Compare the2024 Mercedes C-Class SedanVS 2024 Subaru Legacy

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
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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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 Legacy doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The C-Class Sedan has a standard Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Legacy doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The C-Class Sedan offers optional Car-to-X Communication, a system that seemlesly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Legacy doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

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 Legacy only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The C-Class Sedan has a standard blind spot warning system that 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 Legacy’s blind spot costs extra.

Both the C-Class Sedan and Legacy offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the C-Class Sedan with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert also has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Legacy’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the C-Class Sedan and the Legacy 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, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

Warranty

The C-Class Sedan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Legacy’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Reliability

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 Subaru With 31 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Subaru.

Engine

The C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 73 more horsepower (255 vs. 182) and 119 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 176) than the Legacy 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 277) than the Legacy Sport/XT’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mercedes C-Class Sedan is faster than the Legacy 2.5i 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	C-Class Sedan	Legacy
Zero to 30 MPH	2.8 sec	3.4 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	8.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.3 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	96 MPH	86 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
C-Class Sedan
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/36 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy
Legacy
	AWD	2.4 turbo flat-4	23 city/31 hwy

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

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes C-Class Sedan higher (8 out of 10) than the Subaru Legacy (3 to 7). This means the C-Class Sedan produces up to 30 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Legacy every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	C-Class Sedan	Legacy
Front Rotors	13 inches	12.4 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction and acceleration, the C-Class Sedan has larger standard rear tires than the Legacy (245/40R18 vs. 225/55R17). The C-Class Sedan’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Legacy (255/35R19 vs. 225/55R17).

The C-Class Sedan’s standard 225/45R18 front and 245/40R18 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Legacy Base/Premium’s standard 55 series tires. The C-Class Sedan’s optional 225/40R19 front and 255/35R19 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Legacy Sport/Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the C-Class Sedan has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Legacy Base/Premium. The C-Class Sedan’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Legacy Sport/Limited/Touring.

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 Legacy doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The C-Class Sedan has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Legacy doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

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 Legacy doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the C-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the Legacy (112.8 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

Chassis

The C-Class Sedan is 4.1 inches shorter than the Legacy, making the C-Class Sedan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The C-Class Sedan has .6 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more rear headroom and 3.3 inches more rear hip room than the Legacy.

Cargo Capacity

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

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

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the 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 Legacy doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Servicing Ease

The C-Class Sedan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Legacy 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.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Legacy Limited/Touring, 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 and exit feature raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Legacy 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 Legacy doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the C-Class Sedan and the Legacy have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the C-Class Sedan is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Legacy prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The C-Class Sedan’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Legacy’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Legacy can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The C-Class Sedan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Legacy’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the C-Class Sedan’s headlight performance “Excellent,” a higher rating than the Legacy’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 Legacy doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The C-Class Sedan’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Legacy Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

The C-Class Sedan has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Legacy Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

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

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes C-Class has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Legacy and isn’t available on the Legacy Base.

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 Legacy 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 Legacy doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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

The C-Class Sedan is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Legacy doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

The Mercedes C-Class outsold the Subaru Legacy by 28% during 2023.