Compare the2024 Ford MustangVS 2024 Mercedes CLE

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Mustang are reminded to check the back seat. The CLE doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Mustang has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The CLE 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.

The Mustang’s standard 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. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the CLE.

The Mustang has standard 911 Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to 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 CLE doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Mustang and the CLE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, 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.

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Mustang 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the CLE. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the CLE ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 8 times as many Ford dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Mustang’s warranty.

The Mustang has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The CLE doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 7 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Mustang has more powerful engines than the CLE:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Mustang uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The CLE requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Mustang EcoBoost’s standard fuel tank has 15.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the CLE (15.9 vs. gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Mustang V8’s standard fuel tank has 16 gallons more fuel capacity than the CLE (16 vs. gallons).

The Mustang has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CLE doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Mustang offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The CLE doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Mustang, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the CLE.

The Mustang offers an optional 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 CLE’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Ford Mustang may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 800 pounds less than the Mercedes CLE.

The Mustang Convertible uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CLE doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Mustang Fastback has 2.4 inches more front legroom and .6 inches more front shoulder room than the CLE.

The Mustang Convertible has a much larger trunk with its top down than the CLE with its top down (11.4 vs. 10 cubic feet).

The Mustang Automatic 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 CLE doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Mustang’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 CLE’s

The Mustang’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The CLE’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.