2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review

Even as BMW, Audi and Jaguar throw new cars into the luxury-flagship ring, Mercedes-Benz has kept its S-Class sedan competitive, with sedans that start below $90,000 and top out at more than double that.

The S-Class is still a spectacle of refinement — though it's dinged in small part by an inconsistent accelerator pedal.

While the S-Class is four years into the current generation, new for 2010 is the V-6-powered S400 Hybrid, which we cover in greater detail here. It anchors the bottom of the S-Class lineup. In order of ascending price, the rest of the lineup includes the S550, S63 AMG, S600 and S65 AMG. Click here to compare the group. All five models employ rear-wheel drive, but the S550 also offers all-wheel drive. I evaluated an all-wheel-drive S550.

See also:

Cleaning the wheels
WARNING Do not use power washers with circular-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean your vehicle, in particular the tires. You could otherwise damage the tires and cause an accident. ...

Tire ply composition and material used
Describes the number of plies or the number of layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire tread and sidewall. These are made of steel, nylon, polyester and other materials. ...

LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat anchors in the rear
WARNING Children that are too large for a child restraint must travel in seats using normal seat belts. Position shoulder belt across the chest and shoulder, not face or neck. In order to a ...