Compare the2023 Mercedes AMG C-Class SedanVS 2023 Maserati Ghibli

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes AMG C-Class Sedan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Maserati Ghibli doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The AMG 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 Ghibli doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The AMG C-Class Sedan offers an optional Maneuvering Brake Function that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Ghibli doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

Both the AMG C-Class Sedan and Ghibli have rear cross-traffic warning, but the AMG C-Class Sedan has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Ghibli’s Rear Cross Path doesn’t automatically brake.

The AMG 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 Ghibli doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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

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 AMG C-Class Sedan its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Ghibli has not been fully tested, yet.

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Ghibli’s (5/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

There are over 3 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Maserati dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the AMG C-Class Sedan’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 Maserati vehicles. With 66 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Maserati.

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 57 more horsepower (402 vs. 345) than the Ghibli GT’s standard 3.0 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the AMG C-Class Sedan gets better mileage than the Ghibli:

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

A nine-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Mercedes AMG C-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Ghibli.

The AMG C-Class Sedan offers a standard 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 Ghibli doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the AMG C-Class Sedan’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Ghibli:

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the AMG 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 Ghibli doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The AMG C-Class Sedan is 7.3 inches shorter than the Ghibli, making the AMG C-Class Sedan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The AMG C-Class Sedan has 2.2 inches more front headroom, 4 inches more front legroom and 2.8 inches more rear legroom than the Ghibli.

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

With its sedan body style, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the AMG C-Class offers cargo security. The Ghibli’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Ghibli, the AMG 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 AMG C-Class Sedan offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning 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 Ghibli doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the AMG 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 Ghibli can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the AMG C-Class Sedan to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Ghibli doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its optional heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Ghibli’s standard xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

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

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

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Ghibli doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

The Mercedes C-Class outsold the Maserati Ghibli by almost 16 to one during 2022.