Mercedes-Benz S-Class (06 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 07 February 2012
When it comes to luxury travel, few cars outside of the super rich Rolls Royce and Maybach arena, can match the Mercedes S-Class. The four-door saloon is the epitome of sophistication with unrivalled refinement, an interior that insulates you from the outside world and a beautifully styled cabin that blends classic and modern elements. All the engines offer strong performance but it's actually the diesel - the entry-level model - that's our pick of the range thanks to a great blend of refinement, economy and strong pulling power. Rear passengers get the best deal with acres of space and wonderfully cosseting seats while for even more room there's a long wheelbase version available.
5 out of 5

Other Mercedes-Benz reviews

2 out of 5

Running costs

If you're buying new then you'll have to contend with vast depreciation in the first few years of ownership. This isn't a problem if you intend to hold onto it for a long time though and the S-Class is certainly a car that will age well and can cope with large mileages. However, Mercedes-Benz dealer servicing is renowned for being very expensive and the S-Class is one of the priciest models to maintain. Elsewhere, fuel economy is acceptable on the 320 CDI but poor on the petrols and items such as tyres and brake pads are far from cheap.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,659 - £3,230 *

Diesel

£1,424 - £1,942 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

According to the onboard service computer.

Warranty

Three years/unlimited miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£170.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
    164
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
    355

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The S-Class is a polluting model with average emissions of 269g/km CO2 across the line-up. The greenest model is the S320 CDI which emits 220g/km of CO2 and averages a respectable 34mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2