2011 Mercedes-Benz S600 Reviews

The mid-range model in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2018 range is the S 560, which is the only model in the range to be available in both short- and long-wheelbase variants.

The entry-point to the petrol-powered models in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2018 range is the S 450 L.

The highest-spec diesel model in the refined Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2018 range is the S 400 d L - and it also happens to be the most affordable long-wheelbase variant in the mix.

The starting point in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2018 range is entry-grade S 350 d, which is $195,900 plus on-road costs.

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class wants you to exercise, listen to Beyonce and get a massage. All at once. What's the deal?

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has done more than any other car to improve vehicle safety, and this mid-life update goes some way towards restoring it to its rightful place at the top of the tech tree.

Joshua Dowling drives the bombproof car used by world leaders at the G20 Summit in Brisbane in November.  Whatever you do -- no matter how angry you are or what cause you're protesting for or against -- do not stand in front of an armoured car. Apart from the fact that this big black beast weighs almost four-and-a-half tonnes -- twice as much as standard -- the windscreen is so thick it's like looking through a pair of milk bottles. Chances are the driver won't see you. From some angles, the view through the windscreen is so distorted it looks like you're driving through an impressionist painting. Welcome to the lush green hills on the outskirts of Stuttgart in Germany where we are one of just 15 international journalists to be let inside this secret world. Mercedes-Benz has never rolled up the shutters on its armoured car facility before, and may never again after all the questions they, politely, could not answer. "It's classified," was the routine answer. "We'd love to tell you but it's not allowed -- by every government in the world we deal with." And there are about 100 of them, from Israel to Pakistan, to China and Malta. And, as of the middle of November, Australia, where 16 cars are being rented out for the G20 Summit of world leaders in Brisbane. Contrary to perception, armoured cars are apparently not bought by Russian gangsters, the Italian mafia or Mexican drug lords. Most buyers are governments, and selected big businesses. We can't tell you how many armoured cars are made each year, because that's classified as well. But I was able to figure out it's approximately 500 cars per year. Using my investigative journalism skills I happened to notice the, er, massive numbers taped to the doors of each car on the production line. Oops. We also can't show you what it looks like inside the factory where each car is built from the inside out with armour plating, because our phones and cameras had to be surrendered during the tour. Every worker in the factory has a security background check, and they're not allowed to tell their mates what they do at work all day. That must make for pretty boring bar talk. German mate: "What did you do today, Gerhard?" German armoured car builder: "Oh nothing, swept the floor again." But back to the road ahead and the mayhem I could be leaving behind if I miscalculate a turn. As luck would have it, there are a lot of roadworks in Germany during the summer. At this rate, I'm not just going to take out the road dividers but I reckon we could tear a corner off a bulldozer with this thing. The windscreen is extra thick because it's designed to withstand bullets, bombs and a missile attack. Faced between a choice of using more concentration than usual, or ending up dead, I'll go with the former option. This windscreen weighs 130kg while a standard windscreen weighs about 12kg. Each door weighs almost 150kg. It's so heavy you have to lean back as if you're doing a yoga stretch to yank it open. No wonder they have beefcake security guards. They use most of those muscles just to open the damn doors. The underbelly of the car is completely flat with armour plating to cope with a bomb going off underneath it. Unfortunately, as the driver of the limousine for US President Barrack Obama found out in Ireland in 2011, they're quite low and can get their belly caught on steep driveways. If someone firebombs the car, the onboard extinguisher system activates automatically. But you can activate it manually in an emergency. It's one of the reasons we were warned not to touch any buttons in the car. So you can only imagine, then, how tempted we all were to find it. There is also an onboard oxygen system, which I thought would come in handy on a smoggy day. But it turns out that's in case there is a chemical weapon attack. "How long does the oxygen last?" we ask, naturally. "It's classified," again came the routine answer. "We'd love to tell you but it's