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:

Vehicle equipment
This Operator's Manual describes all models and all standard and optional equipment of your vehicle available at the time of publication of the Operator's Manual. Country-specific differences ar ...

Lights
Switching the daytime running lamps on/ off This function is not available in Canada. If you have activated the Day Lights function and the light switch is in the or position, the daytime r ...

Changing a wheel
Flat tire The "Roadside Assistance" section contains information and notes on how to deal with a flat tire. It also provides instructions on changing a wheel or mounting the spare wheel/ ...