cjf_moraga

No doubt the first of many comparisons...

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...omparison_test

It's C+D... guess what... The BMW won... what, you are surprised?

Personally I was not too impressed with the interior of the new 7-Series I sat in recently... I am an inveterate dashboard prodder... always looking for poorly secured or backed trim and some sections especially on the passenger side were pretty flimsy... It did not feel that well screwed together... The high unconventional door handles (or lack of) I found awkward also

Chris

AustinGuy

A couple of interesting statements:

Rear wheels turning? Wow!

deniska

Had 4 wheel steering on my 1994 3000Gt vr4 not impressed

K-A

I gotta say I agree with you on the flimsy areas, I noticed the same thing. But I do like the interior aesthetically better than the W221's, just designed better, more to look at, no cold/empty areas and more fluid IMO.

Exterior wise I also slightly go with the 7 (so far), the W221 has a strong and bold look with some nice curves mixed in, very "new" when it came out and still carries that essence, but IMO this time around it's M-B who went a bit further with current design-trend gimmicks, and this 7's return to basics and more swoopy/rounded look will age better and garner more overall respect....IMO. Also no Bangle Butt

In about a year we'll see which reigns "supreme" though as we all get used to the 7. So far I say looks like it's a hit and return to form for BMW.

SteveMi

I test drove both a 7 and 550. It was a tough decision but the BMW is not available with AWD and I wanted AWD since I live in the NE. Thus I bought a 55v4. BMW will be extremely competative when the Xdrive becomes available, especially if there are no reliability issues. These are both excellant cars.

softgenious

Flip a coin, both are great cars.

BoBcanada

I like them both. I might buy s550 because you can pick one up used for a very good price!

pmb600

I saw this review as well and agree it is typical Car & Driver bias towards BMW. I have spent a lot of time driving an S550 and was recently given the chance to spend several hours just driving the new 750iL. While I think the new 7 Series is very nice, I was not overwhemled by it. Certainly not after seeing the beautiful hard cover brochure that they have been sending around. The car's design in person is not very beautiful or distinctive and the startup sound of the twin-turbo V8 sounds pretty cheap and unimpressive. There was a lot more lag than I expected from 400hp, especially considering the twin-turbo in the 335i is so amazing. The car also felt very heavy to me, despite messing with the various settings. I do give the car high marks for the nav screen as it's very big, clear and has amazing graphics and transitions.

I had to laugh when I read Car & Driver wrote that the S550 looks like a Hyundai. And what does the new 7 Series look like? It looks pretty undistinctive and Japanese and the rear tail lights are very Lexus. Again, not surprising, but just annoying that they can't even acknowledge that the S-Class is better in almost every way.

trumpet1

I was actually going to be shocked if the S class won out over BMW in that article. It never fails, BMW always wins in those silly and ridiculous car mags.

It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to already know what their pre-biased opinion is going to be.

SteveMi

I wouldn't say that Mercedes beats BMW in every way.

The BMW has a better 'command system' with more control of the electronics and communications in the car. The car is also equipped with 3G, although it isn't available in the US for lack of carriers.

The BWM has a sportier ride. I think it's more of a preference to some buyers. One could argue that the point of a 5000 lb luxury sedan is comfort, and not sport. Yet, the BMW does offer the ability to change the feel of the car on the fly.

BMW has a better camera system that goes beyond a back up camera.

BMW is a tad faster.

BMW has all maintenance costs included in the purchase.

Downsides:

BMW is turbocharged. I personally don't like turbo's or the associated turbo lag.

BMW's come with run flat tires, no spare, and no room for a spare. I don't like run flats. I know that most drivers are not going to change their own flat tires, but can often be hard to find a replacement run flat tire. This can be an issue when traveling.

AWD not yet available on BMW.

Mercedes has a more luxurious 'feel', but I admit this is subjective.

trumpet1

I had the chance to go by and look at one of the new long wheel base BMWs. I was very impressed with the quality of the car and it seems so much better than the outgoing flagship. I still would rather have the Benz of course but the BMW and of course Audi A8 are right behind it.

Good job BMW!

pmb600

I wouldn't agree that the BMW has a sportier ride. I was very surprised with how it handled. And the Sport and Sport + settings didn't seem to change the ride much. The car felt very heavy, especially in turns, which I've never felt about the S-Class.

AustinGuy

I've said this before and I'll say it again - the S550 cannot/does not compare favorably with the 7 as far as torque (real world), handling/cornering and general ride dynamics. Those aspects of the 7 compare more closely with the S63/65. I'm not saying the 7 handles like an AMG - it's just more like an AMG in that regard.

Don't want to make you S550 owners feel slighted, but that's the MAIN reason I turned in my S550 after 6 months (check my earlier posts from last Aug about this)

SL65amg

Here's the thread... with the link to the article...

https://mbworld.org/forums/s55-amg-s...eed-trans.html