Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Review — The Value Ultra-Luxury Sedan

The 2026 Maybach S-Class comes in exactly two flavours, and the choice between them is more interesting than a simple power upgrade. The S 580 uses a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged mild-hybrid V8 producing 496 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, reaching 0–60mph in 4.7 seconds. The S 680 steps up to a hand-assembled 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V12 producing 621 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, marginally quicker at 4.5 seconds to 60mph despite carrying significantly more weight over the front axle.

The honest recommendation, echoed across virtually every expert assessment of this car, is that the S 580 is the better buy. It costs roughly $37,000 less than the S 680, delivers a genuinely similar rear-seat luxury experience, and offers dramatically better real-world efficiency — 16mpg city and 27mpg highway versus the V12’s 12mpg city and 20mpg highway. The S 680’s appeal is almost entirely emotional and historical: it is one of the last hand-assembled V12 engines available in any production sedan anywhere in the world, a genuine piece of automotive engineering history that will not be replicated once current emissions regulations fully phase it out. That is a legitimate reason to want one. It is not, strictly, a reason you need one.

The 2026 facelift focuses heavily on making the Maybach’s visual identity more distinct from the standard S-Class it is based on. The grille grows 20 percent larger than before, now with an illuminated surround and illuminated Maybach logo. The headlights gain new rose-gold accents, and depending on market, the C-pillar and the bonnet-mounted Mercedes star are also illuminated. The forged wheels feature a genuinely clever detail carried over from previous generations: a floating Mercedes star at the wheel centre that stays upright via a counterweight mechanism even as the wheel spins — a small but effective piece of engineering theatre that signals attention to detail before a passenger even opens the door.

Choosing the S 680 specifically adds power-opening and closing rear doors and even more leather throughout the cabin — details Mercedes reserves for the range-topping model to further differentiate it beyond the engine. Standard across both variants: 4MATIC all-wheel drive, AirMatic air suspension, and rear-axle steering for genuinely improved manoeuvrability in a car of this size. The 2026 model year also expands Mercedes’ Manufaktur Made to Measure bespoke programme, now offering various leather-free luxurious upholstery options for buyers who want the opulence without animal leather.

The one notable news item for the 2026 model year, beyond the facelift itself, is the limited S 680 Edition Emerald Isle — just 25 units earmarked for the United States. Despite the Ireland-referencing name, the edition is actually inspired by California’s Central Coast, finished in a striking two-tone Mid Ireland Green and Moonlight White paint combination, with hand-crafted details and exclusive finishes throughout. Buyers of the Emerald Isle edition also receive the full Executive Rear Seat Plus package as standard — Mercedes’ most comprehensive rear-passenger comfort specification.

The most useful way to understand the Maybach S-Class is by being honest about what it is not. Unlike the Bentley Flying Spur or the Rolls-Royce Ghost, the Maybach does not share a bespoke platform, unique bodywork or a dedicated coachbuilding tradition separate from lesser models. It is, fundamentally, the most opulent expression of the standard S-Class — stretched, cosseted, and given exclusive design details, but built on shared underpinnings rather than an entirely separate architecture. Bentley and Rolls-Royce also offer significantly deeper personalisation programmes that cater to genuinely bespoke client requests in a way Mercedes’ Manufaktur programme, while expanding, does not yet fully match.

What the Maybach offers in return is real value within a segment where the word rarely applies. At $208,400 to $245,650, it costs meaningfully less than a Flying Spur or a Phantom while delivering a rear-seat experience that, in the honest assessment of most experts who cover this segment, runs those far more expensive rivals close. For buyers who care more about the actual experience of being driven than about owning something entirely bespoke, that gap in price without a proportional gap in luxury is the Maybach’s single strongest argument.