The Best Country Music Songs: 30 Days Of Ram 1500
Our 30 Days Of 2013 Ram 1500 rolls on today with a deeper dive into UConnect--specifically, all the... Read More
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How many electronic gizmos are too many?
high-tech features can be confusing
COMAND is "better than iDrive
FEATURES | 10 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
How many electronic gizmos are too many?
Car and Driver
high-tech features can be confusing
Cars.com
COMAND is "better than iDrive
Automobile
The 2010 S-Class hardly can be outdone in its exhaustive luxury and entertainment features. Even the "base" S550 has a wood and leather steering wheel; active ventilated and heated front seats; new wheels; ambient lighting and a power trunk lid. A sunroof is standard, along with a power tilt/telescope steering wheel; 14-way power heated front seats; and leather upholstery. The S400 Hybrid shares all this gear, minus the automatic high beams and front-seat ventilation.
Options include Active Body Control on rear-drive S550s; both S550s and the S400 Hybrid can be fitted with keyless entry and push-button start, better seats, parking sensors, and a rearview camera. Those features are made standard on the S600 and on the AMG sedans, which also wear 20-inch wheels, distinct aero-add-ons, and a sport-trimmed steering wheel.
Optional on the S400 Hybrid, S550, and S63 AMG are a rear-seat entertainment system; four-zone automatic climate control; and multicontour rear seats. All those features are standard on the S600 and S65 AMG.
Other features offered on various models include a heated steering wheel; a panoramic sunroof; and a power rear sunshade.
For 2010, the S-Class' audio and navigation systems have been upgraded to include Bluetooth; Sirius and HD radio; USB and SD ports; better voice recognition; 4GB of music storage; and Zagat travel information. They're still controlled by the COMAND screen-based interface. It's the most improved S-Class feature-and the most in need of improvement. The latest edition refines some of the knob-driven system's navigation, but it's not always as intuitive as it could be. We're not convinced it's a better idea than simple buttons and switches, either.
More Opinions:
Kelley Blue Book: Hybrid "driver can monitor power flow by way of an instrument cluster animation graphic"
Cars.com: COMAND is "one of the more user-friendly" interfaces
Kelley Blue Book: Splitview "allows the driver and the front passenger to view different content on the same screen at the same time"
Automobile: "I really hated Mercedes COMAND controller at first, but after a weekend, I'd say it's better than iDrive and much, much better than Audi's MMI"
Kelley Blue Book: "fine-sounding 14-speaker, 600-watt harman / kardon surround-sound system plays CDs, DVDs and MP3s"
Edmunds: "AMG versions add 20-inch alloy wheels, an active suspension, larger brakes, sport seats and specific interior and exterior styling tweaks"
Conclusion
The 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class coddles and entertains passengers on a five-star, seven-diamond scale.
