2015 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class Coupe Review

For the 2015 S-Class Coupe though, Mercedes-Benz has a hidden mission. They may have not spread the word, but you are looking at THE flagship here, the one Mercedes-Benz to rule them all. The company has always placed the S-Class on the podium, but, on the other hand, they've also had a sweet spot for coupes.

While a few years ago you couldn't say "flagship" without including the SLS AMG in the discussion, now that the (let's admit it) less theatrical AMG GT has taken the SLS' place, there's no doubt about who's boss in Stuttgart.

But how on Earth do you come up with something to top what the S-Class sedan technology vault has to offer? Simple, really - you tip the balance towards the driver a little bit. Even in AMG guise, the S-Class sedan refuses to do anything else than perfectly isolate the humans inside it from the world they came from.

Not the same with the coupe though.

Surprised? You shouldn't be. After all, the dramatic exterior makeover brought by the coupe-ization process does announce the different intentions of the new model.

What did come as an unexpected conclusion though, was the opinion-splitting nature of the car's appearance. A part of our editors were subdued by the manner in which the lines of the S-Class Coupe flow towards the rear of the car. Perhaps it was the 1960s Mercedes-Benz styling aroma or the sheer visual presence of the car that captivated them.

On the other hand, the rest of the team felt that the S Coupe simply doesn't look as expensive as its price tag dictates. The strong family identity premium German carmakers adore so much is the issue here. Sure, the S-Class Coupe has its own identity, but, for this side of our editorial team, sweeping lines and a pair of Swarovski-adorned headlights didn't set this further apart from, say, a CLA as much as one would expect judging by the financial gap between them.

Given the battle between the two camps, I took the "survey" outside the office, only to find that people who actually had the money to buy one came up with opinions that were just as split.

As for myself, I'd simply like to put an end to all the discussions about the resemblance between the S-Class Coupe and the Renault Laguna Coupe. Yes, the side windows, along with the rear end of the Merc do remind me of the Laguna Coupe, but only if I bring the two together (which I did). Otherwise, you never end up admiring the gorgeous posterior of the S Coupe and thinking about another car.

Then again, Renault was in turn criticized for copying Aston Martin, so, if we are to be entirely correct, the "inspiration" job is a more complicated matter than it might seem. Come to think of it, Mercedes-Benz now owns 5 percent of Aston Martin, so we could say this is a closed circle.

As for the open part, the cabin provides plenty of that. Normally when you open the door to enter a car you don't have to be claustrophobic in order to notice the world shrinking around you, but the S-Class Coupe does away with that.

A coupe whose front seats offer the S-Class cabin experience is just as welcoming as it sounds. In fact, if you've been inside an S-Class sedan, you'll feel that you're attending an illusionist’s performance once you're in here.

That's because the dashboard of the Coupe places leather where the saloon holds its trim, basically switching positions for the two and reducing the surface of the ornaments. Curiously though, the wood on our Edition One test car was scratched all over the place.

The piano-like retro styling of the dashboard's mid-horizontal area is a nice way to remind you this is an overly stylish proposal.

Alas, the pair of massive displays has remained unchanged. While the instrument cluster and the infotainment screen allow the car to express itself in every imaginable way, the flatness of the dashboard instruments is just as bothering as before.

I was hoping Mercedes would move on to more lively 3D graphics like I've seen on cars launched after the S-Class was introduced back in 2013. They didn't and I couldn't help notice that while the central infotainment display was generous, its resolution appeared to be below what BMW has to offer. Make sure you opt for the head-up display though, it's brilliant.

I do have to give Mercedes-Benz credit for introducing a steering wheel that seems to be calling out for its driver. Gone is the odd badging from the base of the wheel, having been replaced with a flat design that lets you know things are more dynamic.

The same kind of subtle differences were made for the front seats, which now offer a bit of extra lateral support without any coziness drawback. Actually, I can't name any other car whose front seats have been more suitable for my mid-sized frame.

As faith would have it, at the time I drove the S-Class Coupe, I was experiencing some back pain that doctors subsequently informed me was generated by a nasty condition called spinal disc herniation. I don't want to get into the details, but I can tell you I found a reliable partner in this Mercedes-Benz. Even going through all the steps of a review, at the end of the three days we spent together, the S-Class Coupe hadn't hurt my back at all. And for that, I am thankful.

Not since the Ferrari FF review had I been offered such a possibility to add a decent rear seat experience to that up front.

