2023 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Reviews, Pricing & Specs

This current seventh generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class debuted in 2021 and it’s been going strong with S 500, S 580, Maybach S 580 and Maybach S 680 trims. The company delved into electrification in 2023 for its luxury sedan, and for this review our tester is the new S 580e with a plug-in hybrid powertrain and 4Matic all-wheel drive (AWD).

The standard full-size S-class exudes nothing but calm sophistication with its clean lines and sculpted front end. However, our tester goes further with the plenty of optional high-gloss black trim, 20-inch AMG wheels, and AMG-style front and rear bumpers and side skirts. It’s still far from a sporty-looking ride, but the options make it a bit less staid than the standard models.

The real story is on the inside. Choose from eight different colors of sumptuous leather upholstery, including the sublime Carmine Red, and five different trim materials. Our tester wore the Sienna Brown and Black leather—for an extra $3,110, naturally. There is a panoramic sunroof, and of course the fit and finish here is superb. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the ridiculously soft head rests. It’s rough for the driver who wants to stay awake, but the passenger will be able to take some epic cat naps.

The S 580e pairs a 3.0–liter turbocharged inline-six cylinder engine with a 28.6-kWh battery and an electric motor. You can get 56 miles of all-electric range out of the battery, then replace those electrons at 11 kW which is pretty speedy for home charging. We charged the car three times on our home charger, once filling the battery to capacity in about two hours and 20 minutes at a cost of $8.93. We charged in California where energy rates can be extravagant, so your cost will vary.

If you want to get going quicker, the S 580e can also be had with DC fast charging to the tune of 60 kW.

The EPA gives the S 580e PHEV an MPGe of 51 combined, but during our time we beat the game with 53.9 mpg. We drove nearly 400 miles total and 223 of those were done without burning any gasoline.

When the gas engine inevitably kicks in, the result is 510 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, managed by a nine-speed automatic transmission. You can scoot this PHEV from a stand-still to 62 mph in about 4.4 seconds. If you’re keeping track, that’s quicker than the other S-Class model, the S 500, and it matches the S 580 with its twin-turbo V8. Isn’t electrification great? But the new S-Class PHEV isn’t exactly a sports car. If you want that, go look at a Mercedes-AMG.

Sure, there is a Sport mode, but you’ll want to keep it in Comfort mode to revel in the luxury of the buttery soft air suspension, which floats over broken pavement and soaks up potholes and speed bumps like they don’t even exist. Rear-wheel steering can move our tester’s wheels up to 4.5 degrees, so even though the S-class has a long 126.6-inch wheelbase, it turns like a much smaller vehicle. There is also an option for 10-degree rear-wheel steering for super-tight u-turns.

When driven in Hybrid mode, there is no jitteriness as the car smoothly transitions between pure electric at lower speeds and the gas motor with electric assist should the driver’s right foot demand it. The nine-speed automatic transmission works in the background for the most part, offering up seamless gear shifts so as not to break up the cloud-like ride. However, at times there is a slight jerk when the car downshifts into first gear at lights. A small flaw in an otherwise excellent powertrain.

Drivers can dial in their preferred amount of brake regeneration and can opt for a creep function to keep the car from coming to a full stop with regen. However, it’s easy to turn off if you prefer a one-pedal driving experience.

The Benz is chock-full of standard features—and at this price it better be. Massaging seats? Check. Oh, you want them heated? You got it—front seats and rear seats. Heck, you’ve even got a heated steering wheel and armrests. What’s that you say? Now you’re hot? Don’t worry, those seats are ventilated too. The only thing our tester was missing is a heated and cooled cupholder, though you can add it to the build sheet if you’d like.

Keeping things cool inside are power sunshades on the rear and side-rear windows, and the doors are soft-closing, so as not to disturb delicate sensibilities. Mercedes does an excellent job with ambient lighting, offering up 64 colors that can be programmed for a fun light show should you so desire. Luxury car, indeed.

During our test drive, the car decided we needed to experience the Energizing Comfort wellness program. This combines the interior lighting, massage, audio, fragrance and climate controls in a short exercise meant to boost your mood and brighten your spirit. In truth, we felt neither happier nor energized, but we were definitely surprised.

