Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2016 Audi S8 VS 2016 Mercedes S-Class Near Phoenix, AZ

Both the S8 and S-Class have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S8 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The S-Class’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The S8 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The S-Class doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S8. But it costs extra on the S-Class.

Both the S8 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 seatbelt pretensioners, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, night vision systems and lane departure warning systems.

The S8’s corrosion warranty is 8 years and unlimited miles longer than the S-Class’ (12/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

The S8’s 4.0 turbo V8 produces 169 more horsepower (605 vs. 436) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 479) than the S550e’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid. The S8’s 4.0 turbo V8 produces 156 more horsepower (605 vs. 449) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 516) than the S550’s standard 4.7 turbo V8. The S8’s 4.0 turbo V8 produces 82 more horsepower (605 vs. 523) than the S600’s standard 5.5 turbo V12.

An engine control system that can shut down half of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the S8’s fuel efficiency. The S-Class doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

For better stopping power the S8’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the S-Class:

The S8 stops much shorter than the S-Class:

For better traction, the S8 has larger standard tires than the S-Class (265/35R21 vs. 245/40R20). The S8’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the S-Class (275/35R21 vs. 255/40R20).

The S8’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the S-Class’ standard 45 series tires. The S8’s tires are lower profile than the S-Class’ optional 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S8 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the S-Class. The S-Class’ largest wheels are only 20-inches.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the S8 is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the S-Class.

The S8 handles at .90 G’s, while the S550 pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The S8 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the S550 (25.1 seconds @ .79 average G’s vs. 26.5 seconds @ .7 average G’s).

The S8 is 4.3 inches shorter than the S-Class, making the S8 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The S8 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The S-Class doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S8 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The S-Class doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S8 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The Intellichoice estimates that the S8 will retain 41.35% of its original price after five years, while the S-Class only retains 33.93% to 37.14%.