rw594

This is why 99% of the W223s you see on Chinese roads (even the Maybach ones) are rolling around with the base configuration. With basic plain leather upholstery, and no headrest pillows. The nicer features, being locked behind bigger engine options, are just to expensive.

The other day I saw a W223 Maybach in our parking lot. The car was the base engine variant and couldn't be optioned with the original equipment suede pillows. So the owner tied a freaking seat cushion to the driver's headrest it was a truly sad and ugly sight.

rw594

Couldn't agree more, that 5th seat is basically worthless to me. If we had a party greater than 4, I'd just hail a cab on my phone, and everybody will be able to travel in comfort, as opposed to squishing that additional person in that hellhole of a middle seat.

As far as I'm aware, the four-seater option doesn't seem to be available in the states, or the UK. No idea why.

crabman

Let's see, in no particular order: That sucks on the taxes and fees; hard to appreciate cars (for those that do) that way. Yep, would have gone 4 seat if I could have. I traded a Panamera with the 4 seat, loved it, and it was no issue at all. Have you considered moving?

rw594

What, just for cheaper cars and electronics? Nah, I'll just be thrity and try to cut as many corners as I can with my unconventional purchasing strategy. Truth be told, I even derive a little pleasure from it!

BenjaminKohl

it used to be an option on the W222, but almost nobody ordered it. The truth is basically no one gets driven in the US, because of expensive labor and it just isn’t the normalized choice, so generally the people buying the car sit up front and Americans seem to like the extra seat for “just in case.” The few people who either get chauffeured, want the Francine’s of the four seat configuration, or simply never have 5 people and think the fixed console is more useful can and will get a Maybach. The difference between a loaded S580 (~$155,000) and a well equipped S580 Maybach (~$205,000) just isn’t insane. It’s noticeable, but not crazy to the people looking at this echelon of car, especially compared to the price of just an S450 in so many other parts of the world.

crabman

It's very popular on the Panamera, enough so that the 5 seat configuration hurts your resale. I didn't know it had been available but wasn't popular here with this one. Kinda strange, the Panny is a little more expensive than the vanilla S class overall but it's not that much.

DoctorDash

That Maybach figure is a little bit lite, LOL.. I know when I bought this S580 and it was 158k I started to think lemme look at the Maybach. I was coming up around 230k after options, and also I felt it was a little bit LOOK AT ME so opted against it. My wife loves to drive and in the last two years or so I've started hopping in the back LOL. So since I didnt get it in my 750 I made sure to go executive in this one so when were coming home from a night out I can sit in the back, recline and catch a massage LOL..

Streamliner

Simply put, you drive an S500 or S580. You should be DRIVEN in a Maybach.

DoctorDash

True Dat. Personally I enjoy driving, my wife doesnt enjoy my driving as much LOL.

Rockland

$220k is about right. some Honda dealership owner here in Atlanta has his 2021 Maybach on the Honda showroom floor and he has an asking price of $300,000. I thought that his asking price was just a tad absurd even by today’s standards and who would pay $300k to just sit in the backseat and get a massage.

crabman

I rent a limo, better, cheaper, and it's not taking up precious garage space. Different story if I had the need regularly but I don't; just for going to shows and the occasional formal event.

Sonic Boom

I personally went with the best of both worlds and then some; a WV223 S500 with the 4 seat configuration (“First-Class rear compartment” option code 224 with Folding Tables option code 449 and Alternate Smartphone Position option code 326 (similar to Maybach)) and in addition to a mix of Executive and AMG line/body styling and Exclusive and Rear Executive packages with all the options loaded except the cooler box in rear which takes too much trunk space and practically never used in previous cars.

I was also keen to get MBs new rear passenger airbags (mounted on back side of front seats) option code 302. Safety first!!

I’m not the type that changes cars often and since its a new S class design, it should keep me happy for quite a few years.

rw594

Everyone says that, and I'm sure that's how MB designed those cars to be.

But the brutal reality here in China is that almost all Maybach S class owners drive the car themselves

I think they went Maybach just because they wanted 'the longest and biggest S Class'. And the added chrome pieces here and there help them appear more baller-y. Which is a look I'm keen on avoiding - but to each his own.

For chauffers, we have a very special class of cars here in China, most notable examples being the Toyota Alphard or the Mercedes V class. People buy these cars at half the price of a properly euipped S class, then send them to a custom shop to overhaul the interior for a dozen grands, and the cabin ends up looking like these:





Like you said, probably not practical for westerners, given how expensive labour is. But our parking lot is filled with these glorified mini-vans.

bishop64

For the record, China does have the 4-seater configuration too, right here in Hong Kong. 4-Seater config is available for both S450 and S500, and both configs have the same price. Do not ask me the logic behind.


