‘Entry-level’ two-door is fast and luxurious, so who needs an AMG?

Mercedes has traditionally been one of the best at producing large, imposing and ultra-luxurious two-door grand coupés, and the new S-Class is no exception.

• Mercedes S-Class Coupe review

We’ve tried the powerful AMG models in recent months, but what’s life like at the entry point to the line-up, in the S 500 Coupé?

Mercedes S500 Coupe - rear tracking


Bottom of the range is a relative term here, as entrance to the exclusive S-Class club starts at a considerable £96,000. While the S 63 and S 65 enjoy AMG-tuned twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 and 6.0-litre V12 engines under their long bonnets respectively, the S 500 makes do with ‘just’ a 4.7-litre V8.

Although some people may scoff at its comparatively measly 449bhp output, it still has a colossal 700Nm of torque – allowing this two-tonne leather-lined grand tourer to cover 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds.

Mercedes S500 Coupe - cabin



As a comparison, the twin-turbo V12 S 65 only gets there half a second quicker and is limited to the same 155mph top speed.

Under hard acceleration, the S 500 is pleasingly vocal, too. While the AMG models get special sporty exhausts, the S 500 still offers up plenty of drama – with the V8 growling right through the rev range. But, as this is still an ultra-luxurious four-seater GT car, the Coupé is more than capable of travelling in near-silence.

Mercedes S500 Coupe - front seats

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Thanks to a nine-speed auto box and double glazing, the S 500 can settle down to an eerily hushed cruise, making light work of motorways and long distances. Turn on to a country road and the slightly numb steering and the car’s vast size will remind you this is a grand tourer, not a sports coupé.

Our test car raised comfort up to the next level, though, with its Magic Body Control system. It’s a £4,250 option and works by using a clever front-facing camera to scan the road and spot potholes and road imperfections, setting the car up to pre-empt any inevitable jolts.

Mercedes S500 Coupe - driving



In fact, Magic Body Control is just the start, as our car had a wealth of desirable options, pushing the price up to an eye-watering £130,000.

That, however, is the price of S-Class ownership, and, for those who can afford to splash out on arguably the flashiest Mercedes on the market, money isn’t likely to be a problem.

But, far from being the AMG models’ lesser sibling, we think this super-sleek, quiet and quick V8 S 500 could be the pick of the S Coupé range.
Key specs

Price: £96,195
Engine: 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8
Power/torque: 449bhp/700Nm

Transmission: Nine-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
0-62mph/top speed: 4.6 secs/155mph
Economy/CO2: 33.2mpg/197g/km

Edition 463 special edition of Merc's G63 SUV gets a power boost and visual tweaks
Motoring icons are like listed buildings – major alterations are forbidden. That’s why changes to the latest Mercedes-AMG G63 have been kept to a minimum – with a mild power upgrade and light visual tweaks.

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The rest of the shape is pretty similar to the 1979 original, with that familiar boxy shape, slab-sided panels, exposed screw heads and old-fashioned round headlamps.

Most people struggle to comprehend why anyone would want a G-Class over one of Merc’s more modern SUVs – and they’d be aghast that the £138,000 AMG version is actually the best seller.

However, take a step back and you start to see the appeal. The AMG G63 is one of a handful of vehicles with undeniable charisma. First there’s the thumping V8 soundtrack from the ostentatious twin chrome exhaust pipes. Then there’s the juxtaposition of its utilitarian and AMG sporting frippery. And the contrast is even more extreme with our Edition 463 model.

That number relates to Merc’s codename for the current model iteration, which hasn’t benefitted from any major structural changes since its introduction in 1990.

This upgrade pack adds a stainless steel under body guard, 21-inch wheels and stripes.

Mercedes-AMG G63 Edition 463 - interior



Another thing that’s reminiscent of the nineties is the ‘clank’ the G’s door makes when you slam it. Yet inside this tractor throws another curveball by feeling no less modern than any other model in the range.

The Edition 463 includes a two-tone dash, carbon fibre trim and diamond pattern seat and door panels. After just a few miles though, you’re back in the 1990s as the central locking engages with the crack of a starting pistol.

At least the G63 AMG gets out of its blocks pretty sharpish. The 5.5-litre twin-turbo engine now has 563bhp – an increase of 27bhp – while there’s 760Nm of torque which, as we discovered, is enough to spin up all four wheels in damp conditions.


Which brings us on to another update – the improved stability control. It’s vital on a vehicle which accelerates like a rocket ship, yet turns like a cruise liner. It doesn’t help there’s loads of play in the steering.

