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 notes
    In order to prevent the vehicle's battery from discharging, the interior lighting functions are automatically deactivated after some time except for when the SmartKey is in position 2 in the i ...

    Folding the rear bench seat forwards
    If the driver's or front-passenger seat is set for a larger person, it may not be possible to fold the rear bench seat forwards. In this case, move the front seats as far forward as p ...

    Ashtray in the front-compartment center console
    The holder under the ashtray is not heat resistant. Before placing lit cigarettes in the ashtray, make sure that the ashtray is properly engaged. Otherwise, the holder could be damaged. ...