Compare the2022 Audi A6VS 2021 Mercedes C-Class Sedan

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the A6 and C-Class Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A6 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.

The A6 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A6. But it costs extra on the C-Class Sedan.

The A6’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.

Both the A6 and the C-Class Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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 blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Audi A6 weighs 496 to 794 pounds more than the Mercedes C-Class Sedan. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi A6 is safer than the Mercedes C-Class Sedan:

	A6	C-Class Sedan
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	292/435 lbs.	421/449 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	41%	60%
Neck Compression	98 lbs.	219 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 Audi A6 is safer than the Mercedes C-Class Sedan:

	A6	C-Class Sedan
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1 inches
Hip Force	262 lbs.	452 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	135	459
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	67 G’s
Hip Force	716 lbs.	949 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	514 lbs.	769 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the A6, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 2.1% less likely to roll over than the C-Class Sedan, which received a four-star rating.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the A6 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The C-Class Sedan is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

Warranty

The A6’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the C-Class Sedan’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

Engine

The A6 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 6 more horsepower (261 vs. 255) than the C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The A6 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 80 more horsepower (335 vs. 255) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 273) than the C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the A6’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The A6 has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the C-Class Sedan (19.3 vs. 17.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The A6 offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the A6’s brake rotors are larger than those on the C-Class Sedan:

	A6	C-Class Sedan
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches

The A6 stops shorter than the C-Class Sedan:

	A6	C-Class Sedan
60 to 0 MPH	107 feet	108 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the A6 has larger standard tires than the C-Class Sedan (245/45R19 vs. 225/50R17). The A6’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the C-Class Sedan (255/40R20 vs. 225/40R19).

The A6’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.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the C-Class Sedan. The A6’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the C-Class Sedan.

The A6 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the C-Class Sedan; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the C-Class Sedan don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

Suspension and Handling

The A6 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The C-Class Sedan’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the A6’s wheelbase is 3.3 inches longer than on the C-Class Sedan (115.1 inches vs. 111.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the A6 is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the C-Class Sedan.

The A6 Prestige handles at .93 G’s, while the C 300 Sedan 4MATIC pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The A6 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the C 300 Sedan 4MATIC (24.9 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .7 average G’s).

Chassis

The design of the Audi A6 amounts to more than styling. The A6 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .28 Cd. That is lower than the C-Class Sedan (.3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the A6 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the A6 a Mid-size car, while the C-Class Sedan is rated a Compact.

The A6 has 9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the C-Class Sedan (99 vs. 90).

The A6 has .9 inches more front headroom, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the C-Class Sedan.

Cargo Capacity

The A6 has a much larger trunk than the C-Class Sedan (13.7 vs. 12.6 cubic feet).

Towing

The A6 has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The C-Class Sedan has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The A6’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The C-Class Sedan does not have an oil pressure gauge.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A6 Premium Plus/Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A power rear sunshade and manual rear side window sunshades are standard in the A6 Prestige to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the A6 and the C-Class Sedan have standard heated front seats. The A6 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the C-Class Sedan.

The A6 Prestige 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.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the A6 is less expensive to operate than the C-Class Sedan because it costs $318 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the A6 than the C-Class Sedan, including $5 less for a water pump, $266 less for a muffler, $283 less for a fuel pump and $458 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A6 and the Mercedes C-Class Sedan, based on reliability, safety and performance.