Overview
The Mercedes-Benz S-class maintains its superiority by being the full-size luxury sedan against which all others are judged. The S-Class caters to the tastes of its moneyed customers with heaps of refined materials, deep comfort and plenty of technology. There are two models, both equipped with standard 4Matic all-wheel drive—the S500 and S580—each with an exclusive powertrain. The S500 comes with a silky, 429-hp turbocharged straight-six, while the S580 steps up with a smooth 496-hp V-8. The plug-in hybrid S580e produces 510 horsepower and can travel around 40 miles or more on electricity alone. Mercedes-Maybach’s S-class super luxury model, reviewed separately, offers a truly decadent experience. While the S-class’s preference for comfort and opulence is evident from the thick leather seats in the front and back rows, its standard air suspension completes the experience by turning the road into velvet. And the optional E-Active Body Control will even back the car into corners to help you avoid spilling any of your champagne cocktails—which you enjoy in the comfort of available power-adjustable rear seats with a heated massage function. The S-Class does an excellent job of making the good life real.
What’s New for 2023?
A new plug-in hybrid S580e model joins the lineup this year and features a 510-hp hybrid powertrain consisting of an inline-six engine and an electric motor. Otherwise, life in the luxurious Mercedes-Benz S-class will be undisturbed for 2023 with only subtle changes to available paint and upholstery options.
Price and Which One to Buy
We think the ultimate luxury item is a powerful engine, so we’d pay extra to have a high-spec 496-hp V-8 and a more prestigious S580 trunk badge.
Engine, Transmission and Performance
Mercedes offers the S-class sedan with either a 429 hp 3.0-liter inline-six engine with a 3.0-liter turbocharger in the S500 or a 496 hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 in the S580. Both powertrains are equipped with a 48-volt hybrid system and are paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive. The S580e plug-in hybrid uses an inline-six and an electric motor to pump out 510 horsepower; all-wheel drive is standard here, too. We splurged in the S-class sedan and put our test equipment on the V-8 model, which delivers impressive acceleration. While every S-class uses air suspension, the optional E-Active Body Control has a “curve” function that subtly leans the car into corners. The S-Class can also be equipped with an all-wheel steering system that makes the big-bodied Merc very easy to maneuver in tight spaces.
Range, Charging and Battery Life
While the EPA hasn’t yet accounted for the S580e’s electric range, we estimate its onboard battery will hold enough electrons to push the S-class more than 40 miles before needing to fire up the inline-six. A 9.6-kW onboard charger is standard and good enough for charging at home, but if you’re hoping to quickly drain the battery on a public charger, you should order the optional 60-kW DC charger.
Real World Fuel Economy and MPG
The six-cylinder S500 is rated at 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. Stepping up to the V-8-powered S580 drops those estimates to 16 mpg city and 25 highway. We tested the latter on our 75-mph fuel economy route, which is part of the our extensive testing regimen, where it achieved 32 mpg on the highway beating its EPA estimate by nearly 10 mpg. For more information on S-class fuel economy, visit the website EPA website.
Interior, Comfort and Cargo
Inside, the S-class prioritizes the screen. Most of them. The sedan is available with up to five, including a giant central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. The latter works in conjunction with other technologies to create a three-dimensional effect, but—thankfully—it can be turned off if you prefer the screen to have a conventional appearance. There is also an enhanced head-up display that will show navigation directions in augmented reality. Basically, the arrows move and rotate in real time to better assist the driver. The cabin’s build quality and materials meet Mercedes’ upscale standards, and the sedan provides limousine-like accommodations for all passengers, especially those riding in the back. The rear seat area of the new model offers slightly increased headroom and legroom, and it can also be equipped with power-adjustable reclining seats that have extensive massage functions and heating elements. Along with being physically pampered, those in the back should be mentally entertained by the optional rear seat entertainment system that adds two 11.6-inch screens to the back of the seats as well as interactive LED interior lighting.
Infotainment and Connectivity
Sophisticated infotainment systems have become a hallmark of modern luxury cars, and Mercedes capitalizes on that with the latest and greatest interface. The sedan’s center stack is dominated by a large 12.8-inch portrait-style OLED touchscreen, but it doesn’t come with any kind of touchpad or rotary controller. What comes with it is a an improved version of the MBUX Mercedes software which features enhanced voice command functionality and smartphone-like capabilities, including facial recognition and fingerprint scanning. Of course, popular staples like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless charging are standard. It looks great and has a lot of features but is cumbersome with multiple screen touches required to access some functions. The S-class sedan also has a standard Burmester 3D sound system, but the more powerful Burmester 4D stereo is also available.
Safety Features and Driver Assistance
Each four-door S-class is equipped with various standards driver assistance technology, including the ability to park itself and also take preventive measures to protect passengers when it detects an impending collision. This sedan is also available with innovative features including rear seat airbags and active suspension which will lift the car up to reduce the severity of damage during a collision. For more information on class S crash test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) website. Key safety features include:
- Standard forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking
- Standard lane departure warning and lane keeping assist
- Standard adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go technology
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Mercedes has very modest warranty coverage compared to the coverage offered by some other luxury brands. For example, Incident offers a limited warranty and a significantly longer powertrain. BMW and Jaguar also has some of the best free maintenance in the biz.
- The limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles
- No free scheduled maintenance
Specifications
Specifications
2022 Mercedes-Benz S500 4Matic
Vehicle Type: front engine, all-wheel drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $112,150/$127.33
ENGINE
supercharged, turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in33000 cm3
Power: 429 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 384 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multi-link/multi-link
Brakes, F/R: 14.5-in vented, cross-drilled disc/14.1-in vented, cross-drilled disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4
F: 255/35R-21 98Y MO-S
R: 285/30R-21 100Y MO-S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 126.6 inches
Length: 208.2 in
Width: 76.9 inches
Height: 59.2 inches
Passenger Volume: 120 feet3
Trunk Volume: 13 feet3
Curb Weight: 4775 lb
C/D TEST RESULT
60 mph: 4.5 seconds
100 mph: 11.1 seconds
1/4-Mile: 13.0 seconds @ 108 mph
120 mph: 16.4 seconds
The above results leave a 1 foot launch for 0.3 seconds.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.2 seconds
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.9 seconds
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.8 seconds
Top Speed (gov ltd): 128 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 160 feet
Braking, 100–0 mph: 340 feet
Road grip, 300 ft Skid Pad: 0.92 g
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 24/21/30 mpg
C/D TESTS EXPLAINED
2021 Mercedes-Benz S580
Vehicle Type: front engine, all-wheel drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $117,350/$143,240
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 243 in33982 cm3
Power: 496 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 516 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multi-link/multi-link
Brakes, F/R: 14.5-in vented, cross-drilled disc/14.1-in vented, cross-drilled, grooved carbon-ceramic disc/drum
Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4
F: 255/35R-21 98Y MO-S
R: 285/30R-21 100Y MO-S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 126.6 inches
Length: 208.2 in
Width: 76.9 inches
Height: 59.2 inches
Passenger Volume: 120 feet3
Trunk Volume: 13 feet3
Curb Weight: 4992 lb
C/D TEST RESULT
60 mph: 3.9 seconds
100 mph: 9.7 seconds
¼-Mile: 12.5 seconds @ 114 mph
120 mph: 14.0 seconds
The above results leave a 1 foot launch for 0.3 seconds.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.8 seconds
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.8 seconds
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.7 seconds
Top Speed (gov ltd): 129 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 168 feet
Braking, 100–0 mph: 350 feet
Road grip, 300 ft Skid Pad: 0.87 g
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 20/17/25 mpg
More Features and Specifications