn’t wait for the product launch. Car ended up selling the same day I test drove it.

The photo on the highway was actually taken by the salesman who picked it up from the port. The car I test drove was at MB Hunt Valley, although has been sold.

I saw a W223 cruising down the highway today... They look better in person than they do in pictures! Beautiful car.

They really do look quite beautiful and elegant. And with the AMG-Line the right amount of aggression. Much better than the chunky Audi or Beaver toothed Bimmer in my opinion.

Great write-up. Much better than many of the professional reviews. So even if I was in the market for this car I think the inelegance of dashboard would be a showstopper. How did you find it in real life?

I did not mind it. I find that the cabin really is just such a nice place to be and so ahead of everything in its class that the integration of the gauge cluster never even came to mind. Not to mention it works perfectly with my driving and steering position. I also find that the gauges are still one of the best digital clusters in the industry with great customizability and usability, it absolutely shames the 7-Series and its illegible gauge cluster. Of course every opinion will differ, but I suggest you try to find a W223 to sit in and test out, it really is a great interior in my opinion. Controversial indeed, but it feels very modern.

I’ve had mine since around mid-May and an incredible joy to drive (in addition to being a real “head-turner” if you’re into that and being one of the first in town). My view of the dashboard might be a bit biased since I’m a kind of a high-tech guy. IMHO it does not reduce the elegance of the car overall in any way and definitely not a show stopper whatsoever. It flows well with the overall interior design and ambiance.
If I had to complain (relative to screen) it would be 2 minor issues:
1) Screen a bit prone to finger prints but only noticeable (annoying?) in direct sunlight. I therefore have a small micro fiber mitt I keep in lower door compartment which I wipe the screen at end of day; no big issue (car comes with a small laughable size cloth)
2) The screen glitches every once in great while (maybe 3 times so far), in that it might not revert to Home Screen when finished with a sub-screen. It’s hard to describe: the main part of the central screen goes blank but lower part where A/C and other main fixed controls are remain on screen. I have to either press the home button on screen or steering wheel. See attached pic (photoshopped a bit for clarity). I’m almost certain with be resolved with future software updates which isn’t uncommon for such a software intense vehicle. This is ver 1.0 (or so) after all ! :naughty:
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Is there voice command and if so how does it respond? Is MB relying on customers using that feature more now?

There is voice command, via “Hey Mercedes,” I’m sure most of us have heard of. To get the full benefit need to have Mercedes Me set up. The voice recognition not as good as iPhone’s Siri via CarPlay (of course the features/commands are somewhat different between the two). And both not as good voice recognition as Alexa IMO.

My favorite voice command feature is controlling the roof shade. I don't like using the swipe gesture.

But, FYI, you can’t open the actual sunroof via VC; safety issue if I’m not mistaken.

To be clear I was referring to what JS CLS correctly called the gauge cluster. What I find in-elegant is the lack of binnacle surrounding it.

Great to hear you’re enjoying it. As expected with any new tech there’ll be glitches but its good to hear that they’re nothing to serious.

Just chiming in a bit late on the original post - fantastic review! Thanks for posting!

@js_cls Excellent review and photography. I would definitely want the multi-contour massage seats, but the interior is quite attractive. Thank you for sharing.

i dropped off my s560 for service today. dealer had the new s. looked at it. meh. underwhelming, tbh. looked narrower than my '20 s. seems like it lacks presence ... and if there is one thing an s should *always* have - it's presence. i'm just luke warm on it.

Did it have the bigger rims 20inch plus and or amg package? The size of the 2021 vs 2022 S class is bigger by 1.5 inch in length and 2 inches wider.

I don’t find the new model to have less “presence.” The dealer I went to had both AMG-Line and Luxury-Line W222’s which did not stand out any more so than the W223’s which I find to have a more aggressive look when equipped with AMG-Line. I have never really been a fan of the Luxury-Line on either 222 or 223.

Same for me. The W223 is a great looking car and the changes give it a more modern look. The issue with the new S-Class in the US is in the packaging of options. I prefer the AMG line but would want the freedom to add some of the rear seat goodies...
The change to package levels instead of options is a major initiative across all MB models worldwide; interesting that MB excluded the S-Class from this internationally but did it in the US. Interesting to see if this will be maintained moving forward.

Another non-S-Class limitation is the small selection of exterior/interior colors/material options. Ideally I would want the Designo Manufaktur program to be as accessible as BMW with its Individual program.

Agree, I definitely prefer the 222’s interior choices, although I imagine the reason for the smaller selection is because most buyers (dealers) likely optioned for black or beige, and most didn’t go for the higher grade leather that is packaged with the more interesting color choices, especially since a lot of the used models I see have the regular base leather with no quilting/cross-stitching.

so i've seen the interiour bits and am disappointed that the wood isn't more pervasive throughout the cabin. it appears it is limited to the big slab on the dashboard area in front of the front seat passenger and the trim on the back of the front seats. the rest of the cabin is finished in black piano wood (plastic?). looks disjointed and not at all luxurious. or harmonious. whatever your wood choice, it should have been carried throughout the cabin where all that black piano/plastic appliqués are shown. another swing and a miss. smh.

Not all the available trim options are “piano wood.” Or “plasticy”
Have you seen trim “Silver Aluminum Fanned Walnut Wood?” (code H38) Gorgeous!
Or even “Fineline Anthracite Natural Grain” code H02
And if you’re into carbon fiber “Stainless Steel-Metal Blended Black/Silver) code H75

i understand that. my point was that the wood choice is not carried throughout the cabin - like the door control panels and the centre console. that area is black wood/plastic irrespective of the chosen wood grain.

