The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the BMW 7 Series and the Audi A8 are popular members of the high-end luxury sedan class. While each offers passengers a smooth and luxurious ride, there are key differences between the three.
The S-Class comes standard with a base eight-cylinder, 382-horsepower engine and boasts 0-60-mph times of approximately 6.0 seconds. The vehicle also features a navigation system, hands-free cell phone setup, leather upholstery, wood trim and a Harman Kardon audio system. In addition to the aforementioned features, the AMG versions include 20-inch alloy wheels, an active suspension, adaptive cruise control and an infrared night-vision system.
The BMW 7 Series comes standard with a six-cylinder, 326-horsepower engine that boasts a 0-60-mph time of 5.7 seconds. The 7 Series also offers other engine options, including eight-cylinder and diesel fuel options. The vehicle also includes the BMW iDrive system, which puts all of the key buttons (such as radio control, navigation and telephone options) into a central console to make operation more safe and efficient. It also includes industry-standard leather upholstery and wood trim.
The Audi A8 comes standard with an eight-cylinder, 4.2-liter, 350-horsepower engine with variable intake timing to ensure maximum fuel economy and emissions. The A8 also boasts a central console with all necessary operational buttons to ensure passenger safety when operating these features while driving. The A8 also comes standard with an eight-speaker Bose speaker system, leather upholstery, wood trim and four-zone climate control.
While all of the vehicles offer superb luxury and performance for passengers, it appears that the BMW 7 series has an edge over the others. The 7 Series offers multiple engine options, including those with different fuel options, giving the consumer the choice of how much and what type of fuel they would like to use in their luxury vehicle. The fact that all of the vehicles provide quality luxury and performance makes any of these vehicles a fine choice, but for those consumers that wish to use an alternative fuel, the BMW 7 Series provides a superior option.
The information provided in this article is based solely on the descriptions of each car and is not based on first-hand experience driving any of the above vehicles.
Buying a car always comes down to personal preference. Make sure to test drive each vehicle before making a purchase.
