2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+ vs. 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid Photos
The Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+ and Tesla Model S Plaid are electric luxury-performance sedans with very different strengths and flaws.
Currently, there are but three electric luxury-performance sedans on the market: The Tesla Model S Plaid, the AMG-Mercedes EQS 4Matic+, and the just-introduced Lucid Air are the flagship EV sedans. As the EV market begins to subdivide like so many amoebas, slightly smaller, far more nimble EVs like the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT may someday be seen as the core of a new EV sport-sedan class, but for now this is the top of the market.
The Tesla Model S went on sale in 2012, and its exterior sheetmetal has seen only minor changes since its debut. Today's Model S is almost indistinguishable from first-year cars.
There are two versions of the Model S: the base car, with 670 horsepower and an EPA-estimated range of 405 miles, and the Plaid, which comes standard with three motors making a combined 1020 horsepower and offering a 396-mile range.
Sticky optional 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires reduce the Plaid's EPA range from 396 miles to 348 and boost its skidpad grip to 1.08 g's, more cornering than a Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0.
The Plaid's 2.1-second 60-mph time is the second quickest we've ever tested, tied with that of Porsche 918 Spyder. Only one car on the planet—the $4.3 million, 1578-hp Bugatti Chiron Super Sport—can beat the Plaid's 9.4-second, 151-mph quarter-mile blast.
Tesla improved the Plaid's interior with nicer materials and then made parking-lot maneuvering a nightmare by replacing the steering wheel with an aircraft-type yoke—a change that shows why steering wheels have remained circular for the past 100 years.
Mercedes-Benz's in-house tuning division hot-rodded the new electric EQS 580 sedan with upgraded motors that produce 751 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque.
The weirdly shaped AMG EQS is fitted with the same 107.8-kWh battery as the standard EQS 580. It provided enough juice to travel 290 miles in our real-world highway-range test—against an EPA estimated 277-mile range, making it one of only a few EVs to beat its EPA-range number.
The AMG EQS's interior is the definition of plush. Virtually all surfaces are covered with either leather or Mercedes's faux-leather—which is so good it's almost impossible to tell from the real thing. Gorgeous wood with metal inlays and upmarket finishes adorn the cabin.
Despite weighing 5911 pounds, the all-wheel-drive AMG EQS hauls itself to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds, just 0.1 second slower than a C8 Corvette Z51.
The AMG EQS can hustle down a two-lane road, but it lacks the sharp responsiveness and delightful agility we've come to expect from AMG-tuned vehicles.
2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+
2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+
2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+
2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+
2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+
2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+
2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+
2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+
2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 4Matic+
2021 Tesla Model S Plaid
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