Mercedes-Benz C200 vs Mercedes-Benz Maybach

What's the difference?

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class C200 is such a stylish sedan and I would totally have one. The driving performance, luxurious features and practical size made it a winning combo for my family. The price point is definitely up there but you do get a high-end build for the cash. I've seen bigger boots in other sedans and not being able to fit a third child seat will limit some families, but this still easily earns an 8.5/10 from me.

My son really loved this one. The ambient lighting was the highlight for him and he thought it looked like a "space car" inside. He gave it a 9/10.

It’s big, it’s bold and totally baller, but that’s kind of the point.

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 might not win over many fans with its in-your-face design or its sky-high price tag, but there is definitely an appeal here.

Taking luxury to another level is no easy feat, especially in a Mercedes, but the attention to detail, lavish second row and butter-smooth V8 engine combine to turn the already-good GLS into this exquisite Maybach.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The C200 is a sleek and elegant steed.

Initially, you may think this is just a standard Merc showcase. There's the nice big badge on the pronounced nose. Beautiful sleek lines in the body... but it's the attention to detail that make this feel special.

There's a repeated badge motif in the grille and a cute cursive Mercedes logo tucked into the corner of the windscreen. The puddle lights on the doors project the badge at night time and you can often spot a badge etched into the LED lights.

However, it's the interior that's the highlight for me and I feel like it's a big step up from previous models I've been in.

Our model has the grey 'Artico' synthetic leather trim (says grey but it's really white) and a lovely mix of piano black and shiny chrome inserts that are set against soft touchpoints throughout.

The quality of the build oozes through every stitch and join. Don't even get me started on the cool customisable ambient lighting system inside, which makes this feel like you're on the set of Tron and really elevates the interior.

It's quite fun to build one of these in Mercedes' online configurator. You can customise your trims to make it feel like your own and their blue paintwork options are great (I do love a blue car).

If you have wealth, why not flaunt it? I reckon that might be the philosophy of the Maybach designers back at HQ, and it kind of shows!

The styling of the Maybach GLS might be the most controversial thing about it. But honestly, I love it!

The liberal lashings of chrome, the three-pointed star hood ornament, and especially with the optional two-tone paintwork, it’s all just so over the top and in your face that it brings out a smile.

From the front, the Maybach is also distinguished by an imposing grille that gives it serious presence on the road, while the profile is characterised by massive 23-inch multi-spoke wheels – better park well clear of any gutters!

You’ll also notice the Maybach eschews the usual black-plastic cladding around the wheelarches and underbody found on lesser/cheaper SUVs in favour of body-coloured and gloss-black panels.

There is also a little Maybach badge on the D-pillar, which is a nice attention-to-detail touch. From the rear, there’s more chrome, while the dual exhaust outlets hint at the performance on offer. But it’s inside where you really want to be.

Everything in there is just a sea of soft-touch and premium materials, from the dashboard to the seats and even the carpet under your feet.

Though the layout of the interior mirrors the GLS, the extra detailing, like the Maybach-stamped pedals, unique multimedia surround and woodgrain steering wheel, elevates the cabin into something truly special.

And if you opt for the comfort rear seats, well they wouldn’t look out of place on a private jet.

The second-row seats also feature contrast stitching on the headrests, cushions, console and doors for that add a touch of class.

I can see the Maybach GLS might not be to everyone’s tastes, but it certainly stands out from the sea of samey-looking luxury SUVs out there.

I'm not going to lie – there are sedans out there that have an almost limo-like space inside but the C200 isn't one of them.

It's not small by any means and all occupants enjoy the comforts of decent legroom and headroom but it's not cavernous considering the specs (1437mm high/1820mm wide/4751mm long).

The optional panoramic sunroof does cut into the headroom for back seat passengers, which is something to consider if your family is very tall.

The storage is maybe a tad leaner-than-average for a car of this size. The glove box and middle console aren't massive but will suffice.

The cupholders up front can be removed if you need extra storage space for larger items and back seat passengers enjoy retractable cupholders in the armrest.

The way the front doors curve out creates a larger than normal storage bin and drink bottle holder – which help make up the difference. There is a dedicated phone pocket, to tuck it out of the way.

The boot space is 455 litres (VDA), which isn't as large as some others on the market but it was plenty big enough for my family's needs.

There's a handy under-floor storage pocket for smaller items, like the puncture repair kit, because you don't get a spare tyre in this.

When it comes to ease of use, my six-year-old loved not needing my help to get into his seat and he still enjoyed a decent view out of the wide back window.

The amenities in each row are good but not class-defining. Still, creature comforts have be well-thought through.

Front occupants enjoy heated seats and fantastic lumbar and under thigh support. Dual-zone climate control sorts out the temp, and the cool circular air vents that make loud audible 'clicks' when manoeuvred give the interior a jet cockpit vibe.

While I've never had an issue opening or closing a sedan boot, the powered lid was a nice feature to have this week.

The tech throughout is great and intuitive to use. The massive 11.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system is cool and is easy to use once you become acclimatised to Mercedes system.

