Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2010 Porsche Panamera VS 2010 Mercedes S Near Phoenix, AZ

The Panamera has standard child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S Class doesn’t offer child safety locks.

Both the Panamera and the S Class have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available all wheel drive.

The Panamera’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the S Class’ (10/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2009 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche second in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 6th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ surveys of the owners of three-year-old cars provide the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche 9th in reliability, above the industry average. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 17th.

On the EPA test cycle the Panamera gets better fuel mileage than the S Class:

The Panamera S4/Turbo’s standard fuel tank has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the S Class (26.4 vs. 23.8 gallons).

For better stopping power the Panamera’s brake rotors are larger than those on the S Class:

The Panamera 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 S Class doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Panamera stops much shorter than the S Class:

For better traction and acceleration, the Panamera has larger standard rear tires than the S Class (275/45R18 vs. 255/45R18). The Panamera’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the S Class (295/35R20 vs. 275/40R19).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Panamera is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the S Class.

The Panamera Turbo 4 handles at .96 G’s, while the S550 pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Road & Track skidpad test.

The Panamera Turbo 4 goes through Road & Track’s slalom 9 MPH faster than the S550 (69.1 vs. 60.1 MPH).

The Panamera S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the S550 (25.7 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Panamera’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the S Class’ (39.3 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Porsche Panamera may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 700 pounds less than the Mercedes S Class.

The Panamera is 10.9 inches shorter than the S Class, making the Panamera easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Panamera’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The S Class doesn’t offer folding rear seats.