2023 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class

The 2023 Mercedes Maybach S-Class sits at the top of the Mercedes lineup. It is available in two trim levels S 580 and S680. The price for the base S 580 trim starts at an MSRP of $194,550 while the top S 680 trim costs a whopping $230,050 without any options or packages. The Mercedes Maybach S-Class comes with 20-inch wheels, a power trunk lid, air suspension, soft-close doors, LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, four-zone climate control, rear neck heaters, a heated steering wheel, a heated armrest, a 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, head-up display, rear entertainment system, and more. You also get heated, ventilated, and massaging front and rear seats with memory settings. There are many more standard features with the Maybach S-Class. The list of features and everything else remains the same for both trims and the only difference between both trims is under the hood.

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We recommend going with the S 680 trim of the Mercedes Maybach S-Class. It gets the same set of features that you get with the lower trims but you get a more powerful V12 engine under the hood of the car. The Maybach S-Class does not come with packages as standard but it gives you a ton of customization options. There is no limit on customization and it totally depends on your requirements and budget.

The base S 580 trim of the Mercedes Maybach S-Class comes with a powerful 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine under its hood. The engine produces a healthy 496 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The engine comes mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels. The acceleration is quite impressive considering its size and weight. The Maybach S-Class with its base V8 engine takes 4.1 seconds to complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint which is an impressive figure for its class. If you decide to go with the higher S 680 trim, it comes with a 6-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine under its hood. The V12 engine is even more powerful and it produces 621 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. It should give you a slightly better performance in terms of acceleration but the biggest advantage is in smooth acceleration and more torque. 

The 2023 Bentley Flying Spur should be your choice if you want to spend most of your time behind the wheel of the car. It comes with the quickest acceleration in the competition and takes only 3.5 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. It is also quicker in the quarter-mile run taking only 12 seconds and it also comes with the highest claimed top speed in the competition at 207 miles per hour. The Mercedes Maybach S-Class comes next taking 4.1 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph with its V8 engine. The Rolls-Royce Ghost is not far behind either and takes only 4.2 seconds to complete the 0 to 60-mph sprint. 

2023 Mercedes Maybach S-Class Ride and Handling

The Mercedes Maybach S-Class is not meant for athletic handling and aggressive driving dynamics. It is a pretty long car and even the wheelbase of the car is so long that it is not meant for aggressive driving. It rather focuses on delivering a smooth and effortless driving experience from behind the wheel. You should not forget that most owners will spend their time in the rear seats of the Maybach S-Class so aggressive driving dynamics do not even matter that much to them.

The steering wheel of the Maybach S-Class feels quite light for the size of the vehicle. You do not feel the length while driving the car and it feels quite easy to maneuver around the town. The steering wheel also offers a decent feel and feedback to the driver. But the best thing about the Maybach S-Class is its smooth ride quality. You do not feel any road undulations inside the cabin. And the good thing is that the cabin remains silent even at highway speeds. You do not have to compromise with the comfort which is the main purpose of getting a Maybach S-Class. 

2023 Mercedes Maybach S-Class Braking Performance

The Mercedes Maybach S-Class is not known for its sporty drive and handling. That is evident when you look at the braking system of the car too. It does not mean that the braking system is not capable. Instead, it comes with quite an impressive braking system for its class. The Mercedes Maybach S-Class comes with 15.4 inches of brake rotors in the front wheels and 14.4 inches of brake rotors in the rear wheels. The brakes manage to stop the Maybach S-Class in emergency situations. The feedback from the brakes is also quite good for its class. It does not offer a sporty bite but feels quite progressive while stopping the car. The official stopping distance is not available for the Maybach S-Class.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost comes with 16.5 inches of brake rotors in the front wheels and 15.8 inches of brake rotors in the rear wheels. It is the heaviest car in the competition. Still, the Rolls Royce Ghost comes with the best braking performance in the segment. It takes only 107 feet to come to a complete stop from 60 mph. The Bentley Flying Spur is the lightest car in the competition. But it takes 2 feet more than the Rolls-Royce Ghost to come to a complete stop from 60 mph. The stopping distance is not available for the Maybach S-Class.

