Compare the2024 Mercedes AMG C-Class SedanVS 2024 Audi RS 3

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

Safety

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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 Audi RS 3 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 RS 3 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

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 RS 3 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 AMG 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 RS 3’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the AMG C-Class Sedan has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Active Brake Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the RS 3.

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 RS 3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the AMG C-Class Sedan and the RS 3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The Mercedes AMG C-Class Sedan weighs 443 to 1100 pounds more than the Audi RS 3. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

There are over 25 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the AMG C-Class Sedan’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 20 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

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 Audi With 37 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

Engine

The AMG C 63 S E’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 270 more horsepower (671 vs. 401) and 383 lbs.-ft. more torque (752 vs. 369) than the RS 3’s 2.5 turbo 5-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the AMG C 63 S E is faster than the Audi RS 3:

	AMG C-Class Sedan	RS 3
Zero to 60 MPH	2.9 sec	3.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	7.1 sec	8.4 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	3.6 sec	4.7 sec
Quarter Mile	11.2 sec	11.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	121 MPH	117 MPH
Top Speed	174 MPH	159 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The AMG C 63 S E can travel with zero emissions for 7 miles. The RS 3 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the AMG C-Class Sedan’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The RS 3 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the AMG 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 RS 3 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The AMG C-Class Sedan has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the RS 3 (17.4 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

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 RS 3.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the AMG C 63 S E’s brake rotors are larger than those on the RS 3:

	AMG C 63 S E	RS 3
Front Rotors	15.4 inches	14.8 inches
Rear Rotors	14.6 inches	12.2 inches

The AMG C-Class Sedan stops much shorter than the RS 3:

	AMG C-Class Sedan	RS 3
70 to 0 MPH	139 feet	167 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s optional 265/30R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RS 3’s 35 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the AMG C-Class Sedan offers optional 20-inch wheels. The RS 3’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available 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 RS 3 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

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 RS 3 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the AMG C-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 9.2 inches longer than on the RS 3 (112.8 inches vs. 103.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the AMG C-Class Sedan is 3.1 inches wider in the rear than on the RS 3.

The AMG C 63 S E handles at .99 G’s, while the RS 3 pulls only .94 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The AMG C-Class Sedan has 4.5 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the RS 3.

Cargo Capacity

The AMG C-Class Sedan has a much larger trunk than the RS 3 (12.6 vs. 8.3 cubic feet).

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the AMG C-Class Sedan’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The RS 3 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 RS 3’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the AMG C-Class Sedan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the RS 3. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The AMG C-Class Sedan has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The RS 3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the RS 3, 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’s standard easy entry and exit feature raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The RS 3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 RS 3 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its standard heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

The RS 3’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The AMG C-Class Sedan’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The RS 3’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the AMG C-Class Sedan keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The RS 3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 RS 3 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 RS 3.

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 RS 3’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the AMG C-Class Sedan third among compact premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The RS 3 isn’t in the top three.

The Mercedes C-Class outsold the Audi A3/S3/RS 3 by over two to one during 2023.