Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2014 Porsche Panamera VS 2014 Mercedes S-Class Near Scottsdale, AZ

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

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 rated the Panamera third among large premium cars in their 2013 Initial Quality Study. The S-Class isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 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 first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 11th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche second in reliability, above the industry average. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked fifth.

As tested in Motor Trend the Panamera Turbo is faster than the S550:

On the EPA test cycle the Panamera S E-Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the S550 RWD (23 city/29 hwy vs. 17 city/25 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the Panamera Turbo gets better fuel mileage than the S63 (15 city/24 hwy vs. 15 city/23 hwy).

The Panamera S E-Hybrid can drive on battery power alone for up to 22 miles. The S-Class must run its internal combustion engine to move.

Regenerative brakes improve the Panamera’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The S-Class doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Panamera S4/GTS/Turbo’s standard fuel tank has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the S-Class (26.4 vs. 21.9 gallons).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Panamera is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the S-Class.

The Panamera Turbo 4 handles at 1.03 G’s, while the S550 pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Panamera Turbo 4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.8 seconds quicker than the S550 (23.7 seconds @ .87 average G’s vs. 26.5 seconds @ .7 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Panamera S E-Hybrid’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the S-Class’ (39 feet vs. 40 feet). 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 200 to 850 pounds less than the Mercedes S-Class.

The Panamera is 9.1 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.

The Panamera offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The S-Class doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Panamera’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge – which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The S-Class does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Panamera and the S-Class have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Panamera is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The S-Class prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Panamera offers an optional rear wiper. The S-Class doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Panamera has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The S-Class doesn’t offer headlight washers.