If you are going to buy a Mercedes Maybach S-Class, you are going to be least bothered about this section. Still, if you want to know about the fuel economy figures, it is not great news here. It manages to deliver a decent fuel economy figure for its class. The Maybach S-Class with the V8 engine manages to return 15 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 18 mpg of combined fuel efficiency. If you decide to go with the V12 powertrain, you can expect 12 mpg in the city, 21 mpg on the highway, and 15 mpg of combined fuel economy. The Maybach S-Class comes with a maximum fuel tank capacity of 22.2 gallons. If you go with the V8 engine, you can expect a maximum driving range of 555 miles on the highway while the V12 engine can give you a maximum highway driving range of 466 miles on a full tank of gasoline. 

None of the cars in the competition are going to be your ideal choice if you have fuel economy in your mind. But comparing what you have, the Mercedes Maybach S-Class returns the best fuel economy figures in the competition. It also manages to deliver the best driving range in the competition. But that economy will fall if you go with the V12 engine option. The Bentley Flying Spur comes in the second position in terms of fuel economy figures. It comes with the largest fuel tank capacity in the competition and delivers the second-best driving range. The Rolls-Royce Ghost with its twin-turbocharged V12 delivers the least fuel economy figure compared to its rivals.

The interior of the Mercedes Maybach S-Class is full of luxurious and premium materials. The passengers get one of the best comfort in its class for passengers at the front and rear. Everything you touch and feel right from the door to the dashboard feels soft and premium to the touch. The use of premium materials continues in other parts of the cabin as well including the seats. Talking about the seats, you can get it in a 4 or 5-seat configuration. The 4-seater options obviously give better comfort. You also get heated, ventilated, and massaging front and rear seats with memory settings. The rear seats are the best place the be in the cabin of the Maybach S-Class. You can adjust almost all the controls from the rear seats of the car. The cargo area is quite decent for the class. 

All the cars in the competition are known for offering excellent comfort to their passengers. The same goes for the choice of materials in the cabin as you do not get cheap materials in any of the cars. The Mercedes Maybach S-Class offers the best legroom in the competition. But you get less cargo room compared to its rivals. The Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Bentley Flying Spur offer similar legroom for the rear seat passengers. The Bentley Flying Spur offers a slightly more spacious cargo area than the Maybach S-Class. The Rolls-Royce Ghost offers the most spacious cargo area in the competition.

Standout infotainment features:

• Heated, ventilated, and massaging front and rear seats
• Memory settings for front and rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• Four-zone automatic climate control
• Wireless charging pad
• Rear neck heaters
• Heated armrests
• Head-up display

2023 Mercedes Maybach S-Class Infotainment

The 2023 Mercedes Maybach S-Class comes with multiple screens in the cabin of the car. Talking about the main infotainment system, it comes with a 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen infotainment display. The infotainment system runs on the latest MBUX infotainment interface. The Maybach S-Class also comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. If that is not enough, you also get two screens at the rear seats for the entertainment of rear-seat passengers. The infotainment system comes loaded with all the modern features but it might take a bit of a learning curve in the beginning. You get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. It also comes with a navigation system with augmented reality driving directions. You get a 30-speaker Burmester premium audio system as a part of the standard package.

Standout infotainment features:

• 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen infotainment display
• MBUX infotainment interface
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Navigation system with augmented reality driving directions
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 30-speaker Burmester premium audio system

The exterior styling of the Mercedes Maybach S-Class continues a subtle and sophisticated design language. You get a long and sleek headlight housing that has LED headlights and LED daytime running lights. It also includes LED turn signals and it nicely integrates with the front fascia. You get a massive chrome grille at the front of the car that you can easily recognize as a Mercedes design. The hood of the car gets a Mercedes logo that looks better from behind the wheel. The side of the car gets 20-inch wheels that look quite attractive. The overall design from the side of the car follows the same subtle design language. The rear of the Maybach S-Class gets beautiful LED taillights that integrate nicely with the tailgates. The bottom of the car gets exhaust pipes on both sides of the car. It depends on your personal preference if you prefer the minimal design or not.

