Should You Buy a Porsche Panamera or an S-Class? (5 Important Factors)

This blog will compare the Porsche Panamera and Mercedes Benz S class and answer the following questions: which is the best car out of the two? What are the different models of Porsche Panamera? 

What are the different models of Mercedes Benz S Class? 

Porsche Panamera vs Mercedes S Class- Which is the best car?

The following table contains the technical specification of the Porsche Panamera and Mercedes Benz S Class, let’s take a look at each of the specifications to find out the best car:

Let’s take an in-depth look at the each of the technical specification:

Price

The base price of the 2022 Porsche Panamera starts at $88,400, there are several trim options available in the Panamera. Porsche also renewed the Panamera for the 2022 year with new features as standard and the 2021 model already improved on the exterior styling and the hybrid battery pack was also upgraded. The top-of-the-line Panamera can cost $190,000 in the Turbo S E-hybrid trim.

The base price of the 2022 S Class is $111,100. Mercedes Benz introduced the seventh generation of the S class in 2020 and there are not any significant design changes as the product is still fresh in its life cycle. Mercedes Benz also allows exclusive Design packages in the S class, Customers can customize various aspects of cars but the price also goes up with each customization.

Mercedes Benz is also the only manufacturer to offer a V12 engine option in a 4-door luxury sedan. The S 680 Maybach can easily cost more than $200,000 depending on the design packages and the S 580 Maybach costs $185,000. Mercedes S class Maybach is an extended version of the standard model that offers more luxury and new features as standard.

Engine

Porsche offers a twin-turbocharged V6 engine in the Panamera, Panamera 4, and the Panamera 4 S E -Hybrid. The E- hybrid further increases the engine power output with the help of an electric motor assisting the internal combustion engine.

The 2.9 L’V6 engine produces 325-434 bhp and the E-hybrid electric motor can generate an additional 134 bhp pushing the total power output to 552 bhp and 750 Nm of torque. The Panamera GTS, Turbo S, and Turbo S E- hybrid are all powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine. 

The 4.0 Liter V8 engine produces 473-621 bhp on its own. In the Panamera Turbo S E-hybrid, the combined power output of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor is 690 bhp and 870 Nm of torque.

The Mercedes Benz S Class is powered by inline 6 petrol and diesel engines. The Panamera misses out on diesel engine options. Mercedes Benz diesel engine models have OM 656 under the hood that makes 282-326 bhp. The petrol S class models powered by the M256 make 362-429 bhp depending on the model.

Another petrol engine available in the Mercedes Benz S Class is the M176 V6 and M279 V12 engines. The power output of the M176 is 496 bhp and the V12 makes 603-621 bhp. The M256 and M176 engines have EQ boost technology.

The EQ boost technology features an integrated starter and alternator which can produce an additional power output of 21 bhp and 180 Nm of torque. The motor also assists the engine in between the gear changes. M256 is a truly beltless engine as all the ancillary components are powered by the 48 V hybrid system.

Transmission

The Porsche Panamera has one transmission option across its models. The V6 and V8 engine is paired with the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. It is very responsive and the gear changes are quick, one clutch operates odd gears and another clutch operates the even number of gears. So next gear is already pre-selected based on the engine speed.

The Mercedes Benz S Class on the other hand uses a 9G-Tronic automatic. It has a torque converter between the engine and the transmission instead of a clutch. It is the most advanced transmission used in Mercedes Benz cars, there are dedicated solenoids for each gear and the transmission can skip a gear while upshifting or downshifting for maximum torque.

Skipping gear is not possible in the Porsche Panamera, as it is a sequential transmission. There is no planetary gearbox in DCT instead it uses conventional gears on a hollowed shaft to achieve different gear ratios.

Wheelbase 

Both the S Class and the Porsche Panamera are available in standard as well as extended wheelbase. The wheelbase of the Porsche Panamera is 3100mm for the long wheelbase model. Panamera only comes with a single long wheelbase model.

The Mercedes Benz S Class has two long-wheelbase models. The V223 S class has a wheelbase of 3216mm while the extended Z223 has a wheelbase of 3396mm. The Z223 is only available in the Mercedes Benz Maybach. However, a rear axle steering system reduces the turning radius of the S class and makes it easier to maneuver.

Hybrid 

Plug-in Hybrid models are also present in Porsche Panamera as well as Mercedes Benz S Class. The Porsche Panamera uses the Audi E-tron 14.1kWh lithium ion. It has a range of up to 31 miles or 50 km and it can take 6 hours to charge the battery pack at 220V.

The Mercedes S class comes in mild as well as plug-in hybrid technologies. The battery pack capacity is 29 kWh which gives the S Class a range of 62 miles or 100 km. The vehicle cannot be driven only in the electric mode in the mild hybrid model.

What are the different models of Porsche Panamera?

The different models in the Porsche Panamera are given in the table below:

What are the different models in the Mercedes Benz S class?

The Different models in the S Class model series are given in the table below:

All the models in the S class have 4 Matic drive systems, the only exception is the S 350d and the S 580e. The suspension is Airmatic and the S680 comes with a GUARD model which offers ballistic protections to the occupants.

Conclusion 

This blog compared the various technical specifications of the Porsche Panamera and the Mercedes Benz S Class. The Mercedes Benz is the best car, there are more models available to choose from, and the wheelbase is also longer than the Panamera.