Since the discussion has narrowed down to a W222 vs. the rest of the luxury automobile world, I'm sticking to this theme even though I do not find it very appropriate. As I and others have said before, the S class has rarely lost customers to BMW or Audi because these customers would never really think about an alternative brand (and by brand I mean the S-KLASSE). It's more about those who like luxury cars but have not absolutely fixed preferences. These can be convinced. By a true alternative.
I respect any person's decision to choose to not own a car, or to buy either a Dacia or a Rolls, a 7er or an S class. However, when some people in here claim in rather absolute terms something like 'the S class interior is way beyond its competitors (and on par with the Phantom)', then this is just not true. It may be your taste but it's not THE ONE reality. If I wanted to be harsh, I'd say the S class has not been fully finalized in general (e.g., control boxes, transmission, production issues) and it would not be a lie. (Lately, a Harman-Becker colleague told me about the final phases of the software 'tuning' and the pressure that was put on his unit to work top-to-bottom). This fact is covered well and will probably not be perceived by many customers (and some reviewers) but it's still true. The innovations are there but I have the impression that Mercedes does not even emphasize them. E.g. the safety equipment is fantastic (even though I hoped the Breaking Bag would also become reality) but they keep selling their dash and two gigantic screens.
Whatever ...... I heard some call the W222 phenomenon the 'reverse Phaeton'. That was a great product with many innovations in production terms (true handwork in big numbers) but more or less nobody acknowledged the fact ..... probably because it looked like a bloated Passat. (Actually, we are preparing a study investigating the reaction to different design approaches (humble vs. pompous) and will use eye-movement analyses and EEG to get some idea when and how people reach their conclusion.)
In the following, I will try to substantiate my claims and to not sound like someone who wants to put others off the W222. As mentioned earlier, I took part in a little convention with a G11 insider. He brought along cool info and some specials. I don't want to ruin my reputation so I'll just post pictures that have been taken by many others as well. On the info side, I found one thing striking: he mentioned an internal report with customer feedback on the F01 (from 2011 or so) where it got some rather devastating grades mostly being criticized as 'confusable' (like the Phaeton
). So obviously, it was an explicit goal to really create a package that makes the G11 more than just a big BMW.
More interestingly, there was a hands-on part which illustrates the upper part of this post. We were testing surfaces for their authenticity, hardness of plastic etc. like they also did empirically (using qualitative measures as well as pressure and temperature sensors). Even though other products were present, I limit myself to W222 and BMW parts and focus on aluminum elements as they have been discussed vividly.
Burmester parts: great! High-quality in part full aluminum, cool on the back of the hand. Door opener, ps/pw controls: very light keys, simple coat, imprecise pressure points, relatively high tolerance. Lower area, door pocket: hard plastic, little compressive deformation. When compared directly, the W221 is less playful, of course, but is (subjectively and objectively) executed more careful.
Vents/pipes: only identifiable as aluminum by eyesight not by touch alone. Plain (hard) plastic easily visible. Also very light parts, no clear grinding in regulation. Also suboptimal in functional terms.
Steering wheel: great basic idea (2 spokes, very traditional), well executed. Frame has an aluminum feel, keys - again - not.
Central control: probably the best part, in terms of tactile quality (together with climate etc. switch panel). The wheel gives good control and feedback, and feels authentic. Surprisingly, the C class delivers an even better solution, as the frame of the touchpad hand rest is executed in a really good coating.
However, and that's very important: if you don't touch and press etc., all of this does not bother you at all. Because it still looks good.
Frame of the vent/interior panel (of some unknown BMW
): alu panel not identifiable as such, hard plastic feel. Will probably/hopefully not reach series production. Frame cool on the back of the hand, good coating. Clear tactile difference between the surfaces.
Legroom driver seat: rather low seam line between soft and hard plastic. Hard plastic indeed cheap, but soft plastic with a good grain, no reaction to intensive rubbing, very responsive even to soft press (that sounds a little R rated
but that's how we put it)
Some random aluminum key, near the shifter: clearly identifiable only by touch, good coating, and like cut from one piece (three-dimensional, rectangular, not playful).
F01 center console: obviously served as a good example because it was highly valued by customers who appreciated the execution of the single elements (alu, nubuck, and suede) and their composition.
A really cool aluminum edge in an upcoming model: great coating, easily perceived as aluminum only by touch. Very dimensional structure as it folds around the edge and, by that, links and creates surfaces.
Downside: all of this may look coarse to you and lack in effect and spectacle.
Maybe that helps to understand how different people approach design solutions and finishes differently.
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