Compare the2025 Mercedes S-ClassVS 2024 Audi A8

The rear seatbelts optional on the 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 A8 doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

The 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 A8 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The 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 A8 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The 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 A8’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 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 A8.

The 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 A8 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the S-Class and the A8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, 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.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 36 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 57 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

The S 500 4MATIC’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 107 more horsepower (442 vs. 335) and 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (413 vs. 369) than the A8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid. The S 580 4MATIC’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 161 more horsepower (496 vs. 335) and 147 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 369) than the A8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid. The S 580e 4MATIC’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 168 more horsepower (503 vs. 335) and 184 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 369) than the A8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid. The Maybach S 680 4MATIC’s standard 6.0 turbo V12 produces 286 more horsepower (621 vs. 335) and 295 lbs.-ft. more torque (664 vs. 369) than the A8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the S 580 4MATIC 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid is faster than the Audi A8:

As tested in Car and Driver the Maybach S 680 4MATIC 6.0 turbo V12 is faster than the A8 55 TFSI:

On the EPA test cycle the S 580e 4MATIC running on electricity gets better mileage than the A8 (55 city/68 hwy MPGe vs. 19 city/28 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the S-Class running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the A8:

The S 580e 4MATIC can travel with zero emissions for 47 miles. The A8 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes S-Class, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the A8.

For better stopping power the Maybach S 680 4MATIC’s brake rotors are larger than those on the A8:

The S-Class’ optional 285/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A8’s optional 35 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the S-Class can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The A8 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The 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 A8 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the A8 (126.6 inches vs. 123.2 inches). The Maybach S-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 10.5 inches longer than on the A8 (133.7 inches vs. 123.2 inches).

For better maneuverability, the S-Class Sedan w/Rear-Axle Steering’s turning circle is 6.4 feet tighter than the A8’s (35.9 feet vs. 42.3 feet).

The S-Class uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The A8 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The S-Class Sedan 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 A8.

The S-Class Sedan has a larger trunk than the A8 (12.8 vs. 12.5 cubic feet).

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the S-Class to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. Heated windshield washer fluid costs extra on the A8.

The A8’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The 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 S-Class has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The A8 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

Both the Mercedes S-Class and the Audi A8 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 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.