Car Review: Mercedes Benz S350 Facelift W221

Model (Code / Model Year): Mercedes Benz S350 Facelift (W221 / 2010)

Engine: 3,5 liter 6-cylinder petrol engine
Transmission: 7G-tronic automatic transmission with speedtronic cruise control
Paintwork & Interior + interior trim: Obsidian black metallic; black + wood trim – dark brown eucalyptus
Optional Equipment:Ambient lighting, Sunblinds for rear side windows, Electric rear roller blind, Electric glass sunroof, Front seats heated & ventilated, Night view assist plus, Reversing camera, Xenon headlights with Intelligent Light System (ILS), COMAND APS, speed limit assist, Parktronic inc. Parking Guidance, Automatic air conditioning Thermotronic, PRE-SAFE preventive protection system, Heated windscreen wash system, CD / DVD changer, Telephone pre-wiring with hands-free facility (Bluetooth), Harman Kardon sound system, Side View Assist
Performance: 272hp / 350nm
0 to 100km/h: 7,3sec
Top speed: 250km/h (155mp/h)
Weight: 1895kg
Fuel tank (US gallons): 90 liter (21.13 US gallons)
Fuel consumption in liter / 100km (U.S. miles per gallon): 12,8 liter / 100 kilometer (13,38mpg / US)
Price (Germany): €100.000
W221 driven: S350 Facelift, S350L pre-Facelift

Mercedes Benz' S-class, the car for state leaders, captains of industry and wealthy sheiks. Once this car was unchallenged in its class, but nowadays more competition is looming around the corner. The W221, how the current s-class is called internally, has been on the market since 2005. However, in 2009 Mercedes Benz has released a facelift in order to brush up the car to take on the competitors.

1. Exterior

Mercedes Benz usually is representing a more conservative design philosophy and the S-class W221 is no exception. Compared to relative small predecessor (W220), the W221 has grown a bit more with a focus on elegant and smooth lines. When looked upon from the side and back, the fluent design of from the top to the booth is somewhat reminiscant of a coupé, but it might require a bit imagination.
After the facelift, or Mopf (Modellpflege) as it is called in Germany, the basic design has remained unchanged. As in the past few years LED-technology has been increasingly popular, the design has been updated by adding this technology to the slightly changed mirrors that have LED-indicators, headlights, rearlights and two LED-strips that serve as daytime running lights. Please view the video below for a comparison of the pre-facelift and facelift design.






2. Engine, Transmission & handling



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In the S350, a 3.5 liter 6-cylinder engine produces an output of 272hp. For a car that weighs 1895kg it is sufficiently powered to have a comfortable yet rapid drive. The S350 used 12,8l / 100km while driving substantial amount (50%) on the German Autobahn at speeds above 160km/h (100mp/h). The other 50% have been drivin on limited stretches of Autobahn and local roads at speeds around 100km/h (60mp/h) or on a few miles of inner city traffic. Although the V6 lacks the power reserves of the V8, it also does not have to pay the "V8 premium" in terms of fuel consumption, range and other higher running costs, yet is has the same smooth engine (turbine?) sound and the linear power delivery. However, in terms of costs vs. comfort nothing beats the S350 CDI with the diesel engine.  A small comparison can be found in the table below.

Small sidenote, for MY2011 both the S350 and S350 CDI have received an engine upgrade. The new S350 delivers 306hp (old: 272hp) while the S350 CDI is now called the S350 BlueTEC with 258hp (old CDI: 235hp).

All the W221 are fitted to the 7G-tronic, except for the S600 and S65 AMG which use the 5G-tronic. The reason is that the 7G-tronic is unable to cope with the huge amount of torque that these engines produce. In the W221 a gear shifter on the center console is missing, a handle behind the steering wheel allow the driver to select gear, while the flappy paddles behind the steering wheel enable a manual selection of the gears.
The 7G-tronic itself is an excellent gearbox, it changes gear almost unnoticed while it shifts down when the driver is cruising along, resulting in a satisfactory average fuel consumption (compared to the 5G-tronic gearbox in the E220 CDI, where the lack of gears cause an increased fuel consumption). However, most of the transmission that are fitted to Audi's, Mercedes Benz's and BMW's are not developed by themselves, they come from the company "ZF". This means that altough the gearboxes are different because of the design and finetuning, they are of the same high level of quality and all peform similarly well.

Please visit the ZF-website for more information: click.