not allowed. By every government in the world." Other cool gadgets: the reclining back seats have their own cooling and heating systems. There are two TV screens and a DVD player. There is a giant esky between the backseats. And lots of room for top secret stuff like radios and other communications equipment for the various dignitaries. In addition to the cameras with night vision technology, the bombproof Benz has microphones in the side mirrors to eavesdrop on what's being said outside, and a loudspeaker in the front fenders in case you want to, er, send a message to the outside world. There is also a panic alarm to end all panic alarms, as one unlucky armoured car handler found out the hard way. Unless you disable the panic alarm with a special code, it will last as long as the battery lasts. In this case, six days. The handler wanted to show off the panic alarm when he took the car home. The noise was so piercing he leapt out of the car, accidentally leaving the key inside. The car then locked itself, as it's supposed to, because it thought there was an attack. The handler couldn't break into the vehicle -- it's an armoured car, every gap is welded tight -- or get the bonnet open. So the alarm went for two days straight -- around the clock -- until Mercedes in Germany could airfreight the key to the handler who, apparently, has since moved house. He may have died of embarrassment but, as far as Mercedes can recall, no-one has died in one of its armoured cars. And it's been making them since 1920. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf came under attack in the early 2000s and wrote a letter to Mercedes thanking them for saving his life. In the 1990s, the president of Georgia and former Russian foreign minister, Eduard Shevardnadze, came under fire on three separate occasions. Each time he walked away unscathed. He also wrote a thank you letter. "There is of course a chance you can get injured, but the main function is to make sure there is enough protection so that you don't die," says the Mercedes armoured car minder, whose name is classified. With all of the above in mind I head out to the open road, hoping not to get mistaken for a dictator, world leader or oil baron. Mercedes has done its best to disguise the fact that this is an armoured car. The only giveaways are the ‘milk bottle' windows, the over-sized puncture-proof tyres, and the massive front brakes designed to stop 4.5 tonnes travelling at 100km/h in just 39 metres. To the untrained eye, it looks just like a regular Mercedes. If The Chaser boys ever get their hands on one, there could again be trouble. The massive V12 engine is more willing than I was expecting, performance is not as blunted as I thought it would be. And the exhaust is tuned to be eerily quiet, so as not to drown out the sound of any discussions about world peace. Or complaints about the wifi charges at the five-star hotel. In most situations the mega Mercedes feels pretty normal, it's just that the response of the throttle and the brakes are slightly delayed. Imagine an elephant trying to snatch a banana, versus a cat trying to swat a piece of string. That's the difference between this car's reflexes and a regular vehicle. The brakes also do a better job than what I was expecting. In fact, as I was stopped at the lights, I started to forget I was in an armoured car. My initial nerves had died down. So you can imagine I got the fright of my life when someone gave three loud thumps on the driver's window. I didn't see anyone approach because of the restricted peripheral vision. Had our road test convoy been mistaken for a genuine government one? Was I going to have to press the buttons I was told I couldn't press? Was I going to have to drive over the concrete divider, through a field and then through someone's backyard and then rejoin suburban streets with their washing stuck to my windscreen, just like in the movies? Before my brain could run wild with other ridiculous scenarios the voice said: "It's your turn to hand the car over to the next driver. Just pull over past the traffic lights," said the Mercedes armoured car minder whose name is classified. And with that my test drive of the million-dollar Mercedes was over.The million-dollar MercedesName: Mercedes-Benz S-GuardPrice: $1 millionEngine: 6.0-litre V12 (390kW/830Nm)Weight: 4.3 tonnesSafety: Nine airbags, anti-skid control, four cameras, on-board oxygen system, bullet proof glass and doors, bombproof floor, puncture-proof tyres, night vision system.Comfort: Reclining "business-class" style seats with heating, cooling and a mechanical massage function, an onboard TV and DVD system, four-zone air-conditioning (that will automatically cool one side of the car depending on the location of the sun, which is tracked by GPS).Speed: The Mercedes-Benz S600 V12 on which the S-Guard is based can reach the speed limit in a Porsche-quick 4.6 seconds. But the added weight of the extra armour blunts performance to a still respectable 6.2 seconds.

