2015 Mercedes Benz S-Class interior

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is luxurious, powerful and loaded with technology, reviewers say, making it one of the most impressive high-end vehicles on the market.

Performance Summary

Test drivers agree that the base 2015 S550’s twin-turbocharged V8 engine delivers potent acceleration in the city and on the highway. The S550 comes standard with rear-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is optional. The S550 gets an EPA-estimated 17/26 mpg city/highway, which is in line for the class.

The S-Class is also available with a hybrid powertrain and a V12 engine, in additional to the high-performance S63 AMG and S65 AMG trims.Though critics say the S-Class is a large, comfort-oriented sedan with light steering, they think it feels fairly agile while cornering. Test drivers report that AMG models are noticeably more nimble, and models equipped with the Magic Body Control system allow you to glide over bumpy roads in absolute comfort.

Interior Summary

The 2015 Mercedes S-Class’s cabin is extraordinarily luxurious, auto writers report, thanks to its top-notch materials, gorgeous styling and superb sound insulation. The S-Class has large, comfortable front seats, critics say, and first-class rear seats that are spacious and feature high-end options, such as pop-out tray tables and six massage settings. According to auto writers, the rear seats in the coupe are comfortable for tall adults, which is unusual in a two-door car. Reviewers like the easy-to-use COMAND system and comment that the active safety systems are so advanced the S-Class can feel like a self-driving car at times.

Standard features include leather upholstery, heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, a rearview camera, forward collision warning, driver drowsiness monitoring and Mercedes' COMAND infotainment system, which includes two 12.3-inch displays, a 13-speaker Burmester surround-sound audio system, navigation, a built-in Wi-Fi hot spot, Bluetooth, dual USB ports and satellite radio. Available features include a dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system, adaptive cruise control, active lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, night vision, pedestrian detection, front and rear parking sensors, a surround-view camera system and a head-up display.

• "Few cars signal success more than the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. For decades it has been the CEO's luxury liner of choice thanks to its power, grace and technological sophistication that keep rivals like the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and Lexus LS playing constant catch-up." - Kelley Blue Book
• "The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a step above other elite full-size luxury sedans in refinement, technology and luxury, while the coupe version is every bit its two-door equal. It is truly one of the world's finest automobiles." - Edmunds
• "Mercedes would have you call the 2014 S-class, the sixth generation of the nameplate known internally as the W222, 'the best car in the world, ' and while there's no calculus to determine what, exactly, defines 'best, ' the car does make a few pretty compelling arguments in its favor." - AutoWeek (2014)

Other Cars to Consider

The Audi A8 has a beautiful interior, critics say, and they are impressed with its ample legroom and agile handling. When equipped with the available diesel engine, the A8 gets superb fuel economy for a super luxury car and costs thousands less than the S-Class.

A base Lexus LS costs quite a bit less than a base S-Class, and test drivers comment that it has a remarkably smooth ride. Reviewers note that the LS' quiet, luxurious interior has top-notch materials, exceptional build quality and generous rear-seat legroom.

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan seats up to five, and the new-for-2015 S-Class coupe seats four. Engine size is largely denoted by trim level, and ranges from a twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V8 in the base S550 to a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 in the S65 AMG. The S-Class comes standard with a seven-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive (4Matic) is optional. Aside from some new trim levels and the introduction of the coupe body style, the S-Class' last full redesign was in 2014. As a result, this overview uses applicable research and reviews from the 2014 and 2015 model years.