2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the world’s best-selling large luxury sedan, a title it has held for many years. The current generation, which launched for 2021, maintains and even enhances that glorious reputation — blending up-to-the-minute technology with sublime comfort, abundant power, and unbelievable attention to detail. This car is the perfect embodiment of the Mercedes-Benz ethos of excellence.

The high-performance Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance is reviewed separately. The all-electric Mercedes-EQ EQS large luxury sedan also has its own review.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of luxury full-size sedans, including the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Standard equipment in the 2025 S-Class now includes a center airbag and pre-wiring for a phone-based digital key. Quad-zone climate control becomes optional in the first three models. Executive Line is renamed Pinnacle trim. And a couple of exterior paint choices come in, while a couple are discontinued.

The S 580 4Matic is the most popular variant and one we would recommend for its considerable standard inventory and engine power.

Two main S-Class rivals are the BMW 7 Series and Porsche Panamera, both beginning below their Mercedes-Benz equivalent. The Audi A8, Genesis G90 and Lexus LS are even less expensive and more under the radar.

Before buying a new S-Class large luxury sedan, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Resale values should be about average for the class. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one, if that matters to an S-Class buyer.

There’s nothing lacking in the S 500 4Matic. It melds 442 horsepower with superb refinement and Mercedes’ all-wheel-drive system. Mercedes-Benz says this model can accelerate from standstill to 60 mph in a brisk 4.5 seconds. We don’t dispute it. To compare, the BMW 740i has 375 horsepower and hits 60 mph in 5.1 seconds.

However, the authoritative V8 thrust of the 496-horsepower S 580 seems perfectly right in a large luxury sedan. It will shave 0.2 of a second from the S 500’s sprint time.

We’ve also driven the S 580e plug-in hybrid, which feels so beautifully effortless. We could never tell when its 6-cylinder engine was sliding in or out of operation without looking at the rev counter. The electric motor is perfectly capable of decent freeway speeds and making decisive passing moves without any help from the gasoline side.

Life behind the wheel of a 2025 S-Class is rather wonderful. As that smell of fine leather or the cabin fragrance system wafts gently into your nostrils, the massaging seat kneads your back, your elbows rest on padded areas of yet more leather, and the crystal-clear audio system plays your favorite tracks, the rest of the world falls into insignificance.

Threading through city streets or dashing down a highway, there’s the same comfort and pretty much the same suppressed level of noise. An air suspension is standard, enhancing comfort yet also making the car feel more agile than its size suggests. A comprehensive set of driver assistance features is also included.

In our ideal new S-Class, we would also choose the rear-wheel-steering system for greater maneuverability. And the E-Active Body Control hydro-pneumatic suspension that reads the road ahead, adjusts the ride quality accordingly, and helps keep the car astonishingly flat through corners.

Fuel Economy

The S 500 4Matic achieves 24 mpg in combined city/highway driving. Compare that with the BMW 740i xDrive, which manages 27 mpg combined. The S 580 4Matic and Maybach S 580 models run to 21 mpg combined.

People who can afford a new S-Class aren’t especially worried about fuel bills, but if anyone wanted to reduce their carbon footprint a little, the S 580e plug-in hybrid can travel for 46 miles on battery power alone. After that, it achieves 23 mpg combined. With a computer-controlled combination of electric and gasoline operation, it feels almost odd to be driving an S-Class and hardly see the fuel gauge move even after a couple of long drives. The comparable BMW 750e xDrive runs for 35 miles in electric mode.

All these engines require premium gasoline.

Heaven on four wheels. The feel of the leather, the comfort of the seats, the heft of the switchgear, the many tech features, the cabin air ionization and fragrance, the space, the silence. These all collude to create a sumptuous and secure bubble, where occupants can dictate how much of the outside world they want to allow in.

Mercedes-Benz brings only its long-wheelbase S-Class models into the United States, so there’s plenty of legroom for tall passengers sitting in the back. Audi and BMW do the same thing. And the Maybach versions have even more rear space. Every S-Class has the option of two power-adjustable, heated and ventilated outboard rear seats.

At 12.9 cubic feet, the trunk isn’t that big (similar to a Toyota Corolla’s). Perhaps S-Class owners have their Louis Vuitton luggage transported in a separate vehicle. The S 580e plug-in hybrid’s trunk is even smaller — 8.1 cubic feet. We struggled to get a large suitcase in there.

As brave and bold as something like the BMW 7 Series might be, with its avant-garde exterior styling, some buyers are going to be more conservative in their tastes. Over its many generations, the S-Class has always occupied the top spot and part of the reason why is its design. It manages to convey presence, authority, prestige, and elegance all at the same time.

New colors this year are Sonoran Brown and Verde Silver. Mojave Silver and Onyx Black have been discontinued. The Manufaktur personalization program offers Moonlight White Metallic paint. The Night Series design package is offered with Maybach models, which involves a lot of gray and black.

Front seats
The front seats have rapid heating or cooling, as well as multiple massaging programs — some which go on for nearly 20 minutes. Even better news, these aren’t optional. They’re standard in every new S-Class luxury sedan.

Augmented reality
The standard navigation system in the 2025 S-Class can show images of what’s directly ahead, then highlight things like direction signs and street numbers. This is done on the infotainment screen as well as the optional head-up display.

Hey, Mercedes
Wake up the onboard digital assistant with these two words, then give a command like “raise the cabin’s temperature by two degrees” or “turn down the volume.” This is another standard feature of the 2025 S-Class.

Powered rear shades
The rear window and rear passenger windows at each side have shades that go up and down with the touch of a button. Also standard.

Burmester 15-speaker/710-watt surround-sound system
This standard setup is superb — crisp, detailed, and powerful. Or there’s always the optional 30-speaker/1,750-watt 4D upgrade for an even more immersive listening experience.

Maybach models
On the outside, the super-luxurious Maybach S-Class variants offer 2-tone paintwork and power-operated doors. Inside, the options list includes folding tables, champagne flutes and a chiller compartment.

Before we get into the actual engines, a brief word about the mild-hybrid system used in the S 500 and S 580 drivetrains. An electric motor enables a smooth action to the fuel-saving engine stop/restart function, as well as providing brief boosts of 21 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque.

An electrical compressor is part of the setup. It’s like a supercharger, working in tandem with the turbocharger(s). And when the optional E-Active Body Control hydro-pneumatic suspension is on board, the mild-hybrid system also powers this. It’s typical of Mercedes-Benz to corral technology in the pursuit of comfort and refinement.

The S 500’s combustion side is a turbocharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder unit. Output is a perfectly fine 442 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque.

The S 580 drivetrain goes for twin turbochargers bolted to a 4.0-liter V8, making 496 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The S 580e is a plug-in hybrid pairing the 3.0-liter turbo 6-cylinder/mild-hybrid system with an electric motor to create a total of 503 horsepower.

The S 680 Maybach employs a fabulous twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 developing 621 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque.

Every new S-Class has an all-wheel drive system (known as 4Matic on Planet Mercedes) and a 9-speed automatic transmission.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

The new-car and powertrain warranty on a 2025 S-Class lasts four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. Roadside assistance is included. This is the usual arrangement in the luxury sector. Plug-in hybrid batteries are covered for six years or 60,000 miles in some states, 10 years or 150,000 miles in others.

Safety Ratings

The S-Class hasn’t been crash-tested by any independent agencies. That’s a common thing for such high-end vehicles, but shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. Mercedes-Benz packs its flagship sedan with an array of standard safety features that’s comprehensive and often innovative, such as the special windshield wiper system that doesn’t mess up vision with indiscriminate splashing all over the glass.