Entered CNET Catalog: 03/31/2006
SKU: 100687469
Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz
Product summary
The good: Tech and luxury fuse in the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 as in few other cars. Well-designed interior systems, a panoply of practical safety features, and impressive performance deliver a truly top-notch driving experience.
The bad: With options, the price of the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 can easily sail into six-figure territory. The COMAND main control interface is better than iDrive but still requires a day with the instruction manual to master.
The bottom line: The 2007 S550 is a fitting flagship for Mercedes-Benz, offering cutting-edge technology to go with excellent performance for a full-size sedan. It's expensive with all the gizmos but trumps the competition in nearly every respect.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: Yes
- Reviewed on: 04/27/2006
The 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 is an all-new luxury sedan presenting the best the iconic German car manufacturer has to offer. Like previous generations of the S-Class line, the S550 coddles driver and passengers alike in luxurious surroundings, while taking electronic control over interior systems and driving aids to a new level.
The extensive list of technological features starts with an infrared night-vision-assist system, which neatly combines a high wow factor with real safety benefits. Distronic radar-based cruise control and brake assist also incorporate safety and convenience by automatically maintaining distance from vehicles up ahead. Features include full stops and starts in traffic (an option on the cruise-control stalk enables the car to resume speed from rest in tandem with traffic flow; no pedals needed), as well as preparation for heavy braking when cars in the S550's path are slowing rapidly.
Front multicontour seats contain electronically adjustable air bladders and offer numerous massage settings in addition to heating and cooling controls and 14-way power positioning. The front seats also automatically adjust the side bolsters to grip the more zealous driver in heavy cornering.
From the outside, the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 is slightly longer than its ancestors, with an extra 3 inches in the wheelbase. It also sports muscular wheel-arch bulges. Despite this nod to current car couture, the styling is still generally restrained, in keeping with the understated confidence the S-Class has long represented. Inside, soft leather and rich wood are complemented by indirect ambient lighting and quality switch gear.
Our test car was loaded with options, such as active body control, a panorama sunroof, Sirius Satellite Radio, electronic trunk closure, power rear seats, and four-zone climate control, in addition to those already mentioned. The total retail price was a whopping $105,000, including $775 for destination and delivery and a $1,000 gas-guzzler tariff.
The 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 makes the kind of seductive first impression that only a real luxury vehicle can. The familiar Mercedes door-closing thud gives way to the soft whirring of electric door-closing motors (as on the previous-generation S-Class), and once inside, there's no doubt you're in the executive suite of the auto world. Interior materials are all high quality, and the breadth of electronic features is immediately apparent.
Keyless Go, an $1,100 option, allows the driver to keep the key fob pocketed while entering, then fire up the Mercedes-Benz S550 with a touch of an engine start/stop push button.
The main instrument panel contains the tachometer, as well as fuel and temperature gauges on either side of an 8-inch LCD, which shows a convincingly high-resolution image of an analog speedometer. This virtual setup allows info from other vehicle systems to be overlaid on the speedometer image so that audio, Distronic, navigation, trip computing, and telephone functions are all visible on the speedometer display and controllable by buttons mounted on the steering wheel.
The 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550's Distronic display features a two-car image indicating the distance to the car ahead, while shading the speedometer's (virtual) rim to show how far below the intended cruise speed the target car is moving.
Most impressively, this screen also doubles as the forward night-vision-assist monitor, with a very crisp image of the road replacing the speedometer. The system uses two infrared projectors and an infrared camera to detect objects--and potential hazards--up to 500 feet ahead. When in night-vision mode, the speedometer is displayed horizontally across the bottom of the screen.
A second LCD in the center of the dashboard serves as the COMAND display. This screen can rotate a few degrees to skew slightly toward the driver or the front passenger, the kind of nice-to-have detail not seen in lesser cars. With a 16:9 aspect ratio and the same crisp resolution as the speedometer screen, it displays menus and images to control most interior systems. We found the single-knob COMAND system more intuitive and pleasing to use than BMW's iDrive solution, which we've panned liberally in reviews of the 550i, but that gets less annoying each time we encounter it. COMAND makes effective use of various S550 diagrams to depict what the user is changing, especially handy when programming the endlessly adjustable front multicontour seats (an $1,800 option).
COMAND extends to features such as the power rear sunshade, interior ambient lighting, and exterior lighting delays, but frequently used features such as the sunshade mostly offer their own dedicated controls. Climate control is operated via a row of center-console buttons up front and a small screen and button group in back, although true to its name, COMAND can allow or disallow separate rear-seat control.