Great observations. I agree completely especially on the color selection and limited individual options.

I have to concur with those opinions that claim the car , both in and out, is much better looking and put together then we thought or what we judged based on photographs alone.
I admit I was one of the harshest critics of the interior and the Tesla screen in particular but now, after seeing the car in person and driving it a bit, I have to eat the crow.
Car is simply gorgeous inside, definitely not lower fit and finish then W222, screen is not as obnoxious as I thought it would be either.
I would still much prefer more analog dashboard, without that screen (love Mulsanne dash), but I understand the technology is going forward and if I still want to buy a new car once in a while, I have to accept that fact.
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Selenite Gray with AMG-Line looks fantastic, very elegant with some subtle aggression. Selenite is definitely one of the better and least boring grays in the market, although I am biased since my CLS is selenite :D

Observations after 1 week
 

A week today since I received my new S580 and enjoying learning how to “ master” all the new tech.
One disappointment, however.
On a trip from LA to San Diego yesterday in stop and go traffic, the Automatic feature of distance keeping from the car in front of me was very jerky and uneven, i.e. when stopped or slow it would speed up to that car and brake too quickly when it neared it. My Tesla as a comparison, was much smoother and seemed to “anticipate” the car movement in front much better. Besides being uncomfortable, I had a fear of getting rear ended by the car behind me because of the sudden stops. This must be a software problem that other S580s are probably experiencing.. I wonder the best way to let Mercedes become aware of this, besides contacting the dealer’s service department.
Otherwise, the car is a dream compared to my 2020 Tesla S

Have you tried adjusting the distance? I haven't experienced this problem yet and I've seen other reviews saying it worked well.

Hi, I’m surprised of the “jerky and uneven” issue. I’ve had mine for about two months and I think it might of happened to me once; I think the type/size of car in front has an effect. Maybe LiDAR issue with vehicle cross-section in front.
The only issue I’ve sometimes experienced is the car swaying within the lane markings with active lane keeping and distronic on. Sure, it stays within the lane markings but sways within; looks like I’m drunk :crazy:

Yes, same at all car distances. Maybe I’m just over aware because of the much better distance control that was in my Tesla

More Thoughts after a Weekend Drive in the S580
 

I thought I'd give this thread an update. My boss had picked up an S580 a little over a month ago (as seen in the picture thread) and I got a chance to experience it for a full weekend from Friday to today and got to even take it on a little road trip.

I still standby this review, the car was the perfect cruiser for this weekend and really was just relaxing. The drive is sublime and the 4.0L V8 with EQ Boost is exceptionally smooth and still unbeatable when it comes to auto stop start by any other car other than pure EV's. Not only was the engine beautifully smooth, but also extremely efficient. For my trip between Baltimore and Rehoboth I was able to average 27MPG with my lead foot which is pretty impressive for a car this big and heavy. I'm still very curious to try out an S500 with the excellent M256 engine although it would seem that 580's far outnumber the 500's. The ride on 20-inch wheels is never harsh, and the suspension is tuned very nicely to isolate the car from the road. Road noise is also non-existent.

During my time with the car I also got to test out some more features, some that were on the models I drove back in July, and some that weren't. To start off the list, rear-axle steering. My boss' car is a luxury line and has the 4.5 degree RAS, and while I've tested it before, this time I got to try out parallel parking, as well as just being able to notice it more during my time than before. I cannot stress how much this really is amazing for a car of this size and can't imagine how much better the 10-degree system is.

Next is massage seats, these are fairly similar to the last W222 S-Class with only a few additional functions. Of those functions is a new "Wave" massage which adds in additional vibrations in the seat cushion. To be honest, I didn't care for this much and preferred the traditional Back and Shoulder massages available. The soft front pillows are a nice touch, definitely worth ordering if you don't have the massage function.

Another cool set of features was the 3D Gauge Cluster and Augmented Reality Heads Up Display. For the 3D Gauge cluster, I found the technology cool, and it didn't really bother my eyes, however I didn't really care much for it and didn't find it to make a huge difference in my experience. The Augmented HUD on the other hand, is fantastic for anyone who uses adaptive cruise or the MB navigation often. This feature is 100% worth it, when navigating city areas or even roundabouts and just navigating new areas in general. The read out of the directions on the windshield is awesome with the animated guidelines. And when using adaptive cruise the system will display various lines and guidelines in regards to following distance, lane assist, etc. This is probably the feature that wowed me the most.

As for the interior, its still a joy. I find the seats of the W223 to be more plush and comfortable compared to the W222 and had no issues with them, easily spending many comfortable hours on the road. Playing a bit more with the new MBUX system I still find it relatively easy to use - as its mainly just an extension of the current MBUX from my wife's GLE - and had no issues with glare or the screen. For some functions I used touch, for others I used the steering wheel controls. I much prefer that the modes for the AC are no longer buried under many menus like they were in the previous COMMAND system, and wireless CarPlay is a huge benefit of the new system. I mainly kept the system in the Exclusive theme as I think the gloss white graphics look great, and also would use the Assistance screen on the gauge cluster when on the highway as I really like the new graphics. The only thing that I would like is a volume knob/scroll wheel and a proper seek forward/back button for music, but otherwise, I had no issues with the new MBUX system. Ambient Lighting is also still one of the highlights of this car, as it really is just an awesome experience at night, and even during the day the ambient lighting just cannot be compared to any other brand right now.

Overall, other than an expensive tank of gas and two little nit-picks, the S-Class was a great weekend companion and served well as a comfortable cruiser, and thought that was worthy of a nice little update to this review.