Compare the2023 Mercedes AMG C-Class SedanVS 2023 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

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 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Mercedes AMG 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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

The AMG C-Class Sedan has a standard Surround View System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Jetta GLI only offers a rear monitor.

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the AMG C-Class Sedan and the Jetta GLI 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Mercedes AMG C-Class Sedan weighs 737 to 820 pounds more than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI. 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 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 Jetta GLI last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

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

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.

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 174 more horsepower (402 vs. 228) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 258) than the Jetta GLI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

The AMG C-Class Sedan has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta GLI (17.4 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Mercedes AMG C-Class Sedan comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Jetta GLI.

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 a seven-speed automatic is available for the Jetta GLI.

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer launch control.

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

For better traction, the AMG C-Class Sedan has larger tires than the Jetta GLI (245/45R18 vs. 225/45R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the AMG C-Class Sedan offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Jetta GLI’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The AMG 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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the AMG C-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 7.2 inches longer than on the Jetta GLI (112.8 inches vs. 105.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the AMG C-Class Sedan is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Jetta GLI.

The AMG C-Class Sedan has 3.1 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta GLI.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the AMG C-Class Sedan’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Jetta GLI’s useful trunk space.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the AMG C-Class Sedan’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the AMG C-Class Sedan. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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

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

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Jetta GLI, 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 Jetta GLI 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 Jetta GLI can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The AMG C-Class Sedan’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Jetta GLI’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

The AMG 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 Jetta GLI has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the AMG 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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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 Jetta GLI.

Both the AMG C-Class Sedan and the Jetta GLI offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the AMG C-Class Sedan has available rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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 Jetta GLI doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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