Handling in the W221 is as one might expect from an S-class, it is tuned towards comfort and prevails in this class over the A8 and 7-series. The suspension filters out any discomfort so that the driver feels more like he / she is flying on Alladin's magic carpet then actually driving a car. Because it the suspension is set up this way, the car feels sluggish driving in fast corners, here the car cannot hide the fact that it is a heavy limousine. Although the A8 and 7-series master this skill better, the question asked is: "should a 2 ton limousine be able to drive like a small roadster?". Personally, I do not think so, if you are looking for the handling of a small roadster then buy one. If you are looking for a comfortable travel companion, then the S-class is the partner you are looking for.

3. Interior & Technical Features

Once the vault-like door is closed, the S-class seems to shut of the every day noise and provides the driver with what seems to be an oasis of tranquility. The interior looks very elegant and is of high quality, as one might expect from a car in the luxury segment. Its main difference from the 7-series of A8 is that the interior has a more classical design, that is underlined by the classical clock in the center console. Another nice feature is the ambient lighting, it creates a relaxing atmosphere at night on the complete dashboard.

Ambient Lighting "Solar"

 Mercedes Benz introduced a new system in the S-class to operate the entertainment systen in the car laid out around the controller on the center console, which was later also adopted in the C- and E-class. With a touch (or twist) of a button it is possible to control a variety of functions, ranging from the navigation system to the massage function of the seats. Compared to BMW's iDrive system the interface looks somewhat old-fashioned, but is still relatively ease to manage and operate. Only the buttons on the steering wheel might cause some confusion, as they duplicate some functions of the COMAND-controller in the drivers tachograph.



Ambient Lighting "Polar"



There are only a few buttons left in the interior, mainly for the functions that are required the most, like the volume control of the radio and the temperature control of the airconditioning. When BMW introduced the iDrive system, this was actually what they had in mind, to have as few possible buttons remaining in the interior.

What I consider to be another major advantage over the 7-series is the placement of the buttons that control the seats, where in the 7-series the driver has to "feel" his way, in the S-class they are conveniently located at the eye-sight. The seat heating and ventilation is also controlled from this unit on the door, while the 7-series has grouped these buttons on the center console, together with the air conditioning.

Small sidenote, what I especially like is that the S-class has the most roomiest interior in its class. The center console packs a ton of things, even when a 2-liter pack of water is inside, it still can hold a bunch of other stuff. Above the mirror there is a special place for your sunglasses and the doors also can hold other items. Big plus for the S-class here!

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In the technical department we find a range of options that also can be found at the competition, however in a slightly modified way. The most important are Nightvision, Distronic Plus and Side Assist.

When turning on the Nightvision, the tachograph changes to a screen in which an infrared imaged is displayed. Because on has to look down, away from the road, the see this it is quite annoying to use. Therefore this would be an option that I consider to be less valuable as the Distronic Plus. This system acts as an active cruise control and is espacially useful in urban environments and on a busy motorway.

See the video below how these systems work:

Standard on the S-class is the "Pre-safe system", which detects possible dangerous situations and prepares the car for a possible impact. It not only applies the full brake force directly, it also puts the seats in an optimal position and straps the driver into the seat by thightening the seat belt. But most important, it warns the driver with an annoying beep and small red light in the dash in order to give the driver enough time to take corrective action.

4.Optional Equipment

This section discusses (part of) the optional equipment available on the F01. Ranking from 1 (definitely a yes), 2 (nice to have, but not a minimum requirement) to 3 (not worth the money).

- Ambient lighting, rating 1
- Sunblinds for rear side windows & Electric rear roller blind, rating 2
- Electric glass sunroof, rating 1

- Front seats heated & ventilated, improve comfort massively, rating 1

- Night view assist plus, expensive but annoying to use, rating 3
- Reversing camera, nice to have but no more, rating2

- Xenon headlights with Intelligent Light System (ILS), rating 1

- COMAND APS, rating 1
- Parktronic inc. Parking Guidance, rating 1
- Automatic air conditioning Thermotronic, rating 1

- PRE-SAFE preventive protection system, every driver will make a mistake at a certain time and PRE-SAFE helps to prevent accidents or reduce their impact, however, is a standard feature, Rating 1

- CD / DVD changer, or either the MultiMedia Interface rating 1

- Telephone pre-wiring with hands-free facility (Bluetooth), rating 1
- Harman Kardon sound system, excellent soundsystem that improves the experience increasingly. Rating 1
- Side View Assist, every driver will make a mistake at a certain time, helps to prevent the faults of the driver. Rating 1



Final thoughts:

Audi and BMW are pretty much contesting on the same properties, a more sporty and technological advanced car. The Mercedes Benz S-class has a more conservative approach that is focussed around ultimate comfort for the driver. And it excels in what it wants to do, it is the most comfortable premium drive on the market, even when it was introduced a few years ago.

