The new S-Class is definitely a technological marvel by automotive standards. I went for a ride in a fully loaded S500/550 a few weeks ago and had a chance to play around with the new gadgets. The Rear Parking Assist option is pretty neat, but the projected lines, which indicate the intended path of the vehicle only appear when the car is standing still. As soon as the car starts moving they disappear.

The Night View Assist feature is the one option I think makes the most sense from a safety standpoint. Infra-red projectors in the headlamps allow the driver to see much farther down the road with the help of a small IR camera mounted near the interior rear view mirror. The image is displayed on a screen in the center of the instrument cluster. The projectors don't switch on until the car reaches approx. eleven MPH though. Since infra-red light is invisible to the naked eye, drivers using this feature will be able to see more of the road ahead without blinding oncoming traffic by using their high-beams.

The new 221 also has a multi-contour/dynamic/massage seat option. I tried all the different settings in the car I drove. The one I liked the most was "fast and vigorous". I know it sounds silly, but I'm not kidding.

While the new S-Class is loaded with new stuff, some old things have been modernized. The parking brake is now high-tech. No more foot pedal actuated cables. The 221 has a switch ( located where the release handle would be ) that activates electric motors, to lock the rear wheels.

I could go on forever, but the thing I liked best about the 221 was the way it feels while driving. It feels BIG. It feels HEAVY. It's tight, smooth, and powerful. It feels more like a W140 than a W220. Some S-Class fans have been complaining for years about the "tinny" feel of the W220. While opinions will vary, it seems that MB is getting back to what it used to do best.