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Mercedes-Benz S-Class vs BMW M4

What's the difference?

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Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Mercedes-Benz S-Class

$169,800 - $189,800

2021 price

BMW M4
BMW M4

$147,900 - $388,888

2022 price

Summary

2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
2022 BMW M4
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Twin Turbo V6, 3.0L

Turbo 6, 3.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
8.4L/100km (combined)

10.4L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

4
Dislikes
  • Price of entry prohibitive for most
  • 3D instrumentation can make you woozy
  • A tad conservative in design

  • Aggressive styling
  • Expensive options
  • Short warranty
2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Summary

It's only in the running for the title of world's best luxury car. No biggie here, then.

Like Rolex and Concorde, S-Class has become a byword for ultimate, and deserved or not, the Mercedes-Benz defines its segment despite the best efforts of the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS and (sadly now-defunct) Jaguar XJ, as well as pointing the way forward with new technologies that eventually trickle down to more proletarian models.

Replacing the half-million selling W222 unveiled in 2013, the W223 is the latest in a long line since the first W187 Ponton debuted in 1951, and includes the famous ‘Finnies' and Stroke-8 models that followed immediately afterwards, but it is the 1972 W116 that really set the template.

Now, seven generations in, the 2021 S-Class is all-new again, with progressive safety and interior features that should help keep it Australia's bestselling full-sized upper-luxury sedan.

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2022 BMW M4 Summary

Few cars carry the burden of expectation more than the BMW M3 – and, by association – the two-door versions latterly rebadged M4. Porsche 911 definitely. Mazda MX-5 probably. Ford Mustang maybe. Icons all.

Since the arrival of the left-hand-drive-only – thus it never officially came to Australia – E30 3 Series two-door original in 1986, it’s become the benchmark for which all others follow, and regular finalist in any given ‘greatest sports car of all time' listings.

Except… it hasn’t always turned out that way.

After the visceral E30 M3, it’s been a rollercoaster ride of disappointment and elation: by 1992’s patchy E36 arch enemies Audi and Mercedes-Benz were chiming in, only to be swept aside by the exquisite E46 M3 from 2000. But then its 2007 E90 and 2014 F80 successors both missed their marks for reasons we’ll go into later, leaving us with 2021’s G82/3 generation.

Does the latest two-door M-car return to form? We take a look at the M4 convertible, which simultaneously rediscovers the fabric roof and adopts all-wheel drive (AWD) for the first time.

Glorified blow dryer or glorious mind blower? Let’s see.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2022 BMW M4

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