Interior

The inside got an immediate thumbs-up from me. Our test car came with black ash wood trim, which looks a million times better than any brown wood trim. The car featured in the pictures to the right are of an E550 we had in the office earlier, and the more I look at them, the more convinced I am that the darker trim is the way to go.

The beige leather was also nice, and not only for its color. It felt just a bit stiff — like a baseball glove that's not quite broken in: soft, but not smooshy — simply perfect. The seats also adjusted about every way imaginable. Our tester came with an optional two-stage massage system that I really liked; it works your entire spine, rather than just lamely inflating one section of the lumbar support. Note: On its most intense setting, the massage is firm, so — well, you've been warned.

One odd thing was the placement of the analog clock in the gauge cluster, just to the left of the speedometer. That's normally where I expect to see a tachometer, but I eventually got used to it.

    See also:

    Important safety notes
    Observe the "Important safety notes" section. ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that the wheels do not lock when you brake. This allows you to continue steering the vehicle ...

    Storing the current speed or calling up a stored speed
    WARNING The set speed stored in memory should only be set again if prevailing road conditions and legal speed limits permit. Possible acceleration or deceleration differences arising from r ...

    Stop function
    This function is only available in audio DVD mode. Switch on audio DVD mode. To interrupt playback: select by sliding and turning the COMAND controller and press to confirm. The disp ...