Now that everyone has digested the new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it’s time to be blunt. There's almost no reason to drive this car. Like all high-class land yachts, the new S-Class is way better from the back seat.
Mercedes-Benz is looking to solidify its market share in this expanding Asian powerhouse, and along with Maybach's departure, the back seat had to be a serious focus this time around. Has that paradigm shift taken away the enjoyment of driving these cars that we were once accustomed to? Nah. They were never that exciting to drive in the first place.
The S-Class has 449 horsepower on tap, and it sports unique features such as camera-controlled adaptive suspension, but it's not exactly engaging. But then, neither are any of its competitors. The Lexus LS, Audi A8 and BMW 7-Series aren’t exactly the cars you choose for a driving experience, either. Like all big luxury sedans, they feature more and more systems that take the experience out of drivers’ hands and turn it over to computer systems. The only one that might be able to coax me, personally, from the back seat to behind the wheel every now and again (but hardly always) is the Audi S8. And that’s just for the ridiculous power delivery.
Reading through the spec sheet of your new big luxury car is a lot like going through the apps you downloaded for your smartphone. With all systems go, the S-Class can practically drive itself. In fact, Mercedes-Benz tells me that it literally can – it just doesn’t happen to because of regulations. We scream about autonomous cars on the horizon, but they are already here.
But that’s why you buy a big luxury car in the first place, right? You want all of the latest gadgetry and gizmology. Except today, much of that new technology isn’t exclusive to luxury cars anymore. Look at the features of a 2014 Mazda 6. Radar-based cruise control? Yeah, Mazda can check that box. Rear cross-traffic warning system? Mazda boasts that capability as well. Adaptive headlamps? Also available. Now, I know there is a gap in refinement between the Mercedes-Benz systems and those from Mazda, but the broader point holds: The availability of these features on lower-end cars detracts from the luster of a big, expensive car.
And we haven’t even begun to discuss the sheer enormity of full-size luxury cars. Yes, new vehicles are getting bigger and more bloated with each generation, despite the fact that hardly anyone needs a full-size car just to seat four or (maybe) five people. The average luxo-cruiser size (and practicality) is fast approaching Rolls-Royce and Bentley territory. And that’s silly, because these days you can get all your kids into a 3-Series just as easily as you can into a 7-Series, and you’ll have exactly the same advanced technologies at your disposal. Heck, the current 3-Series is barely a foot shorter than the 2000 740i. If you need to bring the dog along, just get an Audi A4 Avant.
It now begs the question: What’s the point of having a huge luxo-cruiser if you actually plan to drive it yourself? Yes, there are those who just want to flaunt their cash and could care less about the engagement. But those who appreciate the driving experience may do better playing Gran Turismo from the back seat. For me, I’d honestly be hard-pressed to choose a $200k-plus Bentley Flying Spur over a sub-$30k 2014 Volkswagen GTI. The gizmos I care about most are roughly the same, and most of all, I just love to drive.
James Tate cut his teeth in the business as a race-team crew member before moving to the editorial side as senior editor of Sport Compact Car, and his work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Automobile, Motor Trend and European Car. When not writing, Tate is usually fantasizing about a vintage Porsche 911.
Have a story idea? Tip us off at exhaustnotes@live.com.
Source: MSN
No comments:
Post a Comment