Lexus LC vs Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class
Verdict
At RM1,379,000 versus RM1,850,888, the Lexus LC saves RM471,888 and still gets to 100 km/h quicker, at 4.4 seconds against 4.8 seconds. It is the sharper numbers car too, with 270 km/h top speed and 8.6 L/100 km fuel use. The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class fights back as the bigger four-seat sedan: 5,469 mm long, 3,396 mm wheelbase, 470-litre boot, 700 Nm, all-wheel drive and 12 airbags. For Malaysia, the odd twist is ownership cost: the Maybach’s RM6,549 road tax is lower than the LC’s RM10,991.
LC
Pick the Lexus LC if you want the lower price, quicker 0-100 km/h time, higher top speed and a coupe body.
Maybach S-Class
Pick the Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class if you want the larger sedan, bigger boot, all-wheel drive, more torque and more airbags.
Key differences
- Price: Lexus LC RM1,379,000; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class RM1,850,888
- Performance: Lexus LC 470 hp/540 Nm; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class 496 hp/700 Nm
- 0-100 km/h: Lexus LC 4.4 s; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class 4.8 s
- Size: Lexus LC 4,770 mm long/2,870 mm wheelbase; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class 5,469 mm/3,396 mm
- Boot space: Lexus LC 197 L; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class 470 L
- Road tax: Lexus LC RM10,991/year; Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class RM6,549/year
LC
- Quicker 4.4-second 0-100 km/h time
- Higher 270 km/h top speed
- Five-year warranty
- Small 197-litre boot
- Only 540 Nm versus 700 Nm
- Higher RM10,991 annual road tax
Maybach S-Class
- 700 Nm and all-wheel drive
- Much larger 470-litre boot
- 12 airbags
- Costs RM471,888 more
- Slower 4.8-second 0-100 km/h time
- Shorter two-year warranty
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM 1,379,000✓ | RM 1,850,888 |
| Body type | Coupe | Sedan |
| Segment | Luxury | Luxury |
| Assembly | CBU | CKD |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 32-valve DOHC, direct fuel injection, naturally-aspirated, Otto/Atkinson Cycle with variable valve timing | 32-valve DOHC, Twin Turbocharged with Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing and Lift |
| Capacity | 4,969 cc | 3,982 cc |
| Horsepower | 470 hp | 496 hp✓ |
| Torque | 540 Nm | 700 Nm✓ |
| Cylinder Arrangement | V | V |
| Timing Type | — | Chain |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol Hybrid/REV |
| Bore | 94 mm | 83 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 12.3 | 10.5 |
| Number of Motors | — | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | — | 20 hp |
| Motor Torque | — | 200 Nm |
| Battery Type | — | Lithium-ion |
| Battery Capacity | — | 1.0 kWh |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Conventional Automatic |
| Transmission Name | Direct Shift | 9G-TRONIC |
| Gears | 10 | 9 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | Aisin | Mercedes-Benz |
| Driveline | Rear Wheel Drive | All Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 4.4 seconds✓ | 4.8 seconds |
| Rated Economy | 8.6 L/100 km✓ | 11.7 L/100 km |
| Top Speed | 270 km/h✓ | 250 km/h |
| Co2 | 267 g/km | 266 g/km✓ |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,770 mm | 5,469 mm |
| Width | 1,920 mm | 1,921 mm |
| Height | 1,345 mm | 1,510 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,870 mm | 3,396 mm |
| Weight | 1,965 kg | 2,290 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 82 litres | 76 litres |
| Doors | 2 | 4 |
| Seats | 4 | 4 |
| Boot Space | 197 litres | 470 litres✓ |
| Front Tyre | 245/40R21 | 265/35R21 |
| Rear Tyre | 275/35R21 | 265/35R21 |
| Spare Tyre | — | Tyre Repair Kit |
| Factory Tyres | Bridgestone Potenza S001L Run-flats | Pirelli P-Zero MO-S |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Japan (CBU) | Malaysia (CKD) |
| 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" Multi-spoke 2-tone Forged Alloy |
| Rear Wheels | 21" Alloy | 21" Multi-spoke 2-tone Forged Alloy |
| Front Brakes | Ventilated Disc | Ventilated and Cross Drilled Disc |
| Rear Brakes | Ventilated Disc | Ventilated Disc |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | Adaptive F Suspension - Sachs | Adaptive Dampers, 48-volt Active Roll Stabilisation, Rear-wheel Steering (4.5 Degrees) |
| 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 | 4 Three-point with Illumination, Rear Belt Bags and Rear Feeder |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available on two rear passenger seats | Available for Rear Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes | Yes, with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection (up to 130 km/h) and Evasive Steering Assist (up to 108 km/h) |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | For All Seats | All Seats |
| Safety Notes | Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), TPMS | Pre-Safe, Pre-Safe Impulse Side, Driver Attention Monitor with Eye Tracking |
| 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 Rear Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation, Massage and One-touch Recline Functions; Heated Headrests; Powered Ottoman with Massage Function; Powered Leg Rest for Left Passenger |
| 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, Front Tilt with Sunshade Gesture Opening and Closing |
| Power Sockets | 1 Front | 4 Front USB-C, 4 Rear USB-C |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front | 2 Heated and Cooled Front, 2 Heated and Cooled 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; 11.6" 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 and Down with Anti-Pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation with Pop-out Door Handles |
| Auto Start/Stop | — | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Active Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Stop and Go and Speed Limit Assist |
| Tiptronic | ✓ | — |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Remote Control Operation | Powered with Contactless Operation |
| Parking Sensor Front | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes | Yes, with 360-degree Camera |
| Auto Parking | — | Yes, Parallel and Perpendicular |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | — | ✓ |
| Power Door | — | Soft Close for All Doors; Power-assisted Rear Doors with Gesture-operated One-touch Closing |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Convenience Notes | — | Front and Rear MBUX Interior Assistant, Fingerprint Scanner, Front and Rear Qi Wireless Chargers, Rear Wireless Headsets, Folding Rear Tables, Rear Fridge |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 5 years✓ | 2 years |
| Warranty Extended | — | 2 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 Maybach S-Class FAQ
Is the Lexus LC or Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class better?
The Lexus LC is better for pace and price, with 4.4 seconds to 100 km/h and a 270 km/h top speed. The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class is better for space, torque, boot capacity and airbags.
What is the price difference?
The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class costs RM471,888 more than the Lexus LC.
Which one is cheaper to tax in Malaysia?
The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class is cheaper to tax at RM6,549 a year, versus RM10,991 a year for the Lexus LC.