√2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L review
A 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L is all the luxury motoring you could ever want. It surely has a claim to being one of the best cars in the world.
2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L
As the flagship sedan of the Mercedes-Benz passenger car range, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L represents the best the brand has to offer before stepping up to the top-shelf Mercedes-Maybach range.
It might seem unobtanium to some, but the S-Class actually showcases the future technologies set to trickle down into the rest of the range in years to come.
How much does the Mercedes-Benz S580L cost in Australia?
I’ll get the bad news out of the way first – the 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L is expensive. Around $334,291-type expensive. That places it in the upper echelons against alternatives such as the Range Rover Autobiography and BMW 7 Series, and nips at the heels of even more expensive rivals such as a Bentley Flying Spur, or something sportier like a Porsche Panamera GTS.
But the S-Class doesn’t come to the fight empty-handed. In addition to a host of luxurious materials befitting of a flagship product, the S580L comes jam-packed with just about all you could want in the way of features and amenity.
As well as stocking lower variants’ bits such as a 12.8 portrait-mounted OLED touchscreen, 12.3-inch three-dimensional digital instrument cluster, air suspension, wireless phone charging, 15-speaker Burmester sound system, heated/ventilated front seats, climate control, and power-closing doors, the S580L adds nappa leather upholstery, digital LED headlights, air-chamber front seats with massage, and augmented-reality head-up display.
Not to mention it also gets a more powerful twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine, which is bolstered by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Outputs totalling 370kW/700Nm are sent through a nine-speed transmission to all four wheels.
It’s a lot to get your head around, so let’s dive into how it fared over a week-long test.
| Key details | 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L |
| Price | $334,291 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Emerald Green metallic |
| Options | 21-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels – $2000 AMG Line – $10,300 E-Active Body Control – $16,900 |
| Price as tested | $363,491 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | POA |
| Rivals | Ranger Rover Autobiography | BMW 7 Series | Porsche Panamera |
How much space does the Mercedes-Benz S580L have inside?
It’s hard to convey in words just how incredible the S580L’s interior is – especially in our tester’s gorgeous green-over-tan colour combination – but I’ll try.
Not only is the space positively enormous – in both front and rear rows – it’s also adorned in sumptuous materials that simply feel great. The quilted nappa leather is soft to the touch, smells amazing, and the seats themselves are plush. It’s almost comfortable enough that you start thinking of ways to go on extended road trips. However, our car is 2500km old and the upholstery is already beginning to catch blue jean transfer.
Front-row occupants score a massage seating function that isn’t simply a gimmick, there are 10 separate massages to choose from – Activating Massage is a favourite of mine. In addition, the air-chamber seat bolstering is a neat feature that inflates as you round corners to hold you in your seat. In all honesty, that trick probably is a gimmick, but it’s nice to have a car give you a little hug from time to time.
The seats are stupidly customisable – they adjust in the thigh support, where seat heating goes, shoulder support, seat bolstering, and it can even automatically adjust to your height.
Space in the front row is commodious and everything falls neatly to hand. With the help of the sunroof and multi-mode ambient lighting, the cabin is illuminated beautifully whether in the daytime or night.
To mention a few useability points, I was particularly fond of the wide-opening door aperture at the rear, which made it a breeze to jump in and out of the cabin. It might be a low-slung sedan but ease of use remains high.
A minor detractor from the otherwise easy experience is the way the flush doorhandles operate. While they look great with chrome highlights all tucked away inside the bodywork as the car sits locked, it proves annoying when you have to pick someone up in a hurry. They also draw themselves in randomly, which could be when you’re just about to use them.
Moving to the second row, the S-Class experience is similarly impressive. The seats have full controls much like the front pews and there’s a large expanse for passengers to lounge about in. It’s an absurdly opulent space with woodgrain trim and silver detailing.
I was surprised to not find window blinds on the side windows, no seat heating, no seat massage, nor screens at the rear. This is a long-wheelbase specification, but a trip through the options list can – of course – remedy these shortcomings.
Storage space is good throughout the entire cabin with a neat hide-away hole behind the infotainment screen, a deep double-door centre console bin, and wireless phone charger. Though, the latter is difficult to stick your hand in to retrieve your phone. There are four USB-C ports in the front row and four USB-C in the rear.
The boot contains 535L of space, which is curiously less than its lesser specification, the S450L.
| 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 535L seats up |
| Length | 5290mm |
| Width | 1921mm |
| Height | 1503mm |
| Wheelbase | 3216mm |
Does the Mercedes-Benz S580L have Apple CarPlay?
If the MBUX infotainment system made its Australian debut in 2019 to rave reviews, the iteration inside the S-Class is its ultimate form. On initial look it feels like a lot to master, but navigation between menu systems is particularly intuitive and simple (thanks to a quick-responding touchscreen), while all displays are high-definition and present beautifully.
It’s paired with a 15-speaker Burmester sound system that plays your tunes as though you’re right there with the band. It’s a system you can really feel, with a booming bass and extremely clear top end. I’m no audio engineer, but I was a huge fan of the sound system.
The infotainment incorporates a neat three-dimensional augmented-reality navigation function, whereby directional arrows pop up on the head-up display. Not only is it a cool feature to look at, but it also makes it clear which way you’re meant to head. Add to this, the digital instrument cluster has a 3D effect that just looks plain cool.
You also have the ‘Hey Mercedes’ functionality, which is easy to use, to call up things like navigation or radio settings.
