Motor Trend's Head 2 Head Ep. 54: 2014 Tesla Model S vs 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550!

[spentan]

Having owned a 2012 Model S for the last 3 months, and having driven a 2014 S550, I still love my Model S, and wouldn't do a straight swap if given the option.

If the Model S didn't exist, the S550 would definitely be my choice of car.

I must commend M-B on their interior though (in terms of leather and quality). Also I miss the safety/convenience features like Adaptive Cruise and Steering assist.

The argument about "Oh we don't need Adaptive Cruise" is bs. If it was there, it'd make the car so much better. Even if it was just for occasional times when your attention lapses, or for drafting behind trucks to conserve range. I would choose to retrofit it for sure.

 

[Mr X]

LOL @ that review.


First look at the S-Class i would not spend a penny on it or take a second look at it. Then it uses gas so its really not a consideration at all.


And a disco ball? I'd rather drive 4 hot women in my tesla to the club to be around disco balls, i dont want that in my car lol

 

[green1]

I watched the review, and I found it actually relatively fair. The S class basically meets the MS for performance (differences are negligible) and for a $100k car (and the MS really is a $100K car) it's lacking many of the common features, heck, even cheap cars have parking assist these days. You can argue whether those features are needed or not, but the fact is that many people like them, and the MS doesn't have them, even though many other high end cars do.
Range anxiety, for all we downplay it, does still exist too.

Personally I would have chosen the MS over the S class, but I can certainly see where personal preference comes in here, and some people will put a higher value on the extra features and interior appointments rather than on simply being an EV.

The whole point to Tesla is to make an EV that has no compromises, and the MS simply isn't there yet. I would choose one in a heart beat over anything else out there, but it's just not honest to say that it is the top in every category, it simply isn't.

All that said, how cool is it that it's even being compared to the top of the line flagship Mercedes???

 

[RobStark]

All that said, how cool is it that it's even being compared to the top of the line flagship Mercedes???

I just noticed something that was not in the review.

Poor fit and finish of the interior. This was an issue in 2012, it seems reviewers agree with me that the issue has been moved off the table.

Poor seats vs MB. Just about every European or lover of European cars complained about this. Tesla basically sourced American made Cadillac seats. It has made one upgrade to the standard seats with optional Sport Seats next year. It seems this issue is off or at least being taken off the table.

Electronic nannies. I don't really care if they are there or not but many seem to want them very much so it makes sense for Tesla to include them at some point. Probably part of its "auto pilot" set of features.

Uber luxury interior. If you are coming from a "green" car Tesla is simply luxurious. Coming from an S Class or A8 it is not. Tesla does need to offer at least a "luxury" package to placate these buyers.

Tesla wins on every count, even if by small margins, save for interior luxury and electronic nannies.

The reviewers personal preference was for the luxury interior and electronic nannies. Fair enough.

Virtually all of here would choose otherwise but fair enough.

 

[tomas]

They (disco lights) are cool, but eventually you'll want to come out of the carwash to replenish your supply of Twinkies and diet Coke, and then you'll have to face the buttons. That will overwhelm you and thrust you into a downward spinal of delusion and depression, at which point you are likely to shave your head, get a tattoo of Tyrion Lannister on your left buttock, and declare (at the top of your lungs, no less, and until you lose your voice) that you want to have babies with Brienne of Tarth.

Wow, that was AWESOME poetry!

 

[eAdopter]

For many of the features compared, I think the review was fair. But there's more to the story and they should have been better explained.

I think the explanation of range anxiety displayed bias, but that's something we've seen before. No surprise.

I agree the 550 has too many buttons, etc. They don't look luxurious, and the 550 has some surfaces that look inexpensive (like a Toyota). The Model S has a very well designed, clean, sleak interior. But some people prefer buttons and clutter...

