2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach

　　

2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach Review

byDan FrioReviews Editor

　　Dan spent many years covering the go-fast, look-good, get-loud corners of the automotive universe. First, he served as editor of enthusiast magazines AutoSound and Honda Tuning, then as executive editor at SEMA News, the publishing arm of the trade group that produces the annual SEMA Show (yes, that show). As a contributor to zzdcar, he now likes to keep the volume low and the speed limit legal, providing expert car-shopping advice to drivers looking for the perfect match.

　　It's rare to come across a car built with the passenger more in mind than the driver, but that's exactly the brief for the 2022 Mercedes Maybach. Essentially a fully loaded, stretched S-Class, the Maybach isn't foremost concerned with the driver's comfort.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S 580 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 9A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$248/mo  for Maybach S 580 4MATIC

　　Maybach S 580 4MATIC

　　S 580 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 9A) (Most Popular) - $184,900 MSRPS 680 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (6.0L 12cyl Turbo 9A) - $229,000 MSRP

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Avg. Large Car

　　Sure, there's a sizable instrument display with 3D-enhanced graphics, a head-up display and nearly a dozen driver assist features. There's a heated, cooled and massaging front seat wrapped in buttery leather up front, but backseat riders get the same treatment. One of the rear passengers even gets a power-adjustable massaging footrest. The Maybach is fine to drive, especially with partial rear-wheel steering to help trim its turning circle. But this is a car built for passenger pampering.

　　The generous standard features list only tells some of the story. The Maybach really reveals itself in the details. There's a biometric or facial recognition authentication program that can recall hundreds of vehicle settings for a single user profile, for example, or presets that sync climate control, seat massage, ambient cabin lighting, cabin fragrance, and audio for various moods. There are even heated wiper blades that emit water from laser-cut holes to lessen the smudge and streaking of a typical windshield cleaning pass. Mercedes likes to trot out its engineering pet projects in the S-Class line, and the Maybach is a showpiece.

　　For 2022, a new 12-cylinder trim level — the S 680 — joins the lineup, replacing the earlier S 650 iteration. This new top trim offers all-wheel drive and the latest MBUX infotainment system but still offers the understated stealth that its more flamboyant rivals like the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Bentley Flying Spur don't. Of course, the Maybach's primary rival might be the more common version of itself, the supremely capable and comfortable S-Class. The difference is in the details, of course.

　　

Which Maybach does zzdcar recommend?

If you're scouting the differences between the Maybach's two trim levels, it's a safe bet you can afford either one. In which case we say go big and get the S 680 for its V12 engine. And you might as well opt for the available rear seat refrigerator and the included Champagne flutes. Because why not?

　　

Mercedes-Benz Maybach models

The 2022 Mercedes-Maybach is available in two trim levels: S 580 and S 680. The S 580 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 engine (496 horsepower, 516 lb-ft of torque), while the S 680 uses a twin-turbo V12 (621 hp, 664 lb-ft). Both versions are all-wheel-drive and feature a nine-speed automatic transmission.

　　Both trims come remarkably well provisioned — the key difference is the S 680's 12-cylinder engine. Standard features include:

　　20-inch wheels Power trunklid Air suspension (can raise or lower the ride height of the vehicle) Soft-close doors (catch as they're being closed and gently pull shut) LED headlights Panoramic sunroof Four-zone climate control with fragrance atomizer Heated, ventilated and massaging front and rear seats with memory settings Rear neck heaters Heated steering wheel Heated armrests Ambient interior lighting 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen 12.3-inch digital instrument panel Navigation system with augmented reality driving directions Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield) Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto   Wireless charging pad Rear entertainment system 30-speaker Burmester premium audio system Six USB-C portsSafety features include:

　　Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the Maybach and the car in front, and can also react to traffic signs and set speed) Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot) Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane) Automated lane-change assist (guides the vehicle into the next lane when the turn signal is used) Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios) Evasive steering assist (enhances the forward collision mitigation system with steering-based collision avoidance) Safe exit assist (alerts passengers when opening a door into traffic approaching from behind) Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking) Rear and cross-traffic automatic braking (applies the brakes automatically to avoid an imminent collision with an object behind the vehicle, or a vehicle or pedestrian crossing in front of the vehicle) Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention) Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking) 360-degree camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Maybach and its surroundings for tight parking situations)The wealth of standard features means there isn't much left over for options, but the Maybach obliges with a handful of extras including 21-inch wheels, an upgraded adaptive suspension, various two-tone paint combinations, upgraded Nappa leather-wrapped seats and interior surfaces, electrically opening/closing rear doors, and a rear seat refrigerator with silver Champagne flutes.

　　Buyers seeking the chauffeur treatment can opt for the Executive Rear Seat Package Plus, which  includes:

　　Dual rear seats with center console Power footrest for right-side rear passenger Rear-seat folding tables Heated and cooled rear cupholders

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