Mercedes-Benz S400 vs Aston Martin Vanquish

What's the difference?

Imagine a car that can pretty much drive itself, if you let it. And it’ll do that while you get a massage, pump some Beyonce, and enjoy the fragrance of a field full of flowers… And then, it can teach you to do stretches and exercises in the driver’s seat.

It may sound like fictional fiction, but it’s factual fact. And it’s the Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2018 model, which has taken the so-called ‘wellbeing’ of the driver to a new level.

The facelifted model has seen plenty of styling changes and some tech upgrades, and while making the flagship car in a particular brand’s line-up is often a task fraught with issues, the German company’s big, expensive, luxurious, limousine is undoubtedly a more thoughtful car for 2018.

But just remember, its predecessor was considered - at least for a little while - as the best car in the world by some automotive journalists. 

Now Mercedes-Benz has updated it, and it reckons it’s better than before, bringing a bunch of new technology, new engines, a reworked model range and, perhaps not essentially, but still pleasantly, lower pricing.

Read on to see how Beyonce factors into the equation.

What makes the Aston Martin Vanquish a luxury car? Everything.

Its over-the-top performance and opulence makes its very existence the definition of a luxury car. Nobody on the planet has any need for this car, you only buy the Vanquish because you want it - and that makes it one of the most luxurious vehicles on sale today.

Its very existence is tied directly to what’s under the bonnet, the last V12 remaining in Aston Martin’s showroom, and the fact that some customers can simply not bring themselves to drive anything without 12 cylinders. 

So, what’s it like driving the apex of luxury? Read on to find out…