Verdict
The Lexus LS makes the lower-cost Malaysian luxury-sedan case at RM1,188,000, undercutting the Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class by RM1,050,888 while retaining five seats, 480 litres of boot space and a five-year unlimited-mileage warranty. The AMG is the pace and rear-cabin equipment choice: 603 hp, 900 Nm, all-wheel drive and 3.3 seconds to 100 km/h against 415 hp, 600 Nm, rear-wheel drive and 5.0 seconds. Its 13.1-kWh PHEV battery gives 31 km of EV range, but its 350-litre boot and RM6,549 annual road tax demand compromises.
LS
Pick the Lexus LS if you want to save RM1,050,888, carry more luggage and keep the longer five-year warranty.
AMG S-Class
Pick the Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class if 3.3-second acceleration, all-wheel drive, PHEV running and a far more elaborate rear cabin are priorities.
Key differences
- Price: Lexus LS RM1,188,000; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class RM2,238,888.
- Performance: Lexus LS 415 hp, 600 Nm and 0-100 km/h in 5.0 seconds; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 603 hp, 900 Nm and 3.3 seconds.
- Drivetrain: Lexus LS rear-wheel drive; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class all-wheel drive with one 188-hp, 320-Nm motor.
- PHEV system: Lexus LS has no battery or EV range; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class has a 13.1-kWh battery and 31 km EV range.
- Boot space: Lexus LS 480 litres; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class 350 litres.
- Warranty: Lexus LS five years, unlimited mileage; Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class four years, unlimited mileage.
LS
- RM1,050,888 less expensive.
- 480-litre boot is 130 litres larger.
- Five-year unlimited-mileage warranty and rear cross traffic alert with auto brake.
- Slower at 5.0 seconds to 100 km/h versus 3.3 seconds.
- Produces 415 hp and 600 Nm versus 603 hp and 900 Nm.
- No PHEV motor, battery or 31 km EV range.
AMG S-Class
- 603 hp, 900 Nm and all-wheel drive.
- 13.1-kWh PHEV battery with 31 km EV range.
- Rear passengers get massage, one-touch recline, an ottoman and leg rest, plus 11-inch rear displays.
- Costs RM1,050,888 more.
- 350-litre boot is 130 litres smaller.
- RM6,549 annual road tax is RM2,416 higher.
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM1,188,000✓ | RM2,238,888 |
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan |
| Segment | Luxury | Luxury |
| Assembly | CBU | CBU |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM4,133✓ | RM6,549 |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 24-valve DOHC, twin-turbocharged with direct fuel injection and variable valve timing | 32-valve DOHC, direct fuel injection, twin-turbo with variable valve timing and PHEV assistance |
| Capacity | 3,445 cc | 3,982 cc |
| Horsepower | 415 hp at 6,000 rpm | 603 hp at 5,500 rpm✓ |
| Torque | 600 Nm at 1,600 rpm | 900 Nm at 2,500 rpm✓ |
| Cylinder Arrangement | V 6 | V 8 |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol Plug-in Hybrid |
| Bore × Stroke | 85.5 mm × 100 mm | 83 mm × 92 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 10.476 | — |
| Number of Motors | — | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | — | 188 hp |
| Motor Torque | — | 320 Nm |
| Battery Capacity | — | 13.1 kWh |
| EV Range | — | 31 km |
| Charging Rate (AC) | — | 3.7 kW |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Dual-clutch Automatic (Wet) |
| Transmission Name | 10-Speed Direct Shift | AMG Speedshift MCT 9G |
| Gears | 10 | 9 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | Aisin | Mercedes-Benz |
| Driveline | Rear Wheel Drive | All Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 5 seconds | 3.3 seconds✓ |
| Rated Economy | 9.5 L/100 km | — |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h | 290 km/h✓ |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 5,235 mm | 5,289 mm |
| Width | 1,900 mm | 1,954 mm |
| Height | 1,450 mm | 1,503 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,125 mm | 3,216 mm |
| Weight | 2,155 kg | 2,385 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 82 litres | 90 litres |
| Doors | 4 | 4 |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Boot Space | 480 litres✓ | 350 litres |
| Front Tyre | 245/45RF20 | 255/40R21 |
| Rear Tyre | 245/45RF20 | 285/35R21 |
| Factory Tyres | — | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Japan (CBU) | Germany (CBU) |
| Front Suspension | Multi-link with Air Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link with Air Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Front Wheels | 20" Alloy | 21" AMG Cross-spoke Forged Wheels |
