Compare the2023 Mercedes C-Class CoupeVS 2022 Porsche 911

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes C-Class Coupe have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Porsche 911 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The C-Class Coupe’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The 911 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Mercedes C-Class Coupe has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The 911 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The C-Class Coupe has standard whiplash protection, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the whiplash protection system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The 911 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The C-Class Coupe has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the 911’s blind spot costs extra.

The C-Class Coupe’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 911 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the C-Class Coupe and the 911 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

There are almost 2 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the C-Class Coupe’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Porsche vehicles. With 11 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Porsche.

On the EPA test cycle the C-Class Coupe gets better mileage than the 911 Coupe:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes C-Class Coupe higher (6 out of 10) than the Porsche 911 (5). This means the C-Class Coupe produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 911 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes C-Class Coupe, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the 911.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the C-Class Coupe can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The 911 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The C-Class Coupe 300 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 911; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The C-Class Coupe’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The 911 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the C-Class Coupe’s wheelbase is 15.3 inches longer than on the 911 (111.8 inches vs. 96.5 inches).

The C-Class Coupe’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (53.8% to 46.2%) than the 911’s (39.5% to 60.5%). This gives the C-Class Coupe more stable handling and braking.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the C-Class Coupe a Subcompact car, while the 911 Coupe is rated a Minicompact.

The C-Class Coupe has 6.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 911 (79.3 vs. 73).

The C-Class Coupe has .9 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.1 inches more rear headroom, 4.8 inches more rear legroom and 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the 911.

The C-Class Coupe has a much larger trunk than the 911 Coupe with its rear seat up (10.5 vs. 4.6 cubic feet).

With its coupe body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the C-Class offers cargo security. The 911’s non-lockable folding seat defeats cargo security.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the C-Class Coupe’s power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The 911 doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Standard Trailer Stabilization Program on the C-Class Coupe uses the Electronic Stability Program sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The 911 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The C-Class Coupe has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The 911 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the 911, the C-Class Coupe offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The C-Class Coupe’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the 911.

The C-Class Coupe offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The 911 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the C-Class Coupe the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the 911 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the C-Class Coupe has standard extendable sun visors. The 911 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes C-Class offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The 911 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Mercedes C-Class comes in coupe, convertible and sedan bodystyles; the Porsche 911 isn’t available as a sedan.

Insurance will cost less for the C-Class Coupe owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the C-Class Coupe will cost $4105 to $11110 less than the 911 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes C-Class Coupe will be $28913 to $108442 less than for the Porsche 911.

The Mercedes C-Class outsold the Porsche 911 by almost four to one during 2022.