One doesn’t take possession of the regal 2025 Maybach so much as one accepts stewardship. Whether heading to the market or to the club or gym or giving relatives and friends the obligatory spin, every roll feels royal, as well it should as the starting sticker of this super-duper SUV is $174,350. Total with options? $203,200.
The 2025 Maybach is a bowler hat on wheels, regal from every angle. For 2025, the Maybach logo appears on the front air bumper inlets, and the grille’s been tweaked. Dreamy “puddle lights” shine the Maybach logo onto the ground on the driver and passenger side. Each occupant front and back get lavish bucket seats available in two new dual-tone color patterns: Mahogany Brown / Macchiato Beige or crystal White / Silver Gray Pearl.
Inside
Whatever you see, sense and put your hands on feels like you’re sitting in a 5-diamond hotel. I put two humans in the rear on separate trips, one of whom is 6’5 and the other of equally generous proportions. Both gave high marks for room and that VIP flavor. All who enter the rear lair get the first-class treatment with heat and massage functions and two power-adjustable recliner seats. Nappa leather decorates your dash, door panels and seats front and back. Genuine wood trim with a handsome pinstripe tops off the elegant look.
You have about 19 cubic feet of storage behind your rear seats. There are lovely folding tables back there as well as a refrigerator box and handcrafted silver champagne flute holders.
Infotainment and Connectivity
You’ve got dual 12.3-inch infotainment displays featuring Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX software interface. Rear passengers get two 11.6-inch displays that can play movies or control the sound system. A 27-speake Burmester audio system is also available. The system synced with my Droid like they were old friends, and the climate system was easy to use and adjust. It’s actually pretty difficult to have a lousy time in the Maybach no matter traffic, weather or passengers.
2025 Maybach GLS 600
JM
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The GLS 600’s twin-turbocharged V-8 delivers 550 horsepower and can blast you from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. You’re assisted by a 48-volt hybrid motor. You’ll get around 15 mpg city and 19 mpg highway.
The Drive
A Maybach mode smooths out the road, and without it it’s rather a rough ride. The flavor is cushy, not hasty. Put it into Sport mode and you get a little boost but this car was built for comfort and a little, not a lot, of speed. Steering was satisfactory as were brakes and handling. You’re not going off-roading with this SUV but you should do fine in dirt and gravel as well as extreme weather should you encounter it. The car’s all-wheel-drive combined with its nine-speed transmission made for a seamless, smooth, plush experience, a pleasure start to finish.
Safety
The Maybach’s list of safety features is long and thorough, featuring automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with a lane-centering feature, and much more.
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
A Limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles and the powertrain warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles. No complimentary scheduled maintenance is offered
Conclusion: the 2024 Maybach is a certified OMG vehicle. For Mercedes-Benz, it doesn’t get any better than this.
This article was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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