The 12.8-inch infotainment screen can display Apple CarPlay or Android Auto if you want, but I was more than happy sampling the native system. Unfortunately, with all that screen real estate, the display picks up a lot of fingerprint marks that tended to irk me after a week with the car.
Is the Mercedes-Benz S580L a safe car?
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has not been tested by the Australian New Car Assessment Program. However, as the flagship product of the Mercedes-Benz range, the S-Class is equipped with a host of active and technical safety measures that will be discussed in the following section.
| 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L | |
| ANCAP rating | Untested |
What safety technology does the Mercedes-Benz S580L have?
In terms of active safety kit, the S580L comes well specified. Standard fare includes autonomous emergency braking (low- and high-speed), blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control (with stop-and-go assist), active lane-change assist, traffic sign recognition, and 360-degree camera.
Adding to the host of active safety tech are 12 airbags in the long-wheelbase version.
The S580L also includes Mercedes’s Pre-Safe collision preparation technology that, if the car detects a crash, will prime things like the seatbelts, repositioning of the front seat, inflate the seat bolsters, close the sunroof, and shut the windows.
In my experience, the tech operates well and genuinely makes you feel safe by tucking you in tight, should something brake suddenly ahead of you.
How much does the Mercedes-Benz S580L cost to maintain?
It’s hard to construe a $334,291 (before ORCs) car as good value, but then again most buyers aren’t shopping on value at this price point. They’ll know what they want, whether it’s this car or the alternatives mentioned earlier in this review, and won’t be deterred on price.
That said, the Mercedes-Benz S450L might stock a smaller engine and less kit, but at $264,900 (before ORCs) it’s far more affordable and still presents as an incredible car.
In any case, the S580L is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. For the entire five years the car is warranted, you’ll also get roadside assistance. Additional roadside assistance can be purchased beyond as needed.
Mercedes suggests services take place every 25,000km or 12 months (whichever is first). A three-year coverage package costs $3200, whereas five years’ worth costs $6200.
| At a glance | 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L |
| Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 25,000km |
| Servicing costs | $3200 (3 years) $6200 (5 years) |
Is the Mercedes-Benz S580L fuel-efficient?
According to Mercedes-Benz, the S580L returns a combined fuel consumption of 10.5 litres per 100km. It seems wishful thinking because we could only record a 12.7L/100km combined rating throughout a week’s testing. Not bad for a twin-turbo V8, but still very expensive considering the car only takes 98-octane fuel.
The Mercedes-Benz S580L has a 76L fuel tank.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 10.5L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 12.7L/100km |
| Fuel type | 98-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 76L |
What is the Mercedes-Benz S580L like to drive?
The overarching experience of driving a Mercedes-Benz S-Class is one of extreme comfort and refinement. Even with a great, big twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine under the bonnet, you wouldn’t know it unless the spec sheet said so.
Together with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, the powertrain produces 370kW/700Nm, which is sent to all four wheels. Prod the start button in the morning and you often do a double-take to check whether the engine is, in fact, on. It subtly comes to life without noise and vibration, which continues as you start driving the car.
It’s not until you really put your foot down in the higher rev range that the engine starts to make itself known. At any rate, despite its 2216kg kerb weight, the S580L can seriously move. Pirelli P Zero tyres put the power down to the road faithfully in all conditions, with the resulting waft of acceleration sure to press you back into the soft leather seats.
The nine-speed transmission reacts well to inputs and makes sudden overtakes (or changes in speed) achievable with little effort. Colleagues have complained it can shunt about in traffic; however, I wasn’t able to reproduce the same phenomenon. According to Mercedes-Benz, the S580L will run from zero to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds. We didn’t get the chance to verify that claim while the car was on test, but there’s no discounting that the car is rapid.
With that said, no-one buys an S-Class looking to go fast. It’s why the disconnected steering feel and the car’s floaty body control around bends won’t faze intending buyers.
They’re far more interested in the level of ride comfort, which is mesmerising. The way the E-Active Body Control system can scan the road ahead for imperfections, then prime the suspension appropriately, is genuinely amazing. It results in the car barely translating things like speed humps through to the cabin, even at speeds exceeding 40km/h.
Road noise and vibrations are similarly subdued. Even at freeway speeds, the S580L wafts on like nothing else. The adaptive cruise-control system with steering assist is very obedient to lane markings, and can even change lanes itself after you manually indicate.
It’s as serene an experience as driving gets, and nails the brief expected by Mercedes and its customers.
| Key details | 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580L |
| Engine | 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8, 48-volt mild hybrid |
| Power | 370kW @ 5500rpm |
| Torque | 700Nm @ 2000–4000rpm |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Nine-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 167kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2216kg |
| Spare tyre type | Tyre repair kit |
| Turning circle | 12.8m |
Should I buy a Mercedes-Benz S580L?
The Mercedes-Benz S580L is one of the ultimate iterations of one of the best cars on sale. It serves a specific purpose for a small number of well-heeled buyers, but for the lucky few to sit behind the wheel – and in the back seat – the S-Class is about as accomplished as cars get.
It’s supremely spacious, impressively appointed with high-end finishes, stocks a stonking great V8 powertrain, and is one of the best-riding cars on the market. It is also equipped with some of the best technology available inside a car.
That last point is particularly salient for the rest of the Mercedes-Benz range, as these features will (hopefully) trickle their way down to the rest of the line-up in years to come. If the S580L is anything to go by, Mercedes-Benz buyers face a promising future.
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