2022 Toyota Corolla Cross & 2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

WE TAKE A LOOK AT UP-SIZING THE BESTSELLING TOYOTA ICON: THE COROLLA CROSS... WE'LL SEE HOW FAR OVER THE EDGE CLASSIC LAND ROVER RESTORATIONISTS CAN GO... WE HAVE A COUPLE QUICK SPINS HEADING YOUR WAY, FOLLOWED BY A TASTE OF THE HIGH-LIFE IN THE UBER-TECH MERCEDES-BENZ S500...

SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

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FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

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John: THE TOYOTA COROLLA IS ONE OF THE BEST-SELLING CARS OF ALL TIME, AND OVER THE YEARS, TOYOTA HAS TRIED TO EXPAND ITS REACH BY OFFERING VARIATIONS ON THAT TRADITIONAL 4-DOOR SEDAN COROLLA SHAPE THAT WE'VE ALL COME TO KNOW.

THEIR LATEST ATTEMPT TO SHAKE THINGS UP IS THIS COROLLA CROSS UTILITY.

SO, LET'S SEE WHAT THIS COROLLA-FLAVORED SUV CAN BRING TO A VERY CROWDED SMALL UTILITY SEGMENT.

* IF IT WERE UP TO US, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NAMED THIS LATEST TOYOTA CROSSOVER THE "MINIRAV," BUT WE UNDERSTAND WHY TOYOTA CHOSE TO CALL IT THE 2022 COROLLA CROSS.

NOT ONLY DOES IT GIVE CURRENT COROLLA COMPACT OWNERS A UTILITY TO SEAMLESSLY STEP UP TO, BUT IT LAYS THE GROUNDWORK TO KEEP THE NAMEPLATE ALIVE IF TOYOTA EVENTUALLY FOLLOWS OTHERS AND STOPS SELLING SEDANS ALL TOGETHER.

ASSEMBLED AT A NEW HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, PLANT THAT TOYOTA SHARES WITH MAZDA, THE COROLLA CROSS GIVES THE BRAND YET ANOTHER ENTRY INTO THE INSANELY POPULAR SMALL CROSSOVER SEGMENT.

A BIG REASON FOR THIS POPULARITY, OF COURSE, IS CROSSOVERS HAVE ADDED SPACE FOR EVERYDAY ADVENTURES, YET, LARGELY DRIVE AND FEEL EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE SEDANS THEY'RE BASED ON.

THERE'S THE BENEFIT OF ALL-WHEEL DRIVE IN MOST CASES, TOO, AND TOYOTA HAS INCLUDED THAT OPTION HERE, UNLIKE IN THEIR PREVIOUS SMALLEST OFFERING, THE CH-R. AND NOT ONLY IS AWD AVAILABLE, BUT THE COROLLA CROSS GETS MORE THAN 8.0 INCHES OF GROUND CLEARANCE TO BE ACTUALLY USEFUL FOR MORE THAN JUST BAD WEATHER TRACTION.

DYNAMIC TORQUE CONTROL CAN SEND AS MUCH AS 50 PERCENT OF POWER TO THE REAR WHEELS WHEN CALLED FOR.

OTHERWISE, IT OPERATES STRICTLY IN FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE FOR BEST EFFICIENCY.

THE COROLLA CROSS GETS A NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 2.0 LITER I4 RATED AT JUST 169 HORSEPOWER AND 151 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE; SO, IT'S NOT EXACTLY A BARN-BURNER WHEN THE LIGHT GOES GREEN.

BUT, ALSO ATTRIBUTE SOME OF ITS SLUGGISHNESS TO THE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION.

IT KEEPS ENGINE REVS HANGING PRETTY HIGH, AND MAKES IT SOUND LIKE YOU'RE REALLY ABUSING THE ENGINE.

IT'S ONLY A MINOR ISSUE MOSTLY EXPERIENCED WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GET UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE; MUCH LESS NOTICEABLE IN DAILY DRIVING TASKS SCOOTING AROUND THE CITY.

AND, A FIX IS ALREADY ON THE WAY AS TOYOTA HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THE 2023 COROLLA CROSS WILL DEBUT THE 5TH GENERATION OF THEIR HYBRID SYSTEM; BOASTING ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, A 194 HORSEPOWER OUTPUT, AND 37-COMBINED MILES PER GALLON.

