Test drive Mercedes Benz S-class w221 2005-2009 sedan

Brigade "S"

Six ways to charm the bourgeoisie
Pipe Law: Oil there is dollars here. Due to the fact that we are at the right end of this system, cars that occupy all the way from the edge to the edge, this is our harsh reality. And at the head they have S-Class, presented in Moscow immediately after Gerhard Schroeder has already sat in it, the now former German chancellor.

Who is what
Mercedes-Benz S500
Price of a tested car D138827
Max. Power 388 l. With. at 6000 vol./min
Max. speed 250 km/h
Acceleration 0100 km/h 5.4 s
 
Audi A8
The price of a tested car is $ 147019
Max. Power 335 liters. With. at 6500 vol./min
Max. speed 250 km/h
Acceleration 0100 km/h 6.3 s
 
BMW 750
The price of a tested car is D104200
Max. Power 367 l. With. at 6300 vol./min
Max. speed 250 km/h
Acceleration 0100 km/h 5.9 s
 
Jaguar XJ
The price of a tested car is $ 145300
Max. Power 395 l. With. at 6100 vol./min
Max. speed 250 km/h
Acceleration 0100 km/h 5.3 s
 
Volkswagen Phaeton
The price of a tested car is $ 119212
Max. Power 335 liters. With. at 6500 vol./min
Max. speed 250 km/h
Acceleration 0100 km/h 6.9 s
 
Lexus LS
The price of a tested car is $ 97900
Max. Power 281 l. With. at 5600 vol./min
Max. speed 250 km/h
R
Mercedes-Benz S500
388 l. With. | 5.4 with | $ 138827
 
External plan
Leaving the emptiness, Mercedes borrows features from the portfolio of crossovers. For example, muscular arches
 
If you want more
The first of the unofficial tuners of the brand, Brabus, has already introduced its own option to finalize the appearance
 
Hi-Tech
hiding under an ordinary form
 
CHAMPIONSHIP
Abilities so elegantly rethinking competitors can only be envied
 
Engine
Type gasoline
The number and location of the cylinders V8
Working volume, cm3 5461
Max. Power, l. With. at about./min 388/6000
Dynamic characteristics
Max. Speed, km/h 250
Acceleration 0-100 km/h, from 5.4
common data
Wheel base, mm 3035
Length, mm 5076
Width, mm 1871
Height, mm 1473
Diameter of the turn, m 11.5
The price of a tested car, $ 138827

Neo -Futurism
Instead of an analog speedometer, the sedan has a screen with arrows at night on it is projected by an infrared chamber. The director is a director!

 
FASHION
Mercedes-Benz is now more fashionable than ever. Sharp headlights and strips on the rear lights contribute to this
 