Same here! This rear passenger airbags option is exactly one of the options that I wanted and got.
Safety is the primary feature that I choose the S-Class.


There are tons of these MPVs here. Frankly, V-Class is very late to this game (perhaps 10-15 years late). V-Class is not bad if there is nothing else to have. But, Alphard is the king and MB has a lot to learn.

My modestly equipped S450L 4Matic costed $210,000, which can be translated to ''a well equipped S580 Maybach'' in the US. But it is really difficult (and maybe unfair too) to compare different markets.

Besides the expensive labour, another reason is that Americans simply like to drive. It is in the blood. So many movie or sports stars, having literally billions, still drive their own cars around. It is definitely not that they cannot afford having a full-time chauffeur, it is just in their DNA (the love of driving around, having this great sense of freedom and mobility).

rw594

People in HK drive on the wrong side of the road though so cars built for the HK market will sadly not be road legal over here in mainland

bishop64

Actually, RHD vehicles can be road legal in the Mainland.
This is very common and will become even more so when the Greater Bay Area develops. BTW, are you in Guangdong?

A pic speaks a thousand words.

rw594

Interesting; is that a temporary allowance, or permanent though?

I live in Hangzhou, so not close enough to see Guangdong registration vehicles on local roads. I will be driving the car over to Shenzhen in the coming week for retrofitting though. Apparently the best retrofitters / modders are all based off there.

Sonic Boom

Do they hack the MBUX to add hidden features that are not available in certain markets? For example, if you have Digital Light, can they enable the projections?

bishop64

Permanent. This dual license plate registration has been ongoing for at least 10 years.

Edit:- And, of course, one has to pay an annual fee for this registration.

rw594

I'll ask about this when I have my digital light fitted.

I know they do conduct coding and hacking of some caliber, to enable functions related to retrofitted hardware.

And they also somehow edit your vehicle's registration on MB's system, so that when you visit an official MB dealer afterwards, your vehicle will show up on their ledger as equipped with all the retrofitted options, avoiding confusion and potential headaches.

bishop64

@rw594
When they are done with your car, I look forward to watch the conversion video in Bilibili.

BTW, what kind of MB factory warranty do you get from a Hangzhou 4S shop?

Drone_S213

@bishop64 Are many S-Class sedans/Maybachs chauffeured driven in Hong Kong? Last month finally set foot on MIT Campus for combined 2020/2021 Commencement Ceremony. 2022 Ceremony was held day before on Friday. Daughter came down with Covid following Tuesday...her roommate who is now attending Northwestern Med School sent her text that she tested positive while we were returning to Maryland from Boston South Amtrak Station on Sunday. Fauchi apparently also caught it while at his Holy Cross Alma Mater same time frame. Otherwise trip to Cambridge was fantastic. Got another MIT ballcap for Father's Day. Stay Safe.

rw594

And I’ll enjoy posting it here the photos of my car stripped down to the bones will no doubt scare the living ****e out of everyone on this forum

Dunno about warranty details from my local dealer (or ‘4S shop’, as you already know they are locally called). All I’ve heard is that they are not very good.

These shops will try to sneak out of any costly repair or replacements, using lines like ‘oh this is just a characteristic of this particular generation’. Which to be fair, is also used often by dealers in the states. The only difference is that people here tend to be less knowledgeable about cars, and less protected as consumers by the law. So dealers often just get away with it.

I have purchased third-party warranty from an established insurance company, covering 3 years or 50,000 KM. If anything major like the engine breaks down, my insurance will pay for necessary repairs or replacements.

Sonic Boom

Will have toilet paper ready

bishop64

I have no statistics and so it is just my pure guess. It might be 2 or 3 out of 10 (for S-Class) and 6 or 7 out of 10 (for Maybach) are chauffeured. There is a noticeable difference between the S-Class and the Maybach.
(Maybach is not selling very well here. I see more RRs/Bentleys on the road.)

Hope you and your family had a good time during that weekend! I wonder if Toscanini Ice Cream is still there. The little store was just north of the campus along Mass Ave. Just a few minutes walk from the Dome. Those days were often quite stressful and eating their ice-cream with strawberry toppings was my way to de-stress...lol

I had my 2nd booster Covid shot just last week. Now, I had a total of 4 injections, maximizing my defense.
You stay safe too. Hope your daughter is alright now.