How much luxury does a driver need? In my opinion after driving a Chrysler 300C, a 745li, an Audi A8 and owning an Escalade, I would have to say that the major features I would look for in a Luxury vehicle are comfortable, luxurious leather seats; a decent engine with good fuel economy, plenty of leg space in the front and back rows, a good Navigation computer with a powerful speaker system for the radio completely wired into the steering wheel for easy operation and most importantly... a spectacular exterior design.




How did I like it you ask?



EXTERIOR

The S550 is LONG. With a total length of 205 inches, The S550 is actually the same length as the Ford Expedition/ Navigator and longer than almost all of the SUV’s you’ll see on the road. My new 2007 Escalade EXT only beats the S550 by 17 inches. Basically, when you walk around S550, you see that she is almost a boat in size.
The paint Job on this beauty is fantastic as well as the body cladding and the light fixtures. I ran my fingers around the grooves, feeling the seams and noticed that every single part of the S550 from the back lights, to the door handles to the shape of the trunk lid has been molded and shaped with special care in mind. My hands have never gotten that feeling touching a vehicle until the 2007 Escalade – but the Benz has it so much more pronounced.

The rear shaping of the trunk coupled with the shape and the colors of the back lights are what really attracted me to this car. The light fixtures have such beautiful red and such beautiful yellow, that on the Black model especially, just looking at this masterpiece gave me that special feeling. I find myself oddly attracted to the rear styling on cars. Perhaps this is because the forward sections always look the same? Perhaps it is because subconsciously I want to experience what people see and feel when they see me driving off?

I personally always loved the BMW 745li’s rear quarters which many have denounced with epithets such as “bangle butt” until it was redesigned in the 750 series. I am the type of artistic, imaginative person who welcomes artistic expression like this. To me, the 745 resembled a shark. Similar to the kind of shark you might imagine a Lawyer or a greedy corporate exec might be. It is all about personal image being reflected in the vehicle to me. S550 has a similarly bolstered trunk butt as well as deep swollen fender haunches. I appreciate this bold styling as it allows people who see me driving it to know what I'm driving almost immediately - recognizing its price tag subconsciously. The S550 shares a lot in common with the Maybach, but, while the Maybach is a newer car to the market with an unestablished reputation as well as a price tag 25% higher than America's average house price - this is a Mercedes Benz S-class. Its reputation preceeds me, the driver. Anyone who has ever owned an S-class or dreamed of owning one, recognizes what I have.

I find myself staring squarely at the S class Benz and the 7-series BMW's rear every time one passes,
as if this is the only way I can identify them and make a connection. THE S550’s EXTERIOR IS GEORGEOUS – perhaps even better that its almost identically shaped parent, the Maybach 57S.



INTERIOR CONTROLS

Open up the door on this beautiful creation and you will find an interior with more chrome plated buttons and computing technology than could be found in Apollo 13. To be perfectly frank, I was not as *wowed* by the interior design of S550 as I was when I have opened up the doors on the AUDI A8 and the BMW 745li. Audi A8 has buttons everywhere they could possibly be placed and makes use of glowing oranges and reds to let you know that you are stepping into a car that for all intents and purposes, should be driving YOU. The BMW’s designers placed all their buttons for the seat adjustments on the side paneling of the center armrest and then adds even more buttons for its I-DRIVE computer system adorned by that huge metallic knob that 745 owners love to hate. Yes it looks like you are stepping into an F-22 stealth fighter, BUT, you soon realize how poorly placed those buttons are when you actually need to do something so unforeseen as adjusting the seat…at this point you begin to dig into your hips while trying to edge over to reach these poorly placed buttons.