AS FOR THE CURRENT COROLLA CROSS, THE TRIP TO 60 WAS MUCH MORE OF A JOG THAN A SPRINT, TAKING MORE THAN 10 SECONDS.

EXPECT THE HYBRID TO BE ABOUT 2.0 SECONDS QUICKER.

NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO FROM THERE, JUST KEEP THE THROTTLE PINNED AND TRY TO IGNORE THE BUZZY ENGINE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN FOR THE REST OF THE QUARTER-MILE.

THAT ENDED IN 17.8 SECONDS AT 81 MILES PER HOUR.

THINGS IMPROVED THROUGH THE CONES.

ALONG WITH THE ADDED GRIP PROVIDED BY THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE'S DYNAMIC TORQUE CONTROL, AWD COROLLA CROSS' ALSO COMES WITH A REAR SUSPENSION UPGRADE; REPLACING THE STANDARD TORSION BEAM WITH A FULLY INDEPENDENT SETUP.

THERE IS A MINOR DISCONNECTED FEEL THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL, AND THAT TALL RIDE HEIGHT EQUATED TO SOME VERY NOTICEABLE BODY ROLL, BUT OVERALL THE CROSS FEELS COMPETENT AND SAFE, PRECISELY WHAT TOYOTA FANS EXPECT.

BRAKES WERE BETTER STILL WITH PANIC STOPS AVERAGING JUST 105 STABLE FEET FROM 60 MILES PER HOUR.

THE COROLLA CROSS' CABIN IS REFRESHINGLY SIMPLE AND MANY ELEMENTS WILL BE FAMILIAR TO CURRENT COROLLA SEDAN OWNERS.

CLOTH SEATS ARE STANDARD IN L AND LE TRIM, WHILE XLEs GET SOFTEX COVERINGS, ALONG WITH A 10-WAY POWER SEAT FOR THE DRIVER.

WE FOUND THEM TO BE QUITE COMFORTABLE FOR ENTRY-LEVEL.

PLENTY OF SPACE IN THE REAR, TOO, WITH 60/40 SPLIT-FOLDING SEATBACKS STANDARD; XLE GRADE ADDS A CENTER ARMREST.

TWENTY-FIVE POINT TWO CUBIC-FEET OF CARGO SPACE IS CERTAINLY GOOD FOR THE COMPACT UTE SET.

TOYOTA'S MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM HAS IMPROVED GREATLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS; BASE L GETS A 7.0 INCH SCREEN, WHILE ALL OTHERS FEATURE AN 8.0 INCH TOUCHSCREEN.

TOYOTA DIDN'T GO OVERBOARD WITH FEATURE CONTENT, BUT ALL THE EXPECTED AMENITIES ARE HERE; ALONG SOME GREAT MANUAL HVAC CONTROLS, AND GOOD OUTWARD VISIBILITY ALL AROUND.

ONLY SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE SUBCOMPACT C-HR, THE COROLLA CROSS HAS SMOOTHER STYLING, YET, THROWS OFF A BIT OF A RUGGED VIBE COURTESY OF THE BLACK LOWER BODY AND TALL, FLAT NOSE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS WITH ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE ARE 29-CITY, 32-HIGHWAY, AND 30-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A GOOD 30.9 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

THAT'S A SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 9.9 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 4.8 TONS.

THE WORD COROLLA HAS ALWAYS BEEN SYNONYMOUS WITH VALUE, AND THAT CONTINUES HERE WITH THE COROLLA CROSS STARTING AT $23,410; ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE AN ADDITIONAL $1,300.

NOW, IT MAY SURPRISE SOME OF YOU THAT COROLLA IS AN ACTUAL WORD THAT REFERENCES THE INDIVIDUAL PETALS OF A FLOWER.

WELL, NOW THAT THIS 2022 COROLLA CROSS HAS BLOSSOMED INTO A PRACTICAL AND FRUGAL LITTLE CROSSOVER SUV, THERE'S EVEN MORE OF A BOUNTIFUL BOUQUET OF UTILITY VEHICLES TO CHOOSE FROM AT YOUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER.

* IN 2020, THE LAND ROVER DEFENDER RETURNED TO AMERICA WITH A THOROUGHLY MODERN MAKEOVER; WE CALLED IT A "NEW DEFENDER FOR A NEW AGE."

BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT AN OLD DEFENDER FOR A NEW AGE.

SO, THIS WEEK GREG CARLOSS REVISITS OUR FRIENDS AT ECD AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN WHERE THEIR QUEST IS TO MEET THAT DEMAND.

