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2025 Car Mileage with the Best Gas Mileage2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: Oozing Luxury
The 2022 S-Class continues the legacy of Mercedes’ flagship luxury car. We take a look at the powertrain, infotainment system, driver technology, and more.
What’s New for the 2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class?
It’s unlikely Karl Benz, the automotive pioneer we look back on here, could have imagined the level of opulence his company would deliver in the 2022 Mercedes S-Class. Brand-new last year, this seventh-generation flagship sedan is no cheap date.
The incredible array of cutting-edge technology, luxury, and amenities easily justifies the six-figure pricing. Updates for the 2022 model year include standard MBUX Interior Assist, which responds to occupant gestures, and the availability of E-Active Body Control, an intelligent suspension system that reads the road ahead to provide a magic carpet-like ride.
2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class – mbusa.com | Shop 2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class on Carsforsale.com
The Breakdown
Understated elegance
Dizzying array of tech
Still has a V8
Can cost as much as a small home
No semi-autonomous driving
Weak warranty
A car with few equals
2022 S-Class Specs
- 429 horsepower from base engine
- 384 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 5 available trims
- 12.9 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- Augmented reality Heads-Up Display
- 30-speaker Burmeister audio system
- Four years of roadside assistance
2023 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Powertrain
In S500 form, the 2022 Mercedes S-Class comes with a 3.0L turbocharged inline-6 that pairs with an electrified starter-generator that itself is powered by a 48-volt battery pack. The idea behind this mild hybridization is to remove belt-driven powertrain components – like the water pump – from the equation while providing gas-free on-demand power bursts. It translates to 429 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque that mates with a 9-speed automatic to spin all four wheels, which Mercedes dubs 4MATIC.
The more expensive S580 uses the same transmission, 4MATIC drivetrain, and mild hybrid approach – “EQ Boost” in Mercedes-speak – but joins it with a burly 4.0L twin-turbo V8 to generate 496 horsepower and 516 torques. Every 2022 Mercedes S-Class rides on a fully independent AIRMATIC air suspension with adaptive dampers that allows for automatic self-leveling based on load distribution and variable damping based on pre-programmed profiles.
Opting for E-Active Body Control brings a road-scanning camera that adjusts the suspension in real-time to limit body motions and even tilt the car in hard cornering. Rear-axle steering, in 4.5- and 10-degree flavors, is another option that results in tighter turning at low speed and greater stability at high speed.
All of these trick systems translate to an otherworldly ride of cushy heaven, so if sporting moves are what you’re after, check out the 2022 C-Class for its baby S-Class feel with sharper dynamics.
2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Fuel Economy & MPG
The base 2022 S500 is rated for 21 mpg in city driving and 30 mpg on the highway, which in combination with the 22-gallon gas tank equates to 660 miles of bladder testing highway range. With the big V8, the S580 is estimated to see 16/25 mpg in city/highway driving. That’s nothing great, particularly given the premium fuel requirement, but perhaps if you’re buying one, fuel costs are not top of mind.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
The truth is, you could write a book dedicated simply to the cabin of a 2022 Mercedes S-Class. The seats alone come standard with 12-way adjustment, heat, ventilation, massaging, and “Energizing Kinetics” that will automatically adjust the various air bladders within to keep your keister comfy on long highway rides. Did I mention there are 11 different leather schemes and five wood and metal design styles to choose from?
This five-passenger sedan is a celebration of bonkers luxury. There is far too much to get into here but some highlights include rear seat neck heaters, seats that massage your calves, purified cabin air with your choice of fragrance and four zones of automated tempering, illuminated belt buckles, and an executive rear throne that can recline 43 degrees. Much of this is standard including the 64-color ambient lighting that turns an S-Class cabin into the disco, whiskey bar, or yoga studio of your dreams.
