2010 Maybach 62 Review

For 2010, the Maybach 62 gains standard Bluetooth phone controls for rear passengers and full power-closing rear doors, while the pricey options list is augmented with an electro-transparent rear roof section. Also, the special-edition Maybach 62 Zeppelin debuts.

Stately in size, decadent in its luxuries and rapid in its pace, the 2010 Maybach 62 could be the most exquisite car (a lot of) money can buy. However, it lacks the overwhelming character and panache of the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

The 2010 Maybach 62 is one of three models sold from the ultra-luxury division of Mercedes-Benz -- the others being the shorter-wheelbase 57 version and quasi-convertible Laundaulet. Though the Maybach name dates back to the 1920s, the current iteration was launched back in 2002 when Mercedes-Benz saw a need to jump into the ultra-luxury sedan segment while BMW and Volkswagen were gobbling up Britain's most storied automotive marques (Rolls and Bentley, respectively).

The resulting car shares not only a passing resemblance to the previous-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but its basic platform as well. As such, the 62 comes across as much more of an über-Benz rather than its own bespoke car like its Brit-German rivals do. However, saying that a car is too much like a Mercedes-Benz is like saying your date looks too much like Heidi Klum. Although with the impenetrably solid construction, fine craftsmanship and bulletproof engineering, the 2010 Maybach 62 features a choice of three twin-turbo V12 engines hand-built by a single technician at Mercedes AMG headquarters in Germany. The "base" 62 produces 543 horsepower, while the 62 S gets 604. This year's new Zeppelin produces 631 hp.

Of course, performance is one thing, but for super limousines like a Maybach, the interior is of paramount importance. While it doesn't have the sort of grand, old-world interior design of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the 62 has the abundance of leather and wood you'd expect from a vehicle this expensive. Its unbelievably spacious backseat is where it really sets itself apart from the Rolls, with a pair of heated and reclining captain's chairs with fully extending footrests that are arguably the most comfortable way to travel by car. Those seats are separated by a center console containing climate and entertainment controls.

When ordering a 62 at a Maybach "Commissioning Studio," customers can equip their car in literally any way they wish. If they want alpaca upholstery instead of regular old cow leather, the "Maybach Relationship Manager" can probably make it happen; just be prepared to pay a colossal amount of money.

It's hard to compare cars that cost vastly more than the average American home and only slightly less than the entire nation of Togo. Despite its many niceties, though, the 2010 Maybach 62 can't match a Rolls-Royce for exquisitely decadent luxury and that uniquely British character that dates back a century. The Maybach has a classic name, but it's very much the world's nicest old S-Class.

Both the Maybach 62 and 62 S are rear-wheel drive and powered by versions of the twin-turbocharged V12 found in some of the higher-end AMG Mercedes-Benzes. The 5.5-liter V12 in the 62 produces 543 hp and 664 pound-feet of torque. The 62 S gets a 6.0-liter version of the V12 with 604 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, while the Zeppelin's version of that engine produces 631 hp and 739 lb-ft of torque. Maybach estimates all will go from zero to 60 mph in the mid 5-second range. According to the EPA, the Maybach 62 and 62 S will return 10 mpg city/16 mpg highway and 12 mpg combined.

The 2010 Maybach 62 has a comprehensive list of safety features that includes side airbags for the front and rear passengers, full-length side curtain airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, front and rear parking sensors and a rearview camera.

Every Maybach drives like the large car that it is. Having said that, these are pretty amazing large cars, with plenty of power to easily overcome the car's hefty mass. Both the 62 and the 62 S are seriously quick. In terms of handling, though, there's just no way to keep 3 tons from wallowing when going around a corner. Yet these are cars built to deliver diplomats to a meeting of the World Bank, not set a low lap time at the Nürburgring. For such deliveries, the 2010 Maybach 62 provides a beautiful ride that swallows bumps without floating about like a luxury yacht upon the high seas.

For the few Maybach owners who actually drive their car, they will find a front cabin that, like the exterior, basically resembles a lavish previous-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Electronic controls are consequently behind the times and it generally lacks the sense of classical grandeur evident in the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Still, it's a safe bet most Maybach 62 owners will be occupying the rear quarters as their chauffeur ferries them about. They will find a pair of reclining and heated bucket seats with full-size retractable footrests separated by a center console that houses a refrigerated compartment and controls for the rear dual-zone climate control and the standard DVD entertainment system. Traveling by car really doesn't get more luxurious than that.