* [CAR DOOR CLOSES] Greg Carloss: WHEN WE FIRST MET THE ECD TEAM A FEW YEARS AGO, THEY WERE A RELATIVELY SMALL COMPANY BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO DERELICT DEFENDERS.

WELL, SINCE THEN THEY'VE GROWN AND THEY'VE GOT A FEW NEW TRICKS UNDER THE HOOD.

BACK IN 2013, SCOTT WALLACE AND HIS ECD CO-FOUNDERS STARTED BUILDING DREAM DEFENDERS IN A SMALL KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA GARAGE.

Scott Wallace: WE WENT FROM 1,800 SQUARE FOOT AND ONE GUY TO 37,000 SQUARE FOOT AND 64 GUYS TODAY IN THE U.S. AND SEVEN IN THE U.K. AND WE'RE MOVING TO A 100,000 SQUARE FOOT ON APRIL THE 11TH THIS YEAR WITH A TEAM OF 100 GUYS BY 2025.

Greg: A QUICK TOUR OF THEIR CURRENT DIGS REVEALS A FLURRY OF ACTIVITY FROM A DYNAMIC CREW OF HIGHLY-SKILLED CRAFTSMEN.

Scott: WE RUN 20 DEPARTMENTS AND EACH VEHICLE IS IN EACH DEPARTMENT FOR FOUR DAYS.

FIRST OF ALL, WE ADDED A DRIVETRAIN DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THAT WAS CRITICAL.

THEN, WE ADDED THE PAINT SHOP, WHICH WAS CRITICAL, AND THEN WE ADDED UPHOLSTERY.

Greg: IT TAKES AROUND 110 DAYS FOR THESE DEFENDER MENDERS TO TURN THIS INTO THIS.

BUT THAT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO THE 8-MONTH DESIGN PROCESS, WHERE CLIENTS CHOOSE EVERY SINGLE DETAIL OF THEIR TRUCK A LA CARTE.

THIS EGGSHELL-FINISHED KESWICK GREEN DEFENDER 110 IS MY OWN CREATION.

ASSUMING I HAD A FEW HUNDRED GRAND TO BURN IN MY FANTASY WORLD, I WENT ALL OUT WITH A MIXTURE OF MODERN AND OLD SCHOOL TOUCHES.

AS FAR AS THE POWERTRAIN, WELL, REMEMBER THOSE NEW TRICKS I MENTIONED EARLIER?

Ryan Leaverton: WE HAVE A TESLA MODEL S DRIVE UNIT OUT OF THE REAR OF A TESLA MODEL S TURNED 90 DEGREES AND RE-GEARED TO RUN THE DRIVESHAFTS DIRECTLY SO WE STILL HAVE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

Greg: SURE, I COULD HAVE GONE WITH ONE OF THE MANY V8 ENGINES ECD OFFERS.

BUT EVEN IN MY FANTASY WORLD, GAS IS EXPENSIVE.

HI, I'M ELLIOT HUMBLE, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS AT ECD, AND THIS IS PROJECT MORPHEUS.

SO, THIS IS A GIANT BATTERY BOX, AS YOU CAN SEE.

ENGINE'S GONE, TRANSMISSION'S GONE.

SO, WE'VE GOT A BIG OLD BATTERY UP HERE.

A BIG ONE AT THE BACK AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH OUR DRIVETRAIN.

Greg: THE RESULT IS 450 HORSEPOWER AND 220 MILES OF DRIVING RANGE.

THE STEERING ALMOST HAS LIKE A MECHANICAL FEEL TO IT HONESTLY.

LIKE, THAT OLD SCHOOL, LIKE, A LITTLE LOOSE OFF CENTER KIND OF FEEL.

John Price: EXACTLY RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, THE MAIN THING IS THAT WE'RE NOT TURNING A DEFENDER INTO A TESLA.

ALL WE'RE DOING IS KEEPING THE CHARACTER AND YOU KNOW, THE FEEL OF THE OLD SCHOOL TRUCKS, BUT WITH A POWERTRAIN THAT'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE EFFICIENCY, AND PERFORMANCE OF COURSE THAT COMES WITH A TESLA SETUP.

Greg: DO YOU EVER JUST LIKE SIT THERE ON SOME DOWN TIME AND MAKE SOME DREAM DEFENDER FOR YOURSELF?

J.

