Symbolically representing the pinnacle of personal or professional achievement for many people, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the largest, most sophisticated, and most expensive new Mercedes one can purchase. With a price range spanning from just below $90,000 to more than $200,000 when the top-shelf model is equipped with every option, the S-Class can be anything from a cushy highway cruiser to a foul-weather friend to a back road barnstormer. We sampled a well-equipped 2009 S550 model wearing a sticker price of $111,550.

Here is a summary of the changes to the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class:
• New “Hold” braking feature that, when activated by depressing hard on the brake pedal, holds the car still until the driver depresses the accelerator
• The S550 gets a standard wood-and-leather trimmed steering wheel
• The S550 gets standard active ventilated and heated front seats
• The S550 gets a standard power trunk lid
• The S550 wears new twin-spoke 18-inch wheels
• Blind Spot Assist technology is added to the optional Distronic Plus system
• New Park Assist technology “scans” curbside spaces to determine if the S-Class can fit

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is available in four variants: the S550, the S600, the S63 AMG, and the S65 AMG. Among them, only the S550 is available with 4Matic all-wheel drive.

As one might expect, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S550 is a well-equipped automobile. However, some buyers might be surprised to discover that features like Keyless Go, a rearview camera, Parktronic parking sensors, blind spot monitors, an iPod integration kit, and a cargo net are optional.

Given its $58,000 price premium over the S550, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S600 comes standard with pretty much everything, including exclusive premium leather and every option package offered on the S550. That means it has Drive Dynamic seating, Night View Assist, Distronic Plus, power heated and active ventilated rear seats with four-zone climate control, Blind Spot Assist, Parktronic, a rearview camera system, ABC active suspension, and Keyless Go, in addition to a twin-turbocharged V-12 engine and unique wheels. But an iPod integration kit is still $425 extra.

The 2009 S63 AMG is $42,000 more than the S550. It is one of two AMG models based on the S-Class, and is equipped with an AMG-engineered, hand-built, 518-horsepower V-8 engine. The extra coin pays mainly for go-fast hardware, because Night View Assist, Distronic Plus, a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, and the fancy rear seating packages are optional. So is an iPod integration kit.

The 2009 S65 AMG retails for $198,950, but you’ll need $425 more if you want to connect your iPod. It comes with pretty much everything – including a 604-horsepower twin-turbo V-12 engine – but like the S63 AMG can be decked out in a number of Designo interior and exterior packages that can raise the fully equipped price to $213,605.

There are four different engines offered on the various 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class models. The S550 is powered by a 5.5-liter V-8 engine driving the rear or all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission with manual paddle shift feature. This engine generates 382 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 391 lb.-ft. of torque between 2,800 and 4,800 rpm. Fuel economy ratings are 14 mpg city/22 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive and 14 mpg city/21 mpg highway with 4Matic all-wheel drive, burning premium unleaded. Our review vehicle, the standard rear-drive S550, averaged 16.6 mpg in mixed driving.

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S600 is equipped with a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-12 engine that makes 510 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 612 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,800 and 3,500 rpm. A five-speed automatic delivers power to the rear wheels, and this model is rated by the EPA to return 11 mpg city/17 mpg highway, burning premium unleaded.

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG’s 6.3-liter V-8 engine makes 518 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 465 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,200 rpm. It powers the rear wheels through a seven-speed AMG SpeedShift automatic with manual shift paddles, and is rated to get 11 mpg city/17 mpg highway while burning premium unleaded.

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG has a hand-built, twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12 engine making 604 horsepower at 4,800 rpm and 738 lb.-ft. of torque between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. A five-speed AMG SpeedShift automatic transmission delivers power to the rear wheels, and this model is rated to get 11 mpg city/17 mpg highway on premium unleaded.

Standard safety equipment on every 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class includes dual front airbags, side-impact airbags for each outboard seating position, and side-curtain airbags for each outboard seating position. Additionally, the S-Class comes standard with four-wheel-disc ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, cornering brake control, brake assist, brake drying, and hill holding; stability control; and traction control.

The S-Class is also offered with a variety of additional standard or optional safety features, including bi-Xenon headlights with Active Curve Illumination, Pre-Safe technology that readies the cabin for an impact, an SOS button to summon help, Tele Aid that can automatically contact rescue personnel in the event of an accident, Distronic Plus active cruise control, Brake Assist Plus, Blind Spot Assist, and others.

J.D. Power and Associates says the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class competes against other large premium cars such as the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Cadillac DTS, Jaguar XJ, and Lexus LS.