If you’re buying new then you’ll have to contend with vast depreciation in the first few years of ownership. This isn’t a problem if you intend to hold onto it for a long time though and the S-Class is certainly a car that will age well and can cope with large mileages. However, Mercedes-Benz dealer servicing is renowned for being very expensive and the S-Class is one of the priciest models to maintain.

Elsewhere, fuel economy is acceptable on the 320 CDI but poor on the petrols and items such as tyres and brake pads are far from cheap.

The S-Class is a polluting model with average emissions of 269g/km CO2 across the line-up. The greenest model is the S320 CDI which emits 220g/km of CO2 and averages a respectable 34mpg.

The quality of Mercedes cars was called into question in the early 2000s when several of its models seemed to fall short of the standards expected of the German firm. Since then things have improved dramatically and the S-Class is well built and extremely durable. There have been a few recalls though, mainly regarding issues with the Active Body Control system available on S500 and S600 models.

The paintwork features ‘nano-particle’ technology where tiny ceramic particles are embedded within the paint giving it greater resistance to scratching to ensure it keeps its showroom gloss for longer