Verdict
The Lexus LS is the rational flagship here: RM662,888 less to buy, 9.5 L/100 km rated consumption against 11.7, a larger 480-litre boot and a five-year unlimited-mileage warranty. Its 415 hp, 600 Nm V6 still reaches 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds. But the Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class justifies its brief with 496 hp, 700 Nm, all-wheel drive and a 3,396-mm wheelbase that is 271 mm longer. Malaysian rear-seat buyers also get an ottoman, leg rest, rear screens and fridge. The Lexus is the sensible ownership pick; the Maybach is for a chauffeur-led cabin experience.
LS
Pick the Lexus LS if you want to save RM662,888, use five seats and keep fuel use, road tax and warranty cover on your side.
Maybach S-Class
Pick the Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class if rear-seat luxury, 496 hp performance, all-wheel drive and its 271-mm longer wheelbase matter more than the extra cost.
Key differences
- Price: Lexus LS RM1,188,000; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class RM1,850,888.
- Power and torque: Lexus LS 415 hp and 600 Nm; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class 496 hp and 700 Nm.
- Driveline and 0-100 km/h: Lexus LS rear-wheel drive and 5.0 seconds; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class all-wheel drive and 4.8 seconds.
- Rated economy: Lexus LS 9.5 L/100 km; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class 11.7 L/100 km.
- Wheelbase and seating: Lexus LS 3,125 mm and five seats; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class 3,396 mm and four seats.
- Warranty: Lexus LS five years unlimited mileage; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class two years unlimited mileage.
LS
- RM662,888 lower purchase price.
- 9.5 L/100 km rated economy and RM4,133 annual road tax.
- Five seats, 480-litre boot and five-year unlimited-mileage warranty.
- 415 hp and 600 Nm trail the Maybach's 496 hp and 700 Nm.
- Rear-wheel drive rather than all-wheel drive.
- Rear cabin lacks the Maybach's ottoman, leg rest, rear entertainment screens and fridge.
Maybach S-Class
- 496 hp, 700 Nm and all-wheel drive; 0-100 km/h takes 4.8 seconds.
- 3,396-mm wheelbase, powered rear ottoman and left-passenger leg rest.
- 12.8-inch OLED MBUX display, 11.6-inch rear screens and 15-speaker 710-watt Burmester audio.
- Costs RM662,888 more.
- Rated at 11.7 L/100 km and RM6,549 annual road tax, versus 9.5 L/100 km and RM4,133.
- Two-year unlimited-mileage warranty is three years shorter than the Lexus cover.
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM1,188,000✓ | RM1,850,888 |
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan |
| Segment | Luxury | Luxury |
| Assembly | CBU | CKD |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM4,133✓ | RM6,549 |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 24-valve DOHC, twin-turbocharged with direct fuel injection and variable valve timing | 32-valve DOHC, Twin Turbocharged with Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing and Lift |
| Capacity | 3,445 cc | 3,982 cc |
| Horsepower | 415 hp at 6,000 rpm | 496 hp at 5,500 rpm✓ |
| Torque | 600 Nm at 1,600 rpm | 700 Nm at 2,000 rpm✓ |
| Cylinder Arrangement | V 6 | V 8 |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol Hybrid/REV |
| Bore × Stroke | 85.5 mm × 100 mm | 83 mm × 92.4 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 10.476 | 10.5 |
| Number of Motors | — | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | — | 20 hp |
| Motor Torque | — | 200 Nm |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Conventional Automatic |
| Transmission Name | 10-Speed Direct Shift | 9G-TRONIC |
| Gears | 10 | 9 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | Aisin | Mercedes-Benz |
| Driveline | Rear Wheel Drive | All Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 5 seconds | 4.8 seconds✓ |
| Rated Economy | 9.5 L/100 km✓ | 11.7 L/100 km |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h | 250 km/h |
| Co2 | — | 266 g/km |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 5,235 mm | 5,469 mm |
| Width | 1,900 mm | 1,921 mm |
| Height | 1,450 mm | 1,510 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,125 mm | 3,396 mm |
| Weight | 2,155 kg | 2,290 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 82 litres | 76 litres |
| Doors | 4 | 4 |
| Seats | 5 | 4 |
| Boot Space | 480 litres✓ | 470 litres |
| Front Tyre | 245/45RF20 | 265/35R21 |
| Rear Tyre | 245/45RF20 | 265/35R21 |
| Spare Tyre | — | Tyre Repair Kit |
| Factory Tyres | — | Pirelli P-Zero MO-S |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Japan (CBU) | Malaysia (CKD) |
| Front Suspension | Multi-link with Air Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link with Air Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Front Wheels | 20" Alloy | 21" Multi-spoke 2-tone Forged Alloy |