The most obvious two features inside are Mercedes ‘ huge chrome plate knob which controls COMAND - their answer to BMW’s I-Drive. More on that later.
Second, there is a flip top plate covering a keypad which is specifically designed for use of a Bluetooth cellular phone, such as a Razr or a Sidekick3, or can be used with a special car phone available from Mercedes Benz for extra cost. Both of these features will become tech toys you will tend to play with while waiting for whatever you are waiting for in park.
After sitting in the “S”, I am also left wondering to myself when will SUV’s reach this level of opulence? I just bought a Cadillac EXT which up until now, I thought was the best luxury vehicle I’ve ever been in – definitely better than the Porsche Cayenne, though I liked Cayenne’s front row design.
The Navigator, Escalade and Porsche Cayenne are the foremost in SUV Luxury, but compared to the S-class 550, they pale in comparison. Even the $150,000 Cayenne wasn’t this spectacular. When will some super luxury car manufacturer make a $100,000 SUV that features everything the S-class features?
The steering wheel is a bit of a letdown in terms of design. There are two main circular pads which are basically Directional pads for controlling COMAND as well as a back button to deselect menus. On the back of the Steering wheel are manu-matic paddles which I suppose are for your index fingers. They aren’t placed very well like the BMW’s, but you probably won’t use them anyway.
Unlike the Maybach’s steering wheel, I found the S550’s to be a bit bland. The Maybach’s wheel is similar to steering wheel controls we are already used to while the BENZ’s is a bit more like what you would see on the side of a powered driver’s chair. Very rubbery, very boring. Even with the 2007 Cadillac’s wheel, I look down and enjoy what I’m seeing.


OPERATING THE S550

The driver's manual for the S550 is over 700 pages long ! A large portion of the manual is dedicated to just the COMAND system.

Implementing of the COMAND computer system has taken precedence over the entirety of the S550’s dashboard and center stack console. Rather than traditional vehicles that have a clearly defined Dashboard, Radio, air conditioning system divided by panels, there is no visible radio system, and no visible air conditioning system divide. There are plenty of buttons in the center console stretched wide in a linear fashion to offer quick access to the dual zone A/C’s major functions such as automatic cooling/heating (preset or adjustable to outside air temp) for both occupants of the front of the car. However, passengers will look and keep looking trying to find the radio and never ever find it. All of this is operated by COMAND. There are two large LCD displays which will function as your Speedometer as well as your vehicle’s information display center. This is divided into easy to navigate groups: lets call them “data fields” NAVIGATION, RADIO, TELEPHONE and VEHICLE. Below these “tabs” is data field #2, a centerfield which shows you the window of the function you are manipulating. At the bottom, is data field #3 where the subtexts of the first 2 data fields will be containing the selectable options.
This same menu design repeats itself in both the dashboard and the main center lined navigation monitor so the driver can look at either one while driving.
Basically, you must place your right hand on the huge metal knob and tilt it up, down left and right in order to navigate the onscreen cursor (bold text) from Data Field #1 to Data Field #3 as well as moving the cursor left to right in order to get to each individual tab or option. Once you decide which tab, field or option you would like to select, you must press down on the knob to click the selectable.

This design is squarely a clone of the I-DRIVE system in the 7-series BMW. Are there no intellectual copyright laws being broken here? I fail to see how there couldn't be.

COMAND is also aimed entirely at right handed human beings. Lefties are 100% left out.

Some owners and passengers might also be a little dissapointed that COMAND is the dominant control system. Its far easier to use than IDrive. I was able to understand it and use it within 5 minutes. However, you or your passengers might get annoyed that simply changing the radio station takes about 45 seconds of COMAND navigating instead of simply being able to reach over and turn a knob.


S550 ‘s designers placed some of the car’s major buttons oddly when they decided to outlay them all on the upper and lower door panel. For example, the radio volume and radio power button is a sliding chrome wheel that is located on the passenger’s side of this high glossed wood console. Didn’t make any sense for it to be there since it takes a lot of getting used to reach over and toggle it so you can hear whoever might be trying to say something to you. Why is it that the volume, mute and power button for the radio wasn’t place alone, and together on the steering wheel? This way, in your mind, you would know that one section of the wheel was specifically for the radio.

