Mercedes W223 S-Class: Has the Flagship Lost Its Way?

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has long been the gold standard for luxury sedans, a vehicle synonymous with innovation, comfort, and prestige. For decades, each new generation has represented a step forward, pushing the boundaries of automotive excellence. As a content creator for xentryportal.store and an automotive repair specialist, I’ve had the opportunity to experience a wide range of vehicles, and the S-Class has always held a special place. Recently, our company, which operates a luxury limousine service, acquired a 2021 Mercedes W223 S580 to add to our fleet. Given our reliance on the S-Class for discerning clientele, including global executives and dignitaries in NYC, this purchase was a business necessity. Having owned and operated several generations of S-Classes, from the W140 to the W222, I approached the W223 with high expectations. However, my experience with this latest iteration has been, to put it mildly, disappointing. This review will delve into the specifics of why the mercedes w223 S-Class, in my professional opinion, falls short of its legendary predecessors.

My test vehicle is a 2021 S580 Luxury Line, finished in 040 Black with a Sienna Brown interior and Black Slate Poplar Wood trim. It’s equipped with the Warmth and Comfort Package, 20-inch Y-Spoke wheels fitted with Hankook Ventus tires (255s), multi-contour front seats, and active ambient lighting. Purchased from Mercedes-Benz Southampton in Long Island, NY, the dealership experience was commendable, offering a reasonable deal and straightforward service. However, the positive aspects largely end there.

Reflecting on my history with S-Classes, the leap from the W221 to the W222 was transformative. The W222 was a revelation – modern, elegant, and brimming with genuinely useful technology. The mercedes w223, unfortunately, does not evoke the same sense of advancement.

First Impressions: Style and Stance

Visually, the mercedes w223 presents a longer, more streamlined profile than the W222. The absence of flared fenders contributes to a stretched, almost Maybach-esque appearance. Regrettably, the aesthetic appeal diminishes rapidly beyond this initial impression. From most angles, the design feels uninspired. The rear bears an unsettling resemblance to a Honda sedan, while the front-end styling is simply unattractive. The abundance of chrome accents comes across as gaudy rather than luxurious. While I typically favor sport package or AMG Line variants, the premium for the AMG Line on the mercedes w223 seemed unjustified, especially considering it gives the car an inflated C-Class look. The re-use of the 2014-2017 W222 sports package 20-inch wheels on the AMG Line is perplexing and suggests a lack of fresh design innovation.

Ride Quality: Comfort Compromised?

Mercedes seemingly recognized criticisms regarding the ride harshness in previous S-Class models, likely exacerbated by run-flat tires. Their attempt to address this in the mercedes w223 appears to have overcorrected dramatically. The ride now resembles that of a boat, evoking memories of older, less refined luxury cars like the Lincoln Town Car Signature L. This excessive softness and pronounced body roll are also evident in recent BMW 7-Series models. While highway cruising is undeniably smooth, maneuvering the mercedes w223 feels like piloting a heavy, unwieldy object. Although acceleration remains effortlessly quick and refined, the agile responsiveness that characterized previous S-Classes is noticeably absent. Comfort is paramount in this segment, but the mercedes w223 seems to have sacrificed dynamic handling in pursuit of pure plushness, perhaps to its detriment.

The seats themselves offer adequate comfort, but the front headrests, lacking the optional pillows, are surprisingly firm and sparsely padded. The Sienna Brown leather, while acceptable in certain lighting, often displays an orange hue that detracts from the luxurious ambiance. As one online commentator aptly noted, it bears an unfortunate resemblance to a Spalding basketball.

Glimmers of Excellence: The “Good” Aspects

To maintain objectivity, it’s essential to acknowledge the positive attributes of the mercedes w223. Foremost among these is the exceptional cabin quietness. At any speed, the mercedes w223 delivers an almost eerie level of silence. The sound insulation is remarkably effective, although a faint wind noise near the A-pillar suggests a minor imperfection.

