I am nominating the 2010 S550 as the best luxury barge on the road for under $100,000.  I’ve tested everything from the Audi S8 to the A8L, to the LS460,  to the BMW 7.  Even the Maserati, a few Bentleys and the Maserati Quattroporte.  None of these cars offer the  balanced combination of  interior space, ride comfort, engine power, comfort features and everyday driveability than the S-Class does.  My own S550 is a solid luxury car with great interior appeal and fantastic power delivery.  I simply had to buy one a few years ago despite the high cost of entry.
http://www.epinions.com/content_252095073924 

But, what happens when the standard S550  and its  5.5L V8 just isn’t enough ?  

What happens when you not only desire the comfort and high end materials, but, are willing to pay $30,000 more to get all 5000 pounds of car and driver to 60 mph  quicker?

Well then, you opt for the S63 AMG.


The EXTERIOR Changes for 2010 S-Class will be minor to those who have owned an S-class but dramatic to those who’ve never driven one before.  The front end is gorgeous. Mercedes has copied AUDI’s integration of LED laps in both the headlamp fixtures and the fog lamp area. Now, there are no fog lamps – just a row of LED’s that run during the daytime. It looks  kind of strange and asymmetrical  that the air dam doesn’t have fog lamps yet still retains the cut out shape for them, but, when driving this beast, anyone noticing you is going to notice the LED’s anyway. Right away anyone who understands this car will know you have a 2010 model.

The rear end gets  its own LED treatment with double horizontal fields of the little dots.  It isn’t a major change from the current S550 which already has opulent rear fixtures, but, it will help differentiate yours from the people out there picking up 07 S-classes for $60,000 or less.

The AMG body kit styling isn’t a huge change from the old AMG body kit, but, you do get the nifty dual sets of dual exhaust pipes.   The exhaust note these SOB’s produce nearly made me pee myself.

The one exterior feature I must mention is the new side mirrors.  They are finally the proper size for this car. The 07 -09’s mirrors were much too small. I’m a little disappointed that these mirrors have a large chunk shape rather than a more aerodynamic shape like the mirrors on the Chrysler 300, but they still look good because they have a sharper yellow turn signal cut out which will also help differentiate this car from the older models. 
 
INTERIOR CHANGES are negligible. The 2010 S550/S63 has the same opulent dash trim, the same steering wheel and the same carpet trim as my car.  As the S63  is much more expensive, most of the optional features such as door sills that say “MERCEDES BENZ” are included. Naturally  there are a few badges marked “AMG” as well as an LED “AMG” symbol near the 8000 mark on the RPM gauge.
Dual powered headrests for the front seat are standard.
Dual powered “Driver Dynamic Seats”  with multi way adjustability,  ventilation, heating and cooling are standard. 

Parktronic ultrasound for the front and rear and side mirrors with blind spot warning system are standard.

Pretty much everything  that was optional on the S550 comes with the S63 in fact – with the exception of some rear seat options such as powered adjustable head rests and cooling for the seats.  

A Driver installed option that will likely be included if you buy is the DISTRONIC cruise control  and a cargo net for the trunk (Ill give an explanation later ).


OPTIONS for the 2010 S550 include $3000 4-Matic 4 wheel drive, A $3000 rear seat package  that offers multiway adjustable seats and a more powerful HVAC system.  There’s also  a $2500 DVD headrest package that allows passengers to watch the DVD they want or play a video game hooked up with RCA cables.

For $5800 you can add 19” AMG wheels, but for $6500 you can add 20’s.
   
As far as ride quality goes, you’d probably be best to include the $4000 ride stability control  (which came on my tester), but, only if you are intending to drive this car hard. If driven in a regular manner you won’t need it.  (more on this later). 

With all the packages included and smaller options such as heated steering wheel ($480),  Night  Vision ($1740)  and the $1000 panoramic sun roof, the car’s sticker comes in at nearly $125,000  - and that’s before you tack on another $6000 or so for taxes depending upon where you live. I’m sure the CEO’s and Reverends among us will figure out a way to beat that fee though.

I also should have mentioned that you can make those aluminum door sills glow “AMG” for an extra $1300.
 
Money is no object. The average S-Class buyer drops $10,000 in options.

The S63, includes most of the equiptment standard at its $135,000 (possibly more)  sticker. Parktronic, AMG styling, AMG wheels, multicontour seats and numerous other features are standard.


RIDE QUALITY

First of all, I’m nominating the S-class for the “best ride quality of all cars under $100,000”  and I don’t think even Kanye West can argue with that.   Yes the BMW 7 cancels body roll better than the base S550, but, the S550’s ride is much cushier and road imperfections are muffled to the point of absence.   Most people will argue that the S class does not offer the road feel of the 5 series or many other BMW’s, but, guess what, I didn’t buy a BMW… I BOUGHT AN S-CLASS.  Steering is appropriately heavy  since with a driver  and passenger it  weighs over 5000 pounds. But, that heft is appreciable once you hit 90 mph on the highway and the car stays straight and true even in high wind.

