Used Mercedes-Benz S-Class (2014-2020) Review

Regardless of whether you enjoy the Mercedes S-Class from the driver’s seat or the back seat, this is a luxury saloon that more than lives up to that title. Its draped in the finest materials, is built like a bank vault, and comes with plenty of tech to make life easier that is also simple to use.

This is underpinned by those most important of luxury car attributes: a supreme ride and top-class refinement. Using a computer-controlled suspension set-up means the S-Class glides along on a seemingly never-ending bed of smooth tarmac, even if the outside world is rutted and ragged. It also fends off all exterior noise from the cabin with diligent ease to make it a hushed, calming place to spend any journey.

There’s also a good spread of engines, from the blaringly fast AMG 63L to the popular diesel models. There’s also a petrol-electric hybrid that makes a whole lot of sense for anyone who travels in town most of the time thanks to its electric range of up to 27 miles.

All Mercedes S-Class models – with the exception of the AMG versions – come in the single Grand Edition trim, so picking the best version is more down to how you specify the car to your needs. Only the popular S350 d comes with the choice of standard or long wheelbase forms as all the others have the longer gap between front and rear wheels for greater rear seat space.

If you drive yourself most of the time, the normal S350 will meet all of your needs with aplomb. It’s quiet, powerful, smooth and efficient for a car of this size. For those who spend a lot of time driving in town, the 560 e petrol-electric hybrid makes a great deal of sense thanks to its 56g/km carbon dioxide emissions and ability to drive up to 27 miles on battery power alone. Only its list price at £20,000 more than the S350 d might put you off.

As for speccing the S-Class, those with a chauffeur to take care of driving may well prefer the Rear Lounge seats with electrically adjusted back rests. In the AMG models, this can be further upgraded to the Individual Rear Seats pack with aircraft-style separate chairs and fold-out tables.

The German triptych of luxury cars has the Mercedes S-Class faced by the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series. The BMW is the one for keen drivers thanks to handling that makes it feel smaller than it really is, while the Audi is every bit as able when it comes to wafting along is near silent comfort. 

There’s also the Jaguar XJ and Maserati Quattroporte for those who want something sporting as an alternative to the AMG S63. Or, you could spend a bit more and have a Bentley Flying Spur for greater exclusivity and bragging rights.

Mercedes has spent the past couple of decades living down a minor blip in its build quality standards. As a consequence, they have almost over-compensated ever since and the S-Class is a prime example of this as every surface, joint and detail has clearly been addressed with infinitesimal attention.

The result is a car that is put together with obsessive care and it shows in everything from the way the doors pull shut with a gentle but firm action to the touch of every button. As much as anything, all of this combines to give the S-Class its impressive sense of luxury and class, and it also demonstrates where your hefty outlay of cash has been spent.

There are other areas where the S-Class shows off its quality in discreet manners, such as just the right amount of yield in the leather seat cushions, the depth of sheen on the polished trim inserts and the shine from the exterior paint. There really isn’t a detail out of place in this luxury saloon.

Every Mercedes S-Class comes with the imposing 12.3-inch COMAND infotainment screen in the middle of the dash. It’s one of the most prominent systems in any luxury car and makes it very easy to read while driving. It’s also fairly easy to operate using the rotary controller down between the front seats. There are also touchpads on the steering wheel, but we find these spoil the interaction with the car as they are too sensitive and too easy to brush accidentally as you’re turning the wheel.

There is also the option to use Mercedes Linguatronic voice control, though this is not as intuitive or seamless as the Hey Mercedes system found in the A-Class hatch. However, the S-Class does come with an internet connection onboard and is easy to pair with your smartphone and its apps with Apple CarPlay. There’s also wireless charging for smart devices with this function.

The main dash binnacle is also a digital screen and can be configured in a variety of ways to suit the driver. All of the important information is clearly presented and there’s the option of a head-up display, which is standard on the AMG S63 Premium.

Slide into the back seat of the S-Class and you instantly feel like a million dollars. If it happens to be the long-wheelbase model, you’ll also enjoy the sort of the legroom even those with the longest inside leg measurement would regard as generous. Back here, the S-Class is every inch the luxury limo and it goes a long way, pun intended, to explain why this car has been at the top of its class for so many years.The sumptuous seats have padding where it counts and offer ideal support.

Life can get even more opulent with the host of optional extras Mercedes offers, including its Executive Rear Package that brings reclining rear seats, electrically operated blinds and individual air conditioning controls. You can also add the Individual Rear Seat Package that turns the S-Class into a four-seater and the rear compartment into something more akin to first-class luxury air travel.

Other options include rear privacy glass, panoramic glass roof, ambient lighting and upgraded stereo system, as well a wide variety of trim colours and finishes to make your S-Class your own.

When it comes to carrying luggage, the Mercedes S-Class has it covered with the same Jeeves-like efficiency and calm. The boot offers 530-litres of capacity, which is actually slightly less than an E-Class saloon but you’re not going to complain as it’s still plenty generous enough. However, if you opt for the 560 e hybrid model, you have to accept a smaller 395-litre boot volume as the battery pack and electric motor eat into the luggage space.

That does not impact on how easy it is to fit in large cases or bags to the boot of the S-Class thanks to its wide-opening lid. The rear light design slopes in slightly at the sides, but access is good and the boot itself is unimpeded by any interruptions on the floor or sides.

Mercedes’ S350 d remains the most popular S-Class model and it’s easy to see why when it comes with 286PS and muscly 600Nm of low- and mid-rev shove. You rarely have to extend this engine beyond the mid-way point of the rev counter to make rapid progress and, if you do, it’s only to get up to motorway speed swiftly.

