This graceful, athletic, flagship pushes boundaries--and our buttons

Overview. For decades the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan has reigned as a supreme icon of luxury motoring. The S-Class is usually the first to receive Mercedes' latest technological and safety gadgets, giving us mere mortals a glimpse of things to come. This tradition continues with the redesigned 2007 flagship sedan. If you have to ask, the price starts at $86,700.

The Mercedes-Benz S550 we bought had a sticker price of $90,200, including such features as an optional night-vision system and the obligatory $1,000 gas-guzzler tax. The powertrain is a 382-horsepower, 5.5-liter V8 mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel-drive would have added $3,350 more. More powerful and exotic S-Class versions top out at well over $100,000.

Initial impressions. The Mercedes-Benz S550 has power, ride, and comfort fit for a king, but its fiendishly complicated controls might displease anyone but a recent MIT graduate.

Despite its two-plus tons, the S550 launches like a catapult and hustles around corners with gusto. The zero-to-60 mph sprint flashes by in less than 6 seconds, with muscle-car-like verve. The seven-speed automatic shifts very well, though not quite as smoothly as Lexus's gold-standard eight-speed transmission. Handling is capable, secure, and relatively agile, with precise, crisp, and lively steering. The gas-guzzler tax is well-earned: Our car averaged just 17 mpg overall in our fuel economy tests.

Ride comfort is about as good as you'll find in anything on wheels. The cabin remains whisper-quiet no matter the speed or the road surface. The cushy S550 ignores, absorbs, sails over, or squashes flat whatever's in the road. The driver and front passenger are indulged with nearly infinitely adjustable power heated and cooled seats that keep fatigue at bay. Rear passengers will find a large, sumptuous living area with climate control, power sunshades, and other pampering gear.


A unified control knob on the center console orchestrates adjustments to audio, climate, communications, and other functions. It even adjusts the rear sunshade and the seat's lumbar support. The menu-wading required for those fine adjustments can be a serious driver distraction. Although the S550 provides alternate means to grapple with some key functions through conventional buttons and voice commands, it's only partial consolation.

The night-vision option draws mixed reviews. It uses infrared sensors to pierce the darkness, showing the road ahead on a surprisingly clear monochrome display in the instrument cluster. It illuminates objects beyond the headlights' reach, especially heat sources such as animals and pedestrians. Though the image is better than on similar instruments we've seen over the years, the night-vision display can also be distracting as you glance back and forth between it and the windshield. Some of our testers were dismayed that our S550 didn't include a backup camera, which is becoming standard on luxury vehicles costing far less. It seems petty for Mercedes to charge $750 extra for that useful feature on this car.

CR's take. The new S-Class provides plenty of pampering as well as top-flight driving performance when called upon. It's a shame the controls come with such a steep learning curve. We will see how this Mercedes compares with the new Lexus LS460 in the upcoming super-luxury showdown planned for the November issue of Consumer Reports and online in October at ConsumerReports.org.

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I can't wait to see what stuffy old boring Consumer Reports has to say when they compare the S550 to the LS460.

M

As only I'd expect from the guys at CR. I swear ToyoMoCo is sliding money under the table.

Well they are the geeks of the automotive world and anything Toyota is all good with them, well except the Lexus GS.

M

It's called Kissing Ass.

Come on now, the Lexus LS is and amazing vehicle. Assuming Lexus has to bribe anyone is absurd!