What I consider to be one of the main advantages of the S-class is the user interface in the interior. Compared to the 7-series and A8, the S-class only has the essential buttons remaining and placed them in a more ergonimical arrangement. Even an unexperienced driver will be able to grasp the user interface fairly easy, while the more "complex" 7-series and A8 require a few more technical skills.

If you might have any questions left, feel free to contact me through the comments below!

Note, in this review the options and packages in Germany are discussed, so small details might deviate from local standards.

Pictures of the Mercedes Benz S350L pre-Facelift (Long Wheel Base) and S350 Facelift can be found in this gallery (click to enter):



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Picture of the week 08

Picture of the week 08, a 2009 Mercedes Benz S350L (= Long wheelbase)

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Car review: BMW 730d F01

Model (Code / Model Year): BMW 730d (F01 / 2009)

Engine: 3 liter 6-cylinder (in-line) diesel engine
Transmission: 6 speed automatic transmission
Paintwork & Interior + interior trim + wheels: Sapphire Black Metallic: leather Dakota black + brushed aluminum trim + styling 233 17-inch alloy wheels (245/55 R 17)
Optional Equipment: 6 disc DVD changer, BMW Assist online portal, USB audio interface, Voice Control, Loudspeaker System BMW Business, Navigation-system Professional, Bluetooth phone prep + telematics, Bootlid operation (powered), Electric Glass Sunroof, Instrument panel with leather finish, Lumbar support (driver and front passenger), Seat heating (front & rear), Sunblind side windows and rear windscreen (electric), four-zone automatic climate control, Comfort seats (front), TV function, Adaptive Headlights, Dynamic Drive, Lane Change warning, Lane departure warning, Park Distance Control (front & rear), Active Cruise Control with “Stop & Go” function, High-beam Assistant, Integral Active Steering, Speed limit display, Smokers package, Through-loading ski bag, Comfort Access
Performance: 245hp / 540nm
0 to 100km/h: 7,2sec
Top speed: 245km/h (153mp/h)
Weight: 1840kg
Fuel tank (US gallons): 80 liter (21.13 US gallons)
Fuel consumption in liter / 100km (U.S. miles per gallon): 9,5 liter / 100 kilometer (26,14mpg / US)
Price (Germany): €100.510
F01 engines driven: 730d, 750Li

With the 7-series, BMW traditionally introduces a new concept for both the exterior and interior of its new model range. In 2008 the F01 / F02 (long-wheel base) was introduced, quickly followed by the BMW 5-series GT (F07) in 2009 and the new 5-series (F10 / F11) in 2010, all sharing the same design philosophy.

1. Exterior

One of the most notable aspects of the new 7-series´ exterior design are the two massive front kidneys that look like they suck in every small car that may have strayed onto the left lane. Apart from the massive nose, the design is much more conservative and sleeker then that of its notable Bangle design predecessor. Suttle chrome accents highlight the business like design, while modern LED technology is giving the car a modern touch.

BMW already had been using LED-technology in the rear light units, however as a new design feature a new `L-shaped` design has been introduced and can be found across the BMW-range (3-series LCI, 5-series F10, X5 LCI, new X3 F25 etc.).

2. Engine, Transmission & handling

BMW has been downsizing its engines in order to meet new regulations and emission standards. This has resulted in abandoning the 5.0 liter V8 engine in favour of a 4.4 liter V8 engines combined with two turbo´s to still increase output. For the exact same reason BMW does not offer a V8 diesel engine anymore (745d) but instead has chosen to offer a new 740d with a 3.0 liter 6-cylinder biturbo engine which concept already proved to be succesful in the 335d / 535d.

There has been a shift in perception over the years, only 15 years ago (when the 725tds was on sale) is was almost unthinkable to order a luxury car with a diesel engine, but nowadays the majority of 7-series sold are fitted with a 3 liter 6-cylinder diesel engine. But how does such a relatively small engine performe in luxury car?

