Compare the2022 Cadillac CT4VS 2021 Mercedes C-Class Sedan

Both the CT4 and C-Class Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The CT4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The C-Class Sedan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the CT4 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CT4 Premium Luxury/Sport has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CT4’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the C-Class Sedan.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CT4 has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Cross-path warning costs extra on the C-Class Sedan.

Both the CT4 and the C-Class Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the CT4 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the C-Class Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the C-Class Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The CT4’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the C-Class Sedan’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CT4’s warranty.

The battery on the CT4 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the CT4’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The C-Class Sedan’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac 22nd in initial quality. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 25th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 15th.

The CT4’s optional 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder produces 55 more horsepower (310 vs. 255) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (350 vs. 273) than the C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CT4’s fuel efficiency. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CT4 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Cadillac CT4 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the C-Class Sedan.

For better traction, the CT4 Premium Luxury’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the C-Class Sedan (235/40R18 vs. 225/40R19).

The CT4’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the C-Class Sedan’s 50 series tires. The CT4’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the C-Class Sedan’s optional 40 series front tires.

The CT4 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The CT4 has 1.2 inches more front headroom and .7 inches more front legroom than the C-Class Sedan.

The CT4 has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The C-Class Sedan has no towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 16% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 6th.

The CT4 Sport offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the C-Class Sedan.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Cadillac CT4 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the C-Class Sedan.

Insurance will cost less for the CT4 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the CT4 will cost $325 to $1940 less than the C-Class Sedan over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Cadillac CT4 will be $902 to $7628 less than for the Mercedes C-Class Sedan.