The audio setup features a six-CD in-dash changer playing through an impressive 14-speaker, 600-watt Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround-sound system. Sound is predictably full at all ranges, and you can fine-tune the system through COMAND. A PC Card slot below the CD aperture lets the system play MP3 files from other media, and a specialized iPod adapter will be available as a dealer option.
Mercedes-Benz's GPS navigation system is standard on the S550 and includes its own 20GB hard drive. Along with the stereo and telephone systems, navigation is controllable by voice, as well as via COMAND or two five-way pads on the steering wheel. We found the nav system commendably quick and accurate, no doubt helped by the dedicated storage, but street names were displayed on only maximum map zoom.
The system understood our voice commands with no problem, and programming destinations using the COMAND knob worked just as effectively. While in full-screen map mode, the system also displays the scale, the compass heading, the current latitude and longitude, and the number of available satellites--in case we were curious.
For the nitpicker, the one drawback on the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 is that telephone integration requires more than a simple Bluetooth pairing. Bluetooth is available in the S550 but only to read address-book info from a phone, a PDA, or a laptop, not to make calls. Cell phones must be placed in a model-specific cradle in the center armrest and, once in place, are fully accessible both directly and through a keypad hidden under the padded wrist rest.
Clustered around the COMAND knob are 10 switches for sundry technical tasks, including alternating between interior systems and switching from Comfort to Sport suspension mode and various radio controls. One button is left to be customized for a radio function of the driver's choosing.
Power rear seats cost $1,120, and the panorama sunroof is a $1,000 option. Our car also had an intuitive rearview monitor system, which offers helpful distance and intended path markings, for $750. Rear side-window blinds are power operated from the driver's or rear seats for $700. Satellite radio prep is $500, four-zone climate control goes for $1,200, and the night-vision option is $1,150. The base price of the Mercedes-Benz 2007 S550 ($85,400) is actually slightly lower than that of its predecessor, but it's easy to see how a six-figure bottom line soon racks up.
Mercedes calls its newest 5.5-liter V-8 a new-generation engine, convenient marketing jargon that abandons its long-defended single-cam, V-8 layout in favor of a dual overhead-cam unit. The result is a stout 382 horsepower at 6,000rpm, with the peak 391 pound-feet of torque available from 2,800rpm to 4,800rpm. These power figures are substantial increases over the outgoing S-Class V-8's numbers, yet emissions have also been reduced, with help from variable valve timing.
On the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550, power goes to the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission. Buttons on the back of the steering wheel allow manual shifting, but the broad power band and the number of available gear ratios mean that acceleration is brisk from any speed, and picking gears manually is redundant--more for play than performance. Mercedes-Benz's official 0-to-60mph time is 5.4 seconds, very quick for a 4,270-pound car.
Our test car's single most expensive option was Active Body Control (ABC), at $3,900. It consists of hydraulic pistons at the top of each wheel's coil spring and is controlled by a computer monitoring 13 sensors: 4 in the wheels to gauge level and 9 around the body to detect movement. New data is read every 10 milliseconds, with suspension damping updating accordingly every 120 milliseconds. It was difficult for us to judge the system's real-world effects without having driven a non-ABC-equipped version, but as with the BMW 750Li's roll-bar twisting system, body roll is almost fully eliminated. Its contribution to ride comfort was very noticeable over rough San Francisco streets, where the S550 seemed to float over potholes. Speed-sensitive power-assisted steering melds well with ABC, never feeling overboosted and maintaining good feedback at all speeds--no mean feat in a car more than 17 feet long.
The 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 is EPA-rated at 16mpg in the city and 24mpg on the highway. According to our test car's trip computer, it had averaged 17.7mpg at an average speed of 29mph during its previous 1,613 miles.
With the possible of exception of a few 6,000-pound leviathans on the current SUV market, the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 has to be considered the safest passenger car on the road. Most of the active safety features are available in similar guises in other cars, but the S550 integrates them in a unique manner.
Compared with earlier heat-based systems, the S550's night-vision assist is much more effective at detecting objects up to 500 feet ahead and providing a clear picture with no washout from oncoming headlights.