To my opinion, it performs very well. Not only are the 245 horses enough for fast overland traveling, the 540nm of torque also makes acceleration a simple task (in comparison 740i: 450nm; 750i: 600nm). After driving 2000km the result was an average fuel consumption of just 9,5l on 100km or 26,14mpg / US. With a 80 liter tank this gives the car a range of about 850 kilometers or 530 miles. If you feel that the 730d does not satisfy the hunger for performance, the 740d is a good alternative, as it produces 306hp and 600nm (same as the 750i!) but still has the same 3.0 liter engine with only slightly higher running costs.

Before you start thinking that the comparison between diesel and petrol engines, between V8´s and R6´s, is unfair, please keep in mind that I am not trying to compare performance but the everyday practicality by looking at the range of different type´s of cars and engines!

Convenience is the keyword, for example, if you drive 40.000km per year with a 730d you have to stop 48 times for fuel (79 times with a 750i). These type of cars will mostly been drivin by executives, they have the cash to pay the premium for a petrol V8, but they are busy they usually lack time. When we consider that the average tank stop takes about 10 minutes, the average executive will not only be bothered 31 times more with having to stop to refuel, but also lose more then 5 hours each year to unproductive time at the gas station. Or to put it in another way, the 730d-driver has to stop every 7,6 days for fuel, while the 750i driver has to stop every 4,6 days.

Fuel consumption of the 730d is excellent, compared to its direct competitors it uses about 1 to 2 liters less. Standard, a 6-speed automatic gearbox is fitted to the car, which is still the old type of gearbox from the predecessor 7-series. This is quite remarkable, as the new 5-series & 5-series GT are already fitted with the new 8-speed automatic gearbox (as are the ActiveHybrid 7, 740d xDrive and 760i). Probably the 8-speed was not yet available when the 7-series was introduced in 2008 (the aforementioned 7-series have been introduced later), so it is probable that all models will be fitted with the new gearbox in the near future.

BMW offers `Dynamic Drive` for the 7-series (also available on the 5-series), and it has a significant impact on the handling of the car. Dynamic Drive has 4 mode´s, comfort, normal, sport and sport+. It does not only effect the suspension, in which Dynamic Drive counteracts the role in corners, but also the steering, the trottle (gas pedal), the transmission and the engine. In comfort mode it softens the car while in sport mode it is increasingly stiffer. In sport+ it not only stiffens up the steering, suspension + sharpens the pedal response but it also partially switches of the DSC and other electronic systems.

Therefore the handling of a 7-series with Dynamic Drive can vary from setting to setting, however its BMW genes will always point more towards a more sporty drive and not reach the comfort level of a Mercedes Benz S-class.

3. Interior

Regardless which German premium car is choses, the build quality in them is excellent and no big differences exist. It is ultimately the personal preference that decides what is most suitable.

As with the exterior, the interior of the 7-series is the first to introduce a new layout that will be enrolled through the range. Several notable changes have been made, the gear selector has moved from the steering wheel back to the center console, some extra buttons have been fitted to the iDrive knob, the buttons for the seats have moved from the center console to the side of the seat, new software for the entertainment / navigation unit has been installed.

Not everything has changed, the center console and the automatic air conditioning are pretty much the same unit in the same place, altough it now has a modern interface and appearance. That last remark can be applied to the whole cockpit layout, it is a very modern cockpit while the driver can operate it very easily. And another thing that did not change was the build quality, this 730d was equipped with a leather dash, and combined with the excellent build quality it satisfies the demands one might expect from a luxury car in this class.

The only critique is the position of the buttons for the seats, as the driver cannot see them he / she has to feel what button is used. Especially the buttons for the lumbar support are hard to find and can create some annoyance. Another small point of bother are the comfort seats, they are praised as to be one of the best seats on the market, because of the many positions it can be put into. To my experience however, it can take a while until one can find the perfect seating position, that why I usually prefer regular sport seats, they lack the options and one can almost find immediately a good seating position. But I have to admit that this is more of a luxury problem than a real issue of the 7-series.

As any car in this class, the 7-series is BMW´s showcase of technical performance. Many innovations are first used in these type of cars before they are transferred to `lower` series. It is not a surprise that the F01 also is packed with a lot of new features, of which some I will discuss here.

For a video of the technical features please watch the two video´s below:

4.Optional Equipment

This section discusses (part of) the optional equipment available on the F01. Ranking from 1 (definitely a yes), 2 (nice to have, but not a minimum requirement) to 3 (not worth the money).