Der neue in German, new. The newest of the German today is S-Class. So the term and time crossed at one point of space ... sounds!
This car is now in a magical situation. As an unknown picture of Picasso, as a fresh Rolling Stones album and as a new PATEK Philippe model, it will certainly be purchased, and the price does not matter here. The rare of the conceited ones will not want to meet with the President of Russia in a dream and, having a question of cars, say: I have the same. Especially when you do not need to sell your homeland for this, but quite successfully trading tangerines. From Morocco.
Surprisingly, inside the novelty does not ring a high note from each corner. The interior does not pick up the witty mood of the exterior. His calm lines, proven materials and classic solutions immediately return the brands present in the bosom. And here it was always conservative and at the same time very high -tech. Now, under the latest definition, a speedometer, in turn, is a picture on the display, high -contrast graphics on an additional screen in the center of the torpedo, and even how pneumoballons in multi -circuit sitting, blowing and inflating fasterly the rolls in corners quickly and effectively work.
Obviously, the decline in sales forced Mercedes-Benz engineers to use a lot of technical innovations on the last generation of the model, so almost nothing left on the novelty. So multi-contouring seats, and active air suspension, and even a system of preventive protection in the event of a critical situation for S-Class already yesterday, and not today. But the easier for the buyer who has already heard and saw everything, which means, is morally ready. The piquancy of the situation is added by the fact that nothing like this has been established on any of the competitors, so the S-Class still has a unique trade proposal. This is still a high-tech leader of the segment. As you can see, we already said about it, although we did not even mention the main hit of the model of a night vision camera. This is just a control shot in the head of the nearest competitors.
This car managed to turn into its advantage even the market success of the BMW 7-Series. To do this, it only needed to remove the cream from the solutions born in torment, call them non -alternative and move them to their salon with very elegant improvements. As a result, simple and understandable Idrive is now called Comand. It is convenient to control the puck, because the palm lies on an elegant stand, and to start, the steering wheel of the box should just swing down, and not back and forth down and down, like damn it, this thing works to go.
S-Class has never been recommended as a means for active driving, but the new model in this regard is more interesting than predecessors. Among competitors with V8 engines, she has the most comprehensive motor, and the new seven-speed 7G-Tronic transmission allows you to turn the moment into dynamic acceleration, which takes 5.4 s to a hundred. At the same time, the sensations of the passenger are far from that part of the spectrum where orange excitement is replaced by red anxiety or burgundy fear. The model demonstrates the reference smoothness of the course and thanks to the soundproofing system from Maybach, unnecessary noises almost do not penetrate the interior. According to this parameter, the car has no equal among those present that day in Dmitrov that day.
Of course, the new car also has its own problems. You can fairly complain that the interface by car worth a hundred thousand euros is more complicated and confusing than on C-Class, which is three times cheaper, although it should be the other way around. I must say that the BMW seats still remained the most convenient in the class. On occasion, it can be mentioned that, without stirring on the finis parts, the Stuttgarts clearly saved on a flipper of the ceiling panel. It does not cause anything but a smile. After all, the main problem of this car will still be a quota for a country that can be easily interrupted. And all due to the fact that buying decisions are erroneous and correct. As well as non -alternative.
Vasiliev about S-Class
The steering wheel is the best. The recesses are made in the back, fingers are comfortable resting. Very good information of the steering wheel. The mass is perfectly felt. It feels that the stabilizer here is much tougher than on other machines. The brakes are super. There is a telnish for a certain point. He does not progress. A small roll appears, but only to a certain level then the stabilizer holds the car. That is, it does not peck with the nose and on the side, and due to the roll of the wheel, they are better pressed against the asphalt, increasing the area of \u200b\u200bcontact. This is the quietest car. There are no aerodynamic noise on the roof, at the junctions. Management at the BMW level. And even though there is some fervor in the behavior of the car, it helps to drive a car. The BMW has the total rigidity of the car is higher, and when you cross the line of the clutch properties of the wheels, you begin to control the already flying car.
Here you also control the flooded, crouching on the wheels with a car. This is safer in terms of active driving along our roads. BMW requires good coupling qualities under the wheels of good rubber. And the best preparation of the driver.

BMW 750
367 l. With. | 5.9 with | $ 104200

After restyling
The car began to look less aggressive. But experts argue that the perfect BMW is still far away
 
Engine
Type gasoline
The number and location of the cylinders V8
Working volume, cm3 4799
Max. Power, l. With. at about./min 367/6300
Dynamic characteristics
Max. Speed, km/h 250
Acceleration 0-100 km/h, from 5.9
common data
Wheel base, mm 3130
Length, mm 5180
Width, mm 1900
Height, mm 1490
Diameter of the turn, m 12.6
The price of a tested car, $ 104200
 
Relax, Man from the back seat of BMW you can even massage the back of the front passenger
 
AIDS and tajo
The location of the tachometer on the right side gives out its dominance. So always at fast cars
 
Symmetry in the BMW salon is everything symmetrical and only two pieces. We need a second steering wheel
 
