 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Click image to enlarge |
Another innovation bordering on ‘self-driving car’ territory is Distronic plus with Steer Assist, which improves on adaptive cruise control that matches the speed of the vehicle ahead with autonomous steering. Using information from the radar arrays and stereoscopic cameras mounted high in the windshield, it will keep the vehicle centred in lane at speeds up to 200 km/h if lane markings are sufficient and the road isn’t excessively curvy. At lower speeds, it will even use the vehicle ahead to determine path if lane markings are unclear, and under certain conditions slow hands-off driving is possible in stop-and-go traffic, enabling the holy grail of ‘safely’ texting and driving on your way to the office on Bay Street.
Kidding aside, the S-Class promises to be an eminently safe conveyance for you and your passengers, but driving it yourself is also fairly rewarding. Switching the adaptive air suspension and transmission over to Sport, we tackled some winding roads through Muskoka county with gusto, and the S 550 we drove rarely put a foot wrong, and when driving aggressively it maintains composure as is required in this esteemed flagship.
 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Click image to enlarge |
Steering is feather light when maneuvering for parking (and aided by the 360-degree camera system sampled in the GL 350 Bluetec recently), but sufficiently firm when taking a curve, and winding up the 4.6L twin-turbo V8 is effortless. With 449 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, the S 550 can waft along from rest to 100 km/h in less than five seconds, 4.8 to be exact, according to Mercedes-Benz testing. If that’s just too slow in your executive sedan, the S 63 AMG, now with 4Matic AWD, should cure that with a bi-turbo 5.5L V8 rated at 577 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque launching it to 100 in four seconds flat. Both are served by seven-speed automatic transmissions, though the S 63 AMG’s gears are governed by twin clutches, and is derestricted to a top speed of 300 km/h compared to the S 550’s 210. The engine and transmission work together in quiet harmony, but can take it up a notch when pushed.
 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Click image to enlarge |
Anyhow, it’s got plenty of juice either way, and in the S 550, it is subdued to a muted rumble. Never does noise intrude into the cabin that is unwanted, helped along by aeroacoustic engineering to ensure the shape is both slippery (0.27 Cd) and quiet and lighter, thinner, yet better sound-insulating glass. It makes for the perfect isolation chamber in which to enjoy the standard Burmester sound system. While I’ve experienced a Burmester sound system in a Porsche previously, it didn’t compare with this one. I’m not an audiophile, so you’ll have to take this with a grain of salt, but the sound system in the 2014 S-Class is the best sound reproduction I’ve ever heard, and is probably better than many live acoustic performances I’ve heard. It absolutely blew me away, whether listening to the sampler CD provided, or my own selections from Johnny Cash live tracks to Coldplay’s standards or the intermingling of classical orchestra arrangements with modern electronic effects in Modest Mouse’s Float On. However, the tweeters in the door, although they look fabulous with their perforated metal design and glow-ring LEDs, create an irritating reflection in the side mirrors on bright days.