| Rear Wheels | 20" Alloy | 21" AMG Cross-spoke Forged Wheels |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) | — |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | 10 (Driver and Passenger, Front Knee, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain, Rear Side) | 12 (Driver and Passenger, Driver Knee, Rear Passengers, Front and Rear Side, Front and Rear Curtain, Rear Left Cushion) |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbag Disable Function | — | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Manual for rear doors | Manual for Rear Doors |
| Seat Belts | 5 Three-point | 5 Three-point |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available on two outer rear passenger seats | Available on Outer Two Rear Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes | Yes |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | For All Seats | All Seats |
| Safety Notes | Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) with Auto Brake and Rear Pedestrian Detection with Auto Brake | — |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | LED Projector | Adaptive LED Projector with Matrix High Beam (Digital Light with Projection Function) |
| Taillamps | LED Combination | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Front Foglamps | ✓ | — |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | 28-way Power Adjustable Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation and Massage | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Memory, Heating and Massage Functions; Pillow Headrests; Passenger Seat Adjustment from Rear Seats |
| Rear Seats | 18-way Power Adjustable Seats with Centre Armrest, Rear Touchscreen, Heating and Ventilation | Power Adjustable Outer Rear Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation, Massage and One-touch Recline Functions; Folding Rear Pillow Headrests with Built-in Neck Warmers; Powered Ottoman and Leg Rest for Left Seat with Massage Function; Centre Load-through |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System with Lexus Climate Concierge | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control with Air Balance Perfume System and Ioniser |
| Rear Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System with Lexus Climate Concierge | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Sunroof | Front, Tilt and Slide | Panoramic, Tilt and Slide |
| Power Sockets | 1 Front, 2 Rear | 4 Front USB-C, 6 Rear USB-C |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Rear | 2 Front, 2 Rear |
| Sun Shade | Powered Rear Sun Shade and Rear Door Window Shades | Double Sun Visors, Powered Rear Windscreen and Rear Door Window Sunshades |
| Audio | 12.3" Display with Lexus Remote Touch Controller, Navigation, USB, Bluetooth, WiFi and Pioneer 12-speaker Sound System | 12.8" OLED Touchscreen Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Augmented Reality Navigation; 11" Rear Entertainment Displays; 7" Rear Android Tablet; 15-speaker Burmester 3D Surround Sound System (710 Watts) |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch | Four Windows, Auto Up & Down with Anti-pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation |
| Auto Start/Stop | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Powered Boot with Contactless Opening | Contactless Opening, Powered Boot |
| Parking Sensor Front | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes, with Panoramic View Camera | Yes, 360-degree View Monitor |
| Auto Parking | — | Yes, for Parallel and Perpendicular Parking |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | ✓ |
| Power Door | Soft close function, all doors | Soft Close Function, All Doors |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 5 years✓ | 4 years |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used LS & AMG S-Class for sale
LS vs AMG S-Class FAQ
Is the Lexus LS or Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class better?
The Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class is better for outright performance, PHEV capability and rear-seat equipment. The Lexus LS is the smarter choice if lower purchase cost, a larger 480-litre boot and a five-year warranty matter more.
What is the price difference?
The Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class costs RM1,050,888 more than the Lexus LS.
Which has the better rear-seat experience?
The Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class has the more extensive rear cabin, adding memory, massage, one-touch recline, neck warmers, a powered left-side ottoman and leg rest, two 11-inch rear displays and a 7-inch rear tablet.
