Mercedes-Benz C350 vs Mercedes-Benz S350

What's the difference?

Baby steps these might be, but they're important ones for Benz. The new in-cabin tech and clever engine in the cheapest models only strengthen the C-Class proposition, without taking anything away from the drive experience, cabin ambiance and utterly sublime ride.

In short, Mercedes' reign at the top of the premium mid-size segment is unlikely to be toppled anytime soon.

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class remains a technological tour de force, a luxury sedan to be reckoned with - one that has safety, technology, comfort, finesse and performance all rolled into a stylish package. 

It's hard to see why you'd need anything more than the S 350 d, which is now much more attractively priced. It'd be my pick, but I'd have to get the Energizing Comfort Control package, and probably the AMG styling pack, too. And even then it would cost less than its predecessor.

Perhaps not quite blink and you’ll miss them, but we're not talking radical changes either, folks. Benz tells us as much as 50 per cent of the C-Class components are new or changed, but it has clearly subscribed to the 'if it ain’t broke' philosophy in the design department.

Yes, there are new bumpers front and rear, new LED light configurations and new colours and wheel designs, but we’re not talking huge changes outside. Still, the C-Class cuts a fine figure on the road, what with its intricate alloys, bonnet-defining grille and simple, understated body contours. Australia will take every available body style, too, including sedan, coupe, cabriolet and - our personal favourite - the 'estate' station wagon.

The C 43 AMG now gets the twin-blade grille design used on the V8-powered models, as well as a two pairs of rounded exhaust tips at the rear.

Inside, though, the changes are more substantial. For one, the new-generation Mercedes Touch Control steering wheel arrives as standard, as does a new and very effective 12.3-inch screen that replaces the traditional dials in the instrument cluster (standard on every model). 

The cabin remains a peaceful and premium-feeling space, with a fine use of materials (including quilted leather on the door panels, polished silver or faux-wood for the centre console and leather for the steering wheel), and Benz deserves credit for ensuring that sense of luxury extends to backseat riders. 

I swear it has been facelifted, and the changes are bigger than they might appear. There is no doubt that the S-Class shape is largely unchanged, but the German company has kept the modifications minimal in the scheme of things.

That doesn’t mean those changes are unnecessary, though. The new headlights, for example, are standard on every model, and are constructed with 84 LEDs (including three for the daytime running lights), and of course they’re adaptive with automated high-beam - meaning they’ll shield other road users from the glare of the lights at night. And the lights themselves will throw a main beam up to 650 metres, according to the company. 

Other things are slightly more cosmetic, like the revised three-bar grille treatment, new front and rear bumper designs that feature broader sculpted sections to widen the stance of the car, and there are new LED tail-lights as well.

The smallest set of wheels used to consist of 18-inch rims, but now the base car rolls on 19s, while the rest of the expansive range sits on 20s. 

The inside has seen some changes, too, but the appearance of things in the cabin isn’t the focal point - its the usability of the technology that's the big change. 

Oh, but I should tell you there are now 64 ambient lighting colours to choose from, which is up from seven, and now you can also set the lighting in three different zones - so theoretically you can have blue, orange and green areas of the cockpit, if you’re gross.

It all depends, really. All C-Class variants sit on the same 2840mm wheelbase, and stretch 1810mm in width. The sedan, coupe and cabriolet versions measure 4686mm in length, while the Estate’s bigger cargo area increases its size to 4702mm.

Predictably, then, the estate offers the most useable (VDA) boot space, with 490 litres with the rear seats in place, swelling to 1510 litres with the rear seats folded flat. The sedan version is next on the cargo-carrying list, with 455 litres, followed by the 380 litres of the coupe and 285 litres of the cabriolet.

We spent our entire time in the four-door sedan models, and we can report a spacious and comfortable space for driver and passenger (you could play ping pong on the wide centre console) with two cupholders and room in each of the front doors for bottles. There’s all the USB and power connections you might need (most housed in a deep storage bin that separates the front seats) and the more expensive models offer wireless charging for compatible phones, too.

Climb into the sedan’s back seat, and you’ll find impressive legroom (behind my own 176cm driving position), but headroom - especially in sunroof-equipped cars - feels a little tighter. The rear seat is actually wide enough to fit three adults at a pinch, but the tall and bulky tunnel absolutely obliterates leg room for the middle-seat rider.

There are two cupholders in the pulldown divider that separates the backseat, as well two ISOFIX attachment points. Rear occupants also get there own air vents, as well as a 12-volt power source.