Also annoying when using the COMAND system is that similar to using a computer, you may tend to hit "dead ends" where you cannot scroll backwards or forwards. Since your attention is on the road, where it should be, sometimes the user interface can become too much hassle - forcing your mind to multitask.

The S550 offers so much technology that it has been endowed with multiple sensors which automatically handle most adjustments. The sensors can "decide" which side of the car is too warm or too cold and adjust the A/C to bring that side up to the desireable temperature. The sensors can "decide" to change the colors of dials and guagees to match the ambient light sensors.
The car is also given some say as to how firm or soft the seats should be - adjusting them based on acceleration.

The seat controls are not as badly placed as those in the BMW. The BMW’s seat controls are pure hell for a heavyweight or taller, thick thighed American. However, it is the window and mirror buttons that will give you the most problems and annoyances.

The window buttons are recessed so low into the door panel that you really need to look down and to the left in order to figure out which button to press for which window. MB decided to place individual buttons rather than toggles in the S550 – one for up and one for down – but, for each window! This was stupid and is sure to be complained about. It is totally unintuitive - the butons are too close together - and you will need to look down every single time you use the window, be it, to pay a toll or to talk to someone outside the "S". Even worse, the side view mirror motor retract control and angular adjustment control are located deep down here too. So poorly placed are these controls that they might as well be next to my FEET! !!



SEATS

Seats in the S550, at first glance, are not as glamorous as those in the BMW 7 series - with their adjustable head rest neck pads and slide out "waterfall" thigh pads. They also lack the fast cooling of Cadillac's Escalade which quickly drops the seat pad temperature to "freezing".

What I did like about the S550’s seats is that #1 The seats are generous to taller people like myself; #2 Almost every single feature of the seat can be controlled and adjusted in increments; and #3 The driver can actually control the passenger’s seat from his own panels.

Basically, on the door, there is a button setup which is layed out representing the layout of the seat itself. The headrest has a button, the seat’s back and the butt cushions have their own buttons. You can adjust the distance of the seat, the height of the seat and specifically, a separate switch allows you to adjust the distance of the cushion itself independently of the base of the seat.

The seats, furthermore have an optional internal air filtration device which is designed to draw out hot air to make the seats cooler and a button setup on the door to either cool or heat the seats accordingly. This setup is VERY nicely done and features blue and red LED lights to indicate your selection. Both front occupants have this setup and just playing with it is an enjoyment.
I was suprised however that the S550 didn't feature the 2007 Escalade's "freezing seat" ability where you push a button and the seat chills to around 56 degrees Farenheit.
It is because of this that I wouldn't bother springing extra for this feature unless it was already included.

All of these buttons, and adjustments might take a day to perfect. Once you do perfect your seating desire, there are 3 memory banks which you can program and save so that your seat always remembers exactly how you like to ride. All the sections adjust immediately at the push of one button. 3 settings can be saved for you, your spouse and your kid – that is, if you feel safe letting them drive this expensive luxury boat around.

The MULTI-CONTOUR SEAT PACKAGE is perhaps, the most fantastic, incredible feature of all. An optional power luxury massage built into the seat!!!
About 5 years ago, there was suddenly a surge in Chinese made massage toys and massage chair cushions.
This technology has made its way into the S-class in the form of a computer controlled lumbar, air cushion which can actually be programmed to give you a massage by rapidly inflating and deflating the air bags within so that the feeling is like a massage girl’s hands undulating against your back. Interestingly enough, the cushions are also designed to inflate when you make sharp turns in order to support you when rounding corners.
This ingenious feature alone should be in any and every car that self professes to be a Luxury model.

There are redundant buttons on the console and the COMAND console which tell COMAND's LCD to go directly to the computerized seat comfort menu. From here, you can see a visual representation of your seat settings, and adjust them using the d-pad on the steering wheel or the COMAND knob. I don't know what MB has planned for the 2008 and future S-models but I hope they will include the same MultiContour seat for the passenger and the rear passengers. The Maybach 62 model has this (as well as reclining seats) so I see it a definate possibility.
Expect this possibility, however, to run you about $9,000 more as an option.