• 6 disc DVD changer, ranking 3



• BMW Assist online portal, ranking 1



• USB audio interface, ranking 1



• Voice Control, ranking 2



• Loudspeaker System BMW Business, ranking 1



• Navigation-system Professional, ranking 1



• Bootlid operation (powered), ranking 1



• Electric Glass Sunroof, ranking 1



• Instrument panel with leather finish, ranking 2



• Lumbar support (driver and front passenger), ranking 2 


• Seat heating (front & rear), ranking 1



• Sunblind side windows and rear windscreen (electric), ranking 2



• four-zone automatic climate control, ranking 2



• Comfort seats (front), ranking 2



• TV function, ranking 2



• Adaptive Headlights, ranking 2



• Dynamic Drive, ranking 1



• Lane Change warning, ranking 1



• Lane departure warning, ranking 2



• Park Distance Control (front & rear), ranking 1



• Active Cruise Control with “Stop & Go” function,



• High-beam Assistant, ranking 2



• Integral Active Steering, ranking 1



• Speed limit display, ranking 1



• Comfort Access, ranking 3



• Sideview, ranking 2



• Nightvision, ranking 3

 Final thoughts:

A new era at BMW has been introduced with the F01 / F02. Not only is it one of the most ergonomical cars in the market, it is also one of the most economical cars. In the luxury market the BMW 730d F01 provides very good value for money. Apart from the platform itself, that has an excellent build quality and drives very well, it also is an excellent online platform that offers the driver the full benefit of a car connected to the internet. BMW is leading the way technologically and both Mercedes Benz and Audi will have a hard time to match these levels of technology.

Pictures of the BMW 730d in black and a BMW 750Li can be found in the gallery, click to enter:

For video´s on the performance (acceleration and flat out) of the BMW 730d F01, please watch the two video´s below:

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Picture of the week 07

In week 7, the picture of the week consists of an Alpine White BMW 520d E60 (MY 2009 / LCI).

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For more pictures of this car please look here:



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Picture of the week 06

The beginning of a new week is accompanied by a picture of the week, or to put it better, this week with pictures of the week.

When visiting the Porsche factory (assembly of the Porsche Panamera and Cayenne, unfortunately no pictures allowed inside the factory) in Leipzig, I came across two Porsche 911 Carrera (one coupe, the other a convertible) that had been cut in half, exposing the inside to the public.

So please enjoy a look directly into the Porsche 911!

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P.s. If you would like to have more information about the Porsche factory in Leipzig, a tour of the Porsche factory or racing events on the Porsche owned racetrack on the factory grounds, please visit the website of Porsche Leipzig.

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Fuel consumption: Mercedes Benz E220 Estate

In this episode the fuel consumption will be treated, not the one that is stated by the manufacturers and is usually too low, but the fuel consumption during regular driving. Please do not derive any definitive statements from our test, the fuel consumption you might have will always co-depend on factors like road condition, tires, your personal driving style and local traffic and weather conditions.


First we start with a Mercedes Benz E220 CDI Estate (S212 / MY2010). The car is fitted with a 5-speed automatic transmissoion and a 4-cylinder, 2143 cm3 engine with 170hp and a weight of 1745 kg. Mercedes Benz has spend a considerable amount of effort to decrease the fuel consumption of their cars by introducing BlueEFFICIENCY in an increasing amount of models. 


The BlueEFFICIENCY package includes:
- Eco start-stop function (manual shift only)
- Optimum shift indicator (manual shift only)
- Lightweight engineering
- Reduced rolling resistance tires
- Active aerodynamics


For more information about how the technology works, please visit the Mercedes Benz website.

We found the following results under real-life circumstances, driving a trip of 1713 km (1071 miles).


- City traffic: 10-12l / 100km or 23,5 – 19,6 mpg (US)*
- Secondary road: 5,0l / 100km or 47 mpg (US)
- Highway: 7,5l / 100km or 31,4 mpg (US)
- Highway (150km/h+): 10,5l / 100km or 22,4 mpg (US)


* during the time of your test drive, heavy traffic was encountered, therefore including a lot of stop and go.


Please take a moment to see the road and traffic conditions during our test in the video below.





Our final combined fuel consumption was 8,5l / 100km or 27,67 mpg (US). Taking these results into account, the most likely consumption for average drivers in the Mercedes Benz E220 CDI will be between 7,0 to 8,0l or 33,6 to 29,4 mpg (US).

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Picture of the week 05

A new week and a new picture of the week. This time a picture of a BMW 730d (F01) in front of the "Reichstag" in Berlin, the capital of Germany.

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