Here's the S-Class I'd pick. Look at that color if you click the link. No hybrid. 550lb-ft at 1350RPM. I don't care but very efficient.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...aAYJd0KdyWBMYg

Diesel passenger cars were barely more than a statistical blip in the United States, but they conquered the European market. The peak came in 2011, when no fewer than 56 percent of the cars sold across the European Union had compression-ignition engines. In some countries the proportion rose much higher; pity anybody selling spark plugs in France in 2008, when a full 77 percent of new cars ran on diesel.

Things have changed dramatically since then. Last year just under 14 percent of the cars sold in Europe were diesel—a smaller percentage than EVs—and yet it remains a popular choice in some parts of the market. These include luxury sedans and the reason that brings us here—the Mercedes S450d L we recently got the chance to experience in some wintry conditions in Germany and Switzerland.

Despite this fall from fashion, there remains a huge amount to like about a good diesel engine—and very few are better than the turbocharged six-cylinder that Mercedes offers in the S-class for certain markets. This is a 3.0-liter turbodiesel that was introduced in 2017—just months after Volkswagen had agreed to pay $4.3 billion to settle its infamous emissions-cheating scandal in the U.S.—and since then it has been offered in most of the company's larger models in Europe. The 2024 S-class offers two different specs of the same base engine, the S350d making a peak of 308 horsepower and the brawnier S450d we drove rated at 362 horsepower.

That number is impressive by itself, especially for anybody old enough to remember the 300SD and its 120-hp five-cylinder turbodiesel that was launched in the States in 1979. But the S450d's maximum power output is also a largely irrelevant statistic, as owners are likely to only rarely push their cars to 4000 rpm, the point at which it's delivered. But they will experience the peak torque—a mighty 553 pound-feet available between 1350 rpm and 2800 rpm—every time they drive the car.

This relaxed muscularity defines the way the long-wheelbase S450d L drives—and suits its luxurious purpose perfectly (shorter-wheelbase, non-L models with 4.3 fewer inches between their axles are available in some markets). The car's low-speed manners are exemplary, with gas and brake allowing for almost imperceptible starts and stops. Once rolling, the software controlling the standard nine-speed automatic transmission upshifts early to keep revs low, yet the rate of acceleration barely seems to diminish as speed rises. This is a car that can accelerate from rest to a 100-mph cruise without the engine ever going past 2000 rpm or the driver needing to press the accelerator more than a quarter of the way to its stop. As a definition of effortless, that's hard to beat.



There are no obvious compromises on refinement compared to the standard S500 model. No current-generation S-class is vocal under anything except hard use, and at idle the S450d is no louder than its gasoline sibling. On the move, the diesel engine produces a subdued hum, its cabin staying as hushed as that of any other current-generation S-class. Only when pushed hard does the S450d develop a distinct voice, a muscular thrum a little like that produced by a hard-working but well-insulated turbine. We weren't able to confirm Mercedes's claimed 155-mph top speed on the autobahn, but only because our test car's winter tires were only rated to 149 mph. So we drove at 149 mph instead.

But the diesel S-class was almost equally impressive when asked to deal with heavy snow in the Swiss Alps. Conditions were bad enough to cause the cancellation of the St. Moritz ice concours we were meant to be attending—one held on a frozen lake that it was feared would struggle with the weight of the snowfall. But even in treacherous conditions on unplowed roads the S450d's all-wheel drive and stability management found grip and traction—even as many of the generally well-prepared Swiss drivers were struggling to keep rolling.

Beyond badging, and the fact the digital tachometer's redline is marked at a lowly 4000 rpm, the S450d is effectively identical to look at and touch as its gasoline-powered siblings. The beautifully finished cabin is supremely comfortable and a great place to spend serious time—we still felt fresh after multi-hour stints behind the wheel. But the diesel also shares the same frustrations as the rest of the range, including the overly complex UI system, the continued experience of which has not made us grow any fonder of it. But a definite highlight in tight-fitting European towns and cities is the rear-axle-steering system, which makes the S-class impressively wieldy for something so large.

In Germany, the S450d costs less than comparative S500 models; the S450d L opens at the equivalent of $128,500. Yet for most buyers the diesel's most impressive virtue in its European homeland is its fuel economy. The official mileage number of the continent's generous WLTP test cycle is the equivalent of 38 mpg. While we didn't achieve that, we did see the onboard trip computer reporting 27 mpg after a 200-mile journey that had included long stretches of high-speed autobahn cruising. We know that diesel is dead and almost certainly buried when it comes to passenger cars in the U.S., and Europe won't be much further behind. But the S450d is a reminder of just how good the best diesels are.

 

I just want the Audi 4.2. TDI stateside.......and the V12 TDI lol!

 

Yep. I love a good diesel. If anyone can do them right car-wise, it's MB. I mean look at their history.

See, I'm just not having a slow one like the one offered in the Denali. Who the fk would choose that diesel over a Corvette V8? Edit: 10 percent is the answer.

This MB is still 4.9 seconds 0-60, probably a tad faster I'd guess.

 

AJT, from the things you say check all your boxes - limitless low down torque, no NVH, extreme smoothness, general effortlessness and so on - I'm more convinced than ever that you would love an EV. As good as 550 lb/ft at 1350 RPM is, imagine having 50% more torque than that at 0 RPM. Even more relaxed than a powerful diesel when that's what you want, but absolutely instantaneous acceleration when you want it.

You really should try one. I think you would love it.

 

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all those things and all that but the battery tech just isn't there for me yet.

However like I said, I'd definitely own a Model S Plaid if I was rich enough to write checks for a bunch of expensive new 100k+ cars.

It's a 12 year old design and the new new ones are seriously sharp.... better looking than ever actually.

 

Have you had the opportunity to drive a Model S? They really are tremendous to drive. Even the non-Plaids are fast and smooth.

 

I'm not sure I could test drive one of those, but a Model 3 I could.

I was planning on doing it, the dealer is like 5 mins away..., but things have been crazy.

I'm still going to do it, just probably later than expected.

And right, I wouldn't NEED a Plaid. A regular one is fast enough....but when in Rome....

 

You should definitely take a test drive. I know you would be impressed. Do it and report back!

 

A M3P will smoke everything in his garage and driveway. Heck a M3LR probably will too.

I think he should.

There’s a reason why I rent them. They are fun vehicles.

 

I read that review a while back. I don’t have any interest in a diesel personally.

Why would you be unable to test drive a Model S but able to test drive a Model 3?

 

I will! It'll be a minute though, things are a little crazy here. It's on my list though.

I just don't assume they'd let me take such an expensive car out alone.

 

Unless you look like you haven't bathed in a year and are shoeless, they will let you take it out. Maybe not a Plaid, depending on availability, but a regular S, no issue.

 

They absolutely will. Its not a Ferrari. You're a 40 year old man, they will let you test drive whatever you want. Set it up online if you want and it will be sitting there waiting for you, they'll give you the card and let you go.