If you’re buying a Mercedes-Benz S-Class there’s a good chance you’re more interested in the back seat than the front: you could be buying it for a business, or you could like to be driven around - and there are definitely worse places you could be.

We would suggest, though, that the best place you could be if that’s your caper is in the back of a long-wheelbase S-Class model, which has extra legroom. 

And if you happen to be in a LWB model with the 'Business Class Package', you’ll enjoy two individual rear seats rather than a three-seat bench, folding tables for your bento box or laptop, and an ‘executive seat’ on the passenger side that features a foot rest and allows you to slide the front seat forward to liberate more room. Deluxe. 

No matter if you are in one of the stretched models demarcated as such by the ‘L’ suffix or not, you will enjoy excellent seat comfort and good head- and shoulder-room. Legroom in the regular models isn’t as plentiful as you might expect: much more affordable cars like the Hyundai Sonata give the S-Class a run for its money in that regard.

There are good storage options for odds and ends, with the back seat featuring a fold-down armrest with pop-out cupholders and a storage box, as well as map pockets - and the boot space varies depending on the model, but the S 350 d has a 510-litre cargo capacity (VDA). All four doors have bottle holsters, and a bit of extra room besides. Of course there are rear-seat air-vents, and if you’re kids are lucky enough to ride around in a S-Class, the two ISOFIX/three top-tether points will be welcome.

Up front there are two cupholders between the seats, and a new wireless phone charger in the centre console (Qi compatible phones only). There are two USB ports as standard in most models, while models with the rear seat entertainment package fitted get rear USBs. 

The huge screen that runs across two-thirds of the dashboard has seen the noticeable join marker removed for this update, with the monitors being upgraded to a higher resolution and the graphics have been reworked, too. The codpiece-style controller of the Comand media interface remains, and while it still isn’t as simple as other controllers, it is reasonably easy to get used to. 

So … what about Beyonce? 

She comes in as part of the Energizing Comfort Control system, which is standard in some models and a $1400 option in those that don’t have it fitted. 

Essentially it allows you to choose between different set moods: 'Joy', 'Freshness', 'Vitality', 'Warmth', 'Comfort' and 'Training', the latter of which offers three different stretching/exercise programs that last for 10 minutes to stop fatigue. The instructions are given by voice over the sound system.

Each of the moods will adjust the temperature and ventilation (the Freshness setting offers ‘gusts’ of fresh air as if you’re at the beach!), ambient lighting, air fragrance and intensity, and the massage function for the seats. And the music bit - there are predefined songs the system can cue up to suit the mood, or it can identify songs on a hard-drive or USB that suit the programs by analysing the tempo of the tune. Amazing, right?

The new steering wheel looks a lot sportier than the one in the pre-update car, and it has finally done away with the awkward cruise control stalk in favour of steering wheel buttons for the adaptive cruise control system.

If you can call a car that starts near two-hundred grand good value, then you have much more money than I do. But there is no escaping it: the new S-Class 2018 range is better value than before.

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

Standard kit for that model includes 19-inch alloy wheels, leather trim, heated and cooled front seats, nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel, those great new headlights and the new ambient lighting system, a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, dark brown 'Eucalyptus' trim, auto-dimming rear-view and side mirrors, a wireless phone charging system, keyless entry and push-button start. The entire S-Class range now gets auto-closing doors and an electric boot lid, too.

The media system in the S 350 d includes sat nav with traffic monitoring, a 13-speaker Burmester sound system, digital TV, DAB+ digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the 'Comand Online' system with internet capability.

Next up the model range is the S 400d L (at $222,500), and the S 450 L ($227,500) - both of which are specified identically. Over the base model car they feature the extended wheelbase, as well as electronically adjustable rear seats with memory function, side window blinds, a rear blind, rear climate control, and 20-inch wheels. 

The S 560 sees the price head north to $270,000 (for the short-wheelbase model, which loses the abovementioned stuff in the L models), or $295,000 for the S 560 L. It adds the following nice features: nappa leather, brown burr walnut trim, a wood/leather steering wheel, 'Energizing Comfort Control', different (five-spoke design) 20-inch wheels, laminated glass and an anti-theft protection package. The S 560 L has luxury rear head restraints - they’re more like pillows, honestly - an individual rear-seat entertainment system and two wireless headsets.

