Compare the2024 Mercedes AMG S-ClassVS 2024 Audi S8

The rear seatbelts optional on the AMG S-Class inflate when a collision is detected, helping to spread crash forces over a much larger area of the body and limiting head and neck movement. This can help prevent spinal and internal injuries. The S8 doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

The AMG S-Class’ standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The S8 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The AMG S-Class has a standard Maneuvering Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The S8 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The AMG S-Class has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the S8’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the AMG S-Class has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Brake automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the S8.

The AMG S-Class’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The S8 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the AMG S-Class and the S8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes AMG S-Class weighs 594 pounds more than the Audi S8. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

There are over 25 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the AMG S-Class’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 20 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 37 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

The AMG S-Class’ 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 228 more horsepower (791 vs. 563) and 465 lbs.-ft. more torque (1055 vs. 590) than the S8’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid.

A nine-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Mercedes AMG S-Class, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the S8.

The AMG S-Class 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 S8 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The AMG S-Class’ launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The S8 doesn’t offer launch control.

For better traction and acceleration, the AMG S-Class has larger rear tires than the S8 (285/40R20 vs. 265/35R21).

The AMG S-Class has 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 S8 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The AMG S-Class offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Audi doesn’t offer an active suspension on the S8.

The AMG S-Class’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The S8 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the AMG S-Class’ wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the S8 (126.6 inches vs. 123.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the AMG S-Class is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the S8.

The AMG S-Class has 3.8 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the S8.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the AMG S-Class to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The S8 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its standard heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

The S8’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The AMG S-Class’ standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the AMG S-Class has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The S8 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

Both the Mercedes AMG S-Class and the Audi S8 have a standard Qi wireless phone charging system in the front seat. To easily keep personal devices charged in the rear seat, without cables tangling and wearing out, the AMG S-Class also offers an optional wireless charging system.

The Mercedes S-Class outsold the Audi A8/S8 by almost six to one during 2023.