The Mercedes Maybach S-Class is the longest car in the competition but it is also the narrowest compared to its rivals. The Maybach S-Class also gets the longest wheelbase in the competition. The Rolls-Royce Ghost is the second-longest car in the competition and also gets the second-longest wheelbase. It is also the tallest car in the competition. The Bentley Flying Spur is the shortest car in terms of overall length and wheelbase. But it is also the widest car in the competition. The Bentley Flying Spur is also the lightest car in the competition while the Rolls-Royce Ghost is the heaviest car in the competition.

Standout exterior features:

• 20-inch wheels
• LED headlights and LED daytime running lights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Soft-close doors
• Panoramic sunroof
• Power trunk lid
• Chrome grille

There are very few fortunate people who will be buying a Mercedes Maybach S-Class considering its price tag. Mercedes understands that only rich and important people are going to spend more than $200,000 on a Maybach S-Class and that is the reason they make sure to offer the best in terms of safety of the Maybach S-Class. Since it is not a car meant for the masses, you do not get safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). You do not only get a solid build quality but you also get plenty of standard advanced driver assistance technologies. You do not have to rely on optional packages for driver assistance tech or safety features.

Safety features include:

• Blind-spot warning
• Automated lane change assistance
• Forward collision mitigation
• Evasive steering assistance
• Rear and cross-traffic automatic braking
• Automated parking system
• 360-degree camera system
• Adaptive cruise control

2023 Mercedes Maybach S-Class vs. 2023 Rolls-Royce Ghost

The Rolls-Royce badge comes with a special status and it is hard to beat the feeling of looking at the Flying Lady mascot on your hood while driving the car. The Maybach S-Class offers great value for a lot less price compared to the Rolls-Royce Ghost. It is not about which is better as it is hard to justify the price difference with just the list of features or on other parameters. Both the cars come with excellent performance and excel at comfort which is the prime focus for the buyers. It just depends on your preference and budget. If you want the Rolls-Royce badge, you will have to pay a little more than $100,000 extra over the Maybach S-Class.

2023 Mercedes Maybach S-Class vs. 2023 Bentley Flying Spur

The Bentley Flying Spur is the closest rival of the Mercedes Maybach S-Class in terms of price and offerings. They both come with V8 and V12 engine options but you get slightly more options with the Bentley including a plug-in hybrid powertrain. It adds to your flexibility. The Bentley Flying Spur comes with a slightly quicker acceleration compared to the Mercedes Maybach S-Class but it is hardly noticeable in the real world. The biggest advantage of getting a Maybach S-Class is that you get more standard features compared to the Bentley Flying Spur. You have to pay extra to get those features with the Bentley Flying Spur. Again, it boils down to which badge looks more appealing to you than anything else. 

The 2023 Mercedes Maybach S-Class is not a car that everyone will consider due to its high starting price tag. Instead, it has a niche audience who are among ultra-high net worth individuals. If you find that the regular Mercedes-Benz S-Class is not enough for your needs, the Mercedes Maybach S-Class might be a good choice for you. It adds to the comfort in the rear seats of the car. The V12 engine option is also a great choice and gives more than enough power to pull the Maybach S-Class comfortably. You get all the creature comfort that you expect from an ultra-luxury sedan. It also comes with many advanced technologies and entertainment options to add to the overall cabin experience. The cabin remains quiet even at higher speeds and the ride quality is among the best in the industry. If you have the budget to get a Maybach S-Class, it makes good sense to consider the car for the utmost comfort and luxury.