The customisable digital instrument panel makes the driving experiences feel individualised.

The interior is a chilled out space with gentle scrolling touchpads taking the place of most 'push' buttons and dials.

Think of each surface as being a bit like a touchscreen tablet in how you operate it. I was a little worried the touchpads would be laggy but they're very responsive.

There's only one USB port in the whole car, which limits charging for other passengers but I did enjoy the easy connectivity of the wireless Apple CarPlay.

The electric heated front seats are a nice touch but I was amused by the 'kinetic' function on both. It's what you might call a 'massage' function on another car but here they don't really work. It's best to think of them as a way to do some (very) gentle stretching on a long trip.

The 360-degree camera view is super clear and crisp but the dynamic guidelines (which tilt the camera angle) are a bit too dynamic for my liking and I relied mostly on the bird's eye view to park.

As I've mentioned, the ambient lighting system creates a stellar atmosphere inside. I've often wondered why other car manufacturers haven't jumped on that bandwagon because it's a relatively cheap way of creating wow factor. And it generates massive wow factor in here.

The Maybach GLS is based on Mercedes’ largest SUV offering to date, which means there is plentiful room for occupants and cargo.

The front row feels positively palatial, with heaps of head-, leg- and shoulder-room for six-foot (183cm) tall adults.

Storage options include generous door pockets with room for large bottles, two cupholders, a smartphone tray that doubles as a wireless charger, and an underarm storage cubby.

But the rear seats are where you want to be, especially with these second-row comfort seats fitted.

It’s rare when there is more room in the rear than the front, but it does makes sense for a car like this, especially when you consider the GLS this car is based on is a three-row vehicle.

The removal of seats six and seven mean there is more room in the second row, especially with the comfort seats fitted, allowing you to recline fairly flat and to get into a comfortable position.

Storage is also plentiful in the second row, with a bespoke centre console in our test car, the aforementioned drinks fridge, backseat storage and a nice door bin.

Open the boot and you will find 520 litres (VDA) of volume, which is plenty for golf clubs and holiday luggage.

However, if you opt for the rear seat refrigerator, the cooler box will eat into boot space.

The best things in life might come free, but the most luxurious things certainly come at a cost.

Wearing a price tag of $378,297, before on-road costs, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is probably out of the reach for most mere mortals, but there’s no denying Mercedes has thrown in a lot for the spend.

And with it positioned nearly $100,000 north of the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 ($281,800) – with which it shares its platform, engine and transmission – you’d want to get a bit of bang for your buck.

Standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, Nappa leather interior trim, a head-up display, a sliding glass sunroof, power-closing doors, heated and cooled front and rear seats, and interior ambient lighting.

But, as the epitome of Mercedes’ luxury SUVs, the Maybach also scores 23-inch wheels, a heated woodgrain and leather steering wheel, open-pore wood trim and five-zone climate control – one for each passenger!

Handling multimedia duties is Mercedes’ 'MBUX' 12.3-inch touchscreen display, complete with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support, digital radio, a premium sound system and wireless smartphone charger. 

Rear seat passengers are also treated to an entertainment system with TV tuner so you can keep up with the Kardashians from the road, as well as a bespoke MBUX tablet with functions for climate, multimedia, satellite navigation input, seat controls, and more.

Sadly, the Samsung-branded tablet glitched out a few times while we were using different functions and required a reset.

No doubt, a software update can fix some connection issues, but it's still something that shouldn’t be happening in a high-dollar, ultra-lux SUV.

Options with the Maybach GLS are surprisingly limited, with buyers able to choose between different exterior colours and interior trims, second-row comfort seats (as fitted on our test car), and a rear champagne chiller box.

Look, nearly $400,000 for an SUV might seem like a lot, but you really are wanting for nothing with the Maybach GLS, and it's comparable in price to other high-end SUVs like the Bentley Bentayga and Range Rover SV Autobiography.

The C200 has a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine with an integrated starter-generator. 

What's that, you ask? So, glad you did. It's basically an electric battery that also acts as your starter... or alternator.

It smooths out vibrations from the engine and generates some power from braking. Making this a very mild hybrid. Note the 'mild'.

Is it powerful? Surprisingly, yeah. It has a maximum output of 165kW and 300Nm of torque. Combine that with the starter-generator and we have a powerful little engine that can push the C200 from 0-100km in 7.3 seconds, while still feeling like there's power in reserve.

The nine-speed auto transmission is damn smooth and there's no clunky gear changing at any speed. It's got great pick-up, too, for when you need to overtake or zip across traffic.

Powering the Mercedes-Maybach is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 – the same engine you will find in many AMG products like the C 63 S and GT coupe.

In this application, the engine is tuned to produce 410kW and 730Nm, which is admittedly less than you get in something like the GLS 63, but the Maybach isn’t designed to be an outright powerhouse.

With drive sent to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission, the Maybach SUV will accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds – also helped by a 48-volt mild-hybrid 'EQ Boost' system.

