The chauffeur fleet: three Mercedes, one standard

What cars are in the fleet?

Two saloons and one people carrier, all Mercedes-Benz. The E-Class is our executive saloon and the car we send most often. The S-Class is the flagship, with a longer rear cabin for principals, VIP guests and occasions. The V-Class is an executive people carrier with six leather seats for families, teams and anyone with a lot of luggage.

Each car has its own page with the seats, the luggage limits and the journeys it suits best.

Which car is right for one or two travellers?

The Mercedes E-Class suits most solo travellers and couples: three passenger seats, space for two large suitcases and two cabin bags, and a smooth, quiet ride on the motorway. For a typical trip to Heathrow or Gatwick it is all you need.

If you are carrying more than two large cases, or one of you has a bulky item such as a golf bag or a folded pushchair, move up to the V-Class. Squeezing a third case into a saloon boot usually means a bag on someone’s lap, which is not how anyone wants to start a holiday.

When is the S-Class worth it?

The Mercedes S-Class carries the same number of passengers and cases as the E-Class, so you are not paying for space. You are paying for the cabin: more legroom in the back, better sound insulation, and seats designed for working or resting on a long journey.

People choose it for a few reasons. Some are arriving after a night flight and want to sleep on the way into London. Some have calls to make and want a quiet space to make them. Some are collecting a guest and want the arrival to feel considered. If none of those apply, the E-Class will do the job just as well.

What should families and small groups book?

The Mercedes V-Class takes up to six passengers and six large cases. The seats face each other in the back on many models, which makes it easy for a family or a small team to talk on the way, and the sliding doors help in tight streets and at busy airport kerbs.

It is also the car for awkward luggage: skis, golf clubs, a double pushchair, musical instruments or the extra cases that come with a cruise. For four people with a case each, the V-Class is usually the better choice than a saloon, even though the saloon has enough seats.

How do you move a larger group?

For groups above six, we send two or more V-Class vehicles and coordinate the timings so they arrive together. It suits extended families, sports teams, wedding parties and corporate groups travelling from the same hotel. A principal can travel in an S-Class with the rest of the party following in a V-Class.

If some of the group are landing on different flights, tell us, and we will plan the cars around the arrivals rather than making the first people off the plane wait for the last.

How much luggage fits in each car?

A large case means a checked suitcase of up to about 80 centimetres; a cabin bag is anything that would fit in an aircraft overhead locker. The E-Class and the S-Class each take two large cases and two cabin bags; the V-Class takes six of each. If you are close to a limit, go one size up. The difference in price is small compared with a chauffeur trying to close a boot on the kerb at Terminal 5.

How are the cars kept to standard?

Every car is cleaned inside and out before each airport run, and chauffeurs carry bottled water, phone chargers and umbrellas as standard. The cabin should smell of nothing at all when you open the door.

London private hire vehicles, including chauffeur cars, must pass a TfL licensing inspection and carry their licence discs, which you will see on the front and rear windscreens. Our cars also go through our own checks between services, because an inspection sets a minimum and our guests expect more than the minimum.

What about child seats and accessibility?

Child seats are available on request. Add them when you book and give the age of each child, so the chauffeur brings the right seat for each one: rear-facing for babies, forward-facing for toddlers and a booster for older children.

If anyone in your party uses a wheelchair or has limited mobility, tell us what they need before you book. A folding wheelchair fits in the V-Class and in the boot of the saloons; a passenger who needs to travel seated in their wheelchair needs a specially adapted vehicle, which we do not run, and we will tell you so honestly.