The build quality and fit-and-finish are generally commendable, with consistent panel gaps and well-aligned interior trim. The base sound system is surprisingly rich and powerful. The high beam assist function operates impressively, delivering a wide and effective beam pattern with a theatrical flair. Steering is light and responsive, facilitating effortless maneuverability in tight spaces. The new steering wheel design, incorporating both wood and leather, is aesthetically pleasing and reminiscent of the 2007-2013 Cadillac Escalade in its design. Finally, the trunk space appears to be slightly увеличен.

A Litany of Letdowns: The “Bad” and the “Ugly”

Unfortunately, the list of shortcomings in the mercedes w223 is extensive and concerning, particularly for a vehicle in this price bracket. The car is plagued by a series of electrical and software glitches that significantly detract from the ownership experience.

• Erratic Door Handles: The pop-out door handles are unreliable, frequently failing to deploy. On occasion, accessing the vehicle requires re-entering through an open window to trigger the door unlock and handle extension. The deployment mechanism itself feels loose and unrefined. Operating the handles also lacks consistency in the required pull pressure, sometimes being light and effortless, other times requiring a more forceful nudge.

• Malfunctioning Rear Side Blind: Lowering a rear side blind renders it inoperable for retraction unless the adjacent window is partially opened and closed – a bizarre and illogical quirk.

• Flickering Headlamp: The driver-side headlamp exhibits intermittent flickering, resembling a strobe light effect – a potential safety concern and certainly not befitting a luxury vehicle.

• Wiper and Washer System Failures: The windshield wipers occasionally halt mid-sweep. Activating the “Magic Vision” washer system results in continuous fluid dispensing while the wiper remains stuck at a 90-degree angle, obscuring vision and wasting washer fluid.

• Frozen or Black Center Screen: The primary center infotainment screen intermittently freezes or fails to power on altogether, disabling essential vehicle functions and information displays.

• Unresponsive Sunroof Control: The touch-sensitive sunroof control is overly sensitive and difficult to operate accurately, often leading to unintended sunroof opening when attempting to close the sunshade.

• Active Ambient Light Errors: Persistent “Active Ambient Light Inoperative Error” messages appear, despite the feature being equipped, indicating potential system malfunctions.

• Non-functional Rear Headrest Adjustment: The rear headrest raise and lower function, controlled via the center screen, is completely unresponsive.

• Sporadic Sensor and Distronic Errors: Random and relatively frequent error messages related to Distronic and various sensors appear, only to disappear after restarting the vehicle – suggesting underlying software instability.

• Unreliable Trunk Kick Sensor: The hands-free trunk opening function, activated by a foot gesture, is inconsistent and often fails to operate.

• Inconvenient Door Lock/Unlock Buttons: The door-mounted lock and unlock buttons are small and require precise actuation, making them fiddly to use.

• Awkward Seat Adjuster Controls: The seat adjustment controls are cumbersome and require excessive pressure to operate, lacking the tactile refinement expected in a luxury car.

• Omission of Power Headlamp Washers: The absence of power headlamp washers, a feature previously standard on S-Classes, represents an inexplicable cost-cutting measure.

• Lack of Rear Vanity Mirrors: The removal of rear vanity mirrors further diminishes the rear passenger experience and feels like an unnecessary deletion.

• Reduced Leather and Increased Carpeting: The cabin features less leather upholstery and more carpeting, particularly in the center tunnel area, cheapening the overall ambiance.

• Cheap Steering Stalk Plastics: The plastic used for the steering column stalks feels noticeably low-grade and out of place in an S-Class.

• Overly Sensitive Heated/Cooled Seat Buttons: The combined heated and cooled seat button design is prone to accidental activation of both functions simultaneously if not pressed with pinpoint accuracy.

• Dust and Fingerprint Magnet Center Screen: The center screen surface is highly susceptible to dust and fingerprint smudges, requiring frequent cleaning to maintain a presentable appearance.

