Slip behind the wheel of the 2025 MERCEDES S450 and it becomes clear why the Sonderklasse is still shorthand for luxury in Australia. The long-wheelbase sedan blends a creamy 3.0-litre turbo straight-six (280 kW/500 Nm) with a 48-volt mild-hybrid boost, driving all four wheels through a silk-satin nine-speed auto. Cabin noise? Mostly whispers. Road presence? Board-meeting serious yet Bond-villain suave.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Effortless performance; the mild-hybrid fill-in makes turbo lag about as rare as a cold day in Darwin.
• Cabin tech that borders on sci-fi yet remains intuitive (MBUX 2.0, augmented-reality nav, biometric start).
• Rear-axle steering shrinks city roundabouts to matchbox size.

Cons

• Standard S-Class understatement means some rivals look brasher for the Instagram crowd.
• The options list reads like Tolstoy; choose recklessly and the driveway price balloons faster than a kids’ party clown.
• Boot space trails the BMW 7 Series once you load two golf bags and a weekender.

How Much Does It Cost?

Mercedes-Benz lists the S450 4MATIC from about A$249,900 before on-road costs in 2025, nudging A$260,000 drive-away in most states. Tick the First Class rear lounge, E-Active Body Control and that near-obligatory Manufaktur paint, and you tip A$300,000 faster than the 4.9-second sprint to 100 km/h.

Features and Benefits

The headline act is that power-assisted straight-six: buttery torque from 1,800 rpm and a muted growl under load. Air suspension smooths Sydney’s patched-up tarmac, while the E-Active anti-roll trickery keeps passengers upright through Kiama’s sweepers. Inside, the 2025 Mercedes S450 interior is a lounge: quilted Nappa, OLED portrait screen, active ambient lighting that flashes red if you try to exit into traffic, and door panels that gently warm your elbows on chilly Canberra mornings.

Safety

Mercedes throws its entire glossary at the S450, Level 2 Drive Pilot, evasive-steer assist, rear-airbags for outboard passengers, and a centre-airbag to stop front occupants playing accidental head-butt in a side hit. It is tough to imagine a more comprehensively armoured cocoon short of an A-Class submarine.

Running Costs

Mercedes claims 8.2 L/100 km on the combined cycle; our week of mixed Sydney commuting and one spirited Bells Line run returned 9.4 L/100 km, not Prius numbers, yet fair for a 2-tonne flagship. Servicing is annual or 25,000 km and pre-paid plans soften the sting to roughly A$4,500 over five years. Resale remains strong, past S-Classes still fetch more than a fourth-hand Glenfiddich at auction.

Comparison To Its Competitors

BMW’s 740i undercuts the Benz and offers a supersized tablet in the back, but its twin-screen dash divides opinion. Audi’s A8 55 TFSI is sharper value and quieter at a cruise, yet lacks rear-wheel steering and that intangible Sonderklasse gravitas. Lexus LS500h wins on hybrid thrift but loses on ride comfort and infotainment slickness. The S450 may not beat every rival in every metric, but it nails the blend better than any.

2025 Mercedes S450 4Matic Australian Review: Full Breakdown of Design, Tech, Safety and On-Road Performance

Conclusion

The 2025 MERCEDES S450 is not about flashy gimmicks or Nürburgring bragging rights. It is about arriving fresher than you left, wrapped in tech that quietly does the thinking. There are faster limos, cheaper limos and certainly louder limos, but none feel so effortlessly resolved.

Rating: 9.1/10

A masterclass in discreet indulgence and everyday usability. Only the eye-watering options pricing stops it short of perfection.