Price: [LAUGHS] EVERY NOW AND THEN.

YOU KNOW, IT'S UH-- Greg: WELL, YOU GOTTA DEDICATE YOURSELF TO THE PROCESS.

YOU KNOW, DO SOME RESEARCH.

J.

Price: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH ABSOLUTELY.

Greg: WOULD YOU MIND, IF I STOPPED AND WENT FROM A STOP?

J.

Price: NOT AT ALL, NOT AT ALL.

Greg: ALRIGHT, FROM A DEAD STANDSTILL, LET'S SEE HOW IT DOES-- OOP-- [J.

PRICE LAUGHS] ALRIGHT, TWO HANDS MIGHT BE BETTER.

[LAUGHTER] I DON'T HAVE...I DON'T HAVE A TIMER ON ME, BUT I THINK, I CAN ATTEST TO THE 0-60 IN ABOUT 5.0 SECONDS... J.

Price: FIVE SECONDS, YEAH.

Greg: WHICH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS THING ON THE OUTSIDE, IS RIDICULOUS.

J.

Price: YEAH, EXACTLY RIGHT, EXACTLY RIGHT!

Scott: I DON'T THINK, WE JUST SELL A VEHICLE.

I TRULY BELIEVE OUR CLIENTS COME ON BOARD BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING AN EXPERIENCE.

REALLY, THEY'RE JUST COMMISSIONING US TO BUILD THEIR DREAM VEHICLE.

SO, IT'S PRETTY COOL.

IT'S BEEN A PRETTY REMARKABLE THING WE'VE BUILT, I THINK.

John: IF YOU'RE TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT FORD'S NEW ALL-ELECTRIC MUSTANG MACH-E SUV AND FEEL THAT REAL MUSTANGS HAVE 2-DOORS AND BIG V8s, HAVE WE GOT A MUST READ FOR YOU: "COBRA JET: THE HISTORY OF FORD'S GREATEST HIGH-PERFORMANCE MUSCLE CARS."

THE ORIGINAL 428 COBRA JET MUSTANG WAS THE PRODUCT OF FORD'S 1960s TOTAL PERFORMANCE RACING PROGRAM, BUT COBRA JET QUICKLY BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH DRAG RACING SUCCESS AND WAS THE MUSTANG TO HAVE IF YOU LIVED YOUR LIFE A QUARTER-MILE AT A TIME.

AUTHORS ROB KINNAN AND DIEGO ROSENBERG TELL NOT ONLY HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED, BUT WHERE COBRA JET WENT FROM THERE WITH LOTS OF GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

IT'S A HIGH-PERFORMANCE MUST READ FOR ANY FAN OF THE BLUE OVAL.

John: TIME TO HIT THE ROAD FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF QUICKSPINS!

* ALMOST EVERY AUTOMAKER HAS THEIR HAND IN THE COMPACT SUV-POT, MEANING THERE'S A CONSTANT NEED TO INNOVATE.

AS IS THE CASE WITH KIA'S LONGEST RUNNING NAMEPLATE, THE SPORTAGE.

IT'S BEEN REDESIGNED INSIDE AND OUT FOR 2023.

POWERING THIS SPORTAGE IS A 2.5 LITER INLINE-4 ENGINE, SENDING 187 HORSEPOWER THROUGH AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

IT'S NOTHING TO ROCK YOUR SOCKS OFF, BUT PLENTY TO PEDAL FROM A TO B.

A HYBRID MODEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE, WITH A PLUG-IN HYBRID SOON TO COME.

NO MATTER WHICH POWERTRAIN YOU CHOOSE, THE NEW SPORTAGE USES KIA'S N3 PLATFORM.

IT NOW ENDS UP BEING 7.0 INCHES LONGER THAN ITS PREDECESSOR, MEANING MORE ROOM INSIDE: 41.3 INCHES OF REAR LEGROOM AND 39.6 CUBIC FEET OF TRUNK SPACE BEFORE FOLDING SEATS.

Steven Truant: SO, MAKES A LOT OF SENSE THAT WE'RE CARVING UP THE DESERT ROADS OF PALM SPRINGS, BECAUSE KIA IS BRINGING THE HEAT WITH THE REVAMPED SPORTAGE.

SO, THIS VEHICLE ACTUALLY SHARES THE SAME CHASSIS AS THE SORENTO.