One of our favorite safety features was the Distronic system's radar sensors, which allow the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 to prepare for impending collisions in innovative and unprecedented ways. While seat-belt tensioning in preparation for impact is nothing new, the S550 can also move its seats to optimize air-bag effectiveness and adjust seat bolsters to hold occupants more tightly. (The current BMW M5 also features active seat bolsters for hard cornering, but they are not integrated with any collision-detection systems.) The front and full-length side curtain air bags therefore have an extra split second to deploy before a crash. The car's windows and sunroof are also closed if a possible impact is anticipated, reducing the risk of injury to those inside. If the radar detects that heavy braking is needed, it warns the driver while prepressurizing the brake system in anticipation of an emergency stop. ABS is standard, as has it been since the S-Class was the first production car to offer it in 1978.
Other more familiar but no less-important safety offerings include a tire-pressure monitor, which displays each tire's reading on a speedometer-overlaid readout; a front-passenger occupancy sensor; the Tele Aid system to call for help in the event of theft, being locked out, or a collision; and electronic stability control.
The warranty period for the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550 is four years/50,000 miles, including 24-hour roadside assistance.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32out of 32 user reviews
Best car I have ever had!
Pros: This is the fourth Benz for us. The handling, supportive seats, quality of build, engineering features, simplicity of COMAND, and engine power are outstanding. Every feature of the car has been carefully and completely thought out and executed.
Cons: The transmission "brain" had to be replaced, under warranty and I ruined a new front tire when I hit a pot hole. I now watch the road for holes as the 45 series tires are rather expensive.
Our seven year old grandson summed up the car quite eloquently when he compared it to my previous Lexus LS430. He said the Lexus was very nice but kind of like a deck of cards with a few missing. The Mercedes had all the cards in place!
While I read some complaints about the COMAND system and the complexity of operation, I find it totally intuitive and a snap to operate. The navigation, audio and vehicle controls built into COMAND are perfect in my view. Perhaps being an engineer makes it easier for me, but I love the COMAND system.
When you inspect the engineering features built into the Mercedes they are impressive. From the milled steel door latches to hold doors shut if an accident occurs to the milled steel tracks the front seats ride in you can see the safety built into the car.
My wife survived a truck broadsiding her at 35 mph in our first Mercedes, a 1978 450SEL. It nearly demolished the car but all the doors remained closed and she was able to drive it out of the intersection after the accident. She attests the strength of the design to her still being alive.
Driving long distances is actually relaxing as the seats provide infinite adjustments so there are no pressure points on your back or upper legs that bother you. The active seats provide bolstering with air assist to hold you in place when cornering and are also adjustable.
Our car has the night assist that is very helpful when driving with low beams to help avoid hitting small animals or people with dark clothing.
It truly is a superlative automobile.
out of 32 user reviews
Simply put, this vehicule is the eptimoe of luxury.
Pros: Unmatched smooth drive. Luxurious details. Extremly comfortable interior. Sophisticated exterior.
Cons: Expensive and a "gaz-guzzler".
out of 32 user reviews
Best Luxury Car I've Owned
Pros: I've had the BMW 750i, Audi A8L, and just purchased the S550 with the AMG package. This is by far the best car I've owned. The ride is sweet and smooth. Once familiar with the electronics, it's more joyful and fun. Great comfort for a road trip.
Cons: Love the product...terrible dealer experience.
out of 32 user reviews
Nice car but has some noises that are a problem
Pros: beautiful car
Cons: makes weird noises
out of 32 user reviews
Just another tank...
Pros: 0-60 5.4s tons of luxuries
Cons: needs cannon attatched its a tank
out of 32 user reviews
One problem with the fenders/paint.
Pros: Drives nicely.
Cons: Fenders too narrow resulting in paint/body damage.
out of 32 user reviews
The Best ever Luxury car
Pros: navigation, handling, sound system, styling
Cons: Nothing so far and I have almost 16,000 miles
Do yourself a favor and spend the extra cash for it and buy a true definition of luxury, which is by the way the benchmark of luxury sedans. We have a BMW X5 which we loved very much (with 78000 miles) and we will be trading that in for the new ML550 from Mercedes Benz. That’s how much I have learned to trust the brand.
I know, I had hesitated at first to buy the car because how some people said it wasn’t us reliable as a Toyota. But after driving for 7800 miles and several trips to the dealership for the same problem that can not be resolved, my time its worth much more than what I thought I was saving by buying the lexus LS460L.
I am a very happy and new Mercedes Benz owner.
I bought a lexus LS460L originally and it was fine up until I drove over 45 miles and hour. Too much wind noise that a car like this should not have. I’d taken to the dealership several times and they couldn’t fix it. I finally gave up when I had 7800 miles and trade up for my Mercedes Benz S Class 550 that I just love. I wish I would have just purchased this car from the start, but I wanted to save money.
