2009 Maybach 62

• Overall
• Prices
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability

Performance - What the Auto Press Says

Maybach has called the 62 "the world's most powerful chauffer-driven sedan." The Maybach 62 and 62 S are each powered by V12 engines sourced from the AMG performance division of Mercedes-Benz. Reviewers are impressed with the power and acceleration both engines bring, but conceded that the 62 handles like a limousine, not a sports sedan.

• "The car begs for a professional driver to take the wheel, which is a pity, really, because the 62S-the S stands for Spezial-is a chariot you'll want to take the reins of yourself." -- AutoWeek
• "The Maybach 62S is perhaps the fastest limo in the world, even though it's governed at 155 mph The experience is a journey in a cocoon that is 242.7 inches long and more than 6000 pounds and cuts through the traffic of the ordinary world." -- Car and Driver
• "The truth is much of the Maybach is wasted in the speed-limited U.S. With its deep drawn transaxle, semiactive air suspension, Z-rated tires, 40-gallon fuel tank and mighty power plant, this car can glide at 155 mph, its governed top speed, for as long as the fuel holds out. Think Munich to Berlin, or Cairo to Mecca. At such speeds its logistical benefits multiply. It does not seem much of a stretch to imagine some wealthy Swiss banker ditching his private plane in favor of the Maybach." -- Los Angeles Times
• "Ignore the additional speedometer hung from the suede headliner, and guessing the 62 S's speed as it is gliding down the highway is near impossible." -- Edmunds

Acceleration and Power

The standard Maybach 62 is powered by a 5.5-liter V12 engine making 543 horsepower. The 62 S uses a twin-turbocharged version of the same engine, making 604 horsepower. Both editions are mechanically limited to 155 mph, but reviewers who have taken the car to such velocities say it reaches its maximum speed quickly and remains smooth and stable once there. Both models send that power to the rear-wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. Reviewers say both models offer extraordinary acceleration. The EPA gives the 62 a rating of 10/16 mpg.

• " Provided your chauffeur is properly trained, the 62S will nearly keep up with a half-as-heavy Porsche 911 (a Maybach 57 we tested in August 2003 with 543 horsepower went to 60 in 4.9 seconds)." -- Car and Driver
• "When trying to move a 7400-pound-plus ride, torque counts most, especially when Lars eases into the throttle. You expect-and get-a locomotive tug at your viscera as a whoosh propels with quiet velocity; 1000 Nm (that's 738 lb-ft to the metrically challenged) of torque is delivered between 2000 and 4000 rpm." -- AutoWeek
• "As big as it is, the new Maybach takes no notice of the long, steep freeway inclines that leave the big rigs gasping. Under the hood is a 5.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V-12 engine producing 550 horsepower and a globe-turning 664 pound-feet of torque from 2,300 to 3,000 rpm. This is an unholy amount of force; creating the sensation of sheer, effortless propulsion, a kind of x-axis weightlessness." -- Los Angeles Times
• "It packs 738 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm, which means you can nail it from a dead stop and blithely blow away most everything else on the road, including your buddy's Rolls-Royce Phantom. The 62 S is not as quick as the smaller and lighter Maybach 57 S (which weighs a mere 6,017 pounds), but it's faster than the Rolls, which we've tested at 5.9 seconds to 60 mph." -- Edmunds

Handling and Braking

Most automotive writers don't actually drive the Maybach 62, and so have little to say about its handling. Instead, they tend to review the car as owners will experience it -- from the rear seats. The car is more than 20 feet long, with a soft suspension tuned for passenger comfort. It is very stable even at high speeds, but will never be nimble. A fully optioned 62S can weigh more than 7,000 pounds, meaning that athletic cornering is out of reach for this car.

• "Maybach engineers purposely tuned the suspension of the 62 Special for comfort rather than handling, and though the underpinnings were indeed very compliant, the car never felt floaty or under-suspended." -- Edmunds