JD101b

A bit cheap, if I'm honest.

I sat in one today while getting my ML serviced. I've been thinking about getting one, though a growing family means I'll probably have to get a GLS.

Anyways, the interior is a big step back from the W222 in both style and materials quality. The air vents felt light, the armrest was a bit "hollow" feeling. The plastic veneer and the cupholder door felt flimsy and cheap. The hard plastic on the doorsills and running up the B-pillar is completely unacceptable. The heavy, solid metal controls for the HVAC and windows have been replaced by cheap feeling plastic. The door cards can be easily "pushed" into the door (they don't feel solid). Even the way the rear bench is situated in the car - it just looks cheap and half-baked. No attention paid to aesthetics or how it flows with the interior...looks like it was an afterthought.

Does anyone else feel this way?

ColeBlooded

I’m not going to put the W223 on a pedestal just because I own one. But I think the LS500 has the best interior quality in its class. The roof handles and the sides of the seats where the seat controls usually are are wrapped in stitched leather. The whole b-pillar is soft material, etc.

But I will say that the tech in the w223 is incredible and the mix of materials make it a more inviting place to be. Just my opinion.

OnlyGerman

Also sat in one and felt like a step down from the interior of the W222. Does not feel like an S.

js_cls

I prefer the new interior. After spending quite a bit of time (road trip) in the 223 it dates anything before that, whether it be a 222, 7er, or A8.

As for material quality, I think its improved in many places, especially the door panel and center console which are no longer using harder plastics and are nice and soft in leather quality, even the inside of the door bins are leather. I didn’t find the air vents or center console to feel cheap at all, and I’m not sure what you mean by the door cards can be punched in. I also think the leather used this generation is much better, less firm and more soft from the doors, to center armrest, and the seats, much more comfortable and plush.

SB_NYC

Yeah it feels that way because it is cheaper. Half-baked is right.

JD101b

glad I'm not the only one.

Streamliner

And Lexus will get a big shoehorn out to stuff their V8 in the tiny IS, but won’t put it in the LS, where it should have been from the LS500 launch. Sad.

SW20S

That particular V8 isn't a good fit for the LS. Its tuned to be high revving and raucous. What they needed was a new TTV8 that was appropriate for use in the LS.