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:

    Controlling the front climate control using the front control panel
    Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition lock. Set the desired temperature. To switch on: press the rocker switch up or down. The indicator lamp in the rocker switch lights up. ...

    Setting the front-compartment airflow using the front control panel
    You can select different airflow settings for the driver's and front-passenger sides as well as for the rear compartment. You can also use COMAND to set the airflow. Turn the SmartKey to positi ...

    Tailgate emergency release (Wagon)
    If the tailgate can no longer be opened from outside the vehicle, use the emergency release on inside of the tailgate. On vehicles with a folding bench seat you can open the tailgate from insid ...