The Driver Assistance Package is the reason I purchased my 2018 S450.
The Package is a lifesaver, especially for older drivers!

 

It is also a big reason why I ordered the 2018 S450. I know it is much improved from the previous Driver Assistance Package that I have in my 2014 S550.

 

Crap the driver assistant package is what makes the car special. If you had to ask that perhaps you might not want to pay for an S Class.

 

+1

 

i bought a CPO 2016 and love it - however, i think at least MY driver's assistance package is overrated. (when i was about to order an E i was going to get it loaded to the gills). anyway,
my BMW has lane alert (whatever you call that). and it could spot the line if the road only had it on one side, like a small road.
my S seems to only spot it under ideal circumstances, and not only on one side.
the distronic works very well - i think better than my 5 but i'm not sure about that - it's close at least.
however the steering does NOT work the way i had hoped - it keeps bumping me around in the lane like a bowling ball in an alley with the gutters up - you only get about 15 seconds or so until the "put your hands on the wheel" message. i believe the 2017s or 2018s allow about a full minute. anyway, i LIKE having the steering helper, but don't always want the distronic (active cruise control) - so that's a tradeoff. note, i have NOT done much highway driving as yet - so on the windier roads i think the steering is not incredible - highway might be better.
I HAVE had the lane keep apply the brakes to keep me in the lane - i don't know when and don't know how to manually make that happen - generally when i go over the line i just get the steering wheel vibration. might require a car coming in your direction - at which point, don't voluntarily play a game of chicken
i still think get it - i just think keep your expectations realistic.
i want to be able to be an absentminded fellow driving and not worry as much about ME - that's not the case.
i test drove a volvo S90 and that thing steered amazingly well - but the cruise control scared the daylights out of me so i always had to brake. the S550 (and BMW) brake nicely.
last thing - i drove my BMW today (first time in a while) - i have to say, compared to the S the BMW feels like a cheap car (yes, a 5 versus an S550, maybe a 7 would be a more fair comparison) but the 5 feels "cheaper" - the S has better window switches, etc. (details abound). a lot heavier/more solid. more powerful engine (but versus higher weight, so that is a trade off). all in all much more luxurious. and makes me feel good.
just my .02.
once i test drove a 2015 S550 and later sat in a 2018 E it was over - i didn't want the E anymore.
i THINK the tech may be better in the 2018, and i don't regret getting my 2016. and yes, i'd get the driver's assistance and all the other goodies again. i'm just suggesting realistic expectations.

 

I not only don't want to pay for an S class, i don't want to pay for ANYTHING! (but i do)

 

I don't know what a driver assistance package is, maybe it's on my car, but if it has anything to do with the car doing something for me instead of me just driving my car and paying full attention like we did 20 years ago before gizmos and stuff, I wouldn't want any part of it. I'm totally old school and like to be in full control of my car at all time whether I'm in a lane correctly or parking it. I don't want a noise or shaking steering wheel or beep or buzz or anything distracting me at all! Just sayin'. These features make the car safer you say? Not for me they don't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow! That 3rd video is very impressive with the capabilities of the new Distronic Plus. We don't get all these goodies in the U'S., do we. I don't think we get the remote garage parking using the smart phone.

 

I buy a car to drive myself and such systems are not replacements for the drivers .However, I have read at these forums various times that Mercedes Benz's systems avoided accidents ,even if it could fend off one time I ought to say that it would have paid itself many times over .Unless such systems are mandatory as ABS, ESP I would not pay for those though

 

I believe, the parking options are the capabilities not available in the US. Everything else is....

 

Thanks. I don't really care about those garage parking options anyway.

 

Actually not, since these features totally and utterly distract me. I tried them, they drive me crazy and make me nervous. Without them, I'm actually a better, more attentive driver. I spent an hour at my dealer on Saturday going over them all with my salesman. They were cool but are not for me... at all.

 

 

Distronic works very well. It allows me to keep my eyes way ahead of the car in front of me and reacts naturally to changing speeds. I can focus more attention on cars doing something odd when I don't have to concentrate as much on the spatial relationships of cars doing everything normal in front of me.

 

So, I did get the Driver Assist package. I'm surprised about how well it works, but driving is a bit too frantic around here to use the self driving features.