The Rolls-Royce Phantom is considered by many to be the ultimate expression of automotive opulence. But Mercedes’ Maybach S-Class is also very impressive thanks to its blend of luxury and technology. To see if the latest flagship offering from the Three Pointed Star could take on the Rolls-Royce, Throttle House compared the two back to back.
The Rolls is all about old-school luxury, which means it’s about the best materials, quality, and comfort. And it accomplishes that perfectly. Everything you touch is high quality leather, metal, or wood, with not a piece of plastic in sight.
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The ride was described as being as smooth as a kayak on a serene lake, and the steering was so light that it could be handled with one finger despite the car’s 5,644 lb (2,560 kg) curb weight. Moreover, something you’ll never find in an S-Class, even a Maybach, is the level of customization found in the Phantom, which includes things like the starry night headliner and custom art in the dash.
Moving on to the Maybach, it can best be summed up as “luxury represented by excess”. It has acres of screens, speakers that swivel out, and ambient lighting, but it also has an opulent rear seating area with reclining and massage, a fridge, and fold-out tables. And on top of that, it’s “only” about half the price of the Rolls, so even if you’d consider it as being 75 percent as good as the Phantom, it’s still a good value.
Nevertheless, the comparison largely comes down to personal preference, so to watch the full thing for yourself, you can check out Throttle House’s video below.