S-Class: Short-hand for the German word “sonderklasse” (English: “special class”), it signifies the non plus ultra of the Mercedes-Benz automobile lineup. Truly a special car, it laughs in the face of rising, falling – and most likely rising again – fuel prices, in order to offer its owner a truly unique motoring experience.

Currently in the mid-life of its product cycle, Mercedes-Benz’s flagship S-Class still ranks as one of the worlds most desirable automobiles. Almost limo-like in size and scope it has power and poise that others can only wish to attain. Leftlane takes a look at this biggest ‘Benz.

What is it?
A living room on wheels. The only thing missing is a refrigerator and a port-a-loo. With those last two items, you would never have a need to leave the cocoon of your S-class at all. Which correlates with Mark Elias’ Absolute Truth Number 7: “You can’t drive your house, but you can always sleep in your car.”

The S550 is actually the automaker’s base S-Class offering in North America. Equipment inside – and especially under the hood – only escalates through an AMG-massaged V8 and turbocharged V12 all the way up to the Big Kahuna, a $194,950, 604-horse, 738 lb-ft. S65 AMG.

But don’t think the S550 is a stripped out, price-leader. It most certainly is not.

What’s it up against?
Logical competition includes the Audi A8L, the Maserati Quattroporte, the Lexus LS460L and BMW’s 750Li. Before you all start jumping up and down, the Bentley Flying Spur is priced out of the realm, at least as far as sheer dollars are concerned.

Any breakthroughs?
Not breakthroughs by any stretch, but a great feature set nonetheless. Start with paddle shift levers on the steering wheel. Follow that with hill-holding ability on an inclined road. Ventilated and heated front seats. Now add a new radar-based blind spot and parking assist that actually scans available parking spaces and displays a “P” on the dashboard to let you know if the car will fit. Flick the transmission lever into reverse, and the in-dash monitor turns the rearview camera on to help guide you into the spot. If you must rely on Lexus auto-park technology, you have no business in this car!

Another feature set involves seat-of-the-pants driving. Drive-Dynamic multicontour front seats with a massage feature allows for auto-inflating bladders to hold driver and passenger in place. Turn to the right, and the left-side bladder inflates. Turn to the left, and the right bladder does its best blowfish impression. After the tension that spirited driving causes, a dynamic back massage function rubs out the kinks at four varying speeds. And no, it doesn’t lull you into a behind-the-wheel slumber.

Our test car featured Mercedes’ “Key to the Cure” package, which includes an exclusive Diamond White metallic exterior paint color, Sahara beige and black interior and 20-inch AMG 5-spoke wheels with high performance tires. A limited-edition model, its sales help Mercedes-Benz USA donate $1,000,000 to the EIF Women’s Cancer Research Fund. Just 1,000 S550s will be offered with the package and the automaker will donate $10,000 per car equipped with the package to the charity.

How does it look?
Looking like a long, sleek, low-slung limousine, it is over 17-feet long. But that’s not to say it is out of proportion. Proper overhangs at both ends do their best to not exaggerate the overall length of the S-class. Seventeen feet is a long way from front to back, but it does work well. The sculpted fenders give the impression of muscular “shoulders” that imparts the overall strength of the S550.

Updated headlight lenses flank the recognized Mercedes-Benz grille that helps to anchor the identity of this Benz flagship. Ground-effect style rocker panels lead back to a squatty, high-performance appearing rear-end that could looks as though it could accommodate tires wider than the 20-inch models that our car was shod with.

And inside?
Inside, an embarrassment of riches awaits the drivers and passengers. From the ventilated and heated leather seats with massage and dynamic side bolsters, to the subtle accent lighting that lightly illuminates the cabin after dusk, to the burled walnut wood trim and steering wheel, the interior has among the best materials available in the luxury car market. The seats are flawless for long-distance runs, allowing occupants to arrive without fatigue that sometimes accompanies lesser seats.

Paddle shifters on the leather and wood-wrapped steering wheel help to bang through the gears on the seven-speed slush box. Transmission controls are otherwise handled on the column-mounted selector stalk, as they used to in the old school days. A COMAND controller dial sits under the keypad for the Bluetooth operated phone system (which also is a natural handrest). With the controller, drivers can operate climate, navigation, audio, massage and system functions. Make a mistake and the “back” button allows you to correct it without exiting the system.

The COMAND system with navigation and 14-speaker harman/kardon LOGIC7 surround sound also features a compact flash card reader that allows MP3 files to be stored allowing the card to function as an external drive. The audio system can access the card and allow the listener to use the COMAND controls to find certain files for playback from the card. We think the choice of a CF card reader is a bit outdated, especially given the technological sophistication otherwise evident throughout the S550’s cabin.

But does it go?
The S550 does go. All the way up to its namby-pamby electronically limited top end of 130 mph. It is probably a function of marketing to the North American market to keep the car on speed-rated tires rather than the Z-rated models this car could use for some serious ‘bahn burning. No matter, though, this car is serious when you step on the loud pedal and feel the push back into the armchairs, as the ponies are unleashed from underhood.

Speaking of underhood, that’s where the big five-and-a-half-liter V8 resides. As seen throughout the M-B lineup, it returns with the usual statistics: 382-horsepower at 6,000 rpm, with 391 lb-ft. of torque and a nought to 60 time of 5.4 seconds. It’s still pretty impressive for a vehicle that tips the scales at 4465-pounds. Such weight sometimes has its downside, but 14 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway is still a respectable set of credentials even for a heavyweight like the S550.

The S550 puts its power to the ground by way of the seven-speed driver-adaptive transmission that provides excellent gear mashing up through the cogs. Handling is a result of the multi-linkage in front with gas-charged shocks and a beefy stabilizer bar, and another multi-link at the rear with both anti-dive and anti-squat technology. Finally, when it’s time to toss anchor, you can rely on the 13.2-inch rotors with four-pot clampers in front and the 12-inch discs in back with single-pots on each side to bring things to a stop.

The handling feels like that of a car 3/4s the size of the S-Class. Quick lane change maneuvers are almost second nature with the S-Class, and its power-assisted speed-sensitive steering. Understeer is controlled to the point of not being intrusive when you reach its limits. It rides like the perfect executive transport. But don’t get us wrong: This is a big car. It just doesn’t seem to know it.

Why you would buy it:
You like your luxo-barges in the large category, fuel prices be damned, and this is about as large as it gets (short of opting for the S550’s corporate cousin, the Maybach.)

Why you wouldn’t:
You are checking out that new Hyundai Genesis that your neighbor, Phil, just parked in his driveway down the block.

2009 Mercedes-Benz S550 base price, $86,950. As tested, $99,675.
Key to the Cure Edition, $10,850; Destination, $875; Gas guzzler tax, $1,000.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

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