It's one of the most recognisable cars on the road -- an imposing presence usually found at airports and their environs and in upmarket suburbs around town.The S model name appeared first in 1972 in the W116 series which was the first car with ABS. This breaking technology trend has continued through each subsequent S-Class which has ushered in new technology like cruise control, crumple zones and air bags among a retinue of other now almost ubiquitous features. Now, there's a new S-Class which makes a quantum leap ahead in technology terms.DESIGN / STYLINGS-Class is a four or five seat sedan with stately proportions and is available here in three model variants, the V6 diesel 350Bluetec, the petrol V8 500 and the petrol V8 63AMG with long wheelbase versions available on all but the 63. It has a distinctive look this time around with touches of Maybach ultra-limo about its flanks. It retains a star motif on the bonnet (not the grille) like a gun sight and the roofline is in the curving coupe idiom.The rear end tapers in giving a smaller than expected appearance from behind while the beltline is high punctuated by dynamic style lines.  Complex, high-tech LED headlights give S-Class an earnest-looking front. Up to 95kg has been sliced from the S-Class hybrid alloy/steel body but it still comes in close to two tonnes in the lightest variant. Super low drag aerodynamics rate Cd 0.24 which contributes to the nearly silent interior.ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONAll three engines have a seven-speed auto transmission and all offer superlative performance with relatively low fuel consumption. The 350 has a 3.0-litre turbo diesel with 190kW/620Nm output and an incredible 6.0-litres/100km fuel economy.The 500 is a 4.7-litre biturbo petrol V8 with 335kW/700Nm and 9.2 litres/100km economy while the 63 runs a 5.5-litre biturbo petrol V8 (same as E63) with 430kW/900Nm and 10.2-litres/100km. The 63AMG differs with an AMG Speedshift seven-speed auto designed for high performance.Possibly one of the most interesting features is so called Magic Body Control that scans the road ahead with a camera and adjusts the suspension according to the road conditions -- in advance.SAFETYSafety equipment is vast and there's even a pedestrians warning through the night vision system that automatically flashes the headlights.ON THE ROADGet in and it's a whole new world with possibly the world's biggest in-car wide-screen, virtual instruments with night vision as standard and a new two spoke, multi-function wheel. There's an integrated dash with door trims forming one unbroken sweep from side to side, and a number of  different fascia media are used.The high quality interior is lounge-like, classy and ultra luxurious, especially in the rear seats. It's a cavern of high end components like Burmester audio, sumptuous leather upholstery, telematic control, on board WiFi hotspot for the internet, seven ambient lighting choices, luxury head restraints.Ouside there's a hands free boot opening/closing, panoramic glass sunroof, adaptive high beam, 360 degree camera view from four cameras, active park assist and a swag of safety and driver assist features. There's even climate control seats for added comfort. We were chauffeured in the back seats and also drove the new S-Class and as expected, you don't want to get out.From the rear seat it's sheer luxury with large reclining seats, individual screens, air conditioning and other entertainments. We drove the 350 diesel and can't see why you'd want anything else. It has excellent performance across the range and is smooth and silent. It's big though with a wide expanse of bonnet in front of you and you know it's a big, heavyweight that can still deliver a somewhat sporty feel.VERDICTS-Class is the recipient of all new Benz technology, cutting edge stuff that's designed to optimise safety, performance, luxury and economy. Costs plenty though starting at $215 grand for the short wheelbase 350 Bluetec.The complete Mercedes-Benz S-Class range is:S350 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-door sedan: from $215,000 (automatic)S350L 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-door sedan: from $222,500 (automatic)S500 4.7-litre twin-turbo petrol four-door sedan: from $285,000 (automatic)S500L 4.7-litre twin-turbo petrol four-door sedan: from $310,000 (automatic)S63 AMG 5.5-litre bi-turbo petrol four-door sedan: from $385,000 (automatic)Mercedes-Benz S-ClassPrice: from $215,000 (S350)Engines: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel  (190kW/620Nm), 4.7-litre V8 twin turbo petrol (335kW/700Nm)Transmission: Seven-speed automaticEconomy: 6.0L/100km (diesel), 9.2L/100km (petrol)Emissions: 159g/km (diesel), 215g/km (petrol)Safety: Nine airbags (two rear seatbelt airbags optional), radar crash avoidance, lane-keeping, blind zone alert, self parking, up to eight cameras, 12 parking sensorsWarranty: Three years/unlimitedServicing: 12 months/25,000kmSpare tyre: No. Runflats