There are plenty of small cubbies inside for smaller storage and the center arm rest offers up plenty of space. However, at only 8.1 cubic feet, the cargo space in the trunk is definitely on the wee side. The standard S-Class sits much better at 12.9 cubes, but if you really want space, look at the Porsche Panamera plug-in hybrid with its hatchback lift gate. That nets just over 14 cubic feet of space.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz S-Class gets a reconfigurable 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster but the star is the 12.8-in OLED touchscreen center display. Here, you’ll find the latest edition of the MBUX infotainment system, where the home screen is the big ol’ map. Different tiles can be overlaid on the map, or drivers can tap the home button twice to get them all laid out on a black background. If you find yourself bored at a charging station the system has a variety of games to pass the time, including soduko.

The Mercedes natural-language AI assistant is pretty good, turning up the air conditioning if we said we were hot. Heck, she even told us a funny joke. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both here, but Mercedes is one of the rare manufacturers that has a native navigation system we are happy to use, thanks in part to its augmented reality. If you’re searching for a particular house or not sure which fork in the road to take, just look to the screen to find a convenient numerical address or arrow overlaid on a video from the forward-facing camera. This augmented reality even carries over to the optional large color head-up display.

However, the company takes this a bit too far with its stoplight view, which will automatically turn on that forward facing camera to give the driver a video of the intersection ahead. A view one can get by just, you know, looking up.

Wireless charging is here as is a smattering of USB ports. However, they are all the smaller USB-C outlets, so buy your cords accordingly. Audiophiles will enjoy the standard Burmester sound system.

If you’re looking for all the ADAS safety features you can shake a stick at, go pick a big one because the S-Class has it all. All the usual suspects are here like lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and rear cross-traffic alert. However, the Benz kicks it up a notch with its hands-on highway driver-assist system. Here, the car will use adaptive cruise control to stay at a set distance behind a lead car and keep itself centered in its lane. To change lanes, simply signal. The car will proceed on its own when it is safe to do so.

Another feature not found on many sedans is the Crosswind Assist that can keep the car straight when the wind, either natural or from a passing truck, approaches from the side. We also appreciate the Speed Limit Assist, which reads traffic signs and adjusts a pre-set cruising speed accordingly. No speeding tickets in this car!

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 580e and other S-class variants have not yet been rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 580e Plug-In Hybrid starts at an MSRP of $123,700 including a $1,150 destination fee, but our tester with the rear-axle steering, high-speed charging, upgraded wheels and a few optional packages comes in at nearly $140,000 (including $1,150 for destination).

Don’t expect any federal tax incentive to bring that price down. As of this writing, electric or plug-in hybrid cars priced over $55,000 are not eligible for that coveted $7,500 credit on your federal return. You may be able to get an incentive from your state or local governments, however. Be sure to talk to your financial advisor before making a purchase.

However, the S 580e is eligible for a carpool-lane sticker in California and other states, so even if you’re driving solo, you’ll be able to get in that left lane and breeze by the single-occupancy gas-powered vehicles.

However, you’ll have to be sure to keep your S 580e charged up to see any real fuel-economy benefits. When the juice runs out, you’ll get the same EPA fuel economy of 23 miles per gallon combined as the S 500 which has the same 3.0-liter engine under the hood, just minus the battery and electric motor. But at least it does better than the 19 mpg combined delivered by the standard S 580 with its V8 engine.

And the overall driving range isn’t that great either. The S 500 4Matic can go 508 miles on 22.1 gallons of fuel. The S 580e can only eke out 470 miles of total range with a full battery and a topped off fuel tank of 17.7 gallons.

There aren’t too many PHEVs at this six-figure price point, but if you have the means you should also look at the Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid. It’s available with either 455 or 552 horsepower. However, you won’t get the same kind of all-electric range from the sporty sedan as you do in the Benz.

Don’t look to the rest of the Germans to provide any kind of competition. The Audi A8 isn’t electrified and neither is the BMW 7 series. You could get a BMW 530e plug-in hybrid, but it’s smaller than the S-Class without the same level of luxury features.

You could drop $70,000 or so on the Volvo S90 Recharge with 38 miles of all-electric range, or spend $100,000 more—what’s a few zeros anyways—and snag yourself the Bentley Flying Spur with 21 miles of electric range.

You’ll get a four-year/50,000 mile limited warranty on the Mercedes S-Class as well as a six-year/60,000-mile limited warranty on the hybrid battery, despite an upcoming federal mandate that battery warranties be at least eight years and 100,000 miles. In California, the battery must be warrantied for 10 years and 150,000 miles.

We like the 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 580e for its excellent powertrain and sumptuous luxury features, but it’s got a sky-high price tag to match. The all-electric range is very high, but its overall fuel economy and range are both a bit disappointing.