The writer was having trouble describing his thoughts regarding why the Tesla interior just didn't feel right. After owning one for 11 months, I can explain why I agree. Examples:
1. The interior, compared to the 550, must be made primarily from ultra-light materials. In many cases, lighter materials don't feel as luxurious due to their low mass.
2. Some seams are not straight or well stitched. My car is 11 months old, but the same is true of the new P85 loaner I used last week. A Honda Acord EX-L has better leather fit/finish and grain texture and the MB is even better.
3. The foam dash, wrapped in a thin material, feels like...foam. Mine squeaks like a foam picnic cooler when going over bumps - not luxurious.
4. The stock floor mats are thin and flimsy. They fold over during hard acceleration.
5. The carpet is not plush.

So while the Model S has some excellent interior features and styling, I think items like this restrained some enthusiasm of the writer.

Regarding "extra" features such as parking sensors, lane assist, etc. These are expected in a $100k sedan regardless of whether everyone likes them. Tesla is adding them so they obviously agree.

There are items that can be fairly compared such as acceleration, but I don't think it's fair to compare an ICE and BEV at an overall level. The engineering constraints are so disparate that an overall comparison is misleading. The ICE designers can focus almost exclusively on luxury (within limits, of course). The BEV designers must focus first on weight while keeping luxury in mind.

Your thoughts?

 

[JST]

At some point a review like this reads sort of like, "I compared the Model T to a thoroughbred stallion, and the stallion wins because the saddle leather is so much more supple."

My main criticism of the Model S is the seats; it would be nice to have seats that were even as supportive as those in my Golf. But giving the win to the Mercedes because the Tesla doesn't have a nice enough interior is missing the whole point.


Or.


You know what, maybe that's its own victory. I mean, aside from a brief mention of range anxiety, this reviews basically compares a BEV to what is probably the top of the line mainstream luxury sedan, and the points of contention * have nothing to do with the drivetrain.*

If there's a better indication that Teslas has made EVs totally mainstream, I can't think of it.

 

[TSLAopt]

I don't understand his review either, totally ignored a few key items:


-Storage Space
-Safety
-instant Torque
-never have to go to a gas station again (Superchargers are rarely used by owners, only for 200+ mile road trips)
-will need 1/10th the amount of service in its lifetime
-awesome door handles that greet you
-iPhone app

 

[gaswalla]

"compared to the Tesla, it's pathetic.." at 9:01

 

[callmesam]

I met Jonny Lieberman at the Hawthorne Supercharger last Friday and we talked about his "head to head" battle. He invited me to be on camera for a segment, but I declined.

I tweeted to him today . . .

 

[dsm363]

Can you pre-heat your Mercedes in the garage with the door closed? Can you remote start it to turn on the AC from basically anywhere you have an internet connection to cool down your car during the summer? I'm sure the Mercedes has a far superior interior but features like this are much more useful to many people that nice leather.

 

[JST]

Can you pre-heat your Mercedes in the garage with the door closed? Can you remote start it to turn on the AC from basically anywhere you have an internet connection to cool down your car during the summer? I'm sure the Mercedes has a far superior interior but features like this are much more useful to many people that nice leather.

You forgot the shiny lights.

 

[tomas]

Regarding interior, I find this very interesting... I've found that interiors, particularly luxury, have gotten very homogenous and boring. The cars I've owned that I really liked for their interiors over the years:
* 67 BMW 2000 ti - spartan by some measures, but comfortable and intuitive. Just a tad more luxurious than later 2002. Made even better by the fleece seat covers!
* 69 Alfa GTV - despite the typical Alfa driving position
* 70s Datsun 510 - absolutely spartan, but everything intuitively where it needed to be
* 1990s Jeep Grand Cherokee - exactly what it needed to be
* 2009 Jaguar XF - James Bond disappearing vents
* 2012 Tesla Model S - very clean lines, roomier than its size, no buttons and knobs!

Not to mention a few I've ridden in/sat in over years... What I get excited about is when an interior has character, performs well, looks DIFFERENT and distinctive, not when it conforms exactly to today's checklist. As you can probably see from list above, I mostly appreciate spartan over plush as well... maybe I'm weird!

