Compare the2022 Porsche 911VS 2021 Mercedes AMG S-Class Cabriolet

Both the 911 and the AMG S-Class Cabriolet have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, night vision systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The 911’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet’s (12 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche 15th in initial quality. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 25th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche second in reliability, above the industry average. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 15th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 11 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The 911 Turbo S’ standard 3.7 turbo 6-cylinder produces 37 more horsepower (640 vs. 603) than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet’s 4.0 turbo V8.

As tested in Car and Driver the Porsche 911 is faster than the Mercedes AMG S-Class Cabriolet (automatics tested):

As tested in Car and Driver the 911 GT3 4.0 DOHC 6-cylinder is faster than the AMG S 63 Cabriolet 5.5 turbo V8 (automatics tested):

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the 911 lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability. The AMG S-Class Cabriolet doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the 911 Cabriolet gets better mileage than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet:

The 911’s optional fuel tank has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet (23.7 vs. 21.1 gallons).

The 911 offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and fuel economy. The AMG S-Class Cabriolet doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The 911 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The AMG S-Class Cabriolet doesn’t offer an SMG.

For better traction and acceleration, the 911 has larger standard rear tires than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet (295/35R20 vs. 285/35R20). The 911 Turbo S/GT3’s rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the AMG S-Class Cabriolet (315/30R21 vs. 285/35R20).

The 911’s optional 245/35R20 front and 305/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet’s 40 series front and 35 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 911 offers optional 21-inch rear wheels. The AMG S-Class Cabriolet’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The 911 (except Base/GT3) offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The AMG S-Class Cabriolet doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For better maneuverability, the 911 GT3’s turning circle is 4.9 feet tighter than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet’s (34.1 feet vs. 39 feet). The 911’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet’s (36.8 feet vs. 39 feet).

The Porsche 911 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1050 to 1700 pounds less than the Mercedes AMG S-Class Cabriolet.

The 911 is 1 foot, 9 inches shorter than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet, making the 911 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the 911 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The AMG S-Class Cabriolet doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The 911 has .2 inches more front headroom and .5 inches more front legroom than the AMG S-Class Cabriolet.

The 911’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The AMG S-Class Cabriolet doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks Porsche first in service department satisfaction. With a 32% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 6th.

The 911 (except Manual/GT3)’s optional Active Parking Support can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote ParkAssist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The AMG S-Class Cabriolet’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The 911 is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The AMG S-Class Cabriolet doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Porsche 911 outsold the Mercedes S-Class by 251 units during 2020.