Mercedes-Benz S 550, A Gentleman's Saloon

In Europe they call sedans saloons — just one of those weird cultural differences that make overseas journalists feel superior. Well, I just finished a week testing the all-new S 550, and it could make me change how I talk, dress and even style my hair — it is that extreme a cultural change from other vehicles I’ve tested.

Sliding into the supple heated and cooled leather seats amid all the brushed metal and wood trim feels like stepping into an exclusive country club, not a four-door luxury car. Everything from the finishes to the amber lighting exudes class.

A few Cars.com folks tested out the S 550 and thought it had too many gizmos. After testing BMW’s iDrive, Audi’s MMI and now Mercedes-Benz’s Comand system, I have to say Mercedes does it right and does it best. Yes, there is a central dial that can control all the features on the small LCD screen in the middle of the dash, just like BMW’s iDrive. However, the genius of the system is that there are plenty of other buttons that are basically shortcuts to commonly used functions, like the radio or navigation system. The metal dial feels weighty and cool to the touch, kind of like a safe tumbler. All the buttons, from the windows to the small phone pad — you can plug your cell phone into a slot then control it through the car’s system — are small metal numbers that are extremely precise. I’ve never rolled down a window with such accuracy before, though I doubt many S-Class buyers will roll down their windows.

Another genius move is the long row of toggle switches that breaks up the center stack and controls the air conditioning. It’s simple, elegant and doesn’t involve the Comand system. Plus I kind of felt like Howard Hughes piloting one of his classic planes. You know, before he went completely nuts. 

My wife said I looked like an old man driving the S-Class, but once sequestered in the driver’s seat you really don’t care what the outside world thinks. Blasting the stereo also helps because it’s more than impressive. I took it to task with the last Queens of the Stone Age album — not their best, but their best produced — and the sound was so clean I heard nuances in the tracks that I’d never noticed before. Plus you could play it extremely loudly without getting a bit of distortion. Of course, that’s another test most S-Class buyers will probably skip. Too bad, maybe it would keep them young.

As for the ride, it’s pleasant and everything a $90,000 cruiser should be, but to me that’s secondary to the interior treatment. It’s one of the few vehicles in which I pleasantly discovered something new each time I got in it, and there wasn’t one aspect inside that I could imagine being done better.

The analog clock is stylish and easy to read unlike others I’ve seen.

Amber lighting seeps out from under wood trim on the doors (above) and dash (below).

An overhead shot of the Comand dial and numerous shortcut buttons.