Though not designed for outright grunt, the Maybach GLS’s engine is nicely tuned to deliver smooth power and seemless shifting

The Maybach is more than a match for rivals such as the Aston Martin DBX (405kW/700Nm), Bentley Bentayga (404kW/800Nm) and Range Rover P565 SV Autobiography (416kW/700Nm).

The official combined cycle fuel figure is 6.9L/100km. Real world testing saw my figure at 7.2L, which was awesome for the heavy driving I did this week on a combo of urban and open-roads.

The light regen braking probably helps this coast comfortably into being a very efficient sedan for its size.

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded and you'll need 66 litres of it to fill the tank.

Driving range using the official consumption figure is around 950km, and 915km using our real-world number.

Official fuel consumption figures for the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 are pegged at 12.5 litres per 100km, and it’s recommended to fill up with 98 RON premium unleaded, so be prepared for a big fuel bill.

This is despite the 48-volt mild-hybrid tech that lets the Maybach coast without using fuel in certain conditions, and extends start-stop functionality.

In our brief time in the car, we managed to get 14.8L/100km. Why is the Maybach so thirsty? That’s simple, it’s weight.

All the cool features like Nappa leather interior, woodgrain trim and 23-inch wheels add weight to the overall package, and the Maybach GLS tips the scales at nearly three tonnes. Ouch.

The steering feels solid and concise. The tyres seem like they're glued to the road, making winding roads downright fun to tackle. Oh, and the sharp 11 metre turning circle is wonderful.

The handling makes this your best friend in a car park. The lower ground clearance did elicit some unladylike grunts when I parked on a hill, but otherwise the wide door apertures makes it easy to get in and out of.

The only thing I would note is the low-profile ground clearance. Just be aware of your speed and angle when you handle car park ramps or road bumps in this. They are not your friends.

While you might not find many owners of the Maybach GLS in the driver’s seat, it’s nice to know it can hold its own in the driving dynamics department.

Don’t get me wrong, this won’t give the AMG-blessed GLS 63 a run for its money, but the Maybach SUV is far from dull.

And the engine plays a large part in this. Sure, it’s not as savage as some AMG models, but there is still plenty of grunt to come out of corners with enthusiasm.

The tune of the engine is obviously weighted towards smoothness and comfort, but with 410kW/730Nm on tap there is enough there to make things feel urgent.

The nine-speed automatic transmission also has to be called out, as it is calibrated in such a way that the shifts are imperceptible. There’s none of that mechanical jerkiness and clunkiness involved in swapping cogs, and it just makes the Maybach GLS feel that much more luxurious.

The steering, while straying a towards numb, still offers plenty of feedback so you know what’s happening underneath, but it’s the active body control that works to keep this hefty SUV in check in the bends.

The best bit, though, has to be the air suspension, which floats the Maybach GLS over bumps and uneven roads like a cloud.

The front-facing camera can also read the terrain ahead and set-up the suspension for incoming speed bumps and turns, taking comfort up to a whole new level.

All this is to say, yeah, the Maybach might look like a boat, and cost as much as a boat, but it doesn’t actually feel like a boat behind the wheel.

But really, are you buying this car because you want to be the driver? Or are you buying one because you want to be driven?

In the second row, it’s as close as you’ll get to a first-class flight on the road, and the seats are genuinely plush and cosy.

It’s eerily quiet and supremely comfortable in the second row, leaving you free to carry on with important business like drinking your champagne or uploading to the 'gram.

And while I usually suffer from a bout of motion sickness within minutes of looking at a phone in a car, I didn’t feel such ill effects in the Maybach GLS.

Even after about 20 minutes scrolling through Facebook and emails while being driven around, there was no sign of a headache or queasiness, which is all thanks to how well the suspension is tuned and the active anti-roll technology doing its thing.

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 has not been tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, and therefore doesn’t wear a safety assessment rating.

Despite this, the safety equipment found on the Maybach is comprehensive. As standard, there are nine airbags, a surround-view camera system, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), tyre pressure monitoring, traffic sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high beams.

Mercedes’ 'Driving Assistance Package Plus' is also included, bundling adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring.

The 'Urban Guard' suite also adds an alarm, tow-away protection, parking damage detection, and an interior motion sensor, which can send notifications to your 'Mercedes Me' app.

The C200 comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is standard for the market.

There are multiple servicing options and on the five-year plan, the services average $1090 annually, which is quite expensive.

Servicing intervals are pretty good at every 12 months or a longer than usual 25,000km, whichever comes first.

Like all new Mercedes models sold in 2021, the Maybach GLS 600 comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assist over that period.

This is class-leading in the premium segment, with only Lexus, Genesis and Jaguar able to match the warranty period, while BMW and Audi serve up assurance periods lasting only three years.

Scheduled servicing intervals are every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever occurs first.

While the first three services will cost owners $4000 ($800 for the first, $1200 for the second and $2000 for the third service), buyers can opt to save some money with a pre-paid service plan.

Under the service plan pricing, three years of maintenance will cost $3050, while four- and five-year plans are on offer at $4000 and $4550 respectively.