I drove a $400,000 Rolls-Royce and a $140,000 Mercedes and found what the extra $260,000 gets you

• Is a $400,000 Rolls-Royce really that much better than a $140,000 Mercedes?
• I drove both luxury cars to find out. 
• The Mercedes S-Class sedan is nice — but the Rolls-Royce Ghost is even more comfortable and luxurious. 

Before I drove one, I couldn't quite fathom why somebody would spend close to a half-million dollars on a Rolls-Royce when there are plenty of very luxurious cars out there that cost half or even a quarter as much. I wondered: Is a Rolls really that much nicer than, say, a nicely optioned Mercedes-Benz?