The top of the regular S-Class model range is the Mercedes-AMG S 63 L, which is a princely $375,000. It builds on the kit offered in the models below, and pushes the sports luxury aspect further, with a full AMG body kit, 20-inch AMG wheels, AMG specific drive programs, AMG brakes, an uprated exhaust, sports steering and retuned suspension. Inside there are model-specific elements, special wood trim, front seats with active bolstering, and heated and ventilated rear seats.  

If you’re shopping at this end of the market, then you’ll likely also be tossing up between a BMW 7 Series, or maybe a Bentley Flying Spur. An all-new Lexus LS will arrive in April 2018, and the all-new Audi A8 isn’t far away, either.

It’s here where the C-Class is at its most updated, serving up a new turbocharged 1.5-litre hybrid engine in the entry-level C200. Alone, it’s good for 135kW/280Nm, but it’s combined with a clever 48-volt system that adds up to 11kW of bonus power low in the rev range, happily plugging the power void usually left by turbo lag when taking off, or if you plant your foot when overtaking.

The C300 is powered by a more conventional 2.0-litre, four-cylinder good for 190kW/370Nm, while the sole diesel (in the C220d) is a four-cylinder unit that produces 143kW/400Nm. All are paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The C 43 4Matic's engine remains a fabulous thing, only now tweaked for a little bit more power. It's good for 287kW/520Nm, and is paired with a nine-speed transmission that sends the power to all four wheels, albeit with a bias toward the rear tyres.

The big news for the majority of S-Class buyers is the new engine in the S 350d, which is a 2.9-litre in-line six-cylinder turbo-diesel with 210kW of power and 600Nm of torque. It has a nine-speed automatic and is rear-wheel drive (RWD).

That same diesel engine is wicked up in the S 400d L, with that model churning out 250kW and 700Nm, and remains rear-drive with a nine-speed auto.

The petrol model range is opened by the S 450 L with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder twin-turbo mill producing 270kW/520Nm. Again, nine-speed auto, RWD.

The S 560 and S 560L run the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol with 345kW of power and 700Nm of torque. Nine-speed auto, rear-drive - naturally!

The AMG-fettled S 63 has a thumping twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine with 450kW and 900Nm, with a nine-speed MCT multi-clutch auto and - you guessed it - RWD.

Let’s start with the C200, where the addition of the clever hybrid system has helped drop fuel use to a claimed 6.0-6.3 litres per hundred kilometres. The old car delivered 6.5 per hundred, but was slightly quicker from 0-100km/h (7.2sec- 7.7sec). 

The C300 will sip a claimed 6.5-6.9L/100km on the same cycle, while the diesel requires a miserly 4.7 litres. The C 43 is the thirstiest, of course, needing 9.1-9.3L/100km on the same cycle. 

The C200 makes do with a 41-litre tank (as does the diesel) while the C300 steps that up to a 66-litre tank. And all those numbers related to the sedan body shape, so expect some slight variations if you’re shopping for a coupe cabriolet or estate.

The diesel models are - unsurprisingly - the most frugal in the range, with the entry-level S 350 d using a claimed 5.4 litres per 100km across a range of disciplines.

The S 400 d L - which uses a higher-output version of the same diesel drivetrain as the model above - uses only a minuscule amount more: its claim is 5.5L/100km. 

The most frugal of the petrols is the S 450 L, with its six-pot petrol twin-turbo using a claimed 8.4L/100km.

Every model has stop-start - including the AMG - and the V8 petrols also feature cylinder deactivation when in 'Eco' mode.

That cylinder deactivation system helps the S 560 achieve an incredibly low claimed consumption of 8.5L/100km. So does the longer, slightly heavier S 560 L.

The higher-out Mercedes-AMG S 63 L uses 9.0L/100km, according to its claim. Amazing for the outputs of the engine.

Keen to sample the new hybrid tech in the C200, we made a beeline for the cheapest C-Class. And if you’d told me, even a handful of years ago, that a piddly 1.5-litre engine would be enough to drag the 1555kg Benz around, I’d have labelled you crazier than Donald Trump's Twitter account. 

The C200’s system is a unique hybrid set-up, in the sense that it only delivers extra power in the tiniest of circumstances, but they’re the areas that it really needs it. From a standstill, the electric motor delivers its extra 11kW of oomph at just the right moment need to help get you moving (the same when overtaking) and it does genuinely make a difference. 