So many definitions are suitable for this car that you can use the entire palette of image colors and even borrow a couple of tubes from competitors. Aggressive, high -tech, driver, high -speed here is everything that the car seller can dream of. The minus goes only the complexity attributed to the IDRive odious system-carrier. What confirms once again that those who have never drove BMW have the most about the image of the brand.
The very first meters behind the wheel of 7-Series make you remember that compared to its competitors, the Bavarian top model is a fairly simple car. He has a classic, not a complete (like Audi, VW) drive, an eight jumped to perfection without a compressor doping (like Jaguar), six, and not a seven-speed (like MB) automatic gearbox. Magic seats holding the body is better than seat belts do not have multi -tiered pneumatic flows, but only electric drives in the old fashioned way. The controllability, thanks to which the ice melts in the chest of experienced testers, give out several metal and aluminum levers of an amazing structure. And even Idrive can become easier than the instructions for the washing machine if you start to perceive this controller, like a mouse from a desktop computer. It’s easy, right?
But the BMW marketing department will never allow this car as simpler if this place is already occupied by Mercedes-Benz. Much has already been said that these two brands, like yin and yang, are like a simple hats and carps with Kasparov, form a modern classical confrontation that decorate our world so. Therefore, the true simplicity of BMW is packed in such a complex wrapper that seems attractive not for successful economists, but rather for successful economists-destroyers.
For example, as a dish is perennically, as well as any of the seats in BMW is generously oversaturated with buttons. And without even having a priority right, from the rear seat you can change the front seat settings, achieving a better share for yourself, loved by Fortune.
The effect of the unimaginable similarity of two competitors now does not allow us to be surprised when Mercedes is called driver. The seven is almost not inferior to S-Class in terms of comfort, especially for the rear passengers.
But this does not affect the ability of this machine to pass the turns almost without roll, although with its eight of 4.8 liters it turns out to be slower than Mercedes-Benz with the new V8 5.5 engine. In this world, everything is extremely balanced. So the newest wins here today.
Vasiliev about BMW 7-Series
The shape of the steering wheel is terribly unpleasant, but, oddly enough, it is convenient to drive a machine with such a steering wheel. There are no stupid backlash in the steering; the machine is well affected by braking. It is inconvenient to use the manual switching mode on the steering wheel, the keys down are in one place, and up in another, and you need to change the grip along the drive. Unprofitable mistake.
When transferring the suspension into a dynamic mode, the machine becomes much stricter, for dynamic steering, it is necessary to rotate the steering wheel to a smaller angle. On the bumps there is a jump of the entire body, but the rolls are the same as in Comfort mode. That is not criminal. In dynamic mode, the demolition of the rear became less, there is almost no departure of the rear axle, the effect of leaning on the rubber appeared: the machine squats on the rubber, as if rubbing it into the asphalt. The box allows you not to get out of the power mode. 1000 revolutions The entire difference when switching gears.

Audi A8
335 l. With. | 6.3 s | $ 144614

VIP 4WD
The presence of all -wheel drive increases the geography of application, but reduces the range
 
CALMLY!
Audi cars have been practicing a calm design style without raisins in recent years. Now raisins appeared in the form of a large radiator lattice on all A8 models
 
SILHOUETTE
the car does not allow the car at first glance and from afar distinguish it from the younger A6
 
Eh, wood!
The quality of execution and assembly of the salon is at a height. And wooden trim panels too
 
The rear factor
The sedan sofa was created for large people. In all senses

In the three
Of all the cars of a large German three, A8 has the most retrograde front panel design
 
Engine
Tip is gasoline
The number and location of the cylinders V8
Working volume, cm3 4172
Max. Power, l. With. at about./min 335/6500
Dynamic characteristics
Max. Speed, km/h 250
Acceleration 0-100 km/h, from 6.3
common data
Wheel base, mm 3075
Length, mm 5180
Width, mm 1895
Height, mm 1455
Diameter of the turn, m 12.5
The price of a tested car, $ 144614
 
It is doubly nice to sit in the Audi A8 after competitors of Mercedes and BMW, respectively. There are ideological boxing, technological knockouts and the eternal question: who is better? Here, in Audi, the heat of this fight is not felt, the reflections of the blades are not visible, the crunch of the bones of the rivals is not heard. It revolves in the language: so, maybe A8 does not participate in the struggle for cash prizes in the class? The answer is negative: at the moment, Audi leads in the segment. Catch the back of the head! Let this finish and intermediate ...
On what strings of the human soul did engineers of four rings so masterfully played?
While Mercedes-Benz speak of non-alternative solutions with Idrive/somand, Audi has nothing like that, but according to the proprietary MMI (Multi Media Interface), you can wander without fear of hopelessly getting lost. There are many buttons, but they are located in the mind. A characteristic example: if, after several minutes of walking along the Mercedes-Benz menu, in search of the function of controlling the rear curtain, you just transplant into the back seat and do everything manually, then in Audi, some miraculously falls on the necessary icon. This is called an intuitive search, and the specialists from Ingolstadt succeeded in it more than others.
The A8 Salon is generally quiet and trouble -free backwater, where there is never a feeling that this car is smarter than its owners. Everything is predictable here, electronically set in motion, and somewhere it has already been seen and tested somewhere. The interior is qualitatively assembled from excellent starting materials, from Bose speakers, real music is pouring here, and there is enough space to wave to the ski resort with skiing right in the cabin. You can’t say a bad word, but the tongue does not turn to praise either. Not a car, but a lounge of a beautiful hotel, the territory is expensive, comfortable, hypoallergenic. The recreation area from technological breakthroughs and designer amications. The idea is just on the anger of the day.
Full -wheel drive in the representative class is also a way to distinguish. Quattro transmission gives a car a lot of undeniable advantages. But modern electronic stabilization systems leve these advantages to a state of statistical error. On the asphalt, the difference in behavior between competitors is poorly noticeable. Will it be on loose snow or bare ice? Here, of course, all the trump cards are in the hands of Audi. At the same time, owners of cars such as A8 still buy studded rubber, even if they do not go beyond the garden ring.
A8 is positioned as a dynamic representative sedan. And let it be statistically inferior to the more powerful Mercedes and BMW, but all its charms will be more than paying for themselves precisely on slippery and places of a noticeable road.
However, when the Audi will show the next generation A8, we will go to the premiere, expecting to see not only more comfortable and individual places for VIP passengers, but also a more powerful eight. In all senses.
Vasiliev about Audi A8
Here, unlike the similar Phaeton, the knitting needles on the steering wheel are drowned. The same four -spoke steering wheel, but holding it is much more convenient and pleasant. On this machine, its full -flooding and more noble habits when passing turns are much better felt: the car squats to the back, and this runs the front. The whole secret is probably in a different setting of front suspension corners. There is a telnish forces, but it helps, loads the wheels. That is, by and large, the sliding begins later and it is less. More precisely, for starting sliding, it does not need some prohibitive conditions in real life in general.
Great brakes. ABS works with a small shot, there is no pedal, and the fraction is felt only with the fingers. You can regret only one due to all-wheel drive partially eaten the moment of the engine.

