The Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Bentley Flying Spur are the height of glamor when it comes to ultra-luxury sedans. They come with bits and pieces that cost as much as your home's insurance premium - that said, you have to be ultra-rich to own one of these bad boys. But how do they compare against each other? Mat Watson of CarWow put these two glamor boys against each other to determine which of the two is the ultimate luxurious limousine.
One thing sets the Bentley apart from the S-Class, and it's not just the price, but its ultra-luxurious driving experience and commanding road presence. It doesn't come cheap. The Flying Spur starts at £163,000 in the UK, but Watson's test unit costs a whopping £220,000 after options (that's a thousand lifetimes' worth of cheerios).
It's athletic alright, and comes packing a W12 engine pumping out 626 HP. Don't make fun of this chunky kid at the playfield. It can quickly show it's bulky behind to top-tier sports cars doing the 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 3.5 seconds.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a dominant contender in the luxurious limousine segment. It's a sort of gold standard for big luxury sedans and boasts cutting-edge tech and comfort standards.
The S-Class in S 500 guise doesn't come cheap either. It's twice as cheap as the Bentley with a starting price of £82,000 and up to £110,000 with options in the UK.
Does that mean it's half the fun? Well, not exactly. The S 500 comes with a 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine pushing 435 HP paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission and 4Matic all-wheel-drive. Other variations include a 3-liter straight-six diesel, a 3-liter straight-six gasoline plug-in hybrid, a 4-liter V8 and a 6-liter V12.
The key selling points of these cars are how they look and what they mean. The S-Class is striking but with low-key elements. It comes with a timeless design, elegant curvy exterior, lots of chrome, and sophistication. On the other hand, the Bentley stands out like a sore thumb. Its front end looks like it crashed into a jewelry shop. It's also got some muscle genes, classy interior, muscular arches, and sports alloy wheels.
Bentley claims the Flying Spur can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Watson did it in 3.7 seconds and the quarter-mile in 11.93-seconds. In the S-Class, Watson does the 0-60 mph acceleration in 5.07-seconds, 0.1-seconds over the claim, and completes a quarter-mile in 13.48-seconds.
So, does Bentley's price justify its goodness over the S-Class? Watson doesn't think so. He feels the Mercedes is for people looking for low-key sophistication, while the Bentley is a show stopper.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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