The 400 d version of the S-Class’ 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine has even more power and punch, so it’s really a case of just more of the same as the S350m d.

The S450, S500 or the S560 e all share the same 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo petrol engine. The S500 has 435PS compared to the 367PS of the other two models’, but the hybrid 560 e also has a 122PS electric motor. Take the AMG S63 and you get a 612PS twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 shared with the AMG GT coupe.

All drive through a nine-speed automatic gearbox that whirrs seamlessly from one ratio to the next. In the AMG models, this transmission is uprated to a Speedshift version for quicker, sportier changes to suit the engine’s huge power output. When driven with a heavy right foot, the changes can be more abrupt than you might expect, but keep the S63 in Comfort mode and it settles back into being a luxury saloon with considerable grace.

In town, the 560 e version of the Mercedes S-Class enjoys an almost complete absence of any noise as it can travel for up to 27 miles on a single charge of its battery. This is more than enough range for most urban needs and makes it the ideal silent luxury express.

Take the popular S350 d and it’s also very subdued in the way it makes progress and keeps engine noise from entering the cabin. Even when worked hard, the six-cylinder motor in this model and the S400 d is whisper quiet. It’s the same for the petrol cars, unless you unleash the full potential of the S63’s wonderful twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 to reveal a glorious bark.

Other sources of noise, such as wind and road noise, are all filtered out of the S-Class’ cabin with Teutonic efficiency. This is one of the areas where the S-Class eases itself ahead of the likes of the Jaguar XJ and Range Rover as its interior is an oasis of soothing silence, which is a much underrated quality in luxury cars.

The Mercedes S-Class is packed with standard safety systems, starting with twin front, side and curtain airbags. There are three-point seat belts for every occupant, as well as Isofix child seat mounts for the two outer rear seats.

Every S-Class comes with ESP, tyre pressure monitor, traffic sign recognition, and automatic headlights and wipers. There’s also ESP Curve Dynamic Assist to help the car lean into bends to help with cornering.

Autonomous emergency braking helps avoid collisions, while Pre-Safe works to put the car’s occupants into the safest position in the event of an impact by moving the seat and tightening the seat belts in anticipation of the collision.

The AMG S63 model has the Driving Assistance Package included as standard and this can be added as an option to the others in the range for £1695. It comes with active cruise control to maintain a safe distance to the car in front even as speeds vary. There’s also Active Steering Assist to keep the car in the correct lane, while route-based speed adaptation will automatically slow the car as it approaches a corner or junction based on GPS sat-nav information.

The Mercedes S560 e comes with a 367PS 3.0-litre turbo petrol engine and a 122PS electric motor. This electrically powered motor can run for up to 27.3 miles on battery power alone depending on which wheels are fitted and weather and traffic conditions.

Recharging the battery using a normal public charging point will take around two hours and the plug-in socket is hidden behind a flap to the right of the back bumper. A fast charger can do the same in around half an hour and Mercedes will sell you a BPO Chargemaster Homecharge kit for £499 that includes a wallbox.

The S350 versions of the Mercedes S-Class are the cheapest to get insurance cover for, though this is all relative as they still sit in group 47 – just three groups down from highest. Add the Executive equipment pack to either S350 and they jump to group 49.

That’s the same group 49 as the S450, but specify the Executive pack and this model jumps into the highest group 50 banding alongside all the other S-Class variants.

The S560 e model of Mercedes S-Class takes on considerable appeal when it comes to calculating Vehicle Excise Duty. Thanks to it being classed as an Alternative Fuel Vehicle for tax purposes and producing just 56g/km of carbon dioxide emissions, its new buyer will pay only £15 for first-year road tax. Like every other S-Class, that will become £475 in the years that follow.

Next cheapest for road tax are the S450 and S500 petrol models that attract a payment of £870 in the first year. They have slightly higher emissions than the S350 d and 400 d models, but these cars have diesel engines that don’t meet the RDE2 standard, so their owners shell out £1305 in the first year.

For the AMG S63, you’ll fork out £2175 for the initial year’s road tax.

The Grand Edition is the standard trim for all bar the AMG models of the Mercedes S-Class. It may be the starting point for the range, but it’s far from basic as it includes 20-inch alloy wheels and some AMG body styling for the front, side and rear aprons. There are also soft-close doors, panoramic glass sunroof, all-round parking sensors and reversing camera, keyless entry, and Magic Vision Control adaptive windscreen wipers. This trim also has Multibeam LED headlights and Airmatic suspension with Magic Body Control.

On the inside, you get Nappa leather upholstery in a choice of colours, electrically adjusted steering column and front seats with position memory, massage function for the front chairs, ambient lighting, and Air-Balance to waft your chosen fragrance around the cabin. There’s climate control, wireless phone charging, heated and ventilated front seats, Burmester stereo system, and the 12.3-inch COMAND infotainment screen.

The optional Executive equipment line brings electric adjustment for the rear seat backs and back window blinds. Go for the Rear Luxury Lounge pack and you enjoy twin entertainment screens and wireless headphones, massaging seats and a wireless phone charging point.

The AMG S63 has its own wheel design and Active Parking Assist, while inside there are sports front seats. It also comes with the Driving Assistance Package as standard, which is an option for the other S-Class models. You can upgrade the S63 with the Premium model that gains Magic Sky Control to darken the glass roof’s tint at the touch of a button, red-painted brake calipers, rear blinds, improved stereo, and heated front armrests. It also has a heated steering wheel and head-up display for the driver.