ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Opens Up About His Two Favorite Rides

As one of America’s most vocal and well known TV personalities, sport journalist Stephen A Smith has never shied away from sharing his opinion.

During an interview with Motor Trend, the ESPN First Take host talked about his Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but also his 2015 Range Rover SVAutobiography, a car he admitted to being tremendously impressed with.

“I would rate it a 10,” he said while referring to his Range Rover. “It’s the best SUV I’ve ever had in my life. It’s black, it’s got British tan interior, and it is a driving machine to say the least. I’ve driven in every SUV you can imagine. I’ve never been in anything like the Range Rover.”

Smith then added that the RR has “a lot of power, a lot of speed and a lot of acceleration, but also comfort. The ride is pretty smooth, and I’ve driven in other cars like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. As an SUV, it’s almost right up there with the luxury sedan vehicles that are out there. That’s how comfortable it feels.”

We can of course certainly understand where he’s coming from, seen as how the Range Rover SVAutobiography packs a 550 PS (542 HP) supercharged V8 engine and adds an extra 140 mm (5.5 in) of rear legroom thanks to the extended wheelbase. All that power and comfort comes at a hefty price though – $199,495 to be precise.

As for his other ride, which is a Mercedes-Benz S550, Smith mentions the fact that it’s extremely smooth and very comfortable, as a luxury sedan should be. Still, even if the Mercedes also gets a perfect 10 from the debate show host, Smith still feels like the Range Rover tops it.

“I feel they’re both a 10 because they both live up to the expectation. It’s just that the reason why I rave so much about the Range is because I expected it from the Benz. I did not expect it from the Range. I bought the Benz hearing so much about how smooth it was and I had a BMW for years, but I bought the Benz expecting it to be everything it was advertised as. I did not expect the Range Rover as an SUV.”

“What I didn’t expect was that I would love driving around in the summertime in the Range because of how comfortable the ride was as well. That’s what the surprise was for me there.”