Like a toddler, the wheel requires constant attention as it meanders off line without repeated corrections, while the bumpy ride will be a shock to anyone who is used to the air-sprung waftiness of the Mercedes GLE.



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Once again though the G63’s charm makes you overlook it failings. Yes the ride is appalling but it provides strength to deal with extreme off-roading. The low ratio gearbox and three locking differentials add to the weight, but they will prevent you getting stuck in the mud.



It doesn’t matter that most people will never use these features because, as you manhandle the turbo-boosted, luxury-lined G63 through town, at least you know that like a listed building, the G-Class is still 100 per cent authentic.
Key specs

Price: £149,970
Engine: 5.5-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power/torque: 563bhp/760Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed auto, four-wheel drive

0-62mph/top speed: 5.4 secs/130mph
Economy/CO2: 20.5mpg/322g/km
On sale: Now

Revised looks and the option of adaptive damping for the new Mercedes A-Class facelift

This, believe it or not, is the updated Mercedes A-Class. Look for the diamond-pattern front grille, different rear light clusters, re-sculpted bumpers front and rear, and integrated tailpipes in order to spot one, although if it’s a diesel model like this A220 d, there’s an easier giveaway in the form of the boot badging.

The A-Class has been brought into line with the rest of the Mercedes range nomenclature, meaning the diesels are no longer CDIs but instead bear the ‘d’ suffix. As the Mercedes has always been a handsome car, the mild alterations do little to spoil its kerb appeal.

Mercedes A-Class - rear tracking

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The Mercedes’ interior also looks little different from the pre-facelift cabin, although it’s fine in terms of fit and finish – that awkward freestanding display screen in the centre of the dash aside. Mercedes claims £1,100 of additional equipment for list price increases of a mere £350, so even entry-spec SE cars get Media Interface, 16-inch alloys, a reversing camera, Artico upholstery and other items to make them feel premium. Spend another £995 and Sport trim adds 17-inch wheels, Dynamic Select, a larger eight-inch display and climate control, while AMG Line cars (£1,295 on Sport) upgrade the alloys to 18s and bring in AMG bodystyling with lowered suspension.

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However, for £595, two-mode selective damping can be fitted on AMG Line, limited Motorsport Edition and A250 AMG models. This lets you choose between Comfort and Sport modes, although as it is properly adaptive, the system can vary the settings on the fly according to how the car is being driven at the time. And it’s this that makes the A-Class a more appealing vehicle than it was before.

In Comfort mode, the A220 d makes a much better job of soaking up road imperfections before they reach the car’s occupants. There’s still an underlying feeling of slightly firm secondary ride characteristics, but overall the Mercedes is more comfortable on particularly craggy roads than it has ever been before. The seats are comfier too and aside from wind noise emanating from the A-pillars at speed, the A220 d is a superb motorway cruiser.

Mercedes A-Class - interior



It’s a shame the 2.1-litre turbodiesel hasn’t been subjected to some updates though, as it remains a louder, coarser unit than rival 2.0-litre engines from Audi and BMW. It’s muscular enough, helped by the facelifted car gaining an extra 7bhp to stand at a maximum of 175bhp delivered between 3,600- and 3,800rpm. But if you decide to rev it out to 4,000rpm, it becomes extremely vocal and strained in its delivery. We also saw just 42.8mpg from the A220 d during a relatively unstressed drive, so we’d hope that as the engine frees up the Mercedes might get closer to the brochure numbers.

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Running costs should be impressive, though, as even the automatic-only A220 d sits in Band B for VED, amounting to £20 a year. Its Benefit-in-Kind rate is just 19 per cent, but avoid specifying £1,500 4Matic all-wheel drive unless you really need it as that moves CO2 emissions up to 124g/km (Band D, £110 per annum) and drops quoted economy to 58.9mpg.

Mercedes A-Class - sat-nav

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If you need even more parsimony, Mercedes offers a lower power 2.1 (134bhp) in the A200 d and a 1.6-litre turbodiesel for the A180 d (108bhp). These two are expected to be the best sellers in the range, as the A180 d manual can dip as low as 89g/km CO2 with 80.7mpg, while the A200 d automatic on 16-inch wheels emits 99g/km with 74.3mpg.

There’s no doubt the A-Class has been improved by the mid-life facelift and it’s now up there with the Audi A3 challenging for class honours. At more than £28,000 in the UK, the A220 d isn’t a cheap car but it does feel like a high quality product in most departments – the noisy 2.1-litre diesel aside.

