Auto News & New car review

When a car costs as much as a house, as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class does, it makes you take a step back. Can a car this expensive really be worth it? After spending a week with an S550, I can tell you that if any ultraluxury car can justify its gold-plated price tag, it’s this one. Mercedes’ flagship offers a level of power, luxury, technology and prestige found in only a select few full-size luxury sedans. Read the rest of this entry »

America has the hots for hybrids. On the flip side of high gas prices, the value of any vehicle with fuel economy below 20 mpg has collapsed. Brand new “gas guzzlers” sit on dealer lots collecting incentives, rebates, finance deals and dust. The price of used fuel-suckers has dropped by 25 percent in the last four months, and THEN the rest. This is the perfect time to shop for a twin-turbo twelve-cylinder behemoth. Read the rest of this entry »

As-tested price: $45,535
Drivetrain: 3.0-liter V6; awd, seven-speed automatic
Output: 228 hp @ 6000 rpm, 228 lb-ft @ 2700-5000 rpm
Curb weight: 3527 lb
Fuel economy (EPA/AW): 20/21.3 mpg
Options: Multimedia package, including seven-inch power-retractable color display, COMAND navigation, six-disc CD/DVD changer, premium sound, voice control, music register, PCMCIA slot ($2,950); Premium II package, including satellite radio, heated front seats, bixenon headlights with washers and cornering lamps, split-folding rear seats, garage-door opener, auto-dimming and power-folding mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, power rear sunshade ($2,750); Read the rest of this entry »

The SL65 AMG Black, in this Autoblogger’s opinion, is everything the SLR should have been — intimidating, mean, nasty, and fast. Granted, the butterfly-doored SLR had the last base covered, but compared to this latest Black Series ride, it looks cute and cuddly. Mercedes has now released a trio of official videos of the SL65 AMG Black, one of which features the new supercar doing its business on-track, making splendid noises all the while. Read the rest of this entry »

These days, green isn’t the most eco-friendly colour… Blue is! Just ask Mercedes. Over recent years, the prestige brand has refined its range of super-low-emission Bluetec engines. Read the rest of this entry »

Not all full-size luxury SUV shoppers are looking to show off their ride to the envious masses on some trendy, club-ridden strip of road. Many are, but plenty are just searching for a vehicle with a plush interior, room for seven, a powerful engine and prestigious image that doesn’t require 22-inch rims and twin subwoofers the size of a Barcalounger. For these more rational shoppers, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is the best of the bunch. Read the rest of this entry »

The Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid version of the automaker’s flagship S-Class sedan that’s expected to arrive in the U.S. in fall 2009. Average fuel economy is about 30 mpg, according to Mercedes, which is nearly double the 16 mpg combined rating of the V-8-powered S550. Read the rest of this entry »

Mercedes-Benz’s three-pointed star has long been synonymous with style and prestige, but it has historically taken a backseat to BMW’s blue and white propeller as a symbol of driving excitement. This was certainly true of the first-generation SLK roadster, which offered decent straight-line speed and a then-novel folding hardtop but lost points due to its archaic recirculating-ball steering design and generally less-than-sporting demeanor. Read the rest of this entry »

As a staple, the E-Class will surely retain some fans based on its name alone, but reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder warns that the brand needs to innovate. While the E-Class coasts, competition in the midsize luxury sedan segment has grown fierce. Read the rest of this entry »

The launch of the next Mercedes-Benz E-class is right around the corner and Car’s spies were able to catch a mildly camo’d mule undergoing testing. The prototype is unmistakably M-B, with a new front fascia that appears to split the difference between the swoop CLS’s headlamps and the more conservative eyes of the C- and S-class. Underneath the cloaked sheet metal is Read the rest of this entry »