The new 2007 S-class says to hell with all that. To start, it's larger than today's car in every dimension. The long-wheelbase model-the only one we'll get in the States-is 1.7 inches longer, 0.7 inch wider, and 1.1 inches taller. The already-huge cabin has grown even more spacious, and the trunk is roomier as well.
The interior-design team appears to have kicked out the cost accountants, judging from the richer environment. Supple leather covers not only the seats but also the doors and the in-strument panel. Mercedes has finally abandoned its black plastic buttons for ribbed chrome. Cool mood lighting emanates from under the wood strip that wraps around the cabin.
The knob controller itself works every bit as beautifully as BMW's, and it sits just below a padded handrest perched at the leading edge of the armrest. The handrest opens up to reveal a keypad for the mobile phone. Nice as it is ergonomically, sometimes you just don't want the distraction of wading through menus to operate frequently used devices. Mercedes does have separate climate controls and a few audio controls on the steering wheel, but too many functions require gazing at the screen.
The navigation system, which is standard, is contained within the Comand system. Ours has a course set for Saint Moritz, Switzerland, a scenic, 200-mile drive from our starting point in Milan. We roll out of the parking lot and set off.
The navigation system, which is standard, is contained within the Comand system. Ours has a course set for Saint Moritz, Switzerland, a scenic, 200-mile drive from our starting point in Milan. We roll out of the parking lot and set off.
The Italian autostrada moves quickly, but heavy traffic has us slowing r
epeatedly. The new V-8 engine, now with four valves per cylinder and displacing 5.5 liters, is turbine smooth and virtually silent, only finding its voice at the upper reaches of the rev range. The S550 gathers speed quickly, more quickly than before, but doesn't rocket forward with a vengeance (for that you need the twin-turbocharged V-12, which, according to the factory, sends the S600 from 0 to 62 mph in a supercar-like 4.6 seconds). The frequent braking gives us ample opportunity to appreciate the good, old-fashioned, mechanically applied hydraulic brakes, which are much easier to modulate than the much-maligned and trouble-prone SBC brake-by-wire system in the E-class. That system was originally planned for the S-class as well, but Mercedes is now phasing it out.
epeatedly. The new V-8 engine, now with four valves per cylinder and displacing 5.5 liters, is turbine smooth and virtually silent, only finding its voice at the upper reaches of the rev range. The S550 gathers speed quickly, more quickly than before, but doesn't rocket forward with a vengeance (for that you need the twin-turbocharged V-12, which, according to the factory, sends the S600 from 0 to 62 mph in a supercar-like 4.6 seconds). The frequent braking gives us ample opportunity to appreciate the good, old-fashioned, mechanically applied hydraulic brakes, which are much easier to modulate than the much-maligned and trouble-prone SBC brake-by-wire system in the E-class. That system was originally planned for the S-class as well, but Mercedes is now phasing it out.The Sport and Manual modes have two other effects: they quicken the throttle response and stiffen the air-spring suspension. The S-class again uses Mercedes's Airmatic air suspension and adaptive damping. The setup delivers a plush ride overall, but when cornering on bad pavement, we can feel bumps transmitted through to the steering column, which strikes us as rather un-Mercedes-like.
Unbowed by darkness, stoically refusing to lean in corners, the iron-willed S-class also has its own way of dealing with traffic jams. Does it vaporize lesser cars with a grille-mounted death ray? Perhaps in the next-generation S-class. For the 2007 car, there is a new, more clever version of Distronic. The latest edition of Mercedes's radar-guided cruise control (which is optional on the S550 and standard on the S600) can now work not only at cruising speeds, but even in stop-and-go traffic. The automatic braking can bring the car all the way down to a complete stop, then start up again when traffic begins moving. So as we cross back into Italy and make our 
way slowly through the resort towns along the western shore of Lake Como, we set the cruise at 60 mph and plod through town in a line of traffic. Pretty neat stuff. As with any thought-saving device, however, the hardest part is not letting yourself get dependent on it. If you forget that you've shut it off (by applying the brakes yourself, for example) and then expect it to brake for you, you set yourself up for a rude lesson in over-reliance on electronic driving aides. The new S-class is a pretty amazing car, but one that still requires a driver-at least for now.
way slowly through the resort towns along the western shore of Lake Como, we set the cruise at 60 mph and plod through town in a line of traffic. Pretty neat stuff. As with any thought-saving device, however, the hardest part is not letting yourself get dependent on it. If you forget that you've shut it off (by applying the brakes yourself, for example) and then expect it to brake for you, you set yourself up for a rude lesson in over-reliance on electronic driving aides. The new S-class is a pretty amazing car, but one that still requires a driver-at least for now.
It's also a car that, more so than its predecessor, exudes the kind of confidence, even smugness, one expects from a big Mercedes.
