I'm new to the forum and just flew to Texas and picked up a 2014 S550 with 2500 miles and drive back to WI. I have owned and driven, Lexus, Audi, Jaguar, but this is my first MB. I'm slowly learning about the Mercedes quirks as all cars have them. My early impressions are as follows but I hope those with far more knowledge ( should be most everyone ) will chime in.

I miss the stick on the floor like Audi but the economy mode shifting is much better than my 2005 A8L and every bit as good as the new Audi. Sport is much more agreesive ( surprisingly so in comparison ).

Comfort and Sport suspension modes are tough to tell apart. You can feel some difference but not as much as old Audi. I don't have enough seat time in new to compare. Many others will.

Run flats were better than I expected but the really bad roads through Chicago were where you could tell the difference. I may wear them out and replace with regular.

Interior is much better than Jag ( although they just upgraded in 2016 ) and for the first time, I think better than Audi. I have the upgraded exclusive Nappa and it is much nicer than the Audi Luxury package.

Much more refined in town than old Audi and slightly more quiet than the new but Audi and MB are my two favorites so a close call. I've never liked the lexus but it seems boring to drive and as an accountant I don't need help being boring.

Manual sucks with little real help. The digital may be better but I like when I can read and study outside of the car.

I played tag with an A8L for about 100 miles and even stopped at the same gas station. I would say the two cars are about equal in styling in my eyes. Either is about as good as life gets for big sedans. I like the Jaguar but the visibility is the worst and it needs a redesign to keep up. Has the best warranty though.

I'm very happy with the MB. Has a problem with gas filler filter as I need to run the pump very slow but that will be fixed. The new BMW 750 is as nice a driving car as I've been in but BMW doesn't get the interior right IMO and since I only drive my good car ( have a bunch of vehicles ) about 5K miles a year, there are no lightly used but 30K off BMWs to choose from.

I'm wide open to any comments or experiences concerning the S550 and particularly any issues relating to the 2014. This one evidently had some of the brake problems associated with the 2014 and has had the pads replaced. No squeaks but not lots of dust. Any recommendations on alternative that still stop would be appreciated.

Thanks for any advice. Dave

 

Dave, first of all congrats on the new ride! IMO the W222 is a stunning luxury sedan and MB really went all out with the new S! My parents also just picked up a '14 S550 but with 28k on the clock. However, you're very lucky that the dealer changed out your pads 'cause ours squeaks like crazy lol!

Nevertheless, enjoy the new ride and welcome to the forum!

 

Looks like the pads were part of a recall notice. The squeak may return. I do prefer the pedal feel to the Audi though. Audis that I have driven have a softer feel and don't engage quite as quickly. Dave

 

Congrats on the S550, its a very opulent car and luxuriously sumptuous outside and inside, in my opinion only to be exceeded by a Rolls.

 

Although your mentioning Rolls which I love as well, the W222 IMO takes the cake when compared to the Maserati Ghibli...

 

Ghibli should be rather compared to E-Class.

 

I'm surprised your 16 year old Audi still compares as favorable.....

 

Most of my comparisons were with the new Audi as I have driven it some. The old is still a car I like but it was always a better highway car than city car. The early AL bodied car lacked insulation and the air suspension never handled low speed WI roads real well. All was forgotten when on the highway though. It was fun to drive at speed and the feedback was better as the old cars tended to to give me more feel of the road. Both MB and Audi are one redesign ahead of my 2005 and it shows. Dave

 

How come you say E-class?

 

Not sure how much of this is true... But it seems this Ghibli thing is more competition for someone who wants to drive more of a Chrysler than a Mercedes. They just seem to be whoring out the Maserati name to make money and it seems they've found a bunch of clueless people to pay for it.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/masera...300-1519473595

http://www.ghibliforum.com/forum/mas...ler-300-a.html

I've always felt the Maserati Ghibli just looked gross with all the gills on the side and other strange cutouts all over the place as if the car could not stand on its own merit without all the silly accruements glued or tacked on.

What does the Ghibli do better than other cars in that price range other than make more noise?

I'd say a well optioned C Class is a better option as at least you know what you are buying and you end up with a well built and respectable car.

 

Ghibli is a mid-level car that compares to the E-Class, the Quattroporte compares to the S.

Given their branding I have always been surprised that they aren't very fast cars.

 

Haha well I can tell you really don't like the brand lol. Thanks for the links.
Oh okay I got it. However, IMO both the Ghibli and Quattro aesthetically look very similar to a lot of average economy cars that are in the market these days.

OP thank you for buying an S-class

 

After a couple thousand miles I've formed some more opinions and would like feedback from others.

Really like the doors that stay where you open them. The touch the door handle to lock it is a little erratic on my vehicle. Works but not an easier than just having a button to push.

I prefer the sport suspension almost all the time and find I like the sport transmission setting better than the standard although the standard is as smooth as I've ever had. Sport just feels like the car wants to run. I wonder about the Magic body control but I'm happy in sport and suspect it isn't cheap to fix.

