The S-Class reigns supreme as a tech and luxury showcase for a brand hardly lacking in either.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Mercdes-Benz S-Class? What does it compare to?
The S-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s top sedan. It’s similar in concept to the BMW 7-Series and Audi A8, as well as the Lexus LS.
Is the 2025 Mercdes-Benz S-Class a good car?
It’s about as good as a sedan can get. The S-Class brims with tech and style, and it’s exceptionally comfy. It is very expensive, as you might expect. Those assets add up to a TCC Rating of 7.0 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2025 Mercdes-Benz S-Class?
The S-Class gains a front-center airbag and some new paint colors for 2025.
Mercedes-Benz’s flagship four-door is a graceful interpretation of a modern full-size sedan. It eschews the sleek roof of a four-door coupe in favor of a somewhat conservative three-box shape, and you’ll find little in the way of overwrought lines or overthought elements. If the latter’s what you’re after, the top-dog Maybach models have ostentatious wheels and are available with a two-ton paint hue that certainly grabs attention.
Inside, even the base S 500 is a stunner with its rich materials and big screens. It’s also quite spacious, with exceptional front seats and a rear bench that can easily accommodate two or even three adults in comfort. Maybachs have a longer wheelbase that opens up true stretch-out space in the rear. No model has a big trunk, though.
The S 500 and S 580e both start with a 3.0-liter turbo-6. While the S 500 has a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that saves a little fuel and essentially cancels out any hint of turbo lag, the S 580e wedges in a bigger electric motor and battery to become a plug-in hybrid with similar acceleration. The S 580 and S 63 AMG both have V-8 engines with prodigious power. The AMG version’s stiffer suspension sort of misses the point for this stately car, though. These sedans are simply too big to truly be sporty. And if you must have everything, the S 680 Maybach waves the V-12 flag for what very well be this engine configuration’s final hurrah.
All models other than the S 63 have a buttery soft ride, though we strongly recommend the available E-Active Body Control that fights the good fight against body lean and uses forward-facing cameras to prep the suspension for what’s to come. It’s an amazing system.
The S 500 is actually reasonably fuel-efficient, boasting EPA test estimates of 24 mpg combined. Other models check in between 15 and 20 mpg combined. The S 580e’s 46-mile estimate on a full charge is quite good when you consider its power output and just how much luxury sedan this powertrain has to lug around.
Every version of S-Class has a full suite of safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, active lane control, blind-spot monitors with steering support, adaptive cruise control, hands-free driver assistance, automatic park assist, and a surround-view camera system.
How much does the 2025 Mercdes-Benz S-Class cost?
A base S 500 runs $119,100 to start, and it’s not easy to pile on another $10,000 in extras. Stepping up to a V-8 means budgeting at least $130,000, while a Maybach S 680 can run double that.
Even at the base level, the S-Class is of course very well equipped with leather seats that are heated and cooled up front, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.8-inch touchscreen, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Where is the 2025 Mercdes-Benz S-Class made?
In Germany.
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2025 Mercedes-Benz S ClassStyling
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a big, graceful sedan.
Is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class a good-looking car?
This stately sedan wears classy lines outside and a truly spectacular interior. It’s an 8 out of 10 on the TCC scale.
The S-Class wears flowing lines that accentuate its long hood and graceful roofline. The ovoid grille up front can either wear a traditional hood ornament or a big three-pointed star, depending on the configuration. The headlights sit next to the grille and are festooned with intricate details. AMG versions have bigger intakes up front and larger wheels, while the star of the show here is certainly the Maybach. Its vertical grille slats and huge, full-face wheels are truly something else. It’s not subtle in the least, in part because it rides on a wheelbase that stretches 7.1 inches longer.
Inside, the S-Class sticks with Mercedes-Benz’s current trend toward a tablet-like instrument cluster protruding from the dash mounted next to a tall, canted touchscreen for most other functions. Big swathes of wood—or carbon fiber, if you so choose—wrap from the dash to the door panels. Even the climate control vents are a gem to behold. And, of course, materials are top notch throughout—there’s not a low-buck bit to be seen here.
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2025 Mercedes-Benz S ClassPerformance
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class eschews sport for comfort, with great success.
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a magical sedan with terrific acceleration and perhaps the best ride quality you’ll find on any new car. It’s not sporty, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s an 8 on the TCC scale.
Is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4WD?
Yes, all-wheel drive is standard.
How fast is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class?
Certainly, though the more you spend the faster it’ll get. The base S 500 has a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 rated at 442 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque, which is good for a 4.8-second run to 60 mph. It has a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that can add up to 21 hp and 184 lb-ft to eradicate turbo lag.
Next up is a tale of two S 580 models. The standard S 580 has a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 rated at 496 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, which slices half a second off of the run to 60 mph and results in stronger passing power. It also sounds great when pushed. We’ve yet to drive the intriguing S 580e, which takes the S 500’s turbo-6 and bolts up a bigger electric motor and battery pack for a total system output of 510 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. It’s not any quicker to 60 mph than the base S 500, but the ace up its sleeve is its nearly 50-mile all-electric range before the gas engine ever clicks on. It’s a low-guilt, high-luxe choice.