Jaguar XJ
395 l. With. | 5.3 s | $ 145300

 
Convenient animal
Behind Jaguar is less space than German competitors. But it is worth considering that Audi and BMW we tested in long versions, and XJ in the standard
 
Design and trends
Unlike the German four, Jaguar makes it great to understand how the style and traditions look at the wheel move
 
Give me xj
behaves on the asphalt so that even for Alexei Vasiliev it became a revelation
 
FRONT EDGE
This sedan managed to combine technology, ergonomics, quality and prestige
 
 
Engine
Tip is gasoline
The number and location of the cylinders V8
Working volume, cm3 4196
Max. Power, l. With. at about./min 395/6100
Dynamic characteristics
Max. Speed, km/h 250
Acceleration 0-100 km/h, from 5.3
common data
Wheel base, mm 3035
Length, mm 5090
Width, mm 1860
Height, mm 1450
Diameter of the turn, m 12.5
The price of a tested car, $ 145300
 
For most Russian motorists, Mark Jaguar is not associated with nothing. So simple with nothing: an arrow of mental activity at zero, a long uh and a stupid smile on the face. In principle, thank God. Indeed, for the enlightened Western driver, Mark is in conjunction with a protracted crisis, unreliability, almost bankruptcy, a mediocre formula team. In any case, this negative train reached out behind the jaguar until the time of the owner entered the rights of the owner. Having spent the money, the Yankees gave the brand technology, a qualitatively different level of production, and, having mixed it all with a truly English design, they threw a fishing rod and began to wait. I did not have to sit long.
Together with the first satisfied customers, positive reviews in the press and good numbers in consumer surveys like those conducted by JD Power conducted. But the numbers are numbers, and who will believe that the Jaguar XJ, the flagship of the brand, will be able to impose the struggle of the charismatic leaders of the market of the seven, the eight, Esca? Well, I will be the first.
The thing is that this sedan makes you look at the usual things in a completely new way.
To begin with, we note that here is not an interior, but a real interior. Because while the front panel of the S-Class and 7-Series resembles a futuristic command post on Abramovich’s yacht, XJ says that the fashion comes and leaves, and the car should remain a car. The tree here does not sprout in plastic, the clock is made of watchmakers, not the Chinese, and the doors are closed with the sound, which in the ward of measures and scales probably has a noble sound of the Jaguar door lock. From this tradition, the soul becomes warm, but, fortunately, it has nothing to do with backwardness. And the very first walk along the large sensory display explains how the English forwards went through the entire German defense of Idrive and even scored the goal of the Ingolstad MMI. Everything is easier here. When accelerating to hundreds, the compressor eight of the rear -wheel drive Jaguar (5.3 C) cuts under the nut of all competitors without exception, and this despite the fact that A8 C Phaeton has all -wheel drive. Just the aluminum body design is not overloaded with anything superfluous, and this is reflected not only in the straight line, but in corners, none of the test machines will make you smile as the light Jaguar does it. At the same time, lightness was not achieved to the detriment of equipment: the described car was equipped with a complete set of comfortable charms, not excluding the screens in the head restraints of the front seats. The only reason for criticism may not be so generous for excess air space from behind. It should be borne in mind that we took the usual version for the test, and there is also a long LWB. But if you are ready to prefer another car for this handsome man for a couple of centimeters, we must admit that you have a very special view of things.
Vasiliev about Jaguar XJ
From the first second of the start it feels that there is a compressor engine. And the hump on the hood is very sexy. I don't like the brake pedal absolutely uninformative. At the same time, the efficiency of brake mechanisms is very good. But the pedal’s stroke is very long, you collect pressure in the brake system, then, when you bring to the peak, you still have some kind of second move. And at this moment the pedal must be deeply crushed.
But the jaguar controllability is the best. A light aluminum body, the mass of the moment on the bottoms and, consequently, the excellent accelerated dynamics turn the ride into pleasure. A six -speed automatic machine switches perfectly and quickly, not allowing the turns to fall more than 500 units. But I want a tougher suspension. When compared with other cars, it is too comfortable. In minus we add this softness. But due to the lightness and very good dynamics of Jaguar, the king of the first fifty meters of racing from traffic lights.

