The E-Class Sedan’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The A6 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The E-Class Sedan offers an optional backup collision prevention system that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The A6 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.
The E-Class Sedan has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the A6 Premium Plus/Prestige offers a blind spot warning system.
The E-Class Sedan’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A6 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the E-Class Sedan and the A6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mercedes E-Class Sedan is safer than the Audi A6:
|
E-Class Sedan |
A6 |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
204 |
354 |
Chest Compression |
.4 inches |
.5 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
29% |
41% |
Neck Stress |
120 lbs. |
228 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
257/308 lbs. |
263/331 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mercedes E-Class Sedan is safer than the Audi A6:
|
E-Class Sedan |
A6 |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
132 |
135 |
Abdominal Force |
149 G’s |
174 G’s |
Hip Force |
223 lbs. |
262 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
594 lbs. |
716 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
11 inches |
13 inches |
HIC |
326 |
395 |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.