I said before that I felt the car felt too long. It still feels too long, but,  because this is more of a limo than a car, its forgivable. I’m a pretty tall person and 4 people my size could ride ultra-comfortably in this car.   BMW’s new 7 series has nothing on the driver space here because BMW tried to make the car look smaller by moving all the space behind the B pillar.  The Benz easily beats it as a family car while the Beemer offers more only to the rear passenger. 

I’m nominating the S-class for the best interior under $100,000.  The material quality may be somewhat dated since this car’s been with us a while, but the mix of organic shapes, cold glossy wood, hard plastics, soft plastics and stitched leather surfaces  but, the interior is large, spacious and as supple as a luxury hotel room.  Not to mention the softness of the seats or the rolling massage motors in the lumbar and the back.

The interior noise volume can only be described as  2001: Space Odyssey grade silence.  Even in noisy jack hammered streets of Manhattan you can carry on a conversation without having to speak loudly.  Its as quiet as a tomb in here even at 80mph.

Although my tester featured the active body roll control its something that you don’t actually notice until you push the car into a corner at a nice speed. Then, you not only see the car corner nice and flat with the horizon, but you get the effect of those seat bolsters inflating under your weight.  The combination causes roll to be mostly cancelled, but, under extremely hard pushing you do some considerable tire screech and slide. 

And this car is ultra comfortable. Besides those cooling fans in the seat cushion bringing my buttocks to 67 degrees and the HVAC always blowing like a COSTCO freezer, there really is no reason to roll down the windows.   Solar reflecting tint keeps glaring sunlight down to that of a 20 Watt lightbulb and the cold touch of the wood panels keeps the fingers happy. And that’s during summer. 
During Winter it’s the exact opposite. Warm and cozy as if the backseat had a fireplace. 

The car obeys presets from the COMAND computer integration system to keep the car at desired temperatures.  You can set virtually every main air louver’s blowing pressure and the rear with the seat package gets dual zone AC too.   The “pulse mode” and temperature of the front seats can be controlled through the computer as well. 

The sound system is a 600 watt, 6-CD player that reads MP3 encoded CDR’s. Its loud and powerful and perfectly balanced for the interior.   Strangely, a PCMCIA slot is included ?  Unless its for the engineers in maintenance to access the computer, it’s a strange addition.

The only thing that really makes me drool over this car is the monstrous acceleration provided by the 6.2Liter V8.  
At 6200 RPM, this car is producing over 460 pounds of torque and you’re already in the high 70’s,  0 -60 comes in at just under 5 seconds which is insane when you  actually get to think about  how large this car is.  Having 4-matic would helps this car considerably when jumping off the light on wet pavement because  the RWD version of the S  suffers from some fishtailing on slickn surfaces until the electronic stability kicks in.   what really makes this car shine is the almost unperceivable shifting as the car moves up the gear lists on the ultra smooth 7 speed automatic. 4-Matic is only available on the S550 for now so, if you want the more stable ride, go for that model instead.

There are also paddle shifters which I found nearly useless since the car does what it does virtually flawlessly  but, they are still a nice touch.

As  I mentioned before, the 4 tailpipes produce a deep rumbling, grumbling groan that lets you know that once you strap in and  press the peddle,  there will be Democrats arguing you are destroying the environment opposed by Republicans arguing in your favor.  Its not as loud as the Infiniti’s trademark note, but its deep enough.
Power delivery is absolutely effortless and this car will comfortably hold 100 mph.  After all, if you can afford a $130,000 car, a speeding ticket probably won’t phase you right?

Considering the less expensive S550 takes a little more than 5 seconds to reach 60, the premium price of almost  $30,000 more is only justifiable if you are a true racing nut with a lot of cash to burn.  Regardless which car you choose however, you are electronically limited to 155 mph.

The last thing I’ll say is that I like the size of the new mirrors because they helped me feel more confident driving the 2010 S-class than my own S550.  If someone sneaks up into your blind spot, the yellow hazard indicator turns on for the blind spot assist, but, a problem I noticed is that it also comes on when you enter a tunnel or a place where the walls are close to the car.

I should also mention the Attention Assist, a minor option included with a driver assistance package, that flashes a symbol and chimes an alarm if the computer thinks you are driving strangely or nodding off.

When Distronic Plus cruise control is activated, the S-class will maintain a following distance from the next car and will gradually slow down  if the next car slows down.  It will bring the car to a complete stop if the next car slows down (such as entering a toll area)  but, only if the stop is a rolling stop and takes less than 3 seconds. The car can’t panic stop if someone darts right in front of you and squashes the brakes (since the S63 weighs over 4700 pounds and will likely be moving pretty fast). 
When the driver ahead accelerates from 0, the S-class will automatically increase speed with them.

It’s a great feature for long drives such as when I drove to Pennsylvania a week ago and no other cars have it, but, it can sometimes be disorienting when used for long periods of time. You can actually forget you are driving the car if you rest your foot long enough.


