Anyway, the night vision is better than the one in BMW's 7-Series, because the camera is mounted at the top of the windshield, which projects a nicer picture of the road ahead; the camera in BMW's sedan is located in the bumper, which allows us to see manhole covers up close, and the display is awkwardly placed in the center of the dash.
The COMAND interface, which includes a multifunction rotary knob on the floor console, is a pure driver distraction, just like the similar systems in BMWs and Audis. However, I find that Mercedes-Benz's one is the easiest to get used to; it's simply a question of preference, as I have colleagues that like BMW's iDrive or Audi's MMI better.
Despite so much gadgetry, the rear quarters of this big sedan is pretty devoid of them. The solution for those who prefer being driven should choose the $3,200 Premium Rear Seating Package, which replaces the bench seat by two power-adjustable and ventilated chairs, and separated by a console. A good deal.
On the road
We don't feel a thing. No road can upset the serenity and smoothness is this cruiser's ride, no matter how bad it is. For such a big sedan, measuring over 5 meters long (205 inches) and weighing over 4,500 lbs (2,000 kg), it's pretty easy to drive. The steering is a little slow, but it's well-suited to the S550's mission.
The engine is a jewel. With 382 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque, it's powerful without being brutal. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in about 6.5 seconds, and the car can reach its governed 210-km/h top speed very quickly. Despite this performance, and matched to the 7-speed automatic, the 5.5-liter V8 can be quite fuel-efficient, too. By driving smoothly, I'm amazed at this S-Class' fuel economy average of just 11.9 L/100 km.
Impossible, you say? Well, my colleague Marc Bouchard is driving the new CL550 at the same time as me, which has the same engine, and his average is 12.1 L/100 km. The transmission has so many gears to play with that it's having fun keeping the engine spinning under 2,000 rpm on the highway, which saves gas. Too bad the typical buyer of a $100,000 car probably doesn't have fuel economy on his or her mind, but at least the rest of us must realize that this car isn't a gas-guzzling and polluting monster.
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| The S-Class is packed with technology advanced features. |
The COMAND interface, which includes a multifunction rotary knob on the floor console, is a pure driver distraction, just like the similar systems in BMWs and Audis. However, I find that Mercedes-Benz's one is the easiest to get used to; it's simply a question of preference, as I have colleagues that like BMW's iDrive or Audi's MMI better.
Despite so much gadgetry, the rear quarters of this big sedan is pretty devoid of them. The solution for those who prefer being driven should choose the $3,200 Premium Rear Seating Package, which replaces the bench seat by two power-adjustable and ventilated chairs, and separated by a console. A good deal.
On the road
We don't feel a thing. No road can upset the serenity and smoothness is this cruiser's ride, no matter how bad it is. For such a big sedan, measuring over 5 meters long (205 inches) and weighing over 4,500 lbs (2,000 kg), it's pretty easy to drive. The steering is a little slow, but it's well-suited to the S550's mission.
The engine is a jewel. With 382 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque, it's powerful without being brutal. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in about 6.5 seconds, and the car can reach its governed 210-km/h top speed very quickly. Despite this performance, and matched to the 7-speed automatic, the 5.5-liter V8 can be quite fuel-efficient, too. By driving smoothly, I'm amazed at this S-Class' fuel economy average of just 11.9 L/100 km.
Impossible, you say? Well, my colleague Marc Bouchard is driving the new CL550 at the same time as me, which has the same engine, and his average is 12.1 L/100 km. The transmission has so many gears to play with that it's having fun keeping the engine spinning under 2,000 rpm on the highway, which saves gas. Too bad the typical buyer of a $100,000 car probably doesn't have fuel economy on his or her mind, but at least the rest of us must realize that this car isn't a gas-guzzling and polluting monster.
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| The 5.5-liter V8 is quite frugal for such a powerful engine. |