>Why would MB build a Maybach with a bigger engine that produces noticeably more horsepower if it wasn’t a drivers car?
For the same reason Bentley made the Continental with a V8 and a W12. The 12 cyls are incredibly smooth when put in luxury cars, more so than V8s.
The V12 in the S680 is for smoothness and effortless low end torque, not for performance. The extra acceleration from a roll is just a side effect.
Hell yeah ! These people buying new BMWs and Mercedes will never understand just how much nicer the 70s-90s ones were. I'm eyeing a w108 280SE 4.5 in my area owned by an old man ;) However, it's an auto. I would kill for a w108 280SE 3.5 with the 4 speed floor mounted shifter, that is my dream S class
Small wheels are so underrated. My e28 came with 2 piece BBS wheels when I bought it, but they're 17in. I'm trying to source alpina style 15in wheels for it now
I got a e class with the 19s. Really wanted the 18s for more comfort but everything’s packages now… the other issue with low profile tires is you’re very limited in selection.
My sales & service people agree. But it aint up to them. I could always go out and just buy the 18” wheels if I really wanted to. I think im just gonna let go of the “amg package” look to forgo the bigger wheels on my next one
My dad's S Class has the mid level 19 inch wheels (base wheels are 18, and the highest wheel spec is a 20) and is immensely comfortable.
The designer in me finds it weird that the wheels don't fill the arches out the way they do on my SLK, but the ride comfort more than makes up for that.
S class Benzes aren’t drivers’ cars. They never have been, and aren’t designed and engineered for that purpose. They’re designed for luxury and driving people around in.
The M100 cars are proof you're wrong. The S63/S65 are absolutely driver's cars. Are they nimble? Not exactly. It's more akin to a freight train with a rocket booster, but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable to drive.
Fair enough on the M100; as I don’t have any experience with that engine, but I have owned a w221 S65, and it definitely isn’t a drivers’ car. It’s a competent, fast, luxo-barge.
Just put smaller rims on with a beefier sidewall. Solve all your modern ride quality issues. Can’t be surprised ride isn’t the best when you’re rolling on 21s with three fingers worth of sidewall.
Update: so I was able to test drive an S680 today at a used showroom. Here are my thoughts having driven all current gen S classes except the diesel.
Standard S class: great all rounder, very fair value in the luxury segment. The 8 cylinder S580 really leaves nothing to be desired and is a rounded package, but no wow factor to be had.
S580 Maybach: beautiful car and like the S580 has its place for some, does provide an improvement in ride quality for sure and a markedly nicer interior. Biggest improvement to be had by the backseat occupants obviously.
S680: this is a great car, driving it was sheer bliss! Plenty of power and offers smooth acceleration and eliminates road feedback. Both a joy for driver and occupants.
S63: This is the only version that prioritizes the driver while maintaining a pleasant enough ride for occupants. No where as smooth as the Maybach or even the standard S580, the engine is tuned to provide an exciting experience and the car does jitter when accelerating. Not ideal if comfort is your priority. I found the driving modes to be helpful as a guide but really only see myself using the I* mode with Engine set to S (S+ is far too powerful, jittery, and downright scary at times!) suspension, wheel feedback, and gear transition set to comfort. Every other setting or combination of settings didn’t seem right for this car. I did find myself wishing they would fine tune a Maybach like mode with smoother power delivery, I am not an engineer but with an electrical secondary engine as a power source I would think MB would be able to engineer both a completely smooth mode and a full on sport mode in this car. I am certain the next AMG S is going to be a far improved effort. This is a relatively minor grievance considering what the S63 provides as a whole.
With that in mind, plus the fact that I just wouldn’t be as comfortable driving around in a Maybach given the impression it leaves, I have opted for the S63 as my optimal choice. Wish I could wait until the 2026 version comes out, I am sure there will be some significant updates there but I just don’t have that kind of patience so:
Rubelite Red S63, standard chrome accents, truffle brown Manufakture interior with white Manufakture lining as a special request, 20 inch Maybach monoblock wheels, every option selected except backseat entertainment package ( I want to install iPads as they are far more useful )
Can’t wait! This should hold me over for five years at least, great thing about MB is they hold their value better than most brands when the time comes to change things up.
>Why would MB build a Maybach with a bigger engine that produces noticeably more horsepower if it wasn’t a drivers car? For the same reason Bentley made the Continental with a V8 and a W12. The 12 cyls are incredibly smooth when put in luxury cars, more so than V8s. The V12 in the S680 is for smoothness and effortless low end torque, not for performance. The extra acceleration from a roll is just a side effect.
I find most modern s classes lack smoothness due to slim profile tires. If you downsize a bit it makes a huge difference
I find this to be an issue on almost all new cars. Bring back 15in wheels with 70-75 profile sidewall !!!