SAFETY
 
Safety features include standard airbags scattered throughout the car, whiplash reducing head restraints,   high pressure/heated headlamp washers,   special marked cut points for the Jaws of life, automatic dimming headlights,  fully adjustable restraints for children; and optional $500 car seat and emergency first aid kit under the passenger seat.  The full safety feature list is as long as the total brochures for some Toyotas and Hondas.

If the car’s radar senses you are going to have a front end collision, it pre charges the brakes for a panic stop and can actually begin pressing them before your reflexes do.  If you crash into a divider and  go into a rollover, the computer automatically rolls up the windows  while you are still pulling G’s !!!   Once you’ve come to a complete stop in a ditch somewhere, the car can automatically open all the windows and unlock the doors while it calls EMS to come scrape you up.

The telephone aid that dials out over the optional carphone if the car is in an accident also offers a direct line to roadside assistance.  Theft detection and vehicle tracking are also included in case some dummy thinks he can steal and hide a car this large, rare and obvious.   These services, part of the “Telematics  aid”  are part of a monthly subscription but its free for one year after purchase.
Bluetooth integration was handled stupidly. There is a removable adapter in the arm console which I think is silly since it should be standard, but,  it’s a $500 option. The iPhone/Ipod touch adapter is also an extra $30. Imagine how many people would steal these things.


COST OF OWNERSHIP… LOL

All the power provided here comes at tremendous cost.   S63’s are hit with a gas guzzling tax of $3000 because the EPA rating gives it 11 MPG CITY and just  18 on the  highway  using  the required Premium Unleaded.      In fact, the car’s own trip computer claims its combined MPG is just over 15 MPG. This should come as no surprise however. In the most recent run down of  Forbes’ most expensive cars to drive, the majority of the top culprits were Benz’s  with 6-plus Liter engines. This car literally will cost you upwards of $1.80  per mile and over $160,000 for maintenance and insuring over a 6 year period.

And that’s not to mention the depreciation.  Mercedes Benz’s upper level cars take a nosedive in depreciation. S63’s from 2008 can be bought for $30,000 less than their MSRP just as S550’s lose almost $40,000  with 30,000 miles or 2 years. But I don’t care so much about resale value. Owning my S550 is about owning  what I feel is the best car money can buy.   Words can’t explain how much enjoyment I get driving my car.

My  S550 offers most of the beauty of the S63, most  of the speed required for a daily commute  and gets 15MPG city,  22 MPG Highway and  averages 18 MPG mixed driving according to the computer.  
I typically drop about $60 at the pump per week if I use it continuously, and maintenance such as oil changes is pretty routine at just $40 every 3000 miles.

When an aftermarket company makes replacement LED front fixtures to make my model look like this, I’d definitely buy them.  Other than the looks, the S550 is the better deal to someone who  wants an S-Class but doesn’t want to break the bank on one.


IS THE S-CLASS RELIABLE?

Regardless what you might hear, if you buy an S-class brand new, its highly unlikely you will run into any major trouble. I haven’t had any problems with mine. You just gotta; keep up with regular scheduled maintenance which is expensive and tends to be something owners of this car on lease don’t do.

Oil changes are scheduled once per year and cost $200. Not bad.  You are expected to go to any MB dealer, but if you choose to do oil changes at your local shop, you must hold onto receipts to present when you turn in the leased car.

The only “horror stories” I’ve heard are some people requiring a firmware reflashing of the vehicle computer and brake warping over 40,000 miles.

Since almost everything in the car is powered and run by a motor, it is likely that some parts will wear out with excessive use, but as is, this hasn’t happened to me.


OVERALL

With a buy in price that’s roughly half the price of my new house in Queens, and a 5 year cost that equals the other half…the S63 is a toy afforded to only the  most successful CEO’s, doctors, Lawyers and Bush Bailout recipients.

There is nothing practical or efficient about this car at all. It  burns through gas like a Hummer and its slower than a  Taurus SHO, CTS-V or a Chrysler 300 SRT8 to 60mph. If Speed is all you wanted, you could buy one of those cars - in fact, you could buy 1 of each for the price of a loaded S63 and still have change left over.
In its defense, there is no other car for under $130,000  that offers a ride quality of this caliber for all four passengers; comfort quality of this caliber or performance of this magnitude.

The only dissapointments I have are that most of the car's features are part of packages which cause you to drop large amounts of money for options you shouldn't have to. The cars come with backup cameras standard, but not ultrasonic parking unless you buy "Parktronic" for example.

Its ultra fun to drive…or to just sit and play with.  I highly recommend it to anyone making more than $250,000 a year or receiving TARP funds.




2007 S-Class550  http://www.epinions.com/content_252095073924 

2010 E-Class http://www.epinions.com/content_474159746692

2010 E-class Coupe.  http://www.epinions.com/content_474287869572
Amount Paid (US$): 135,000
Condition: New
Model and Options: AMG