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:

    Setting the airflow
    You can set the airflow separately for the driver’s and front-passenger side. Select left airflow 3 or right airflow 5 by turning the COMAND controller and press to confirm. To adjust th ...

    Setting the center air vents
    Setting the center air vents 1 Center air vent, left 2 Center air vent, right 3 Center vent thumbwheel, right 4 Center vent thumbwheel, left To open/close: turn thumbwheels 3 and 4 up or dow ...

    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 ...