• Non-Adjustable Front Headrests: The front headrests lack side adjustment functionality found in previous S-Classes, offering only a flat, unyielding surface.

• Sagging Seat Pillows: The headrest pillows, both front and rear, tend to sag and droop. With windows down, unoccupied seat pillows flap excessively in the wind due to a single, flimsy attachment strap.

• Missing Front Seat Bottom Compartments: The elimination of front seat bottom storage compartments, although reintroduced briefly in later W222 models, is another example of reduced practicality.

• Clicking Driver Seat Side Cover: The lower side cover of the driver’s seat emits a clicking sound upon entry and feels insecure, as if it’s on the verge of detaching.

• Unintuitive and Annoying Center Screen Interface: The center screen interface is far from user-friendly, with menus and settings buried in illogical locations. Simple tasks, like adjusting music settings, become unnecessarily complex.

• Distracting Touch-Based Controls: Operating basic functions, such as fan speed adjustment, necessitates taking one’s eyes off the road, compromising safety.

• Questionable Gesture Control: The presence of gesture control, a feature common in competitors like BMW, is unclear and undocumented in the mercedes w223.

• Uncomfortable Rear Seats: The rear seats are less comfortable than those in the previous generation, with an awkward seating position, particularly when reclined.

• Intrusive Traffic Light View Popup: The automatic traffic light camera view popup, appearing at every red light, is distracting and unnecessary. It obscures other screen functions and offers no practical benefit.

• Inconsistent Brake Pedal Feel: The brake pedal exhibits inconsistent feel due to a modulating function, requiring varying pressure for consistent braking performance.

• Aggressive Distronic Behavior: In stop-and-go traffic with Distronic engaged, the system reacts overly aggressively to lane changes by other vehicles, triggering abrupt and potentially dangerous braking.

• “Speed Severely Limited” Parking Maneuver Restriction: When parked curbside, the car inexplicably restricts speed to a crawl during maneuvering, displaying a “speed severely limited” warning that requires manual dismissal – hindering simple parking maneuvers.

• Unintuitive Steering Wheel Touch Controls: The steering wheel touch controls are difficult to operate accurately, especially for functions like track skipping or volume adjustment. Fingerprint smudges further impair their responsiveness.

• Small and Cluttered Driver Dash Readout: The driver’s digital instrument cluster features a small display area surrounded by a thick bezel, making information difficult to read. The removal of the traditional temperature gauge is also a step backward.

• Lack of Cohesion and Integration: The overall impression is one of disjointedness, lacking a sense of cohesive design and integrated functionality.

• Overly Theatrical Ambient Lighting: The ambient lighting system, while initially novel, quickly becomes garish and reminiscent of aftermarket limousine lighting rather than sophisticated luxury.

• Mismatched Dashboard Leather: Unless the expensive Exclusive Seating option is selected, the dashboard leather quality is inferior to the seat leather, creating a noticeable mismatch in texture and grain.

• Poor Option Packaging: The option packaging structure is illogical and restrictive. Rear climate controls, a standard feature in most luxury vehicles, are inexplicably unavailable without opting for higher trim levels, leaving a cheap-looking open storage compartment in their place.

• Tacky AMG Floor Mats: The “AMG” embossed floor mats in Sport Line models are considered by many to be gaudy and out of character for the S-Class.

Final Verdict: A Disappointing Descent?

While the mercedes w223 S-Class retains some inherent qualities of a luxury vehicle, it ultimately represents a significant step down from its predecessors and fails to justify its price point. While improvements exist in areas like cabin quietness and seat comfort, they are overshadowed by a multitude of critical flaws. Mercedes-Benz appears to have compromised on quality and refinement, seemingly banking on the S-Class name alone to drive sales. My extensive list of grievances reflects frustration with a brand and model I once deeply admired. The mercedes w223 raises serious questions about the future direction of the S-Class and whether this iconic model is losing its way. This iteration, in my considered opinion as an automotive professional and long-time S-Class enthusiast, is a misstep and a considerable disappointment.