Lexus LC vs Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class
Verdict
The Lexus LC is the emotional two-door here: 4 seats, rear-wheel drive, a 4,969 cc petrol engine and a 4.4-second 0-100 km/h time. The Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class is the bigger, harder-hitting luxury sedan, with 5 seats, all-wheel drive, 603 hp, 900 Nm and a 3.3-second sprint. It also brings plug-in hybrid hardware, a 13.1 kWh battery and 31 km of electric range. But the LC has the longer 5-year warranty and a stated 8.6 L/100 km fuel figure.
LC
Pick the Lexus LC if you want a rear-wheel-drive luxury coupe with a V8-sized 4,969 cc petrol engine, lower purchase price and 5-year warranty.
AMG S-Class
Pick the Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class if you need four-door space, far stronger outputs and plug-in hybrid electric running.
Key differences
- Price: Lexus LC RM 1,379,000; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class RM 2,238,888
- Power and torque: Lexus LC 470 hp/540 Nm; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 603 hp/900 Nm
- 0-100 km/h and top speed: Lexus LC 4.4 s/270 km/h; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 3.3 s/290 km/h
- Seats and boot space: Lexus LC 4 seats/197 L; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 5 seats/350 L
- Drivetrain: Lexus LC rear-wheel drive; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class all-wheel drive
- Warranty and road tax: Lexus LC 5 years/RM 10,991; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 4 years/RM 6,549
LC
- Lower purchase price by RM859,888
- Rear-wheel-drive coupe layout
- Longer 5-year warranty
- Only 4 seats and 197 L boot
- Slower 4.4-second 0-100 km/h time
- Higher RM10,991 annual road tax
AMG S-Class
- Much stronger 603 hp and 900 Nm outputs
- Quicker 3.3-second 0-100 km/h time
- 5 seats, 350 L boot and 31 km EV range
- Costs RM859,888 more
- Shorter 4-year warranty
- No stated fuel economy or CO₂ figure
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM 1,379,000✓ | RM 2,238,888 |
| Body type | Coupe | Sedan |
| Segment | Luxury | Luxury |
| Assembly | CBU | CBU |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 32-valve DOHC, direct fuel injection, naturally-aspirated, Otto/Atkinson Cycle with variable valve timing | 32-valve DOHC, direct fuel injection, twin-turbo with variable valve timing and PHEV assistance |
| Capacity | 4,969 cc | 3,982 cc |
| Horsepower | 470 hp | 603 hp✓ |
| Torque | 540 Nm | 900 Nm✓ |
| Cylinder Arrangement | V | V |
| Timing Type | — | Chain |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol Plug-in Hybrid |
| Bore | 94 mm | 83 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 12.3 | — |
| Number of Motors | — | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | — | 188 hp |
| Motor Torque | — | 320 Nm |
| Battery Type | — | Lithium-ion |
| Battery Capacity | — | 13.1 kWh |
| EV Range | — | 31 km |
| Charger Type (AC) | — | Type 2 |
| Charging Rate (AC) | — | 3.7 kW |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Dual-clutch Automatic (Wet) |
| Transmission Name | Direct Shift | AMG Speedshift MCT 9G |
| Gears | 10 | 9 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | Aisin | Mercedes-Benz |
| Driveline | Rear Wheel Drive | All Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 4.4 seconds | 3.3 seconds✓ |
| Rated Economy | 8.6 L/100 km | — |
| Top Speed | 270 km/h | 290 km/h✓ |
| Co2 | 267 g/km | — |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,770 mm | 5,289 mm |
| Width | 1,920 mm | 1,954 mm |
| Height | 1,345 mm | 1,503 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,870 mm | 3,216 mm |
| Weight | 1,965 kg | 2,385 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 82 litres | 90 litres |
| Doors | 2 | 4 |
| Seats | 4 | 5 |
| Boot Space | 197 litres | 350 litres✓ |
| Front Tyre | 245/40R21 | 255/40R21 |
| Rear Tyre | 275/35R21 | 285/35R21 |
| Factory Tyres | Bridgestone Potenza S001L Run-flats | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Japan (CBU) | Germany (CBU) |
| Chassis | Unibody | Unibody |
| Front Suspension | Multi-link | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Front Wheels | 21" Alloy | 21" AMG Cross-spoke Forged Wheels |
| Rear Wheels | 21" Alloy | 21" AMG Cross-spoke Forged Wheels |
| Front Brakes | Ventilated Disc | Cross-drilled Carbon Ceramic Brakes |
| Rear Brakes | Ventilated Disc | Cross-drilled Carbon Ceramic Brakes |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | Adaptive F Suspension - Sachs | — |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | Driver and Passenger, Front Knee, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain | 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 |
| Seat Belts | 4 Three-point | 5 Three-point |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available on two rear passenger seats | Available on Outer Two Rear Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes | Yes |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | For All Seats | All Seats |
| Safety Notes | Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), TPMS | — |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | LED Projectors | Adaptive LED Projector with Matrix High Beam (Digital Light with Projection Function) |
| Taillamps | LED Combination | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | 8-way Power Adjustable Front Seats with Driver's Memory Function, Ventilated and Heated | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Memory, Heating and Massage Functions; Pillow Headrests; Passenger Seat Adjustment from Rear Seats |
| Rear Seats | — | Power Adjustable Outer Rear Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation, Massage and One-touch Recline Functions; Folding Rear Pillow Headrests with Built-in Neck Warmers; Powered Ottoman and Leg Rest for Left Seat with Massage Function; Centre Load-through |
| Front Air-con | Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control with Air Balance Perfume System and Ioniser |
| Rear Air-con | — | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Sunroof | — | Panoramic, Tilt and Slide |
| Power Sockets | 1 Front | 4 Front USB-C, 6 Rear USB-C |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front | 2 Front, 2 Rear |
| Sun Shade | — | Double Sun Visors, Powered Rear Windscreen and Rear Door Window Sunshades |
| Audio | 10.3" Lexus Premium Audio Remote Touch Controller with 13-speaker Mark Levinson Premium Sound System, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay | 12.8" OLED Touchscreen Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Augmented Reality Navigation; 11" Rear Entertainment Displays; 7" Rear Android Tablet; 15-speaker Burmester 3D Surround Sound System (710 Watts) |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Two Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch | Four Windows, Auto Up & Down with Anti-pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation |
| Auto Start/Stop | — | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Active Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control |
| Tiptronic | ✓ | — |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Remote Control Operation | Contactless Opening, Powered Boot |
| Parking Sensor Front | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes | Yes, 360-degree View Monitor |
| Auto Parking | — | Yes, for Parallel and Perpendicular Parking |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | — | ✓ |
| Power Door | — | Soft Close Function, All Doors |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 5 years✓ | 4 years |
| Warranty Notes | 5-year/100,000 km free service | — |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM 10,991 | RM 6,549✓ |
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.
LC vs AMG S-Class FAQ
Is the Lexus LC or Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class better?
For speed, space and plug-in hybrid running, the Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class is better. For a lower price, rear-wheel-drive coupe character and longer warranty, the Lexus LC makes more sense.
What is the price difference?
The Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class costs RM2,238,888, while the Lexus LC costs RM1,379,000. The gap is RM859,888.
Which one is quicker from 0-100 km/h?
The Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class is quicker, doing 0-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds. The Lexus LC takes 4.4 seconds, so the Mercedes is 1.1 seconds faster.