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:

    Engaging park position P
    •► Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direction of arrow P. The automatic transmission shifts automatically into park position P if you open the driver's door when the vehicle is stati ...

    High-performance brake system for AMG vehicles
    The high-performance brake system is installed only on the S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG. WARNING New vehicle brake pads and discs, and replacement brake pads and discs may take several hundred mile ...

    Kickdown
    Use kickdown for maximum acceleration. Vehicles for USA: fully depress the accelerator pedal. The transmission shifts to a lower gear depending on the engine speed. Vehicles for Canada: depre ...