Kids bring so much joy into their parents’ lives. They also bring a lot of mess. Whether its mud-caked shoes or the constant debris of cracker crumbs and sticky fingerprints they leave in their wake, kids and messes go together like peanut butter and jelly. The 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, a luxurious sedan, may be too nice to put kids in, especially considering its $93,825 price tag (including destination); our test car cost $122,895. If that price didn’t make you blink, keep reading. The good news is the five-passenger S550 earned top marks across the board in our Car Seat Check.
How many car seats fit in the second row? Two
What We Like
- The S550 has two sets of lower Latch anchors in the outboard seats. To access the anchors, you have to lift up a long flap that runs the length of the seat. It’s not difficult, just a bit awkward. The Latch anchors are set deeply into the seat bight, but they aren’t difficult to use.
- We installed both the rear-facing infant and convertible seats easily, and they had plenty of room in the backseat. There was no need to move the front passenger seat forward to fit either of them.
- The forward-facing convertible installed easily in the backseat. There was plenty of room for it.
- Seat bolsters helped hold our high-back booster seat in place. Fixed seat belt buckles are easy to grasp for youngsters.
What We Don’t
- The bottom seat cushion is angled sharply toward the seat bight. Parents may need to use a pool noodle or rolled towel to help rear-facing car seats fit properly.
- Raising the head restraints for the rear seats blocks access to the top tether anchors on the rear shelf. People with smaller hands should be able to access the anchors, however.
