Mercedes-Benz S-Class (2027)

MotorTrend’s Angus MacKenzie is strongly impressed by the 2027 S-Class, especially its serene ride, sharper handling, sophisticated MB:OS software, and compelling new flat-plane-crank V-8. The flagship feels more composed than ever on winding roads, while features such as predictive suspension control, natural-language AI, advanced driver assistance, and the improved Superscreen make it feel genuinely modern. Still, the review is not uncritical: the steering wheel can obscure parts of the preferred instrument display, the V-8’s engineered burble may be overly loud for a luxury sedan, and the S580e hybrid suffers from extra weight and occasionally imperfect powertrain and brake integration. MacKenzie ultimately favors the lighter, less expensive S500, praising its refinement, punch, and agility over the more dramatic S580 and the quieter but slower hybrid.

Car and Driver’s Csaba Csere views the 2027 S-Class as a deeply satisfying renewal rather than a revolutionary redesign. More than 2,700 revised parts bring sharper styling, a thoroughly updated cabin, improved MBUX controls, stronger engines, and standard rear-wheel steering. Csere is especially impressed by the seamless acceleration of both the S500 and S580, their smooth transmission, precise controls, serene ride, and remarkable composure for a 5,000-pound sedan. The road-learning suspension system may help explain its unusually refined handling. Still, the review flags some ergonomic quirks, including a low dashboard, steering-wheel interference with the instrument display, and controls that require a learning curve. Artificial engine sound also feels slightly out of place. With pricing already hovering around six figures and likely to rise, value is difficult to defend, but Csere’s overall judgment is clearly favorable: this remains an exceptional luxury sedan, even if it is fundamentally a major facelift.

Edmunds’ Steven Ewing is thoroughly impressed by the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, despite a few design and technology reservations. He praises its remarkable autobahn composure, powerful yet refined V8, excellent brakes, adaptive suspension, and exceptionally quiet, indulgent cabin. The rear seat remains the star, offering near-spa levels of comfort with reclining massage seats, cooling, heating, and ample legroom, while the S 580e plug-in hybrid adds serene electric cruising and unusually quick DC charging. Ewing’s main complaints are personal but pointed: the new Superscreen feels less elegant than the outgoing cabin’s richer metal and wood, and the enlarged, star-studded grille and styling updates do not improve the car’s appearance. Still, he considers these minor blemishes on an otherwise outstanding flagship, concluding that the S-Class remains the benchmark for full-size luxury sedans and is worth its considerable price.

Road & Track is strongly impressed by the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, with only a few meaningful reservations. The S580’s flat-plane-crank V-8 is exceptionally smooth, quiet, and linear, while the suspension delivers the serene, insulated ride expected of a flagship sedan—even over cobblestones and broken pavement. The cabin’s extravagant comfort touches, especially the heated headrest pillows, seatbelts, armrests, and door panels, capture the car’s wonderfully excessive character. Rear-seat luxury, Burmester audio, customization options, and reassuring driver-assistance technology add to its appeal. Still, the screen-heavy piano-black dashboard feels less elegant than the rest of the car, the system lacks hands-free driving, and the chassis rolls more than ideal at very high autobahn speeds. The transmission can also hold lower gears unnecessarily. Overall, it remains a polished, deeply luxurious executive sedan, though buyers seeking sharper performance should wait for the forthcoming AMG version.

Brett Berk of Robb Report is highly impressed by the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, calling it the category’s class-leading benchmark. The extensive refresh preserves its elegant presence while adding striking illuminated branding, remarkable rear-seat comfort, sophisticated driver assistance, and three compelling powertrains. Berk is especially taken with the smooth, powerful S580 V-8, which reaches 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and feels perfectly matched to the car’s effortless character. He also appreciates the rear cabin’s heated, massaging “business-class” seat and the improved tactile steering-wheel controls. Reservations are relatively minor but meaningful: the cabin is overwhelmed by screens and fingerprint-prone glossy trim, the AI assistant is imperfect, and the S-Class can feel floaty and noisier than expected at its 155-mph Autobahn pace. Even so, Berk considers it superior to every rival sedan short of Bentley or Rolls-Royce and recommends it enthusiastically for buyers who still value a grand sedan over an SUV.

The Drive’s Jerry Perez is highly impressed by the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, calling it the luxury-sedan benchmark despite one glaring misstep. After driving the S500, S580, and S580e across German highways and country roads, Perez found the inline-six S500 remarkably smooth and capable, with little practical reason to pay for the V8 unless you want extra sound and theater. The plug-in-hybrid S580e feels even more potent than its figures suggest, while every version delivers exceptional ride comfort, quietness, and sumptuous rear-seat luxury. Perez’s enthusiasm is unmistakable—he even struggled to identify meaningful flaws—but the standard MBUX Superscreen seriously undermines the cabin, replacing more elegant materials with an oversized, distracting slab of glass. Minor usability annoyances, including heavy doors, also surface. Still, his verdict is emphatic: tune out the screen, and the S-Class remains the king.

Motor1.com’s Zander Sutton is highly impressed by the 2027 S-Class, despite reservations about its styling, cabin materials, and screens. The facelift looks more attention-seeking than traditionally discreet, while plastic air vents, piano-black trim, wide Superscreen bezels, and unnecessary passenger displays undermine the luxury experience. Still, the cabin is exceptionally well assembled where it matters most: rear-seat passengers get outstanding comfort, massage, ventilation, and individual entertainment screens. Sutton is especially enthusiastic about the car’s effortless power, sublime ride, secure Autobahn composure, and surprising agility from rear-wheel steering and all-wheel drive. The new V8 is potent, though brake modulation is disappointing, and the driver-assistance system occasionally struggles with automatic lane changes. It may not surpass the legendary W140, but the updated S-Class retains its defining magic: serene isolation, abundant performance, and a sense that nowhere else is preferable.

Jalopnik’s Logan K. Carter is highly impressed by the 2027 S-Class, though he sees it as refinement rather than revolution. The facelift preserves the car’s exceptional comfort, quiet power, polished ride, and effortless high-speed stability, while improving performance across its inline-six, plug-in hybrid, and V8 powertrains. Rear-wheel steering and predictive suspension make this huge sedan surprisingly manageable, even if it remains more relaxing than genuinely fun on winding roads. Carter’s biggest reservations concern Mercedes’ tech-heavy interior: the glossy screen slab attracts fingerprints, the low haptic controls are awkward and distracting, and touchpad-heavy steering-wheel inputs are frustrating. Styling is similarly divisive, with the illuminated hood ornament and starry grille adding flash he finds excessive. Still, the S-Class remains a deeply impressive flagship—lavish, customizable, powerful, and technologically ambitious—provided buyers can tolerate its interfaces and its likely six-figure price.