AND IT'S STRONGER, AND IT'S LIGHTER, AND OVERALL, YOU CAN REALLY FEEL IT THROUGH THE TWISTS AND TURNS.

ANOTHER THING TO NOTE IS JUST HOW QUIET IT IS ON THE INSIDE OF THE CABIN.

KIA ADDED A LOT MORE SOUND DEADENING MATERIALS, MAKING FOR A QUIET AND COMFORTABLE RIDE.

John: YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR SPORTAGE FLAVOR AMONGST SEVEN TRIMS, FROM LX TO X-PRO PRESTIGE.

NO MATTER WHICH YOU CHOOSE, THE SPORTAGE SWINGS TO A NEW VIBE THANKS TO SOME SUBSTANTIAL APPEARANCE CHANGES: NEW DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND NOTCH-SHAPED TAILLIGHTS, AND A NEW TAKE ON KIA'S TIGER NOSE GRILLE.

THE 2023 KIA SPORTAGE STARTS AROUND $26,000 FOR THE LX, AND $37,000 FOR THE X-PRO PRESTIGE.

Alexander Kellum: EVERYONE LOVES A GOOD "COMEBACK" STORY.

SO DOES NISSAN, REVIVING ONE OF THEIR MOST ICONIC DESIGNS IN MODERN FORM: THE 2023 NISSAN Z.

THERE'S NO MISTAKING ITS CLASSICALLY SIMPLE BODYLINES: A LONG HOOD, A SHORT DECK, AND A DISTINCT ROOF ARCH, ALL WITH A SLIGHTLY WEIGHTED-REAR STANCE.

BUT IT'S NOT JUST BACK WITH LOOKS.

THE NEW Z DISHES OUT AN UNDENIABLY FUN 400 HORSEPOWER AND 350 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE FROM A 3.0 LITER TWIN-TURBO V6.

THAT'S SENT TO THE REAR WHEELS THROUGH EITHER A 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC OR A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION.

WE WERE INVITED TO RUN THE GEARS AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY.

ACCELERATION IS SMOOTH AND STRONG, WITH FULL TORQUE AVAILABLE FROM JUST 1600 RPM AND SMALL DIAMETER TURBOS REDUCING LAG.

NOT ONLY DOES IT FEEL RIGHT, BUT THE SPORTS CAR PERSONA EXTENDS WELL BEYOND ITS IMPRESSIVE STATISTICS.

DaveE Scrivener: THE NISSAN Z CAN'T BE BOILED DOWN TO JUST NUMBERS, EVEN THOUGH 400 HORSEPOWER FOR UNDER $40K IS A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE ONE.

THEY'RE NOT CLAIMING SUPER-FAST NURBURGRING LAP TIMES OR SAYING IT'S A RACE CAR FOR THE STREET.

WHAT IT IS, IS A WONDERFULLY BALANCED MODERN DRIVER'S CAR.

IT HAS ALL OF THE SAFETY, COMFORT, TECHNOLOGY FEATURES TODAY'S SPORTS CAR DRIVER DEMANDS.

GREAT FEEL FOR THE ROAD, YOU FEEL REALLY IN TUNE WITH THE CAR, AND THE STYLING TAKES THE Z BACK TO ITS SPORTS CAR HERITAGE.

Alexander: THE THROWBACK THEME IS CARRIED INSIDE TO THE "SPORTS-CAR-COZY" CABIN, FEATURING A TRIO OF ANALOG GAUGES ATOP THE CENTER DASH JUST LIKE THE Z'S OF OLD.

THE NEW Z STARTS AT $39,990 FOR THE "SPORT" TRIM.

THE "Z PERFORMANCE" TRIM STARTS AT $49,990.

AND A LIMITED "PROTO SPEC" MODEL WILL SELL FOR $52,990.

ADD A $1,025 DESTINATION FEE PER FLAVOR.

THE 2023 NISSAN Z WENT THROUGH THE SPORTS CAR CHECKLIST, TICKING ALL BOXES FROM A TO Z.

WE'LL HAVE MORE TO SHARE ABOUT THE NEW Z, AND MORE QUICKSPINS, SOON!

* Greg Carloss: EVEN WITH THE NUMBER OF SUVs ON THE ROAD, OUR LONG-TERM 2022 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER CAN STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD.

