Compare the2023 Audi A6VS 2023 Mercedes C-Class Sedan

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 Audi A6 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 C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 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. The C-Class Sedan doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

Both the A6 and the C-Class Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the A6’s reliability 20 points higher than the C-Class Sedan.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 18 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

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 hybrid. The A6 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 80 more horsepower (335 vs. 255) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 295) than the C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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.

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.

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

The A6 stops much shorter than the C-Class Sedan:

For better traction, the A6 has larger standard tires than the C-Class Sedan (245/45R19 vs. 225/45R18). The A6’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the C-Class Sedan (255/40R20 vs. 225/40R19).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-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.

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 2.3 inches longer than on the C-Class Sedan (115.1 inches vs. 112.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the A6 is 1.9 inches wider in the front and .9 inches wider in the rear than on the C-Class Sedan.

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 6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the C-Class Sedan (99 vs. 93).

The A6 has .8 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the C-Class Sedan.

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

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

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.

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.

The A6 Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The C-Class Sedan’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi A6, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mercedes C-Class Sedan isn't recommended.