The back seating is absolutely BORING. Unlike the reclinging back seats of the Lexus LS 460, the limo-like S550 offers a much more invigorating experience to the driver than the backseat passengers.
Unlike the Maybach 57, (which the S550 is closest to) whichoffers the backseat passengers a similar control setup for their own 12 way adjustable cushions and lumbar supports, the base model S550 gives the backseat passengers, an armrest, a backlit panel for the A/C, their own vanity mirrors and adjustable headrests for the tallest occupants. After seeing all the buttons and gadgets up front, I was surprised to see so little in the back. You’d think for all this money, the S550 would offer just a little more to the rear passengers. I was surprised that there wasn’t even a roof mounted DVD player like the ones coming in the $40,000 GM trucks. Maybach placed dual LCD monitors in the seat backs themselves but due to the S550’s internal seat air filters and the reduced distance offered for legspace, this may not have been practical. I’m surprised MB didn’t think of something though. They could have forgone the backseat vanity mirrors and installed fold down LCD monitors instead? After all, I’d rather watch TV during a long drive than look at myself in the mirror. If I was top designer at MB, I’d do something spectacular with the rear seats just so potential buyers could rub it into the faces of Audi , Lexus and BMW dealers and my car would become the stuff of street talk and automotive folklore.

I’ve spent plenty of time trashing the unimaginative backseat but, what I can say is that there is plenty of legroom back there. No, you won’t get any members of Miami Heat in the back, but, your sub-6 foot tall family members will LOVE IT. Their heads will doze off and dissapear to exterior viewers when they lean against the rear pads. Optional curtains ensure that the wealthy will pass through "lesser" neighborhoods without realizing the plight of humans who didn't have the money that they had to procure an S-class.



DRIVING "THAT 'S' "


Insert the key into the ignition and turn it and the S550 will start - quietly. The Engine reving is almost dead silent even at a complete standstill. Next you get into your driving position. This includes setting up your seat cushions, adjusting your mirrors and marveling at all the buttons waiting for you to push them. My first question came suddenly:

“how do I get this thing into drive?”.
Basically Mercedes Benz has made the gear shift lever similiar to the traditional windshield wiper lever. You must nudge the lever up or down to select Drive modes.
Now this next bit is really interesting. Mercedes Benz, has decided that rather than a traditional gear shift lever, there will be a button that you push at the end of the stalk in order to make the car switch drive modes to/from park. The ubiquitous park button.
I was shocked.

After figuring out how to get the car into drive and also into park, I had to wonder, what safety features are there for this? What if I accidentally tap the wrong button on the stick at 60MPH? Apparently the design is specifically made to only engage once the car comes to a complete stop so as not to have any “accidents”. Frankly, this was very nice, but, I will stick with the reliability of a traditional mock shift stick on the Chrysler 300 or the column shifter on my Escalade, Expedition or Navigator. Some basic car features should not be tampered with.

As I have tried to express to you, there are buttons everywhere throughout the front area. There are buttons next to the moonroof switch which I didn’t get a very good look at simply because they were placed flatly against the ceiling. To use the moonroof, you simply slide the switch back or forward (rather than the traditional press) to get it moving. I tried pressing it and it merely tilted upwards for airflow.

Next step is to decide where to go. The Navigation system similar to that found on most Luxury cars accepts either direct input through the COMAND system or voice inputs. MB has installed a Hard Drive system that holds NAV data, can be updated with new Navigation points and provides the Operating system for the car’s computer. Speak the entire address to the voice command system or you can input it fumbling with the COMAND knob.
The Navigation maps are flat, 2D, unlike GM’s new 3D map system in the Escalade with “pop-up” buildings, but it is adequate and will get you where you want to go.

The downside here is that unlike the cheaper $45,000 Cadilac STS, there is no DVD-navigation disk system, which coincidentally means you have no DVD Player. In park mode STS lets you watch DVD video in full 5.1 surround sound. $85,000 S550 didn't give you that luxury.

