Agent004
Agent004
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
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Tags: Mercedes, 4Matic, S-Class

Tag Links: Mercedes, 4Matic, S-Class

An Experience Unlike Any Other
I’m not sure what percentage of SUV drivers have ever been off-roading, but I bet the number is unsurprisingly low. What about the number of drivers who have taken their Mercedes S-Class off-road? Definitely low? Definitely low! Well, the spies were offered the opportunity to do just that this past week, to test out the all new 4Matic system, and we weren’t turning this down. The event was held up in Lake Placid, NY, home of the 1980 Olympics, and judging by the area, not much has changed since. It’s a cozy town, still living in the memories of what must have been a wild time for country folk. In order for this trip to be a success, it called for some serious ingredients to all fall into place:
  1. A 2007 Mercedes S-Class 4Matic, preferably not your own!
  2. An off-road test track
  3. Snow/Ice – anything slippery
  4. Acceptance of the fact that you could easily wreck a $100,000 car
Well, we were good for 3 out of the 4. We were obviously supplied the car, all season tires securing it to the road. The off-road test track was part airstrip, part….landfill? I had already accepted full responsibility for any damage when I took the keys….so that just left the snow…Something no one anticipated becoming a factor in upstate New York (read Canada) was there being a total lack of the white powder. Barely a dusting separated the all-seasons from the dirt, how were we really going to test out this new 4Matic? Well, if it wasn’t cold enough for snow, it was warm enough to melt what was there and turn that hard dirt into a slippery, muddy, mess.

And did we get these cars messy.

With all the mud slinging from the tires, you’d think for sure we were sliding all over the place. Just the opposite in fact…we couldn’t have any fun! We couldn’t drift the S, we could barely get it to lose its traction! Gunning it around a corner only brought the car to the end of the corner faster, there was no drama, there was no sliding, no pushing, no power oversteer. The car just turned and stuck. Not bad for a highway cruiser, heck not bad for full fledged off road truck!

We were given the whole fleet of 4Matics to try out on this off-road course, and the S-Class was only bested by the GL. The S-Class felt more planted, more connected, more secure then the G, the ML and the R. The ML was close, but given its shorter wheelbase, it didn’t feel as locked down. If I wasn’t there to test out the S for myself, I’d be in total disbelief, but there I was, giving the car full gas around tight turns, and just driving as if the car was Velcro locked to the road.

So what’s new with this 4matic system entering it’s 100th year of existence? The full details are available here (pdf) but the short breakdown is:
  1. 45/55 F/R power distribution (old was 40/60)
  2. 75lbs less than its predecessor and only 145lbs more than RWD
  3. Just 3% fuel consumption increase
  4. Available with a diesel engine for the first time ever(S 320 CDI)
With 48 different Mercedes models offering 4Matic, it’s bound to be on the car you want. Being from the Northeast, I buy AWD cars for daily drivers, and after having this experience with a sedan, I feel fully confident about purchasing it over an SUV and being able to get to where I need to go when the weather gets tough. I don’t think I’m a candidate for an S-Class just yet, but that E550 I could sure see me off-roading driving around in.
An Experience Unlike Any Other



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EL34iEL34i - 1/22/2007 2:34:58 AM
+6 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Gotta hone those off-roading skills when you have to jockey for position in the back parking lot of Neiman Marcus.

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EL34iEL34i - 1/22/2007 9:44:39 AM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
It's just you.

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1995e341995e34 - 1/22/2007 12:05:24 PM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
the r class has it's place. i don't know of any better looking minivan.

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Agent004Agent004 - 1/22/2007 12:11:46 PMView My AgentSpace
+4 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
and as a snow plow :)

Merceds R-Class Plow

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smshnicksmshnick - 1/22/2007 12:16:41 PM
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
I don't see alot of icey conditions just a dirt track with some frost...

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EL34EL34 - 1/22/2007 5:40:58 PM
0 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
That's why I love the R-Class.

Benz, best in snow!

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speedmasterspeedmaster - 1/22/2007 8:23:29 PMView My AgentSpace
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What am I missing here? I am slightly un-impressed.
A $15,000 Suzuki SX4 could do all of that unscathed!
Really, where is the off-roading?

Just dirt road with some frost. A FWD car can do that.


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Agent004Agent004 - 1/22/2007 11:35:25 PMView My AgentSpace
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Ya? Try it, and tell me which one feels more stable.

I guess you'll just have to trust me when I say the course was icey.


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 1/22/2007 9:45:04 PMView My AgentSpace
-2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Love the S550 4Matic.

Hoping I can pick up a used one ('07) for the wife next year.

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vdivvdiv - 1/22/2007 11:19:50 PM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Heh, that's not off-road, that's either dirt roads or packed hard-frozen ground with a few snowflakes and dead grass blades on it. No wonder you couldn't skid this extremely heavy car, it was driven on sand, you know, the stuff that is put on icy roads to increase traction.

Here is my idea of off-road driving :)

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=qkjcll7.18fiwhzf&x=0&y=8r2av8

It required a large tow truck, a winch and crawling in the mud underneath the ML 430 to get it out.

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SixxFiveSixxFive - 1/23/2007 11:58:22 PM
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
S4Cabriofoxone1: if these picture are so unattractive to you, don't look at them. Additionally, the so called 'comparison in German' between the LS and S-Class was merely an article comparing safety features of both cars - they gave the nod to the LS because it has two more airbags than the S. They have yet to do a full road test which will obviously reveal which car they prefer. If you don't know what you are talking about or have your facts wrong don't say anything at all.

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truckmentruckmen - 1/26/2007 11:45:28 PM
+2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Off road champ? Not ready to chalenge the Jeep Rubicon yet!Although Mercedes does make the worlds best truck hands down, the Mercedes Unimog! They should be focusing on this car as an all weather car for driving on compact snow... I agree that those that want an suv that don't need all the space should consider this all wheel drive car, more performance and better fuel economy.004 if a corola can do it its not off road driving, but I won't disagree with the fact the benz would be more stable.I would perfer a Subaru for this.Journalists PLEASE stop using the word "off road" for cars or incapable suvs! Just my opinion. I did like the snow plow photo! I would rather had seen a dead moose on the front hood with some red necks with rifles posing in camo, I would like that! Then you could compare it to a truck!

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