Video Review: With the S600, Mercedes Revives the Maybach

CHANCES are you have not heard of Maybach (pronounced “MY-Bahk”). The brand traces its luxury lineage to 1909, with Daimler-Benz buying the brand in 1960. It lay dormant until the 2004 model year, when two cars, the 57 and 62, made their debuts at an average of $420,000 each. Timed nearly perfectly with the recession, the resurrection sank like Lehman Brothers.

Maybach is now positioned as the ultraluxury subbrand of Mercedes-Benz, much as AMG is its performance label. More affordable now at $204,000 as tested, it is a bargain compared with the Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Bentley Mulsanne. Certainly, it will not be attracting Malibu and Santa Fe shoppers, unless you are talking real estate.

Basically, the regal 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600 is an overachieving S-Class with a wheelbase stretched nearly eight inches to aid pampering in the rear. The back of my test vehicle had massaging seats that were warmed and chilled. Infinitely adjustable down to power leg rests, Maybach is the fastest and most luxurious La-Z-Boy on the planet.

Both rear positions get retractable tables akin to those in first-class air travel; you will half expect flight attendants to arrive with scotch and warm cashews. The rear seats have video screens, wireless headphones, climate control, window shades, vanity mirrors and cup holders that cool and heat. Of course, there’s a refrigerator to keep the Champagne chilled. Robbe & Berking silver-plated Champagne flutes have their own storage space. Fingers on the center console grasp the vessel’s base to eliminate tipping when your driver is aggressive on the way to the board meeting.

That is entirely possible considering that the 6-liter biturbo V12 engine gracefully summons 523 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque. Imperceptible yet decisive shifts come from a 7-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters. The Maybach whispers from 0 to 60 miles an hour in about five seconds.

This is a car to be driven in, but there’s something for the pilot. It is unusually nimble and controlled for a large vehicle. Magic Body Control uses cameras to scan the road ahead for potholes, then prepares the suspension to react as the tires hit them. The ride is as serene as knowing there’s 10 billion euros in the offshore account.

Because the car gulped premium, the government rates its fuel economy at 13 miles per gallon in the city, 20 on the highway, even with the engine’s auto start-stop feature turned on. It’s on the sluggish side for impatient captains of industry. Fortunately, Jeeves can turn the start-stop feature off.

Other gripes? Mounted in the center of the trunk, the refrigerator eliminates a strategic chunk of space. Mercedes’s Comand interface on the console is improved with a track pad, allowing text input by writing with your fingers, but the menu remains a bit confusing.

Up front, planks of flawless lumber and quilted leather soothe eyes and fingers. Fiber-optic ambience lighting snakes through the cabin. A glass roof allows panoramic views of concrete canyons.

Maybach’s real statement is value. Seriously. In the sky’s-the-limit sedan segment, it easily undercuts competitors by $100,000. If you plan on doing the driving, much of Maybach’s detailed richness can be had for half price in a standard S550. But if you’re driven, both literally and professionally, Maybach is the way to go.