2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S500 5 litre V8 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

The best car I have ever owned

Faults:

A false low pressure tyre indication, dealer rectified immediately, no questions asked.

General Comments:

The car's fit and finish is simply superb, everything you touch feels like quality. The seats are amazing, especially when travelling long distances. I drove this car from Melbourne to Learmonth in Western Australia, a distance of 4600km. The car was a dream to drive; first class comfort the entire way.

The refinement and smooth ride is simply unmatched by any other car; you can drive it all day, and jump ride back in and drive another 1000km.

Beyond any doubt, the last word in luxury travel, from the engine, to the amenities, to the sound system; it does everything just right and is so easy to use; they don't get an better than an S-Class.

The instrumentation is excellent, and the car just exudes bank vault like stiffness. It's outstanding on every front.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th August, 2013

9th Feb 2015, 20:37

Pretty powerful claim for only two years of ownership. Those Mercedes-Benzes always start out great, but after several years and more miles, they start having problems which will be very expensive to fix. This is more apparent in the newer models, which do not have the fit and finish of their predecessors.

View 11 more comments

2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S350 CDI Bluetec 3.0 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Best car in the world

Faults:

The battery went January last year, after only 1 year of owning the car, and guess what, the new one that the dealer fitted for me (under warranty might I add) did the same thing in February of this year.

Again it was fixed under warranty. I asked the dealer why it was doing this every year. He told me that it was most likely the cold weather and the snow we were having. I told him that was rubbish, as I have a friend who has the same car, which is true, and that never happened to it. He just told me the same thing again, so I didn't bother arguing.

General Comments:

The car is great. I love it more than any car I have ever had.

I drive from Dublin to Waterford every day, which is a 1 hour 10 minute journey every morning and evening, and I must say I haven't felt the journey since I got this car; there is hardly any wind or road noise, even at motorway speeds.

The seats are more comfortable than the ones that are in my house (fact), and with two years of going up and down a motorway and going round cities constantly, the interior still looks like the day I got it. The leather on the seats has not even started to get wrinkles or shine from wear and tear; very durable.

I must say I loved my BMW, but it did not match the Mercedes. The Mercedes is so, so, so, so much more relaxing and more comfortable to drive. I know people will say the BMW has sharper steering and suspension, and I agree, but you don't buy these cars for agility; you buy them for pure comfort and nothing else.

I love this car so much that I am ordering the new model of it in the next couple of weeks, for hopefully a 141 reg in January...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th July, 2013

8th Oct 2013, 09:50

Dealers are idiotic. Same BS answers to customers, can't believe it's an industry standard to lie every time. A battery fails after one year because there is a short in the electrical systems, or because battery manufacturing had a fault. So much easier to answer than to give pathetic reasons as a battery would fail because of cold weather, when batteries last for 10 years or more in a harsh climate these days.

I suggest when another service representative gives such answers, to simply ask: Are you taking me for an idiot?

Don't be shy to ask, because he's not shy to give you lies.

7th Jun 2014, 23:34

Yes, these newer Mercedes-Benz models tend to have a lot more electrical and other issues than the older ones. They're still good, but not what they used to be for sure in terms of quality. I think the recent competition has made them nervous, so they're falling into the sell quantity over quality tactics that Cadillac did in the old days.

23rd Aug 2016, 15:07

You apparently have a current leak. That can easily be confirmed with a simple multimeter. That's assuming that the car is charging properly. Either way it would seem to be a factory defect. The fact that you are being put off by the dealer should tell you something about how they look upon you. I'd insist on repair or replacement of the vehicle. There is a regional service rep., too.