We’d definitely recommend opting for the selective damping (if you go for one of the top-spec cars) as it provides superb ride quality for the baby Mercedes.
Key specs

Price: £28,385
Engine: 2.1-litre 4cyl turbodiesel
Power/torque: 175bhp, 350Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto, front-wheel drive

0-62mph/Top speed: 7.5 secs/140mph
Economy/CO2: 67.3mpg/109g/km
On sale: Now

Despite a less powerful engine, the Mercedes GLC 220d offers few real-world drawbacks over pricier GLC models
We’ve already driven the powerful GLC 250d and plug-in 350e. But how does the cheaper 220d fare in a competitive premium SUV market awash with BMW X3s and Audi Q5s?

The 220d uses a detuned version of the 2.1-litre diesel engine in the 250d – and is exactly the same unit you’ll find in the identically badged C-Class. With 168bhp, it’s 33bhp down on the GLC 250d, while peak torque is reduced from 500Nm to 400Nm.

On the road though, the deficit is barely noticeable. Yes, the 250d is more eager when you plant the throttle in third or fourth gear, but from a standstill both cars build speed in a gentle yet efficient manner. The 220d goes from 0-62mph just seven tenths slower than the 250d (8.3 seconds vs 7.6 seconds) yet costs £1,155 less spec-for-spec.

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Our car had the optional air suspension – but as we mentioned in our previous reviews, all UK cars come with steel springs and adaptive dampers. As a result, the GLC rides really well, and even this entry-level 220d is remarkably refined. Unlike in the C-Class, the rattly diesel is nicely suppressed, and there’s very little to speak of in terms of wind noise or tyre roar.

The GLC is no sports car, but body roll is controlled and there’s plenty of grip. The lesser 220d gets a 45:55 front to rear torque split, while the faster 250d sends 69 per cent to the back axle. It’d take a very keen driver to distinguish any difference in normal driving, though, and the two actually feel very similar on a twisting country road.



As with the 250d, all 220d models get a nine-speed automatic gearbox, which despite being single clutch, swaps cogs smoothly. It’ll quickly drop from ninth to fifth if you ask it to, and even into fourth if you request maximum acceleration by pushing the throttle right to the floor.

Mercedes GLC 220d - interior

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That gearbox certainly helps fuel economy too. The GLC 220d posts exactly the same fuel economy and CO2 figures as the more expensive 250d. Both cars return 56.5mpg and emit 129g/km of CO2 for £110 annual road tax.
Key specs

Price: £34,950
Engine: 2.1-litre 4-cyl diesel
Power/torque: 168bhp/400Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed auto, four-wheel drive

0-62mph/Top speed: 8.3s/130mph
Economy/CO2: 56.5mpg/129g/km
On sale : Now

You would never confuse the Porsche Boxster with an elephant; it neither looks nor acts nor smells like one. Yet whenever considering the merits of the Audi TT roadster, the baby Porsche plays pachyderm, a gray presence lurking in the room. The Boxster feels faster, is more agile, and—many would say—is better-looking than its four-ringed cousin. And while the Porsche also is more expensive, the margin is probably not great enough to discourage anybody who is determined to buy the best compact German roadster.

Yet the reality of the TT roadster has always diverged considerably from its portrayal as a dynamic also-ran. This is the thoroughly sensible open-topped sports car, a definition that verges on the oxymoronic but is nevertheless a niche that previous generations of TT roadster have successfully colonized. Like the third-generation TT coupe, the new roadster combines a decent dose of both style and practicality, and it marries respectable athleticism with the reassurance delivered by an all-wheel-drive chassis. As such, like its predecessors, it’s a sporty car for people who don’t want an actual sports car.
Recognizably TT





The basics remain the same as the previous two generations. The TT roadster is a stylishly decapitated version of the coupe, one that loses the hardtop’s tiny rear seats and gains a powered roof with the ability to magically disappear behind the rear roll hoops. It does this impressively well, motoring up and down in a matter of seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph. The combination of a low seating position and high beltline means the TT feels cozy when traveling top-down; a powered wind deflector rises between the seats to further reduce buffeting. This is a cabriolet in which you can conduct a conversation at 70 mph without having to shout. With the roof up, it’s fractionally louder than the coupe at cruising speeds, but it still feels well isolated from the surrounding world.

Compared with the coupe, the roadster runs an additional $3500, loses those marginal rear seats, and gains some 200 pounds. In still further support for Newtonian physics, it turns in slightly slower acceleration numbers as a consequence. Drive the roadster and the coupe back to back and the softtop feels heavier on its feet and less responsive. Look hard enough, and drive fast enough, and you can detect some mild flex in its structure on rougher road surfaces, especially with the roof down. But these are fractional differences; the impressive thing is how close the roadster gets despite missing a major structural component.