The Maybach S 680 goes all out with its twin-turbo 6.0-liter V-12 rated at 621 hp and 664 lb-ft. Mercedes quotes a 4.4-second sprint to 60 mph, but it’s worth remembering that this is a very heavy vehicle. Figure north of 5,500 pounds with fuel and passengers aboard.
The S 63 E Performance takes the 4.0-liter V-8 and adds a 188-hp electric motor on the rear axle for a staggering 791 hp and 1,047 lb-ft of torque, which helps it fire off a run to 60 mph of just 3.2 seconds. It’s a hard-hitting sedan when punched, with power that erupts like a volcano and never seems to end.
Other versions drive far tamer and have softer suspension settings tuned to match. The optional E-Active Body Control system costs a lot, but is worth a look. Forward-looking cameras prep the suspension for bumps in the road ahead. It works commendably well, and it also reduces body lean in corners. That said, even the S 63 isn’t all that sporty when pushed. These are big, heavy cars with light steering. Another option worth considering is the rear-wheel-steering system that helps these big sedans behave more nimbly when parking.
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2025 Mercedes-Benz S ClassComfort & Quality
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is almost as opulent as cars get.
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a true flagship sedan when it comes to interior comfort. It gets points for spectacular seats and interior materials, though it misses out on a final point since its trunk is rather small. Pack lightly. The S-Class is a 9 on the TCC scale.
This big sedan stretches over 208 inches long, while Maybachs ride on a longer wheelbase that gives them even more rear-seat legroom.
Even base models have 12-way power-adjustable front seats that are heated and cooled and include a massaging function. The rear seats can be similarly equipped, and even the armrests throughout the cabin can be heated. Maybachs are even swankier inside with rear seats that offer up to 43 degrees of recline, plus a small refrigerator can serve up a chilled beverage.
Standard nappa leather imparts a dressy feel, and Mercedes offers myriad upholstery and trim hues. There’s not a low-buck piece anywhere to be easily found in this cabin.
Out back, though, the mere 12.9 cubic-foot trunk is a disappointment.
2025 Mercedes-Benz S ClassSafety
The S-Class comes loaded up with top driver-assistance tech.
How safe is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class?
We can’t rate it since it has not been tested by either the NHTSA or the IIHS. Given its low sales volumes and high price tag, the S-Class isn’t likely to be evaluated any time soon.
It is very, very well-equipped, though. The 2025 S-Class comes with forward and reverse automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection and intersection assist, active blind-spot monitors with steering assist, adaptive LED headlights with automatic high beams, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alerts with pedestrian and cyclist detection and brake support, automatic parking, automatic lane changes at the tap of a turn signal stalk, a driver-attention monitor, an exit warning system for passengers, a high-res dashcam, and a surround-view camera system. The available E-Active Body Control system can use its hydraulics to automatically raise the body if it detects an impending impact on the side of the car so that the body structure can absorb some impact forces.
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2025 Mercedes-Benz S ClassFeatures
Mercedes-Benz throws everything in its arsenal at the S-Class.
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is just as expensive and just as well-equipped as you might expect for a vehicle that will set you back at least $119,000—and that’s if you aren’t tempted by a single option.
We rate the range at 8 out of 10 thanks to great standard equipment, numerous extras, and a swell infotainment system with a lot of features—and a lot of complexity. The 4-year/50,000-mile warranty isn’t anything special for a luxury model, though.
The base S 500 runs $119,100 this year, which nets 19-inch alloy wheels, a big panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, 12-way power-adjustable front seats that are heated and cooled, massaging front seats, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, Burmester speakers, and much more.
The 11.6-inch touchscreen uses a version of the automaker’s MBUX infotainment. It’s a slick, quick system, but the learning curve can be somewhat steep. Voice and gesture commands help, but you’ll still want to train yourself on this system before diving in.
Which Mercedes-Benz S-Class should I buy?
Eh, if you’re here, you might as well think about a V-8—or a plug-in hybrid. The S 580 is $129.950, while the 6-cylinder plug-in S 580e is $600 less. If you routinely carry passengers in the back seat, the $3,500 spend for heated and cooled rear seats plus heated armrests all around might be a no-brainer. Otherwise, we’d be tempted by one of the rear-axle-steering systems, E-Active Body Control, and an even higher-zoot Burmester audio system. So equipped, an S 580 will run about $150,000.
How much is a fully loaded Mercedes-Benz S-Class?
The S 680 Maybach is priced at $242,000 or so, which puts it firmly in Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and high-end Range Rover territory.
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2025 Mercedes-Benz S ClassFuel Economy
You’re not looking at an S-Class for its fuel economy, are you?
Is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class good on gas?
It’s not great, but the base S 500 boasts estimates from the EPA as high as 21 mpg city, 31 highway, 24 combined. That’s enough for a 2 on the TCC scale.
S 580 versions check in at just 20 mpg combined, while the S 680’s 15-mpg estimate makes it one of the thirstiest new cars. Does anyone buy a V-12 for its fuel economy, though?
If you want an efficient S-Class, the S 580e plug-in hybrid is the one for you. It offers around 46 miles of range on a full charge. If you’re able to charge your S-Class often and generally drive less than 46 miles in a single stint, it’s definitely the one to have.
The S 63 AMG has yet to be rated on the EPA test. It’s said to deliver up to 17 miles of range on a full charge, which means you can go all-electric for at least part of your commute.
