Surprising Agility

At 17 feet long, the S550 is obviously a large car, but it doesn't feel the least bit ponderous from the driver's seat. It's pretty easy to maneuver through heavy, fast-moving highway traffic and feels rock-solid doing so, like nothing's going to move it off its line.

The big Benz also delivers a comfortable ride. An adaptive air suspension is standard on the S550, and it gives the sedan load-leveling capability as well as a lower ride height when traveling fast.

The sedan's size is most noticeable when you maneuver in tight spaces. Fortunately, there are a number of optional features that can lessen your chances of scuffing one of the bumpers, like front and rear parking sensors and a backup camera. Even with such aids, though, the S-Class can still sometimes feel like a giant when parking.

    See also:

    Raising the vehicle
    WARNING When jacking up the vehicle, only use the jack which has been specifically approved by Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle. The jack is designed exclusively for jacking up the vehicle at ...

    Important safety notes
    WARNING For safety reasons, switch off the windshield wipers and remove the key from the ignition lock before changing the wiper blades (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: make sure that the on-board ...

    Activating/deactivating airrecirculation mode
    You can deactivate the flow of fresh air if unpleasant odors are entering the vehicle from outside. The air already inside the vehicle will then be recirculated. The operation of air-recirculat ...