WITH THE DYNAMIC SHIELD GRILLE LEADING THE WAY, SEL TRIM ADDS SUCH NICETIES AS POWER-FOLDING MIRRORS AND ROOF RAILS, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO UPGRADE TO THE SEL TO GET THESE SWEET 20 INCH WHEELS, AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE EVEN ON THE BASE ES.

WE'RE 3-MONTHS INTO OUR EXTENDED TEST; AND OVER THE INITIAL 4,000 MILES, THE 181 HORSEPOWER 2.5 LITER I4 ENGINE IS DELIVERING AN IMPRESSIVE 28.7 MILES PER GALLON.

THIS OUTLANDER OFFERS PLENTY OF POWER FOR OUR DAILY DRIVING NEEDS, BUT IT WILL NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH A PERFORMANCE SUV.

IT COULD, HOWEVER, BE MISTAKEN FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE BECAUSE THE INTERIOR REALLY PUNCHES ABOVE ITS WEIGHT CLASS.

THE CONTRASTING DIAMOND STITCH DESIGN GIVES THE SEATS A PREMIUM LOOK AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF USB A AND C PORTS TO KEEP MODERN FAMILIES FULLY CHARGED.

WITH WINTER WELL IN OUR REAR-VIEW, SPRING IS QUICKLY CHANGING TO SUMMER HERE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC, AND THAT MEANS ROAD TRIPS.

SO, STAY TUNED AS WE SET A COURSE FOR ADVENTURE IN THE OUTLANDER.

BUT FIRST, IT'S A DATE WITH OUR VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: FOR GENERATIONS, THE MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS HAS TRULY EMBODIED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BRAND FLAGSHIP; NOT ONLY USHERING IN NEW TECHNOLOGY AND STYLING THAT QUICKLY TRICKLE DOWN TO THE REST OF THEIR LINEUP, BUT SETTING A NEW BENCHMARK FOR THE LUXURY SEDAN SEGMENT ITSELF.

NOW WITH SUVs NOW BEING THE REAL ATTENTION GETTERS, LET'S FIND OUT IF THE S-CLASS' MISSION HAS CHANGED.

* IT'S DEFINITELY, A NEW WORLD IN THE LUXURY LANDSCAPE, WITH BIG BUCK SUVs AND EVEN EVs NOW VYING FOR THE RIGHT TO BE THE ULTIMATE STANDARD BEARER FOR THEIR BRANDS.

BUT, THE 2022 MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS, STILL DOES A GOOD JOB OF MAKING THE CASE OF BEING THE TRIED-AND-TRUE 4-DOOR SEDAN STATUS SYMBOL.

AND SINCE, IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT THE USER EXPERIENCE, THE S-CLASS USHERS IN THE 2ND GENERATION OF MERCEDES-BENZ'S USER EXPERIENCE WITH NEW FEATURES SUCH AS A 3D DRIVER DISPLAY WITH EYE-TRACKING, AND A HUGE HEAD-UP DISPLAY WITH AUGMENTED REALITY THAT PROJECTS ANIMATED TURN ARROWS DIRECTLY ONTO THE ROAD AHEAD.

AMBIENT LIGHTING MAY NOT SEEM LIKE THAT BIG OF A DEAL, BUT HERE, THERE ARE 250 L-E-Ds AROUND THE CABIN TIED INTO JUST ABOUT EVERY VEHICLE SYSTEM SO THEY CAN VISUALLY COMMUNICATE WITH YOU.

THE S500 CAN ALSO SET THE MOOD FOR YOU WITH A LIGHT SHOW AND A MASSAGE WHILE YOU SIT IN TRAFFIC; WHETHER YOU'RE LOOKING TO WIND DOWN OR GET ENERGIZED.

SEATS ARE SUMPTUOUS, AND INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE.

WE WONDER WHAT OTHER WORLD PROBLEMS THEIR SEAT DESIGNERS COULD SOLVE IF THEY PUT THEIR MINDS TO IT.

REAR SEATS ARE JUST AS COMFORTABLE, WITH PLENTY OF ROOM TO STRETCH OUT.

FOR NOW, ENGINE CHOICES FOLLOW THE FAMILIAR 6 OR 8.

THE STANDARD 6 IN THE S500 IS MERCEDES' LATEST INLINE 3.0 LITER WITH 429 HORSEPOWER AND 384 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THE OPTIONAL V8 IS A 496 HORSEPOWER TWIN-TURBO IN THE S580.

