Compare the2024 Mercedes AMG C-Class SedanVS 2024 Honda Civic Type R

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

Safety

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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 Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The AMG 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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

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 Civic Type R only offers a rear monitor.

Both the AMG C-Class Sedan and Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

The AMG C-Class Sedan has standard Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the AMG C-Class Sedan and the Civic Type R have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Mercedes AMG C-Class Sedan weighs 904 to 1561 pounds more than the Honda Civic Type R. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

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 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Civic Type R has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The AMG 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 Civic Type R’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 Honda With 35 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Honda.

Engine

The AMG C 43’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 87 more horsepower (402 vs. 315) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 310) than the Civic Type R’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The AMG C 63 S E’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 356 more horsepower (671 vs. 315) and 442 lbs.-ft. more torque (752 vs. 310) than the Civic Type R’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The AMG C 63 S E can travel with zero emissions for 7 miles. The Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The AMG C-Class Sedan has 5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic Type R (17.4 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The AMG C-Class Sedan has a standard automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer an automatic transmission.

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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer an SMG.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	AMG C 43	AMG C 63 S E	Civic Type R
Front Rotors	14.6 inches	15.4 inches	13.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	14.6 inches	12 inches

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Civic Type R are solid, not vented.

The AMG C-Class Sedan stops much shorter than the Civic Type R:

	AMG C-Class Sedan	Civic Type R
70 to 0 MPH	139 feet	153 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	103 feet	104 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the AMG C-Class Sedan offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Civic Type R’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 Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the AMG C-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 5.1 inches longer than on the Civic Type R (112.8 inches vs. 107.7 inches).

For better maneuverability, the AMG C-Class Sedan’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Civic Type R’s (39.3 feet vs. 39.9 feet).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the AMG C 63 S E is quieter than the Civic Type R:

	AMG C-Class Sedan	Civic Type R
Full-Throttle	78 dB	88 dB

Passenger Space

The AMG C-Class Sedan has 1.7 inches more front headroom and .5 inches more rear headroom than the Civic Type R.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the AMG C-Class Sedan’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R’s hatchback body style and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the AMG C-Class Sedan. The Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Servicing Ease

The AMG C-Class Sedan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Civic Type R 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.

The engine in the AMG C-Class Sedan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Civic Type R. 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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When three different drivers share the AMG C-Class Sedan, the memory system makes it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a memory system.

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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The AMG 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 Civic Type R’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The AMG C-Class Sedan’s standard Keyless-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the car, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Entry standard on the Civic Type R doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The AMG 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 Civic Type R’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the AMG C-Class Sedan offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the AMG C-Class Sedan is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Civic Type R’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 Civic Type R offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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 Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R.

Both the AMG C-Class Sedan and the Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R 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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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 Civic Type R isn’t in the top three.