[heavyD^2]

Originally Posted by jstein55

80+ official photos

https://www.motor1.com/news/439063/2...rior-revealed/

I've never considered the interiors of Tesla's to be a strong selling point. People that buy them simply want an EV or want the status of owning a Tesla. I'm not exactly sure why MB would emulate that style of spartan interior with an ipad screen. I'm a firm believer in keeping buttons for climate control, volume, next track at an absolute minimum.

[LOW4LYF]

Benchmark as usual!

Full of Tech and expensive, this is how a Flagship should be. Well done!

[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by LOW4LYF

Benchmark as usual!

Full of Tech and expensive, this is how a Flagship should be. Well done!

Agreed.

[stein_325i]

Some interesting info. https://www.motortrend.com/cars/merc...view-pictures/

-3 Regular Models: S500 (I6), S580 (V8) and S580e (I6 + Electric Motor) which should get 60 miles on electric (most likely WLTP).
-2 AMG Models: Likely S63 and S73 (800+ hp)
-Rear-Wheel Steering gives it tighter turning radius than an A-Class

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

Originally Posted by Tacoma

"Good" is a good descriptor, plain jane good. I wouldn't give it a second glance though. If the goal was to make a large car that's inconspicuous, then mission accomplished.

I like this post.

Perhaps they did/do see a niche for the S Class where they're designing for someone who isn't looking for flashy. I used to work at place in Manhattan where we sold ultra-high net worth individuals bespoke automobiles. Our clients were generally old money, finance types and they usually wanted to keep a low profile. The (US) S Class customer can likely afford something more flashy, but here's a quality discrete option.

[GenXer]

I would rather have this instead.

[See5]

Originally Posted by GenXer

I would rather have this instead.

As Frank Stephenson said, in the automotive world if you're moving backwards or staying the same, you're dead in the water.

[GenXer]

I grew up riding and driving a Mercedes and our family have gone through a lot of them.
As far as I can remember, we had 280C, 450SEL, 190E, 500SL, CLK430 cabriolet, C240, SLK280, C300, CLA250 and finally E400 cabriolet and GLC300

They used to feel like a vault and when you sit inside, it felt special. (with the exception of 190E of course. That was a piece of crap)

These days a Mercedes feel more delicate and fragile. Even the $80K E400 doesn't feel quite as special. It's still a fantastic vehicle mind you.

Granted, a Mercedes has gotten less expensive and you could see the cost cutting measures. You won't see titanium grille slats on a new one like you would a 500SL. Not that it does anything for the vehicle but WOW! How's that for attention to details.

Perhaps I was seeing older Mercedes with rose colored glass from my childhood. Which audience is Daimler targeting these S class and high end sedans? Millennials?

Do I have to sit on the front porch and yell "get off my lawn?"
Am I just getting too old for the new Mercedes?

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by GenXer

I grew up riding and driving a Mercedes and our family have gone through a lot of them.
As far as I can remember, we had 280C, 450SEL, 190E, 500SL, CLK430 cabriolet, C240, SLK280, C300, CLA250 and finally E400 cabriolet and GLC300

They used to feel like a vault and when you sit inside, it felt special. (with the exception of 190E of course. That was a piece of crap)

These days a Mercedes feel more delicate and fragile. Even the $80K E400 doesn't feel quite as special. It's still a fantastic vehicle mind you.

Granted, a Mercedes has gotten less expensive and you could see the cost cutting measures. You won't see titanium grille slats on a new one like you would a 500SL. Not that it does anything for the vehicle but WOW! How's that for attention to details.

Perhaps I was seeing older Mercedes with rose colored glass from my childhood. Which audience is Daimler targeting these S class and high end sedans? Millennials?

Do I have to sit on the front porch and yell "get off my lawn?"
Am I just getting too old for the new Mercedes?

The day's before Daimler-Chrysler are sadly gone. I just watched Doug's review of the last classic S-Class, the W140, and that car is an engineering marvel, but like you said, its also much more expensive. It was very expensive, especially compared to the then underdog LS, and was heavily criticized for over engineering and design, and eventually a lot of the over-engineered features would be dropped and prices decreased with a recession. Doug said "The engineers would build the best car possible and then Mercedes would later worry about costs and marketing," they even spent close to $1B alone of developing the W140. Today this just wouldn't be very cost effective, especially with Mercedes growing market and more sales going towards more "affordable" cars like the A, CLA and C-Class, not to mention owners now are keeping luxury cars for a shorter period of time or just leasing and dumping them after three years.