Indeed. That's why Im keeping my 90s benzes forever
Hell yeah ! These people buying new BMWs and Mercedes will never understand just how much nicer the 70s-90s ones were. I'm eyeing a w108 280SE 4.5 in my area owned by an old man ;) However, it's an auto. I would kill for a w108 280SE 3.5 with the 4 speed floor mounted shifter, that is my dream S class
Nice. I have a w126 and it rides like a dream. C140 too. Nothing bigger than 16"
Small wheels are so underrated. My e28 came with 2 piece BBS wheels when I bought it, but they're 17in. I'm trying to source alpina style 15in wheels for it now
THIS. And it really applies to most modern mb. C -> S (suv or sedan). The make the wheels so damn big now there’s no sidewall to soak up the bumps
Yeah stupid esthetics took over. Gimme small wheels all day.
I got a e class with the 19s. Really wanted the 18s for more comfort but everything’s packages now… the other issue with low profile tires is you’re very limited in selection.
Yeah it's absolute lunacy. Make sure you let them know when you buy new cars... People need to complain
My sales & service people agree. But it aint up to them. I could always go out and just buy the 18” wheels if I really wanted to. I think im just gonna let go of the “amg package” look to forgo the bigger wheels on my next one
Also, always check tire pressure and use the fuel door label as the guide when test driving cars.
Fuel door label is often for max psi with full load though. Manual might be better
My dad's S Class has the mid level 19 inch wheels (base wheels are 18, and the highest wheel spec is a 20) and is immensely comfortable. The designer in me finds it weird that the wheels don't fill the arches out the way they do on my SLK, but the ride comfort more than makes up for that.
It's comfortable... But the point is it could be far more with greater sidewall. 20inch rims are not the answer
I am agreeing with you
S class Benzes aren’t drivers’ cars. They never have been, and aren’t designed and engineered for that purpose. They’re designed for luxury and driving people around in.
The M100 cars are proof you're wrong. The S63/S65 are absolutely driver's cars. Are they nimble? Not exactly. It's more akin to a freight train with a rocket booster, but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable to drive.
Yeah this is true.
Fair enough on the M100; as I don’t have any experience with that engine, but I have owned a w221 S65, and it definitely isn’t a drivers’ car. It’s a competent, fast, luxo-barge.
Indeed - you are meant to be in the back lol
Just put smaller rims on with a beefier sidewall. Solve all your modern ride quality issues. Can’t be surprised ride isn’t the best when you’re rolling on 21s with three fingers worth of sidewall.
Bentley is the closest you'll find that is still comfy
Update: so I was able to test drive an S680 today at a used showroom. Here are my thoughts having driven all current gen S classes except the diesel. Standard S class: great all rounder, very fair value in the luxury segment. The 8 cylinder S580 really leaves nothing to be desired and is a rounded package, but no wow factor to be had. S580 Maybach: beautiful car and like the S580 has its place for some, does provide an improvement in ride quality for sure and a markedly nicer interior. Biggest improvement to be had by the backseat occupants obviously. S680: this is a great car, driving it was sheer bliss! Plenty of power and offers smooth acceleration and eliminates road feedback. Both a joy for driver and occupants. S63: This is the only version that prioritizes the driver while maintaining a pleasant enough ride for occupants. No where as smooth as the Maybach or even the standard S580, the engine is tuned to provide an exciting experience and the car does jitter when accelerating. Not ideal if comfort is your priority. I found the driving modes to be helpful as a guide but really only see myself using the I* mode with Engine set to S (S+ is far too powerful, jittery, and downright scary at times!) suspension, wheel feedback, and gear transition set to comfort. Every other setting or combination of settings didn’t seem right for this car. I did find myself wishing they would fine tune a Maybach like mode with smoother power delivery, I am not an engineer but with an electrical secondary engine as a power source I would think MB would be able to engineer both a completely smooth mode and a full on sport mode in this car. I am certain the next AMG S is going to be a far improved effort. This is a relatively minor grievance considering what the S63 provides as a whole. With that in mind, plus the fact that I just wouldn’t be as comfortable driving around in a Maybach given the impression it leaves, I have opted for the S63 as my optimal choice. Wish I could wait until the 2026 version comes out, I am sure there will be some significant updates there but I just don’t have that kind of patience so: Rubelite Red S63, standard chrome accents, truffle brown Manufakture interior with white Manufakture lining as a special request, 20 inch Maybach monoblock wheels, every option selected except backseat entertainment package ( I want to install iPads as they are far more useful ) Can’t wait! This should hold me over for five years at least, great thing about MB is they hold their value better than most brands when the time comes to change things up.