New Benz S-Class [Archive]

EJBasile

Jun 20, 2005, 10:34 PM

Heres some pics of the new S-Class coming out.

Pictures (http://www.autoweek.com/files/specials/galleries/newsclass/pages/08.htm)

Specs (http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102612)

I think its fair looking. I do not like the front and rear fenders and the tail lights. If you look at the photo gallery there are some pictures of a dark red S-Class- I do not think the wheels fit that car. For some reason I see a little Dodge Durango in it- perhaps the fenders and the low pointed front end. I'm not to impressed with the interrior. It looks a little dull and the Nav/HVAC/Radio LCDs position is a little different than normal.

Overall its not too bad but I think the BMW 7 Series is better looking inside and out. The Lexus LS I think is better looking because its more traditional but its interrior is not wonderful. The Jaguar XJ I think looks better. But then again car styles are changing.

iGary

Jun 20, 2005, 10:35 PM

The ass-end is ass ugly, otherwise, I like. :D

barneygumble

Jun 20, 2005, 11:18 PM

now to start saving, howmuchizzit

mad jew

Jun 20, 2005, 11:21 PM

Never have been a Merc fan. See photos for reasons. ;)

dmw007

Jun 20, 2005, 11:38 PM

God I love Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

My next car purchase mind you (not this exact model, but a mercedes none the less).

asif786

Jun 21, 2005, 12:09 AM

wow, that car is fugly. i used to be a mercedes fan (their sports cars aren't bad) but now i much prefer bmw.

gotta love the 7 series.. :)

takao

Jun 21, 2005, 05:13 AM

finally the S gets the rear corporate design as well ater the sports-cars the new R and i think the new E

fine balance between classic and new styling..but the back will take some time to get used to

i wonder when they finally bring the R on the streets ... the B just got released last week

iGav

Jun 21, 2005, 05:29 AM

gotta love the 7 series.. :)

I did as well until they recently ruined it. :(

ksz

Jun 21, 2005, 10:20 AM

wow, that car is fugly. i used to be a mercedes fan (their sports cars aren't bad) but now i much prefer bmw.

gotta love the 7 series.. :)
My thoughts exactly.

The new S-Class looks like a huge disappointment, not only from the outside but also from that terrible excuse for a modern interior. My God, what are they thinking?

I grew up dreaming to own a Mercedes, but now I equate it with a Chevrolet...except for the two hardtop convertibles: SL and SLK. I test drove an S500 recently and came away bitterly disappointed by the break feel, accelerator feel, steering feel, and overall handling characteristics. Maybe it was a lemon, but an $80,000 lemon?

I am one of those who loves the look of the BMW 5 and 7 series. Thank you Bangle and the new design chief, whateverHisNameIs. I don't care for the 6 series; body panel spacings are so far apart, it looks like the thing will fall apart at the seams. I have a Bangle 545i so I may be biased towards BMW, but I think it's only because I sincerely love them enough to put my money where my mouth is.

(Frankly, I don't like Active Steering in the E60. Steering feel of the E39 was perfection itself and needed no change.)

jimsowden

Jun 21, 2005, 11:17 AM

wow, that car is fugly. i used to be a mercedes fan (their sports cars aren't bad) but now i much prefer bmw.

gotta love the 7 series.. :)
I think bimmers are amazing, but would never spend money on a 7 series, or a 5 for that matter. Anything M, or just a 3. THat's the way i'd roll.

EJBasile

Jun 21, 2005, 09:01 PM

QCassidy352

Jun 21, 2005, 09:40 PM

I think bimmers are amazing, but would never spend money on a 7 series, or a 5 for that matter. Anything M, or just a 3. THat's the way i'd roll.

I'd agree with that. I definitely don't like the 7 series, the 5 series is OK, and the place BMW really shines is with the 3 series and the "M" line.

ksz

Jun 21, 2005, 10:02 PM

I think bimmers are amazing, but would never spend money on a 7 series, or a 5 for that matter. Anything M, or just a 3. THat's the way i'd roll.
Despite all the accolades won by the 3 series, there is a significant jump up in quality and performance to the 5 series that becomes self-evident after driving both models. The M series, of course, is purely exhilarating...much more fun than a Porsche (usually one either loves or hates Porsche - it's a polarizing design - and I don't love it).

mad jew

Jun 21, 2005, 10:23 PM

(usually one either loves or hates Porsche - it's a polarizing design - and I don't love it).