Today, everything is about cost, and sadly cars like the W123,124, or 140 will never happen again. The other thing is the older MB life cycles ran a lot longer than today's car. Now, the average life-cycle of a C or E-Class is 6-7 years. The W201, 123 and 124 each ran for close to 10-years or more of production, the 116 ran for over 10-years, and the R107 even ran for 18-years! The car was so old it could legally smoke cigarettes!

[RM7]

Originally Posted by GenXer

I would rather have this instead.

Schoolbus steering wheel w/no controls: Check!

Annodization/paint to wear off of switches: Check!

Goofy gear-shifter without leather: Check!

I'm not saying I want the highest tech that will fail in 5 years, I'm not sure cars are being made to last more than a few anymore, but I also wouldn't get into one of those archaic things without a few modern amenities.

[chassis]

Each new platform is an increase in fixed cost for the carmaker.

Mercedes historically has taken top price position in the non-exotic auto world, so the only place for them to grow outside of a small and under-attack luxury segment is downward, into premium and near-luxury models.

Examples: A, CLA, GLA and GLB. I sat in a GLB and an A recently. These things are cheap. They have MB styling cues. And they are cheap.

[See5]

Originally Posted by GenXer

I grew up riding and driving a Mercedes and our family have gone through a lot of them.
As far as I can remember, we had 280C, 450SEL, 190E, 500SL, CLK430 cabriolet, C240, SLK280, C300, CLA250 and finally E400 cabriolet and GLC300

They used to feel like a vault and when you sit inside, it felt special. (with the exception of 190E of course. That was a piece of crap)

These days a Mercedes feel more delicate and fragile. Even the $80K E400 doesn't feel quite as special. It's still a fantastic vehicle mind you.

Granted, a Mercedes has gotten less expensive and you could see the cost cutting measures. You won't see titanium grille slats on a new one like you would a 500SL. Not that it does anything for the vehicle but WOW! How's that for attention to details.

Perhaps I was seeing older Mercedes with rose colored glass from my childhood. Which audience is Daimler targeting these S class and high end sedans? Millennials?

Do I have to sit on the front porch and yell "get off my lawn?"
Am I just getting too old for the new Mercedes?

I think you are. I could understand if you were talking about the late 90's/early 2000's era were both Porsche and Mercedes tried to right size their cost structures with very mixed results but modern Mercedes in the C-Class and up range are built to a high standard especially the higher up S/SL/GT AMG/etc.

They aren't tank like my granddad's old W140 CL600 but they are still more solid and well made relative to the competition.

[The Choosey begger]

Not bad...not sure if it's the previous model.
Not my thing tho never been into land yatchs!

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by anglo

Not bad...not sure if it's the previous model.
Not my thing tho never been into land yatchs!

That's the current W222.

[TXSTYLE]

Gotta agree....

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/merc...120001207.html

[M4gtr]

Originally Posted by Emilime75

Really not feeling any of it, interior, or exterior.

Ditto

[stein_325i]

MSN posted early then deleted...

[Red Bread]

How have they not integrated that forward radar better yet? One of my neighbors had an S63 with the blacked out grill except for that area, just looked stupid, like an E93 M3 with the chrome upper window trim.

I mean, let's back up for a second, it doesn't have monstrous buck teeth, so there's that.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

How have they not integrated that forward radar better yet? One of my neighbors had an S63 with the blacked out grill except for that area, just looked stupid, like an E93 M3 with the chrome upper window trim.

I mean, let's back up for a second, it doesn't have monstrous buck teeth, so there's that.

I think they don't want the liscence plate in the grill so they can't put the radar in the lower air intake. For the first time you can option the star on the grill w/ no hood ornament so on those models the radar will likely be in the badge.

They should take the Audi method and put one in each side of the lower bumper where fog lights would normally go but that may cost too much :

[Red Bread]

Yeah, just always looks like they picked up a ziploc bag on the road.

[Burrcold]

Headlight and taillight design has taken a step back in my opinion. The exterior of the outgoing looked more opulent, and part of that was the nicely stacked exterior lights. This looks like a giant CLA.