Do not imagine the dimensions of the S-Class Coupe are an issue inside the city – by the way, the Coupe's wheelbase is 8.6 inches (21 cm) shorter than that of the Sedan. Still, the S500 4Matic Coupe never felt like an agile car inside the city. How could it when the suspension is on the soft side no matter what setting you choose and when the 7G-Tronic Plus automatic tranny has the traditional lag?

Don't worry though, this Merc has other ways of making you enjoy a trip around town. For one thing, it acts a bit like noise-canceling headphones during a flight. The S-Class Coupe is the quietest car in the world and you feel this. It's also a good thing to tell the owner of a sedan and to debunk the frameless-doors-mean-cabin-noise myths. Shh... don't tell anybody the side windows turn to the double-panel construction trick.

The S-Class Coupe once again becomes an illusionist when it comes to parking. At 40 feet (12.2 meters), the turning circle is nice, but you need to use the all-round camera system in order to be amazed by the ease with which this car can be parked.

Unexpectedly menacing. This is how I'd describe the sound that follows when your finger presses the metallic starter button of the S500 Coupe. There's no doubt that the massive hood conceals a V8. An instant later, the 4.7-liter rushes to silence itself. Unlike in the S500 sedan though, it doesn't remain that way.

Mercedes-Benz was kind enough to place a pair of pneumatically-actuated valves in the rear silencer. In English, this means that, when I put my foot down, the vee eight's voice gently penetrates the cabin, as if it were one of the fragrances of the Air-Balance cabin perfume atomization system.

While you can listen to that soundtrack in the "C" mode of the transmission and throttle mapping, the "S" mode opens up the valves earlier and sees the gearbox holding on to the gears for longer, thus bringing you the desired piston concert.

As I've come to expect from any "500" Merc, you can drive this car in "S" without any problem. Just don't say that "C" stands for "Comfort" because it doesn't. Apparently, they're using it for "Controlled Efficiency".

Speaking of which, I have to mention that our overall efficiency of 15.7 mpg (15 l/100 km), was far from the official figure of  23.8 mpg (10 l/100 km). Then again, it's all a matter of heavy shoes, since the car backed up its official figures inside the city. No, it didn't do 18 mpg (13.1 l/100 km) but at 16.8 mpg (14 l/100 km) it came close enough, considering the figure was the result of a mix between a relaxed driving style and rather heavy traffic.

You can even double the "Sport" during everyday driving, as you can also choose this setting for the air suspension without the car dropping its elegance.

If you're here it means you're old enough to read, so you know there is no such thing as Santa Claus - being able to use the "sport" suspension mode during your daily commute means you do get body roll. The S-Class coupe doesn't feel like a light car, or a heavy one, it feels just like the 4,600 lbs (2,090 kg) vehicle that it is.

In fact, there's a third "mode selector" and that's the throttle pedal. The S-Class Coupe can be two different cars, depending on how you drive it.

Up to 7.5 out of 10, this is a Grand Tourer blessed with assets that can make you fall in love with the genre.

A GT is supposed to be your personal assistant when it comes to covering great distances quickly but without breaking a sweat. And this is exactly what happens with the S-Class Coupe.

The melange between the serious feel of the car and its brilliant engine is the key here. Rarely have I had the chance to test an engine that's so well balanced and fit for its job. I don't know how 449 hp (455 PS) between 5,250-5,500 rpm and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) sound to you, but from inside the car, the twin-turbocharged 4,663cc V8 is brilliant.

You don't have to deal with turbo lag and while the resources are endless, they never disrupt the calm of the vehicle.

We haven't tested the AMG version, but after having also driven the S550 and the S63 AMG in Sedan guise, I can mention you don't necessarily need Affalterbach to play with your S Coupe. That remains purely optional.

Oh and I said the engine, not the entire powertrain, is brilliant, because of the outdated feel of the 7G-Tronic Plus gearbox. I know the seven stuff is old, but a ZF 6HP six-speed auto from the same era would easily leave Mercedes' slushbox behind.

Sure, ZF has moved on subsequently and so has Mercedes-Benz, but, at least for the moment, the 9G-Tronic gearbox is only offered on the rear-wheel drive S500 Coupe model. The RWD version is not only excluded from the US offer, but also undesirable due to the nature of the car. This is no SLS to throw around the bends, you want all-wheel drive to keep this behemoth on the road.

You'll also want matching stopping power, so opting for the "Performance Brakes" is not really optional.

