Tested: 2022 Mercedes-Maybach S580 Is Upper S-Class

The potential consumer base for a car that can provide the lavish comfort of a private jet while also delivering the performance of a muscle car is likely modest. Still, we are delighted that the Mercedes-Maybach S580 has it covered. This XL sedan seems like it should be softly ferrying A-listers between red carpets thanks to the two-tone paint scheme that distinguishes it from the standard S-class and costs an additional $14,500. We believe that most buyers will choose this option.

Even though launching it would probably cause the people in the back seats to spill their champagne, it is still brutally quick. How fast? The Maybach S580 blazed through a quarter-mile in just 12.6 seconds and went from 0 to 60 mph in only 4.1 seconds during testing. It also went from 0 to 100 mph in just 10 seconds. Although the V-8 Bentley Flying Spur is marginally quicker, it is more overtly designed for people who prefer to drive themselves rather than unwind in the back.

The Maybach has the pace of a speedboat with the luxury of a yacht, and the upcoming S680, with its 621-hp V-12, could be even faster. The S580’s 496-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 makes it difficult for even the pickiest plutocrat to feel underwhelmed. Performance is supplied quietly; while the engine is running at full power, the exhaust note sounds like it is coming from a distant town. The Maybach’s cabin is extremely quiet at cruising speeds, and the engine is practically silent when used more respectfully.

With Maybach’s active noise cancellation, which successfully muffles low-frequency road rumbling and makes the cabin appear even quieter, we measured 64 decibels at a 70 mph cruise. Additionally, the reduced background noise offers a flawless auditory backdrop for the outstanding 30-speaker Burmeister audio system. The standard Mercedes S-class and the Maybach have no noticeable changes when a driver is in the driver’s seat. The 12.3-inch instrument screen in both automobiles has 3-D graphics and identical controls and displays.

While some of us enjoyed the effect, others quickly changed it to 2-D. The large 12.8-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard uses the same MBUX UI system as the less expensive Mercedes and has the same usability problems. With repeated use, it does become more apparent, but doing so forces you to look away from the road because you have to touch the screen to change the ventilation and heating settings. The tactile controls on the Bentley Flying Spur and Rolls-Royce Ghost are both more pleasant.

The operating experience is undoubtedly appropriate for chauffeuring. With its soft suspension settings and mild steering, the Maybach appears larger and heavier than it is. Like the standard S-class, the Maybach has a new dynamic mode that can be switched between and delivers genuinely imperious progress. This mode is essentially a Comfort Plus option. The S580 was wonderfully pillowy over rougher roads, but it seemed to struggle with highway expansion joints, inappropriately banging over them for its price.

The Maybach’s 48-volt hybrid system improves fuel economy more than it improves performance, with an overall EPA rating of 18 mpg, or 15 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. In mixed driving, we got 19 mpg on average. Even though the Bentley Flying Spur is more athletic and the Rolls-Royce Ghost is the same size but more expensive, the Mercedes-Maybach S580 feels like it belongs at the top of the luxury sedan market. Despite its significant price, it enhances the positive aspects of the already superb S-class.