 

[cschock]

The E Class and 5 Series are much smaller cars. Most of us get upset they only compare Model S to other EVs, city cars like i3 and LEAF. Comparing to top MB and BMW models is what the automotive press should be doing. After early adopters trading in their Prius and Civics, sustained demand will come from people trading in the top full size MB,BMW, and Audi for Model S. The best comparison is the 6 Series Gran Coupe and MB CLS. And Audi A7/S7. Lets remember Model S $71k-$130k with ASP $105,981 last quarter.

Quoted for truth. I am a case in point. Traded in an Audi A6, competition to me for the Model S was the A6/7. After careful consideration I figured in the time I plan to own the car I'd come out money ahead vs. the A6/A7 and could do without the features they had that the Model S didn't. They couldn't compete with the electric drive train and fuel efficiency (especially since we power it from Solar.) And in my experience here in Northern CA it is PRECISELY the 5-7 series, higher end Mercedes and A6-A8 buyers who are buying Model S.

 

[Erleichda]

That's the cheesiest interior ever. Like Miami Vice cheesy. Like Wisconsin cheesy. Seriously, the CAR GUY is picking based on this?????

SUPERNIGHT 16.4ft 5M Waterproof Flexible strip 300leds Color Changing RGB SMD5050 LED Light Strip Kit RGB 5M +44Key Remote+12V 5A Power Supply - - Amazon.com


After seeing the model S I sat in my Audi and looked at all the crap a car doesn't need. I agree, the fit and finish will get better but I'd pick the MS every. single. day.

 

[tomas]

Like Wisconsin cheesy.

Careful, in addition to cheesy cheese and cheese heads, Wisconsin makes some very, very fine cheese! I've lived in Portland too, and will defend it if anybody says it's all about rain!

http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/assets/pdfs/WisconsinCheeseArtisanDirectory.pdf

 

[Krugerrand]

...I mostly appreciate spartan over plush as well... maybe I'm weird!

You might be weird, but not on this point. Lots of people prefer minimalism.

True Story: Recently had to rent a car when mine was stolen. Got a VW something or other, station wagon thingy. It took me 15 minutes to figure out what all the buttons, knobs and gadgets did. Thank Goodness for those little pictures! However, even after investing all that time on decoding the dash, I had to go online to find out how to change the clock radio to the right time. Obviously the person before me couldn't figure out how to do it either, but refused to put as much effort into it. If only the car had had shinies...

 

[GDH]

I would never buy an S Class but I like the way it looks.

 

[strider]

The most profound difference between the two cars is that one is powered by fossil fuels the other not. With the serious threats the burning of fossil fuels present to the climate and life, that fact alone should have been the deciding factor. On that score alone the M-B is an antiquity -- one is degrading much more than other the quality of all life on the planet. On that scale all the other points are, well, pointless. Motor Trend sure as hell should be taking this into account in these kind of reviews. Given what we face, it's ignorant and irresponsible to do otherwise.

I'm glad they do not actually. It's a car magazine, not a climatology review magazine. Tesla needs to make the best cars, period. That means they drive the best, look the best, are priced fairly, etc. If you have to rely on "being green" to sell cars you've lost. If you want to "be green" you should buy a 30-year old Geo Metro as the environmental impact of that is way less than all the batteries, aluminum, and electronics in a Model S. Or you should ride a bicycle

I agree the reviewer was weirdly swayed by the interior and I encounter people all the time who are in the "if it doesn't make lots of noise it isn't fast" camp and the only way to sway those people is to blow their doors off w/ the performance of the car, not making eco arguments.

 

[Kipernicus]

I thought the comparison was pretty fair. It wasn't that obvious, but I think their main criteria were luxury and refinement, not sports sedan performance and not family/gear hauling capability (where the MS wins on both counts).

He summed it up at the very end - that this is the 11th generation of the MB flagship. Luxury and refinement at its peak.

But where do you go from a peak? I'm thinking end of product lifecycle here, while the Model S signals a beginning, leapfrogging everyone else to a new plane of existence and only improving from here on out!