Another tech feature that's only offered on the RWD model is the Magic Body Control suspension that “reads” the road head and preps the suspension. For the Coupe, the extra-zealous German engineers have added a curve tilting function that allows the car to lean into a bend - contrary to the natural tendency of leaning towards the exterior of the curve, this sees the vehicle tilting the other way, the kind of thing a skier would do. The automaker notes that this is designed to make the car feel more comfortable, not faster.

We didn't get to test this, so we can only tell you that, in theory, this means the force that acts upon your body during a bend would be split between the usual lateral component that sees you sliding out of your seat and a new vertical component that pushes you into the seat base.

The Sedan's Magic Body Control only makes a small difference and we're expecting this feature to do the same.

As for one feature that everybody misses out on, that's the spare wheel. Such a large GT missing a spare wheel means one thing: frustration. But while this can be overlooked, there are two other issues that can't.

When you push past the aforementioned driving intensity point, you feel that the S-Class Sedan's nausea issue has only partially been solved. No, the car didn't feel sick, I did.

I noticed that, regardless of the flavor, a day of driving an S-Class ironically puts a certain strain on me. It's all a bit like sea sickness, only manifested in a much lighter manner. Other editors in our office have reported similar effects.

Oh well, at least the steering follows what has become a tradition for Mercedes-Benz over the last few years, always responding well and offering decent feedback.

As you can imagine, the array of flagship Mercedes-Benz gadgets are here. Yes, this may look dynamic, but the car doesn't even need you to drive it. If you keep your hands on the wheel, this Merc will even steer itself. A taste of things to come, but not something you want in a coupe.

There are other gadgets to enjoy though and the Night View Assist Plus is one of them. This is the kind of system that you may not use all that often, but you'll tell yourself it was worth every penny on that dark night when it has all the chances of saving you from hitting a deer, for example.

The panoramic sunroof is now 150 percent larger compared to what the CL-Class had to offer. In the real world, this means the rear passengers will also get to enjoy it. You can also add the Magic Sky Control that makes the whole thing opaque at the touch of a button.

When it comes to the aural pleasures, there are two pieces of optional hardware to choose from, both coming from German specialist Burmester. I can confirm the first is simply not up to the job, feeling more suitable for a default audio system job. You'll have to go for the more expensive High-End 3D surround system to please the audiophile inside you.

Mercedes-Benz really needs to tidy up its Command menus. In its current version, the system is too complicated and since certain operations take too long, perhaps extra computing power is required. Since this is an S-Class, having the widest variety of menus in the Mercedes line-up means you have to deal with the aforementioned issues on a deeper level.

I really, really hate having to come to such a conclusion, but if you're in the market for such a Grand Tourer, at the moment all of your options are flawed.

Perhaps the best balanced proposition comes from BMW's 6-Series, but that car is simply not special enough for this battle.

The Bentley Continental GT V8 is the obvious choice here, but you have some things to consider before heading out to the nearest Flying B dealer. Yes, the Conti is at least as comfortable as the S Coupe and has an even more refined appearance. It manages to conceal its weight better, but it can't hide the fact that its aging platform seriously limits rear seat space. Moreover, while the Merc screams "technology" the Bentley begs for it.

There's also the Maserati Gran Turismo MC, but this can't hide its age through its assets as successfully as the Bentley.

In terms of pricing, while the S550 4Matic Coupe starts at $119,900, you can option it up to almost 150 grand, plus a $925 destination charge. In Europe, the S500 4Matic Coupe comes with a starting price of EUR 125,961 and can climb to about EUR185,000 - both prices offered are for the German market, including 19 percent VAT.

Mercedes-Benz has always been obsessed with overengineering and, with the S-Class Coupe, they've came up with an elegant manner of wrapping that. This may be the quietest car in the world, but you can mentally hear the buzz of its technology from the distance.

The cabin is exquisitely executed and makes this Mercedes-Benz one of the very few proposals in the segment whose rear seats can actually be used by adults.

The biggest issue with the S-Class Coupe though remains the fact that Mercedes has decided to put the flagship aura in front of the comfort. Don't get me wrong, this car is cozy, but at times its character sacrifices your comfort in the name of waving the technological banner.

I never expected to say this, but the S-Class turns out to be the hate-it-or-love-it kind of car. With the Coupe, Mercedes-Benz has achieved a double victory. Not only do the new elegant lines tip the balance towards loving the car, they also inspire more respect for those who choose to stick to the Sedan. Thus, the S-Class strengthens its blazon.