Do yourself a favor and spend the extra cash for it and buy a true definition of luxury, which is by the way the benchmark of luxury sedans. We have a BMW X5 which we loved very much (with 78000 miles) and we will be trading that in for the new ML550 from Mercedes Benz. That’s how much I have learned to trust the brand.
I know, I had hesitated at first to buy the car because how some people said it wasn’t us reliable as a Toyota. But after driving for 7800 miles and several trips to the dealership for the same problem that can not be resolved, my time its worth much more than what I thought I was saving by buying the lexus LS460L.
I am a very happy and new Mercedes Benz owner.
out of 32 user reviews
Front end or brakes squeak
Pros: Boss loves the car
Cons: Front end squeak
out of 32 user reviews
It makes me want to Drive it 24-7
Pros: Beautiful in/exterior, powerful, techonolgically packed
Cons: I can't Figure how how to do massage mode, even thought the dealer tought me...
out of 32 user reviews
this car is the best in the market
Pros: no car matches the s class's technology
Cons: maybe the price is high but it's worth it
out of 32 user reviews
best mercedes i've owned
Pros: comfort, power, fit and finish
Cons: only 3 minor complaints
amazingly enough...it gets great gas mileage...i'm getting about 24 mpg on the freeway at 70+ mph... with almost 400 hp, i though it would be in the 18 mpg range.
when i was a kid, i had a 69 pontiac gto... the s550 reminds me of the good old days of loads of power to get up to speed and for passing...but with refinement.
the ride and quiet are superb...its easy to carry on a conversation without raising one's voice. the sound system is fantastic...i have my favorite mp3's downloaded to an 8gb cf card which plays off the pcmcia slot. really no need for a cd player anymore.
the car handles like a much lighter car on sharp turns and curves...almost sportsman like...quite incredible considering that 2 1/2 tons of inertia to overcome...
mercedes service has always been great. i've always used the dealer in walnut creek, ca.
i only have three minor complaint and that is the wood on the dash sometimes glares from the sun...for once, cheap black plastic would have been desirable... the second is the gps... the gps works great...but, it is not feature rich like the portables one can buy at any store. the third issues is my treo 650 cellphone is not compatable with the s550.
all in all, i highly recommend this car...
out of 32 user reviews
Perfect Mercedes at the moment
Pros: soft, smooth and powerful
Cons: small outside mirrors, users manual needs to be an interactive dvd
out of 32 user reviews
An awesome luxurious rocket.
Pros: Incredibly lit interior at night, intuitive cornering lamps, nice ride.
Cons: Outside mirrors are too small.
After going through puddles, that brakes automatically and imperceptively make contact with the discs to facilitate faster drying. I could go one for paragraphs and paragraphs. It's simply awesome.
out of 32 user reviews
s550 is the sedan of sedans
Pros: the car is a dream
Cons: none, but needs to come with amg sport package
out of 32 user reviews
Far better than 2006 S-Class
Pros: Every aspect has improved over 2006 S-class
Cons: AC fan on auto blows too hard and long
out of 32 user reviews
Superb Automobile I do not know
Pros: Well done review.but only for.....
Cons: the electronic gadgets
out of 32 user reviews
Annoying bugs in a great car
Pros: Roomy, nice styling, excellent power and good mileage.
Cons: New low-profile wheels are a mistake: I had 2 sidewalls blow out in the first 3000 miles driving New York streets. The electronics are confusing- I challenge any owner to turn OFF the radio while Nav
Except, the new low profile wheels have a tendency to blow the tires when you hit a pothole. I replced two wheel rims and two blown tires in the first 3000 miles. The rear doors went berserk and could not be opened or locked. Repaired. Finally, the electronics on this car as comp;lex as any I've ever seen. WHile that gives the driver lots of options (you can turn devices on and off from the steering wheel or from the joystick) it makes operations diffciult. for example, it is very hard to turn off the radio while Navigation is on.
out of 32 user reviews
The most comfortable car I have ever owned
Pros: Everything
Cons: Takes some manual studying to operate Control funcions
Worth it? For sure.
out of 32 user reviews
good in luxury, power and driving capabilities but sucky in reliability
Pros: luxurious powerful,
Cons: RELIABILITY/GAS GUZZLER
out of 32 user reviews
For those who truly appreciate innovation... And aren't jaded.
Pros: Superb ride, edgy styling, great new features.
