Item: Used Maybach 57 Saloon 2003 - 2012
Author: What Car? Team

What is it like?

Ownership cost

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Saloon

These days, Maybach exists as a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz and focuses on adding even more luxury to the already opulent S-Class saloon and G-Class SUV.

In the case of the S-Class, for example, Maybach adds more space inside, a V12 petrol engine and a list of standard equipment that’s as long as your arm.

As you might expect, Maybach models cost considerably more than the cars on which they’re based – and at this price point, buyers expect ultimate luxury whether they’re driving or being driven.

We’re expecting Mercedes-Maybach to return to its roots, however, and create its own bespoke model. This car, which is expected to take the form of an electric SUV, would do battle with premium rivals such as the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

MAYBACH

If you've got the cash and the ego, then maybe a Maybach is right for you.

Used Maybach 57 Saloon 2003 - 2012

This car is for the super-rich. The price for a new Maybach 57S approaches £300,000, which is hardly competitive when you compare that with similar luxury offerings from Bentley and Rolls Royce.

Depreciation will make your eyes water, but Maybach has tried to limit this with a buy-back scheme. That said, expect to lose tens of thousands of pounds in the course of a 12-month ownership. We found a 12-month 62 on offer from a US dealership at £77,000 less than the original list price.

There are two ways of looking at this: you'll save thousands if you don't buy new, but you'll still lose thousands - it depends whether your silver goblet is half empty or half full.

Insurance and running costs are similarly exorbitant. The Maybach is in group 20 but fuel consumption is not as bad as you might expect, at 17mpg. Unsurprisingly, it's in the top road tax band for carbon dioxide emissions.

If you've got the cash and the ego, then maybe a Maybach is right for you.

The 57S is probably the best option, but whatever specification you choose, you can't get more unique than a used Maybach.

What Car? found a dark green 'standard' 57 with Maui Pearl exclusive leather replete with all manner of wonderful extras: a heated steering wheel, cooling box in rear armrest, rear door curtains, television, DVD, a surround-sound audio system, champagne flutes and silver goblets fixed in clamps.

The roof, made of photochromatic glass, could be frosted or completely opaque at the touch of a button. All this is on top of the more 'traditional' gizmos such as cruise control, electronic memory front seats, heated mirrors and sat-nav.

You also get a 6.0-litre V12 with 61bhp more than the standard 57, so you get to 60mph 0.2sec quicker. You can put the auto gearbox into manual mode and use one of two sport modes for the air suspension to keep body roll to minimum. Oh, and top speed is 171mph.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plush ride and the ability to cruise in near-silence </li> <li>Powerful and efficient engine</li> <li>Space for passengers to stretch out in the rear seats</li> <li>Exquisite materials and build quality</li> <li>Endless luxuries on the options list</li> <li>Sensible fuel and tax bills</li></ul>

If you’re in the market for a luxury car, you’ll be after a sumptuous interior, a ride that can soak up the worst of the UK’s pockmarked roads and supreme refinement that allows you to travel at speed in near-silence.

Your cheapest (and smallest) options are the Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class and brilliant BMW 5 Series, the latter of which is so good we voted it our 2017 Car of the Year. Larger options that are definitely worth considering if you plan to travel in the back include the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and the Mercedes S-Class, which is beautifully finished inside and not as expensive to run as you might think.

Or if money really is no object at all, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is hard to overlook – especially in extended-wheelbase form. It’s as opulent as cars get.

Luxury

It's hard to fault the hand-built quality of a Maybach and it's hardly likely that you'll see one for sale in the local ads. Dealerships have close contact with their owners, so they'll have a good idea where the car has been and what's gone wrong, if anything.

These are carefully crafted cars, built with love and affection, so buyers should expect trouble-free motoring. Mechanically, these cars are sound, but some models have been plagued by electrical glitches.

You'll need to be mixing in the right circles to find a used Maybach to suit your needs. Only around 1000 cars are expected to be sold worldwide every year in the 57 and the longer-wheelbase 62. It is estimated that, with all the different specifications available, it would take 4400 years of production before two identical Maybachs were produced. The manufacturer's warranty lasts four years.

A Maybach offers acres of space, a beautifully refined engine and outright opulence. With 2.2 million different permutations of colour, trim and equipment available you can rest assured that if you own one there really is no other car like it.

It has everything. Ten airbags, a cabin full of wood and leather with silver goblets ready and waiting in the rear centre console.

On the 57 base model, you get a five-speed automatic gearbox complemented by a 5.5-litre V12 engine that will take you from 0.60mph in 5.4sec. It's impossibly smooth and inordinately fast for a car that weighs 2.7 tonnes, but it'll emit 363g/km of carbon dioxide.

There's a fraction of road noise on rough surfaces, but when idling the engine is virtually silent. Handling is supple and precise, but there's a little too much body roll to allow rear passengers to rest or work unhindered.

Used Maybach 57 Saloon 2003 - 2012 review

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