OK TIME TO GO

Somehow when Mercedes Benz was planning the design for this car, they decided that while, they would install a telescoping steering wheel, they either forgot, neglected or otherwise decided not to give you an adjustable gas pedal.
Even the Chrysler 300C has both of these important driver’s features. What’s the point of a 1000 way adjustable seat if you can’t also adjust the pedal's distance?

Step on the gas and the S550 accelerates forward as you demand it. The acceleration out of this 5.5 Liter V8 is as smooth as what you’d expect if you were a captain on a riverboat that just happened to have an experimental turbine engine. The words "greased lightning" come to mind. Interestingly enough, the engine roar when you lead foot the pedal is extremely loud inside the cabin and outside as well, yet, you don’t feel the vibration. At one point I gunned the engine from 0 -80 and it basically sounded like I was approaching WARP 2 yet, it was as smooth as silk. Many expert reviewers can give you specific times and numbers so you can estimate how much faster the S550 is than the BMW 7 but, suffice to say, passing SUV’s and other car’s won’t be a problem at all on the highway. The 382 Horsepower afforded to you feels more than adequate. In fact, NO ONE should need more horsepower than this for the city or highway driving. 382 Horses pushes the 4700 pound yacht adequately enough.
Even though Benz offers the S in a 510 and 600HP V-12 engine, why anyone would possibly need this much power is completely beyond me. Do you like getting tickets in the mail or suspected of car theft?

The "S" almost silently makes all of its shifts and transitions from gear to gear (7 in total). There is no noticeable delay, vibration or anything to let you know that the car is moving slowly up or down the gear list even if you try to accelerate from 0 - 80 within 12 seconds.
It almost feels as if the S550 is only using one continuous gear. I'm not sure how MB pulled this trick off put it certainly pays off. You'll be doing illegal double-digit speeds in absolute luxury.

Stopping the S while doing high speeds is no problem either. The brakes all apply very evenly and the S comes to a stop very quickly. In fact, a borrowed feature from the Maybach – brake assist - actually monitors your foot’s inputs so that if you suddenly decrease the throttle by panicking and snatching your foot from the gas pedal, the computer is already applying the brakes before you slam on them. Why do I like this feature so much? Because these lawyers, doctors and other annoying drivers on cellphones are actually fool enough to get the S up to 50 or 60 miles an hour while yammering on their cellphones and suddenly slam on the brakes when they realize they have lost control of the car. There is so much to be distracted by in the S550 that a cellphone might not even be involved in a panic stop. Because of its weight and size, a skidding S550 in the rain or snow would be a nightmare.
This is the last car you want to get hit by.

At low speeds, S550, is very quiet and a marvelous ride. Driving over bumps in the road produces a noticeable *thuwuump* per wheel encounter, but, for the most part, imperfect terrain is no match for the S-Class. I can’t imagine how any other luxury car on the market from the Maybach to the Phantom could handle bumps any better than this. The Escalade for example, being the current, top of the line, luxury SUV, only does marginally better.

Silently, the air pressure operated ride mechanism increases and decreases air pressure in the air bellows the car sits on - powered by a silent compressor. At highway speeds, this compressor decreases ride height to make the car more slippery, or, it might simply be put to use during cornering - reducing the vehicles lean by up to about 40%.
Also, silently, the brakes are designed to apply themselves while the wipers are activated to get excess water off.

Simply astonishing.

What I did not like about the S is its length. As I previously stated, the S550 is LONG. When you drive this car, its similar to driving a small limo, only it is faster and maneuvers faster than a limo. There is almost no "sport" feeling driving the S. It is much more similar to a $90,000 version of a Lincoln Town Car or a Cadillac Deville. To make matters worse, the side mirrors on this car really are too small. It is so difficult to see around the S550’s blind spots that the last thing you even want to think about is racing through city traffic and switching lanes rapidly.
The blind spots and lane switching here is just as bad as it is on the Avalanche and Escalade EXT pickups.

