By the time I got to the dealer today it was already getting dark. So, to be honest, the car just looked black. I'll tell you tomorrow what I think of the color.

 

So, off the top of my head, first impressions (Good, Bad, and OK).

Good: The premium leather is fantastic. Many thanks to those members here who talked me into that.

Good: The AMG appearance pack very nice. Thanks to my wife for pushing that.

Bad: The sound system is typical european junk. Shrill sounding. Sounds like killing chickens. DVD-A is particularly shrill. MP3s are a little better, because that takes some of the edge off.

GREAT: ABC is an absolutely miraculous suspension. Ride is smooth as silk, yet in perfect control. Car feels downright tossable like a sports package 5-series, yet with 1000% better comfort.

Good: The multicontour seats. Haven't quite gotten it adjusted right, but I can tell the seats in our other cars will feel like off the rack suits now.

OK: The drive dynamic feature of the seats. My wife thinks they are fun, but I can already tell I'll be turning those off in a few days. Nice little gimmick.

OK: Night view assist. Works better than I expected on quiet roads without streetlights. Pretty much useless, though, in more urban conditions. This will be useful on weekends when we get away to our place in the sticks.

Good: My son loves his shades.

Good: Linguatronic works much, much better than I expected. It actually will be something I use more than I thought I would. Within 10-15 minutes after leaving the dealership I had programmed my first nav destination, set a couple of radio stations, and flipped through several tracks on 4 different disks, all with both hands firmly on the steering wheel. No fuss, no exaggerated diction. Very nice.

Good: Reclining in the power back seat, heated with my own climate control while my wife drove back from dinner. I could get used to this. Except for the fact that this huge luxury car really is that fun to drive.

Good: The massage (pulse mode), very nice.

?: Can't find the iPod controls in the MFD. Maybe they forgot to activate the iPod kit?

 

Congratulations! If anyone deserved it you do after that trying wait.

Good comments although once you get the seats adjusted to your body you will love the dynamic feature all the more. I feel like I am sitting in a body suit when I settle into position with the side bolsters fitted to my body and feeling the hint of support on corners.

Enjoy....:-)

 

NJ is right about the adjustments. I love the dynamic seats and always keep them on full. They really hug your body in those turns.

THe back seat is a great spot for relaxing. I finnaly got to ride in the back and its like a vacation back there with all of the controls at your fingertips including pushing the front passenger seat up to give you more leg room. My 6 year old loves that feature..gotta lock him out at times though.

The ipod controls only from behind the steering wheel, not the command. I only wish it worked through the command. Do you have a source called "ipod" in your source selection on the command?

 

NJ, your advice is spot on as usual. Going out to lunch, I spent some time getting the backrest sides adjusted better. It was too loose fitting before. Now that I have that adjusted properly, the dynamic seats feel much better and they actually work as advertised. Before it felt strange because I had too much slack there. These are big seats.

The other thing I noticed is I need to relax and let the seat hold me centered. Just like I do in the shell and harnesses of the GT3.

So, yes, my impression of the dynamic seats is getting better. Regardless, the multicontour feature is fantastic. And after lunch today I have a very nice fit.

I may have to get the alignment checked. I feel like I could use a bit more toe in maybe. I won't do anything for a few weeks until I get more used to the car and let it settle in a bit.

 

congrats, and good luck

 

First of all, congratulations to you! This is my very first post here. US$110k for such a lovely baby is so reasonable. I am from Hong Kong, we have S500L=S550L I guess, and the basic one (S350L). We pay US$180k for S350L and US$210for a S500L here, so, 110k sounds a very good deal for us in here. By the way, enjoy your new babe, I am still waiting for mine and I think it will be ready in 1 month(hopefully). Oh, would like to say hi to everyone there as well!

 

Wow, is USD 210k just the base? How are the options priced there?

Yes, we do get cheap cars. I probably paid the same for my GT3 and S550 as you will be paying for your S550 (500)!

But, you get much more flexibility in options and color combinations and so forth. We are very limited in that regard.

Best of luck with your car! It is definitely worth the wait. I have a whole new appreciation for Mercedes now. This is my first new Mercedes.

 

Yes same in the UK, that 55L would be £ 86,000 = $ 172,000.