Which brings us back to the fundamental TT-ness—and an acknowledgement that this is a sports-lite type of car, one that majors in grip and safety but doesn’t deliver a huge amount of the feedback and entertainment that normally draw buyers to this segment. The 2.0-liter TSI engine is in 220-hp tune and performs as we’ve come to expect from its myriad other applications. There’s a hint of lag as the turbocharger starts to spin, followed by a strong midrange that begins to tail off only above 6000 rpm. Dropping the roof also gives a chance to confirm there is a genuine hard edge to the exhaust note beyond that normally added by the sound-symposer system.

The standard TT roadster is no rocket ship, with the chassis’ relentless quest for adhesion making it feel less exciting than the 5.2-second zero-to-60-mph time suggests. The quick wits of the standard dual-clutch automatic transmission give it impressively fleet responses when asked to make sudden progress in drive, although the system sometimes struggles to cope with requests for multiple downshifts made while in manual mode. Grip levels are high but there’s little sense of adjustability beyond the ability to tighten the front end’s trajectory by easing off the throttle. At the limit there’s well-contained steady-state understeer. As usual, the switchable steering feels most natural when Audi Drive Select is in Comfort mode, and the Dynamic setting makes steering effort heavier without adding any additional sensation.
Does It Matter How It Drives?

Time to acknowledge another room-dwelling heffalump: the fact that, for many potential buyers, the way the TT roadster drives is likely to be relatively low on the list of priorities. And while the third-generation TT can’t match the shock value of the original’s bulbous, Bauhaus-inspired form, it’s still a handsome machine. Indeed, its lowness and the tightness of its overhangs are proof of how far the Volkswagen Group’s modular MQB architecture can be stretched.

The cabin is very well finished and feels more spacious than a Boxster’s. Switchgear is minimal—the HVAC controls are built into the central air vents, and many functions are controlled by the MMI interface and the vast “Virtual Cockpit” display screen that sits in front of the driver. This is likely to be one of the most controversial elements of the car. As we’ve commented before, it’s mostly invisible from the passenger’s seat, giving the cabin a distinctly undemocratic vibe. But for some the vast, 12.3-inch screen, its smooth-scrolling graphics, and the ability to configure it in different ways will tip the scales in favor. As always with modern Audis, the streaming Google navigation, which gives a similar perspective to having your own low-level drone beaming images in high definition, is particularly impressive.

This TT roadster carries on where its predecessors left off. It’s no Porsche Boxster, and that will lead many to regard it as being insufficiently focused. Yet for some it will continue to be perfectly compromised.

New compact luxury crossovers are being introduced apace, with strong-selling models like the Lexus NX and the Lincoln MKC claiming large slices of a pie once carved up almost exclusively by Acura, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. But there’s still goodness to be found among the older guard, particularly BMW’s X3.

Introduced in 2003 as one of the first of its breed, the BMW X3 entered its second generation for 2011 and was updated for 2015 with revised styling, the addition of diesel and rear-drive models, and some new convenience features. So far the only refreshed model we’ve tested was—ahem—the xDrive28d diesel, but we’ve reviewed this generation plenty. The turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder model won a comparison test against the Audi Q5 and the Range Rover Evoque, and we’ve also spent quality time with the four-cylinder xDrive28i and the pre-update xDrive35i.

What didn’t change in the update was the driving experience. The X3’s chassis—an adaptation of the 3-series’—delivers levels of engagement and poise rare among its peers. While our preferred choice for back-road bombing is something much lower to the ground, the X3 is willing to play along, and it’s well suited for day-to-day driving, too. The steering is accurate and linear (if not particularly talkative), and the chassis offers a ride-and-handling balance that belies this crossover’s height and weight, although the ride can verge on too firm with the larger wheels and sportier suspension options our review model lacked. The X3’s standout trait, however, is simply how cohesive it feels in operation; whether driven hard or at a lesser pace, its major elements all work in harmony.



BMW’s familiar, 300-hp N55 turbocharged six is as smooth and tractable here as in its myriad other applications, offering good power throughout its rev range, and it scoots the 4200-pound xDrive35i to 60 mph in a relatively strong 5.3 seconds, a 0.2-second improvement over our test of the 2011 version. All-wheel drive is standard with this engine, as is a well-programmed and unobtrusive eight-speed automatic transmission.

However, as with several other X3s we’ve tested, braking distance from 70 mph was disappointing—15 feet or so off the segment’s best. The hardware is solid, and the brake pedal offers consistent feel, but the X3 should be better. The factory-fitted all-season rubber might be to blame, but at this price point, one shouldn’t have to swap out tires to get satisfactory stopping performance.