Like the inflatable bolsters- like the car is talking to me. Wife dislikes and hers are turned off. She never drives my car so we don't need to argue about it.

The 20" run flats are much better than I expected. They were stiff when driving through Chicago but on most roads here in Wisconsin I have been pleasantly surprised at how quiet they are. Will still probably swap out for regular when the tread wears down.

Exclusive Nappa interior is something I appreciate every time I enter the car. I'd spend the extra for that before the sport package. Gauges are kind of funky but the drive is much more important and they got that right. Myrtle wood goes well with beige interior so I'm fine with that although the upcharge may be more to do with how well it looks rather than how expensive it is to make.

Exterior styling is good but wouldn't buy the car just for that look. You could argue that Lexus, Audi, and MB are a little too close in looks. I have the sport package but not sure it looks good enough to compensate for the bad economics. $5900 for different panels that probably cost about the same as stock would have me thinking if buying new.

You can probably guess what my wife thinks the leather covered control looks like. the buttonless later models look better to her eye.

Buttons and controls are pretty decent and easy to get to when driving. The lack of an in depth comprehensive PAPER manual kind of sucks. I hate sitting in the garage reading the electronic version while sitting in the car. Feel like I'm 15 and waiting for my license.

All in all, totally happy with choice - and I tend to be pretty objective and not one to believe his pig has the best lipstick. At the end of the day we are all lucky that there is enough competition in this segment to move the bar up with every redesign. Dave

 

Congrats on your S-Class

I keep an iPad Mini wth a PDF copy of the Owner's Manual in my car just for that purpose.

 

good stuff OP,
FWIW: I had a manual sent from the homeland because I, like you, did not like sitting in the car when I needed info about the car


many miles

 

The manual is horrible. I hate the electronic one.

I dislike the seat controls (lumbar, massage) only accessible through the MMI. Audi does this better. I came from an Audi (2012). The Audi has better tech with Google Earth and connectivity.

The car drives well. I had a last generation 7 series, and it was a bit more fun. The S has a nicer ride.

I have squeaky brakes and my car is a 2015. The S is my favorite car to date for a daily driver.

Enjoy your new car in good health!

 

I'm really anxious to hear opinions of the new nine speed transmission. Also waiting for the new A8L to compare with the 2018 MB refresh. I've seen refresh that improves, and those that look like a bad attempt. Dave

 

As I understand it, the magnetic door stops that you like, are no longer offered. I have that feature on my 2015 and just love it. I hope it returns for 2018.

I love that you can order a plain, solid white exterior on both the BMW and the Audi. There is nothing as crisp and clean as a solid white. I hate the MB Diamond White.

I love the fact that the all glass roof is optional on the A8, which is what it should be on any car. MB shoves their horrid Panorama Roof down our throats. Giving us no choice in the matter, which is something I find decidedly UNluxurious. BMW gives their 7 buyers no choice either, but I much prefer the way BMW does their glass roof, not running the black glass all the way to the windshield header.

Audi still has a jack & spare tucked under the trunk floor as standard equipment, which is what ALL cars should have. BMW has come to their senses and now offers it as an option on the 7, while MB leaves their S Class customers at the mercy of tow truck drivers, should one our tires get shredded by a road hazard. DECIDEDLY UNluxurious.

All that said, I put up with the S Class shortcomings, as nothing rides like it, while still providing opulence and safety at such a high level.

 

I didn't realize the door stops have been discontinued. They should at least be an option. I have a huge garage but always full of stuff so they are great. I am having trouble with the gps speed on my Escort 360 though. Have put a couple in the S550 and get no or erratic readings. Has anyone else had that problem? Dave

 

You can't use an Escort 360 in the S550 due to the IR shielded glass. I have a Passport Max and that only works in one area where the the IR coating is omitted.

There are two areas (center bottom; by the dashboard - too low for the RD to my opinion, and to the right of the center rear view mirror.)
That's where I have it. Even then, it will only pickup a couple satellites and loose them when rainy. If you want something rock solid, you have to go with a build-in RD.

 

There is a fix for the squeaky brakes. Dealer will fix that for free.
We also had a 7 series before (750li) but that car was less fun to drive by any measure. Numbest BMW ever made and the car always pulled to the right. The new 7 series drives much better though...

 

Thanks. I found the spots but they are pretty useless in their placement. It seemed that my Garmin was unaffected by the windshield but I'll have to experiment with it. Dave

 

The Garmin will have much better GPS antennas than the Passport. Same as our dash cam's GPS which is mostly disabled...

Good luck

 

Just took S550 in for defective eco start stop and gas tank that won't fill. Found out there is a software upgrade for the eco and a bulletin regarding the fuel fill problem. Four pages of pictures and description of problems, but no solution. MB answer was find a gas station with a nozzle that works better. Found that interesting. I'm getting better at finding odd ways to hold the nozzle to compensate somewhat and still like the car.

Also found out the prepaid maintenance doesn't transfer with the vehicle. Dave