I have still been unable to grasp why in my mind during my drive, the S550 just feels like you are driving something really, really long. I think it may be because I am so worried about making wide turns or possibly because I have some as yet unnamed phobia about “getting the back of my car ripped off” - like what happened to that guy in Matrix Reloaded when the Twins were chasing Morpheus in the EXT and tore his BMW in half as they rounded a corner.

The S550 is no stranger to safety elements either. For example, the car offers 8 airbags with sensors that control the force of airbag deployment - so the airbags themselves don't kill you. The car also features a crash sensing system, partly related to the radar sensors, which prepares the car's systems for a crash so as to better protect the driver.
If you do happen to get into an accident with enough force to challenege the S550's low-alloy high strength steel, the car's computer will automatically shut off the gas tank and fuel flow, and proceed to unlock the doors while it phones ahead for emergency assistance. If you should happen to be in a roll-over event, the computer automatically rolls up the windows (and closes the moonroof) to prevent bodies from being ejected.
The S550's safety features are all state of the art, YES, but unfortunately, it is well out of the price range of over 80% of America's drivers.



PRICING?


The S550 is definitely not for everybody. The starting price of the model I drove was around $89,000. Furthermore, there are plenty of options that have already been installed when it was ordered by the dealer or, can be opted for - which raise the base price by around $7000 ~ $10,000.

There is a $520 electronic trunk closer which is activated via one of the sea of buttons.

Ultrasonic sensors for parking and manuevering your car around obstacles such as light poles is available in the form of Parktronic which is available at an extra cost. The “VEHICLE” tab of the COMAND system presents you with spectacular sensor mapping on the LCD’s to show you sensors which are detecting motion or obstacles.

For $2300 more, you get Distronic Plus Cruise Control – which is basically a radar style cruise control addition. The Distronic must be purchased along with the Parktronic because of the sensor arrays.

The Distronic is especially interesting because it really has the ability to automatically handle the car's acceleration and braking for you. In trafic, it monitors the car in front of you and in back of you and can match speeds with them automatically - even if the guy in front comes to a complete stop at a light and then speeds up again. My jaw hit the floor when I saw this in action, but, I would never allow a computer to control the car's acceleration without close scrutiny. What happens if the 550's wheels were wet or slick on oil or something and the guy in front makes a panic stop? With just a driver and fuel the S550 weighs near 5000 pounds, and as we all know, 5000 pounds does not stop on a dime. I look forward to the day when a computer can be trusted to both drive and steer the car but, I don't see it happening anytime soon.



The $1500 Night Vision system option is basically the typical infrared camera system we've been seeing on high end luxury models, starting with the 745li, which can project an image of biological organisms' heat up ahead of the car, onto either of the 2 LCD monitors.
No matter how cool it may sound, the poor depth perception and the requirement for you to stare down and into the dashboard make it almost unusable, save for a pitch black night with absolutely no light. I perffered the "S" Night Vision to the 7's, simply because you stare ahead into the "S" dashboard rather than staring to the right into the 7's centerstack. This option can be skipped because is not worth more than a single-use novelty.
I would say that until a HUD projection into the windshield itself can be perfected, night vision systems are a wasted endeavor.


There is also a rearview camera for $1000 so you can back into parallel parks with ease or protect your children when you back into the yard - as well as your 550's expensive bumper.

Interior options also include an Espresso, White-on-White, or Graphite interior color scheme each for around $1500. The White on White should only be purchased by those of us making in excss of $200,000 a year who can afford to have the interior detailed and shampooed every other week. White gets filthy quick.

There is an active body control package for almost $4000 designed to increase the ride quality past what I consider to be an already spectacular experience. As well as an optional $5600 AMG sport package to give you an interior more like the higher level AMG model as well as more aggressive exhaust pipes.

