Overview

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-class has long been regarded as the epitome of luxury, mainly because of its opulent appearance and powerful performance. Whether you go for the roomy sedan, respectable coupe, or opulent convertible, these top-tier Benzes are loaded with the most up-to-date technologies and the highest quality materials. The S-class has everything: an interior fit for a sultan, a pa performance fit for a hot shoe, and an indisputably regal road presence. While it may be pricey, you can rest assured that you're getting every penny of your money's worth if you shop in this market.

Engine, Transmission, Performance

One of two gasoline engines—a 362-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 or a 463-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8—is offered for the S-class sedan. While the latter has S560 badges on its trunk lid, the former is provided with S450 badges. Although the all-wheel drive can be chosen with either engine, rear-wheel drive is the default. In our zero to 60 mph test, a 2018 S450 with rear-wheel drive took 5.3 seconds, while the 2018 S560 completed the task in 4.2 seconds. The 2018 S560 coupe scored a quick 4.0-second zero-to-60-mph run at our test track. The coupe and cabriolet are the only models available with the V-8. If these stats aren't thrilling enough for you, the Mercedes-AMG array of S-class vehicles is even faster (reviewed separately). Although we haven't tried the 560e, we anticipate it will be quicker than the regular twin-turbo V-6 vehicles.

Interior, Comfort, Cargo

The S-interior classes are among the few we would choose to be in automobiles. The cabin is modern and opulent. The seats, door panels, and dashboard may all be customized with various types of leather, woods, and exquisite stitching accents, as well as power actuation for the back seats and massage features for the front and outboard rear chairs. Thanks to the integrated air-perfuming system in climate control, the interior even smells opulent. Like many of its rivals, the S-class has a smaller trunk than you may anticipate and doesn't have a fold-down back seat to create more cargo space. We managed to cram five carry-on bags into the coupe and the sedan trunks. If you need additional cargo space, we'd advise looking at the Cadillac XTS, Volvo S90, or Lincoln Continental, all of which can be purchased with a folding rear seat and hold more carry-ons.