Posted today... "REVIEWS: 2009 Mercedes Benz S550"
I can now admit that the entire time I spent driving our Four Seasons BMW 750Li back to Michigan from California I was secretly thinking the S-class would have been a better ride. I much prefer the linear acceleration of the Benz's normally aspirated engine to the BMW's laggy-then-explosive thrust from its twin-turbo mill. Mercedes' active body control feels a bit more normal than any of BMW's fancy new dynamic drive control settings. And the cooling function on the Benz's front seats is much, much quieter than BMW's system.
I would say it meets expectations and is competent - but far from amazing. I can't see any major technology or advances on the car that haven't already been available on prior or existing BMWs, or cars from other manufacturers. It's a parts bin special in many ways. The only 2 innovations I can see are side view camera and speed limit sign recognition.
I would have really liked folks to have called the 7er ground breaking and innovative - but I haven't seen praise like that yet. Shouldn't that be what a 7er is about? Past 7ers have introduced ABS, PDC, DSC, ARS, comfort seats, iDrive, 6 speed auto - where's the innovation like that on this 7? Things that go on to become standard on other cars since they are so ground breaking. Being slightly better than the competition isn't really the same as being amazing.
Having said that, I'll still consider the car when my lease ends.
maybe not amazing but a great car....what about the sports pck with integral steering ?lane departure ? is that new? i am geting one in july with ED anyway,so...
Four wheel steering was offered by the Honda Prelude and Mazda MX-6 in the late '80s. Lane Departure by Mercedes, Nissan, and Honda at least before BMW.
1) If ABS means anti-lock braking, the S Class introduced that first to the car world, not the 7...
2) M contour seats? I wouldn't really say newly shaped seats are a first...
3) ARS also wasn't a first, the S Class already had an advanced air suspension with its ABC Active Body Control system.
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