Volkswagen Phaeton
335 l. With. | 6.9 with | $ 119212

Hard
fight competitors, having the biggest weight. As a result, VW forces to put up with a large fuel consumption
 
FROM DIRT TO KINGS
the oligarchs who have risen from the masses, Phaeton will offer a decent level of comfort. But the thoroughbred aristocracy, rather, will say fi
 
INNOVATION
The folk sedan flaunts with interesting design moves, but there are gaps in quality

BROTHERS AND SISTERS
By the nature of the behavior, the car is very similar to the technically identical Audi. But the latter is much easier
 
Engine
Tip is gasoline
The number and location of the cylinders V8
Working volume, cm3 4172
Max. Power, l. With. at about./min 335/6500
Dynamic characteristics
Max. Speed, km/h 250
Acceleration 0-100 km/h, from 6.9
common data
Wheel base, mm 2880
Length, mm 5055
Width, mm 1905
Height, mm 1450
Diameter of the turn, m 12.5
The price of a tested car, $ 119212
 
Brusilovsky breakthrough is what VW Phaeton is in car marketing! But not in terms of the result, but according to the effect of surprise. As the Austro-Hungarians did not expect that their positional defense would be smashed to shreds, so everyone who traveled to Mercedes-Benz did not assume that the Volkswagen driver would be equal to them.
The offensive throughout the front is supported by a massive and representative appearance. Phaeton is generally strong as a design project is not pretentious, which could be expected from a beginner, but restrained and moderate in all its manifestations. To conquer their hearts, the Germans decided to first conquer the client’s head, and Phaeton lures with many smart interior solutions.
Nothing new, but the signaling lamps of the parkingate are placed along the edges of the front panel, which is extremely convenient when parking, and the glass panel glasses are extinguished by light of light with a dark blue coating. The cup holders on the central console have sophisticated covers, which rise slowly and gracefully, like intercontinental missiles in mines, and the front eirbeg of the passenger can be turned off with a key with a special lock. The optional partition with wood trim, which shares the rear seat in two, making Phaeton exclusively four -seater also looks impressive.
For decoration, expensive materials are used: leather, wood, and only an abundance of optional chromium gives the inexperience of brand designers in terms of luxury. They wanted more beautiful, it turned out cheaper. What turned out to be really high quality is confident detachment from any comparisons with Audi A8. Here, even the interface system externally has nothing to do with MMI, although it would seem that God himself ordered. Volkswagenovskaya does not have its own crucial name, but at the same time it is quite competitive: only ten minutes, and a separate blowing operator, a multi-zone climate controller and a massage master of the renal and casual zone are ready from any driver. Here is the time to play snobbery, noting that the buttons and pens themselves are uncomfortable for their non -skinny movements, there is no gloss. And one more thing: how so, there is no electromechanical handbrake either! They brought everyone, but they forgot to the phaeton ...
On running tests, the car rides with the confidence of the Teutonic Knight, under which the all -wheel drive horse is working. The sedan has an identical A8 drive system to all wheels and therefore is behaviorally similar to Audi. But the steel body weighs almost 400 kg more! Such a difference usually makes an elephant from a fly. But it should be noted that no one is trying to position Phaeton as a sedan for riders in the soul. He has nowhere to rush for competitors is still difficult to keep up. In this generation.
Vasiliev about Phaeton
At first, it confuses that the steering wheel does not have a concept of convenience at all. The horizontal needle is very high, and the only worthy hand position does not correspond to the ergonomic ideal. The brake effectiveness is good. The efficiency of calipers, in all mechanisms, but the pedal is not informative. What is unusual for this category of cars the roll is almost absent. The car moves over the road with all weights, there is no longitudinal roll. Suspension noise and vibration from the road are very well transmitted on the salon panel. I felt them all over the body. It may be to blame for the savings on materials, or maybe the point as an assembly. In any case, Audi or Mercedes does not feel this, there is a thick layer. It is worth noting smooth switching without loss of traction. The turnover does not fall sharply and the gap from the transmission of the moment is not felt. By handling: there is the effect of swimming the muzzle, insufficient rotation is manifested. But with a more active movement of the steering wheel, the demolition of the back of the car appears.

