2022 Mercedes-Maybach: prestige on wheels
For car buyers not interested in value, practicality, economy or environmental concerns, consider the 2022 Mercedes-Maybach. It’s an ultraluxury sedan purchased because the buyer can. It’s plush and modern and pretentious. It has champagne flutes and an energizing warning notification that results in soft music and a multiposition driver’s massage.
Available in the S 580 and S 680 trims, the former and reviewed model features a twin-turbocharged V8 with 496 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The S 680 is equipped with a twin-turbo V12 with 621 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. Both versions are all-wheel-drive (4Matic) and are propelled by a nine-speed automatic transmission.
Gas mileage averages are 15 miles per gallon in city driving, 24 mpg on the highway. Acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour is accomplished in 4.7 seconds. The MSRP is $184,900 and the total prices as reviewed $228,450.
The S 580 is a showcase of prestige on the road, from its fluffy pillows to the lounge-like rear seating. But it’s also a less flashy, less expensive option than rivals such as the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Bentley Flying Spur.
A lot should be expected from luxury vehicles. The S 580 and its more powerful stable mate comply. The standard features list is exhaustive, 20-inch wheel to soft-close doors and a 30-speaker Burmester premium audio system to rear neck heaters.
Heated front and rear seats, steering wheel, armrest and rear neck pillow and six USB-C ports are in the mix of comfort and convenience. And what good is any uber-luxury sedan without a four-zone climate control fragrance atomizer in the glove box?
Ventilated and massaging front and rear seats with memory settings and rear neck heaters are a must. A power trunk lid, air suspension (it raises or lowers the vehicle’s height) and soft-close doors (upon closing, the doors hesitate and gently pull shut), is all there.
For further comfort and sensory soothing assistance, ambient interior lighting, a detail-loaded head-up display, a wire charge pad, six USB-C
ports and a theater-quality rear entertainment system satisfy.
There’s more if desired, particularly with the Executive Rear Seat Package Plus ($6,000). It includes dual rear seats with a center console, a power footrest for the right-side rear passenger, rear-seat folding tables and heated and cooled rear cup holders.
Enough is enough, except when it isn’t. The Manufaktur package ($8,000) means the leather throughout the vehicle is top-grade to a fault. Is there an ideal car-wide interior cover available? The refrigerator’s center console and its silver champagne flutes ($4,200) add to the opulence. It’s as if the Maybach upgrades are more focused on the rear seat passengers than the front-of-the-cabin occupants, limousine-like. Why not?
The two-tone exterior paint, the Citrus Silver top and the Nautical Blue body, combine for the most expensive option ($14,500). The vehicle is classically beautiful, with one overt exception. The solid rims look like leftovers from a Mad Max movie set.
With its presentation near perfect, the S 580 is further impressive as a driving enthusiast’s car. It’s smooth-driving contentment at its best, a sedan to take on long hauls on the open road. Set the cruise control, turn up the symphonic-quality sound system, rejoice in the top-level safety and technology and drive across the state just because.
The Mercedes-Benz S 580 is a vehicle many consumers wouldn’t consider. But it’s an impressively crafted machine likely thoroughly enjoyed by its occupants and an owner who has a quarter-million dollars to spend.
James Raia, a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter available on his website, www. theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached via email: james@ jamesraia.com.