Big Jimm

It had been a few weeks since I last looked, as I WAS considering one. So,
today, I went back to the dealer. Just to be sure.

How ANYONE could call the S550’s interior “luxurious” is beyond me! It’s what
you would expect in a nice pick-up. At 92k it didn’t even have a wood/leather
steering wheel. Why should that have to be ordered special on a MB? By
luxury comparison, the interior was VERY plain and DULL. Worse than I
remembered.

And, as one writer reported, “the controls are confusing and it has a silly
circle pod on the center of the console and armrest.”

However, there is ONE big advantage to an S550. I can get it today. And, I
AM ready to buy now. But .. I guess I’ll just have to control this “instant
gratification” urge. (Some of you may be familiar with that particular urge.
However, I'll just have to control myself.)

Bottom Line .. Renewed Opinion: The S550 is good looking outside. But,
for 92k, the interior is definitely DULL! Very little wood, etc. And, the controls
are HIGHLY unimpressive .. along with MB’s long list of new, unavailable
options, like XM radio, etc, etc, etc.

Big Jimm
So. Fla.

encore888

I applaud your self-control, certainly it is tempting to buy now, but regret later.

That said, I think the new S-class interior is an improvement over the old. The real deal-killer is the **** design. Although this time around, lots of the buttons have been eliminated, the **** design is silly to me.

I like a wood-and-leather steering wheel on a luxury sedan, it just feels more comfortable and elegant.

Having sat inside the S-class, I found the interior to be competent enough, I am looking forward to sitting in the LS for comparison.

We used to have an S-class, it lasted us for 10+ years, but it was from the old era when Mercedes cars were 'over-engineered.' They don't make them like they used to now.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

I wanted to like the new s550 and had high hopes.

The biggest turn offs are the horrific steering wheel and the complete rip-off of the bmw 7 interior. How can the benchmark of prestige have no originality?

The interior quality is a big improvement over the old one though

Is the cd changer still an option?

S550 was a no-thanks for me also.

Kudos for your self-control and temptation from an impulsive buy.

Wait until you see the S and LS side by side for comparison.

LexFather

To this day I cannot believe they ripped off the 7 interior so blatantly. I think it has some cool features but just is not pleasing to the eye. It just screams 7, 7, 7, 7, 7

The exterior has grown on me, very in your face and "HEY LOOK AT ME, I AM HERE". Which can get old fast. I find the AMG kitted ones look sensational.

marshmallo

I'm a huge MB fan. Love most of their cars, but NOT the
current S class. Neither the inside nor the outside appeal
to me. I prefer the outgoing S class's elegant
styling.

acerfan

have you guys seen the interior lighting of the S-Class though? I just think it's so neat and I beg to differ how you guys think that it's not luxurious (im a Lexus fan myself)...

I mean the layout and wood trim and seats are all layed out and high-quality materials. sorry if I am opposing to anyone but those are just my opinions and from what I've seen the S class is definately luxurious inside and out.

INHOCJP

You're not alone. I find the new S-Class interior very luxurious. The ambient lighting is a great touch.

dfiorito

I am with you Big Jimm.

I actually liked the 750i better then S550. I am on the computer all day so I thought the iDrive would be easy to master.

I saw the LS430 a few months ago and almost bought that. I explained to the salesman what I was looking for and he told me it would be a BIG mistake to buy the 430 and that I should wait for the LS460.

He said the technologly was so advanced that I would end of selling the LS430 and then buying the 460 and loose a ton of money in the process. I am sure he was right, but the waiting part is so hard.

Oh well, less then 2 months to go. Hope it is worth it.

Gojirra99

The lighting is the only part I like, I don't care for the interior of the new S class at all other than that.

Helmar

I've been driving a 330xi with iDrive for about 6 months now.

It's not that iDrive is difficult (I'm a software developer), it's just so intrusive and takes much more attention.

A simple example is switching from CD to AM radio.

On my LS430, look at the dash for a second and push the AM button.

With iDrive:

1. Look at the i-Drive screen to see which direction entertainment is.
2. Move the i-Drive in that direction.
3. Look back at the i-Drive screen in a second or two to see if the entertainment screen is displayed.
4. Pull the twist the i-Drive to AM and push it.

THEN, if you want to use the presets, there's more work if it's not currently set to presets.

It's like that with many other functions, especially navigation.

Using voice recognition helps, but I can't remember all those commands (well, I do remember "AM", and use it)

HBH

Big Jimm

When I actually drove a 550 today, it seemed to me that the steering wheel
had an overly big diameter. That may have been my imagination since I had to
keep a small left pressure on it to keep it from pulling to the right. (The
salesman said that is a standard MB alignment trait.)

Does anyone know: is the diameter of the 550's steering wheel a little bigger
than most other cars?

Big Jimm
So. Fla.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

MB S-Class


BMW 7-Series



Too close for comfort. Is this the trademark "German" design? How about ingenuity? Design should evolve, not stay stagnant...

daygo718

iTrader: (1)

Actually, all of the top German models (A8, 7 series and S class) do not come with a wood/leather steering wheel as standard. They have always been an option if offered at all. The reason for this is because of the Germans emphasis on performance/sport over luxury. In the past, leather steering wheels were the only option available in the high performance models such as the S55/S65 AMG and the S8. I've actually read of individuals in the market for the new S65 AMG who would not purchase the car because MBUSA was only offering a wood/leather steering wheel with button shifters and not the AMG leather steering wheel with paddle shifters. It really comes down to personal preference. I like both the new S class (especially the AMG version) and the new LS460. You just need to purchase what makes you the happiest in the long run.

Big Jimm

Seeing the 2 fine interior pics you posted reminded me that the "I-****"
(which I hated) was even unhandy to grasp because the phone case covers
1/3 of it. See it in the top pic.

Big Jimm
So. Fla.

encore888

For the sake of comparison, here's a similar shot of the LS Series interior.