Lexus LS430
281 l. With. | 3 with | $ 97900
 
Not those roads to Europe Lexus are supplied with pneumatic suspension, but we have sold with ordinary ...

The transmission here is automatic, six -speed, but also adaptive, under the proprietary name Super ECT
 
For reasons that are independent of us, we could not add this car to the company that gathered in Dmitrov that day. So we just represent Lexus in the heading and who else. The sedan acts as a representative of the representative of the brand already in the fourth generation and has been produced since 1988. Visually similar to Mercedes-Benz S-S-S-LASS in the body of W140, it is nevertheless differed by more elaboration in details. The streamlined body shape provides a low aerodynamic resistance coefficient, due to which LS430 has decent fuel efficiency and low level of aerodynamic noise.
It remains a mystery why the company does not seek to expand the LEXUS range by modifications with different engines. Only one motor is offered for the machine: a gasoline V-shaped eight of 4.3 liters with variable gas distribution phases and four valves for each cylinder. The cylinder block and the block head are made of aluminum alloy. The power of the motor is 281 l. With. With a worthy torque of 417 Nm. As in other Lexus cars, much attention is paid to passive safety. In particular, a decrease in shock effects during the accident is achieved due to energy -absorbing areas in the body structure. Two frontal eirbeg, side airbags protecting the chest, abdominal cavity and pelvis, curtain pillows along the entire length of the cabin and the unique trading proposal of the Lexus pillows to protect the knees of the driver and the front passenger are installed in the cabin.
The machine is equipped with trunk door closers and trunk lids, a system for parking with many sensors, a very high -quality Mark Levinson stereoist. For convenience, the rear window is installed by a sunscreen with an electric drive and a solar lighting sensor that controls the operation of the air conditioning system in the rear of the cabin. The decoration uses exclusively expensive and exclusive varieties of skin and wood. The seats are equipped with electric drives, position memory, as well as a ventilation system with a cooling option using a standard air conditioner. There is also the ability to install seats with a massage function.


The car can show the sprint speed (up to 100 km/h 6.3 s, maximum speed 250 km/h)
About the interface ...
Dmitry Zaitsev
Civil aviation pilot
Until recently, the word interface was not included in the vocabulary of car owners. But technological progress does its job. The number of options in modern cars, especially the representative class, began to exceed all conceivable limits.
The answer came in 2001 from BMW on the new 7-Series Idrive interface appeared. The joystick and the screen, in fact, the mouse and computer monitor. One circle on the armrest between the seats controls the 720th functions of the car. After recent restyling, the manufacturer tried to eliminate the shortcomings inherent in the original option. The return button for the main menu appeared, and now the main points for clarity are highlighted in different colors. Several additional keys have appeared for the most commonly used functions. But the system has not become more convenient, and it is still unsafe to use it in motion.
Audi went along the path of simplification. If in the seven to exit to the main menu items you need to download the joystick to the cardinal points, then in A8 separate buttons are used, grouped around the round, similar to the Airavovsky. And the MMI monitor (the so -called interface in Audi) can be removed so as not to corn the eyes. And it is still better to configure the interface during the parking.
Phaeton has no name interface. The joystick is present, but it is smaller in size than that of competitors. The monitor is located on the beard, which now does not meet European safety requirements, since the look is distracted from the road for a long time.
Mercedes finally got a menu in Russian! There are fewer buttons here than in Audi, but more than in BMW. Golden mean. When the engine is launched on the Comand monitor (the Mercedes name of the system), a warning is highlighted in the pure Russian language about the danger of using the system during movement. Although it is here that this danger is minimized, everything is so intuitive. The monitor can be turned to the driver

Source: Cars