While one may balk at this Mercedes-Maybach’s $297,000 as-tested price, it takes only a brief ride in the S 580’s supremely comfortable and exquisitely crafted cabin to realize that, indeed, Mercedes-Benz’s take on ultimate luxury could very well be worth every penny.
Some might argue the Maybach S 580 is merely a gussied-up Benz S-Class, lacking the visual presence of its principal British rivals. Nah. This German sybarite delivers everything a Rolls-Royce Ghost or Bentley Flying Spur can, and in its own fabulous way.
Don’t take my word for it. Just ask Taylor Swift. Okay, you’ll never be able to ask her anything, but since this very Maybach went from my driveway to ferrying the stars about during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, I’m betting Swift got to sink into that glorious Sienna Brown ventilated massaging Nappa-leather Executive rear seat with heated headrest and calf rest, glanced around the magnificent art-deco-inspired cabin, and thought, “This is pretty nice.”
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
The Maybach may have caught her eye when pulling up, too, as this tester’s two-tone Obsidian Black/High-Tech Silver paint job (a $20,000 hit) elevates it from S-Class to “Was ist das?” Those bold 20-inch forged alloys with hidden lugs portend a sense of serous occasion, as do the massive radiator-style grille and formal C-pillar with Maybach logo. With an 18-cm wheelbase stretch, this Merc flagship is long, lean, imposing, and slightly mysterious.
Access to the sumptuous rear quarters is made easy thanks to the lengthy “comfort rear doors” that electronically swing open or shut via a switch on the ceiling or a touch to the pop-out door handles.
Ah, but what if, once seated, reaching for that ceiling switch is just a bit too inelegant? Maybach trumps Rolls-Royce here by giving rear-seat patrons the option of hand gesture control for the closing of said portals. And by that I don’t mean they automatically swing shut when flipping the bird at the gawking proletariat or paparazzi (an over-the-air update perhaps?). A simple forward sweep of the hand does the trick.
The cabin shows a calming, flowing aesthetic, carried throughout via black “boat deck” trim incorporating thin inlaid aluminum strips. The “waterfall” between the rear seats hides a fridge and pair of silver-plated flutes from which to daintily sip your Bud Light — er, 1996 Dom Perignon Rose Gold Methusela.
All this fabulousness is not just reserved for rear-seat passengers. The front chairs are also uncommonly comfortable and feature heat, ventilation, and massage. The Maybach S580 is good to drive, too, showing a sense of control and connectivity that is counter to the somewhat numb and nautical Rolls-Royce experience. It rolls down the tarmac in near-silence, and ride quality is astoundingly smooth — gliding over the road in imperious imperviousness to all imperfections that pass beneath.
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580
Power comes from Benz’s ubiquitous 4.0L bi-turbo V8, here making 496 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Hooked to a nine-speed auto, it delivers silken urge and has this AWD cocoon settling into an effortless waft.
If you want to do “sport” in your S580, the Maybach is happy to indulge. Opt for the $1,300 10-degree rear-wheel steering and $8,900 E-Active Body Control that essentially eliminates body roll, and the S580 will hustle along with enough exuberance to get your chauffeur’s license revoked.
But who needs that foolishness? It’s the “Maybach” drive mode that brings on the true experience. To ensure no feathers are ruffles when setting off, throttle tip-in turns gradual and the car starts in second gear. The transmission shifts smoother and earlier, the air suspension relaxes to max comfort mode, and even the brakes play along, allowing for more graceful stops. Despite all this, the Maybach S580 never feels mushy, wallowy, or disconnected. It’s quite a feat, really.
2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 Photo by Peter Bleakney
Being based on the excellent S-Class, the Maybach S580 gets all the safety systems and driver aids in the Mercedes-Benz catalogue, a 12.8-inch OLED central touchscreen, and tech-forward MBUX interface.
The Maybach’s 30-speaker 1,750-watt 4D Burmester audio system has to be one of the best I’ve ever experienced in an automobile. Combine that with the wondrously complex yet soothing ambient lighting, and you’ve got the best environment imaginable for listening to your tunes. All helped, of course, by the requisite Executive Rear Seating Package ($11,500) and the $15,000 Extended Leather Elements.
I’m not entirely sure what the latter consists of, but I know I couldn’t do without it. This cabin is so gob-smackingly superb that, were I stupid-rich, weird(er), and partial to ancient Egyptian after-life beliefs, I’d have myself buried in this thing along with my ’63 Fender Jazz Bass and call it a day. I’ve never said that about a Rolls-Royce.
Keyword: Luxury Review: 2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580