The new Mercedes S-Class has some very big shoes to fill because the old one was just so good. It's also got to beat it's traditional rivals like the Audi A8 and Range Rover.

The world's best car is new again for the first time in a decade. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has just had a complete overhaul, from road to roof, incorporating breakthrough safety and comfort systems that will eventually be commonplace in lesser cars around the globe.At one end the new S-Class is easily capable of driving itself and at the other it provides five different cabin packages with sumptuous goose feather-filled rear headrests.The basic package for the car is still the same - it's a giant, cosseting lounge room on wheels - and it's not going to be any cheaper with starting prices on the far side of $200,000, but it shows what the world's oldest carmaker can do when it unleashes a super-skilled engineering group with a budget that probably tops $1.5 billion.The Benz flagship has been so comprehensively hyped and previewed that it's difficult to write something genuinely new, because we've seen the shape, been lectured on the technology, have trialed most of the safety systems, and are familiar with a range of short and long-wheelbase models that runs from the S 350 BlueTEC diesel up to the S 63 AMG V8 - with detours including an S 500 plug-in hybrid with claimed economy of just a tad over 3 litres/100km.So today, driving out of Toronto into the Canadian countryside, sampling the S 350 and S 500, it's all about the car and the star score for the latest S-Class. "We believe this new S-Class is the best car in the world. Promise delivered," the spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Australia, David McCarthy, tells Carsguide bluntly.There is no plan to change the starting price of $213,428 for the next S-Class. That's the showroom sticker for the current 3-litre BlueTEC diesel, and things ramp up sharply from there to just on $500,000.But there will be compensation when the first of the new cars arrive, in the final quarter of this year. "There will be more standard equipment," McCarthy says. He is not going into details but there is plenty to promise, especially on the safety front with so many active systems including a world-first stereo-camera system than can 'read' the road ahead and then set the suspension to defeat the sort of bumps and railway crossings that normally rattle cars and their occupsants.The range will start with both long and short-wheelbase cars, but the grand plan runs to petrol and diesel hybrids, a plug-in hybrid with fuel economy right down near 3 litres/100km, and then S-Class based coupes and even a six-door super-long Pullman limousine. The only definite non-starter for Australia is the twin-turbo V12-powered S65 from AMG.Where do I start and where do I finish? It would be easy to write a book on the S-Class, as Benz has done, and different people will score different things in different ways. The big emphasis is on safety technology, from that Magic Body Control system to active night vision that can pick people out of blackness - and then illuminate them with a spotlight strobe that knows not to disturb animals - and a range of anti-collision radars that cover the front, sides and even set the pre-safe safety systems for a rear impact. Back-seat passengers are also protected by inflatable airbag belts.There is also a pair of giant TFT display screens in the dashboard, all sorts of mood lighting, sound systems as good as anything you find in a home, and a lighting system - from the headlamps through the cabin to the brake lights - that is completely LED powered.The S-Class has the sort of chunky presence you expect of a high-end luxury car, but it's better resolved than the outgoing car. It's still chunky, and you won't mistake it for anything else, but it shows where Benz is going with its new family of cars and has a strong visual link down to the new A-Class.The nose is helped - ironically - by the latest pedestrian-protection rules, since the grille is now more prominent and more upright. It helps to cushion any impact but it also gives the car more impact.Inside, the design emphasis is on the sort of quality you expect - and deserve - when you pay S-Class money. The leather work is fantastic, the seat styles and shapes - from the basic bench through to the Business Class recliners - is sumptuous and everything you touch has a quality feel.The designers have also freed more space for every occupant, from front-seat head room through to back-seat knee room. And the boot is huge, unless you plan a hybrid with a big battery in the back.The new S-Class must be the world's safest car, and runs well ahead of any NCAP testing. There are airbags and ABS and ESP, of course, but it's all the active safety systems - including the amazing night vision - which make a critical difference. And which must, inevitably, migrate through the Benz family and then out to lesser brands. Mercedes-Benz wants us to call it Intelligent Drive and, for once, that's a fair concession.The new S-Class is very, very quiet. It's also cushy and comfortable. And the technology bends reality in a range of new directions. Both the S350 diesel and the V8-powered S500 get along nicely, with the bigger engine obviously giving a bigger whack away from the lights. And I know they are much more fuel efficient than ever before, rivalling cars at least two size classes smaller.A series of driving demonstrations shows how smart it is, from the anti-collision systems to the way it shines light after dark to the way it can crush a road with Active Body Control. It's absolutely brilliant to relax in the back like some sort of minor five-minute celebrity, too.And, when all the technology is working together, it's easy to see that the S-Class is very close to a car that can drive itself. It still needs line markings on either side, but it can already take the wheel for up to 10 seconds and hold its place in a lane, while keeping a radar-paced gap to the traffic and sitting ready for automatic braking in an emergency. For what it is, the S-Class is brilliant. But then there is the but.That's because it's still a giant dinosaur, even if its dimensions and derivation are cleverely disguised behind multiple layers of technology. It's an old-fashioned car that continues an old-fashioned idea of luxury motoring, and that means it cannot be best of the best.It is clearly better than anything from Audi, BMW or Jaguar, and a true rival for a Rolls-Royce at the top end of the luxury world, and it is going to be a success everywhere in the world. But, these days, we should expect more. Benz has played well, and played hard, but it has still played safe.