Cons: I can't afford one, won't fit into everyone's budget
Anyway The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has always been the model used to introduce new technology to consumers. You can always expect the latest gadgets and "sensors" -which, apparently to some are nothing yet in reality one of these "sensors" could mean the difference between life an death in an accident. Sensors that, I will wager, your Honda Accord will not possess for another decade. With that said, the S-Class is very expensive. Technology is not cheap which is why not every car on the road is like a Mercedes-Benz or even a Lexus for that matter. The point to keep in mind is... You get what you pay for - And that's it.
out of 32 user reviews
magnificent to look at.
Pros: the tech. its all about the tech
Cons: the gears. just a thought
out of 32 user reviews
If this is a dream, please don't wake me up! Superb Engineering!
Pros: Spectacular design & engineering. Quick & responsive driving machine.
Cons: HK Sound disappointing lack of power/volume. Terrible service dept @ Mercedes of Tampa.
However, the sound system is weak (compared to the Bose in my previous S500) and needs power/volume. The worst part is having to deal with a service dept in Tampa that is virtually never helpful or customer service oriented. Beware consumers!
out of 32 user reviews
Not what it used to be
Pros: Nice styling, spacious interior, wonderful ride
Cons: Poor Quality, Overprice in US, status symbol not quality
out of 32 user reviews
Great car, but in the U.S. mostly great just for status
Pros: One of the top high-performance luxury sedans of all time
Cons: can't ever appreciate its strengths on U.S. roads
out of 32 user reviews
A Distinct Influence
Pros: Elegant Styling, Innovative Parking System
Cons: Like many luxury sedans, the neat tech features tend to distract drivers
out of 32 user reviews
Luxury, Style, and Pwoer
Pros: Fuel Economy, Power, Accel, Smothing Ride
Cons: Amount of electronics
Also this car has a lot of electronics, it just thats a while to get use to the system.
If you plan on getting a Luxury Sedan, the BMW 745/750Li or the MB S550 wouldn't be a bad choice.
Sorry about that, I didn't notice I misspelled Power.
Had an oil change at 3000. Chrome head and tail light trim, Brabus Monoblock VI 3 piece 19" rims, Brabus lip spoiler and a Brabus Sport Exhaust installed.
The engine sounds smoother, and the car itselft looks a lot nicer as well, I personally try not to replace stock parts. The car is white so you don't really notice the chrome trims right away, but once you notice it, it looks a lot better.
If you have an S550 and wouldn't mind spending a few dollars on it, I would definitely recommend the Brabus sport exhasut and Brabus' monoblock rims.
I've also been receiving an average of 19 mpg with is great for a V8, 70% highway 30% city (mainly hills). Lowest I've gotten was about 14 mpg, mostly uphill and downhill. Overall even at 14, its pretty good expecially driving it uphill.
out of 32 user reviews
Perfection Mercedes S550
Pros: Beautiful Ergonomics
Cons: Trying to copy the Maybach
out of 32 user reviews
Nice car, but a problem with the video
Pros: 2nd display, technology is awesome!
Cons: It's a Mercedes.
I love the 2nd display in the mercedes!
out of 32 user reviews
The Best Car in the World
Pros: every thing
Cons: nothing till Now
out of 32 user reviews
A Great Ride!
Pros: Power, ride, handling, technology.
Cons: The price of admission is high!
out of 32 user reviews
A mercedes with a front fascia of a Ford Focus!!!!
Pros: Still Huge, Luxurious and Powerful
Cons: More refined competition, ugly exterior design
! I've been driving cars for 3 years now, and I've driven many many of the new Mercedes and before they ever did the new Transmission Shifter that looks like a windshield wiper stick, BMW was doing it on the 7SERIES!! AND PEOPLE HATE IT! I know people that turned in their 7series and got a different car due totally to the shifting confusion. I've never had a problem with using it however. I must say Mercedes has taken a step BACKWARDS in the exterior design department. The front looks like a ford focus melted to the front, the headlights are disgusting.... not to mention the hideous black bars seaparating the brake lights and reverse lights in the back. very stupid looking if you ask me. Much like the first new model of the 7series back in 2003 they need to refine their back end like BMW had to do. FLARE like that doesn't come off well in a stuffy rich, buying bracket. If you have 100,000 to spend on a car! Get an Audi A8L the v12 is insane and it's a much better car for your money. Don't mess with an american owned, german labeled piece of garbage like this.[Edited by: admin]
out of 32 user reviews
The best in style and function in the last 7 yrs
Pros: A looker...performer!
Cons: Expensive, camera is a toy...
