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:

    Important safety notes
    DSR assists you when driving downhill. It keeps the speed of travel at the speed set on the on-board computer. The steeper the downhill gradient, the greater the DSR braking effect on the vehi ...

    Active Blind Spot Assist
    Important safety notes Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor system to monitor the side areas of your vehicle which are in back of the driver. A warning display in the exterior mirrors d ...

    Preparing the vehicle
    WARNING The wheel and tire size of the emergency spare wheel/spare wheel may differ to that of the damaged wheel. When using an emergency spare wheel/spare wheel the handling characteristic ...