I swear it's just the two of us. Talk about overrated. :rolleyes:

MoparShaha

Jun 21, 2005, 10:26 PM

I think the interior of the new S looks awfully like the 7-series. The central dash, vents, and display hood look like they're straight from the BMW.

ksz

Jun 22, 2005, 01:22 AM

I think the interior of the new S looks awfully like the 7-series. The central dash, vents, and display hood look like they're straight from the BMW.
Noooooooooo, don't say that, please don't say that.

:: pulls knife out of his back, attempts to stop the bleeding ::

Mercedes has taken an artfully designed interior with modern styling and sophistication (i.e. BMW's) and rendered but a cheap immitation that lacks elegance. Notice the bulging steering wheel and notice the uneasy manner in which the Mercedes "iDrive" housing is located next to the instrument cluster. Then roll your eyes down to the single curved line of climate control buttons. And stare emptily into the single large speedometer with two crescent moons on either side. Just weird.

barneygumble

Jun 22, 2005, 02:03 AM

I swear it's just the two of us. Talk about overrated. :rolleyes:

:eek: :eek: A Porche, this is the car i would take above anything else, a GT2 nothing else would do, $400,000 australian i wish :D

anonymous161

Jun 22, 2005, 10:01 AM

I swear it's just the two of us. Talk about overrated. :rolleyes:

I have to say I love Porsches. I haven't always, but I do now. The 911 is a constant evolution and the shape and engineering are so unique (of course, why would anyone really want to copy a rear-engined turtle car, but I love it anyway.) Their race performance is obvious (look at LeMans or any other endurance racing, the 911 practically is the GT class) and nothing else drives like one. I like every year of the car (well, not the late 70's 2.7 liter cars whose engines tended to eat themselves).

But I digress, Mercedes Benz has always been conservative, but now they border on derivative. In some instances, Lexus come close to making better looking cars. Very sad.
The automotive press criticized the New Age BMWs and yet every luxury car I see coming down the pipes seems to pick up on BMW body lines. Check out the trunk line on this S class for instance, very reminiscent of the Bangle Butt 6/7 series.

I will praise Benz on their monster engines: 5.5-liter 500-hp twin-turbo V12 and a 6.3-liter 504-hp naturally aspirated V8! What is that, like 385 cubic inches? Wow. Not to mention the 6.0-liter turbo V12 that is supposed to come later. Oh my!

Frisco

Jun 22, 2005, 10:41 AM

I want the SLR McLaren (http://www.mbusa.com/brand/models/SLR.jsp)

ksz

Jun 22, 2005, 10:46 AM

Lexus has not designed a single body that I have liked. Their shapes are amorphous, shapeless, too many curves that don't hold together to deliver a cohesive design statement. Lexus has been taking cues from Mercedes (LS resembling the former S-Class) and BMW (the new GS resembling the 5-series in subtle ways) but they've been creating the same old visually boring styles. The automative press has often chastised the Japanese for not taking design risks, and we are seeing a steady outflow of same-old same-old shapeless designs.

Infiniti, however, has produced the brilliant G35 sedan and coupe with great handling, stylish exterior and a very elegantly appointed interior with an instrument cluster that exemplifies good design.

Audi is another admirable car company with wonderful designs -- including the new nose. Ever see an A8 in person, preferably in beige? WOW! And it moves with such grace...

Mercedes and Lexus? No, thanks.

garybUK

Jun 22, 2005, 10:58 AM

The new BMW 3 Series really is truly minging. It's horrible, they are just overprices cr*p, honestly a VW Bora or Vauxhall Astra look better.

I quite like this merc, it doesn't look too bad.

