Compare the2024 Mercedes AMG S-ClassVS 2024 BMW M8

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes AMG S-Class have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW M8 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes AMG S-Class are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW M8 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 M8 doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The AMG S-Class has Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The M8 doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

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 M8’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. BMW charges extra for Cross Traffic Warning on the M8 and the M8’s Cross Traffic Warning does not include automatic braking.

Both the AMG S-Class and the M8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The Mercedes AMG S-Class weighs 1160 to 1425 pounds more than the BMW M8. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

There are over 10 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the AMG S-Class’ warranty.

The AMG S-Class’ 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 174 more horsepower (791 vs. 617) and 502 lbs.-ft. more torque (1055 vs. 553) than the M8’s 4.4 turbo V8.

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 M8.

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 M8 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the AMG S-Class offers optional 21-inch wheels. The M8’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

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 M8 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the AMG S-Class uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the M8, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The AMG S-Class offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. BMW doesn’t offer an active suspension on the M8.

The AMG S-Class has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The AMG S-Class’ height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The M8 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

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 M8 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the AMG S-Class’ wheelbase is 15.3 inches longer than on the M8 Gran Coupe (126.6 inches vs. 111.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the AMG S-Class is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the M8.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the AMG S-Class a Large car, while the M8 Gran Coupe is rated a Mid-size.

The AMG S-Class has 12 cubic feet more passenger volume than the M8 Gran Coupe (112 vs. 100).

The AMG S-Class has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear headroom, 7.2 inches more rear legroom and 4.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the M8 Gran Coupe.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the AMG S-Class’ available rear seats recline. The M8’s rear seats don’t recline.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the M8, the AMG S-Class has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

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 M8 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

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 M8 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The AMG S-Class 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 M8 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The AMG S-Class has standard massaging front and optional massaging rear seats. Massaging seats aren’t available in the M8.

Both the Mercedes AMG S-Class and the BMW M8 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 AMG S-Class has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The M8 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The AMG S-Class’ Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The M8’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The Mercedes S-Class outsold the BMW 8 Series by over two to one during 2023.