The rear seats do not fold down resulting in a trunk with 13 cubic feet of volume. But who cares when that rear seat offers 44 inches of legroom, power sunshades on the side and rear glass, plus heated and massaging seatbacks. Wow. It’s hard not to gush when the layers of luxurious lunacy are this high. The interior appointments are one reason Mercedes takes the podium in this comparison with a Porsche Panamera.
2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Entertainment & Tech
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard 2022 Mercedes S-Class fare, controlled via the 12.8-inch OLED central touchscreen running MBUX infotainment software. It allows for gesture control, voice activation, and a biometric authentication capability that comes in handy when you want to load your profile with all EIGHT HUNDRED settings.
A Burmester stereo with 15 speakers is standard but for nearly $7,000, you can select the outrageous 30-speaker variant. Navigation with live traffic, a wireless charging pad, and an integrated toll booth transponder are all standard fare, as is a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster.
Safety Features
The only thing equal to the luxuries found in an S-Class is the array of advanced safety systems. They include automated emergency braking, blind spot assistance, and rear cross-traffic alert, as well as adaptive cruise control that can change lanes for you, intelligent LED headlights that adapt lighting levels based on real-time conditions, and automated parking.
Our Safety Tech explainer article goes deeper into these types of systems. Car-to-X communications can automatically alert other drivers of upcoming hazards triggered by wheelspin or activated windshield wipers, the latter of which feature heated fluid, fluid lines, and blades. There are nine standard airbags and Executive models add frontal airbags for rear occupants.
2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Entertainment & Tech
S500 Luxury – $112,150
The “base” S-Class boasts 19-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, full LED lighting, and soft-close doors with keyless access. Nappa leather wraps the cabin, including the climatized and massaging front buckets. The roster of infotainment goodies ranges from wireless phone integration and app-based vehicle control to wireless charging and navigation with live traffic.
S500 AMG – $116,450
AMG models tack on an aggressive body styling kit, gloss black accents, and exclusive staggered-width 19-inch wheels mounted in summer high-performance rubber. Like the S500 Luxury, they come with rain-sensing windshield wipers, hands-free trunk control, and dual-zone automatic climate control.
S580 Luxury – $118,750
Along with the blown V8 motor, you can outfit the S580 Luxury with packages like the $3,000 3D Technology bundle that brings a trippy 3-D digital gauge cluster, head-up display with augmented reality graphics, and facial recognition to better monitor the driver’s level of attention.
S580 AMG – $123,050
Unique to the AMG models is an available 4.5-degree rear axle steering system that moves the rear wheels in concert with the fronts at high speed for stability and in the opposite direction at low speed for a tighter turning radius. You can also select the $6,500 E-Active Body Control suspension system to enjoy uncanny handling sensations.
S580 Executive – $130,050
Dripping in luxury, the S580 Executive is geared toward that chauffer lifestyle with rear seats that are climatized and massaging, plus a power footrest and 43-degree recline on the right side. There are also heated neck pillows, seatbelt airbags, and a dedicated MBUX tablet in the center console area. Check out our latest new car incentives list before ticking every box as that will spit out an eye-watering sell price of $157,000.
Warranties
Warranty coverage is one area Mercedes comes up short. All aspects – basic vehicle, powertrain, and roadside assistance – are covered for four years or 50,000 miles. And there is zero complimentary maintenance. A plebeian Hyundai has 10 years of powertrain coverage and three years of free factory service.
What we think
2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class – mbusa.com | Shop 2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class on Carsforsale.com
There’s a reason the 2022 Mercedes S-Class is considered the standard-bearer of luxury full-size sedans, it’s simply incredible. Expensive no doubt, but absolutely stuffed with the latest and greatest innovations, creature comforts, and tech. Did I mention the high-end stereo has integrated seat resonators so occupants can literally feel the music?!
There’s so much to like here. Yes, a better warranty would be nice but if you’re in the market for a car that starts at well over $100,000, that is maybe not as much of a concern. If it were my money, I’d aim for the S580 AMG with its strong powertrain and killer good looks.