It can’t completely overrule the concrete laws of physics, though. Plant your foot on anything that even looks like a hill and you can definitely hear that 1.5-litre engine working hard - interrupting the ambience of the cabin - but keep it in the sweet-spot of the rev range and it’s a quiet, capable-feeling engine that delivers more punch than its size might suggest.

On Germany’s epic autobahns, the needle even sailed past 215km/h without too much encouragement (even if I could have knitted a sweater in time it took to to close the last 10-or-so-kilometres). Is that relevant for Australia? Sadly not, but it does suggest the engine is more capable than we will ever need it to be.

Elsewhere, the not-too-different C-Class rides an absolute dream, smooth-sailing over bumps and road imperfections, and the cabin is serene and comfortable - though there was more wind noise at times than I was expecting.

Downsides? Well, the cheapest C-Class doesn’t feel the most dynamic offering, with the light steering serving up a slight disconnect between the steering wheel and the road below in its most comfortable settings. Switching to Sport improves matters, but if you’re life is mostly city and suburbs, it will matter little.

The nine-speed transmission can behave oddly at times, too; smooth and lightning fast as it climbs the gears, and mostly perfect on the way back down. But I noticed a definite thump occasionally as it shifted down from second to first gear, which stripped a little refinement from the drive experience.

It's more noticeable in the C 43 4Matic AMG, but it's vastly overshadowed by the thick and meaty power delivery from that stonking turbocharged engine. It's a rocket, and while it's not as fast or as loud as its C 63 big brother, I honestly think the tweaked C 43 is all the AMG I'd ever need.

Smooth. It wasn’t even because I’d chosen the Energizing Comfort Control mood to elicit that vibe. It’s smooth - and so it should be.

Whether it’s the near-silent new six-cylinder diesel, which hauls the near two-tonne sedan along with less fuss than a medical centre receptionist dealing with a room full of coughing patients. There is no fuss. You just hand over control to the engine, and trust it will get you where you need to be.

The V8 petrol in the S 560 also has a bit of a silent killer vibe to it. There’s perhaps not as much noise as a V8 fan might want, but the mumbo is there, and in both cars the gearshifts are sublimely timed and super smooth.

Admittedly, the stiff-sided run-flat tyres on both the 19- and 20-inch wheels can exhibit a slight terseness over sharp edges, but when it comes to rolling over pockmarked surfaces or rougher country backroads, the ride offered up by the air suspension with variable dampers is superb. Put it in Sport mode and it stiffens up to the degree you’d expect, but Comfort is no doubt the best place to be.

The steering is super light but accurate, meaning it’s easier than you’d think to pilot this behemoth of a sedan through corners. The grip on offer is excellent, too, even if traction can be an issue - I had a full couple of seconds of strobe light action from the traction control light when I buried the throttle in the S 560. 

I didn’t get a chance to drive the six-cylinder petrol S 450 L, or the S 400 d L. And, I’m really sad to report, there was no opportunity to drive the AMG S 63 L, either. 

But the overall feeling of the updated range is that it remains a deluxe and delightful limousine - whether you have the good fortune of being in the driver’s seat or not.

Easily one of the safest cars, if not the safest car, on the road today if technology is anything to go by. Well, we can’t go by a crash test score, because the S-Class hasn’t been crashed by EuroNCAP or ANCAP. So I can’t really give it a 10/10 for safety…

But when the standard safety kit list is as lengthy as the S-Class’s, it seems a safe bet. Items fitted include a 360-degree camera system, parking sensors front and rear, auto emergency braking, active blind-spot monitoring, active lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with active steering assist, drowsiness detection, crosswind assist, and pedestrian detection with evasive steering assist (which allows you to turn the wheel harder to avoid impact with a pedestrian).

Plus there are other items like the company’s Pre-Safe crash detection system which can flash the car’s hazard lights at other road users, and tighten the occupant’s seatbelt in anticipation of being hit. And if that happens, there are eight airbags (dual front, front side, rear side, curtain).

While specific maintenance pricing is yet to be confirmed, each of these models is covered by three-year warranty, with service intervals pegged at 25,000km or 12 months.

Mercedes-Benz offers a standard three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is due every 12 months or 25,000km on all engines except AMG drivetrains, which require servicing every year or 20,000km. 

Mercedes-Benz has a (pricey!) capped-price servicing plan. The standard diesel and petrol models in the S-Class range cost $596 for the first service, and $1192 for the second and third visits. The costs for the sole AMG model is $736 for the first service, then the second and third visits are $1472 per.