“Green” can come in many colors and in this case, it is the epitome of style.  With its lean, chiseled, muscular body, the S400 HYBRID is a head turner on every street, lane and avenue in town. For $91,000. “green” means the Mercedes Benz S400 HYBRID.

At traffic lights people can’t help but stare, from the first sighting of the spellbinding LED daytime running lamps that grace the front fascia. Rising upwards—front and center, they’re hit by the commanding, unmistakably Mercedes grill that pushes back to introduce the sleek, sexy, aerodynamic body design of pure Mercedes refinement at a time when your neighbor driving the Prius wanted to believe he ruled.  

With big brother S550 averaging 386 miles on tank of gas, S400 HYBRID’s 19 city /25 highway government fuel economy rating—averaging 450 miles on a tank of gas also, is something to consider. Its hybrid engine with a lighter, more efficient lithium ion battery is an industry first in any production car. Translation: No gas guzzler tax and a one time $1,150 tax credit! And while we’re here, kudos to the 7-speed driver-adaptive transmission that was a hit with me while driving in both the sport and comfort shift modes.   

S550’s 382 horsepower V8 engine with 391 lb-ft of torque, versus S400 HYBRID’s 295 horsepower V6, producing 284 lb-ft of torque is a noticeable difference. Nevertheless, I found the S400 HYBRID to accelerate well in the city and on the highway, especially for a car of its size and presence. In terms of agility and maneuverability on city streets, to me the S400 HYBRID handles more like a personal size car rather than the full size luxury car that it is.  

Aside from all of the above, being a true car enthusiast at heart I was all smiles cruising down the coastal streets of south Florida with the option of lowering the side and rear window sun shades while music from my iPod ever so gracefully consumed the interior cabin by way of the 15-speaker Harmon Kardon Surround Sound System with Dolby Digital 5.1 and HD digital radio. But the silver lining for me was the active seat bolsters that came alive whenever the car turned so that my body would remain in perfect position without interruption, and the seat massage feature for both the driver and front passenger heated and ventilated seats. Man, that was hot! 

Extras on the model tested included the $5,040 Premium Package consisting of the Drive Dynamic Multicontour Front Seats with Massage (technical terms for the silver lining I mentioned above), Keyless go (totally keyless everything!), Parktronic parking guidance and rearview camera. The $3,040 Rear Seat Package gives rear passengers on each end their own self controlled climate zones and an 8-way power seat with heat and ventilation. Add to that two rear seat monitors with wireless headsets as part of the $2,450 Rear Seat Entertainment Package. The must-have for the man with a bit more edge is the $6,650 Sport Package Plus One, with 20” AMG 5-spoke rims, high performance tires, special sport body styling on the front/rear bumpers and side skirts.  

For all you A-listers with a conscience, the S400 HYBRID is something you don’t want to miss.