Compare the2023 Mercedes C-Class SedanVS 2022 Volkswagen Passat

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes C-Class Sedan 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 Volkswagen Passat doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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

The Mercedes C-Class Sedan has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Passat doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The C-Class Sedan offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Passat doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The C-Class Sedan offers an optional Surround View System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Passat only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The C-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 Passat doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the C-Class Sedan and the Passat have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and available rear cross-path warning.

The Mercedes C-Class Sedan weighs 456 to 588 pounds more than the Volkswagen Passat. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the C-Class Sedan its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Passat has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The C-Class Sedan’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Passat’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

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 Volkswagen vehicles. With 41 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Volkswagen.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 22 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Volkswagen.

Engine

The C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 81 more horsepower (255 vs. 174) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 206) than the Passat’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mercedes C-Class Sedan is faster than the Volkswagen Passat:

	C-Class Sedan	Passat
Zero to 30 MPH	2.8 sec	3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.3 sec	5.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	96 MPH	91 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the C 300 Sedan RWD gets better fuel mileage than the Passat (25 city/36 hwy vs. 24 city/36 hwy).

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the C-Class Sedan’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Passat doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes C-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Passat.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	C-Class Sedan	Passat
Front Rotors	13 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	10.7 inches

The C-Class Sedan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Passat are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction and acceleration, the C-Class Sedan has larger standard rear tires than the Passat (245/40R18 vs. 235/45R18). The C-Class Sedan’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Passat (255/35R19 vs. 235/45R18).

The C-Class Sedan’s standard 245/40R18 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Passat’s standard 45 series tires. The C-Class Sedan’s optional 255/35R19 rear tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Passat R-Line’s optional 40 series tires.

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

Suspension and Handling

The C-Class Sedan has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Passat’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The C-Class Sedan’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 Passat doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the C-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the Passat (112.8 inches vs. 110.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the C-Class Sedan is .6 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Passat.

Chassis

The C-Class Sedan is 6.6 inches shorter than the Passat, making the C-Class Sedan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Mercedes C-Class Sedan amounts to more than styling. The C-Class Sedan has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .24 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Passat (.28) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the C-Class Sedan get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The C-Class Sedan has 3.5 inches more front hip room and 3.3 inches more rear hip room than the Passat.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the C-Class Sedan’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The Passat’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the C-Class Sedan’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Passat doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the C-Class Sedan has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Passat doesn’t offer a power trunk, so its trunk has to be closed manually.

Servicing Ease

The C-Class Sedan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Passat uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the C-Class Sedan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Passat. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Passat Limited, the C-Class Sedan has standard driver and 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 Sedan’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. The Passat doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The C-Class Sedan 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 Passat doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The C-Class Sedan’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Passat has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

If the windows are left open on the C-Class Sedan 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 Passat can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

Consumer Reports rated the C-Class Sedan’s headlight performance “Excellent,” a higher rating than the Passat’s headlights, which were rated “Fair” to “Good” (depending on model and options).

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

The C-Class Sedan’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Passat has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the C-Class Sedan keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Passat doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the C-Class Sedan’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Passat doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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 Passat doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The C-Class Sedan has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Passat doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The C-Class Sedan’s optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Passat Limited’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

The Mercedes C-Class outsold the Volkswagen Passat by almost 11 to one during 2022.