There are also a number of upgrades for the back seat such as $1000 power sunshades (from the Maybach) or the Backseat upgrade package for about $4000 which actually gives you all those buttons and seat settings I missed in the model I drove when I claimed it was boring. With the backseat package upgrade, you get multiple lumbar settings for your rear passengers and a panoramic moon roof for them, which can also be purchased separately for $1500.
Now this is getting more and more like a Maybach !


When all is said and done, you are laying out almost $10,000 worth of options or more. In my opinion the S-class comes with pretty much everything you already need. The only options I’d consider are the panoramic rear moonroof. Of course, somewhere around the end of this year, a 4-MATIC version of the 550 will be available with 4 wheel drive. though the gas mileage will be a little worse, I'd go for this one simply because of the extra wheel power and consequental handling in snow and slick pavement.

You are going to end up paying a $1000 gas guzzler tax since S550 only gets around 14-16 MPG city and 19 MPG Highway (those are Escalade numbers) but even worse, you are limited to 93 octane Premium unleaded which currently costs about $3.30. I must assume if you have $100,000 to spend on this car, you also have enough to keep your gas tank filled so this isn’t going to be a big deal for S-Class owners. Many of the super rich lawyers, surgeons and drug dealers driving Bentley Continental GT’s, BMW's, and big body Benzes won’t bat an eye at the price of this car, or the gasoline, so fuel economy is one of the least things to worry about. Insurance probably wont raise eyebrows either. I received a quote on Geico.com for near $10,000 a year for this car with full repairs and typical deductibles.



OVERALL

This review is over 7 pages long, but I feel like I could write another 7 more. There is so much car to review here that I think a small book might be the only adequate review to give the S550 its due justice. This is my first experience with such a high quality car as well as my first drive of a Mercedes Benz. There are plenty of features that I haven't even mentioned such as the "rain sensitive wipers", engine fluid and tire pressure indicators, and plenty of other little details that would comprise a list so long I doubt any S-class owner would remember to use them even over a 5 year driving career.

I should also mention a couple of the subtle ambient features MB has included with this luxury yacht to impress its riders.

Drive the S550 at night and you will see the "waterfall lighting" which is a back panel light display, sure to impress both you and your passenger creating a very romantic mood.

Driving the S550 at nght, the crystal coloring of the guages, dials and buttons as well as the hypnotic glow of the LCD screens gives you the feeling you are in a spaceship. I don't even think the X-Wing fighter had this much tech opulence.

I should mention the NANO-PARTICLE paint which infuses nanoparticles to strengthen the resistance of the paint to scratches. If a hater tries to key your S-class he'll be quite suprised when the key slides off.


Slam the doors on the S550 and they slam shut with a muffled *FWUMP* that gives you the feeling that this car is built as solid as a brick. While I would think that the excessive electrical systems might cause future recalls and maintenance worries, there is also a peace of mind that the S550 instills in the driver just by touching it. The feeling of refinement and quality in the S550 is so high it is incredible...remarkable even. I would imagine that anyone who spends this kind of money, on a car this spectacular, feels as if they've purchased more than just a car. They've acquired an experience to be experienced over and over again with each drive.

In my opinion, the BMW 750li, while being more “techy” and “sporty”, is no where near as refined as the 2007 S-Class. Mercedes Benz has obviously borrowed alot from BMW's 7 series including the button design theory as well as their I-Drive concept, but MB actually gets it right wherin the 750's I-Drive, still feels horribly awkward! The 750 is just a sports car while the S550 is more of a luxury yacht sans water.
While I do miss the BMW's adjustable headrest pads,
I don't miss the BMW's comparatively puny interior space.
750li is a nightmare for taller people. I found the 750li's space lacking even compared to the Chrysler 300C.



Its not just a car...its an acquisition







RELATED GERMAN LUXURY CARS:


BMW 745LI / 750LI
http://www.epinions.com/content_252534754948


AUDI A8 L
http://www.epinions.com/content_254135406212
Amount Paid (US$): 95,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2007
Model and Options: S550 RWD