Universal Car Rent

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.