S550 Reliability so far?


Love this car, no doubt.
Nick
Since i picked it up from the factory Jan 2008 i have had just the one problem, the gearbox was chasing a little which was rectified by the computer. First Service 20,800.
It is also a working car, so it's done all sorts of different miles.
I have had S-Class going back to the 450SEL 1979 and this is the best MB i have driven.
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Chris
Only wish I had replaced my S430 with an S550 4-Matic instead of S550 RWD with ABC suspension. S430 4Matic with air suspension I had before rode smoother than present S550 with ABC. ( My ordering error.)
Front seats not as hoped due to downgrading of seat option as ordered. (MB's stubbornly un-recognized error, not mine!)
Otherwise, very satisfied with S550.
04S430 Based on your comments about ride quality , I am assuming that you have 19" wheels? The S430 came with 18", so you can always drop down to 18's if you want the same ride quality.
Airmatic is standard on the S550... (I just checked my S class brochure). What I did not realize is that Airmatic is not available on the S600 and S63. Pretty much if you have the ability to raise your car which all S550's seem to have, you have an airmatic suspension.
04S430 Based on your comments about ride quality , I am assuming that you have 19" wheels? The S430 came with 18", so you can always drop down to 18's if you want the same ride quality.
Airmatic is standard on the S550... (I just checked my S class brochure). What I did not realize is that Airmatic is not available on the S600 and S63. Pretty much if you have the ability to raise your car which all S550's seem to have, you have an airmatic suspension.
The 2004 S430 4-Matic I had came with 18" wheels and Airmatic suspension. My present S550 was ordered with the ABC suspension option which is unavailable with Airmatic. Same suspension as the S600.
( The ABC suspension option is no longer available on the S550 in Canada. As I understand it, all S550 build for the Canadian market now come as 4Matics, equipped with Airmatic suspensions.)
The S550 with ABC corners much better than my previous car, but in exchange, seems to ride a bit harder. As for me, being able to drive aggressively is not important; I am not overly conscerned when arriving a few minutes late!
ABC does not make sense on a 4 wheel drive car, because by definition you need 4Matic for harsh road" conditions, that would be next to impossible for the ABC to counteract. If you want to visually see ABC in action take a look at Top gears test of the SL65 at the following link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dfff...eature=related
right around the 4:29 mark where the ABC is fighting to keep the car level, also when the Stig takes the SL65 around the track you can see the car wobbling (that's ABC trying to counteract). This would be the effect of having ABC on a 4Matic on harsh snow covered roads, you'd pretty much have to turn it off...
I am surprised to hear that in Canada they only ship the 4Matic... Frankly Canada (Ontario) uses so much Salt on the road in Winter, that I would never think to drive my nice car in the winter..
Agree with you about the salt and snow. (Not to mention flying rocks after sanding the roads.) For about five months of the year, we do not use our car for those very reasons! Our small 4WD SUV takes over then.