Now the AMG Merc .... ooooooohh :P looks a lot nicer than a drug dealing m3 any day :P

Jags are nice but they are for fat bank managers

Audi S3 / S4 is where it's at.

ksz

Jun 22, 2005, 06:17 PM

Automobile Magazine has posted 4 pages of images of the new S Class on their website (http://automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0507_mercedes_benz_s_class/index.html).

The look may grow on me if I see one in person (the recently introduced CLS looks decent in person), but the interior will not -- it is beyond hope (same with the CLS interior).

The new 3 Series styling doesn't tickle me either. Whatever happened to those beautiful artist renditions that were appearing on several automag websites? There was not a line nor a curve out of place in those renderings.

Plymouthbreezer

Jun 22, 2005, 08:50 PM

I don't think the new S-Class will sell well, at least for a while. I still think it looks like a durango!

I must say chryslers cars are getting more and more ugly. Lets see...

New S-Class- not wonderful
New M-Class- Ok but not great
New Jeep Grande Cherokee- Range Rover-Liberty Hibrid
Dodge Durango- Fugly Miniature Frieghtliner Truck SUV
Dodge Magnum- Dodge Durango Put in Car Crusher
Chrysler 300- Fake, cheap, and horrible looking rolls royce phantom
Mercedes R-Class- Station Wagon?
New Mercedes SLK- I liked the old ones more without the pointy grill thing
Soon to Come Jeep Commander- another box on wheels

I think the 7-Series is much better looking. I'm starting to not like mercedes now. I love my E320 CDi but I hope they don't redesign it into something that looks a chrysler 300.
Styling is subjective buddy... Don't down Chrysler just yet, they are one company that's actually been doing well. GM and Ford are doing terrible (both styling wise and design wise)!

I find it amazingly funny you say the 300 is "fake, cheap" because it's definitely not. Have you actually driven one of the new LX cars, let alone sat in one? I'm sure all the awards they have won mean absolutely nothing.

Okay, yes, the Durango does look like it has down syndrome, and some of the new Mercedes are gross (like this new S-Class, which looks like a Honda Accord by the headlights). Othewise, they are as decent as any other offering from BMW, Lexus, or other high end marque.

Sweetfeld28

Jun 22, 2005, 10:48 PM

i'm not much of a benz fan, but i parked next to one of these babies at school today. man did it nool nice in silver.

Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 (http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/m_cls.asp)

calyxman

Jun 23, 2005, 08:21 AM

Not a fan of German luxury cars. I like Japanese. :cool:

iGav

Jun 23, 2005, 12:56 PM

Not a fan of German luxury cars. I like Japanese. :cool:

Do you mean faux German luxury cars like Lexus? :p

calyxman

Jun 23, 2005, 01:44 PM

Acura/Lexus/Infiniti. I like Acura more as I'm more familiar with working on Hondas and they're a little easier to mantain.

takao

Jun 23, 2005, 02:48 PM

Acura/Lexus/Infiniti. I like Acura more as I'm more familiar with working on Hondas and they're a little easier to mantain.

i wonder if Acura or Infiniti every make it to the european markets after seeing Toyota "pulling a Lexus"
last time i checked even jaguar was outselling them ... :rolleyes:

chatin

Jun 23, 2005, 03:14 PM

I've had 2 S-Class DB's and won't buy another. DB has a policy that they don't change the instrument layout so drivers will feel at home in any DB. Gets boring after a while.

The style, I like alot. It is a copy of the Maybach, however! ;)

Maybach (http://www.discountpartcenter.com/photos/05-13-04-01-Brabus-Maybach.jpg)

calyxman

Jun 23, 2005, 03:29 PM

i wonder if Acura or Infiniti every make it to the european markets after seeing Toyota "pulling a Lexus"
last time i checked even jaguar was outselling them ... :rolleyes:

Well duh, we're talking the European market where European cars are domestic while Japanese cars would be imports. Totally different story in the US when comparing the two makes as they're both imports.

andiwm2003

Jun 23, 2005, 03:50 PM

i didn't see where to put my ipod.
in a car like this there should be an easy way to plug your ipod into the dashboard.

as long as they have no good ipod solution i won't buy one.

(well, as long as i don't win the lottery i can't buy one anyway..... :rolleyes: )

andi