Compare the2025 Mercedes C-Class SedanVS 2025 Audi A4

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 C-Class Sedan are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The C-Class Sedan has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The A4 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The 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 A4 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

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 A4’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 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 A4.

The 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 A4 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the C-Class Sedan and the A4 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 all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes C-Class Sedan achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The A4 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 36 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 57 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

The C-Class Sedan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 273) than the A4’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the C-Class Sedan gets better mileage than the A4:

The C-Class Sedan has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the A4 (17.4 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes C-Class Sedan higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi A4 (4). This means the C-Class Sedan produces up to 13.2 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A4 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes C-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A4.

The C-Class Sedan stops shorter than the A4:

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 A4 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

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 A4 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the C-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the A4 (112.8 inches vs. 111 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the C-Class Sedan is .4 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than on the A4.

The C 300 Sedan 4MATIC handles at .91 G’s, while the A4 Prestige pulls only .90 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the C-Class Sedan’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the A4’s (36.3 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The C-Class Sedan 4MATIC’s turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the A4’s (37.6 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

The design of the Mercedes C-Class Sedan amounts to more than styling. The C-Class Sedan has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .24 Cd. That is significantly lower than the A4 (.3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the C-Class Sedan get better fuel mileage.

The C-Class Sedan has 2.7 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the A4.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the C-Class Sedan’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The A4 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the C-Class Sedan has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The A4 doesn’t offer a power trunk, so its trunk has to be closed manually.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the A4, 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 A4 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The C-Class Sedan’s standard Keyless-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Engine Start/Stop standard on the A4 only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

Consumer Reports rated the C-Class Sedan’s headlight performance “Excellent,” a higher rating than the A4’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

The A4’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The 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.

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 A4 doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Mercedes C-Class Sedan has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors costs extra on the A4.

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. Only the A4 Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

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 A4 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The C-Class Sedan’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, stopping and changing direction automatically. The A4 Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The C-Class Sedan is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The A4 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Mercedes C-Class outsold the Audi A4/S4 by over two to one during 2023.