Compare the2023 Audi S8VS 2023 Mercedes AMG E-Class Sedan

Both the S8 and AMG E-Class Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S8 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The AMG E-Class Sedan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Audi S8 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The S8 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The S8 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the S8 helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard and even aims one of the vehicle’s headlights in the direction of the person or object. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The S8’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the AMG E-Class Sedan.

Both the S8 and the AMG E-Class Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, around view monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Audi S8 weighs 715 to 926 pounds more than the Mercedes AMG E-Class Sedan. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The S8’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the AMG E-Class Sedan’s (12 vs. 5 years).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 18 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The S8’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 134 more horsepower (563 vs. 429) and 206 lbs.-ft. more torque (590 vs. 384) than the AMG E 53’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

For better stopping power the S8’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the AMG E-Class Sedan:

The S8 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

For better traction, the S8 has larger tires than the AMG E-Class Sedan (265/35R21 vs. 245/35R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S8 has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the AMG E 53. The S8’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the AMG E 53.

The S8 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the AMG E-Class Sedan; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the AMG E-Class Sedan don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S8’s wheelbase is 7.5 inches longer than on the AMG E-Class Sedan (123.2 inches vs. 115.7 inches).

The design of the Audi S8 amounts to more than styling. The S8 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .28 Cd. That is significantly lower than the AMG E-Class Sedan (.32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the S8 get better fuel mileage.

The S8 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the S8 a Large car, while the AMG E-Class Sedan is rated a Mid-size.

The S8 has 14 cubic feet more passenger volume than the AMG E-Class Sedan (111 vs. 97).

The S8 has .8 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 8.1 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the AMG E-Class Sedan.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the S8’s available rear seats recline. The AMG E-Class Sedan’s rear seats don’t recline.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S8 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the S8 has standard extendable sun visors. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The S8 has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The AMG E-Class Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The S8 has standard massaging front seats. Massaging front seats cost extra on the AMG E-Class Sedan. The S8 also offers optional massaging rear seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging rear seats aren’t available in the AMG E-Class Sedan.

The S8’s optional Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The AMG E-Class Sedan’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.