BOTH HAVE INTEGRATED 48 VOLT STARTER-GENERATORS, COME WITH 4MATIC ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, AND WORK WITH A 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

BASED ON EXPERIENCE, WE EXPECTED OUR S500 TEST CAR TO DELIVER A SPECTACULAR RIDE, AND YET...STILL...IT WOWED US WITH ITS SHEER GRACE AND COMPOSURE.

AIDED BY THE E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL SYSTEM THAT MAKES SUBTLE SUSPENSION ADJUSTMENTS 1,000 TIMES PER SECOND.

ALL OF THAT PROCESSING POWER HELPED IT NAVIGATE OUR CONE COURSE AT MASON DIXON DRAGWAY QUITE EFFICIENTLY AS WELL.

YOU DO FEEL QUITE ISOLATED, BUT STEERING IS LIGHTNING QUICK; THERE IS NO UNDERSTEER AT ALL, AND ONLY MINOR AMOUNTS OF BODY ROLL.

WHAT INITIALLY FELT LIKE OVERSTEER, WAS OUR TEST CAR'S OPTIONAL REAR-AXLE STEERING PUSHING THE REAR AROUND A LITTLE BIT TO HELP THE CAR GET THROUGH HERE EVEN FASTER.

THIS S500 CERTAINLY DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A SMALL CAR, BUT IT SURE DOES MOVE WELL FOR ITS SIZE.

DON'T FEEL LIKE UPGRADING TO THE THIRSTIER V8?

NO WORRIES, THIS 6 IS MORE THAN CAPABLE.

PLENTY OF TORQUE, PLENTY OF GRIP, AND PLENTY OF CONSISTENCY AS THERE'S NOT MUCH FOR YOU TO DO REALLY; THE CAR TAKES OFF AGGRESSIVELY AND HITS 60 IN ONLY 4.6 SECONDS NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO.

SHIFTS ARE QUICK, WITH A NICE LITTLE HIT OF POWER ACCOMPANYING EACH ONE.

WE COMPLETED THE QUARTER-MILE IN 13.1 SECONDS AT 108 MILES PER HOUR.

IN NO WAY DOES IT FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ACTUALLY TRAVELLING THAT FAST, AS THE S500 IS EXTREMELY STABLE AT HIGH SPEEDS.

THE BRAKES WEREN'T QUITE AS ON BOARD WITH THE OVERALL MISSION; LOTS OF PEDAL TRAVEL, INCONSISTENT RESULTS, AND AT 134 FOOT AVERAGE FROM 60, STOPS WERE A LITTLE LONGER THAN WE'D LIKE TO SEE; THOUGH IT REMAINED INCREDIBLY STABLE.

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WIDTH, EVERY EXTERIOR DIMENSION IS FRACTIONALLY LARGER.

WHILE NOT EXACTLY BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT, STATELY AND CLASSY ARE CERTAINLY APT DESCRIPTORS.

THE LONG WHEELBASE AND SHORT OVERHANGS DEPICT THE MAXIMIZING OF INTERIOR SPACE, AS WELL AS HELP PROVIDE ALL OF THAT STABILITY AT HIGH SPEEDS.

AMG LINE ACCESSORIES ADD 21 INCH WHEELS, UNIQUE FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS, AND SIDE SKIRTS; ALONG WITH SOME UNIQUE MATERIALS INSIDE TO LEND A SPORTY FLAIR WITHOUT SUBTRACTING FROM THE LUXURIOUS VIBE.

PRICING FOR THE 6-CYLINDER STARTS AT $110,850, WITH THE V8 COMING IN AT $117,350.

SO YES, ONCE AGAIN, THE MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS HAS TAKEN LUXURY TO A NEW LEVEL.

BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, WE'VE ALREADY SPENT TIME IN THE ALL-ELECTRIC EQS WHICH MORE TRULY REPRESENTS THE FUTURE OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ BRAND.

SO, IF THIS 2022 EDITION IS THE LAST HURRAH FOR A TRADITIONAL INTERNAL COMBUSTION S-CLASS SEDAN AS WE KNOW IT AS THEIR FLAGSHIP, AND AS MERCEDES-BENZ CALLS IT, "THE BEST AUTOMOBILE IN THE WORLD;" WELL, IT'S CERTAINLY GOING OUT ON ONE HECK OF A HIGH NOTE.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK , INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME.

WE'LL SHOWCASE OUR 2022 DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARDS AND LAY DOWN CLASSIC TIRE TREAD IN THE LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH.

UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

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