Speaking of price, the X3 isn’t cheap. While the rear-drive sDrive28i and its turbocharged four-cylinder engine ring in around $40K, the 35i starts at $46,025 and goes up from there—our example rang in at $54,325. While the $950 Cold Weather pack (heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, headlamp washers) and $550 red paint seem like reasonable charges, the $3150 Technology (navigation, head-up display, BMW Apps and other connectivity functions) and $2200 Premium packages (leather, proximity entry and start, adjustable lumbar support, satellite radio) come across as gouging to us; we’d likely leave at least one of those boxes unchecked. The balance of the as-tested price can be chalked up to the $950 Driver Assistance bundle (rearview camera, parking sensors) and $500 Bluetooth and smartphone connectivity.

It turns out the old guard can still do good, and if you can’t bear the thought of driving an actual station wagon instead of a station wagon on stilts—and can deal with BMW’s uninspiring interior design—the X3 remains a fine choice in a fiercely competitive segment. Just watch it with the options.

For most of the pony-car breed’s existence, settling for the V-6 version has been just that: settling. The low rumble of the V-8 has long established a clear hierarchy in the red-light jungle. The V-6 is second place, the first loser. It’s the natural order of things and this V-6 is no different. But before you hide your Pony-Car Participant award in the junk drawer, know that conceding two cylinders has never felt better than in the new Chevrolet Camaro.
Stepping Away from the Hertz Counter

Unlike the six-cylinder Camaros of the recent past, driving the 2016 version triggered zero memories of the Hertz counter at LAX. It may look like it should still have barcode stickers on its windows, but this is a changed Camaro. While the design looks the same and the trunk opening is still impossibly tiny, there are no exterior parts shared with last year’s car. Park old next to new and the differences begin to emerge. Most of all, what’s noticeable is that the ’16 is a bit angrier and leaner looking. Inches have been pruned from every dimension. It’s shorter, lower, and narrower.



Design may have punted, but engineering went for the win. Hiding beneath the Camaro’s skin is GM’s rear-drive Alpha platform shared with the Cadillac ATS and CTS. Fractionally smaller than before, our $35,065 Camaro 2LT manual weighed 3467 pounds, making it more than 300 pounds lighter than the last V-6 manual we tested. With less weight to fight against and 12 more horsepower, the updated 3.6-liter V-6—an engine that resides in everything from Colorados to Cadillacs—pulls with V-8 ambition. Acceleration to 60 mph takes 5.4 seconds and the quarter-mile is traversed in 14.1 seconds at 100 mph. Shifts from the six-speed manual are exact and easy. Every opening of the throttle is accompanied by a deep guttural growl out of the dual-mode exhaust, a must-have option at $895.



Listening to the V-6 ape a V-8, you may begin to notice that you can’t see out. Like the last Camaro, the 2016 has about as much glass as does the Unabomber’s supermax cell. GM design seems obsessed with exploring how small it can make windows. We’d love to have a Camaro with great visibility, but that’s not happening unless you opt for the convertible and never put the top up. At least the fenders are visible, which makes placing the front of the car easier.

Still looking inward, we notice the analog tachometer and speedometer flank a digital screen that can be configured to show a number of different displays controlled by buttons on the small-diameter steering wheel. Mounted low in the center console are two large HVAC vents. In an Audi-like bit of UI, turning the vents’ metal bezels adjusts the temperature. A narrow row of HVAC controls and a touch screen sit above the vents. It’s disconcerting that the touch screen is canted slightly downward, presumably to cut glare, but it works quickly and features Apple CarPlay, which allows it to parallel some iPhone capabilities. There are some low-grade plastics on the top of the instrument panel that you’d never find in an Audi, but this is an altogether nicer place to be than the last Camaro. Our biggest gripe about the interior is the inability to see out of it.
Powerful Hold

The visibility issue certainly will be a deal-breaker for some, but the Camaro’s handling rekindles our pony-car lust. Even on all-season Goodyear Eagle F1 tires (summer rubber isn’t available from the factory), the V-6 Camaro hooks to the road and barely leans. We measured a secure and easily exploited 0.91 g on the skidpad. Mighty last-gen Camaros such as the SS 1LE and the Z/28 had more grip than this, but this V-6 changes direction more quickly than any Camaro we’ve ever driven.

We’re beginning to realize that this new Camaro only looks like a Camaro—hiding behind the façade is something entirely unexpected. It’s a car that feels great with a V-6. It’s a sophisticated, nimble, and refined machine. Credit the Alpha platform for transforming the Camaro. Sure, the 455-hp SS is quicker and sounds even better, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re in awe of this V-6 pony car.