| Rear Wheels | 20" Alloy | 21" Multi-spoke 2-tone Forged Alloy |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) | Adaptive Dampers, 48-volt Active Roll Stabilisation, Rear-wheel Steering (4.5 Degrees) |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | 10 (Driver and Passenger, Front Knee, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain, Rear Side) | 12 (Driver and Passenger, Driver Knee, Rear Passengers, Front and Rear Side, Front and Rear Curtain, Rear Left Cushion) |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbag Disable Function | — | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Manual for rear doors | Manual for Rear Doors |
| Seat Belts | 5 Three-point | 4 Three-point with Illumination, Rear Belt Bags and Rear Feeder |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available on two outer rear passenger seats | Available for Rear Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes | Yes, with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection (up to 130 km/h) and Evasive Steering Assist (up to 108 km/h) |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | For All Seats | All Seats |
| Safety Notes | Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) with Auto Brake and Rear Pedestrian Detection with Auto Brake | Pre-Safe, Pre-Safe Impulse Side, Driver Attention Monitor with Eye Tracking |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | LED Projector | Adaptive LED Projector with Matrix High Beam (Digital Light with Projection Function) |
| Taillamps | LED Combination | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Front Foglamps | ✓ | — |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | 28-way Power Adjustable Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation and Massage | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Memory, Heating and Massage Functions; Pillow Headrests; Passenger Seat Adjustment from Rear Seats |
| Rear Seats | 18-way Power Adjustable Seats with Centre Armrest, Rear Touchscreen, Heating and Ventilation | Power Adjustable Rear Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation, Massage and One-touch Recline Functions; Heated Headrests; Powered Ottoman with Massage Function; Powered Leg Rest for Left Passenger |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System with Lexus Climate Concierge | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control with Air Balance Perfume System and Ioniser |
| Rear Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System with Lexus Climate Concierge | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Sunroof | Front, Tilt and Slide | Panoramic, Front Tilt with Sunshade Gesture Opening and Closing |
| Power Sockets | 1 Front, 2 Rear | 4 Front USB-C, 4 Rear USB-C |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Rear | 2 Heated and Cooled Front, 2 Heated and Cooled Rear |
| Sun Shade | Powered Rear Sun Shade and Rear Door Window Shades | Double Sun Visors, Powered Rear Windscreen and Rear Door Window Sunshades |
| Audio | 12.3" Display with Lexus Remote Touch Controller, Navigation, USB, Bluetooth, WiFi and Pioneer 12-speaker Sound System | 12.8" OLED Touchscreen Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Augmented Reality Navigation; 11.6" Rear Entertainment Displays; 7" Rear Android Tablet; 15-speaker Burmester 3D Surround Sound System (710 Watts) |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation with Pop-out Door Handles |
| Auto Start/Stop | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Stop and Go and Speed Limit Assist |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Powered Boot with Contactless Opening | Powered with Contactless Operation |
| Parking Sensor Front | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes, with Panoramic View Camera | Yes, with 360-degree Camera |
| Auto Parking | — | Yes, Parallel and Perpendicular |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | ✓ |
| Power Door | Soft close function, all doors | Soft Close for All Doors; Power-assisted Rear Doors with Gesture-operated One-touch Closing |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Convenience Notes | — | Front and Rear MBUX Interior Assistant, Fingerprint Scanner, Front and Rear Qi Wireless Chargers, Rear Wireless Headsets, Folding Rear Tables, Rear Fridge |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 5 years✓ | 2 years |
| Warranty Extended | — | 2 years |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used LS & Maybach S-Class for sale
LS vs Maybach S-Class FAQ
Is the Lexus LS or Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class better?
The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class is better for chauffeured rear-seat luxury and performance, with 496 hp, all-wheel drive and a 3,396-mm wheelbase. The Lexus LS is the better ownership-led choice, costing RM662,888 less with lower rated fuel use and a five-year warranty.
What is the price difference?
The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class costs RM1,850,888, which is RM662,888 more than the RM1,188,000 Lexus LS.
Which has the better rear-seat accommodation?
The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class has the more lavish rear compartment: power adjustment, heating, ventilation, massage, one-touch recline, heated headrests, an ottoman and a left-side leg rest. The Lexus LS instead carries five occupants and has 18-way power rear seats with heating and ventilation.
